《Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!》


 Chapter 1: Alex

    <h4>Chapter 1: Alex</h4>


    A sweat and soot covered young man with calloused and chiselled skin sat on a worn down bench across from the entrance to the mines. He was holding an old and rusty pickaxe close to him ¡ª reminiscing the years he spent toiling away with this old bad boy.


    Normally he would be in the mines mindlessly digging with this thing, but on this particr day, Alex decided he couldn''t quite convince himself to go down there.


    Not that he was too physically exhausted or anything ¡ª he still had another few hours in him.


    Ever since he woke up that morning, he was filled with a sense of impending doom.


    He could feel that his life wasing to an end.


    The cause? Well, Alex wasn''t in the mood to talk about it.


    "Tsk, if I realised this feeling earlier I wouldn''t havee to this damned ce."


    Giving the mine aplicated look, Alex sighed and opened up his lunch for the day ¡ª a cheap nutrient solution.


    Feeling the familiar warmth of the fluid, he raised the packet and took in the familiar aroma, before taking a gulp... and his face soured.


    "Tastes like crap as always!"


    This didn''t stop him from downing the rest though, as he forced himself to drink until the packet was empty. Crap or not, he spent his hard earned money on it.


    But thinking about how he wouldn''t even be around anymore to spend that money, his thoughts started drifting to luxuries he never would have dared to indulge in before.


    "That''s right! May as well go and fill my stomach up with some goodies before I go ou..."


    However before he could even finish his sentence, Alex let out a small yelp as he looked at his bank bnce... he was in the negatives.


    Shaking his head and cursing, Alex left the mine. The manager and the other miners rushing about with their work cast strange nces in his direction. No one had ever been so bold to abandon their duties like he did.


    With nothing left going on for him, Alex rolled his eyes in contempt at his previous co-workers and with a forced smile, he made his way into the city and entered the first police station he came across.


    Inside, the officer at the front desk gave him a quick nce before going back to his newspaper and expressionlessly pointed to the seating area where another 7 or so people were waiting.


    Alex looked around with some curiosity before quickly losing interest. The ce looked just as corrupt as every other institution in the colony.


    But seeing that Alex hadn''t heeded his words, the officer turned back to him with an even more annoyed look.


    "Can''t you see I''m busy kid? Go sit down and wait your turn like the rest."


    Alex ignored the man and cleared his throat.


    "As required by Federalw, I am here to report myself as a victim of impending doom."


    The officer did a double take before his expression quickly turned from annoyed to horrified. He looked at the young man with intensity before he asked with uncertainty.


    "Are you sure you''re not just imagining things?"


    The officer was visibly shaking at this point and grew paler as the seconds passed by.


    Alex simply shrugged and lifted up his shirt, showing two ck, parallel lines that stretched from the bottoms of his feet all the way up to his chest.


    "Yup, I''m pretty sure I''m not imagining this."


    The moment the words left Alex''s mouth, the officer pressed a button underneath his desk.


    "EMERGENCY! Evacuate the lobby! I repeat! EVACUATE THE LOBBY!"


    ***


    Reports and stories of impending doom had been spread across the federation even before humans spread their reach beyond their home. Those stories only tell of people getting a sense that something tragic or life threatening was about to happen to them.


    But just over a hundred years ago, this changed. Millions of people all across the Federation checked in to their local police stations, hospitals etc to report a sense of impending doom. This was simply treated as a freak phenomenon until the first person sumbed to this ''curse''.


    The infected started to disappear, literally, into thin air. And in their ce horrors beyond humanprehension took their ce.


    In less than a few weeks the Federation was nearly overrun by monsters and creatures ¡ª militaries capable of sweeping entires were defeated before this new enemy.


    No one at the time knew what this curse was, how to fight it, or how they possessed such mystical powers.


    It was only when humans were on the brink of defeat and extinction across the whole gxy that the Awakened ¡ª people who sumbed to the curse and miraculously returned alive ¡ª ended up putting a stop to the rampage of these monsters.


    With abilities rivalling that of those monsters, they recovered what they could and restored order and peace to the human race.


    Along with these Awakened, the name of this curse was also brought to light, the Primordial Expanse.


    Over time stability gradually came back to the Federation and the Primordial Expanse generally wasn''t regarded as a curse much anymore, as it was a whole other realm. But as far as Alex was concerned, it was.


    For the wealthy, the appearance of those two ck lines on their bodies, often referred to as the visual representation of the Primordial Expanse, was a wee urrence as bing an Awakened brought many benefits and status in the Federation.


    With money, you could send your kids to specialised schools where they would learn fighting techniques and martial arts, all in the off chance that those two wonderful ck lines appear on their bodies one day.


    For the average person it was as much of a risk as an opportunity to be infected with this curse. If they came out alive and as an Awakened, their status in society would skyrocket. If not... well they would be forgotten as a nobody.


    For the slum rats like Alex, it was almost certainly a death sentence. Only luck could help these bunch.

 Chapter 2: The Curse

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Curse</h4>


    After the situation in the police station died down, Alex could be seen sitting calmly in a heavily reinforced room with nothing but the chair beneath his legs inhabiting the room. Opposite him stood a window with many curious and concerned faces conversing and looking in at Alex, almost like he was a zoo animal.


    He was fastened to the chair with heavy metal restraints made from an alloy even an experienced miner like himself didn''t recognise.


    The room he was in was situated in the most heavily armoured building on the backwater moon he lived on.


    Eventually, a voice hummed over the inte, putting a stop to all the chatter on the other side of the window and grabbing Alex''s attention.


    "Why are you so calm, kid?"


    Alex blinked with a little surprise, clearly not expecting this to be the first question he was asked.


    "Would panicking do me any good?"


    The middle aged man on the other side of the window merely nodded in eptance of his answer.


    "What''s your name, kid?"


    Alex hurried his answers as his feeling of impending doom grew stronger and stronger every minute.


    "Name''s Alex, nost name, no family."


    "Alright Alex, when did your Marks first appear?"


    The man seemed to have understood his attempt to rush the interrogation along andplied with Alex.


    "Are you talking about these ck lines? Since this morning."


    Pity could be seen in the eyes of the men on the other side of the window as they looked at Alex. It seemed he was one of the unlucky ones.


    "It seems we don''t have much time for the full procedure then. Try to answer as many questions of mine as you can then. Okay?"


    Alex gave a nod as the man continued.


    "How much do you know about the Primordial Expanse? Not the stories you hear on the inte or TV, but the real Primordial Expanse."


    This question confused Alex as he answered the question with another question.


    "Don''t I just get transported somewhere, kill a few creatures, receive mystical powers beyond my wildest dreams ande back as an awakened?"


    His tone was filled with sarcasm, as if what he answered wasmon knowledge. Because it was.


    But on the other side of the screen, the man shook his head and cursed the education system of the Federation for not educating the youth properly.


    "Listen carefully because your life will depend on it. Once those two ck lines reach the top of your head, you will be transported to the Primordial Expanse. Once inside you will meet and need to kill a few creatures like you said, sure, but there are also other people just like you, allpeting for more power. You can choose whether to work with and trust these people or not, but remember that some of them may even try to kill you."


    "Most importantly, you can onlye back here after you be an Evolver, and if you wish for extra safety and security when you do, I suggest you head to a human shelter before you decide toe back."


    Alex merely nodded his head in a daze as he listened to the man behind the window. All this information was new to him.


    "A lot of things about the your first time are down to luck. Your measly skills and experiences can only take you so far. Whatever situation you are dropped into should be within your range of abilities to ovee. After all, the Primordial Expanse is unbiased and fair. Kids from the mines like you are usually a bit better offpared to others, so don''t lose hope just yet."


    Alex could barely hear the man anymore as his heart beat faster, with the two ck lines nearing closer to the top of his head.


    The man took note of this and raised his voice to speak to the young man onest time.


    "Remember kid, as soon as you arrive check your details. You''ll know what I mean when you arrive."


    By this point Alex had only barely registered what the man said thanks to his raised voice and the lines had reached his eyes, slowly clouding his vision.


    The room was growing dimmer as all of his senses were blocked out by this point.


    "Try not to die. It would be nice if we didn''t have to deal with a monster for a change..."


    With thosest words, Alex finally disappeared from his seat, the roompletely still as if he had never even been there in the first ce.


    Everything became dark for Alex. Weightlessness came shortly after.


    ***


    [Wee to the Primordial Expanse.]


    Alex was stunned by the sudden voice in his brain, hardly believing that he was hearing things right until those very same words appeared in front of his eyes too.


    <i>''What the hell is going on?''</i>


    His first thought revealed his true feelings.


    No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t recall any information about a mysterious voice and floating words when he searched about the Primordial Expanse.


    Time started flowing properly again as his thinking slowed down back to normal.


    A numb feeling started spreading through Alex''s back and legs as the asional bump knocked him around his seat every now and then. The utterly thin padding on the seat was useless against the relentless rocky path.


    <i>''Is this supposed to be the scenario I''m dropped into?''</i>


    Alex looked all around him at the unfamiliar environment, noticing the ancient looking wooden carriage that he and two other people upied. Ahead of them, dozens of other carriages identical to his own upied the thin gravel path, all headed by creatures he could only dream ofying eyes on back at the mining colony.


    In front of Alex sat a man who clearly frequents the gym with his bulky physique, wearing clothes simr to his own. On his left, ady of a small stature with sharp eyes sat silently taking in the view from the tiny window, clearly unfazed by the two men in her carriage.


    Things didn''t look too bad so farpared to the horror stories the policemen and the inte fed him.


    From time to time, clearly well armoured men woulde riding by sitting atop those same creatures leading the carriages.


    <i>''Let''s see.... I think I remember they are called.... Horses?''</i>


    Alex tried his best to suppress his surprise and bewilderment from showing on his face, luckily it seemed the two other upants of his carriage didn''t seem too interested in him.


    Though these circumstances were not like the first times were supposed to be, ording to the stories he read in his pastime.


    He had never heard of anyone being dropped straight into the action. Usually, fresh Aspects would find themselves alone, in the middle of nowhere with little to no information from the mysterious voice that dropped them here in the first ce.


    This was clearly more than a little different than what he expected.

 Chapter 3: Commoner?

    <h4>Chapter 3: Commoner?</h4>


    It may have been a little differentpared to what Alex had heard, but it didn''t stop him from following thest instructions of the middle aged man.


    First arrivals are usually manageable for most people, but the middle aged man''s words spoke of how much danger there would be to avoid throughout the process. Alex was pretty sure that even though he had an easy start, that wouldn''t always be the case.


    <i>''What was it that man said again..? Right! Check my details.''</i>


    Remembering thest useful piece of information the man said to him, excluding the obvious ''Don''t die'', Alex churned his brain to try and decipher what that meant.


    He had taken note of his rather normal clothing and even glossed his eyes over the surrounding environment, looking at every ''detail'' he could see. However, he was still left confused. Why would the man ce such importance on something as simple as this.


    But while he was racking his brain trying to figure this out, that floating rune-like structure appeared in front of his eyes once again, repeating the same wee message it had sent out earlier.


    <i>''Is this supposed to be the details he was talking about?''</i>


    Indeed, as soon as he focused on the holographic runes in front of him, many different options were presented to him. Soon, he found a rune titled ''Details'' and concentrated on that one.


    <i>''This has gotta be it... Right?''</i>


    Sure enough, a long panel appeared in front of him.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talent: -


    Trait: [Commoner]


    Trait Description: [Commoners are the most numerous inhabitants of the Universe, with no unique abilities or skills, they are considered just above ves in the cosmic hierarchy.]


    Rank: [Seeker]


    Soul Core: [F- (Inactive) 0%]


    Unable to speak, Alex kept staring at the short list of details, digesting exactly what they meant for him.


    <i>''Why is it so... normal?''</i>


    A sigh escaped his lips and he was unable to stop his disappointment from clouding his thoughts.


    He didn''t know what he was expecting, but he was at least expecting more than this. Maybe a simple magic ability to shoot fire from his hands? Maybe a superpower to fly short distances?


    Surely the Primordial Expanse wouldn''t choose someone so untalented like him, right?


    <i>''They say that any trait is a useful trait, but mine doesn''t even do anything!!''</i>


    Alex let out a self deprecating chuckle before he dismissed his details, which he had long confirmed only he could see.


    "Is something funny, kid?"


    The bulky man opposite Alex threw out a question, ending the silence in the carriage.


    "Just had a funny thought, didn''t realise you could hear me chuckle. Sorry if it bothered you, or whatever."


    Clearly Alex didn''t learn much aboutmunication from the mines.


    "Well keep it down, brat, we don''t want your ''funny thoughts'' luring any nearby beasts to attack, do we?"


    A momentter, he added:


    "Can''t you see we already barely made the evacuation? We don''t want you creating more trouble for us on the way."


    Alex simply scoffed in response. How could any nearby beasts hear his slight chuckle when the constant rattling of the old wooden carriages would drown it out.


    Suddenly, a third voice joined the conversationing from the other upant of the carriage. This one sounded gentle.


    "The nearby forests have already been cleared of beasts. Stop spouting nonsense due to your clear dislike for the boy. Also, I would advise against making an enemy out of him."


    "Oh really? Huh. Why exactly is that?"


    Alex listened silently from the side after hearing the man''s sarcastic remark.


    "Can''t you see those scars all over his back and head? He has been marked. He is an outsider, who knows what kind of powerful backing he has?"


    Upon hearing this revtion, Alex was shocked to hear this!


    These people were natives of the Primordial Expanse!


    However his heartbeat quickly slowed back to normal when he thought about it more. He had heard that there were native humans of the Primordial Expanse, but he thought those were just exaggerated stories to scare kids.


    "So what? His backer could be millions of miles away for all we know, this kid could die and they would never find out."


    The gentle sounding woman simply shrugged.


    "It''s your choice whether to listen to my advice or not."


    The bulky man scoffed and refused to speak any more.


    Their conversation was cut short anyway by a shout from one of the well armoured horse riders at the front of the procession.


    "Stop the caravan! We will camp at the clearing ahead for the night."


    Following the head soldier''s order, each carriage came to a stop and the upants inside stumbled out, tired and exhausted. The clearing in mention was just big enough to amodate the thousand or so people, with therge and heavy carriages being used as cover for the biting wind.


    The other soldiers were busy tending to their horses, tying them with a rope to a few of the carriages and feeding them.


    The vigers gathered around a newly erected bonfire, all huddled up close together to protect themselves from the elements.


    Alex found a spot for himself in an area with less people, taking note of the bulky man from earlier looking in his direction with an arrogant smirk.


    <i>''Nothing different about the humans of this worldpared to mine, that''s for sure.''</i>


    With the bonfire zing, the soldiers started dishing out some food and water rations to each viger. With over a thousand people to feed, Alex, just like everyone else, was given a single cup of freezing water and a few pieces of hardtack.


    Some of the more middle ss looking vigers showed discontent at the meagre amount of supplies, one even tried to demand a higher share than others.


    "Ptui! I served my pets more appetising meals than this!"


    The more rebellious ones were quickly shut down when the first person who spoke up took a punch to the stomach, vomiting up what was left of his rations.


    Luckily for Alex, he was used to such conditions from his times in the mines so he didn''t kick up much of a fuss.


    "Our vige was just attacked, effectively putting us under martialw. Therefore, what I say goes. You are all equal under my eyes, so do. Not. Push. Your. Luck."


    With a final warning from the head soldier, the more rebellious ones gulped as they looked at his hand resting on the still blood stained sword around his belt.


    Alex looked around his vicinity onest time before resting his eyes. Many others soon followed suit and drifted into a sleep under the silent night ¡ª However it wasn''t long before this silence was broken.


    Thundering and crashing noises rang from the direction the carriages were left.


    In the next few moments, Alex''s eyes snapped open and the first thing he saw was something huge crashing through the supply carriages.


    <i>''I knew my luck wouldn''t be as good as it seemed...''</i>

 Chapter 4: Danger

    <h4>Chapter 4: Danger</h4>


    Alex turned in the direction of the crashing and banging near the carriages, many of the already restlessmoners rose to their feet in shock ¡ª seeing the shards of wood and ss of what remained of the carriages raining down on them.


    No matter the ss of the vigers, they all panicked with their wails and screams soon apanying the destruction urring around them.


    Chaos ensued as each and every viger didn''t want to be one of the unlucky ones caught in the path of this unknown attacker. Some people even abandoned their own families to ensure they themselves could survive.


    Alex was one of the few who kept hisposure ¡ª somewhat, mostly because he had been prepared for something like this to happen the moment he was forced into the Primordial Expanse.


    Calm and collected, he turned his gaze to his immediate vicinity, seeing that his twopanions from his carriage were already long gone.


    In the next second, a piece of splintered wood the size of a small child hit the ground only a few metres away from him, with an unfortunate fellow lying underneath it lifeless ¡ª his torso ripped away from the rest of his body.


    Others panicked even more seeing this scene. More wood and even ss came showering down upon them, more were wounded, many already dead. Laboured groans and wails spread around the area.


    "Run for the forest if you want to live!"


    The head soldier shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to get his voice to reach as many ears as he could. However before themand could even make its way to the people''s ears, a huge shadow made its way through the smoke and dust left behind by the carriages. Each step caused vague tremors through the earth beneath their feet.


    It arrived right between the debris of the carriage and the piles of bodies unfortunate enough to be closest to the attack.


    Before the dust and smoke cleared, it was but a vague but towering figure. However once the creature gave out a deep and humming snort, the air surrounding it was cleared and its figure was revealed for all to see.


    <i>''I have never seen a creature so big...''</i>


    Alex was in shock when the 10 metre tall behemoth revealed itself.


    The creature looked like an elephant, but with dried brown and ky skin adorning its lower abdomen, and a green ¡ª grass like hair sitting on top. Its long and stumpy legs looked like it could smash any man into paste with a simple step. But the most striking feature of the beast were the burning red eyes practically bulging out of their sockets with rage. The thing as a whole looked like a hill on legs.


    On its elongated head, those burning red eyes regarded the silent and mortified citizens with nothing but uncontroble rage ¡ª like it wanted to rip every single person there to shreds.


    What really startled Alex though was that long and sturdy snout that had faint green lines running through it, looking like it was about tounch some kind of sinister light show.


    <i>''This is just too much for a Seeker...''</i> He thought.


    That was hisst thought before the silence was broken by a deafening snarling right from the beast. Unfortunately for Alex, he was one of the unlucky ones standing closest to the behemoth. He could feel his eardrums bursting and blood pouring from every orifice in his face.


    All hell broke loose when the roar finished. The creature moved from its position and appeared before the head soldier and the other higher officials among the soldiers.


    Shock and horror filled their faces as they were unable to even follow the speed of the monstrosity with their naked eyes.


    The creature shed its trunk horizontally towards the row of soldiers atop their horses. A wild and rapid wind formed instantaneously as a green line of light shed through the air sweeping the area around the soldiers and everyone behind them.


    One second they were sitting there, stupefied on their horses ¡ª in a rush to escape. The next second each and every person hit by the green light was split into two, no exceptions.


    Alex was a step ahead and knew something bad wasing the moment he saw the green lines wriggling atop its trunk. Not wasting a single moment he dropped to the ground, into a prone position.


    His quick reaction saved his life but the main problem still remained, the beast clearly wouldn''t just stop at that.


    Temporarily deafened, Alex witnessed a huge shadow passing over him with the earth quaking all around him soon after. He couldn''t hear it, but deafening screams filled the firelit environment. Not wanting to look what was happening behind him, he tried to lift himself up from the ground, but was stopped by a heavy feeling weighing his legs and back down.


    Lifting bloody arms up as hard as he could, he still failed to free himself. Looking around him, he saw that he was covered from head to toe in the mangled corpses of the soldiers and the helpless civilians.


    <i>''As if things couldn''t get any worse... Now I can''t even escape. This is how I die, right?''</i> Alex thought as he dropped his head down in resignation.


    <i>''Of course, how could a nobody like me with no talents or skills expect to survive in a ce like this...'' </i>


    Right as he was about to resign himself to death, something clicked in his mind.


    "I can''t give up like this!"


    Alex clenched his teeth as he pushed with all his might, his muscles and veins bulging and adrenaline pumping through his veins.


    As if through sheer willpower, Alex pushed the corpse atop him away and crawled out from the tiny gap it left ¡ª luckily for him there was only the top half of the corpse left, taking away the majority of the weight. Otherwise he would be stuck there for god knows how long.


    He quickly nced around at the ughter fest and the distant figure of the elephant looking creature stomping and rampaging among the remainders of the screaming vigers.


    <i>''Something is not right with this.''</i>


    Alex grimaced, emptying his stomach shortly after.


    Creatures of the Primordial Expanse had a hierarchy of their own, just like humans. Starting from the average beasts, which formed the majority of the poption of the first trials. Next came Monsters ¡ª usually the leaders of a pack of beasts, followed by Magical beasts with powers resembling magic just like their title. Any higher level beast than that, Alex hadn''t heard of but he was 100% certain there would be much more powerful creatures out there.


    The first trial was always popted by Beasts with the rare Monster appearing asionally. Alex had never heard of anything above that level appearing near first arrivals. Especially in the age of the intergctic inte.


    But considering how information about the Primordial Expanse are heavily restricted from the general public, it wouldn''t be wrong of him to think this was just another one of those cases.


    Perhaps such information was hidden to not terrify the populous, especially with how already nervous they were towards the Primordial Expanse.


    But there was no time to think too much in a situation like this!


    Whether he was right or not, his only ally was himself in this ce.


    The creature had just finished stomping thest surviving person to a paste when its gaze turned towards Alex.


    <i>''Fuck.''</i>


    He couldn''t even blink before a huge whirlwind formed in front of the creature and started moving towards him at a rapid pace, sending every corpse flying, along with Alex.


    After 10 straight seconds of air time, he felt his body hit something hard and solid and his vision faded.

 Chapter 5: Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 5: Aftermath</h4>


    When Alex opened his eyes again, the sky was blue and clear. Warm sunlight shone on his face, making his eyes narrow slightly in difort.


    A light breeze brushed past his face, bringing with it the aroma of a stench of rotting corpses mixed with that of the grass and dirt.


    Alex suddenly bolted up from his position when the stench reached his nose, his face clenched as he groaned and tried to groggily remember the events of the night prior.


    Soon, his memories started to be less and less blurry as the events from the previous night slowly unfolded in his mind. And when it all became clear to him...


    He fell to his knees, short of breath. His whole body was aching with pain that he could only describe as an 11/10 on the scale, but hepletely ignored that as he felt his stomach retching in even more pain after emptying its contents all over the ground.


    Somehow, he miraculously survived the attack of that behemoth-like creature, only recalling the events up until he was thrown away by thest attack itunched.


    A few momentster, he forced himself toe back to his senses and looked around, trying to make light of his situation.


    <i>''Man this ce really did take a beating.''</i> Alex thought.


    Every other living person around him was dead. However he was only affected by the gruesome scene before him physically. Mentally he felt detached from the death and horror as he had seen many of his former friends and co-workers die in the mines, fully expecting himself to join them if not for the Primordial Expanse pulling him in to its realm.


    Just when he was about to breathe a sigh of relief though, his face froze at the familiar sight before him.


    [You have survived the attack of a Higher Lifeform, Galephant.]


    Alex was exhrated. The satisfaction and relief of surviving the attack of such a high level creature was so overwhelming that he forgot to read even further into the message.


    But he didn''t let the joy of surviving consume him for too long as he realised that he could still be attacked again at any time.


    He looked around with vignce, double checking the area for any sign of life other than himself, only having his sight and hearing to rely on which wasn''t very reliable.


    Since he only had such a limited area of coverage, he managed to stay fully focused as he proceeded to make his way out of the forest where hended and back into the clearing.


    However, when he arrived the first thing he saw was a huge rabbit peacefully gnawing on the corpse of the head soldier.


    At this moment, the 1 metre tall rabbit seemed to have noticed something. Its long ears shot up in vignce as it suddenly looked straight at Alex.


    It had fiery red eyes with blood dripping down its mouth as it continued to chew through the leg of the soldier captain.


    When he finally saw the rabbit''s mouth open for the first time, revealing the rows of razor sharp teeth, sweat started pouring down Alex''s forehead.


    <i>''I should''ve run away the moment I noticed the rabbit...''</i>


    s, he didn''t get what he wished for.


    At this moment, the huge rabbit''s powerful hind legs mmed against the ground, making an audible thud that Alex could hear clearly. Mixtures of grass, dirt and blood were kicked up in the air as the white furry rabbit rapidly neared Alex.


    The gap between them from over a hundred metres to ten in just a few seconds. The rabbit pounced up in front of Alex, it''s fluffy paws hiding sinister and sharp ws that it used to slice at his neck with lethal precision.


    Alex''s fight or flight kicked in as he forced himself to dodge the imminent attack. He subconsciously leaned backwards, dodging the attack on his neck but falling down on his back as a consequence.


    Kreee! Screech!


    The rabbit showed some verbal annoyance at missing its prey.


    Before Alex could even recover, the rabbitnded, twisting it''s ws and swiped at his leg.


    There was a slight groan and the razor sharp ws sliced through Alex''s shin like butter. Blood seeped out from the wound and dyed the rest of his legs red.


    "Fuck! Shit!"


    Panic and realisation dawned upon Alex it urred to him that he might not survive this time.


    He only had one option left at this point.


    Attack!


    Alex was no fighting prodigy but he did have a well developed body, forged by his many years in the mines. He grabbed the nearest object he could find, a shard of wood from one of the destroyed carriages.


    When the rabbit came charging at him again, his eyes went cold as he performed the only swinging motion he was experienced with.


    He swung the decent sized piece of wood over his shoulder, much like swinging a pickaxe.


    Stillying on his back, he could only rely on the power delivered through this one attack before the full force of the rabbit came crashing on top of him.


    Luckily, the huge rabbit was struck by his attack, offsetting it''snding enough to be clear of his body.


    But that wasn''t enough to take it out, in fact he only left a shallow wound on the rabbit''s chest, spewing a pitiful amount of bloodpared to the injury it left him with.


    Thus, Alex put aside any pain he was feeling and sprung back up to his feet, pointing the sharpest side of wood at the rabbit as he took the initiative this time.


    "I''m gonna rip your stupid rabbit skull to shreds! Do you hear me, you little shit?!"


    He clenched the wood tightly and twisted his waist to add even more power, this time he struck the back of the rabbit''s neck with as much strength as his body could muster up.


    Almost immediately, the effect of this attack was much more obvious than his previous one as the huge rabbit began to wobble slightly.


    <i>''It''s defence is several times weaker than its offence!''</i>

 Chapter 6: Loot

    <h4>Chapter 6: Loot</h4>


    Seizing the opportunity he had created for himself, Alex jumped into action as he reached the huge rabbit''s position while it was still in its disoriented state andunched a barrage of swings and lunges with the flimsy wooden stick.


    After no longer than a minute, the huge rabbit came to aplete stop in its actions. Its chest no longer heaved up and down as it had breathed itsst breath. It''s fiery red eyes bing a dull, cloudy white.


    There was a thud as the body of the huge rabbit fell to the ground.


    <i>''Fucking finally!''</i>


    Alex was about to check the new screen that popped up in front of him when a glinting from the dead rabbit caught his eyes.


    Drawn over by his curiosity, he moved over to the corpse with caution in each step until he finally came face to face with the thing.


    Now that he was closer he could see clearly what the glint that caught his eyes was. Sitting on the ground right next to the rabbit''s mouth was a grape-sized purple orb. They emitted a weak glow, turning the white fur of the rabbit a light purple.


    Alex looked at the orb and blinked, he looked confused.


    <i>''Isn''t this loot a little bit underwhelmingpared to what I''ve heard other Awakened earned from their first kill?''</i>


    Nevertheless, he went up and grabbed the little orb with his hand.


    However he was rendered speechless when they disappeared immediately upon contact with his skin.


    Before he could even take a proper look at the orb, it disappeared.


    Alex felt dazed. Was his hard earned loot gone just like that?


    They looked underwhelming but they were loot from his first ever kill in the Primordial expanse! He was infuriated!


    Just before his mood worsened even more, the notifications he had brushed aside from before once again reappeared before him, as if they would only go away once he acknowledged them.


    [You have killed a beast, Rabid Rabbit.]


    [You have survived the attack of a higher life form, Galephant. Awarded Talent [Soulforge]]


    Alex had to do a double take when he read the message of surviving the attack of the Galephant. Since when was he awarded a talent?


    <i>''I didn''t see that when I read it before?''</i>


    Confirming if the message was telling the truth or not, he opened his status to check if his talents had changed..


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge]


    Trait: [Commoner]


    Trait Description: [...]


    Rank: [Seeker]


    Soul Core: [F- (Inactive) 0%]


    He closed the trait description since he didn''t need a reminder of how insignificant he is. But unsurprisingly, his talent list was no longer empty!


    He tried his best, but there was nothing he could learn about it other than its name. He even shouted aloud ''Description'' multiple times before he gave up. It seemed like Alex would have to figure it out himself.


    <i>''Now what should I do...''</i>


    He nced in the direction of where the dead rabbity. A smirk creeped its way onto his face.


    "It would be stupid of me to waste such free food."


    ***


    Four hourster, Alex stored water and other essential resources leftover from the carriages into a rudimentary bag he had crafted from the pelt of the huge rabbit.


    As for the meat, he cooked and ate all that his stomach could hold before burning the rest to ashes and dousing the fire with water to not attract any nearby creatures.


    After all, he had no doubts that the huge bonfire the previous night contributed to the Galephant discovering their camp and attacking them.


    With the bag slung over his shoulder, he took onest look at the devastation before him before he turned away to depart in the direction the sun was setting.


    Alex wasn''t very well travelled, so this was the only way he could tell which direction he would be going with confidence.


    His journey onlysted 15 minutes until he could feel the ground shaking and trees rattling in the distance behind him.


    With how loud themotion caused was, Alex knew this could only be one thing.


    <i>''Fuck, that Galephant behemoth is still near!''</i>


    He held his verbal curses back to not alert the Galephant to his presence, but knowing that thing was behind him made him want to get out of this cursed ce as soon as he could.


    ncing all around him, he realised that the sun was about to disappear on the horizon. His sense of direction would be gone by that point, so he simply hurried his pace forwards and didn''t look back.


    After a tireless amount of jogging throughout the night, Alex could barely take the exhaustion anymore, and therge rabbit hide bag over his shoulder only hindered his pace even more.


    He didn''t know how long he had been running for, but he guessed that he had at least covered 20 kilometres. He had no more juice left in him to keep going. But he knew he had to, that distance may seem like a lot to him, but to something like that ''Higher lifeform'' Galephant that was just a few steps.


    Through sheer willpower, Alex made it through another hour of travelling and at that point he felt like he would literally die if he forced himself any more.


    He still felt unsafe, but he had no choice.


    He found a ditch between some trees and covered himself and his bag with some leaves before hey down ¡ª as soon as his head touched the ground, he passed out.


    [essing inventory]


    However as soon as he entered dreand, a message from the elusive Primordial Expanse itself decided to show up. This time in his mind directly.


    Alex already found himself in a pure ck space before he saw the message, his eyes bulging at the sight.


    <i>''They never told me we get our own inventory!''</i>


    His jaw practically hit the ground in excitement, except there was no ground beneath his feet.


    In fact, he didn''t even have feet in this space. The best he could describe the feeling was that he was viewing things through his ''Mind''s eye''.


    In the entire ck space, there was only one purple orb floating, emitting that same faint glow.


    Alex''s smile blossomed as he knew what they were as soon as heid eyes upon them.


    <i>''My loot!''</i>

 Chapter 7: Purple orbs?

    <h4>Chapter 7: Purple orbs?</h4>


    As soon as Alex recognised the purple orb, they immediately moved closer to him when he thought about them and soon enough, they appeared in his hands.


    He gazed at the light they were giving off as his gaze lingered.


    <i>''What the heck are these things? Am I supposed to use it somehow?''</i>


    Momentster, Alex''s vision blurred and before he knew it, his eyes opened to the same vibrant blue sky with the sun ring in his eyes.


    It took him a few moments to recover, he looked around himself and noticed the familiar purple glow surrounding his camp site.


    He was about to pick them up to store away in his bag, but right as his fingers touched the first purple orb, he felt some kind of reaction and he gritted his teeth. The faint purple light turned into a warm flow of energy that fused into his body.


    Alex felt like he was in a space between realms, he could feel a myriad of countless stars surrounding him, not just in the Primordial Expanse, but back in the Universe as well. Each star connected with endless silver streams of light. Other stars remained untouched by this light.


    Somehow, Alex understood that a flood of knowledge around the Primordial Expanse and the infinite universe had opened up to him for that brief moment. He couldn''t help but feel like those stars represented every in every gxy that had been affected by the Primordial Expanse.


    But right as the feeling graced him, it disappeared in a moment''s notice. However he was still eagerly awaiting what came next.


    [Your talent [Soulforge] has activated, absorbing F Tier Soul orb]


    The voice of the Primordial Expanse sounded grand and divine. Like the universe itself was speaking into Alex''s mind.


    He became dazed and realised that this purple orb was formed of the purest energy he had ever felt, or even heard of. This energy was nourishing his skin and cleansing his pores, providing him with aplete overhaul of his body.


    Dead skin ked and turned to dust as his skin became tighter. His cells renewed full of energy and his organs gaining a faint purple glow to themselves.


    An hourter, Alex opened his eyes, with the universal voice of the Primordial Expanse booming in his ears again.


    [Absorbed F Tier Beast orb, Soul Core (F-) has been activated.]


    Inside Alex felt no different, but he instinctively knew that he was strengthened. He didn''t know how much though.


    <i>''I bet I''d have a much easier time against that rabbit again if I managed to see another one.''</i>


    His overall power was dependent on the round of his soul core, which until now was inactive. People with F rank soul cores were called [Seekers], the weakest kind of Awakened that also happen to form the majority of the Awakened living and working in the Federation.


    Awakened above that rank were called [Evolvers], which also corresponded to a E rank Soul Core. Above that stood the [Distinguished]. The ranks of Awakened were parallel to that of the hierarchy of the creatures of the Primordial Expanse.


    Alex''s eyes shed with excitement. That one small orb allowed him to activate his soul core in just an hour after absorbing it.


    Thinking about soul orbs, he was reminded of that Huge rabbit that attacked him the day before.


    <i>''If Ie across another one, would more of these orbs appear?''</i>


    Just as he had that thought, he heard thundering explosions and the rustling of trees far off into the distance. It seemed like some big bosses were fighting.


    Not wanting to get in their way, Alex packed up his stuff and went on his merry way, in the opposite direction from where the sounds came from.


    By the time he decided to stop, he came across a sight he never thought he would see again during his first time in the Primordial Expanse. Signs of humans!


    A road!


    He wasn''t sure if this was the same dirt path he was on when he arrived in the carriage at the start of his time here. But quite frankly, he couldn''t care less.


    Walking in the middle of the road, Alex was trapped in his thoughts about how he would go about reaching the Evolver rank to make it back to his own universe.


    So far he had encountered scenarios much more dangerous than other returned Seekers described.


    The first creature he came across was a higher lifeform, the Galephant which promptly wiped out a whole caravan of over a thousand fleeing vigers along with some stronger soldiers.


    Then just when he thought he was free of attacks for a while, he was attacked by a Beast, the huge rabbit. But even that seemed quite a bit stronger than other Beasts out there,


    He suspected that it''s soul core was at the F Tier, maybe even the F+ Tier...


    <i>''The fact I even managed to kill such a thing could be considered a miracle!''</i>


    "What a Bastard! Move out of the middle of the road, fool!"


    A loud and obnoxious voice cut Alex''s thoughts short.


    Alex turned around only to find four well armoured men, sitting atop war horses with a small line of carriages trailing behind them.


    To Alex''s irritation, even when he moved to the side of the road the gaze of the four armoured men still lingered on him.


    The man on the horse at the front decided to speak first, his voice noticeably more calming than the one that cursed him.


    "Where are you from, boy? Don''t you know it''s dangerous to wander in the Murky forest?"


    There was no malice or hidden intent in his voice, concern for Alex''s safety could be heard instead.


    While he hesitated for a second, Alex decided to tell the man what he knew, since everything he had seen and witnessed so far proved the man''s words true.


    "I''m from a small vige on the outskirts of the forest, sir. The vige was attacked and thousands of us were forced to flee. We settled down to camp for the night in a clearing when the entire caravan was wiped by a creature of unparalleled power."


    When the gentle sounding man heard Alex''s words, his face stiffened and his voice quickly turned serious.


    "What did the creature that attacked you look like?"

 Chapter 8: Human Might

    <h4>Chapter 8: Human Might</h4>


    "What did the creature that attacked you look like?"


    The man who spokemanded respect from the other three men who surrounded him on their horses, clearly he was the highest authority present in the small caravan.


    Naturally, Alex wouldn''t gain anything by lying to the man and he didn''t have anything to hide ¡ª other than the stuff involving his stats panel, but those were irrelevant to his current situation anyway.


    "The creature was a behemoth at least 10 metres tall, covered in green grass-like hairs on its back."


    The man winced when he heard that. "The entire Murky forest is now a ck zone, we need to leave right now!," he said as his gaze remained focused on Alex. "You have toe with us and ry exactly what you just told me to the Valentis City guards when you arrive."


    Alex looked awkward and sceptical at the man''s words.


    He had no idea who these guys were, yet now they wanted him to follow them!


    Alex frowned, but he was powerless currently against the armoured caravan and these experienced soldiers.


    <i>''If worstes to worst, I can try to escape.''</i>


    "Okay," he slowly said. "I''ll follow you to Valentis City."


    Left with no other choice, Alex hopped up to take a seat next to the driver of the carriage and watched the scenery go by with vignce.


    He was keeping a watch both on the forest and the soldiers leading the carriage.


    They moved at a fast pace through the narrow dirt roads. So fast in fact that the horses pulling the carriage and carrying the soldiers were beginning to lose stamina at a much faster rate than normal.


    But it was almost like they had a sixth sense that alerted them to the extreme, as if it was telling them that they would die if they didn''t leave the forest quickly.


    The tension on the leading man''s face reached a new extreme as he noticed something out of the ordinary.


    Silence.


    The usual bustling and boisterous Murky forest was nowpletely drowned in heavy silence. Not even the passing of falling leaves, no wind brushing through the canopy, no cries and howls of the asional beast. Nothing.


    Alex noted the change in expression of the leading man as he averted his eyes to wherever the man was scanning.


    It only took him a few seconds to also notice the abnormality of the forest.


    He may have grown up on a deste rock with not a green in sight, but he wasn''t stupid!


    "Ride! Quickly and as fast as you can, ride for Valentis immediately!"


    A bitter grin appeared on Alex''s face.


    <i>''I can''t catch a fucking break...''</i>


    Not another word was spoken, nor did there need to be.


    Everyone in the caravan had noticed the silence of the forest by now and all took the reins of their horses, ushering them to go at full speed.


    Before the group had even moved 20 metres from where they stopped to pick Alex up, an explosion sounded as the trees copsed and blocked the road behind them.


    Alex and the rest of the caravan were horrified!


    Not even the sounds of the copsing trees created a sound! It was as if they were in a vacuum...


    The only sounds they could hear were the sounds of heavy breathing and hooves hitting the ground in rapid session.


    <i>''Keep up, you piece of shit!''</i>


    Alex kicked and pulled hard on the reins of his horse. The horse was breathing heavily and making strange noises, struggling to keep up with the rest of the caravan.


    <i>''These guys could have at least given me a more capable horse!''</i>


    <i></i>Alex looked back behind him at the carnage that was ensuing and slowly catching up to the group.


    He no longer resented the capability of his horse when he witnessed a couple of the straying horses at the back of the caravan getting tripped up on rocks, letting out desperate cries before they suddenly stopped when they were consumed by the dust cloud and fallen trees.


    A vague silhouette of the Galephant could be seen in the dust cloud, prompting the caravan to push their horses even harder.


    The leading man looked back at the slowly encroaching Galephant, knowing that if they didn''t do something then it would catch up very soon!


    He suddenly jumped off his horse, pushing his legs with all they had as he dashed at an unfathomable speed towards the dust cloud, the sounds of his feet hitting the ground getting snuffed out when he reached it.


    The other soldiers looked back in shock. They didn''t expect their leader to do such a thing!


    In the dust cloud, the figure of the Galephant revealed itself in front of the man as it stopped in it''s tracks and gazed at him intensely with it''s burning red eyes.


    "Fuck off!"


    The man gave a simple shout as he summoned a 20 metre dome of earth and stone, encasing the behemoth sized creature inside.


    *Cough* *Cough*


    He fell to his knees soon after as blood flowed out of his nose and mouth. He was barely able to stay conscious after putting all of his power into that one spell.


    "Oh shit! Leader Alfred!"


    The other three men jumped off their horses and stopped the carriage in unison as they rushed with all their might towards their leader, helping him back up to his feet.


    "Leader, you didn''t have to put yourself at risk for us like that!"


    The three of them looked at Alfred with respect and worry on their faces as they hoisted the barely conscious man up onto the carriage.


    "Hurry! Even using my full power, I only bought us a few minutes to escape."


    Alex and the three men winced as they heard Alfred''sst sentence before he fell unconscious.


    "Even the full powered attack of a D rank adventurer like Alfred could only halt that beast for a few minutes, let''s get moving!" One of the three men announced before they were back on the move once again, their nerves tense and on high alert.


    Alex looked back asionally at the tall grey and brown mound that grew smaller and smaller in the distance, unsure what to make of the situation.


    Thankfully, even after 10 minutes passed there was no sign of the Galephant following them anymore.


    They finally had time to catch their breath.

 Chapter 9: Urgent report

    <h4>Chapter 9: Urgent report</h4>


    They rode farther and higher until they reached the peak of a small mountain pass the road they were following curved through. The sun would soon disappear over the horizon and asional howls and cries could be heard from behind them from the distant forest where they had been just hours before.


    Nobody talked,ughed or made any noise other than the asional cough or heavy breathing. Each of the people in the caravan had their entire concentration focused on their surroundings.


    However slight joy and anticipation could be seen on everyone''s faces when they reached the peak of the mountain pass.


    In the distance many faint lights lit up the sky and stretched as far as the eye could see.


    Alex in particr was very surprised at the sight thaty a few dozen kilometres ahead of him.


    <i>''This city is huge!''</i>


    So huge that it covered more area than his entire asteroid colonybined.


    "Valentis city is within reach, another two hours of riding and we will arrive!"


    By now it had been over 5 hours since Alfred had passed out from overusing his abilities by constructing that huge dirt dome out of thin air. He had only regained consciousness an hour prior but still he was very weak and could barely keep himself upright.


    The horses were utterly exhausted and were even struggling to breathe, theck of oxygen at the peak of the mountain didn''t help.


    But they seemed just as determined to reach the city as the men sitting atop them.


    Alex looked dazedly into the distance, gazing upon the skyline of the city.


    However his thoughts still kept going back to the moment Alfred unleashed that powerful attack against the Galephant.


    That was the first time in his life he had ever seen someone use their abilities in person, and he could barely keep his emotions at bay.


    <i>''It''s never hit me until now just how unreal this situation is...''</i>


    He had just been living his normal life as a miner until one day he was dragged into this ce called the Primordial Expanse, which even after hundreds of years the Federation still had little information about.


    Even more unreal was that this mysterious realm could grant powers to ordinary people not even science could decipher. None of this made sense to Alex, and if it wasn''t for how real this ce felt he would have long thought he was in a dream.


    A really, really horrifyingly messed up dream.


    ''What did that soldier guy call Alfred again.... right, a D rank adventurer? What''s that?'' This question remained on his mind ever since he heard the words uttered. He was still reluctant to ask about it as these men were still strangers to him.


    "We will rest here for 15 minutes before we set off again for the city."


    He was pulled from his thoughts from one of the three soldiers as he gave them a simple nod in response.


    ***


    Two more hours soon passed. Despite the group''s vignce, they made it to the city gates safely, finally giving everyone some time to rest as they queued up behind the other travellers wishing to enter the city.


    It would take many hours before their turn to be inspected and pay the toll to enter the city, which wasn''t exactly ideal when they had an urgent report.


    "You three stay here with the carriage and protect the goods," the man in charge spoke to the three other guards then turned to Alex. "You still haven''t told me your name."


    Alex didn''t see the point in telling the man now since they had more important matters at hand, but heplied anyway.


    "It''s Alex, sir."


    Alfred kept his serious expression as he spoke again. "Good, follow me Alex."


    Groans and shouts could be heard when the adventurer and the boy brazenly skipped the hundreds long queue straight to the front. Some even tried to confront the two, but quickly backed away when Alfred ced his hand on his sword, a clear threat.


    Naturally such amotion also attracted the attention of the guards at the front who only looked on with some amusement, not bothering to intervene.


    At this moment the sun was already long gone and had been reced with a glistening moon and an empty sky void of stars.


    When the duo arrived at the front, they spared no time waiting for the guards to finish with their current inspection.


    "Please tell your captain that I, Alfred Wynter, have an urgent report!"


    Alex looked at the man, Alfred from the side.


    <i>''Now that I think about it, this is the first time I''ve heard his full name.''</i>


    The guards simply ignored Alfred''s words and carried on their inspection,ughing along to each other asionally.


    Alfred was being polite at first, but seeing the soldier''s reaction, his patience had run out.


    He jumped off his horse and made steady strides over to the nearest guard, who finally turned to look at him, a sneer on his face.


    However Alfred didn''t stop walking when the guard took notice of him. He simply kept his pace, as if the guard didn''t even exist.


    When he stood less than a foot away from where the guard stood with his hand resting on the sheath, he stopped walking and...


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    The guard hit the ground hard.


    Alfred just sighed and looked towards another nearby guard, who now had his sword unsheathed.


    He may still be heavily injured, but dealing with a measly guard like this one was nothing to him.


    With all prying and astonished eyes on him, he simply reached into an opening in his armour and took out a small pendant, raising it in front of him for all nearby guards to see.


    "I said, tell your captain that Alfred Wynter, Peak D rank adventurer, has an urgent report!"


    This time, the other guards took him much more seriously.


    Even the guard he had just headbutted on the floor reced his anger with seriousness as he heard what Alfred said.

 Chapter 10: Adventurers

    <h4>Chapter 10: Adventurers</h4>


    Silence pervaded the area which just moments before was filled with the asionalughter and murmur.


    Alex just looked around in confusion.


    <i>''That title again, what exactly is a D rank Adventurer?''''</i>


    Of course he couldn''t make a fool out of himself by asking this out loud as everyone else clearly knew what one was.


    Instead, he just went with the flow and waited in silence, seeing what the guards would do next.


    Alfred simply held his pendant up for a few more seconds before putting it away.


    The guards still stood in ce in stunned silence, and Alfred spoke once again. With much more aggression in his voice.


    "Do I have to repeat myself once again?"


    One of the guards was the first to react as he broke out in cold sweat and ran at full speed to a sturdy wooden door inside the towering city wall.


    Alex had been so focused on the events happening around him that he had only just now realised just how big the city was, in particr the huge wall surrounding the entire thing.


    <i>''That''s gotta be at least 100 metres high, and judging by the distance from the city gate to the nearest building inside, it''s at least 10 metres wide as well. Impressive.''</i>


    Alex only held some slight surprise at the sight of the walls, and that was it.


    If this were a thousand years ago and humans were still confined to their home, then Alex would have been much more shocked to see such a marvel of engineering.


    But he''s from an age where humans already rule the gxy!


    He once had the luck to witness a colossal spaceship whichpletely dwarfed the whole asteroid he lived on at over three hundred kilometres long. Naturally this spaceship was the peak of the federation''s current technology and was one of only five such ships in the federal military''s arsenal.


    Alex''s mind kept wandering around various random topics until a few minutester, when his attention was drawn to the same city guard running out of the barracks in the wall, with a taller, bulkier and much more serious looking man moving at a much faster pace than him.


    The bulky man arrived before Alfred within seconds, skipping all niceties and greetings and got straight to the point.


    "My subordinate tells me you have an urgent report."


    Alfred simply turned to Alex and gestured for him toe over next to him.


    Alex arrived next to him and met the gaze of the bulky captain and felt a few shivers run down his spine.


    He didn''t know what a D rank adventurer was, but he knew this guard captain was just as strong as Alfred! He could take his life with a snap of a finger, and he wasn''t hiding it!


    "My little friend here has something to report. Go ahead Alex."


    Receiving permission from Alfred, Alex began to recount the events from the previous two days to the captain, in greater detail than the brief exchange he had with Alfred.


    By the time he was finished, even the big and scary looking captain had a frown on his face, a trace of worry present too.


    "Are you absolutely sure you saw what you described? If the city finds out that you are lying or exaggerating, there will be very serious consequences!"


    The guard captain asked Alex. He secretly hoped Alex was actually lying! The implications for the whole city would be dire if he wasn''t.


    Alex knew what he was hinting at when he mentioned the serious consequences, what else could he mean other than execution?


    Much to his disappointment, Alex didn''t even flinch when he replied with a simple yes.


    Seeing this, Alfred smiled on the side as he spoke up to the captain.


    "I can personally confirm his words, Captain. We were attacked by the cunning beast on our way over here and only escaped by a hair''s breadth when I used my full power to halt it."


    The captain''s face only contorted even more when he heard this.


    The captain nodded, thanked Alex and Alfred for their report and quickly left. He sped through the city gates at his full speed before he disappeared in the winding city streets.


    Up until now, Alex still didn''t realise what the big deal was.


    Sure, the Galephant was pretty powerful and his encounter with it had been the scariest one in his life.


    But to this whole city full of millions of people, it shouldn''t be such a big threat... right?


    Especially with people like Alfred and the Captain around.


    Alex turned to Alfred, quietly asking him to exin to him now that they had delivered the news to the city.


    "Why does everyone look so tense? Also, what is a D rank adventurer?"


    Seeing the genuine confusion on Alex''s face, Alfred put his hand over his forehead as he chuckled.


    "I was too focused on the Galephant until now that I forgot you''re an outsider!"


    Alex smiled awkwardly when he heard Alfred''s remark. He expected the same treatment he got from thest people who found out he was an outsider.


    "No need to be so tense kid, I''ve met and worked with plenty outsiders in my time. I''m guessing it''s your first time here?"


    Receiving a nod from Alex, Alfred continued.


    "I''ll answer your second question first. Adventurers are our native people''s equivalent of your world''s Awakened. Adventurers pursue wealth and power bypleting missions in the mission hall or going out into the wilderness and fighting the beasts that dwell there. Missions are much safer and stable than that though. For example, I''m currently on a mission to transport a merchant''s goods to this city. Now, you know about soul cores and their tiers right?"


    Alfred continued, "The rank of an adventurer depends on the rank of their soul core which also decides the level of missions they can take. These ranks are split into 7 in total, following the same ranking our soul cores go by. F ranks have F tier soul cores, E ranks have E tier, D ranks have D tier etc, I''m sure you get the gist. Of course these ranks only apply to natives or outsiders who wish to be an adventurer and take up missions, else everyone just calls outsiders like you by your realm''s naming conventions."


    Alex finally understood and his brows rose in surprise when he looked at Alfred, he didn''t know he was such a strong man.


    Alfred continued again, "Now for your first question... That creature is called a Galephant, it is a B rank higher life form and wields the wind element. Everyone looks so tense because the current strongest person in the city, the Lord, is a Peak C rank Adventurer, or a Specialist in your realm."


    Understanding dawned upon Alex when he heard that the city didn''t even have a single person who was on par with the Galephant, not even the city lord couldpare...


    Just like everyone else in the surroundings who heard Alfred''s report, his face fell as he understood the gravity of the situation.


    "What do we do now then?" Alex asked Alfred after he collected his thoughts.


    Alfred looked at Alex. "What else can we do? We do nothing. Nobody is strong enough to fend off the Galephant and although these city walls may look domineering, they can hold the creature off for an hour at most before it would breach."


    A feeling of dread fell upon the surrounding environment and it''s people when they heard Alfred''s words.


    However, bringing ast ray of hope for the people, Alfred spoke again.


    "But, we are not doomed just yet. The reason we were in such a rush to report was so word reached the City lord quickly, who could use his own methods to contact someone who is strong enough toe over and help the city."

 Chapter 11: Adventurer License

    <h4>Chapter 11: Adventurer License</h4>


    Upon hearing Alfred''s words, Alex felt the tension in his body ease quite a bit.


    To the side, Alfred released a silent sigh as he muttered to himself.


    <i>''I can only hope the Lord can get help in time. From the looks of it, the Galephant is indeed heading in this direction, and with the speed it''s moving it''ll be here in less than 2 days.''</i>


    ***


    In the following few hours, not many eventful things happened.


    Alex and Alfred departed after exchanging goodbyes when they made their way into the city.


    Usually one would have to pay a toll if they wanted to enter the city¡ªluckily for Alex who had no money the guards simply let him in for free due to his vital information.


    <i>''I should have asked Alfred for directions before he left...''</i>


    Right now, Alex was wandering the streets in search of the mission hall where adventurers would converge to ept and turn in missions.


    Since he had achieved his immediate goal of ensuring his most basic safety, he decided that it was time to figure out how to level up his soul core to E tier so he can be an Evolver and leave the Primordial Expanse again.


    With no clue where to start, he figured that the mission hall would be the best choice.


    And he had only just found the ce after hours of searching the city.


    Looking at the grand, five storey building sitting in the middle of one of the busiest districts, he knew he had probablye to the right ce.


    The unique insignia of the adventurers hung on a sign outside of the building, which he only recognised when Albert let him have a look at his pendant.


    The mission hall was vibrating with life, long lines of people waiting at counters waiting to ept or hand in missions. There were even people on the sides conducting trades with each other, handing over glowing stones of varying sizes.


    <i>''I wonder what they are...''</i>


    He could only wonder how these people would react if they knew a B tier natural disaster on legs wasing here to wreak havoc.


    Alex''s curiosity onlysted a moment. He shook his head and moved over towards a counter with nobody lining up.


    The receptionist was a woman with a neutral face, probably in her twenties.


    "How can I help you sir?"


    Alex already had a favourable opinion of this ce, even the receptionists didn''t waste your time more than they have to.


    "I''d like to register as an adventurer."


    Hearing Alex''s request, the receptionist just grabbed a piece of paper and handed it over to him.


    "This is the adventurer registration form, please fill in your name, the level of your soul core and any abilities you possess. The more specific, the better."


    Alex chuckled and walked over to a bench and sat down.


    <i>''As if, I''m not stupid enough to give away my most important information just like that. Haha.''</i>


    He wasn''t going to be specific like the receptionist-¨Cor rather the mission hall-¨Cwanted.


    Instead he simply filled in his name, the level of his soul core andst but not least¡ªno talent.


    The only truths he put down were his name and the level of his soul core.


    When he handed his form back to the receptionist, Alex could see the woman''s gaze change from neutral to one of contempt. Even she was more talented than this wannabe adventurer.


    She wondered how he had even managed to level up his soul core from F- to F tier, but that was none of her business.


    She looked up to take a peak at who was so daring to be an adventurer with such little talent, and when she saw the marks on him, a cruel but knowing smile formed on her lips.


    <i>''A newbie outsider! And his marks are even still covering his face! He is practically screaming ''Look at me, I''m fresh meat!'' everywhere he goes.''</i>


    She stamped his form and handed it back to him.


    "Your information has been noted sir, if you could please follow the directions to one of our testing rooms to measure the level of your soul core. This is just to confirm that you are at the level you say you are on the form. After all, we don''t want adventurers trying to get missions stronger than they can handle. I''m sure you can understand sir."


    Alex frowned a little and reconsidered whether it would be a good idea to be an adventurer or not. He didn''t know the rank of his talent but he was pretty sure it''s something good.


    Alex didn''t want to expose himself so soon after arriving.


    However after thinking about what the receptionist said, he decided to follow along to do the test anyway.


    He was sure that there were many people like him in the Primordial Expanse, whether they were outsider or native, who wouldn''t be happy if the adventurers guild exposed all of their secrets, and angering so many adventurers would only backfire in the end.


    Hence, Alex decided to trust them this time.


    When he arrived at the testing hall, the entire room was empty except for an alter holding a strange looking stone in the centre, with a middle aged man holding a clipboard standing next to it.


    "Next!"


    The man signalled Alex to enter after his turn came.


    "ce your hand on the testing stone and remain still."


    Alex did as the man instructed.


    "Hand over your form."


    The man was clearly following the standard procedure so Alex followed along.


    "Please state your name, level of your soul core, and your talent."


    <i>''This ce sure has a lot of checks and formalities.''</i>


    Alex simply repeated what he wrote down on the form back to the man and received a nod from him in response.


    "Thank you, you can go back to the counter to collect your Adventurer Licence and ess the mission board suitable for your rank."


    <i>''Huh?''</i>


    Alex was confused, wasn''t he supposed to measure the level of his soul core?


    "Sir, you said we''re done but you haven''t tested me yet."


    *Sigh*


    "The moment you touched the testing stone with your hand, your level was confirmed. F tiers like yourself produce no reaction from the stone. It only changes colour from E tier onwards."


    The man replied to him as if he was reading a script. He had probably done this hundreds of times already.

 Chapter 12: Sleeper

    <h4>Chapter 12: Sleeper</h4>


    When Alex heard the man''s words, he was only reminded once again at how weak he was in the grand scheme of things.


    He could do nothing but smile bitterly at the man before he left with his documents to finally collect his Adventurer licence.


    Inside the main hall where most of the adventurers congregated, Alex stood, looking inly at one of the huge boards filled to the brim with all sorts of paper.


    Naturally, these papers were missions put up either at the request of the city or any citizen with a problem who was willing to fork out the reward money.


    The receptionist had told Alex of his duties that he had to uphold now that he was an adventurer.


    There was only one main responsibility that every adventurer had to adhere to, no matter their status or rank.


    This was that all adventurers had toplete at least 1 mission every 6 months, these missions could be at any rank as long as it was still within the capabilities of the adventurer. If a D rank adventurer wanted to take on a F rank mission, that was fine as long as they fulfilled their yearly quota. But F rank adventurers could not take on D rank missions, as that would just be a one way ticket to suicide.


    There were also special cases where the Adventurer Association allowed adventurers to skip out on these mission quotas. Most of these cases applied to outsiders though, as they might not have been able to ess the Primordial Expanse for years at a time due to certain reasons.


    Alex sighed as he reminisced back to the scene he made earlier.


    ***


    10 minutes earlier


    Alex had asked about the missions in depth when he received his licence, to the annoyance of the receptionist who had to exin this to him.


    The conversation flowed smoothly at first, at least Alex thought so, until the topic of the rewards came up...


    "Rewards? Well rewards could be anything really, but the most popr and lucrative reward would easily be beast cores. Yep, those rewards alone are what is so attractive for adventurers toplete missions with the Adventurer Association. F rank missions mostly consist of hunting beasts of the same rank, which have very, very rare chances of dropping F rank beast cores. Hence the association rewards 1 F rank beast core for every 5 F rank missionspleted."


    Naturally, Alex''s mind nked from hearing the receptionist ramble on and on about the rewards using terms and words he didn''t recognise.


    <i>''???''</i>


    His mind was essentially filled with question marks while listening to her.


    "Beast cores? What are those?"


    The receptionist and the surrounding adventurer''s who heard his question looked at Alex strangely when he asked that.


    <i>''Did this kid really just ask that? How did this fool even get his licence...''</i>


    However the questioning gazes returned to a look of understanding when Alex turned around, revealing the marks on his face.


    "You don''t know about beast cores..? How could you have upgraded your soul core from F- to F if you don''t even know what beast cores are..."


    She didn''t notice it, but Alex heard her mumblings.


    The receptionist mumbled to herself, then continued.


    "Beast cores are what allow us to upgrade our soul cores, obviously. How else would we be stronger if not with beast cores?"


    Alex just nodded, asking what those beast cores looked like out of curiosity.


    However his face ckened when he received the answer.


    <i>''She said F rank cores look like small white stones, located in the head of the beast if you were lucky enough to find one...''</i>


    <i>''Fuck this Primordial Expanse! You hear me? Fuck you!''</i>


    Alex''s anger was justified. He was angry at the world, at himself and at the federation.


    If he had known such information earlier, he definitely wouldn''t have discarded the small white stone he found inside the Huge rabbit when cooking it.


    That thing was most likely an F rank beast core!


    <i>''Why is my luck always so shit??''</i>


    But thinking about how the receptionist said beast cores were the only way to upgrade your soul core, that only got him wondering just what those purple orbs he had received from the Huge rabbit were.


    He knew they were somehow rted to his talent, but that was it.


    ***


    Back to the present.


    ''Not this one... nor this one...''


    Alex scanned through the list of missions for nearly half an hour until he found one that he liked.


    [Mission: Kill the Sleeper


    Description: In the outskirts of the city, reports and cases of people dying in their sleep have popped up every so often over thest few weeks. It was only when an official''s rtive fell victim to this that an investigation wasunched. The investigation team found that an F rank beast was found to be the culprit, nicknamed ''The Sleeper'' for its method of killing.


    Mission goal: Kill the Sleeper and present the corpse to the mission hall as evidence.


    Reward: 10 gold]


    This mission was just what Alex was looking for. Something suitable for his level, but not too dangerous.


    He had survived the attack of the Galephant, twice at that, as well as killed the Huge rabbit, but that didn''t suddenly make him an expert inbat. All of his achievements so far had only been achieved through his luck.


    Alex had nobat experience, nor had he learned anything about strategy or how to deal with such beasts in his time at school.


    The schools on the asteroid where Alex lived didn''t teach anything rted to the Primordial Expanse, their sole purpose was to teach kids about the mines and the proper techniques used for mining.


    Hence all of his knowledge from before he came to the Primordial Expanse was essentially useless to him for the time being.


    The moment he stepped foot in the ce, Alex had to throw away everything he knew about the world and start again from the bottom.


    Alex went through the list of missions onest time before he ripped off the paper detailing the Sleeper mission, and walked over to the reception area to ept it.

 Chapter 13: The Search

    <h4>Chapter 13: The Search</h4>


    Alex walked through the outskirts of the city with uneasy steps.


    He had found out very quickly that this mission he had chosen would not be as easy as he thought.


    <i>''Is there not one useful person in this city!?''</i>


    The only piece of useful information that Alex had obtained was that the Sleeper killed by invading people''s minds while they slept and prevented them from being able to wake up, causing them to die of dehydration after days had passed.


    The problem for Alex was not the danger the Sleeper posed to him, but the utterck of information about it. The only people who could remotely know anything about it were the victims, but they were all dead!


    What made things even harder was the fact that the Sleeper didn''t even have to physically attack its victims, meaning it could be hiding away in some remote ce while it attacked from far away.


    Two days passed as Alex trudged his way through the city streets, with no progress gained on his mission.


    Over thest few days the nervousness and tension surrounding the attack of the Galephant had died down.


    This was due to the presence of a the person the city lord had invited over to fend it off.


    A B rank adventurer, he had a B tier soul core!


    Naturally all worry died down when he arrived.


    Alex kept going around the most crowded area, the marketce and asked people for several days.


    By now, most people were already telling him that they knew nothing before he even asked any questions.


    The people wished they could help. The Sleeper was a much bigger problem for them than it was for Alex, but they simply knew nothing.


    Constantly getting turned down definitely impacted Alex''s motivation to carry on, but he knew he had to keep up the investigation.


    If he did end up giving up on the mission, then he would have to pay the cancetion fee¡ª25% of the mission reward.


    He definitely couldn''t afford this, his total worth in this ce was a resounding zero,


    Other adventurers asionally passed by him, some showed pity at his situation, others simply threw ridiculing nces at this first timer.


    But, Alex never reacted to the ridicule.


    He just kept up the monotonous searching and asking.


    Two weeks after Alex started searching, small changes took ce.


    Due to Alex not having a single penny to his name, he had to resort to hunting for small animals in the forest outside of the city for food, which took even more time away from searching for the Sleeper.


    He was safe do so, as only a day after he had arrived, the B rank adventurer took down the Galephant when it suddenly attacked the city walls that morning. However due to the level of power the adventurer and the Galephant held, no one other than those two were present for the battle, so the people just took the adventurer''s word for it when he said the beast was dead.


    Naturally a celebration was held city wide and the adventurer was thanked profusely before he had to leave.


    Alex was still focused on the hunt for the Sleeper during that time though.


    Alex had gone past the point of asking questions to the people of the outskirts, he simply gave them quick nces as he passed them and they returned with a nod, signalling that they still knew nothing.


    On top of that, the ridicule from other adventurers had stopped.


    They saw how he was unaffected by their words or sneers and actually gained a faint sense of respect for him. He at least had a stronger will than the other newbie adventurers they had seen.


    One of the biggest changes though was that there were another two people who had fallen victim to the Sleeper.


    Alex naturally rushed over to their locations when he heard of it, but still there were no traces of the beast.


    With no luck in his current method of doing things, he had to change methods.


    ***


    Another three days passed for Alex, and his routine had changed drastically during this time.


    He no longer strolled around the streets during the day, asking for information from the people¡ªhe decided to go searching for the information himself.


    He started sleeping during the day and became much more active at night. This was the most likely time the Sleeper would strike, and Alex was a little mad at himself for not thinking of it sooner.


    But he couldn''t really me himself, he was still an amateur at this whole Primordial Expanse thing.


    <i>''Today is the 17th day of searching, nothing again.''</i>


    Alex wrote down his thoughts in a little notebook he had foundying on the ground when he went out to hunt one day.


    He resumed his search of walking through the streets, investigating any little movement he noticed.


    Most of the time it was just a rat or the asional drunkard stumbling back home after a night at the tavern.


    With nothing of note again today, Alex simply sighed as he looked up at the pitch ck sky, lit up by the stars.


    It had just reached midnight and the moon was ring high in the sky.


    <i>''So even this ce has a moon, huh.''</i>


    Looking up at the sky was Alex''s coping mechanism for dealing with theck of motivation to carry on. It reminded him of his days back in the mining colony.


    Only, today would be different from all the other days.


    "Strange for birds to be so active at this time, don''t you think?"


    Alex heard a sudden voicee from somewhere behind him.


    "Huh? Ah, sure I guess it is."


    Alex responded absentmindedly, before turning around to look at who was speaking to him.


    Strangely though, nobody was there.


    Nervousness slowly creeped its way into Alex. He was a hundred percent sure he heard someone speak to him just now.


    He had even responded back to them!


    Alex frantically searched his surroundings for the source of the voice and yet even after thirty minutes of searching, he found nothing.


    He had to force himself to give up and instead focus his attention on something else.


    <i>''Birds? Why would the voice suddenly start a conversation about birds with me?''</i>


    Instinctively, he looked up at the sky, and noticed a lone ck bird circling the area, asionally ovepping with the silhouette of the moon.


    "Now that I think about it, it is strange for birds to be active at night, unless...."


    The moment he spoke his thoughts out loud, it was as if something clicked in his brain.


    ''The Sleeper! Only a beast like the Sleeper would be active at night!''


    After three weeks of searching, Alex had finally found what he suspected to be the Sleeper!


    <i>''I don''t know who you are, but I appreciate the help!''</i>


    Alex excitedly thanked the empty air repeatedly before he darted off towards the area where the bird, or the Sleeper was circling above.


    He knocked on one of the houses the Sleeper frequently flew over.


    When he received no answer after a few minutes of knocking, he brazenly stepped back and proceeded to kick the door down.


    Now, whoever upied this house should definitely be awake.


    He searched through all the rooms before reaching the bedroom, where a middle aged man was sleeping with a peaceful look on his face.


    Alex was disturbed, but secretly excited though when no matter how hard he shook him, the man wouldn''t wake up.


    This confirmed it!

 Chapter 14: The Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 14: The Hunt</h4>


    The following day, the sun rose over the horizon and the city once again became active.


    The city guards however, had received a piece of startling but good news.


    There was another victim of the Sleeper, only this time they were still alive!


    Thanks to Alex''s work over the previous night, this victim could at least be kept alive by the city''s physicians while the hunt resumed for the Sleeper.


    Alex tried his best to follow the Sleeper when it eventually stopped circling the victim, but he lost sight of it after it flew over the city walls and into the wilderness.


    Up until that point, the idea of the Sleeper being a winged creature hadn''t even urred to him.


    But thanks to the pointer in the right direction of that mysterious voice, Alex finally found the culprit.


    Now he just had to catch and kill it!


    The only problem was how.


    Alex had no long range capabilities, and he couldn''t suddenly buy a bow and start learning how to use it now.


    The probationary period for missions was three weeks, after that he would be forced to go back to the mission hall in the adventurer association and report that he had yet toplete his mission.


    He wouldn''t have to pay the cancetion fee, but it meant that other adventurers could also take on the request to kill the Sleeper.


    Having dozens ofpetitors all going after the same prey would make his hunt an order of magnitude harder.


    This was the only reason he was so unimpeded on his mission up until now, not even the city lord could try and steal his prey while his probationary period was active.


    This meant that he had to somehow kill the Sleeper when itnded.


    And it only does that when it arrives back at its nest somewhere outside the city walls.


    Thankfully, with the past two weeks of hunting experience in the forest outside Alex had finally gained some self confidence in his ability to find the location of the Sleeper within the 4 days left of his probationary period.


    He didn''t leave the city just yet though.


    Alex spent the next night awake and camped out the same location of the city wall where the Sleeper had flown over the night prior.


    He wanted to confirm something.


    If the Sleeper left and entered the city from the same direction, then Alex was confident that its nest was in the direction it came from.


    Sure enough, after only an hour of waiting Alex heard a whoosh sound as the figure of the Sleeper pped its wings on its way over the city wall right above him.


    He watched the beast make its way over to the hospital where the victim from the previous night was currently under tight supervision of the physicians.


    Alex wordlessly got up from his spot when he saw the Sleeper start circling that area, and made his way over to the city wall and covered his hands in a chalk like substance and proceeded to climb.


    If there was one thing Alex had absolute confidence in himself to do, it was rock climbing!


    He had long be a seasoned expert in rock climbing after his years of traversing the deep caverns inside his asteroid mining colony with his bare hands.


    This was a requirement all miners in the colony had to possess, or they would die.


    It wasn''t long before he reached the top of the wall, where he was given a birds eye view of the city on one side and the forest on the other side.


    The view paled inparisonpared to the one he witnessed in the mountains, but he wasn''t there to appreciate the view.


    Alex assumed a prone position as he watched the Sleeper circle the hospital.


    Hours passed and there were movements from the Sleeper that suggested it was about to change its direction.


    <i>''It''s time.''</i>


    Alex made sure to make no sound or movements as he watched the Sleeper fly closer and closer to him from a distance.


    After thirty seconds of waiting, the Sleeper was barely a hundred metres away from Alex and was approaching rapidly.


    Alex got a much closer look at the thing and realised that it resembled an owl, only the Sleeper had cloudy white eyes like it was blind.


    The Sleeper drew in and was only 10 metres away from Alex at this point.


    <i>''Now!''</i>


    Right as the Sleeper was about to pass over him, Alex jumped up from his position and punched towards its head with his right hand while hetched onto its wing with his other hand.


    The Sleeper was as big as Alex, and seeing how little of an impact his punch had on it, Alex''s insides churned.


    <i>''Shit, this is an F+ rank!''</i>


    Alex pushed down his rising nerves and clung on to the Sleeper''s wing for dear life as the two plummeted down into the canopy below.


    Alex received many scratches and bumps on his way down the branches and trees, but so did the Sleeper.


    The good news was that it seemed like the Sleeper really was blind!


    Taking advantage of his position with the Sleeper, Alex pulled on its wing and positioned it between himself and the rapidly approaching ground.


    THUD!


    Only a few secondster, the two hit the ground with a dull thud.


    The Sleeper cushioned Alex''s fall so he only received minor injuries, however the Sleeper released a howl for the first time as one of its wings and one of its legs hung limp.


    Alex quickly stumbled away from the beast, trying to catch his bearings. His chest hurt like crazy, but he could tell he was doing much better than the Sleeper.


    "I''ve waited too long for this, little shit!"


    The Sleeper didn''t react to Alex''s words and only tried, and failed to take flight over and over again.


    Seeing this, Alex grabbed a rock the size of his head with both of his hands and dashed over towards the struggling Sleeper, smashing the rock down over its head.


    One hit wasn''t enough as the beast was a whole minor level higher than him, but he carried on until no more movements could be detected from the Sleeper.


    [You have killed a beast, Sleeper]

 Chapter 15: Mission Complete

    <h4>Chapter 15: Mission Complete</h4>


    [You have killed a beast, Sleeper.]


    Alex just couldn''t help getting excited when he saw the notification.


    You can only be sure that your enemy is dead when the Primordial Expanse itself confirms it for you!


    <i>''I did it! Haha, I actually killed a beast a whole minor level above me!''</i>


    Alex examined his surroundings with glee, the only notable thing in the area being the body of the Sleeper with its head nearly smashed in below him.


    He took a deep breath and looked all around him.


    He never would have imagined that he would one day be able to breathe in such fresh and enjoyable air.


    And now not only did he get to enjoy such a privilege, but he had managed to achieve an aplishment not many awakened could im to do.


    It took Alex a while to recover his drained energy, but eventually he managed to calm his rampaging excitement.


    While he was recovering, he managed to pick up the body of the Sleeper and slung it over his shoulder.


    However he noticed a sizable problem when he was just halfway to the gate of the city.


    His whole chest area hurt like hell.


    Every breath Alex took felt like he was getting stabbed by a thousand needles.


    There was nothing he could do about it though.


    He was still a few miles out from the entrance of the city, and he couldn''t leave the body of the Sleeper here.


    If he did leave it behind it would have long been scavenged by a nearby beast by the time he came back to look for it.


    Then his mission would all be for naught.


    So, all Alex could do was clench his teeth and walk through the pain towards the city entrance.


    ***


    A few hourster, Alex finally arrived in front of the city gates.


    What would have originally taken him 15 minutes to travel, took him over three hours to cover.


    Due to the constant pain in his chest, Alex had to walk slower than normal and take regr rest stops to catch his bearings before he carried on again.


    This process repeated until he reached the queue in front of the gates, where he spent a further 30 minutes waiting before it was his turn to go in.


    The guard saw Alex approach, and raised an eyebrow when he saw the beast body slung over his shoulder.


    Blood was flowing from his chest and covering various parts of his body.


    <i>''Looks like this kid put up quite a good fight.''</i>


    "Name and identification."


    Alex simply gave the man his name and showed him his adventurer licence and the guard let him pass. Adventurers didn''t need to pay the fee to enter the city.


    There was no misunderstanding or judging looks from the guards this time and the whole process went much smoother than Alex had expected.


    "You should get your wounds checked at the hospital after you hand in your quest, kid."


    Suddenly, the voice of the guard came from behind Alex right as he walked past.


    Clearly he noticed Alex was a newbie and offered a simple piece of advice.


    Alex thanked the man then made his way over to the adventurer association.


    ***


    "I''vepleted my mission."


    Alex spoke to the receptionist in the mission hall and pointed to the body of the Sleeper on his shoulder.


    The receptionist didn''t even react to the body, things like this were too frequently seen in the mission hall. She did take a few nces at Alex''s roughed up body and injuries though.


    None of this was any of her business though.


    She nced at Alex''s mission for a few moments and stamped some documents.


    "Your request forpletion has been logged, please head over to the beast examination hall."


    <i>''Tsk, more convoluted procedures. Just give me my reward already dammit!''</i>


    Alex only voiced his displeasure at having to wait longer in his mind.


    He had already experienced how long drawn the processes were at the adventurer association when he obtained his licence.


    Alex opened the door to the beast examination hall, bringing genuine surprise out of him for the first time in a while since he had entered the Primordial Expanse.


    Inside the hall there were hundreds of tablesid out in rows, each with someone wearing a butcher uniform dissecting the corpse of a beast.


    <i>''There are hundreds of beast corpses in this one hall alone...''</i>


    To say Alex was shocked would be an understatement.


    It had taken him nearly three weeks of painstaking investigation before he was even able to catch sight of an F+ rank beast.


    Yet right in front of him there were hundreds of such beasts, even some E rank beast corpses were dotted around.


    "What are you standing there looking all culture shocked for? Come, there''s nothing more exciting than examining the inner workings of beasts!"


    Alex was brought out of his shock by a youthful voiceing from his side.


    A young man stood there, his eyes practically shining at the sight of the Sleeper on Alex''s shoulder.


    "I''m here toplete my mission." Alex said.


    "I know! Now follow me so I can confirm this is the beast."


    Alex followed the enthusiastic young man over to one of the unupied tables and just threw the corpse on top.


    "You can examine it all you like, I''m confident this is the right beast."


    To the side, Alex just stood looking through some information booklets the adventurer association provided.


    As it turned out, the beast examination hall also acted as the treatment centre where beasts would be dissected, butchered and processed.


    <i>''No wonder there were so many people butchering beasts!''</i>


    Alex wanted to just let the young man do his thing with the beast, after all he couldn''t care what the adventurer association did with it after he received his reward forpletion.


    However it didn''t even take a minute before the young man furrowed his brows.


    "There seems to be something wrong with your mission..."


    "Your mission is to kill an F rank beast, yet this is an F+ rank beast?"

 Chapter 16: Compensation

    <h4>Chapter 16: Compensation</h4>


    The young man looked at Alex as if he was stupid.


    <i>''Which idiot would try to swindle the adventurer association in such a stupid way?''</i>


    Alex was amused when he heard the words of the young man though. He felt a sense of pride in his aplishment and the reaction of the young man only proved to him how impressive it was.


    "This is the beast my mission required me to kill. I was just as surprised as you are when I found out that the information on its rank was wrong."


    The young man looked shocked when he heard Alex''s statement. He performed a sudden bow to Alex out of nowhere.


    "I am truly sorry for our adventurer association''sck of judgement regarding this mission. If you excuse me, I have to report this incident to my superior."


    With that, the young man left.


    Alex was left at the table with his half dissected beast, feeling awkward.


    <i>''Is this truly such a big deal?''</i>


    However when he thought deeper into it, he realised how unlucky he was to have chosen a mission the adventurer association had misjudged.


    Incidents like this didn''t happen often, and when they did they almost always ended in tragedy for the adventurer who was assigned to it.


    Few people were able to fight beasts a minor level above their own like Alex had.


    Yet, Alex has done that twice now.


    <i>''Am I really just incredibly lucky or is there something about me that I''m not understanding?''</i>


    <i>''Wait... Maybe my talent could be the reason? After all, I still know next to nothing about it. Just one of those purple orbs from that huge rabbit was enough to push me from F- to F rank. I still haven''t got my hands on a beast core yet so I can''t properly judge, but I bet they are nowhere near as effective as one of those orbs.''</i>


    Alex stood there in thought for a while until another worker came up to him, this one looking a lot more professional and serious than the enthusiastic young man.


    "Good afternoon Mr Alex, I am the supervisor for this beast examination branch, you can just call me Dorian."


    Alex nodded at Dorian and signed for him to carry on.


    "I''m afraid that circumstances like these are veryplicated. Normally, the adventurers who take on these wrongly ranked missions all end up dead."


    Just as Alex thought, situations like this didn''te often.


    "In such cases, the previous mission will be cancelled and upgraded to match the new information we have about the beast, which another adventurer matching the rank of the mission can then decide to take."


    Dorian continued as he noticed Alex didn''t look surprised by anything he said so far.


    "However, in cases such as yours where you actually manage to kill the beast, we are required topensate you for our own inadequacy."


    Dorian finished speaking as he handed over a weighty sack to Alex before promptly leaving.


    Alex wasn''t bothered about the man''s sudden departure, supervisors were busy people so it was understandable that Dorian couldn''t stick around too long.


    "Now that we have yourpensation out of the way, shall we finally get down to dissecting your beast? Who knows, maybe you might even be lucky enough to earn another beast core through this! My name''s Graniel by the way, I was too excited earlier so I forgot to introduce myself."


    Alex eyed Graniel up with curiosity as he noticed something he said.


    <i>''Another beast core? But I haven''t even earned one before, what is he talking about?''</i>


    Alex looked down at the sack he had just received with some expectation and excitement now.


    The moment he opened it, his mind went nk!


    <i>''Five whole beast cores! That''s worth as much as 25 F rank missions, not even counting the rewards from the missions themselves...''</i>


    Thispensation seemed a little bit too much for Alex, after all not even F+ rank missions offered such valuable rewards, so why had he earned so much just for killing one F+ rank creature?


    It simply didn''t make sense to Alex.


    But when looking at it from the adventurer associations point of view, it was worth the cost topensate him.


    Was it an almost unreasonable amount of money to give aspensation for a botched F rank mission? Sure it was. But adventurers who could fight above their own level were rare.


    Rare enough that the association was willing to fork out suchpensation for him. In their eyes it was seen as an investment betting on the future. It was quite simple really. Their n could beid out as simple as this.


    Alex shows potential by killing an F+ rank beast while at the F rank.


    The association notices this and invests in him in the form of pensation''.


    Alex appreciates how much the association values their adventurers, shows more loyalty to the association.


    Alex advances and bes strong in the future, helping the associationplete stronger missions, bringing in a much higher return on their investment.


    Alex didn''t know about the association''s ns for him, and it seemed they were working so far as his appreciation and respect for them indeed did rise.


    However it wasn''t as if it was a bad thing, both the association and Alex would benefit from this in the long term.


    ***


    Alex left the beast examination hall and immediately made his way towards the nearest hospital with glee stered all over his face.


    <i>''I''m rich now!''</i>


    The reason was obvious.


    He was now 10 gold and 5 F rank beast cores richer than before he entered the association.


    Sadly, he hadn''t been lucky enough to find an F+ rank beast core inside the Sleeper.


    Before he left, Graniel advised him to visit the hospital before his injuries worsened or infection settled in and Alex took his words very seriously.


    Alex looked at the huge building in front of him adorning the universal logo all hospitals used.


    Many eyes looked at him the moment he stepped foot in there. His clothes were torn, his face was covered in dirt and scratches and blood asionally leaked from his chest in various ces.


    Right as he was about to check himself in, he copsed.

 Chapter 17: The usage of beast cores

    <h4>Chapter 17: The usage of beast cores</h4>


    <i>''Ugh, my head...''</i>


    Alex woke up feeling like he had a concussion. He had a constant throbbing pain in his head the moment he regained consciousness.


    <i>''Wait, where am I?''</i>


    <i>''Right, I remember I just returned from the beast examination hall to get treated at the hospital. But that''s where my memories stop?''</i>


    Alex sat up from his position and noticed that he was lying on a bed in what looked like a hospital ward with the sun shining brightly through the window, only making his headache worse.


    Alex looked around himself in confusion until he heard the door to his room be unlocked.


    A nurse walked in with a clipboard like it was her usual routine, ready to assess Alex.


    "Good, you''re awake." She said when she noticed Alex looking at her.


    "You''re lucky to be alive you know, you lost quite a lot of blood. If you hadn''t been lucky enough to have copsed in the hospital reception area, you wouldn''t have survived."


    Alex felt cold shivers run down his spine when he heard just how lucky he was to live¡ªhe felt fine the whole time beforehand other than the pain in his chest and the asional exhaustion.


    "Thank you, truly. If it weren''t for you guys I would be dead meat right now!"


    "I don''t know how I can repay you..."


    Alex awkwardly expressed his gratitude towards the nurse as he didn''t know who specifically saved him.


    "Oh, trust me when I say you will find out soon how you can repay us." The nurse replied to him with a sly smile on her face.


    Alex only shrugged off her response as he had more important things to focus on, such as recovering from the throbbing pain in his head.


    His other injuries to his chest and hisck of blood had already been solved, now all he had was this annoying headache.


    Alex had asked the nurse about getting some medicine to treat his headache, yet her response was:


    "That''s a side effect of the recovery potion we used to heal you. Because the level of your soul is so low, the influx of energy from the potion caused a strain on your core, which resides in your brain. That is the pain you are currently experiencing right now."


    "Strains to your core are difficult to treat at low levels unless you are willing to spend a hefty sum. There is no need to worry though, it will go away on its own within a day or two."


    Alex felt a little bit out of ce when the nurse told him about all these terms he had never heard before.


    However when he heard about how expensive it would be to treat his headache, that reminded him of something.


    "How much did it cost for the treatment of my injuries?"


    Normally, the nurse would have loved to sweet talk her patients¡ªespecially when the topic of money came up, but with Alex she remained neutral.


    Naturally this was because sometimes she could swindle a few gold coins out of them as tips and gratitude for her service.


    But looking at Alex in his normal set of clothes, and seeing how he frowned when he asked about how much his fee was, she knew he was just another pauper.


    "Let me see here, a charge of 50 gold or half an F rank beast core for the care of three nurses, one overnight stay¡ªthat will be another 50 gold or a whole F rank beast core for the two charges together. Finally you used 1 F+ rank recovery potion due to the extent of your injuries, that''s 2 F rank beast cores right there."


    "So in total, ites down to 3 F rank beast cores. You can opt to pay in gold instead of the cores, it''s your choice."


    Alex became crestfallen when he heard the total sum he owed to the hospital.


    <i>''Three of my hard earned beast cores are gone already!''</i>


    The nurse looked on at Alex weirdly, she would have thought he was sobbing if it weren''t for theck of tears!


    If Alex hadn''t beenpensated by the adventurer association due to the mis ranking of his mission, he would be in debt already.


    Naturally, this was also considered by the association when they heard about the extent of his injuries, and they calcted how much he would have to spend just to heal.


    They only gave him just enough F rank cores to afford the treatment with a little extra to spare, meaning he would be back topleting missions in the mission hall sooner to earn more money and increase his soul tier.


    "So, now that you are all fit and fine, how would you like to pay?"


    A smile was on the face of the nurse this time as she knew Alex was dreading every moment of this.


    "I''ll pay in beast cores."


    ***


    Only 10 minutester Alex left the hospital with his pockets much lighter and his mood much more depressed.


    His head still throbbed from the recovery potion but he did his best to ignore it.


    Instead of sulking about the loss of his money, Alex instead decided to focus on something else.


    Specifically the usage of beast cores.


    He knew they were the main way Adventurers and Awakened increased the tier of their soul core, he just didn''t know how they turned somethingposed of matter into energy that they could absorb.


    In the normal universe, he knew it was theoretically possible because science said all matter wasposed of energy, but from the little amount of research Alex had done on the topic it required a substantial amount of power and energy to convert matter to energy.


    However his internal struggle on how to absorb his core was shot down by the first Adventurer he came across on the street and asked about it.


    "What? You don''t know how to absorb beast cores? What kind of adventurer doesn''t know how to do that!?"


    "Ah nevermind, what does it matter to me anyway. You just hold it in your hand and think about absorbing the beast core, and then bam, you''ve absorbed it!"


    Alex felt like a total idiot.


    He was in the Primordial Expanse, of course themon sense of his own universe wouldn''t apply to this magical realm.


    He should have thought of such a simple solution sooner.

 Chapter 18: Beast cores and Soul orbs

    <h4>Chapter 18: Beast cores and Soul orbs</h4>


    A few hourster.


    In an ordinary hotel room in the outskirts of Valentis city, a young man sat on the bed in a meditative position with a peculiar looking stone in his hand.


    Alex sat there thinking about what that adventurer on the street had told him about the usage of beast cores.


    This hotel room cost him one gold coin for a week''s stay, he didn''t know if he got a good deal or not due to not grasping the value of this city''s currency just yet.


    By now the headache from his recovery had subsided.


    <i>''So I just think about absorbing it and that''s it? Surely it can''t be that easy, right?''</i>


    It was that easy.


    The moment the thought entered his mind, the beast core in his hand dissolved into dust and soon into nothing as the energy entered his head¡ªwhere his soul core was located.


    Instead of the ufortable pain he had expected, he surprisingly felt nothing other than a subtle warmth entering his head.


    His mind didn''t feel refreshed, he didn''t feel any significant increase in power, nor did he feel any changes to his soul core.


    In fact when he focused on the energy he was receiving from the beast core, he felt a little disgusted.


    Like he was eating meat that had been left to rot for a month.


    <i>''This is nothing like that purple soul orb I absorbed before.''</i>


    Speaking of soul orbs, why hadn''t he received one from the Sleeper when he pummelling its head in with a rock?


    Well the answer was that he actually did!


    Alex remained in contact with the Sleeper throughout the whole fight, which meant that when he eventually killed it, the purple soul orbs went straight into his inventory space.


    He was so pumped up with adrenaline, trying to manage his injuries that he didn''t even notice anything happening.


    Alex only noticed the new soul orb in his inventory when he regained consciousness in the hospital.


    He only had time to properly inspect it when he arrived at his hotel room though¡ªhe didn''t want the nurse to notice anything suspicious about him so he could only put it off until he was discharged.


    This new soul orb was twice as bright as the first one he had obtained and absorbed.


    <i>''This one is F+ rank, the one the rabbit dropped was F rank, that exins it.''</i>


    <i>''I guess I should see what the difference is between my soul orbs and these beast cores while I''m here.''</i>


    With just thought he willed the glowing soul orb to appear in front of him. It illuminated the room around him and dyed everything purple with its hue.


    Just like the beast core, he thought about absorbing the soul orb and the glow along with the orb disappeared in an instant.


    Much differently from the beast core this time, Alex immediately felt refreshed when it entered his head. The energy of the soul orb didn''t make him feel disgusted either. It was actually the contrary, he felt pure and blissful.


    Alex felt like he had climaxed!


    That was the only way he felt he could describe the feeling this energy gave him.


    Over the next few minutes, the absorption continued until all of the energy from the soul orb was used up and had fully fused with Alex''s soul core.


    <i>''I didn''t immediately get pushed up a level like I didst time. I feel like I am maybe 40% closer to the F+ tier? However I do feel like my strength has improved quite a bit.''</i>


    Sure enough, when Alex opened his details, the Primordial Expanse confirmed his thoughts.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge]


    Trait: [Adventurer]


    Trait Description: [You have cast aside your status as amoner, good for you.]


    Rank: [Seeker]


    Soul Core: [F 45%]


    His progress towards F+ tier had gone up by 45%, which basically confirmed something for Alex.


    <i>''40% came from the F+ rank soul orb, while the other 5% came from the F rank beast core.''</i>


    <i>''From seeing how much energy I gained from the soul orb and the beast core, I can probably guess how much energy I''d get per rank. It should be 5% for F rank beast cores, 10% for F+ rank beast cores, 20% for F rank soul orbs, 40% for F+ rank soul orbs.''</i>


    <i>''But when I used an F rank soul orb when I was only at the F- tier, it immediately filled up my progress by 100% and pushed me to the next level. This could only mean two things.''</i>


    <i>''One¡ªthe amount of energy I get from a soul orb depends on the strength of the beast that dropped said soul orb. This could also apply to beast cores too.''</i>


    <i>''Two¡ªthis was only a one time thing that only happened because my soul core was F- rank, otherwise known as an inactive core.''</i>


    <i>''If my first theory is the case, then my rapid progress through the tiers will only slow down unless I choose to fight stronger and stronger beasts and absorb their soul orbs. This would allow me to be stronger, faster, but also increases the level of danger. My second theory could also allow for this to happen but not to the same extent.''</i>


    Alex thought a lot about the usage of soul orbs. He had many unanswered questions, but only one thing was made clear to him.


    The stronger the beasts he fights, the more energy he receives.


    He had also noticed a few things in particr about the differences between beast cores and soul orbs.


    Soul orbs had dropped twice now from both the beasts he had killed, yet he hadn''t received a single beast core from either. This probably meant that he was guaranteed a soul orb whenever he killed a beast.


    Another thing he noticed was that absorbing soul orbs seemed to increase hisbat power and the power of his body, whereas absorbing beast cores didn''t.


    Naturally many ideas stemmed in his mind from this revtion, most of them being just the wild dreams of a teenager.


    But it all left Alex with one conclusion.


    <i>''I have the strongest talent!''</i>

 Chapter 19: Weapons

    <h4>Chapter 19: Weapons</h4>


    Alex was pretty sure that if there was a list out there of the strongest talents Awakened could possess, his would be near the top.


    He didn''t know much about what other talents there were out there, but just pointing out differences between himself and other adventurers and outsiders in the Primordial Expanse allowed him to realise he was very different from them.


    All the adventurers of his rank that he had met so far were mediocre at best. Some of them probably had talents at their disposal that gave them an edge over the beasts they take on in missions, but most of them were probably talentless just like Alex was when he first arrived.


    Other outsiders like himself weren''t much different either. They were just like adventurers other than the fact that there were a higher number of outsiders with talents than without.


    The reason for that was obvious though. Most outsiders were dropped into the middle of nowhere and were expected to find a way to survive until their soul core reached E rank.


    Outsiders were more likely to survive the harsh wilderness if they had a talent at their disposal, hence the ones without one were just lucky to make it to a safe city like Valentis and would slowly make their way up the ranks until they could make it back to the Federation.


    While there was Alex.


    He didn''t know much about his own talent so far but what he did know would already make it one of the strongest.


    Any beast he killed would drop soul orbs equivalent to their rank, absorbing those soul orbs would him a much higher gain in energy than a beast core of the same rank, not to mention that this energy was much purer.


    The cherry on top though was that the energy from these soul orbs increased his strength while energy from beast cores did not, which Alex also suspected was due to the difference in purity between the two.


    So to summarise, Alex would grow faster than other Awakened and Adventurers, while simultaneously widening the gap between his strength and theirs due to the purity of his energy being higher.


    And that was all Alex knew about his talent so far, for all he knew this could only be the tip of the iceberg!


    <i>''[Soulforge] I don''t know why the Primordial Expanse blessed me with you, but I sure am d it did.''</i>


    <i>''Maybe I should get myself a weapon now that I have some money...''</i>


    Alex left his hotel room after a sleepless night, but he felt as well rested as he could ever be.


    He was free to do what he liked now. He didn''t have to go around investigating whatever clue he could find about the Sleeper, and he didn''t currently have any other active missions.


    For the second time since he had entered the Primordial Expanse, he didn''t have anything to do.


    However he wasn''t going to waste his time like this, he was already headed over to the marketce.


    It was finally time for him to obtain his own weapon.


    All his fights so far had been him using his environment and his own body to overpower and kill beasts. If he had a weapon at his disposal during those fights then he would have had a much easier time, maybe he wouldn''t have left with such serious injuries from fighting the Sleeper.


    Of course a weapon would have made no difference against the Galephant though. The level difference was just too wide.


    Alex didn''t spend too long walking through the marketce before he found a shop selling weapons of all varieties.


    He had already memorised the majority of the streets in and around the outskirts when he was investigating the Sleeper, finding a weapon shop was easy.


    The store he decided to enter was called ''Morlock''s second hand weapons''


    The door jingled with a bell when Alex walked through it. A middle aged man at the counter on the other side of the store perked up when he heard the bell but quickly became disinterested again when he looked at the state of Alex.


    <i>''If you can''t afford anything don''t even bothering in here, ptui!''</i>


    He kept his thoughts to himself while he went back to the newspaper he was reading.


    Alex took no notice of the clerk as his eyes were drawn towards the vast amount of weapons spread across the walls and counters of the store. Each one had a little name metal te beneath them depicting their price and the type of weapon they were.


    <i>''Sword, saber, spear, bow, dagger...''</i>


    All different types of weapon he had and hadn''t heard of could be found here in this little store.


    However the prices of each one made him cringe inside a little.


    <i>''500 gold or 5 F- rank beast cores''</i>


    <i>''1200 gold or 12 F- rank beast cores''</i>


    Each one was way out of his price range.


    He couldn''t even find one that fit in his budget.


    "Excuse me, is there any weapons cheaper than these?"


    Alex talked to Morlock, the middle aged man behind the counter and probably the owner of the store.


    "The cheapest weapons we have in stock right now go for as low as 1 F rank beast core, are you sure you can afford it?"


    Morlock grumbled as he answered Alex.


    Alex ignored his tone and continued.


    "I can afford that, but what type of weapons are they?"


    Morlock pointed to the small shelf in the farthest reach of the store, telling him to go look for himself.


    <i>''Natives sure are stuck up for no reason, huh. Though I guess outsiders aren''t any different since everyone I''ve met so far acts like they are superior to the Natives.''</i>


    When Alex moved close enough to look at the shelf Morlock pointed to, there were only three weapons that greeted his eyes.


    <i>''A dagger, a saber and a bow...''</i>


    Alex didn''t feel any particr liking towards any of them, they were the weakest and cheapest weapons in the whole shop so he didn''t expect much.


    He first thought about the bow. He knew nothing about them really. His aim would be shit, to say the least, he''d have to constantly keep spending money buying arrows, and he wouldn''t be able to exert his full might by limiting himself to range.


    That was a definite no.


    Next came the saber.


    It was a close range weapon, which he liked. But it was long and heavy, and the handle kept rubbing against his thumb when he picked it up and swung it a few times.


    Also a no.


    That left the dagger.


    It wasn''t too big that it would get in the way in a fight, it wasn''t too small that it would do little damage either. It was light and nimble so it wouldn''t hinder his movements, so he could remain flexible in his fighting style.


    <i>''This one will do for now.''</i>

 Chapter 20: Na?ve

    <h4>Chapter 20: Na?ve</h4>


    <i>''This one will do for now.''</i>


    His recent earnings would almost all be drained, with the dagger costing 1 F rank beast core and 20 gold, making Alex cringe when he saw the price. But not nearly as much as when he saw the prices of the other weapons in the store.


    With his decision clear, he took the dagger over to the counter to finally make it his own.


    "So you chose the weakest weapon in the store huh? Well, a weak weapon is better than no weapon I guess."


    <i>''At least I''m making some money today.''</i>


    "That''ll be 110 gold for one F rank dagger."


    <i>''F rank... So I guess weapons here are also ssified by ranks too.''</i>


    Alex nodded at Morlock and handed over hisst one remaining beast core and 10 gold.


    Morlock was inwardly surprised and slightly raised his evaluation of Alex when he handed over a F rank beast core instead of 100 gold. Not many adventurers were willing to part with their beast cores so easily, most would much rather pay in gold even if they had to go into debt for it.


    "By the way, why do none of the weapons in here havebels for their ranks, only for their prices?"


    Alex questioned Morlock on the one thing he was curious about when he heard that his own dagger was F rank¡ªhe had realised weeks ago that he was just a country bumpkin in this city who knew nothing. Alex knew that if he wanted to survive and climb the ranks in the Primordial Expanse, he had to at least know themon sense of this world at the same level of the natives who lived there.


    "Look around you kid, do you see anything special about any of these weapons? No? That''s what I thought."


    "Every weapon in this shop is an F rank weapon, the weakest one is in your hands, while the most expensive one is an F+ rank."


    <i>''What?''</i>


    Alex was thoroughly confused by what Morlock had told him.


    Every weapon in this entire store was F rank? Not a single one of them went above or below that rank?


    "Why do you only sell F rank weapons here, why not sell E rank weapons too? I''m sure there are more than enough E rank adventurers in this city for you to make a profit on them.


    Morlock looked closely at Alex for the first time since he had entered the store. When he noticed the still vaguely visible ck lines showing through his skin, he understood.


    "Since you are an outsider I will answer your question, this ismon knowledge among adventurer''s anyway."


    "I am actually an adventurer too, an F+ rank one at that. Now what do you think will happen if I suddenly start selling E or D rank weapons in my store? I would be robbed or disappear mysteriously within the same week. You must be delusional if you think this city or even the Primordial Expanse as a whole is a prosperous ce where every human is united against the beasts."


    "No, humans are far from united. You may think the cities are the most peaceful ces you can be in this realm, but they are just a less dangerous version of the wilderness. Some even consider them to be more dangerous than the wilderness¡ªhumans are much more cunning and evil than beasts can be."


    "However, that is just the more sinister and depressing reason why I don''t sell higher rank weapons. I just simply cannot afford them. E rank weapons require E rank beast cores to purchase, D rank adventurers and above no longer care about gold and only deal in beast cores."


    Alex felt his entire worldview he had built up over thest month shift after listening to Morlock. He had been too na?ve this whole time. His focus had been on the danger beasts posed to humans and he had subconsciously disregarded the selfishness of humans.


    He thought back to the words of the middle aged police officer right before he had been transported to the Primordial Expanse.


    <i>''You might meet other humans, you can choose to work with them but you may also have to kill them.''</i>


    The truth had beenid out for him right from the start, he had just been too blind to realise it.


    <i>''I''ve been aplete idiot this entire time.''</i>


    Just going around town asking the most basic questions that everyone young and old would know already painted a target on his back. Someone with nomon sense like him would be the easiest to trick.


    "Thank you for making me realise this, truly. I don''t know what kind of trouble I might have gotten myself into if I hadn''t known this sooner."


    Alex awkwardly thanked and slightly bowed towards Morlock, who shrugged it off.


    <i>''I am a businessman, if it weren''t for that beast core he gave me I probably would have left it down to fate. Others wouldn''t be as kind as me to help him.''</i>


    "Yes, yes you would have realised itter on anyway. Now go on out with your weak ass dagger, I have other business to tend to."


    Alex smiled as he walked out of Morlock''s store holding his first ever weapon in the Primordial Expanse.


    He was significantly poorer, but it was worth it now that he had increased hisbat power by another notch with this weapon.


    He was right back where he started when he first entered the city, only he was now confidently strong enough to take on more missions, maybe even take on more F+ rank beasts!


    Though he''d have to find those stronger beasts on his own since the adventurer guild wouldn''t allow him to take on missions above his own level unless he proved he possessed the strength to do so.


    His previous kill on the Sleeper had beenrgely down to luck, while his kill on the huge rabbit was a mixture of luck and making use of his past experience.


    <i>''It''s about time I find some more rewarding missions.''</i>

 Chapter 21: Interested?

    <h4>Chapter 21: Interested?</h4>


    A bustling atmosphere.


    That''s what Alex walked into when he entered the mission hall.


    However it seemed word had spread about Alex''s feat of killing an F+ rank beast, as some adventurers stopped mid conversation to look at this promising neer.


    The impression Alex had on the F rank adventurers in the room was vastly different from his first time entering.


    People actually respected him now.


    Anyone who could defeat a beast a whole minor level above themself was a talent that would surely rise to at least D rank in the future.


    Most of the adventurers in the hall were F rank and so only had F or F+ rank soul cores. They couldn''t afford to offend someone with potential like Alex.


    "Brother, you killed that Sleeper?" Alex saw a random adventurer in silver armor walking over to him.


    Although the Sleeper mission was only an F rank mission, many people knew about it due to it''s infamy among the mission hall.


    Many adventurers had attempted it, all of them but Alex had failed it.


    Only half of the adventurers that took the mission failed it due to the same reason Alex had so much trouble with it.


    There was just too little information about it, and they had run out of time and had to give up on it, allowing other adventurers to take it.


    The other half either disappeared or died for various reasons.


    Yet this random newbie outsider suddenlyes in and takes it as his first mission, andpletes it? Some people were sure to be curious.


    Especially after they found out the Sleeper was an F+ rank beast.


    "I did kill it, what''s it to you?" Alex responded to the man in shy armor with caution.


    After his talk with Morlock, the store owner, his views had changed on the other humans in the Primordial Expanse.


    "You must be quite strong to be able to kill something above your level like that, I have an interesting offer for you, interested?"


    The man chuckled.


    "Sure."


    Alex was going to hear him out since he had no reason to refuse.


    "Great. What''s your name? I''m Raymond, an Early E rank Adventurer. My team and I are looking for some adventurers to join us on a beast hive mission. Your strength fits our requirements perfectly."


    "Just call me Alex, I don''t have ast name." Alex answered.


    Alex lifted his eyebrows in surprise. He appreciated Raymond''s honesty as he really wasn''t expecting him to give away such valuable information like that.


    What valuable information?


    Raymond''s rank.


    <i>''Early E rank?''</i>


    Most adventurers never give away their real rank like that to someone they just met. The adventurer association only requires them to disy their general rank, like F, E, D etc.


    So far Albert was the only person other than Raymond who had revealed his real rank to him.


    There is no requirement to give away whether they are in the early, mid orte levels within that rank. Only the adventurer association is privy to that information.


    "What rank is the beast hive? I don''t see how I will be of any use when you are clearly much stronger than me. Also, when do you depart."


    Alex was bing more and more interested. Raymond was at least more trustworthy than the other adventurers he had interacted with, apart from Albert.


    "The leader is an E- rank beast, on the same level as me. There are also nearly two dozen F rank beasts of various levels following the leader of the hive. This is where people like you and the other memberse in. You will deal with the beasts while I deal with the leader, that is the deal. We depart tomorrow at noon."


    Alex started to consider the benefits of epting Raymond''s deal, but Raymond continued.


    "Of course, you will bepensated very nicely. Every team member is guaranteed 1 F rank beast core, with more on the line depending on your contribution."


    This sealed the deal for Alex, just for being there he would get a beast core. He was sure he could get more rewards as well now that his power had increased and he now had a weapon of his own.


    Not to mention that this was a mission issued in the mission hall. This legitimised Raymond''s words as the adventurer association wouldn''t sully their reputation by lying about such a thing.


    "I''m in."


    Alex shook Raymond''s hand and left the beast hall.


    "Brother, I''ll wait for you tomorrow. You won''t regreting, trust me! Remember, meet at the mission hall at noon!" Raymond shouted at the back of Alex while waving his hand.


    When Alex left, other adventurers who heard his conversation went over to Raymond.


    "Sorry guys, the team''s all full now. Maybe next time!"


    Naturally many adventurers in the hall were very interested in joining Raymond''s team for this mission when they heard the most basic reward was a beast core.


    However they could only leave with sighs when Raymond immediately rejected them without letting them get a word in.


    They couldn''tin about it either, what were they supposed to do?


    Offend an E rank adventurer over feeling a little bit petty for not being chosen?


    That would just be suicide.

 Chapter 22: Introductions

    <h4>Chapter 22: Introductions</h4>


    The next day, in the adventurer association a little earlier than noon.


    Alex stood with his eyes closed, leaning against a wall while he waited for the arrival of Raymond and his entourage.


    <i>''Raymond seems more trustworthy than the other adventurers I''ve met before, but I still shouldn''t let my guard down.''</i>


    Raymond didn''t tell Alex anything specific about the mission since there were so many people around, but it wasn''t hard for Alex to find out which one he was talking about.


    There were very few missions asking to wipe out a beast hive, and only two at the level where Raymond''s group with the addition of Alex had the ability toplete them.


    One of these missions required over a month of travelling through the wilderness to arrive there, so that ruled that one out. Which only left one.


    [Mission: Eradicate the beast hive


    Description: A neighbouring vige has suffered frequent attacks from a number of Mantis beasts over thest few weeks. Several people have died and the vigers are too scared to even leave their houses now. Nobody in the vige is strong enough to take out the leader of the mantises, so urgent help is needed if they are to survive.


    Mission goal: Find the location of the Mantis hive, kill the leader and any other Mantis you find.


    Reward: Minimum guarantee of 1 E- rank beast core; rewards vary depending on number of beasts and their strength.]


    Normally, only Mid E rank adventurers were allowed to take on E- rank beast hive missions due to the danger the high number of beasts represent. But exceptions were made for Early E ranks who gathered a team of F ranks to tackle the F rank beasts while they themselves would deal with the leader.


    Many Early E ranks used this method as rewards from hive missions were much more bountiful than normal single beast missions. However the only drawback for them was that they had to pay their recruited F rank teammates out of their own pocket, but the cost was worth it for the chance to earn an E- rank beast core and increase their strength.


    Naturally, since Alex was able to find the mission details without much effort, others should also be able to do so. Raymond''s actions in keeping the details to himself therefore confused Alex.


    <i>''What was the point in hiding it if it was so easy to find out anyway?''</i>


    He didn''t have much time to think about it though as he opened his eyes reflexively and saw Raymond and 7 other unknown people following him, they were obviously his teammates for this mission.


    Raymond noticed Alex was already there, patiently waiting for him to arrive.


    "Brother Alex! Did you wait for long? I''m d to see you came so early, we can set out for our mission earlier now that we are all together." Raymond smiled amicably as he ced his arm over Alex''s shoulder.


    "I just arrived a few minutes before you, so I''m guessing we''re doing the mission to wipe out the Mantis hive?"


    Alex got straight to the point and asked about the mission, everyone''s time was precious and the sooner they could set out, the sooner they couldplete the mission.


    Raymond however had a glint in his eyes as he heard what Alex had said.


    He looked at one of the other 7 people around them and although he didn''t open his mouth,municated with him using another mysterious method.


    <i>''Just go with it. Got it?''</i>


    The woman hemunicated with looked like she was in her early thirties, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes. She couldn''t be considered a 10/10 beauty but she was still stunning nheless.


    It seemed she didn''t have the same method ofmunication as Raymond as she gave a slight, unnoticeable nod without looking in his direction.


    "You guessed right. You''re strong and you have a good eye for detail, I''m starting to like you even more, Alex."


    However unbeknownst to the two of them, Alex noticed the subtle changes in Raymond''s Expressions.


    Raymond shifted the topic and started to introduce the other members of his team one by one. He started it off by introducing the only woman, the one he secretlymunicated with, first.


    "This is Joanne, she''s a close friend of mine and an F+ rank adventurer. She''s on the verge of breaking through to E- rank!"


    Raymond then went on to introduce the other six adventurers on the team, but Alex didn''t pay them as much attention as he did to Joanne as she and Raymond were the only people from the team of nine that knew each other.


    Everyone else, including Alex, met for the first time after Raymond invited them into his team toplete this mission.


    <i>''Something smells fishy about this, but what is it?''</i>


    Although Alex had a favourable impression of Raymond, it was almost like it was designed to be that way.


    Right from the beginning Raymond had been acting overly friendly with him since they first met each other in the mission hall the day prior.


    But even though Alex felt Raymond and Joanne were suspicious, he still went along with it. The rewards for this mission were just too desirable to give up on just because of some unconfirmed suspicions.


    ***


    A group of nine adventurers cleaved their way through the dense overgrowth of the forest, with the man in shining armor at the front swinging his sword to sh away any bush, branch or tree that blocked their path.


    Alex stood towards the back of the group while Joanne and Raymond never left each other''s side.


    By now, the group had been travelling for hours through the forest and it became more like a jungle the farther they travelled.


    The annoying thing about the mission was that it didn''t specify the exact distance this neighbouring vige was to Valentis, only that it was to the west and that it would take 4 days to get there.


    It was noon when they set off, and by now the sun was falling over the horizon and visibility only became worse the more they walked.


    "We should set up camp here for the night!" Raymond shouted from the front of the group and pointed his sword at a clearing a couple dozen metres to their left.


    One of the other members of the team, Brutus, spoke to Alex with a sigh of relief.


    "Phew! I was beginning to think we would continue travelling all throughout the night." Brutus was the only member of the team other than Raymond who went out of their way to speak to Alex.


    Most of the time everyone just stayed silent and kept their awareness up.


    They were there on a mission, not to make friends.


    Along the way, Alex had a few chats with Brutus here and there when things just got too boring, and he felt that he was very simr to himself. He felt a lot more genuine than Raymond in the few interactions they had.

 Chapter 23: Deja vu

    <h4>Chapter 23: Deja vu</h4>


    "You act like you wouldn''t love the opportunity to carry on through the night, Brute. We both know you''re itching for a fight." Alex chuckled as he answered Brutus.


    Brute was a nickname Brutus had given himself, and Alexughed when he heard it.


    He felt it was very fitting for him, he was a very bulky and tall man and it was the shortened version of his name. It fit him perfectly.


    Brutus had told Alex over thest few hours of his adventures in the wilderness. He had killed many beasts in one on one battles and sometimes even 2v1¡ªall with the goal to take their beast core (if they had one) and increase his power.


    In the event he was lucky and the beast he killed had a beast core, he would absorb it on the spot. Otherwise he would just turn the corpse into the beast hall in exchange for some gold.


    Not all beasts had missions put up for them and the beast hall would be d to buy any beast corpse whether it was for a mission or not.


    Brutus had continued this same routine up for thest 6 months, managing to upgrade his soul core from F- to the peak of F+ in that time. He was right at the precipice of E- rank just like Joanne.


    ***


    The team rested for the night at the makeshift campsite and left right as the sun rose. Not much happened during the day except for a few scares from some movements in bushes nearby, but those turned out to be nothing.


    This continued for the next 3 days, until one morning while hiking the group of nine a tower of smoke reaching the clouds in the distance.


    This smoke wasn''t from a chimney, this was from something big, like a whole vige big.


    "We should hurry, the situation in the vige must have worsened since the mission was posted!" Raymond shouted to the rest and started running towards the area the smoke wasing from.


    Him, Joanne and Brutus were the fastest of the group. Joanne and Raymond ran ahead of the group, while Brutus stayed behind to keep up with Alex and the rest.


    Nobody thought anything of Raymond and Joanne suddenly separating from their group, they just thought that they were both worried for the vige and wanted to get there as quickly as possible.


    However, Alex felt their actions went against the whole reason Raymond had recruited them.


    <i>''Separating from the group you gathered right as we are about to reach the enemy, really?''</i>


    <i>''I knew something was fishy from the beginning, what exactly do you have nned Raymond?''</i>


    Alex kept his thoughts to himself, he didn''t know if anyone else in the group would be in on whatever Raymond and Joanne were up to.


    It only took them a couple of minutes to reach the peak of a hill where Raymond and Joanne stood, overlooking the scene beneath them.


    Swathes of buildings were crumbling, burning to ash by the second. Over fifty houses, with fifty families living in them were wiped out. Bodiesy on the ground in various conditions, somepletely charred, others still barely clinging to life.


    Tears could be seen welling up in Joanne and Raymond''s eyes, while the everyone else just stood there in shock, stupefied.


    "We were toote." Raymond gnashed his teeth together as rage welled up within him.


    Joanne didn''t say anything but her fists were balled up so tight blood started dripping from them.


    Alexpletely forgot about any schemes Raymond might be cooking up as his attention was wholly focused on the scene in front of him.


    Deja vu.


    Alex felt an extreme sense of Deja vu looking at what remained of the vige.


    His mind took him back to when he first entered the Primordial Expanse. Those thousands of refugees in the clearing, all ughtered by the Galephant. The destruction then looked just like this.


    Instead of feeling the uncontroble anger and rage like the others did, Alex just felt a sense of emptiness.


    The natives heard about the destruction of whole towns, viges and cities all the time. The constant war against the beasts was never ending, and while humanitypeted with each other for resources to advance their own power, against beasts the natives were united.


    To outsiders like Alex, they could never feel what the natives felt when whole societies were destroyed as the Federation was theplete opposite. The Federation was in its most peaceful time in centuries, there were no divides in nationality anymore as all citizens were united under one banner.


    The only threat to the federation were pirates and the asional death of an awakened, which spawned a beast of the same rank in the universe.


    "This is the true face of this world. There can never be peace for us while beasts still continue to exist. This is why beast hives are prioritised over every other mission. If we were a day earlier, we could have prevented this." Raymond said through his clenched teeth.


    Raymond looked at the vige onest time and sighed, forcing himself to calm down.


    "Let''s go, there is nothing left for us here. The best we can do for this vige is take revenge for them, the beast hive has to be nearby since the destruction is still fresh." Alex said this time as he weighed in on the heavy atmosphere.


    Brutus looked up for the first time and nodded at Alex''s words, still somewhat in a daze.


    "There are still Mantis tracks everywhere, if we are lucky we can catch up to them!" Joanne blurted out of nowhere, looking intensely at some marks on the ground near the edge of the vige, heading out into the forest.


    This time some life returned to the group.


    It may have been toote, but at least they could take revenge in honour of the vigers!


    Nomunication was needed, everyone simultaneously left the top of the hill they stood on and followed Joanne as she followed the tracks of the Mantises through the forest.


    Alex hadpletely forgotten about his suspicions towards Raymond and Joanne by this point...

 Chapter 24: The chase

    <h4>Chapter 24: The chase</h4>


    The forest was quiet, far quieter than one would expect from a forest filled with numerous beasts and even a hive led by an E- rank Mantis. There were no roars, howls or echoes of battle. No sounds at all, not even the sound of wind rustling through the trees.


    One could be misled into thinking the forest was mourning the dead vigers with a moment of silence, which could be a reasonable argument if the Primordial Expanse didn''t make it clear that it couldn''t give a shit about the loss of a few humans.


    <i>''Maybe I was wrong about them? I can''t believe I started acting so rashly and immature just from a few words from a random shopkeeper.''</i> Alex thought.


    Shaking his head, Alex kicked some rocks as he waited for Joanne to speak. She was the only one who knew how to track and she was currently inspecting the forest around her for any marks left behind by the Mantis beasts, while everyone else stood around staying alert, waiting for her to report back some good news.


    Unfortunately, good news didn''te.


    "We''ve lost them." Joanne sighed as she re-joined the group.


    "Well we keep looking, sur-" Raymond started speaking but he was cut off by a voice snapping out of nowhere.


    "I can''t deal with it anymore! What the fuck are we even doing here!? For all we know Joanne could be leading us on a wild goose chase. I mean who knows if the hive we are looking for destroyed the vige, it could have been a group of bandits!" Rotnam, the quietest of the group, suddenlyshed out. He had hardly said a word the whole time and now his sudden outburst shocked everyone.


    "And you! You are the only one who can see these supposed tracks while the rest of us have blindly followed you this whole time!" Rotnam said again, pointing at Joanne this time.


    "How about we all calm down here, okay? We are all in a vtile state right now after seeing what happened to the vige, we need to stay together if we want to take revenge for them. Internal strife will only make our mission even harder." Alex chimed in this time, offering his own opinion to the group. He was hoping that the team could stay rtively united until they wiped out the Mantis hive, after that he couldn''t care less what anyone thought.


    Rotnam didn''t seem inclined to listen to what Alex had to say though, while Raymond looked like he had something to say, but chose not to. Instead he followed Alex''s lead.


    "Alex is right, now is not the time for this. We can settle any disputes after the mission isplete. Right now we have amon goal, to kill these beasts. The longer we stay here arguing, the more time they have to widen the gap between us. All of you are here to get paid, well we can''t get paid if the mission isn''tplete." Raymond''s words seemed to have brought some sense back to Rotnam as he simply red at Raymond, Joanne and Alex before scoffing.


    "Fine. Lead the way." He said and ignored any looks from anyone else.


    "We should spread out for now and scan the perimeter around us. There has to be something, those beasts couldn''t have just disappeared into thin air." Raymond resumed his usualmanding and confident tone as if the previous argument never happened.


    With word from their employer, the team did as he said and each person chose a direction and walked that way.


    <i>''In hindsight what Rotnam said makes some sense, from the beginning we haven''t caught sight of a beast once and it''s true we never did see the perpetrator for the attack on the vige. But what he said is unreasonable. It doesn''t matter what he thinks of Joanne, she is the only one who can lead us to the beast hive anyway.''</i>


    Alex considered if the group should go back to the vige and look for more clues, but shook the thought off after deliberating. Although what happened was cruel and gruesome, their mission was to destroy the Mantis beast hive, not save the vige. Not to mention that any evidence left behind had probably been burned to cinders.


    Minutes and eventually an hour ticked by, and Alex had found nothing that pointed towards any recent movements in his area. He wasn''t anywhere near an expert in tracking, but he did the best he could with the tips Joanne gave before everyone set off.


    With nothing to show, he made his way back to the meeting spot everyone agreed to meet at.


    When he arrived, everyone but Raymond and Joanne were leaning on the shrubbery, waiting in silence.


    "Found anything?" He asked Brute, but extended the question to everyone else.


    "Nothing." Brute replied and everyone else shook their heads.


    "Let''s hope Joanne cane back with some good news then."


    <i>''Speak of the devil.''</i>


    Right on cue, Joanne and Raymond wereing back from their directions at the same time and everyone shifted their eyes towards Joanne, she had the highest likelihood ofing back with good news.


    "I found something, there is evidence of Mantis activity a couple kilometres ahead in my direction. However, it''s getting dark. It''s too dangerous to continue the hunt at night, we could be attacked from anywhere, and Mantises are notorious for their stealth attacks at night."


    Rotnam showed displeasure at Joanne''s suggestion to wait the night out before they set off again. They had been going around getting fuck all done for thest week and right as they find their target''s trail they had to stop. It just didn''t sit right with him.


    But heplied. He would rather save his words and get the mission done than risk being kicked out and lose his chance at earning a beast core.


    <i>''What''s one more night anyway? This waiting better all be worth it.''</i>

 Chapter 25: One down

    <h4>Chapter 25: One down</h4>


    The next day at the crack of dawn, everyone in the team was already awake but the mood of the makeshift camp was heavy.


    Today was going to be the day they finally put an end to the Mantis beast hive.


    Brute''s once excited and jovial self had turned into a serious and rage filled husk as his gaze just wandered off to some ce in the distance.


    Everyone was affected by the heavy mood, including Alex.


    "We should set off as soon as we can. Beasts like Mantises also need to rest at night so the chances are they are still somewhere near the marks Joanne foundst night." Raymond however seemed less affected than everyone else as his expressions or usual emotions didn''t change. He only spoke a little less.


    "Gather all your belongings, we leave in 5 minutes-" It seemed Raymond had developed a habit of being cut off while he was in the middle of saying something, as Alex spoke up this time.


    "Wait, where''s Rotnam?"


    Silence epassed the now group of eight as everyone looked around them, only to see no sign whatsoever of Rotnam.


    "That''s not right, we all saw himst night right before we went to sleep. If he decided to leave or something happened to him during the night, then shouldn''t we have heard something and woken up?" A member of the team Alex had forgotten the name of spoke this time with genuine confusion in his voice.


    The eight of them stood motionless, looking at each other in uneasy silence. Many suspicious res were thrown around and an ominous feeling settled in their chests ¡ª if the worst case scenario were true and something could get close enough to the group to snatch one of their own away without any of them noticing, even the E- rank adventurer Raymond, then they were well and truly in all sense of the word, fucked.


    At the same time as everyone was digesting the fact Rotnam had just disappeared, nervousughter filled the void created by the silence.


    "Haha, well on the bright side at least he still left his supplies here." Raymond felt his nerves crawl when he noticed how Rotnam''s gear was still with the group.


    <i>''If even Raymond is this nervous then this mission just keeps getting even more dangerous and ominous.''</i>


    This could only mean one thing ¡ª the worst case scenario.


    "We should get moving, if there is something out there targeting us then we don''t want to stay here any longer." Joanne said and started moving towards the direction of the Mantises before she even finished speaking.


    ***


    After hours of travelling, the group reached a crevasse and deep inside one could see faint marks in the ground where it looked like a group had passed through.


    With theck of any vegetation in the crevasse, it was easy to pick out these marks. Nobody needed Joanne to point them out for them as everyone had already noticed them the moment they reached the cliff edge.


    "That''s the marks left behind by the Mantis beasts, they have to be hiding in a cave deeper in this ravine somewhere."


    A glint could be seen in everyone''s eyes as Joanne confirmed their thoughts.


    They were finally going toplete their mission today!


    The incident involving Rotnam''s disappearance weighed heavily on everyone''s mind and this new source of good news provided a ray of hope for them.


    By now, everyone but Raymond and Joanne were just desperate toplete the mission and earn their share of beast cores before they could get out of this godforsaken and creepy forest!


    It took a few minutes but Raymond found a ce for the group to descend down into the crack in the earth, where the group were required to jump from a 10 metre height down to the floor below.


    For unawakened people, a fall like this was almost certain death or severe leg damage at least, but for awakened F and F+ rank adventurers like Alex and the others it was just a few bumps and scratches. For Raymond he didn''t even break a sweat falling from such a height.


    The wilderness was not a ce for normal humans to venture into.


    Several dozen minutes passed and the eight adventurers had slowly ventured deeper into the crack, so deep in fact that there was no longer any sunlight above their heads. Wherever the path Joanne took, the others including Raymond followed.


    The group''s only source of light was some sort of magic shlight Raymond had fished out of his backpack. Normal technology from the Federation didn''t work inside the Primordial Expanse so they had to use a rather expensive alternative with Magical artifacts that harnessed the energy of the Primordial Expanse.


    Then, at some point a few hundred metres in, a yellowish light could be seen far ahead of them. It was like a lighthouse in a vast and endless dark ocean, and it drew the group of eight straight into it as soon as they noticed it.


    "This light looks different from ours... It looks like it''sing from some sort of fire." Alex voiced his thoughts aloud for the rest of the group to hear.


    Alex had spent his whole life in deep and dark caves lit up by all different means of lighting, so he was the most experienced out of all of them in this sort of environment.


    He was 100% sure the light ahead wasing from some sort of fire, and judging by the distance between the group and the light, it was a pretty decent sized fire too.


    Raymond and Joanne nced at Alex for a few seconds when he revealed the source of the light, and they looked at each other with a few odd looks before they shifted their gaze away from each other.


    No one but the two of them knew what they were thinking at that moment.


    "The Mantises are probably over there. The vige was destroyed by a fire too."

 Chapter 26: True face

    <h4>Chapter 26: True face</h4>


    "The Mantises are probably over there. The vige was destroyed by a fire too." Raymond voiced his thoughts and the others agreed without question. They hade this far, there was no way they were going to back down when they were so close to their goal.


    Without further consideration, the team of eight increased their pace towards the source of light and as the gap between them became closer and closer, the light grew brighter and bigger.


    30 minutes of runningter, and the group stood before a house sized opening in the cave wall, with the light they were chasing being so bright at this point they had to squint to properly get a view of what was inside.


    "Stay alert, we don''t know how many enemies we might find in here. Even with the fire lighting up most of this sub-cave, there may still be some dark corners where a Mantis could be ready to pounce on you at any time." The group nodded in unison to Raymond''s advice as they surrounded the cave entrance from both sides.


    The scene reminded Alex of the old fashioned way police on ancient Earth would raid people''s houses, but he brushed the thought away to not cause any distractions for himself.


    Being so close to the entrance, nobody wanted to speak ¡ª not wanting to alert the beasts inside to their presence, so Raymond, as the team''s de facto leader, raised his hand and counted down from five using his fingers.


    Five...


    Four


    Three


    Two....


    One!


    Szzz!


    Right as the group rushed through the entrance into the grand and spacious cave, only one thing came to their mind.


    <i>''Hot!''</i>


    It was scorching in there, the difference in temperature inside and outside was like night and day.


    However when Alex, Brute and the others recovered from their stupor, shock and confusion filled their faces.


    <i>''Where are all the Mantises!? What the heck is that thing??''</i>


    Instead of the dozens of Mantis beasts they were expecting, inside therey a huge lion like creature which until a moment ago waszily snoring away on its back, before Alex and his group came storming in and awakening it from its sleep.


    Alex instinctively looked at Raymond and Joanne ¡ª unlike the others they didn''t seem to be shocked. Instead their eyes were filled with jubtion, Raymond looked like some sort of crazy maniac with the way greed just oozed out of his eyes when he looked at the huge lion.


    <i>''It seems these two know something that we don''t.''</i>


    However right now he had more important things to think about.


    Like how they were going to deal with this situation.


    <i>''This thing is clearly not in the same league as F rank beasts. This can only mean it is an E- rank beast, or...''</i>


    Alex had his suspicions that this thing wasn''t even an Early E rank beast either, and just the thought of it terrified him to his core. The strongest in their team was only E- rank! How were they supposed to take down something a whole level above him with only a few measly F and F+ ranks to support?


    "Everyone, get into formation! If we want a shot of making it out of here alive, then you need to cooperate with each other so I can whittle it''s health down, this thing is a Mid E rank beast!"


    Raymond shouted his orders with a much moremanding tone than he had ever had before. It seemed he had shed his previous affable and approachable persona for this new cold andmanding one.


    Everyone listened to his order and moved into the formation they had discussed previously in their ns to fight the group of Mantis beasts. However the formation was iplete as both Alex and Brute hadn''t moved from their location.


    "Exin yourselves. You said you were 100% certain those were the tracks of Mantis beasts we were following. Care to exin why we end up encountering this ming lion at the end of your tracks, with no Mantis in sight?"


    At first nce, one might assume Brute to be all muscle and no brains due to how he looked and how he preferred people called him, but he was no idiot nor a pushover.


    A bitter grin appeared on Raymond''s face as he heard Brute''s demanding questions.


    "You are too smart for your own good." With that, a small dagger appeared in Raymond''s hand and before anyone could even react in time to what he said, he flicked forwards and it flew at incredible speeds.


    Fwoosh!


    On the other end, Alex only heard the sound of wind splitting and a dull thud before all hell broke loose.


    Right as the dagger left Raymond''s hand, the ming lion attacked with a supremely hot breath of fire that spewed sticky, ming liquid everywhere like a methrower.


    Alex didn''t notice this though.


    ''What just....''


    His thoughts paused when he looked towards the source of the thud.


    Brutus.


    Right where he had been standing, with his hand still on the hilt of his sword, Brutey lifeless with a dagger protruding out the back of his head.


    <i>''Raymond just... Killed him?''</i>


    <i>''Why?''</i>


    Nothing made sense to Alex anymore. His whole life he had been living in the slums on a random no name mining colony. Humans over there were much more cooperative and worked together to survive. Yet the whole time he had been in the Primordial Expanse, all he had seen was senseless ughter and bloodshed.


    He only truly understood now why that policeman told him to be so wary of other people.


    Alex shifted his shocked eyes towards Raymond, who was currently dodging the lion with an apathetic look. Joanne stood far back, firing an arrow from time to time with her bow, causing some minor annoyance for the lion whenever one left a scratch on its skin.


    On the other end, Raymond looked back at the only uncooperative person left in the team.


    "Alex, If you don''t want to end up like him then I suggest you get over here and help." He said while he shifted his eyes towards Brute.


    His previous facade of being like an elder ''brother'' was abandoned.


    It seemed his true face had been revealed.


    <i>''He''s been lying to us this whole time! I was right to suspect him!''</i>


    Alex gritted his teeth at the threat but took a deep breath to calm his raging emotions.


    Right now there was an even bigger threat to his life, to all of their lives including even Raymond.


    <i>''First I deal with you!''</i>


    Alex dashed over to the side of the lion andunched his first attack.

 Chapter 27: All out battle

    <h4>Chapter 27: All out battle</h4>


    This was the first time since Alex had bought his dagger that he got to put it to use, and it was against a beast a whole major level above him as well!


    Due to his unique talent and the few soul orbs he had absorbed so far, although he was an F rank adventurer, he possessed physical strength near that of an F+ rank.


    But it was unfortunate to say that it didn''t make much difference whether he was F or F+ rank in front of the tyrant like E rank ming Lion.


    The moment he neared the beast while it was distracted by the other 6 adventurers on his team, his dagger drew near to its hind, with the sizzling atmosphere surrounding the beast causing burns on the skin of his hand.


    But he didn''t let that stop him and with the full force of his entire body, shed diagonally across the ankle of the lion''s rear left leg. However the disparity in their strength was clear and Alex''s full force attack barely left an inch deep mark, whichpared to the size of the lion it was just a scratch.


    "Keep attacking! Your attacks are wearing the lion down, if this keeps up long enough I might be able to slip in an attack strong enough to do some major damage!" Raymond shouted from the side lines. Alex gritted his teeth when he realised that Raymond and Joanne hadn''t even joined in on the fight yet even though they were the two strongestbatants they had, with Joanne being the only F+ rank after Raymond murdered Brutus.


    Moments after Raymond shouted his order, the lion lifted one of its huge paws and performed a shing motion through the air towards an adventurer who slipped out of formation.


    Instantly, the man was barely able to defend against the attack of a beast a whole major level above himself and when the ming w reached his sabre, it melted instantly before the fire continued through it with little interference and burned a deep gash through the man''s thinyer of armor.


    The man was sent flying when he took the full brunt of the attack, as he travelled through the air for quite a distance until the light of the lion no longer reached him. Whether he was dead or alive was unknown, with only a few pieces of unmoving molten metal lighting up the area where he hadnded.


    <i>''This is an impossible fight, Raymond is just setting us up for death!''</i>


    After seeing what happened to the poor sod who just got hit, Alex increased his caution another level.


    No way did he want to end up like that guy!


    The lion,pletely oblivious to the thoughts of the annoying humans surrounding it, continued to hound more and more attacks in their direction. It seemed performing such ming sh attacks took quite a lot of energy out of it as it neverunched another one.


    It was only after 10 minutes passed of excruciating and exhausting guerri tactics against the lion that Raymond made his first move.


    From seemingly nowhere, he brandished a sword with a faint white glow surrounding it as he leaped forwards with incredible speed nearly matching that of the lion and stabbed his sword into its side, prating so deep only the hilt of his sword remained visible. The blow instantly made the lion shift its focus to Raymond as it let out a miserable howl.


    With a fast swipe of its head, it smashed its thick skull against Raymond and his silver shining armor, sending him flying a few metres before hended with a dull thud back on his feet.


    "Joanne!" Raymond called Joanne''s name and as if everything was pre-nned, she equipped her bow and took out some ominous looking arrows.


    These arrows had some sort of purple goo covering the tip, with a simrly faint white glow surrounding them just like Raymond''s sword.


    <i>''It seems all awakened do in fact get an inventory.''</i> Alex was more focused on the fact that both Raymond and Joanne summoned their weapons out of thin air, just like when he summoned his Soul orbs.


    However if he spent more time gathering information in the city he would have known a rather interesting fact.


    The concept of an inventory waspletely unknown to everyone. Raymond and Joanne had artifacts that housed a separate space where they could store non-living objects.


    Ignoring these side tracked thoughts, Alex turned his attention back to Joanne. She had already nocked one of those new unknown arrows and aimed it at the lion, looking for the perfect timing to strike.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Yet another adventurer was hit by the lion as the original formation had long broken down and everyone was just following their own instincts. This adventurer ended up getting crushed under the foot of the lion as it stamped down on the man when he tripped up and fell onto his back.


    The fate of this man was certain.


    However even while the lion was actively seeding in hunting members of her team, Joanne''s expression didn''t even falter once and she kept her aim up, until finally the moment came where she let loose her arrow.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    It flew through the air at even faster speeds than Raymond threw his dagger. In less than a second it reached the lion, specifically in the exact same spot Raymond had prated it with his sword less than 10 seconds prior.


    The effects of her attack were immediate.


    The arrow entered the still open wound and disappeared inside the lion''s body, with the flesh around its organs and wound quickly taking on a ckish, purple colour.


    This enraged the lion to a level it hadn''t shown yet as it finally moved from its spot and started trampling in the direction of the 4 remaining adventurers.


    With the speed the lion was barrelling towards them, they had no time to even react before they were trampled down and sttered across the cave floor like mince meat. They couldn''t even put up a fight.


    Alex, the lucky soul he was, was spared from this ughter as from the beginning he kept his distance from the formation Raymond had set up for the F ranks to follow.


    This instinctive decision to not follow Raymond''s orders had spared his life.


    But whether that still remained the case in a few moments would remain to be seen...

 Chapter 28: Law of the jungle

    <h4>Chapter 28: Law of the jungle</h4>


    Immediately after Joanne fired her arrow at the huge ming lion, both her and Raymond retreated onto a nearby elevation in the cave.


    Alex saw this and knew they weren''t nning on fighting the lion while it was in its enraged state, so he followed along and retreated just like them, only he chose a small pocket in the wall of the cave near where they entered.


    "We finally did it! I can''t believe it, I can finally reach Mid E rank after so many long years of toiling away!" Raymond couldn''t keep his excitement at bay as he eximed to Joanne.


    "I can feel I''m on the precipice of advancing my soul core to E-! Maybe we can try our luck with even E+ rank beasts when we both advance." Joannes usual cold and apathetic tone had been reced with greed when the duo''s scheme had been revealed.


    <i>''Heartless. You just caused the death of 5 people and even killed one yourselves, yet you haven''t even shown a shred of remorse.''</i>


    Alex listened in on Raymond and Joanne''s conversation from a distance while simultaneously keeping an eye on the lion''s actions.


    It wasn''t like they were trying to hide anything they were saying either, since they were speaking loudly enough that Alex could hear them from 30 or so metres away.


    However he noticed that they were speaking as if the fight was already won and the lion was already dead. Alex was confused about this at first but then the realisation struck him when he noticed the lion started acting more sluggish.


    <i>''Poison! That''s what that purple slimy substance was on the end of Joanne''s arrow.''</i>


    <i>''It all makes sense now.''</i>


    It only took another 5 minutes for the lion toe to aplete stop and fall over on its side, heaving deep and heavy breaths and its ming aura diminishing.


    Seeing such a scene, Raymond and Joanne jumped down from their elevated position and approached the lion with huge grins on their faces.


    If this were a cartoon, they would have huge dor signs for eyes.


    Raymond approached the lion''s thick head and he locked eyes with the huge and intimidating eyes of the beast.


    Rage filled the lion''s gaze, beasts had their own pride and one of the things they hated the most were attacksced with poison.


    But the lion could do nothing about its situation now and onlyy there helplessly as Raymond drew his sword and stabbed it deep through the lion''s skull, prating its brain before it was stopped by something incredibly dense and hard.


    "Jackpot." Raymond didn''t even show much more excitement when he dug out the E rank beast core that the lion had buried deep in its skull.


    <i>''They somehow knew about its beast core beforehand, but how?''</i>


    As far as Alex knew, it was impossible to tell if a beast had a beast core or not until you had already killed it and dug through its skull to see if it had one.


    When Alex saw the beast core Raymond held in his hand, a small part of him understood why these two hade to such lengths to y this one lion.


    This beast core wasn''t like any Alex had seen or heard of. Instead of the milky white small stones he had seen many times, this one was around the size of a fist, with an orange hue surrounding it and even the asional me spurting off it every now and then.


    This beast core was clearly special, but Alex was in no mood to stick around any longer to find out why.


    As soon as he saw the core disappear into thin air in Raymond''s hand, he knew he had to escape immediately. Thankfully he chose a spot to hide near the entrance earlier so there was only a dozen metres between him and the exit.


    <i>''I need to get out of here, these two definitely won''t let me leave this ce alive.''</i>


    He had no hope in reasoning with the two after they had essentially killed his whole team without batting an eye.


    With a leap, he exited his small pocket in the cave wall and sprinted with his full power towards the exit, shifting his eyes back to see if Raymond and Joanne had noticed, but when he did, Raymond was no longer by the side of the lion''s corpse.


    <i>''Shit!''</i>


    Instead, when Alex turned back towards the exit, Raymond was already there waiting for him.


    <i>''I didn''t even see him move! Is the difference in ability between F and E rank really so huge!?''</i>


    Despair started filling Alex as the hope of making it out alive diminished drastically every second that passed.


    "Tsk, you know I really did like you at first Alex." Raymond spoke to Alex with annoyance.


    "I''m sure in another timeline we could have been great friends, but you know that can never happen now." Raymond continued speaking, ignoring any of Alex''s attempts to find another escape route.


    He knew the only escape from this ce was the one he was currently blocking.


    "You just know too much. Unfortunately, I''m just gonna have to kill you." Raymond sighed as if it pained him to say it, but Alex knew it was all fake.


    "Why did you do it?" With nowhere else to go, Alex''s shoulders slumped as he was forced to ept his grim reality. Instead he just wanted answers.


    "Do what? You realise I have done many things in my life, you''re going to have to be more specific, little Alex."


    Alex didn''t like the way Raymond called him ''little Alex'' but what could he do about it? Who would hein to?


    "Why did you lead us all here just to be killed? If you''d have just told us the truth of this mission from the beginning then all these deaths could have been avoided." This was one of the few things Alex was still curious about, even though he was about to die.


    "Ohe on, you''ve spent over a month in this world and you still haven''t realised how fucked up it is? You really are the stupidest outsider I''ve ever met." Raymondughed at Alex''s stupidity for a few moments, not bothering to hide his mocking tone.


    "Everything about this ce is purely for selfish and personal gain. There is only onew that dictates the entire Primordial Expanse. I''m sure you can guess whatw that is." Raymond threw a question back at Alex instead of answering.


    <i>''If you can''t even answer this then I may as well skip all this talk and kill you now.''</i>


    "Thew of the jungle." Alex said.

 Chapter 29: Flame

    <h4>Chapter 29: me</h4>


    p


    p


    p


    The sounds of pping echoed throughout the cave when Alex answered the question.


    "Wow, well done Alex. I almost didn''t think you had the right answer in you for a second there. You proved you aren''t as stupid as you make yourself out to be." Raymond continued his mocking while Alex was left there to think about what Raymond had just told him.


    <i>''Thew of the jungle. I should have known from the start. In fact, I did know. I was just too ignorant and naive to realise it. There are signs of it everywhere. The most powerful Awakened stand at the top, like the city lord or Albert or the captain of the guards. This is a fact that even extends to the federation! Average unawakened people may have been able to make a ce for themselves in the higher ranks of the federation a few hundred years ago, but after the Awakened returned there has been no such thing.''</i>


    The reality hit Alex like a truck.


    No matter where he was, whether it be in the Primordial Expanse or in the federation, he would never truly be free. Any random awakened with authority could kill a regr person and only get away with a p on the wrist. And any powerful awakened could do the same to weaker awakened.


    Might makes right, the strongest fist wins etc.


    Brute, Alex and the other 6 all followed Raymond in the beginning because he was the strongest, and offered very generous rewards.


    But because Raymond was the strongest, he could also kill each one of them without them even being able to retaliate.


    <i>''However that''s only in the wilderness though. There is still some semnce of order in the cities that prohibits any such acts of the strong killing the weak without good reason.''</i>


    At first, Alex felt depressed about the shitty reality he lived in, but the more he thought about it, the more it didn''t seem as bad as Raymond made it out to be.


    <i>''The fact that there is still order in the cities proves that thew of the jungle doesn''t apply everywhere, at least openly.''</i>


    <i>''That''s right! I can''t just give up my life like this! I have to make it out of here alive somehow, but how do I do that when Raymond is a whole level above me.''</i>


    From Raymond''s perspective, Alex simply sat there with his head lowered and his face asionally changing to a new emotion, and he simply stood there with a smirk as he watched Alex question his entire life.


    However what he didn''t expect was that his speech had the opposite effect on Alex. Instead of filling him with dread and despair, it strengthened his resolve to be even stronger.


    <i>''Surely there is something I can do to survive this. I managed to be the only survivor of the Galephant''s attack, so surely I can survive against someone of a much lower level.''</i>


    Alex raced through every possibility in his head, and just as he was about to feel like giving up again, he checked his inventory on the off chance that he might have something in there that could help him.


    <i>''Hmmm, what?''</i>


    Rather than seeing an empty inventory like he had expected, inside he found two objects.


    <i>''A soul orb and... what is that?''</i>


    Next to the soul orb sat a me.


    That''s right, just a floating me with no physical form or source of fuel to keep it going.


    <i>''Putting aside the fact this thing is going against thews of physics, what am I supposed to do with it?''</i>


    Drawing from previous experiences with soul orbs and beast cores, Alex simply reached out for it with his hand and was greatly surprised.


    The me disappeared from his inventory and appeared in his hand as a tiny little me hidden inside his balled up fist.


    <i>''Thankfully it seems Raymond hasn''t noticed anything. But why isn''t this thing giving off any heat?''</i>


    <i>''Whatever, here goes nothing.''</i>


    Alex didn''t bother questioning things he was too weak to understand and directly thought about absorbing the small me.


    Immediately, there was a reaction from the voice of the Primordial Expanse.


    [Absorbed talent [me(D-)]


    <i>''???''</i>


    <i>''Did I hear that correctly?? Did I just gain another talent just like that, and this one seems like an offensive one too.''</i>


    Alex failed to hide his rising heart rate and rapid breaths from Raymond, but Raymond just took it as something like a panic attack from realising he was about to die.


    Alex knew this talent could have onlye from one source, and his eyes immediately shifted back to his inventory with greed.


    Repeating what he did with the me, he took out the soul orb which looked much bigger than the ones he had used previously and absorbed it on the spot.


    "What are you doing?" Raymond furrowed his brows as Alex failed to hide his actions from him this time around, but he still didn''t attack.


    In his mind he still held an absolute advantage over Alex and there was nothing Alex could do to hurt him.


    Alex immediately felt himself increase in strength, much more than he had ever felt previously and the refreshing feeling washed all over his body until the euphoric feelings he felt passed.


    Immediately, Alex opened up his details to check what had changed.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge]. [me(D-)]


    Trait: [Adventurer]


    Trait Description: [You have cast aside your status as amoner, good for you.]


    Rank: [Seeker]


    Soul Core: [F+ 89%]


    For the first time since Alex had been sentenced to death by Raymond, a smile appeared on his face once again.


    <i>''With this, maybe I stand a good chance at escaping!''</i>

 Chapter 30: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 30: Escape</h4>


    Only 30 seconds had passed since Alex had first checked his inventory, and by now Raymond''s smile had long turned into a frown.


    He didn''t know what that light was that momentarily appeared in Alex''s hand, but the sheer energy it was giving off felt much more dense than the E rank beast core he had absorbed.


    <i>''What is this little brat up to...''</i>


    On the other side, Alex felt this newfound power surge through him and felt as if he was unstoppable. But he quickly suppressed that feeling as he knew in the grand scheme of things his pitiful amount of power meant nothing.


    Even before Raymond, he still wasn''t strong enough to deal any longsting damage to him.


    <i>''But I may stand a good chance at escaping.''</i>


    Just moments after he had these thoughts, he witnessed Raymond reaching his hand out into the air, and knew that he was about to summon that same white glowing sword he saw him use to easily prate the lion''s skin.


    "Looks like you aren''t in the mood to y around anymore." Alex said to Raymond with a sly smile as he suddenly dashed to the side, dodging Raymond''s sudden attack.


    Immediately, Alex decided to take a big gamble and put his new talent to work. The various information he had learned when he absorbed that mysterious me came to mind as he instinctively knew how he could use his [me].


    Seemingly out of nowhere, a ming wall of fire arose between Raymond and Alex, separating the two and keeping Raymond on the opposite side of the cave entrance, giving Alex a perfect opportunity to escape.


    "Joanne, quickly store the lion''s body and follow me. NOW!" Raymond shouted at the top of his lungs as his jaw metaphorically touched the floor when he witnessed Alex wielding an element.


    <i>''How??? He can use an element while still only being F rank! This kid has the future potential to reach B rank... I have to stop him or else I''m dead meat.''</i>


    Raymond''s thoughts raced as he and Joanne quickly took chase after Alex, who''s speed had reached the minimum of what most E- rank adventurers are capable of.


    What Raymond was so concerned about was the fact that with Alex''s potential to reach B rank, he was sure to have some sort of backing much stronger than him, and if Alex''s backers found out what Raymond had done then he would be screwed.


    Even if Alex didn''t have a backing right now, someone down the line was sure to notice his talent and choose to nurture him. And even if that wasn''t the case, then Alex could juste and find Raymond when he was stronger to take revenge.


    In all scenarios, Raymond is essentially screwed. There are countless ways to track someone in the Primordial Expanse so there would literally be nowhere Raymond would be able to run.


    Because he was a native, he couldn''t travel back to the federation either as only outsiders were able to travel back and forth between the two.


    Hence why it was so imperative that Alex was killed before he could make it back to some sort of civilisation.


    "Did you see where he went?? Put your skills to work, I invited you because you''re a tracker!" Raymond was so anxious he started shouting at Joanne, who was equally as nervous. She had no doubt Alex would just stop at taking revenge on Raymond.


    "There is only one way out of this ravine, and that''s the way we came in!" She made a desperate bid to run towards the exit, checking every second for any footprints Alex left behind, which there were a lot of, and eventually the sinister duo continued until they saw sunlight shining through the cracks.


    They weren''t happy about that fact one bit though.


    <i>''How is this kid so fast! Just the difference in our levels should make it impossible for him to run from me, yet somehow we still haven''t caught up...''</i> Raymond was practically gnawing his teeth away with a mixture of anger and nervousness.


    "This way!" Joanne shouted from the side lines, as she spotted some more tracks left behind by Alex among the shrubbery of the forest.


    "He''s heading back towards Valentis city. He probably doesn''t know the area well or he would have went to Star city instead! This stupid little brat is giving us a chance to catch up!" Joanne shouted with some relief and excitement in her voice as she realised the direction Alex was headed to.


    What Alex didn''t realise was that Valentis was still a good 6 days walk away, 4 if he ran the whole time.


    Yet there happened to be another city, Star city, just a single days walk away.


    ***


    <i>''Nearly there,e on,e on!''</i>


    Alex ran until he lost track of time.


    By now, exhaustion was catching up to him, but he pushed through the pain his legs were transmitting to him.


    He knew that Raymond and Joanne were still hot on his tail.


    <i>''Why are these two fuckers so determined to kill me!? Can''t they just leave me alone?''</i>


    Nobody was around to answer his questions, by this point the sun had already set and the moon hung high in the sky.


    Distant howls and hoots could be heard across the forest and Alex even asionally heard sounds of battleing from behind him.


    He was certain this was Raymond and Joanne fighting some random beast that blocked their path.


    Luckily, his senses had heightened from his increase in rank so he was able to avoid any conflicts with any beasts. But it seemed his pursuers were too tunnel visioned on finding him that they didn''t even bother avoiding any beasts.


    Eventually after what seemed like countless hours of running, and his legs screaming at him in pain by this point, the light of Valentis city once again graced his eyes.


    <i>''Thank fuck! Just a few more miles and I''ll be back to safety.''</i>


    However before he could celebrate any longer, he heard rushed stepsing from behind.


    "I finally found you, Alex." Chills were sent down Alex''s spine as he heard Raymond speak with more malicious intent than he had ever felt before.

 Chapter 31: Final showdown

    <h4>Chapter 31: Final showdown</h4>


    "You''re fucked now kid." Raymond wasn''t in the mood for any messing around anymore and directlyunched himself at Alex, sword already in hand.


    Alex, on the other side, stood with his dagger at the ready. He knew he practically had no chance of winning against Raymond. The best he could hope for was to steer the fight close enough to the city that the guards would get involved.


    And he made sure that Raymond also knew of this fact.


    "Are you sure you wanna risk fighting this close to the city? It sure would be a shame if the city guardse, or perhaps someone even stronger. I''ve made some connections during my short stay in the Primordial Expanse you know." Alex tried his best to form a snarky smile at Raymond, hiding his true fear.


    Alex''s warning made Raymond and especially Joanne falter a little, as they realised that since they could see the guards standing at the gate clear enough to make out their faces, then the guards could see them in much more detail.


    Let''s not forget that they aren''t normal people, the moment they awakened all of their senses received an all around buff, and with the guards being E tier, a whole level above Raymond they can see a lot more.


    <i>''Were we really toote?''</i>


    Joanne looked at Raymond with panicked eyes, practically begging him toe up with a solution.


    Raymond however had many thoughts going through his head.


    <i>''If I kill him here, then the guards will see me and recognise me. It alles down to luck at that point, I could only pray nobody recognises Alex, or that he has no backer. But If I don''t kill him then I am almost certainly dead whether it''s now or in the future...''</i>


    "Fuck it. If I don''t kill you here, then we are fucked anyway. DIE!" Raymond suddenly lunged towards Alex in a fury he had never witnessed before. The sheer malice and emotion Alex felt radiating from Raymond outssed even that of the greed and malice he felt from him when he killed that ming lion.


    With such little distance between the two, Alex didn''t have time to think and could only dodge from instinct.


    Slice


    "Arghh!"


    However, since he was so inexperienced, Raymond''s sword still managed to pierce his hand, essentially making his left hand useless throughout the rest of the fight.


    <i>''Thank god I''m right handed...''</i>


    Alex still wasn''t ready to give up though, as he unsheathed his dagger and shed back at Raymond''s waist since the two were close enough to feel each other''s breath.


    However, Alex was still a whole major and minor level below Raymond so although the distance between the two was practically nothing, he still managed to dodge Alex''s attack by a hair''s width.


    "You''ve got some moves Alex, but you''re still too weak."


    Alex ignored Raymond''s wordspletely, as he now had to contend with another annoying factor added to the fight.


    On the side lines, Joanne held her bow close as she stood with an arrow drawn, ready to leave her embrace at any moment when she spotted an opening.


    "If I were still E- rank, then you might have still had a chance. But whelp, I guess you were just fated to die here."


    Raymond continued his taunts while Alex waspletely on the defensive, not able to unleash any attacks of his own all the while racking up more and more injuries, making the fight even more difficult for him.


    <i>''Are those guards just there for vanity?? Will they just stand there and watch someone be murdered practically right outside the city gates!?''</i>


    Meanwhile Alex was raging mad at not only the sinister duo currently trying to kill him, but also thezy guards who seemed uninterested in doing their jobs.


    One has to realise that the fight was happening nearly 2 miles away from the city gates. For normal unawakened, this might seem like a long distance but for F ranks and above this was nothing.


    However the guards technically weren''t obligated to do anything, as their jurisdiction only covered the city and the area outside the gates. A fight that was urring a couple miles away was nothing new to them.


    Raymond on the other hand was ecstatic when he saw the inaction of the guards, the adrenaline rush only caused him to up his attacks even more, pushing Alex even further into a corner.


    Seeing no other way out, Alex sensed the mysterious energy that showed up inside him when he obtained the [me] talent and realised that he only had around 50% left.


    <i>''If this goes on for another few minutes then I am dead. Might as well throw in another hail mary!''</i>


    Immediately his energy reserves dropped to 0%, with a terrible headache developing for Alex.


    However this wasn''t the important part.


    All of that energy had to go somewhere, and Alex chose right in front of him, where Raymond was currently shing towards him and Joanne firing Arrows from behind.


    A shockwave reverberated throughout the surrounding dozens of metres as the duo''s attacks immediately halted and they were sent flying backwards.


    This ming shockwave caused Alex to gasp with his jaw flying open even amidst the life and death battle.


    <i>''How is it this powerful..? this is only a D- rank talent...''</i>


    He wasn''t in the mood to question any further though as he immediately made a run for it towards the city gate.


    Or at least he tried to.


    "I don''t know where you were hiding all of this power Alex, but not even this can stop me." Raymond may have sounded imposing and superior in his tone, but his appearance, stopping Alex in his tracks, spoke otherwise.


    Almost all of his silver armor had melted off or directly melted into his body, with Raymond''s once handsome face now looking like a vegan''s nightmare.


    His now medium rare lips parted as he spat out bits of teeth and cheek bone, before turning his attention back to Alex.


    "What''s with that look on your face? Your attack didn''t even leave a scratch, instead you should worry about yourself."


    If Alex weren''t in a fight for his life right now he would be facepalming.


    <i>''Is this guy shameless or just in crazy? Take a look in the mirror and tell me again that you''re not injured.''</i>

 Chapter 32: Yup, we’re dead.

    <h4>Chapter 32: Yup, we''re dead.</h4>


    Although Alex mentally facepalmed when Raymond boasted about ''not being injured'', outwards he still looked as serious as ever when he realised that Raymond could still put up a decent fight against him despite how he looked.


    However when he looked behind him, he grinned and spoke to Raymond.


    "Looks like your little girlfriend wasn''t as lucky as you thought." When Raymond looked behind him, he remembered that Joanne also took the brunt of the shockwave.


    She was dead, in and simple.


    When faced with an attack at the proportions Alex had justunched, that could even severely injure someone at the E rank like Raymond, then it was obvious how Joanne fared against it while only being F+ rank.


    She looked far worse than Raymond. All her skin had been burned away along with any meat or muscle thaty beneath it.


    However Raymond didn''t look at all perturbed when he saw her state.


    "Meh, she was just another means to an end for me anyway." He inly stated to Alex, as if her death didn''t matter at all to him.


    <i>''Why am I not surprised...''</i>


    Seeing how Raymond didn''t even care about the lives of his own friends, Alex strengthened his resolve to one day kill him.


    <i>*Roarrrrr!*</i>


    Suddenly, there was a hugely loud sounding from the distance that shocked both Alex and Raymond to their core


    Out of nowhere, their battle was interrupted by the thundering sounds of a muchrger and more ferocious battle going on in the distance.


    The fight was so far away that even Raymond couldn''t catch sight of it with his superior E rank eyesight, but the sounds from the battle still reached their ears.


    Whoever or whatever was fighting were clearly much, much stronger than the two of them and neither of them were in the mood to kill each other anymore.


    "Tsk. You have some heavenly luck brat." Raymond said with departing words as he attempted to turn around and dart off into the distance to wherever.


    He didn''t know why such powerful figures were fighting, but he didn''t want to be around to find out.


    He had a bad feeling in his gut, and he suspected that one of the powerful figures might be Alex''s backer.


    But unluckily for him, this bad feeling couldn''t be any more wrong.


    Right as he was mid sprint, he stopped dead in his tracks. Literally dead.


    At a speed that surpassed anything Alex thought remotely possible for a living being to reach, a hazy figure pierced came crashing in through the fight between Alex and Raymond.


    However while whatever it was narrowly missed Alex, it didn''t miss Raymond.


    What remained of him was just a bloody mist slowly dissipating into the atmosphere.


    "What the fu-" Alex was utterly shocked and terrified to his core.


    He hadn''t even noticed what had moved through his area before it was gone again, taking Raymond out along with it.


    There was no time for Alex to even beginprehending what just happened though. Just as suddenly as the sounds of battle came, a ring sound of a horn-like siren went off from within the city which carried its sound across the whole city and the wilderness surrounding it for thousands of kilometres.


    Alex might not have been able to spot the figure ¡ª or rather figures, that had run through Raymond and popped him like a water balloon, someone else had noticed.


    ***


    10 minutes earlier, in the centre of Valentis city.


    Inside a morous meeting room sat a serious, stern looking middle aged man. He wore a three piece suit as he exchanged nces with the four other men sitting around the luxurious round table with some exotic food before each man.


    It seemed none of the men seemed to have an appetite to eat the food in front of them though as they all wore the same, serious expression as the noble middle aged man at the head of the table.


    "I''m assuming you were all alerted to it as well, since you showed up here unannounced." The middle aged man, who everybody knew as the city lord, spoke to the others.


    When all four of them nodded, he continued.


    "That was clearly a battle between two higher life forms, and with them so close to the city I''m sure all of you are worried." The city lord released a sigh, showing emotion for the first time since the meeting began.


    "But I''m just as worried, if not more than all of you."


    "I may be the strongest in the room, the whole city in fact, with my C+ tier soul core. But in front of even the weakest of higher life forms I am helpless."


    Worry and mncholy showed on the faces of the four C rank men when they heard the city lord''s words.


    In the entirety of their thousands of years of life, none of them had ever been in contact with a higher life form before, while the city lord had. That''s just how rare an encounter with one was.


    And the city lord''s description of his meeting with one was rather short but to the point.


    <i>''We are ants.''</i>


    This was all he said, but his point was conveyed very well.


    There wasn''t even a point inparing a C+ rank to a B- rank, as the difference was like a small pebble and Mount Everest in terms of power.


    "If we are lucky, then these two higher life forms will be two humans taking their anger out on each other. If we are less lucky then it could be a human and a beast fighting, in which case we can only hope the human wins."


    <i>''There''s no point in even bringing up the third option. If it''s two high beasts fighting then we are fucked. At least with the first two cases we have a chance at making it through this alive.''</i>


    The city lord spoke a silent prayer for himself and his city in his mind, before he spotted amotion happening just less than 2 miles out from the city gates.


    His senses immediately locked onto Alex, who he immediately disregarded due to how weak he was.


    But when he sensed the two figures moving at unimaginable speeds towards the city wall, he stood up from his chair with terror stered across his face and immediately activated the city''s strongest and most expensive defence mechanisms.


    <i>''Yup, we''re dead.''</i>


    A loud siren sounded soon after he did so.

 Chapter 33: Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 33: Chaos</h4>


    The two figures, a beast and a human, barrelled at incredible speeds straight towards the city.


    Before the siren even started, they had already crashed straight into the wall surrounding the city.


    Thankfully for the residents though, the emergency defence mechanisms prevented the wall from copsing just from the impact alone. But the wall standing in their way didn''t seem to stop the two figures at all, in fact it seemed like they didn''t even notice they had been stopped by something.


    When the dust cleared and the two figures came into view, Alex felt a mixture of shock and confusion.


    The human he didn''t recognise at all, but he was wearingmon clothes awakened working for the Federation wear, so he knew he was an outsider.


    However, the beast he recognised all too much.


    The trauma he received from it would likely stick with him for his whole life.


    It was the same Galephant that was supposed to have been killed by the B rank the city lord had requested help from when Alex first entered the Primordial Expanse.


    <i>''What the fuck!?? Isn''t that thing supposed to be dead...''</i>


    When he thought back to it, nobody but the B rank human were present when the Galephant was ''killed'', and nobody had caught sight of the body either when he left, but that was just put down to the B rank taking it with him due to how valuable Higher life form corpses are.


    But no, it seems all of that was just a ruse for that B rank human to make some easy change without actually doing the work he was paid for.


    The city lord had paid him the equivalent of 50% of all the taxes gathered over the past 10 years to rid the threat the Galephant posed to the city. Now that was all for nothing.


    <i>''I need to get out of here!''</i>


    But his thoughts quickly subsided when he realised just how much danger he was in, being so close to the fight between two higher life forms.


    Immediately, he ran straight towards the city gates. With him now being at F+ rank, his speed nearly reached 25 metres/s. If he were to do a 100 metre sprint, he would finish in 4 seconds. This is the difference between awakened and regr humans.


    Even at F- rank, the average awakened person could reach the strength and speed peak athletes were able to achieve back in the days of ancient Earth.


    Of course, his speed was still nothingpared to the two higher life forms fighting, who probably reached well over thousands of metres a second at the bare minimum.


    And there were still more levels above them too!


    Just thinking about the level of strength people could reach hurt Alex''s brain.


    Just as he was about to enter the city through the gates, he was stopped by some sort of invisible wall that prevented him from evening within 10 metres of the gate.


    Many others just like him shared in the confusion and fear when they were blocked from the city.


    A guard on the other side noticed this and spoke up to the crowd of people shouting and banging on the invisible wall, wanting to enter.


    "I''m afraid you''ll all have to wait outside until the barrier surrounding the city deactivates. There is nothing we can do for you if you are outside when it activates. There is no way for you to enter unless you are a B+ rank higher life form. I doubt there would be someone that strong among you so please, remain calm and wait for the two beings to leave the area."


    The guard spoke in an orderly tone but the words he conveyed only caused more panic among the people.


    They had heard the siren ring across the city the whole time, as well as the distant booms and bangsing from the fight but they didn''t realise until now that there were such powerful beings fighting in such close proximity to them.


    Just one stray attack from them could wipe their entire group out, which was terrifying to think about.


    <i>''Shit, I''m stuck out here!''</i>


    Alex was in no way going to stick around after he saw what happened to Raymond.


    Of all the deaths and traumatic events he had witnessed during his time in the Primordial Expanse, Raymond''s death was by far the most terrifying way to go.


    One second he was ecstatic, thinking he was finally about to kill an enemy of his.


    Then a secondter he was nothing but a red mist.


    Alex moved away from the crowd of people gathering outside the city gates, filled with unawakened with the asional adventurer dotted about.


    He was moving in the opposite direction of where the fight was going on, and many others followed in his steps.


    He followed along the city walls on the barren earth where the Wilderness met the city. He continued walking for hours upon hours until the sight of more people gathering met his eyes.


    <i>''Another city entrance?''</i>


    Alex facepalmed at his stupid question immediately after he raised it.


    Of course there''s another city entrance! It would probably be the worst designed city in history if visitors and merchants had to travel for days on the outside of the city just to travel to the one entrance the city had.


    Suddenly, just as Alex slowed his approach towards this new group of people, amotion came out from the rear of the group and many shouts and screams filled the surroundings.


    Confusion ensued as many people had no idea what was going on, which included Alex until he caught sight of something he didn''t like the look of one bit.


    A panther-like beast attacked a vulnerable merchant at the back of the group out of nowhere, unprovoked and tore the poor fellow to shreds.


    "Is this beast suicidal? Why would it attack a ground of thousands of merchants and adventurers out of nowhere?" Many people asked this same question, and they would get their answer when a cacophony of howls and growls came from the forest behind them.


    Soon, all types of beasts of many shapes, sizes and ranks stepped out of the forest until there were thousands of them in sight.


    "A beast tide, run!" Someone shouted and chaos ensued.

 Chapter 34: Common enemy

    <h4>Chapter 34: Common enemy</h4>


    Having heard the words ''beast tide'', Alex started to feel suspicious. Ever since he first entered the Primordial Expanse nothing good had evere his way.


    He had always been thrown straight into situations that he would either die in or live due to some miraculous luck.


    First it was the attack on the refugees by the Galephant, followed by the huge rabbit, the Sleeper, Raymond and now it hade full circle with the Galephant attacking again, bringing an entire beast tide with it this time.


    The only silver lining was the fact that the Galephant was currently preupied with that B rank outsider, so he only had the weaker beasts to worry about.


    He didn''t realise why everyone was panicking so much. The unawakened people who stood closest to the thousands of charging beasts, he understood why they were scared. But for the people and adventurers at the front he didn''t understand.


    <i>''The guards are right there, with their strength they can handle this beast tide.''</i>


    Other people had the same idea as Alex and were also calm when facing this predicament.


    However the mood quickly shifted when the guard on the other side of the barrier said a short sentence that implied a heavy meaning.


    "No-onees in, or out, of this barrier."


    One would need a single digit IQ to not understand what the guard was implying.


    The barrier not only blocked the group of travellers from entering the city, but also blocked the guards froming out and eradicating the beast tide.


    Immediately, every adventurer in the crowd, no matter how weak or strong they were, entered battle mode as they realised they only had themselves to rely on.


    But the odds were stacked against them.


    There were more humans than beasts, but out of around 3000 people gathered at the gates, only 500 of them were adventurers, in other words there were 2500 ordinary people who were the most vulnerable and would only be a hindrance to the adventurers.


    But on the beast''s side, every beast had the strength of an awakened, and there were 2000 of them!


    The worst thing was, while there were three humans with D rank strength, there were over a dozen such beasts of equal strength on the opposite side.


    The strongest human there, a D+ rank adventurer who went by the pseudonym ''Wildde'' spoke up amongst the chaos. His wide gait and the huge broadsword on the old man''s back only spoke levels of his strength and experience.


    He may be old, but age mattered little to adventurers like him and it wouldn''t stop him from ughtering any beast he came across.


    "All awakened listen up! We are outnumbered but we still have an advantage these beasts don''t! Each of these beasts are like mindless idiots who go for the first piece of meat they lie their eyes on. But with ourbined strength and intelligence we can work together in teams. Weaker adventurers can band together to take on stronger beasts and individually strong adventurers can take on whichever opponent they wish."


    Wilddemanded authority with his tone as he was a very well known and respected adventurer in Valentis city. As soon as he started speaking and mentioned their advantage over the beasts, the chaos amidst the adventurers died down.


    Among the merchants and normal people though, there was still panic and chaos all around.


    The panther that first attacked had long been dealt with, and at the beast tide''s current pace they would meet therge group of people in less than 15 minutes.


    The lucky thing for this group was that the stretch of barrennd between the wilderness and the city was quite wide, over five times that of the other city entrance where the two higher life forms were currently battling it out.


    With over 10 kilometres between the two sides, Wildde and the other adventurers had ample time to organise their n of attack for when the beasts arrived.


    In less than 10 minutes, the various adventurers were gathered into teams depending on their strength.


    The three D ranks, Wildde included, would each work alone against the weaker D rank beasts as their strength allowed them to, while against the strongest beasts in the tide they woulde together and attack as a trio.


    With 50 teams in total, each one was headed by an E rank captain, with some teams having two or even three E ranks filling the ranks due to the uneven split of strength among the ragtag group of adventurers.


    Alex''s team was headed by an E rank, whose strength was in the middle level in terms of the total number of E ranks, with Alex himself being the strongest member of the team apart from the leader.


    The other eight spots were filled with a range of F+ and F ranks, with a single F- rank 12 year old boy who seemed too timid to take part in any fights.


    Others weren''t as lucky as Alex as there were teams headed by E- ranks with not a single F+ rank among them.


    But there wasn''t much that could be done about it with the little amount of time they had before the beasts arrived.


    It seemed that the original estimation of 15 minutes before the beasts arrived was wrong though as just as the time passed hit the 11 minute mark, the foremost beasts of the tide made contact with the group.


    "Attack! Remember to work together, we are all fucked if we don''t!" Wildde shouted and the 50 teams of adventurers all gave out war cry''s of their own to steel their own resolve before they darted towards the iing army of beasts.


    <i>''Humans really are so united when ites to facing amon enemy.''</i>


    Alex, running along with his team, thought about how just a few hours earlier he was learning about just how rotten the society run by awakened was.


    And yet here he was, on the frontlines alongside every other unwilling awakened fighting for his life.


    It was moments like this that made him think there may still be some hope for the human race.

 Chapter 35: Trying something new

    <h4>Chapter 35: Trying something new</h4>


    Having climbed to the top of a hill with his team, Alex took a look in the direction of the thousands of normal humans cowering behind them, relying on this ragtag crew of adventurers to secure their lives.


    The front man leading the charge, Wildde, soon collided with one of the few bipedal monsters in the horde. With the upper body of a human, the lower body of a horse and the head of a goat, its presence was vastly different from that of the other mindless beasts charging into battle. This one clearly had some semnce of intelligence.


    An even more striking difference though was that this beast wielded a weapon!


    It was holding a crude looking mace and swinging it wildly at Wildde.


    No one could withstand the force of a blow from its mace. Not even Wildde.


    Alex happened to see it swing the mace at a nearby adventurer who strayed from his team and watched him get sttered across the ins.


    "How is this creature so strong?" Alex was shocked as he thought out loud.


    The person it had just effortlessly killed was one of the strongest E+ rank adventurers among their army!


    The monster continued pushing forwards and ran, killing a few more helpless adventurers in a sh. Not a single one was able to fight back and could only helplessly cry out as they got ughtered.


    It''s rampage was only stopped when Wildde appeared in front of it and blocked it''s mace with his broadsword, while the other two D ranks stood to either side andunched their own attacks at the beast.


    One of them activated some sort of talent that caused the beast to falter in its tracks with its movements bing noticeably more sluggish.


    The trio of D ranks were expecting to trap the goat-minotaur like creature, and it seemed to be working so far.


    However just as the three of them were about to descend down on it with their weapons, the beast let out a thunderous cry as its eyes reddened, veins bulged and muscles hardened.


    With this new development, even with the sluggish effect imposed on it, it still managed to overpower the encirclement of the three.


    The creature charged madly, waving the mace and leaving screams and corpses behind. It only took moments for it to charge directly past the siege of adventurers towards the city.


    "Fuck! It''s heading for the mortals!" Wildde furiously screamed as he summoned all his power to his feet, turning into a blur as he chased close behind with his broadsword in hand.


    Alex learned something new that day. Natives of the Primordial Expanse call the unawakened ''mortals''.


    When they saw his speed, the other two D ranks were shocked.


    The one who imposed his talent on the beast eximed, "He''s on the verge of reaching C- rank!"


    They soon joined force with Wildde in chase of the madly charging beast, and they soon left Alex''s sight.


    <i>''Soon enough I''ll reach that level of strength.''</i>


    He shook his head as he felt pity for the terrified unawakened merchants and normal people who the beast was currently charging towards.


    But there was nothing he could do to help them. The most he could do was hope that Wildde and the other two were able to catch up and kill it before it could deal too much damage.


    The entire exchange between the D rank humans and that strange looking beast only took less than a minute.


    In that time his team had only made a little headway towards a group of beasts that had yet to attack any adventurers yet.


    After 5 minutes of descending the hill they stood upon, they were met at the bottom by 2 E- rank beasts and 10 beasts of varying levels in F rank.


    The beasts had the numbers advantage on Alex and his team.


    Unlike the exchange between that powerful minotaur like beast and the three, this confrontation was much slower and more tame.


    The E rank team leader readied his fists as he charged up ahead of the other 9.


    "You guys take down the F ranks, I can hold these two off for now! Once the F ranks are down we''ll easily be able to kill these two as well!"


    Everyone understood his intentions as they quickly chose a target, with Alex facing two F+ rank beasts on his own. There weren''t enough F+ rank humans in his team to go around so he was forced to take both of them on at the same time.


    But this didn''t seem to be much of an issue for Alex however.


    Through his constant mental forging, along with the boosts in power provided by the Soul orbs he had absorbed up to this point, he was superior in power to even the weakest of E- rank Evolvers.


    With his strength alone, he could copy his leader and hold the two beasts off until another F+ rank coulde along and help him take them down.


    But Alex wasn''t satisfied with just that.


    <i>''Time to try something new!''</i>


    An orange glow suddenly permeated the surroundings around Alex, as mes surrounded his dagger.


    <i>''It works! Tsk, I knew the price of this dagger was too good to be true.''</i>


    His n to use his mes for a use other than to aimlessly spurt mes from his hands had worked.


    However with the added stress and heat on his dagger, cracks had started to appear on it.


    With not long left before his daggerpletely crumbled, he performed a quick sh across the air towards both the F+ rank beasts, slicing an orange, ming curve across the air until they met the legs of the two beasts.


    In just that moment, the beasts had gone from being four legged beasts, to no legged beasts.


    With no more limbs left to defend themselves with, they were helplessly put out of their misery by Alex.


    A smile bloomed across Alex''s face.


    <i>''Loot!''</i>


    That wasn''t the end though, as he also heard the familiar voice of the Primordial Expanse.

 Chapter 36: Rowan

    <h4>Chapter 36: Rowan</h4>


    [Talent [me(D-)] upgraded to [me(D+). Trait [Adventurer] changed to [Rookie]


    Along with two new soul orbs appearing in his inventory, it seemed his talent had somehow upgraded as well. He cast aside his questions about his new trait though as he was still in the midst of a battle. He could check these changes outter.


    Unfortunately he hadn''t received anything like that mysterious me he obtained from the ming lion. But he suspected those were rare enough already.


    At the same time he concluded his battle with the two F+ rank beasts, a few of his stronger teammates had managed to y their beasts too.


    <i>''Only one thing left for us to do now then!''</i>


    Naturally with no opponents left on the same rank as them, they went over and took care of the weaker F and F- rank beasts before dashing over to their team leader who had been holding the two E- rank beasts at bay this whole time.


    They looked like two roons, but at the size of a human adult.


    <i>''Probably a beast couple.''</i> Alex thought to himself. He wasn''t too worried about facing these two beasts, as not only did he have Rowan, the E rank team leader to rely on, but his own strength was around average in the E- rank¡ªif he used his me talent to his advantage he even had a chance to kill a rtively powerful E- rank beast in a one on one fight.


    Of course the world was not fair or at all equal, so the strength and power people could exert at the same rank could varyrgely.


    The mostmon example of this is that someone with a Talent, even a weak one will almost always be stronger than someone without.


    Alex, with his F+ tier soul core, had strength rivalling those at E- rank.


    If any recruiters from the federation knew of his strength, they would probably think he was a prospective talent worth recruiting. If they knew of his me talent as well, they would think of him as a genius worth investing a lot of resources into.


    So it was to be expected that when he entered the fight against the two E- rank roons, it was over very quickly. The other F+ and F ranks didn''t even have a chance to contribute as Alex and Rowanpletely dominated them in the fight, with Alex drawing the attention of one roon away from Rowan, releasing the pressure he had to defend from two different opponents at once.


    With his E rank strength, Rowan''s fight was over in less than a minute. While Alex had managed to deliver some serious injuries to the roon he was fighting, only sustaining some light injuries himself.


    These roons were clearly some of the weaker E- rank beasts one coulde across.


    It had to be noted that Alex didn''t even need to use his me talent during his fight. This roon was only a little stronger than the two F+ rank beasts he had killed just minutes earlier.


    <i>''Who knew hunting beasts could be so fun when your life isn''t constantly at stake!''</i>


    Naturally Alex was having a much better time than all his other times fighting beasts during his time in the Primordial Expanse.


    If he wanted to finish off the roon then he would have to utilise his me talent, but he didn''t want to waste his energy as he knew that Rowan woulde over and finish the job for him when he was done with his own.


    And he did just that.


    <i>''Man it feels good when you don''t have to constantly be wary of not only beasts, but your teammates too.''</i>


    With the pressure from the beasts and the barrier blocking entry into the city weighing down on all the humans outside the city, no matter their strength, there was little to no discord or infighting as everyone there had onemon goal.


    Kill all beasts!


    <i>''If only everyone could think this way during normal, peaceful times.''</i> Alex sighed as he realised that this unity was only temporary, and everything would go back to normal when this beast tide was over and the B rank higher life form fight had been concluded.


    <i>''Ah whatever, that''s something for future Alex to worry about. Right now our job isn''t finished!''</i>


    The team may have just finished killing the small group of beasts that attacked them, with no casualties on their own side to boot, but there were still thousands more still alive and rushing towards them, giving them no time to recover.


    "Follow me, this team looks like they are having a tough time!" Rowan, upon seeing how coordinated and powerful his team was, in particr how powerful Alex was, was reinvigorated and started to be more active in his role as their leader.


    The team he pointed to consisted of 1 E- rank team leader 1 F+ rank and the rest being F rank weaklings.


    The beasts besieging them were led by an E rank beast, with some F+ and F ranks making up the ranks. There were only 7 beastspared to the 10 humans, but the rank disparity made up for that difference.


    Beasts at D- rank and below had no intelligence or mind to call their own, so they just move towards the first living thing they see and prey upon them. So this team was just unlucky that these beasts saw them first.


    "Me and Alex will help their leader deal with the E rank beast, while the rest of you go and kill those F+ rank weaklings and below!" Rowan knew everyone in his team''s names but this was the first time he was addressing one of them by name.


    It wasn''t that he saw himself as above them out of arrogance or anything like that. It was just that this whole arrangement was just temporary and would all be over once the beast tide was dealt with. So he didn''t see any worth in remembering the names of people he would never see again.


    That was until he made an exception for Alex though.


    <i>''No one else may have noticed him use the me element to kill those two beasts, but I did. I must recruit him to the university! Just thinking of the rewards I''ll receive is already making me drool...''</i>

 Chapter 37: Coordination

    <h4>Chapter 37: Coordination</h4>


    Alex waspletely unaware of Rowan''s thoughts. He was currently focused on the beast that stood ahead of him, in the process of overwhelming the E- rank team leader of the team they went to help.


    <i>''This one is weaker than that ming lion for sure.''</i>


    Alex had only really ever fought one other E rank beast before, and that was the ming lion where he obtained his me talent from.


    He only contributed a little bit to that fight, and he couldn''t take any credit for the kill at all as that waspletely due to Joanne''s poison arrow.


    But the aura this bear like beast exuded was nowhere near as terrifying as when he first felt the ming lion''s aura.


    Alex suspected that it had something to do with that mysterious me that granted him his me talent, but he had no evidence to confirm his suspicions.


    <i>''It doesn''t matter anyway, with Rowan, me and that E- rank leader here this beast has nowhere to run.''</i>


    With nothing holding them back, Alex and Rowan ran alongside the E- rank leader from the other group, who was currently littered in all kinds of wounds from the umted attacks of the beast.


    Blood was oozing from all over the ce, it looked like he was on death''s door.


    Not everyone was like Alex¡ªbeing able to fight a level above oneself was even rarer than having a talent.


    "We''ll take it over from here, friend! You need to rest and recuperate." Rowan announced his presence and intentions to the young man.


    Phew!


    When the young leader heard Rowan''s words he let out a heavy sigh of relief. He had only recently advanced to E rank, which only a few others knew before he was drafted into this sudden war against the beast tide.


    Just like most other adventurers, he only went by the vague version of his rank, simply listing himself as ''E rank'' rather than his actual E- rank.


    Due to his inexperience in the world of the awakened, he still chose to hide his real rank even when Wildde was distributing him among the teams, hence why he was made a team leader while only being E- rank.


    In truth he had no experience leading a team, and even less fighting beasts a whole level above himself.


    "Looks like it''s just me and you in this fight Alex, you sure you can handle this? This one is much more powerful than that E- rank you fought earlier." Rowan was genuinely concerned about Alex joining in with a fight against a beast not one, but two whole levels above him.


    Not to mention there was also a difference in the soul tier itself, with Alex being at F+ tier while the beast was at E tier, so the real difference in rank was more like 3 levels.


    Every jump between major soul tiers (F,E,D,C etc) there was a qualitative increase in strength that was much more condensed and noticeable than jumps in level in the minor tiers (F-. F, F+ etc), hence the difference between F+ and E- was regarded by the general poption of awakened as 2 levels.


    This trend carried on all the way up until when the soul tier reached C rank, where the difference between a C and B rank was astronomical and could no longer be measured by the norms.


    This was not information Alex was currently aware of though.


    "I''ve fought an E rank before, and I''m still here. So decide what you want with that information." Alex was intentionally vague when he spoke of his past fight, there were many weird things about that fight that he still wasn''t sure were normal.


    Rowan raised his eyebrows in surprise at Alex''s reveal. He knew he was strong, especially since he could wield an element while only at F rank. That could only be achieved through a talent directly gifted by the Primordial Expanse. But he didn''t know he was able to survive against a beast 3 levels above himself.


    He knew Alex was vague with his answer, but he didn''t even entertain the possibility that Alex was able to kill the beast.


    Only awakened at the legendary S rank could achieve that!


    "Well, alright then. I trust you know what you''re doing."


    Rowan didn''t question Alex anymore and directly blocked the bear beast''s attack from striking the injured team leader.


    Alex reacted immediately after and without hesitation readied the same attack he used to kill the two F+ ranks before, and coated his dagger in mes.


    The cracks widened on his dagger even more, prompting him to hurry up with his next actions before the thing crumbledpletely.


    The huge bear was currentlyunching attack after attack at Rowan, and with it''s big bulky body it was slowly overpowering him in strength.


    But soon a faint orange glow started toe from his side, where he saw Alex coating his dagger in mes, and he immediately had an idea.


    He leaped from the ground to the back of the bear with minimal effort, wrapping his arms around the beast''s neck¡ªhis hands barely interlocking on the other side.


    Roarrr!


    The bear was enraged by this action and stood up on it''s two hind legs, as it started iling around like mad, trying to w at Rowan who held his grip firmly around its neck.


    "Now! Attack it Alex!" Rowan shouted towards Alex for him to attack.


    The huge bear was slowly seeding at shaking Rowan off, he was slowly slipping!


    <i>''Why does this attack have to take so long to prepare!''</i>


    Alex wished and hoped to any god that was listening that his mes would hurry up and encase the whole dagger.


    <i>''Finally!''</i>


    He didn''t know if some god answered his prayer, with the process finishing a whole 5 seconds earlier than when he first used the attack. But he wasn''t going to waste the opportunity!


    With its chestpletely exposed, and its whole attention focused on shaking Rowan off, the bear had no time to react when Alex snuck up in front of it and lunged his dagger right through its stomach.


    Yelp! Roarrr!


    The bear became even more enraged.

 Chapter 38: Forest Bear

    <h4>Chapter 38: Forest Bear</h4>


    "How the hell can you miss its heart? It was such an easy target!" Rowan practically cringed when he saw Alex miss such an easy attack.


    <i>Cough</i>


    "It''s not my fault for being short! I can''t help it!" Alex was rightfully embarrassed and slightly angry when one of his few insecurities was pointed out.


    The bear was over 4 metres tall while it stood on its hind legs, how was Alex supposed to reach its heart.


    "What do you mean short?? Just jump, you''re an awakened for god sake." Alex''s face went bright red when Rowan pointed out such an easy mistake.


    <i>''This kid has a lot to learn, that''s for sure ¡ª even more reason for me to recruit him to the university.''</i>


    "What''s done is done, just help me finish this thing off!" Rowan shouted at Alex from the back of the enraged bear.


    However when he looked at Alex, he noticed the depressed look on his face.


    He could see that he was looking at something he held in his hand, but he was too busy wrestling at the bear''s neck to care.


    ''<i>My dagger...''</i>


    What Alex held in his hand was his dagger... what was left of it.


    In fact all he held was just a handle, with no de attached to it.


    The moment his dagger made contact and pierced through the bear''s stomach, it melted into a goop on the spot, pouring the molten metal further into the bear''s stomach.


    "My dagger''s broken!" Alex awoke from his depressed stupor, less than a second had passed since he heard Rowan''s shout.


    "So? Kill this thing with your fists!" Rowan didn''t care though, he just wanted to finish this fight as quickly as possible and move on to the next one.


    "How am I supposed to kill something 3 levels above me without a weapon?" When Alex spoke with annoyance in his tone, Rowan felt like he had a brain fart.


    <i>''This kid''s talent is so high I forgot he''s still just an F+ rank!''</i>


    He didn''t want to say another word to Alex since he made fun of him for his own embarrassing moment earlier. He didn''t want Alex to do the same thing back to him.


    Instead, he just threw his own sword at him, and said, "Make sure you hit the heart this time."


    Catching the new weapon, Alex inspected the faint, milky white aura emanating off it and didn''t hesitate to charge up his attack again.


    Around 5 secondster, Rowan''s sword was covered in mes, only this time there were no cracks. Alex was shocked at the amount of power he felt, this was definitely the most powerful attack he would deliver by far!


    <i>''I guess the upgrade to my me talent decreased the amount of time it takes to charge up the attack.''</i>


    With that confirmed, Alex ran up to the madly raging bear, with Rowan about to slip off and once again went in for the kill.


    Only this time he jumped.


    With the length of the sword, his attack prated much deeper into the chest of the bear and when he reached a certain point where the sword was almost three quarters buried, the bear''s rapid rampage stopped suddenly.


    Alex was so close to the bear, he could feel the energy pulsating through its body and when he prated its heart, he felt those energy pulsations stop.


    [You have killed an E rank beast, Forest Bear.]


    <i>''Interesting... So energy has something to do with the heart!''</i>


    "Oh shit!" Alex was so engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot that the four metre tall was still standing there on its two hind legs, and he was right in front of it.


    The thing was dead for sure, and the Primordial Expanse had confirmed it.


    But that didn''t stop the 2 ton corpse of the huge beast from toppling over right on top of him.


    "Alex!" Rowan, understandably worried, jumped off its back and pushed the corpse aside with all his strength, going red in the face as he rolled it over onto its back.


    "You okay?" He reached his hand down to help Alex up.


    Alex just looked at him with a deadpan face while he grabbed his hand.


    "You could''ve warned me." He said to Rowan.


    "You could''ve been more aware." With that quick response, Alex returned to silence. He didn''t want to admit it openly, but Rowan was right.


    Just because the beast is dead, doesn''t mean the danger is gone.


    Thankfully, with his F+ rank body along with the increased strength he had gained by the absorption of the soul orbs, he managed to avoid any major injuries, only gaining a few bruises here and there.


    "You fight so clumsily I don''t even know how you''ve survived up till this point, didn''t the federation teach you anything about fighting?" Rowan was genuinely surprised at how ipetent Alex was when he fought.


    "Where Ie from, people like me rarely make it back from the Primordial Expanse." Alex said.


    "Oh."


    With that, the conversation was over just as quickly as it started.


    By now, most of the fights between the beasts and humans were already over.


    The beast tide had sustained over 1500 deaths, with the remaining few hundred fleeing back into the forested wilderness.


    While the human side had only sustained around 60 deaths overall.


    Most of these deaths had been from when that minotaur-like beast barrelled towards the unawakened group of people near the city barrier. But with the prompt action taken by Wildde and the other two D ranks, it had been killed before it could ughter any more of the masses.


    After that point, the other D rank beasts were weak enough that the D rank human trio could split up and deal with them one on one.


    "Is it over?" Jones, the 12 year old F- rank boy, asked.


    Just as he asked that, shouts and cheers came from all over the battlefield. Every adventurer no matter how injured cheered at their triumph over the beast tide.


    "Now it''s time for the best part. We loot!" Rowanmented with a wide smile on his face as he headed over to the beast corpses he and his team had killed.

 Chapter 39: Crimson Gang

    <h4>Chapter 39: Crimson Gang</h4>


    The moment Rowan mentioned looting the corpses of all the beasts they had killed so far, Alex was reminded of all the soul orbs he must have gathered in his inventory.


    Sure enough, when he checked there were 4 new shining orbs sitting there. Two F+ ranks, one E- rank and another E rank soul orb.


    <i>''I can reach E- rank any time I want.''</i> Alex was ecstatic to say the least. Upgrading his Soul core to E tier would allow him the option to travel back to the universe, in the Federation!


    However he had to postpone his upgrade until he was away from this battlefield and in the safety of the city.


    After all, people need beast cores to upgrade their ranks. What would people think when they saw Alex reaching E tier without actually absorbing any beast cores?


    Alex wasn''t willing to test it and find out, so he waited.


    "Shall we check how lucky we got?" Rowan spoke to Alex when the two approached the corpse of the dead bear once again.


    "How are we going to split the loot if there''s a beast cor-" Alex was about to ask Rowan the most important question before he was rudely interrupted by some other adventurer.


    "Back off, this corpse belongs to the Crimson gang now." A burly man who looked to be in his thirties stepped in front of Alex and Rowan, with five other intimidating looking men standing behind him, staring at the duo intensely.


    Rowan didn''t look surprised at all when someone came over to try and take their loot for themselves.


    "Pffff, that''s a funny joke. 1 E- rank, with 5 F+ ranks are trying to steal our kill... I suggest you run along somewhere else before things get messy." Rowan wasn''t having any of it, he even pointed out each of the men''s ranks, insinuating that he was stronger than them since he could sense their levels.


    Alex just stood on the side and mimicked the intense stare the men were giving him, after all he knew the oue of this situation before it even started.


    <i>''The fact they call themselves a gang tells me they do this pretty often.''</i>


    Immediately, Rowan released his E rank aura for all the Crimson gang to feel.


    Their faces soured momentarily but quickly went back to their sinister look a short instantter.


    "Leader, this man is no ordinary E rank. I can feel he''s even closing in on E+ rank power!" One of the members behind Crimson, the gang leader, whispered as he still wore a worried look on his face.


    However Crimson ignored his man''s plea and instead spoke to Rowan.


    "Wow, it seems you have some Power! Congrattions, but we will still be taking this corpse." Crimson held his ground. In his mind how strong Rowan was didn''t matter to him ¡ª he believed that if he and his whole gang attacked then he wouldn''t be able to withstand the six of them.


    "Is this your final decision? You just resigned yourself and your men to death. Alex-" Rowan wasn''t at all impressed or intimidated by these guys.


    As soon as the conversation ended, he called Alex and without hesitation, Alex drew the sword from his back and handed it to Rowan.


    As soon as they saw the milky white glow surrounding the sword, even crimson started to sweat a little, but his eyes just lit up with even more greed. His men however had dropped all pretences and were visibly shaking by now.


    Unfortunately for them, they hadn''t noticed the sword till now as Alex kept it hidden on his back the whole time.


    <i>''It doesn''t matter how many of my men die... If I kill him and get that sword, it''ll all be worth it!''</i>


    But it seemed Rowan wasn''t in the mood for ying around and chatting any longer, the more they talked and stalled, the higher the chances were of other people stealing loot from his other kills.


    Without hesitation, he leaped right in front of Crimson and shed his sword horizontally, attempting to bisect the annoying man.


    But it seemed like Crimson had a few tricks of his own as some sort of barrier managed to block Rowan''s attack.


    "Attack!" Crimson called for his gang to join in the fight against Rowan, making it 6 vs 1.


    Alex just held back and stood there all nonchnt.


    After going through the war against the beasts from start to end with Rowan, he had some idea of his power and he knew he could wipe the floor with these guys alone.


    Alex even knew that Rowan didn''t need his help when going up against the E rank bear, he was just testing Alex''s strength by having him deal the damaging blows.


    He didn''t know why Rowan did all that, but his cooperation with him thus far had been far better than it had ever been with Raymond, so he would just ask about itter.


    But it seemed Rowan''s testing of Alex hadn''t ended just yet, as he shouted at Alex from the front lines of the fight.


    "Alex! You deal with these F+ ranks." Crimson scoffed when he heard Rowan ask a lone F+ rank to deal with 5 people on the same level, but he wasn''t going to stop him.


    If anything this act of stupidity would just make things easier for him, Alex was next on the chopping block anyway after they killed Rowan so this was just speeding things up.


    But contrary to his thoughts, things did not go as easy as he thought.


    With annoyance clear on his face, Alex walked at a leisurely pace towards the fight and confronted the 5 F+ ranks who had already switched their attention from Rowan to Alex.


    "You''re dead meat, kid. Haha, let''s get him boys!" One of the menughed as he imagined the ''easy'' fight they had ahead of themselves.


    But their faces whitened when a me appeared in Alex''s hand.


    Even Crimson diverted his attention to Alex in shock when he felt the heat and aura radiating off of Alex.


    But he was powerless to help as Rowan kept him in check with a smile on his face as he watched what Alex was about to do.


    BOOOM!


    Immediately 50% of Alex''s energy was gone in an instant, but the shockwave sent the five men flying backwards, some with charred skin, and some with their clothespletely burnt away, leftpletely naked.


    <i>''Huh, some of these guys are stronger than they look!''</i>


    Alex was just surprised that they didn''t die from the attack like Joanne did.

 Chapter 40: Rowan’s background

    <h4>Chapter 40: Rowan''s background</h4>


    Surprised that the 5 F+ ranks didn''t die, Alex closed in with his fists ready to finish them off, but Rowan held him back.


    "Don''t. They''re already out of the fight, let this be a valuable lesson to choose who they follow wisely." Rowan saved the five from dying to Alex''s fist, but in his own handsy Crimson who was barely grasping to life.


    The battle was already over.


    Crimson and his gang had vastly overestimated themselves, or maybe they just underestimated their enemies.


    Either way, they were now at the mercy of Rowan and Alex, and thankfully for them Rowan was in a good mood due to all the loot he was looking forward to, so he let them live.


    "I know you were confident in your ability to kill these guys even in a 1v5, but if you underestimate your enemies like these guys did, then you''ll end up like them one day." This was a valuable lesson for Alex, and he knew Rowan was right.


    Just like how he was surprised that his attack that one shot Joanne, didn''t one shot those five guys, although some of them were close to death.


    "Should we check the bear for a beast core then?" Now that the nuisances were dealt with, Alex was eager to find out whether this beast had a beast core.


    "dly!"


    Grabbing his sword and plunging it deep into the bear''s skull, Rowan used his strength to pry its skull in half and a shining white light came through the gaps, which only meant one thing.


    "We''re in luck!" Rowan eximed excitedly and Alex, just as excited from the side, spoke.


    "So uhh, continuing from earlier before we were rudely interrupted, how do we split the loot." Alex asked awkwardly. He knew Rowan was the strongest out of the both of them, by far, and since he contributed the most to the E rank fights so he had the right to decide who gets what.


    "How about this, since we both contributed equally to killing the E rank bear, if we are lucky enough to get E- rank cores from both the roons we killed, you can have those." Rowan was being very generous with Alex, which was almost suspicious to him.


    Alex looked at him with a questioning gaze, "I don''t get it. First you hold yourself back in those fights, which I presume is to test me on how I''ll do. And now you''re being so generous with the distribution of loot when you don''t have to be."


    "It took you long enough to ask." Rowan said with a smirk.


    "I''m from the federation, just like you. Right now I''m on a mission my Professor gave me and I just so happened to cross paths with you.


    I won''t sugarcoat it, I n on recruiting you to my university, If you are willing to ept. The rewards for recruiting new and talented students, or genius students in your case, are very sought after. I can tell you that giving you those two E- rank cores would be nothingpared to what I''d gain by recruiting you.


    But, if you don''t wish to ept that''s fine too. The price of friendship is well worth the two cores anyway, treat it as a gift from me."


    With Rowan revealing his background, Alex felt like most of his questions were answered. And he appreciated how honest Rowan was with him regarding his reasoning for being so generous with him.


    His only remaining question was...


    "There are universities for Awakened?"


    This time it was Rowan''s turn to be surprised.


    <i>''???'' </i>


    <i>''Just how rural is this kid? He doesn''t even know about the universities?''</i>


    <i>''Then again he did say people like him rarely make it back from the Primordial Expanse.''</i>


    "Universities are ces where new Awakened like you and me can learn a lot more about the Primordial Expanse and our powers. Not to mention the rewards you can earn through the rankings and recruiting new students. There are many techniques you can learn to enhance your powers, teachers who can help you hone your sense etc.


    Many Awakened all across the Federation yearn to join a university."


    To Alex this all just seemed like another distant dream to him, just like how he used to dream about leaving his deste home on the asteroid and making a new and sessful life for himself.


    <i>''No, I can''t keep thinking like this. How can I forget I''m also an Awakened now. My life''s already changed!''</i>


    "Wait, you said new awakened like you and me... How are you so powerful if you''re newly awakened?"


    Rowan heard Alex''s question and didn''t think much of it, "I''m still only in my first year of university. I''ve only been in the Primordial Expanse for a year and a half by now."


    <i>''That''s quite a long time, no?''</i>


    "I''ve only been here a little over a month..."


    "..."


    There was silence throughout the area from this point.


    Rowan looked so dejected he didn''t even want to speak to Alex anymore.


    <i>''He reached F+ rank in a little over 6 weeks, I can''t believe it... He''ll surpass me soon enough. I have to work harder!''</i>


    ***


    After the duo dealt with the bear corpse and extracted anything remotely useful, they next went over to the two roon corpses.


    Thankfully there hadn''t been another situation like the one with the Crimson gang, but the way they dealt with them probably deterred anyone from trying anything anyway.


    As it turned out, the duo were getting suspiciously lucky with their loot, both of the roon corpses had an E- rank beast core buried in their skulls, much to Alex''s delight.


    Unfortunately though, the two F+ rank beasts that Alex had killed earlier on had nothing. But Alex was satisfied with what he had anyway.


    <i>''2 E- rank beast cores, and 4 soul orbs. I''m eating good tonight.''</i>


    Alex had always been a foodie. Just thinking about the delicious and exotic meals he could buy with those beast cores made him drool, but he knew better than to use them for that.


    He would only waste gold coins on such luxuries.


    "So, what''s the name of this University you go to." Both Alex and Rowan had smiles on their faces as they eyed their loot with glee.


    "It''s called Capital Prime University. It''s actually the number 1 uni-"


    BOOOOOM!


    Before Rowan could trail off into how great and powerful his university is, he was cut off by a sudden loud noise and an explosion far off into the distance.


    Just as sudden as the explosion came, the barrier surrounding the city fell.

 Chapter 41: Barrier deactivated

    <h4>Chapter 41: Barrier deactivated</h4>


    All around, people were confused at the sound of the explosion, but when the city barrier fell they came to their own conclusions.


    "Oh, looks like we can enter the city now."


    "I didn''t know deactivating the barrier sounded like that."


    "We''re finally safe! Thank god!"


    Various people spread across the ins outside the city gates started rushing in, ignoring any protests from the guards.


    However a few veteran adventurers like Wildde stood to the side with scepticism on their faces as they thought about what had just urred.


    Alex and Rowan were a part of this small number of adventurers.


    <i>''Why would deactivating the city barrier create such a loud noise, surely that''s just counter intuitive?''</i>


    However, contrary to Alex''s confused and contemtive face, Rowan and Wildde''s faces were much more stern.


    Rowan approached Wildde and whispered to him, "I''ve seen other city barriers activate and deactivate before, and there was no suchmotion when they did."


    Hearing about Rowan''s previous experiences with city barriers, Wildde''s own theory only started to make more and more sense to him. He hoped to god that he was wrong.


    "Indeed, I''ve witnessed Valentis city''s barrier go up over my long tenure here, but never has it created such a loud explosion when it deactivated." Wildde spoke to confirm Rowan''s worries.


    On the side, Alex was listening to the two of them speak and he didn''t like what he was hearing.


    ''Did that outsider human lose to the Galephant?''


    <i>''But even if that is the case, the barrier can hold out against a B+ rank life form for long enough before someone strongeres to take care of it.''</i>


    However everyone''s fears suddenly came to life when shouts and screams started to re out across the whole city.


    With his superior eyesight, Wildde could see some details of the locations these screams wereing from, and he gasped in shock at what he saw.


    "Beasts! The city is overrun with beasts!"


    ***


    15 minutes earlier, on the higher life form battlefield.


    "This has gone on for long enough, beast." The middle aged human spoke to the Galephant below him in contempt.


    He was floating above it with his spear in hand, ready to strike down on the beast at any time. But he didn''t want to end it just yet.


    With his arrogance as a higher life form, he wanted to toy with the beast for a bit longer before he sent it on its way to the afterlife, if there was one.


    <i>''My name will spread all throughout the federation when I take this beast down!''</i>


    Just thinking about the fame and glory he would receive from killing this beast and parading its body around the federation made his eyes shine.


    With a level as high as him, he could afford spatial storage tools that could hold the corpse of such a beast, allowing him to transfer it with him back to the normal universe.


    This was the only way awakened were able to transfer items from the Primordial Expanse to the federation. Only items directly attached to one''s body could be taken between the two, and with items that are toorge to carry or didn''t have a physical form, only spatial tools could allow them to be taken over.


    But just as this man was about to torture the Galephant some more, the situation quickly went out of control.


    Tens of thousands of beasts had surrounded him and any other poor soul who still neared the city gates.


    There were dozens of C+ ranked beasts leading the huge hoard.


    If he were in his peak form, he could take this hoard out with a single wave from his spear.


    But he was too exhausted from his fight with the Galephant, meaning that this beast horde could actually be a real threat to his life.


    "Looks like I''m going to have to end things early. Goodbye, beast." With that, he threw his spear with all his physical strength behind it, straight towards the Galephant''s head.


    Closing his eyes, he smiled as he thought about the money he''d earn from this thing''s corpse.


    With him floating 50 metres in the air, the speed it should have taken for his spear to reach the Galephant should have been negligible.


    However even after a few seconds he hadn''t heard or seen anything from the Primordial Expanse indicating he had killed anything.


    This was very concerning. For beings like him, a few seconds was like an eternity.


    The fact nothing happened even after a few seconds could only mean one thing, he missed!


    With his smile wiped away, his eyes sprung open with ferocity as they darted towards where the Galephanty injured and crippled from his attacks... or at least it should have been.


    Instead of the Galephant, which had moved dozens of metres away, a huge 4 metre tall mantis was ring at him with it''s empty eyes and a green barrier flickering around it.


    With the energy fluctuations still reverberating in the air Branwyn, the B ranked human outsider, knew that the mantis had just blocked his attack.


    Not only that, but to the side the Galephanty lifeless with its head split open, its brains and organs spilling everywhere.


    "Oh shit!"


    Realising what had urred, Branwyn cursed and prepared himself to flee, but he coughed blood and started falling rapidly from the sky, unable to keep himself floating anymore.


    His face went white as he realised his energy had been drained by his previous, failed attack.


    <i>''This can''t be happening! No... No! I''m a higher life form, I refuse to believe this is happening...''</i>


    <i>THUD!</i>


    Unfortunately for Branwyn, his delusions couldn''t save him as he hit the ground with a thud, sending dirt and dust in the air.


    <i>Tap</i>


    <i>Tap</i>


    <i>Tap</i>


    Branwyn could hear the familiar footsteps of something huge and skinny approaching. He knew this was the mantis.


    "No, please no! Don''t kill me!"


    His pleading didn''t work on the mindless beast. With every footstep getting close and louder to Branwyn''s ears, the despair became harder and harder for him to handle.


    His original white outfit had already been dyed brown and yellow from the waist below.


    He pleaded and pleaded.


    Yet, death hade for him anyway.

 Chapter 42: Tragedy

    <h4>Chapter 42: Tragedy</h4>


    The city barrier may have been designed to hold up against the attacks of a B+ ranked beast, but against thebined effort of 1 B- rank mantis and dozens of C+ ranked beasts and the tens of thousands of other lower ranked beasts, it onlysted 5 minutes.


    To most areas of the city, nobody noticed a thing as themotion at the border of the city didn''t reach them..


    But things quickly became chaotic when people noticed that although the barrier was down, the sirens were still ring.


    The people turned to their city lord for answers, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    He had fled.


    ***


    When Rowan realised what was going on, he looked at Alex with a bit of reluctance before he spoke.


    "Absorb all your beast cores and reach E- rank as soon as possible. Only then can youe back to the federation." Alex was going to ask why Rowan was so concerned with when he reached E- rank, but he continued speaking.


    "If my gut feeling is right, this city isn''t going to be around for much longer. It''s best you deal with your own business before returning to the federation. Remember to ask around about Capital Prime University. If fate allows it, we''ll see each other again in the future."


    With his info dump on Alex done, Rowan hurriedly said his goodbyes before a swirling void around the size of a human appeared before him.


    Rowan stepped into the void while waving his hand at Alex and Wildde, disappearing into nothingness with the swirling void leaving just as quick.


    "What was that..." Alex voiced his thoughts out loud as he tried toprehend what he just witnessed.


    "That''s how you outsiders travel back and forth between here and your universe. From what I''ve heard the voice of the Primordial Expanse gifts the ability to open these portals when your soul core reaches E tier." Wildde answered Alex''s thoughts.


    They both kept silent for the next few minutes as they watched the carnage taking ce all across the city.


    The huge city literally spread so far across the horizon that even with Alex''s superior eyesight, he couldn''t see the end of it.


    Yet even with it''s immense size, there wasn''t a district, road or house that was untouched by the beasts.


    Millions were dying as they watched.


    But there was nothing they could do, they were powerless before this beast horde.


    "In all my years, I never thought this day woulde..." Wildde felt like his heart was tearing to pieces every second he watched the city he had loved and cherished since birth sumb to ruin.


    His family lived near the centre of the city, where the highest ranked beasts were currently besieging.


    There was no hope for his family to survive.


    Tears fell from his eyes as his worldpletely fell apart.


    <i>''I''m sorry old man, but there is nothing we can do.''</i>


    Alex wasn''t a religious man, but he said a quiet prayer for the people currently in the city before he departed in silence.


    <i>''This is probably going to be thest time we ever meet...'' </i>


    Alex''s emotions were fluctuating madly between sadness, depression and helplessness.


    Sad because although his time here was short, he had made some genuine connections no matter how superficial they were. But they were all gone now.


    Most of all he was overwhelmed with helplessness.


    <i>''Is this really the reality humans live in?''</i>


    <i>''Do we really have to live every day in fear that we might be stomped to death by some strong human or beast passing by?''</i>


    <i>''What''s the point?''</i>


    <i>''Even in the federation people aren''t safe. We have to worry about a random beast popping up out of nowhere because an awakened died.''</i>


    Alex could have kept his despairing thoughts up for hours, but it seemed the Primordial Expanse had other ns.


    Just as he was walking away from the city at a leisurely pace, feeling lucky that he was actually outside the city when the beasts attacked, a monkey looking creaturended in front of him with a thud.


    <i>''Great, now an E- rank beast wants to spoil my already rotten mood.''</i>


    Alex didn''t even bother stalling the fight or try honing any of his skills.


    Instead he unleashed all the energy he had left in his reserves with his me talent and concentrated it all in the direction of the monkey.


    With his repeated battles and increased usage of his talent over the past day, he had grown more ustomed to using his mes.


    Instead of the usual 360 or 180 degree shockwave he produced, instead this one was concentrated into an even smaller radius, providing and even more lethal attack.


    The monkey didn''t even get to make any sounds or try to attack before it was already dead.


    <i>''No beast core, unlucky.''</i>


    <i>''Let''s get this over with then...''</i>


    Not in the mood to stick around anymore, Alex summoned the E rank soul orb from his inventory and took a good look at it.


    <i>''Here goes nothing.''</i>


    [Absorbed E rank soul orb, Soul Core progress at 100%]


    Before Alex could continue his mental rant any longer, he felt an incredible pain in his chest where his heart was located.


    He had to use all his willpower to suppress his screams.


    Immediately, he could feel an incredible amount of power coursing through his body. Every vein in his body pulsated as energy and blood flowed through each limb, back to his heart and repeating the process all over again.


    With each revolution, Alex felt himself be stronger, but he also felt the pain intensify.


    The pain only subsided after 5 minutes passed.


    Alex felt like his body wasn''t his own anymore.


    His mind felt refreshed, he felt smarter, stronger and faster.


    All of his reflexes, senses etc had been enhanced.


    Every part of him as a being had been upgraded.


    ''So this is that upgrading a major level feels like, I- I want more!''


    Alex wanted to revel in his newfound power some more, but a more pressing matter came to his attention.


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    A prompt floated in front of him.

 Chapter 43 Return

    43 Return


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex saw the prompt floating in front of him, just like any other message he received from the Primordial Expanse. However this was perhaps the most important message he had received so far.


    He would have liked to consider it for a while before he made any decisions.


    But unfortunately when he turned around, the city was in ruins and the beasts were already starting to leave, with some D rank and even C rank beasts heading in his general direction.


    ''Fuck that.''


    At best he only had a few minutes before the beasts neared his location and neared him.


    He made his decision instantly.


    ''Yes.''


    He answered the Primordial Expanse mentally and just as he had seen when Rowan left, a ck, swirling void opened up in front of his very eyes.


    Alex didn''t even need to step into the portal himself ¡ª he was pulled directly into it as soon as it fully opened.


    ''I see how it is, as soon as I wish to leave, there is nothing that can stop me. Not even myself.''


    When his body was fully engulfed in the emptiness, he disappeared from the Primordial Expanse.


    ***


    Alex found himself in an empty void, not unlike the one he experiences every time he mentally enters his inventory. It was an endless ck void surrounded by glittering stars and the asional streak of light. It was like he was floating in the void of space, only Alex knew this wasn''t a normal space.


    Many people spected where the Primordial Expanse was actually located. But nobody, not even the peak awakened of humanity knew the answer to that question. Humans already had the technology to open and visit rudimentary other dimensions outside of the normal third dimension they originated from. But nobody had ever even detected the Primordial Expanse without the help of the details given by the Primordial Expanse itself.


    Clearly, even at the peak of power, the Primordial Expanse was way beyond the reach of humans.


    However while Alex revelled in this feeling of freedom, surrounded by countless different concepts in this dimension between dimensions, the moment didn''tst long.


    The mighty voice of the Primordial Expanse he had only heard once before, spoke once again.


    [Congrattions, Evolver. Your time in the Primordial Expanse is over.]


    [As a nobodymoner, you survived through thick and thin against beasts and humans far beyond your own level. You have stepped up to every challenge ande out triumphant, growing your own power as you go.]


    [Your Talent is the first of its kind to appear in your universe, use it wisely.] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [You have achieved the impossible! Somehow your luck has carried you through your short period in the Primordial Expanse, don''t expect that to always be the case.]


    With that the voice of the Primordial Expanse disappeared and Alex felt himself being pulled once again, this time to a much more different space.


    He didn''t know how or why¡­ he could just tell this space was much weaker than that of the Primordial Expanse''s.


    For just a moment, a light blinded Alex''s eyes before it left just as quick as it came.


    When he reopened his eyes, a familiar interrogation room greeted his eyes.


    ''It''s been too long¡­ or has it?''


    For Alex, he felt like he had been gone for years, yet in reality he had only spent a little over 6 weeks on the other side.


    In those 6 weeks he felt like he had lived a whole other life.


    But it made sense why Alex felt this way, he had gained more life experience and seen more action in those 6 weeks than in his 17 years of life on this godforsaken asteroid colony.


    Reminiscing about his time in the Primordial Expanse, his mood quickly dampened when he was reminded about the destruction of Valentis city. ''All those people dead. It feels unreal¡­''


    Unbeknownst to Alex, the moment he stepped out of the ck portal into the police station, sirens had been set off, not only in the station but across the whole asteroid.


    ***


    In an office simplybelled ''Manager'', many panicked assistants ran about on calls to various different districts on the asteroid, trying to find out what was going on.


    Their jobs were on the line, and the man frowning behind the desk was already unhappy with theirck of information.


    Suddenly, a rtively young looking woman''s eyes lit up before even more anxiety sprouted in her mind.


    "Sir, a portal opened in the police station of district 2! It''s still unknown whether it''s a returning awakened or¡­" Her words trailed off when she thought of the other possibility.


    Silence resounded across the room as all other calls were cut, with many of the assistants gulping out of fear.


    There was no change in the expression of the manager seated at his desk though.


    ''There was a report of a kid from the mines sumbing to Impending doom a bit over a month ago. I should head over to the station in question, there is almost certainly going to be chaos when the beast crosses over.''


    Of course the manager didn''t even entertain the thought that the kid from the mines would be returning.


    It had only been 6 weeks since he had left, while most awakened only returned after a year had passed. In the manager''s eyes, it was unheard of for someone to return so shortly after entering. Hence this had to be a case of the awakened dying on the other side, which prompted a beast to be transported over.


    The reason why the Primordial Expanse was so feared and was even nicknamed ''the curse'' and ''impending doom'' were due to this fact.


    Many innocent, normal humans would be implicated if an awakened entered the Primordial Expanse in a popted area and died on the other side. ''It''s probably a F ranked beast at most. Nothing to worry about, for me at least.''


    The manager was a peak Evolver, in other words an E+ rank.


    Even if an E- or E rank beast stepped through the portal he could take care of it.


    If an E+ rank came through though, then he would be in trouble.


    It took him 50 years to reach his level, it even took him 5 just to leave the Primordial Expanse.


    He was what one would call a ''Nonbatant'' awakened. He had been lucky enough to gain a talent, but this talent wasn''t suited forbat at all.


    This made him rtively weak among awakened of the same rank. The same goes for beasts.

 Chapter 44 Manager Han

    44 Manager Han


    When the manager arrived at the station, he ignored all the shocked expressions people had when they saw him and directly went to the station chief''s office.


    "Has the beast crossed over yet? Is anyone injured? Are there any casualties?"


    There were no formalities when he spoke, as he was actually the police chief''s boss.


    In fact he was in charge of this whole mining colony. That''s what his role of a ''manager'' was ¡ª to manage and develop the mines on this asteroid for the profit of thepany.


    "What beast? Who''s misinformed you? I think you should follow me for your questions to be cleared up." The police chief was confused at first but he didn''t press the matter and instead gestured the manager to the door.


    ''How can there be no casualties? The people in this station don''t even look afraid, just what is going on?''


    As they walked through the halls, the manager couldn''t help but question the recent events.


    ''Is it a false rm?''


    This was the most reasonable excuse in his mind, and all personnel responsible for the false rm would be punished ordingly when it''s all cleared up.


    "Right here sir, why don''t you step inside."


    However when the two arrived in front of a normal interrogation room, what the manager was expecting didn''t ur.


    ''Huh? It''s just a kid.''


    All this while he had been subconsciously ignoring one possibility, refusing to believe that such an impossible thing could have happened.


    On the other side of the table, Alex sat there with a distant look on his face. His body may have been in the interrogation room, but his mind was wandering to countless different ces.


    "Ahem." But he was drawn back into the small room when the police chief coughed.


    Alex recognised the chief immediately. He was the same middle aged man who spoke from behind the window right before he was teleported to the Primordial Expanse. It was this man who gave him advice for when he first arrived.


    He didn''t recognise the other man beside him though.


    Beside the chief stood a man who looked to be in his thirties, with short, brown hair and ocean blue eyes. He looked just like an average person, but his intimidating aura and his expensive three piece suit told Alex he was anything from normal.


    "Alex, you might remember me. I''m the chief of this little police station."


    "This is Manager Han, he runs this whole colony. He reports directly to thepany overseeing all mining operations in this system."


    With the background of Manager Han being revealed to Alex, his reaction showed slight surprise at meeting such a lofty figure.


    Yet he felt rather awkward as well.


    ''For 17 years I could never have even dreamed of meeting this man, yet now this man came directly to meet me.''


    Alex misjudged Manager Han''s reason for being there, but if he knew the truth he would find it funny anyway.


    Whether he was there for him or for other reasons didn''t change the fact that he was standing in front of him at that moment.


    "Who is this kid?" Manager Han was surprised at Alex''sck of reaction when the chief revealed who he was.


    This made him slightly more curious as to why the chief brought him there.


    "This kid is the reason for all the rm, he just returned from the Primordial Expanse." The chief exined calmly to avoid any further misunderstandings.


    "Huh? I haven''t heard of any reports from a year ago about anyone afflicted by the curse." This didn''t answer any of Manager Han''s questions though ¡ª only increasing them.


    "That''s because there were none, he only entered 6 weeks ago." "..."


    You could hear a pin drop in the room ¡ª it was so silent.


    Manager Han felt as if a bombshell had gone off in his head. Everything finally clicked in ce, it all made sense now.


    However even though everything could be reasoned for, it would be an understatement to say he found it hard to believe.


    "Impossible! It''s impossible for anyone to return so quickly. This kid must have tricked you somehow!" Understandably, Manager Han wasn''t buying the chief''s story one bit. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It just made absolutely no sense in his mind. Therefore the only conclusion could be that either Alex or the police chief was lying, and Manager Han was more inclined to believe the police chief''s words.


    Alex was beginning to get annoyed listening to the manager belittle his achievements, even calling him a liar.


    He decided to dispel all doubts then and there.


    With a speed only an awakened could achieve ,he reached into his pocket and took out one of the E- rank beast cores he had received from Rowan, its glow illuminating the room.


    Shock entered the faces of the two other men present.


    Manager Han even put on a much more serious face when he felt the energy of the beast core.


    It was genuine.


    "Convinced now?"


    Both Manager Han and the police chief took a seat opposite Alex when he threw that question in the air.


    "Although I still find it impossible, I''ll believe you for now." An intimidating pressure exuded out of Manager Han when he spoke to Alex, the full weight of his E+ rank energy leaking out and putting pressure on him.


    But Alex was unaffected.


    "So, what can I do for the two of you? As I''m sure you can tell I''m currently in no position to offer you any drinks." Alex joked with them as he attempted to dispel the awkward and tense atmosphere, which worked for the police chief.


    Manager Han didn''t change though.


    There were no words exchanged as Alex just looked around in boredom and while he waited for Manager Han to finish fiddling with the watch on his wrist, it was only after 5 minutes that an officer walked into the room and handed a small cube to Manager Han.


    "This will prove whether you are lying or not."


    Manager Han proceeded to put the cube down on the table, and an array of lights erupted from the small device as a three dimensional hologram filled the room.


    The chief gestured for Alex to move to the side of the room, and he joined him while the manager just sat in ce.


    What yed out on the hologram was very familiar with Alex.


    ''It''s a recording of the day I was teleported!''

 Chapter 45 Dystopia

    45 Dystopia


    Memories of that day started flushing into Alex''s mind as the scene yed out in front of Manager Han.


    ''The Chief really did help me out quite a bit with the information he told me.''


    Naturally, seeing the Chief of police giving him such valuable information, like to check his details, right before he entered reaffirmed in his mind that there were good people still out there.


    The recording eventually reached the climax, with the two parallel ck lines finally covering Alex from head to toe and him promptly disappearing into thin air.


    Manager Han hadn''t said a word throughout the whole 5 minute recording, but he slouched back into his chair and released a heavy sigh when it ended.


    "Unbelievable¡­ You really weren''t lying." Manager Han broke the silence in the room, speaking his thoughts out loud.


    "Just how did you do it? I''ve never heard of anyone who''s entered and left the Primordial Expanse so quickly."


    "But then again, I''ve never left this star system so who knows what kind of geniuses and monsters there are out there in the federation."


    A mysterious gleam shed in Manager Han''s eyes, but with Alex and the chief standing behind him they didn''t notice anything.


    "Why don''t you return to your seat, we have some discussion to do. As a new awakened, there are a few procedures you need to go through before you can officially be re-entered back into the federation." Manager Han invited Alex to sit back down, while signalling towards the chief to leave the room.


    Now that Alex''s ims had been proved, he was no longer needed.


    Meanwhile, Manager Han cleared his throat and ced his arms on the table.


    "Now, I don''t know what you went through on the other side, and I''m not privy to that information unless you wish to disclose it." Alex looked across the table with interest and kept his mouth shut.


    Taking the clear sign that Alex wasn''t going to share any details of how he managed to upgrade his soul core so quickly, Manager Han was disappointed but kept speaking.


    "Good. As I''m sure you''ve noticed, you haven''t evere across another awakened on this lonely asteroid right?"


    Alex nodded in agreement.


    "That''s because I''m the only awakened here."


    Alex nced at him with doubt.


    The poption on this rock was at least 200,000+. It can''t be that he was the only unfortunate soul who got picked by the Primordial Expanse.


    Confused, he gestured for Manager Han to continue.


    "That''s because any new awakened that manages to survive, be an Evolver and return back to the Primordial Expanse is required to leave this rock and move to one of the 5 habitables in this system."


    Alex''s eyes widened in shock.


    He had never even left the district he was born in, let alone the colony itself.


    But now he was expected ¡ª no, required to leave and move to a!


    Clear blue skies, nts, animals.


    Alex''s mind suddenly filled with images of things he previously thought he''d never get the privilege to see in person.


    Only one question remained for Alex.


    "Why?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As far as Alex knew, he was still a citizen of the colony.


    It just made no sense to him why he would have to leave just because he had unwillingly gained an ant''s worth of power.


    "The colony is owned and operated by Asterion Resource Company, ARC for short. With over 10 million colonists living on asteroids operated by ARC, there are bound to be a few Evolvers who pop up and cause trouble every now and then."


    "There was even a point in the past where an awakened didn''t report their Impending doom to the appropriate authorities and were lucky enough to survive ¡ª only to incite rebellion and kill the manager overseeing their colony. This caused massive losses for thepany and so they cracked down on any new awakened from that point onwards."


    Not a hint of humor or any positive emotions passed through Alex when he heard this.


    Of course, the top brass didn''t want any threats to their golden goose.


    In fact, if Alex were to evaluate the society that built up the federation it could be summarised by four words.


    ''A dystopia in disguise.''


    The general public lived their own ordinary lives, working their ordinary jobs and continuing their ordinary lineage until they died an ordinary death.


    They lived their whole lives not knowing the true face of the federation.


    Billions of borderline ''ves'' spread out across all territories, in the name of mining colonies.


    They still earned a wage, owned a house, fell in love and started their own families.


    But so what?


    There was now saying that you couldn''t leave the colony and start a new life.


    But the greediness of humanity wouldn''t let their money makers off that easily.


    A ticket on a ship off world costs an astronomically high price for the workers and miners. So much that they''d work their whole lives until the day they died and still not be able to afford it.


    The only way out was if they were lucky (unlucky) enough to be an awakened.


    Realising that Manager Han was a part of this dystopian cycle, Alex wasn''t in the mood to casually chat with him anymore.


    "What procedures do I have to go through?" He dropped all pretenses and went straight to the point.


    Manager Han recognised the change in behaviour in Alex but there was nothing he could do about it. He saw the same thing with every other awakened he dealt with when they were faced with the true reality.


    ***


    Alex left the police station with a personal escort from Manager Han.


    He went through the basic procedures in the interrogation room, providing his relevant details on his citizenship ¡ª his id number, his legal name, date of birth etc.


    But the more advanced procedures like testing his powers, disclosing any abilities and registering himself as an awakened in the federal database all had to be done in a more advanced facility.


    In other words, he had to leave for a right away.

 Chapter 46 Goodbye, rock

    46 Goodbye, rock


    Evolver Alex.


    That would be Alex''s official title in the future.


    With nost name, he would probably hear people call him this quite often from now on.


    He was now an awakened, an elite of society.


    Alex would have normally been ecstatic at the recent developments in his life. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But a bad taste was left in his mouth when it was revealed that he would have basically remained a ve for the rest of his life had he not entered the Primordial Expanse.


    However, he was powerless to change anything.


    Right now, any random Distinguished awakened or higher would justugh at him calling society unjust and swat him away like a fly.


    Manager Han led Alex to the only spaceport on the asteroid, not bothering to give any departing words when he left. He knew Alex wasn''t interested in anything he had to say anymore.


    Parked in arge, open area of reinforced concrete there was a spaceship. Quite unlike the ancient spaceships of 21st century Earth, this one was very advanced and didn''t need to use anything like chemical or even fusion propulsion.


    Humanity had long reached the realms of hyperspace, folding space in on itself to drastically reduce the distances between two points. And with the advent of the awakened age a century ago even more advances came to be that Alex was clueless of.


    This irregr, asymmetric ship had a rough coat of paint on its exterior and had the appearance of an uneven, square bullet with wings.


    Clearly the designer of this ship cared a lot more about its functions than its looks.


    In front of the ship stood a man smoking some sort of cigar wearing clothes that had ARC printed on the shoulders.


    Another person who worked for ARC.


    The scraggly middle aged man stood straight when he saw Alex and approached him with the cigar still in his mouth. "I am Evolver Avery. You can call me Avery, Mr pilot or whatever. Just don''t bother me when I''m piloting the ship."


    With that Avery didn''t give Alex another nce and entered through the only opening in the ship.


    ''Avery the Aviator.''


    Alex chuckled at the ironic name as he eyed up the other ships on the dock.


    "We''re leaving in 60 seconds, get in. You can pay for your own ticket out of here if you get left behind." ''Goddam corporate making me work overtime again.''


    Avery wasn''t amused with Alex and started up the ship, ignoring whether he was on board or not.


    "I have a question, where are we going?" Alex wasn''t bothered by Avery''s bad mood and asked his most concerning question.


    "Didn''t I tell you to not bother me?"


    ''What''s up with him?''


    Seeing that Avery was being uncooperative, Alex released a little bit of his menacing aura on him, causing his face to pale.


    Doing this may make him seem like a hypocrite, after all didn''t he just go about preaching about changing society for the better and not liking the strong preying on the weak.


    But towards people who purposely went out of their way to inconvenience him, he wouldn''t be so kind.


    Avery was also an E- rank like Alex, but the difference in strength between the two was apparent.


    With the pressure weighing down on him, Avery wasn''t in the mood to annoy his new guest anymore.


    "I was instructed to take you to any in this star system." With bated breaths, Avery answered.


    It was obvious that if Alex hadn''tpressured Avery, that he would have just taken him to the nearest and be done with him.


    But Alex was much more interested in making his own choices.


    "Take me to the with the most nts, preferably a blue sky with varied weather. Oh and with an ocean too." Alex listed off his demands one by one, causing Avery''s face to plummet even more into depression.


    ''There''s only one like that in this star system¡­ and it''s the furthest away from here.''


    Avery''s face grimaced when he realised his overtime had just increased by 5 times.


    "The fitting your requirements is on the other side of the system, are you sure you don''t want to go to one that''s a bit¡­ closer?" Avery put on his best smile as he practically pleaded not to be given such a longer mission.


    "Nah I''m good, take me to the one I asked for. By the way, what''s the name of the?"


    Alex sat down on the co-pilot''s seat, put his feet up on the dash in front of him and waited for Avery''s answer.


    A couple seconds passed in silence, and an answer finally came when Alex turned towards Avery and released his pressure again.


    "Ahem, officially it''s called X-142 in the federation''s database. But the people in this system call it Hortus."


    ***


    Over 10 hourster, a small ship with only 2 upants decelerated in their approach to the beautiful, blue and green beneath them.


    Some might ask why the trip took so long when humans had the technology capable of reducing the travel time to a few minutes.


    Well? It''s simply too dangerous to enter hyperspace when there were hundreds of millions of other ships going about in the same star system as you.


    Hence the federation simply prohibited the use of hyperspace inside any star system in its territories.


    "We''re here. Nobody but the military is allowed to directlynd ships ons, so we''ll have to dock at the space port and you can take a shuttle down to the surface." Avery spoke up and informed Alex of the relevant procedures.


    But Alex was just too transfixed on the stunning blue dot outside the window to answer him.


    He had asked toe to this because it''s environment was simr to that of the Primordial Expanse, which had quickly be his favourite type of environment over thest month and a half.


    17 years of living on a deste rock with a constant ck sky left a lot to be desired.


    After a few more minutes, Avery docked the ship at the port and ''politely'' asked Alex to exit.


    Alex joined a queue and showed the documents Manager Han had created for him to the security check when he reached the front.


    Some eyebrows were raised when they realised he was an unawakened, an unregistered one at that but nothing more came out of the interaction.


    They just sent him on his way to a shuttle before moving to the next person in the queue.


    After all the checks were done, Alex was finally going to step foot on a.


    ''I''ve waited too long for this day toe!''

 Chapter 47 Elis

    47 Elis


    Alex was standing in front of a seemingly endless greenndscape, fresh with many exotic and stunning flora and fauna. This ce looked even better than the area of the Primordial Expanse he had been dropped into.


    Behind him a massive tower stood that stretched all the way into the sky, and beyond. This was the space elevator that brought him down to the surface. Avery suggested for Alex to get a shuttle down to the surface, but the moment heid eyes on the imposing structure stretching all the way from the space station to the surface of the, he knew he had to experience it.


    Even further behind the elevatory Elis city, giving Alex a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling.


    The contrast of wilderness against an urban city reminded him a lot of Valentis city. Except for the fact that Elis was vastly more futuristic and advanced than its counterpart.


    Two suns hung in the sky, drowning the entire in sunlight and providing a year round climate of summer.


    Vast amounts of highways and skyways could be seen with hovering vehicles moving at incredible speeds, weaving throughout the cityscape. There were many different buildings in the centre that stretched into the sky, much like the space elevator but not nearly as tall.


    One thing was for sure. If the Galephant and the beast horde dared to attack this city, they''d have a much tougher time than their attack on Valentis. ''It''s much more different than I imagined.''


    Alex couldn''t help but marvel at the sights.


    He had read about suchary cities and even seen a few images on the gctic but seeing pictures and seeing the real thing was a whole different experience.


    All over the city there were walls made of a hard alloy, with some high tech,rge caliber cannons.


    What they were supposed to defend against, Alex didn''t even want to imagine.


    Except for Alex there were a few other people who took the elevator down, one of them caught his eye. If he had to guess, another kid from a different colony who managed to survive her time in the Primordial Expanse too.


    She was shorter than Alex, a petite girl around his age with deep blue eyes and a ferocious look on her face. Her hair is what caught Alex''s attention, a messy assortment of ck with some grey features crudely cut to shoulder length.


    Just like him, she was dressed inbourer''s clothes, she wasn''t carrying anything with her except for the watch on her wrist.


    And with that fierce look on her face, clearly she wasn''t in the mood for any conversations.


    Finally, after a few minutes of waiting a hover car arrived before the two of them. The sleek design attracted Alex''s attention but he ignored his curiosity and stepped inside, along with the girl beside him.


    The federation had been informed of their circumstances and had organised a taxi to take them to the awakened registration centre.


    ***


    The distance between the awakened registration centre and the elevator was far, even for an E rank awakened. But at the speed the hover car was flying, the journey only took 10 minutes.


    Alex didn''t speak, the girl didn''t speak. Instead they both just took in the sights of the wilderness and the city flying past their windows.


    At some point, the car stopped and the driver looked back at the two and said:


    "We''re here, the staff has been informed of your arrival and are waiting for you inside."


    Both nodded their heads,pletely ignoring each other.


    Alex stood before a tall skyscraper, being dropped off directly at the 100th floor, with a further 150 above him.


    A man stood outside the doors with his hands behind his back, looking towards the two new arrivals with a neutral expression. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Two kids from the mines, it''s not everyday we see people like you."


    Naturally he was referring to how people like them rarely survived to make it this far.


    "Follow me, I will exin things as we walk."


    Alex briefly nced at the girl, before following the man in as instructed.


    "Before you two are officially added to the Evolver category of the Awakened registry, there are a few things we have to test."


    Alex turned his head towards the man, waiting for him to continue.


    "First, we need to test your physical prowess. Your speed, strength and reaction time are important in determining your future path. Being an awakened isn''t a linear concept, there are both strong and weak awakened at the same rank. This test is focused on finding out which end of the spectrum you are on."


    Alex nodded, what he said made sense. He had deduced the same thing back in the Primordial Expanse.


    "Second, we need to test for any affinities. These refer to any elements you are attuned to that you may have the potential to awaken in the future. Most awakened have no affinities. This is called the Aptitude Test."


    Alex listened closely to this section. He was very interested in knowing if he had any affinities. "Lastly, there is the voluntary section. Here you can choose whether you wish to disclose any talent, trait or other aspect of your details with us. Naturally there are rewards and offers we can give you if you choose to do this."


    Alex frowned when he heard thatst part. Normally he would never even consider revealing anything regarding his status. But at the mention of rewards he at least wanted to know what the federation was offering in exchange.


    "Sir, you mentioned rewards. What kind of rewards would we be given if we did choose to disclose anything?" Alex asked with interest.


    The man stopped walking and turned around to face Alex. A smile on his face.


    For the first time since he arrived, even the girl had turned to look at Alex.


    Clearly he had asked a question that interested them both.


    "It depends on what you disclose to us. If, say, you reveal a talent, then depending on the rank of that talent we can offer things like refined beast cores, equipment or even artifacts. But once again, it also depends on the rank of the talent."


    "In reality, it''s hard for me to tell you straight up what we can give without actually knowing what you have to offer."


    Alex swallowed his saliva, he was running through his thoughts ¡ª considering his options.


    ''Maybe I can expose my me talent? It''s only D rank and if it can gain me something useful then telling them about it would be worth it.''

 Chapter 48 Strength Test

    48 Strength Test


    The more Alex thought about it, it seemed like a decent idea.


    There wasn''t much risk in him telling them about his me talent. It basically just gave him a free affinity, along with the ability to crudely wield the element.


    Since they were going to test for any affinities anyway, it wasn''t a big deal for him to reveal where that affinity came from.


    Not to mention that his talent wasn''t really a big secret anyway, Rowan had already seen it in the Primordial Expanse, and he had already escaped back to the Federation when the city was overrun.


    He had no doubt that other people on the battlefield at the time also noticed the bright mes, and it wasn''t hard to find out he was the source.


    Who knew if there were some outsiders in the mix who also escaped back to the federation and reported on what they saw?


    Since the federation probably already knew about an awakened called ''Alex'' who has an elemental talent, he might as well get some rewards out of it.


    ''I''ll think more on thister when ites down to it.''


    Alex parted ways with the girl and the man guiding them when he reached the reception area.


    *** After filling out some forms at the front desk, Alex was told to go to ''testing room 12''.


    But with how massive the building was, it took him over half an hour of confusing directions to get there.


    However when he arrived, he was greeted with a sight of dozens of different types of machines.


    Apart from him, there were two other people in the room.


    Another, more mature man who was probably in his mid twenties, sweating bullets trying to keep up with the reaction testing machine he was using.


    Other than him there was a slender woman with golden blonde hair wearing a tight fitting tracksuit, standing behind the machine the man was using with a tablet in her hands.


    When Alex walked into the room, she noticed his presence immediately.


    "Your test is over, you can go and check your results on the ranking board when you''ve cleaned yourself up."


    The woman spoke to the twenty something man before she shifted her attention to Alex, whom she was already walking towards.


    "I am Distinguished K. You must be Alex. I am assigned to watch over your fitness test, I''ll watch over you and test your parameters up to a point where I think you can''t go any higher. Understand?"


    Alex nodded, he understood.


    "First we''ll test your strength, head over to the punching machine."


    Alex just stood there.


    He didn''t know what the punching machine looked like. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seeing this, K looked confused at first, then just pointed to a machine with a ck, padded cushion centred around a bunch of testing apparatuses.


    "Just punch the padded area as hard as you can. Do this five times and the average across all tries will be your result."


    ''This simple?''


    Alex was surprised the testing of Awakened was so easy and straightforward.


    He was half expecting to be hooked up to some machines and have some scientists and doctors check his body or whatever.


    But it seemed real life wasn''t like the novels he had read.


    Doing just as K instructed, Alex readied himself in front of the machine, took a few deep breaths and stretched his arm back.


    Aiming for the centre of the ck pad, he thrust his arm forward with all his force!


    BANG!


    The pad dipped inwards momentarily, before a mechanism was activated and it returned to normal shortly after.


    ''That felt good!''


    This was the first time since he had awakened that Alex got to test his full strength on something that could handle it.


    The feeling felt very refreshing!


    He turned to look at K on the side and was surprised to see that her expression had changed for the first time since he had entered the room.


    It was a mixed look of surprise and seriousness.


    ''They finally sent someone talented to my room!''


    Her thoughts revealed her true emotions, and she was eager to see how far this new kid could take it.


    Waking up from her shock, she looked at Alex and spoke:


    "Continue."


    She tried to make herself sound calm but she failed to hide her curiosity.


    Just as she asked, Alex performed the same action of punching with all he had four more times, feeling just as refreshed and free each time.


    When it came to the final punch, a ding sounded out from K''s tablet and Alex stopped his movements, waiting to hear his results.


    "What''s your name kid?" Instead of the expected numbers and exnations, something much different came from K.


    "Huh? It''s Alex."


    He responded, confused.


    "I already know that, but what''s your surname?"


    K continued, as if this question was more important to her than his results from the test were.


    "I don''t have one, just Alex is my name."


    This time it was K''s turn to be shocked.


    ''No surname?? Is this kid not from a prominent family?''


    The more she heard about Alex, the more she was interested.


    If he were from a family renowned for their strong awakened, then these results should be expected.


    But the fact that he had no family name at all was even more impressive to her.


    It meant he had gained his power through his own hard work and luck.


    "Have you thought about joining the Federation?"


    She asked Alex as soon as she heard he had no affiliations.


    "I haven''t thought about joining an organisation yet, can you tell me my results already?"


    Alex was starting to get annoyed with the constant question after question. He was here to test himself and register as an awakened so he can finally decide what to do with his life, not for an interview.


    Cough


    Realising she still hadn''t told him his results yet, K''s cheeks went slightly red.


    ''How could I forget¡­''


    "Ahem, on average you scored 1485 kg, with a highest score of 1552 and a lowest of 1399. This puts you on par with a weak E+ rank Evolver or a strong E rank."

 Chapter 49 Speed Test

    49 Speed Test


    Alex just stood there, looking at K with a deadpan gaze.


    He already knew he was as strong as an E rank, but he wasn''t expecting his strength to reach that of a weak E+ rank!


    "Just so you can better understand the strength of Awakened, let mey it out for you."


    K spoke after seconds of silence passed.


    "Starting at F- rank, the average strength of an awakened''s punch is around 100 kg and below, F rank is around 100-300 kg and F+ rank is around 301-600 kg, E- rank is around 601-1000 kg, E rank is around 1001-1500 kg, and finally E+ rank is around capped at 2000 kg+."


    "Keep in mind that these are figures for untrained awakened like you." "With proper training, these limits for each rank can be greatly increased ¡ª even a normal human can reach strength levels of up to 500 kg if they trained their bodies and their techniques for their whole life."


    "In reality, the strength cap for E+ awakened is actually around 3000kg, and is almost unheard of to cross that barrier without first reaching D- rank and bing a Distinguished awakened, like me."


    K spoke casually about the difference in strength between the ranks of awakened, and at the end she casually threw a punch of her own at the machine, greatly shocking Alex with a value of 4692 kg!


    ''So although I can barely reach the strength of an E+ ranked awakened, I can onlypare to those who are not only weak in their rank, but also untrained. Great.''


    This was a gut punch for Alex, quite frankly he had been proud of his strength that he had built up through his own hard work, only to find out he still barely reached half the strength of the real powerhouse Evolvers.


    ''This makes sense actually, Rowan had strength far above mine even though he was only an E rank. His strength is probably above 2000 kg while still at E rank!''


    While Alex was wallowing in his own self-inflicted misery, K noticed his downtrodden mood from the side and decided to give him some encouragement.


    "Don''t beat yourself up kid, keep in mind that you reached this level of strength without any proper training orbat techniques at your disposal, which is quite frankly shocking."


    Alex''s eyes lit up, thinking about what K had just told him.


    ''That''s right! Rowan and all those other strong Evolvers all have techniques that boost their strength, while I have nothing. If I manage to get my hands on a technique then who knows, maybe I could even surpass that ''unheard of to cross'' 3000 kg limit!''


    Alex regained confidence in himself again as he was reminded of a crucial fact, hisck of techniques or even training.


    Up until now he just fought by instinct and didn''t have any real strategy to his fights other than ''Win or die!''.


    With the advantage of his mysterious talent [Soulforge] backing him up, he had no doubts that there would once be a day in the future where he has no rival in the same realm as him.


    Snap!


    All of a sudden, K snapped her fingers right in front of Alex''s face, causing him to jolt awake.


    "Stop chuckling to yourself so weirdly and move on with the next test, move it!"


    Alex''s face reddened when he realised he had disyed such an embarrassing scene right in front of K. He rushed over to the next machine she pointed at to escape from the embarrassment.


    The machine she called out to him looked like a hyper advanced treadmill.


    Listening to her instructions, Alex alighted the machine and pressed the start button.


    "For this test the speed of the treadmill will slowly increase over time until it reaches a point where you either fall off, unable to keep up, or the sensors will detect the moment you are about to break and stop the machine."


    Alex nodded at K''s words and focused his attention on running.


    ''While I was F+ rank, I was able to run at speeds of 25 metres a second. Let''s see how fast I am now.''


    With that Alex started walking at a leisurely pace on the treadmill, starting at a measly 1 metre per second.


    Gradually, over the next minute the speed started to increase, and by the two minute mark, it reached 25 metres a second.


    ''Already beat my previous record, let''s see how far I can take this!''


    26¡­


    29¡­


    32¡­


    36¡­


    40¡­


    It was only by the 40 metre mark that Alex showed his first signs of struggle, with sweat starting to form on his forehead and back.


    ''Come on!''


    But he wasn''t finished yet.


    42¡­


    49¡­


    ***


    79.36 m/s. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    That was the top speed Alex had reached before his body couldn''t keep up with the speed any longer and he was ejected off the treadmill.


    Luckily, K was standing closely behind him so she caught him before he could injure himself.


    ''My speed is over triple what it was!''


    This time Alex didn''t need K to read his results out to him, instead he waited for her to exin how hepared to other Evolvers.


    "You really are full of surprises, you know." K spoke as she released her grasp on Alex, letting him slide down onto the ground and catch his breath.


    "79.36m/s, do you know just how fast that is?"


    Alex shook his head.


    "Let me give you a hint, E+ rank awakened usually ranges from 81 m/s to 100 m/s, give or take a few decimals."


    Alex was disappointed when he heard that his speed didn''t match up with his strength in terms of power scaling.


    "Speed is different from strength. There aren''t many techniques out there that can outright increase your speed, most just give you more interesting methods of utilising your speed."


    "This means that training has little to no difference on your speed. It is entirely up to your own talent and physical fitness."


    But when K continued, Alex realised that he was thinking wrong.


    ''So I have the physical fitness of a peak E rank or maybe even a weak E+ rank if I push myself, no matter whether they have any techniques or not!''

 Chapter 50 Is that it?

    50 Is that it?


    "Since I already told you about the strength of each rank, I may as well do the same with speed."


    "F- ranks usually don''t go above 10 m/s, though there are some exceptions. F ranks can range between 10 and 20 m/s, F+ ranks between 21 and 40 m/s. E- ranks range from 41 and 60 m/s, E ranks from 61 to 80 m/s and E+ ranks cap out at 100m/s."


    "This might seem like a lot of information overload, but it allows you to put into perspective just how much of an anomaly you are. Realistically you should only be able to reach 60 m/s, maybe a little above, but not to the extent that you are near E+ rank speeds¡­"


    K seemed even more shocked at his speed test results than his strength test.


    But since she had a job to do, she had toplete Alex''s tests before she wanted to do anything like recruiting him.


    "Let''s head over to the final test."


    Alex was happy to hear that he was finally moving on to thest test, ever since he hade back from the Primordial Expanse, all the procedures he had to go through were extremely tedious and he was d to be rid of them.


    "For thisst test, all you need to do is dodge."


    The exnation K gave for this one was shorter than the previous two, and Alex had no idea what he was actually supposed to dodge.


    He was inside a small 5m by 5m box with the walls being made out of some transparent material, allowing Alex to see K standing outside the box with the tablet in her hand.


    He looked at her and opened his mouth, asking what he was supposed to do now, but she was unable to hear a thing he said due to the wall blocking them


    Instead, she ignored his attempts tomunicate and tapped the screen on her tablet, which seemed to have awakened something in the box.


    "Reaction test activating¡­"


    "Level 1 begins in 10 seconds."


    10¡­


    9¡­


    8¡­


    Alex was barely given any time toprehend anything before he was thrusted straight into the test without any prior warning.


    He had no idea what level 1 entailed, nor how it was supposed to test his reaction speed but he remembered the sentence K spoke to him before he entered.


    ''Dodge.''


    Sure enough, just as the countdown ended, aser shot right at Alex''s head from the ceiling above him.


    With the speed theser was moving, it was no big deal for him to dodge it, but inwardly he was very confused.


    ''Is she trying to kill me???''


    Just from the energy he felt inside theser, he realised that it actually had the power to harm him!


    It wouldn''t kill him, it would probably take hundreds of the sameser shot at the same time to kill him, but the fact he might get injured in this test didn''t please him at all.


    "Level 1 - pass."


    "Beginning level 2."


    Since he had dodged the firstser, theputer had judged that he passed the first level.


    ''I can tell the next few minutes aren''t going to be fun¡­''


    ***


    15 minutester, Alex exited the reaction chamber looking much more red than when he first entered.


    He wasn''t embarrassed or anything.


    He had just reached level 20 and was hit by 10 differentsers simultaneously. Dodging wasn''t an option anymore, his limit had been reached.


    K looked at the frown on his slightly burned face and chuckled, prompting Alex to scoff.


    "So how''d I do?"


    K took a few seconds to finish her chuckle fit.


    "You tell me, you reached level 20. How do you think you did?"


    Instead of telling him his results outright, she instead threw the question back at him.


    "Lemme guess, I scored around high E rank, low E+ rank." Alex replied with sarcasm.


    Since he had been around this level in the previous two tests, it was a no brainer that his results on the reaction test would be simr.


    "Spot on! Who knew you could be so perceptive!" K was clearly mocking Alex, since the answer was so obvious a five year old could figure it out.


    "Enough of this already. I''vepleted all the tests, so shouldn''t I be officially registered now?"


    The atmosphere quickly changed to serious when Alex asked that question.


    He wasn''t interested in hearing how the results usually looked for each rank this time.


    K''s expression also turned serious.


    "You must be forgetting something. Something very important, Alex."


    K stood there waiting for Alex to reply, but no reply came.


    Sigh


    "You still have yet to take the test for any affinities. This is perhaps the most important test, more important than all the physical testsbined."


    Alex''s brows perked up in realisation. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He was so immersed in the physical tests that he had totally forgotten about the test for aptitude!


    "Follow me." K said.


    ***


    A few short minutester, Alex was led to a door protected by two heavily armed guards on either side of it, along with manyyers of security checks such as retina scan, fingerprint scan and an 8 digit keypad.


    ''Seems a little excessive.''


    Alex had no idea why so much security was needed to protect the room where aptitude tests take ce, but he was sure K would tell him the answerter on.


    After going through all the security checks, K pushed open the door with a click sound and hissing reverberating when the huge hunk of metal slowly swung to the side.


    ''A pressurised room?''


    Alex''s questions increased but he kept them to himself for now.


    Shortly after the door shut with a heavy thud.


    "This is the room where aptitude tests take ce." K spoke with a heavy tone.


    "I''m sure you have a lot of questions regarding the heavy security, but those can wait for after."


    "First, all you have to do is move to the centre of the room and the process will all be over in a matter of seconds."


    K finished speaking and Alex looked towards the centre she was talking about.


    It looked like nothing special to him, the entire room just looked like a box with some in white walls and nothing else.


    There was literally nothing in the room except for two of them.


    When he moved to the centre, Alex looked back at K and she operated her tablet once again.


    While Alex was expecting for some sort of device to pop out of the floor or something, instead he felt the energy in the room be much more condensed for a few seconds before it disappeared.


    ''Is that it?''


    "Your results are out! Come check them." K spoke, not even trying to hide the excitement in her voice this time.

 Chapter 51 Aptitude

    51 Aptitude


    Alex walked over to K with a hint of disappointment on his face.


    To be truthful, he was expecting something more ''grand'' when he had his aptitudes tested, especially with all the anticipation and build-up from the security guarding this room alone.


    When he arrived at K''s side, he looked at her for a second, wondering what she was so excited about.


    "Look!" She ordered Alex with expectation ¡ª pointing at the tablet screen in her hand.


    What showed up on the screen only confused Alex even further.


    [Aptitude Test results - Alex]


    Elemental Affinities - 54%


    Conceptual Affinities - 2% N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Spiritual Affinities - 71%


    Mystical Affinities - 8%


    [-End of test-]


    When Alex looked at his results, contrary to K his reaction was much more tame.


    He already knew he had a fire affinity because of his me talent ¡ª the reason for his Elemental Affinities being so high.


    But he was a little surprised at his Spiritual Affinities being even higher than that.


    ''Maybe my other talent, Soulforge, has something to do with it?''


    Of course, Alex wasn''t certain about his guess. It just seemed like the most likely answer since ''Spiritual'' usually meant something to do with the soul, as far as the novel''s he had read were concerned.


    But who said there had to be a reason for it? He could just have a naturally high Spiritual Affinity.


    With how vague these results were, it would be impossible for Alex to determine the reason why without getting an even more detailed evaluation.


    When K saw his tame reaction, she lightly pped the back of his head, prompting a reaction from Alex.


    "Hey! What was that for? You do realise you could easily injure me with your strength!" Alex shouted back at her while rubbing his head. Even a light tap from her hurt enough for him to yelp.


    "I''ll be lucky if I don''t have a headache for the rest of the day¡­" He mumbled some more words, but stoppedining when he looked at K''s clearly unimpressed expression.


    "Do you not realise what this means? How are you not excited when you look at these results!?" It seemed she was unhappy with hisck of reaction.


    "As a matter of fact, I don''t know what this means, please borate for me, oh great Distinguished K!" With a sarcastic tone, Alex retorted.


    He really didn''t know why those results were a big deal.


    Hearing his reply, K took a deep breath to calm herself down and started to exin:


    "As you can obviously see, there are four main categories of aptitude."


    Alex nodded.


    He had seen the tablet, he may have grown up in the slums but he could count to four!


    "Well, from reading into your background a little bit, it''s safe to say you don''t know what these four categories mean, correct?"


    Alex gave her a weird look.


    She had looked into his background? When?


    But Alex answered anyway


    "That''s true, though I can guess what Elemental Affinities are."


    K shrugged and continued.


    "I''ll exin the other three then. Conceptual Affinities consist of Space, Time, Dimensions, Creation etc."


    Starting off with Conceptual Affinities, K exined which specific affinities fell under this section, and their basic usage.


    Alex had no idea how someone would fight using ''concepts'' but he put his curiosity for the topic aside for the time being.


    "Next, we have spiritual Affinities. This covers stuff like the Soul, Mind, basically anything outside of the physical realm and in the Spiritual Dimension."


    Things got even weirder when she exined to him about the Spiritual Affinities.


    ''How can someone have an affinity for the soul? Don''t we all have souls? What makes theirs different from mine?''


    His questions were left unanswered.


    "Finally we have Mystical Affinities, which happens to be the one Humanity knows the least about. Whates under this is stuff like Divination, Enchantment, Curses, Illusions. Basically the ''Supernatural''."


    K finished her exnations about the different Aptitudes, leaving Alex with a bunch more unanswered questions.


    "That''s great and all, but what does me knowing what the differentiations in Aptitudes are have to do with why you''re so excited."


    This is what Alex was really concerned about.


    After all, that''s what led to this whole conversation starting.


    "I was getting to that." K said in annoyance.


    "That''s because one of the requirements for upgrading your Soul core to B tier is to have a level of control over an element, which you can only do if you have an affinity for an element."


    This time it was Alex''s turn to be shocked.


    Reaching B rank, what did that have to do with him when he had only just hit E- rank?


    ''Wait, she said ''control over an element'', that only falls under one of the four sections.''


    Alex looked up at K, and it was as if she could read his mind.


    "I know what you''re thinking. ''Why only elements?'', well don''t ask me. I''m in the same boat as you as far as that goes. Any information pertaining to the other three Aptitudes is above my paygrade, but I heard rumors they''re even more important than Elemental Affinities."


    Alex believed her.


    What she said made sense. She was only a D tier, a single major rank above him. She was just as in the dark as Alex when it came to such esoteric topics.


    On the side, K sat down and sighed.


    "Well, that''s it for your tests then¡­ You can go down to the reception and collect your Awakened ID and you''ll be free to do what you like from that point onwards. Of course, if you''re interested in working for the Federation then I''ll be d to help you with that!"


    K bid farewell to Alex, looking a little disappointed when she realised she had to let go of such a good seedling.


    However, Alex didn''t move.


    He stood in the exact same spot, staring at K, looking as if she had missed something.


    "Ahem, you can go now." She coughed and repeated herself, in case he didn''t hear her the first time.


    But Alex still didn''t move.


    "What do you want? You actually interested in working for the federation?"


    Before K could get her hopes up of recruiting him, Alex spoke.


    "Aren''t you forgetting something?"


    Confused, K shook her head.


    "No?"


    "What about the third test? The voluntary one?" Alex continued.


    K had to do a double take, making sure she heard him right.


    "The disclosure of details Test? Are you sure?"


    K looked a little uncertain when she asked him.


    It had been so long since someone had asked to do this test that she hadpletely forgotten it even existed.


    Practically no one would be willing to give up some of their biggest secrets just for a little reward.


    "Yes, I''d like to disclose my talent. For a reward of course." Alex smiled, thinking about what the association could offer him in exchange for his information.

 Chapter 52 Exposed

    52 Exposed


    Alex practically had money bags for eyes when he thought about what kind of rewards he would get for exposing his me talent.


    On the other hand, K was very skeptical regarding everything surrounding this. She didn''t know what Alex wanted to disclose, but only things like talents and traits would entice the association to give out rewards.


    ''I knew this kid had potential, but if he even has a talent then I won''t know what to think.''


    It wasmonly known across the entire federation that it was incredibly lucky for an awakened to obtain a talent when they first entered the Primordial Expanse.


    Every talent was useful, even if it was F- rank.


    But every awakened had a trait, and these traits could be upgraded over time after achieving an impressive feat etc.


    Only the stronger traits actually provided anything beneficial though.


    Seeing that Alex was genuinely being serious, K pulled out her tablet again and spoke:


    "Well since you''re so sure, then go ahead."


    Since he had received her permission, Alex pulled up his details for the first time since he had arrived back in the federation.


    This was also the first time he''d opened the panel outside the Primordial Expanse.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge], [me(D+)]


    Trait: [Rookie]


    Trait Description: [You''ve finally got a foot into the ranks of people who actually know what they are doing.]


    Rank: [Evolver]


    Soul core: [E- 0%]


    Quite a lot had changed since hest checked his details, but he already knew about his trait changing and his me talent upgrading beforehand.


    However when he took a look at thepletion percentage next to the tier of his soul core, he was shocked.


    ''How could it be 0%?? I clearly remember absorbing quite a lot of energy from that soul orb¡­''


    His shock and confusion would have to wait for another time though.


    He couldn''t dy K for long.


    "I have a talent I''d like to exin." He spoke up, waking both of them from their reverie.


    With her curiosity peaked, K urged Alex to continue.


    "But first, I''d like to know what rewards you are offering for each rank of talent."


    But Alex wasn''t going to blindly give out his details without first knowing what he was getting in exchange. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The guide from when he first stepped foot in the association hadn''t revealed anything about this, and he''d very much like to know before he proceeds any further.


    "Why don''t you take a look for yourself, that information is readily avable on the association website." K didn''t want to bore him (or herself) with anymore of her exnations.


    However Alex just pointed at his empty wrists and pockets, and spoke:


    "I don''t own a terminal."


    Terminals were the mostmon personalputer device that people used in this day and age.


    It can be equated to a much more futuristic version of a mobile phone from ancient Earth.


    Alex had never earned enough to purchase one of these for himself ¡ª he only ever essed the gctic by renting out a static terminal in the public library.


    K was speechless.


    She had never known anyone who didn''t own a personal terminal. But then again she had never met anyone from a mining colony either.


    She just epted it and moved on.


    "Take a look at this then."


    She flipped around her tablet for Alex to see and on it was a webpage, specifically the one she was talking about earlier.


    [Official Awakened Association reward scheme]


    Below are the rewards the association offers to Awakened who voluntarily choose to disclose very private information about their talents and traits to us.


    Any and all information shared with the association will be kept strictly confidential.


    Rewards:


    F- to F+ rank talents: Up to 2 E- rank refined beast cores depending on the usage and rank of your talent.


    E- to E+ rank talents: 1 E+ rank beast core or a resource of equivalent rank.


    C- to C+ rank talents: A specially crafted weapon of your specification.


    For any information regarding talents graded above B rank, please visit your nearest association branch to discuss with us in person.


    When Alex read through the list of rewards, at first he didn''t know what to make out of it.


    But when he read up to the D and C rank rewards, he quickly became very excited.


    ''Combat techniques!''


    When he read that, what came to mind was the lessons K had given him during his physical test.


    ''Awakened with techniques are much stronger than those without.''


    Upon realising he could obtain one of those techniques so soon, he didn''t hesitate any longer.


    "Is this ce private?"


    He asked K, referring to the Aptitude test room they were still in.


    "Naturally. This room is about as private as it gets in this building, without taking into ount the real confidential areas of course."


    Sighing a breath of relief and nervousness, Alex started revealing information.


    "I have a talent, it''s called me, and it''s at D+ rank."


    As he spoke, he conjured up a small me in his palm and started ying with it.


    "From what I can tell so far, me allows me to incorporate the fire element into my attacks, and even directly manipte it like this."


    K was mesmerised as she watched the small orange me dance around Alex''s palm like a harmless little butterfly.


    The only person she had ever met with an elemental talent like this was her master, and he was iprehensibly strong!


    ''This kid will overtake me in no time¡­''


    When he was done exining, Alex only had one question to ask. "By the way, does this mean I''ve already met the ''control over an element'' requirement of reaching B rank?"


    He had been curious about this ever since K had revealed this information to him.


    Since he could already control mes due to his talent, didn''t that mean he wouldn''t have that bottleneck when he reached C+ rank?


    "Of course not. You may have an elemental talent but you aren''t controlling the me yourself."


    But Alex''s happy expression was quickly drowned out. It was like K''s words poured cold water all over him. Even his me died out the moment she spoke.


    "You can only control your fire right now because the Primordial Expanse gifted that ability to you. To upgrade your soul core to B tier you need to take control of an element yourself, without the help given by the Primordial Expanse. The only help this talent provides you is raising your aptitude for the fire element, giving you an easier time when you reach that point in the far future."


    ''Tsk. Just as I was getting my hopes up.''


    It seemed that ever since Alex met Rowan and now K, all he ever did was get lectured by them about how stupid he was or how ignorant he was to how the world works.


    He was grateful to them for exining things to him when he asked, but getting constantly berated for hisck ofmon knowledge was mentally draining.


    "By the way, how are you so sure I''m not lying about the rank of my talent?"


    When Alex thought about the system where Awakened revealed their secrets to the association, he realised how easy it sounded to just lie about their rank for better rewards.


    But he knew it couldn''t be that easy.


    K just pointed to the room he was in, and Alex quickly understood.


    "This whole time I''ve been monitoring the energy levels in this room. The density of the me you disyed showed a constant D+ rank the whole time."


    ''Right. The association wouldn''t give out rewards without being sure first.''


    "So¡­ about my reward."


    It was time to get what he came for.

 Chapter 53 Phoenix Fury

    53 Phoenix Fury


    "So¡­ about my reward."


    With the whole disclosure over, Alex was naturally interested in when he would be getting his reward.


    "Since you''ve given us valuable information on a D+ rank talent, I''m sure I can convince the higher ups to give you a D+ rank technique in return."


    In truth, the only reason Alex could get a D+ rank technique instead of the usual D- rank was because of the nature of his talent.


    The fact that he had an Element based talent boosted up the value of not only the information, but Alex himself.


    This was because Alex was much more likely to reach B tier in the future with the help of his talent, as it would be much easier for him to learn enough about the fire element that he gains a certain amount of control over it.


    "Good news, the higher ups approved the request!"


    A few minutester, K received word back from her superiors and she let Alex know the good news, which naturally left him excited.


    "Go ahead and tell me what kind of technique you want, I''ll try my best to amodate you."


    ''That''s right! It said a technique of your own choice!''


    Alex had almost skipped over that fact.


    "Since I have my me talent, are there any fire element strength rted techniques?"


    Now that the association knew about his me talent and his fire affinity, Alex wasn''t going to try and hide anything from them in regards to choosing his technique.


    Instead he might as well make the most out of it and try his luck in searching for a technique that not only boosted his strength, but also his me talent.


    "Wow I didn''t expect there to actually be such a technique ranked so low¡­ You''re quite lucky, Alex."


    As she spoke, K turned her tablet around for Alex to see, almost like it was natural at this point for her to do so.


    On the screen, only 1 technique was disyed. But it immediately grabbed Alex''s attention.


    [D+ rank technique - Physical]


    Name: Phoenix Fury


    Description: Tempers the technique user''s body through thebination of intense physical exercise and the fire element. This technique is most effective in users who take on difficult fights, as the more injuries the body of the user sustains, the stronger it will be through the help of this technique. Requires a high fire affinity to cultivate, and an even higher pain tolerance to cultivate.


    Remark: Rumoured to be a lost chapter of a much stronger technique, linking to the lineage of the Divine Phoenix.


    The more Alex read, the more excited he got.


    ''This is the one for sure.''


    This technique was everything he needed right now.


    Before he learned what rewards he could get, he was at most expecting some money or maybe even a beast core if he was lucky.


    But he never expected to be given a reward such as this. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''This seems a little too powerful to only be D+ rank.''


    It sounded almost too good to be true, which was what held Alex back from choosing it right on the spot.


    "This technique sounds like it should be ranked higher than D+, what''s going on with this?" He voiced his questions to K, who looked like she was expecting Alex to ask about it.


    "It might sound difficult to wrap your head around, but trust me the association''s evaluation of it couldn''t be wrong. In fact, I''ve heard of this technique before and it''s¡­ a little peculiar to say the least."


    K awkwardly went silent for a few seconds, before she added:


    "You''ll see what I mean when you start cultivating it."


    Alex was hesitant after hearing K''s weird tone, but in the end he chose to take this technique anyway.


    ''Sometimes you have to take a risk in life.''


    He didn''t know where he had heard that saying from, but he felt it applied right now.


    "It''s settled then, the technique will be sent to your inbox within the hour-"


    K paused her speech midway, as she remembered something crucial.


    ''This kid doesn''t have amunicator¡­''


    ***


    Half an hour passed, and K led Alex out of a futuristic, high tech shop on the 79th floor of the Awakened Association.


    "You really didn''t have to do this¡­" Alex felt bad for K, after all she had just bought him a brand newmunicator.


    Inwards, he was so ready to go and test out his first ever personalmunicator he could hardly contain his excitement.


    14:23


    "No biggie, I billed the invoice to the association anyway, so technically I didn''t lose anything from this, the association did."


    Alex didn''t know how to feel when he heard this.


    ''This doesn''t mean I owe the association any money right? Ah, whatever. I''ll just treat it as part of my reward.''


    "So where were we¡­ Oh yeah!"


    K got back on track by telling Alex all he needed to know about his new technique.


    "As I was saying, the technique will be sent to your inbox within the hour. You must absolutely not share this technique with anyone else, as doing so is punishable by death."


    A cold shiver went down Alex''s spine when he heard that.


    "Normally, fresh Evolvers like you would only ever get their first technique when they enter university, but you now have a head start. Not to mention the technique you have is vastly superior to the mediocrity the universities will supply you with."


    ''Well, you learn something new everyday.''


    Alex hadn''t expected it was so difficult to obtain a technique.


    He just assumed that over time an Evolver like him could earn some money and buy a technique, but it seemed things were moreplicated than that.


    "Speaking of university, have you given any thought into what you want to do in the future?"


    K wasn''t obligated to ask any questions like this, but the two of them became quite familiar over thest day and they becamefortable with asking casual questions to each other.


    K had even added her contact to Alex''smunicator when she bought it, making her his first ever contact!


    "Yeah, I met this guy in the Primordial Expanse. He said he''d rmend me to some university called ''Capital Prime University''. Any idea where I can find this ce?"


    Alex waspletely unfamiliar with how the federation worked, he''d never even learned any detailed information about life outside his own sr system.


    Only the most basic of all basic information reached his ears.


    But when K heard the name of the university he was thinking of applying to, she spat her drink out and eximed:


    "WHAT?!"


    Just when she thought all the surprises were over¡­

 Chapter 54 Capital Prime

    54 Capital Prime


    "What''s wrong? Should I not apply for it?" Alex was surprised by the sudden water spouting from K''s mouth.


    Wiping the water away, she replied: "No! But you''re really thinking of joining the number 1 Awakened University in the federation¡­"


    ''Even with his potential, that''s still a high goal to reach!''


    On the other side, Alex was still acting casual. He asked curiously, "Number 1 university? What''s the big deal? I heard any university is good as long as you get a degree?"


    Alex had read some stuff online about universities before, all the posts and forums he read about them said that as long as you get a degree with a high grade, then it doesn''t matter which university you went to.


    Employers will still hire you.


    "WHAT''S THE BIG DEAL?? I don''t know where you get your information from, but the rankings for universities across the whole federation is verypetitive. You''re most definitely getting normal universities and Awakened universities mixed up!"


    Alex had only just stepped away from the below average life he had been living for thest 17 years since he was born, so he barely knew anything about the world of the awakened.


    His entire education up till now had been around learning the life of miners and othermon jobs in the colony. ARC didn''t have any information rted to awakened in their school curriculum.


    "So what do I have to do to join Capital Prime Uni?" Alex was just more concerned with how he could go about enrolling there.


    "Well for most universities, the process is pretty simr to what you just went through in the association. You do a few tests, receive your evaluation and wait for how your results rank against all the other applicants."


    With the way she was speaking, Alex was waiting for the ''But-'' toe in, and sure enough it did.


    "But, for the top five universities the process is different. Applicants have to go through a much more dangerous test, they have to experience a real battle at a Floodgate!"


    This time, Alex did know what K was talking about for once.


    But he wasn''t happy with what he heard.


    Floodgates were names given to something very sinister that arrived at the same time the Primordial Expanse did.


    When these portals appear, they can never be closed.


    This means that there is a constant flood of beastsing to and from the Primordial Expanse wherever these portals form.


    This is the reason for the name Floodgate.


    Typically, these Floodgates can only be found ons that have already been deserted by beasts during the initial wave of people who experienced Impending doom over a hundred years ago.


    If a Floodgate were to form on a popted in this day and age, chances were that it would quickly fall into ruin and be one of these deserteds.


    That''s how deadly these Floodgates are.


    One of the most annoying things was that these Floodgates acted oppositely to how the Awakened''s portals worked.


    With portals that Awakened open, only those awakened themselves can use them. No beast or native, or even other Awakened can use it to travel to the federation or the Primordial Expanse.


    But with Floodgates, only beasts can use them, and it worked both ways. No human could use them, whether they were from the Federation or a native, it didn''t matter.


    ''Great, I just came back from a hellhole and now I have to enter another one if I want to meet up with Rowan again.''


    "Maybe I just shouldn''t apply then¡­" Alex mumbled to himself, thinking he could have a much easier life if he took it slow for a while before he re-entered the Primordial Expanse to increase his rank again.


    "NO! Ahem, I mean no, you should still definitely apply!" Just as Alex had just about changed his mind, K spoke up.


    He nced at her, not expecting her to have such a strong reaction.


    Feeling the tense atmosphere, K smiled and said, "The rewards for sessfully enrolling in a top five university, especially Capital Prime, are well worth the risk you go through in the entrance test."


    She paused for a second, then continued.


    "Just think about your reward for telling us about your talent ¡ª the resources the universities offer are infinitely betterpared to that."


    Now, Alex was interested.


    Before, he thought he might not need to go to a university to be strong.


    With his Soulforge talent, he could do just fine for himself if he just continued his ventures into the Primordial Expanse.


    But when he thought about the various techniques and weapons, resources that universities had to offer, he thought it might be better than his idea. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was also the only way for him to ess a vast amount of techniques, so that was another reason.


    ***


    K led Alex to the application centre for universities and said her farewell, for good this time.


    Before she left, she suggested the two of them team up some time in the future for ventures into the primordial Expanse and Floodgates, and Alex agreed without much thought.


    He had gotten to know her decently well over thest day, and he already had her number.


    Ping!


    His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a notification on his brand newmunicator.


    [1 new message in inbox: Your reward has arrived!...]


    A big smile filled his face before he closed hismunicator.


    ''I''ll check it another time.''


    He had just walked into the application centre and had filled out his application form with where he wanted to enrol, he didn''t have time to check the details of his first ever technique.


    He handed his form to the receptionists at the counter, and they raised an eyebrow when they saw ''Capital Prime'' as his university of choice.


    ''Another ambitious one. Reality will hit him soon enough.''


    Alex didn''t care for their obvious reactions, he just waited for them to tell him what he had to do next.


    "Entrance tests for the top five start in a month ¡ª transport off world leaves in a week."


    ''Guess I have a week to kill¡­''


    He couldn''t remember thest time he had a week of free time.

 Chapter 55 No friends, no hobbies, no money

    55 No friends, no hobbies, no money


    Alex left the application centre, and was left standing there on the pavement with a nk look on his face.


    ''What the hell am I supposed to do for a week?''


    A sudden realisation came to him that his life so far was really boring.


    Before the Primordial Expanse, every day just consisted of work at the mines, eating, reading a few novels or browsing the web.


    He didn''t have any hobbies, friends, or money¡­


    ''Oh shit! How could I forget.''


    But when he was stressing over how he was going to spend the next week, he suddenly remembered the message he had just received on hismunicator.


    ''I can use this week to study my new technique! Perfect!''


    With a new goal in mind, Alex made his way over to a quiet, decent sized park in the middle of the city and sat down in the grass and pulled up the information about Phoenix Fury.


    ''Let''s see here¡­ Stretch this¡­ Do this stance¡­''


    He read through the whole document for the next 30 minutes, not blinking or taking his eyes off the contents once.


    A few passer-by even mistook him for someone sleeping, until they saw his eyes were wide open and he was looking intensely at hismunicator.


    Finally, he had read through the entire document and stood up all of a sudden. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It didn''t take much for him to memorise the contents. His mind had been strengthened and evolved when he had be an Evolver.


    Soon he started taking on a few weird angled poses, targeting specific muscles in his chest, arms and legs that he would otherwise not be able to train.


    ''I have to hold this stance for 2 hours??''


    Alex had to stay in this exact position for 2 hours, but he was feeling the effects of exhaustion after only 20 minutes.


    ''How can such a simple exercise have an effect on an Evolver like me¡­''


    It was only after experiencing it first hand that Alex realised why this technique was targeted towards awakened.


    If a normal person used this, they''d probably fall into aa just for holding the stance for 30 seconds.


    ''I can feel energy pouring into my body from my surroundings!''


    14:24


    After 40 minutes passed, Alex started to feel the naturally urring fire element in the air slowly being attracted towards him ¡ª entering his body and slowly strengthening his muscles.


    The force was invisible to the naked eye, but the air around Alex had heated up by a few degrees.


    ''This feeling is magical!''


    By now, Alex had gained a few curious onlookers who gazed at him with confusion.


    To them it just looked like some strange teenager was performing a weird act in the middle of the park.


    Some even mistook him as a homeless performer and threw a couple pennies his way¡­


    But with the state of his clothes it made sense.


    He was still wearing his dirty miner''s clothes he was wearing when he first entered the Primordial Expanse.


    But Alex didn''t take any notice of this, his entire attention was focused on keeping up his stance and absorbing the fire element in his surroundings.


    Eventually, 2 hours finally passed and Alex was covered in sweat from head to toe.


    It looked like he had been standing in pouring rain for thest hour, but the clear blue and the shining sun in the sky said otherwise.


    Finally rxing himself, Alex couldn''t even stand and flopped onto his back, cushioned by the grass.


    He was heavily breathing, but a smile adorned his face.


    ''It''s not much, but I feel like my punches will pack an extra kilo or two of force!''


    The difference was practically negligible, but Alex was only making use of the weakest version of the technique.


    The whole foundation of the technique relies on Alex being injured, and guiding that fire elemental energy into his body, simultaneously repairing it and strengthening it in the process.


    ***


    A week soon passed.


    Alex had kept up with his training every day.


    He would show up to that same spot in the park every day and perform the same stance.


    He felt like he could maybe improve his physical strength score by maybe 10kg if he took it again.


    The funny thing was that he even had some of the same onlookersing to watch him every day.


    There was even one old man who waited for him at the same time every day, and captured the image of Alex in his stance onto the canvas he was painting on.


    The small amount of money people threw allowed him to buy himself a simple meal every day, which he found quite funny.


    Other than that, he would just find a park bench to sleep on when night came.


    If the people knew that this was an Evolver who they mistook for a homeless person, who knows how they''d react...


    He wasn''t bothered with this as he often slept in the wilderness in the Primordial Expanse when he was investigating the sleeper.


    But now that seven days had passed, this would be hisst time training in this park.


    After finishing up his usual 2 hour training session, he packed up all his things, mainly a few leftover credits, and made his way over to the transport ship.


    Applicants to the top five universities took a separate transport ship to their testing site, this was the one Alex was taking.


    The ship had a simr design to the one he took to Hortus, except for the fact that it was the size of a skyscraper turned on its side.


    When he arrived, he saw a myriad of excited and chatty youngsters like himself, waiting to enter the ship.


    He looked around and noticed that everyone seemed to have a friend to talk with, while he himself just stood there alone.


    Instead of embarrassing himself by trying to strike a conversation with someone, he closed his eyes and listened in on others conversations while waiting for the doors of the ship to open.


    "Did you hear? Beacon Darius died in the Primordial Expanse! It''s said he fought a mighty B rank beast and would have won if not for the beast horde intervening in the battle. I heard that a city was destroyed in the process too!"


    ''Huh?''


    Alex didn''t know this Beacon Darius but he recognised the scenario the spiky haired youth was describing.


    ''Was the B rank outsider who died this Beacon Darius? How did news of Valentis'' destruction even reach this ce?''


    Alex had many questions, but when he opened his eyes to ask he was immediately faced with a serious and stern looking face standing right in front of him, gazing right at his¡­ chest?


    ''This girl''s here too?''


    It was the same girl he had entered the Awakened association with.

 Chapter 56 Mira

    Chapter 56 Mira


    "..."


    "..."


    Neither of the two spoke to each other as they just continued this strange staring contest.


    The girl didn''t move her eyes from Alex''s chest once, while Alex didn''t move his gaze from the girl''s stern face once.


    "..."


    The silence continued for another minute before it was broken by the girl.


    "You look different."


    ''???''


    "Excuse me?"


    Alex responded in confusion.


    It had only been a week since she hadst seen him. Frankly he was surprised she even remembered him at all.


    "More muscle."


    The girl spoke again, pointing at his half exposed chest.


    ''When did this happen?''


    Alex looked down and saw that his shirt was half torn, covered in dirt and barely attached to his body at this point.


    This was the same shirt he''d been wearing since before he even became an awakened.


    "Huh, well you look the same." He responded to her.


    ''So awkward¡­''


    The weird girl didn''t even change her expression once during the whole conversation.


    It was like she was a robot.


    "You took the tests too, right? What scores did you get?" Alex shifted the direction of the conversation to something more¡­ normal.


    At the mention of the tests, the girl finally had a reaction in her expression as a momentary state of excitement showed, but disappeared less than a secondter. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''So she does have emotions, that''s good to know.''


    But despite her reaction she didn''t answer him.


    "I see, you don''t trust me enough to reveal this. My mistake. How about we start from the beginning." Alex apologised in case he offended her by asking intimate details about her strength. He straightened his gait and offered his hand out for a shake.


    "The name''s Alex."


    The girl looked at Alex''s hand for a second, then at his face.


    She didn''t ept the handshake but she answered:


    "Mira."


    ''Not much of a conversationalist are you?''


    "Well Mira, if you haven''t noticed already, everyone here seems to have already established their own cliques, while the two of us are all alone." Alex put on a friendly smile as he spoke.


    "I suspect the examiners for this test won''t prohibit teaming up, which will naturally be a problem for loners like us. I propose we team up, how about it?"


    Mira took her time to consider this.


    She never usually worked with others. It was hard for her to trust people she didn''t know, especially after what she went through growing up.


    Even when she was summoned to the Primordial Expanse she only ever worked alone.


    But when she looked at Alex, she felt drawn to him through some mysterious feeling.


    If she were to put it into words, it was like he had a pure soul, while everyone else was tainted.


    This was partly the reason why she approached him first.


    She looked around at all the other participants with all their fancy clothes and arrogant smiles as they chatted andughed at each other.


    Then she looked at herself and Alex, they were two outcasts among this group.


    Everyone here was applying for the most elite universities, people like these were usually elites themselves, with at least some backing.


    But she knew Alex was just like her, born in the slums ¡ª forced to live a hard life since birth.


    "Okay." She responded to Alex, agreeing to his proposal.


    Alex was dazed. He didn''t expect her to actually ept.


    But this was even good!


    "It''s official then, we''re a team! By the way, I applied for Capital Prime, which uni did you apply to."


    In truth Alex didn''t know the name of any of the other top five universities other than Capital Prime. He only asked her out of courtesy.


    "I applied for Capital Prime too."


    Surprised, Alex raised a brow and took a second look at the petite girl and raised his evaluation of her.


    ''She''s ambitious too, I like it!''


    "I guess we have more inmon than we thought then. How about this? As a sign of trust between partners in the test and future ssmates, I''ll tell you what I got on my tests. After all, knowing your teammate''s strength will be beneficial when wee across a beast."


    Alex led her further away from the crowd, he didn''t want any prying ears listening in on his conversation.


    "Don''t be too shocked to hear, but I actually scored E+ rank results in all physical tests but the speed test, but I''m still at the cusp of E+ rank on that. All this while I only just became an Evolver!"


    Alex felt slightly prideful when he listed out his aplishments like that. It felt good to show off.


    But contrary to his expectations, Mira didn''t have much of a reaction.


    "I scored E+ rank results too, on speed as well."


    She dropped a bombshell on Alex, and his face fluctuated from red and white.


    He was both embarrassed at showing off to someone who was superior to him, as well as shocked that she could score higher than him even when he had strengthened himself with soul orbs!


    ''She must have a strong talent as well, otherwise how can her results be exined¡­''


    Alex suspected her of having a talent, but he wasn''t going to ask her about that.


    That would be too far, information like that couldn''t just be shared openly like that.


    But unexpectedly she dropped another bombshell on him.


    "I have an A- rank talent too."


    ''...''


    Alex''s mind went nk.


    ''What the hell??? You were so hesitant to reveal your results earlier, and now you go and do this!?''


    He recovered after a few seconds, but hurriedly stretched his hand to cover Mira''s mouth.


    "What are you doing??? You can''t just share your details so openly like that! We''ve only just met! We''re still strangers, why would you tell me such private information!?"


    Alex focused and looked around him.


    Nobody was looking at them.


    Everyone seemed too focused on their own conversations to listen in on the conversation between two slumrats.


    "Good, seems nobody noticed."


    He sighed a breath of relief.


    "But don''t speak about your talent or any of your details so openly like that again. If it were anyone else but me they could use this info against you ¡ª who knows what could happen to you after that."


    Mira frowned and bit her lip when she heard Alex strongly reprimanding her.


    When she entered the Primordial Expanse nobody was kind enough to let her know of suchmon sense.


    She wasn''t lucky like Alex.


    "Thanks."


    Alex didn''t react.


    She spoke so quietly he didn''t hear her.


    He was too focused on checking if anyone was paying attention to them.

 Chapter 57 Golden Presence

    57 Golden Presence


    "All applicants prepare to board the ship!"


    A shout came across the open field, causing everyone to stop their conversations and turn to look at the source of a voice.


    Standing in front of the huge ship, a man dressed in a tight fitting battle uniform stood. His eyes were jet ck, matching his hair and his clothes.


    This was the chief examiner for this entrance exam, Professor Will Wother, a famous B+ rank awakened!


    This was by far the strongest being he had ever seen. No human or beast he hade across so far couldpare to the energy Alex felt radiating from Will.


    Since Alex could feel this energy, it only made sense that every other applicant in the field could too.


    Mira simply kept up her usual emotionless expression, but who knew what was going on inside her mind.


    "Good. Now that I have your attention, everyone form an orderly line and board the ship, we''re departing now." Will spoke again when everyone turned their attention to him.


    But before he entered the ship himself, he took a quick nce across the field of applicants in front of him.


    His gaze lingered over Alex, Mira and a few other students before he turned around and disappeared into the darkness of the ship.


    ''What was that!?'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A feeling of oppression washed over Alex for a split second but disappeared immediately after.


    Under this kind of oppression, he felt like the weakest bug face to face against a giant.


    He looked to his side and noticed that Mira''s expression was also scrunched up, and concluded that she likely felt that same oppression.


    But when he looked around, everyone else he could immediately see still had normal expressions.


    Not wanting to think of that scary experience any longer, he shook off his thoughts and lined up behind Mira and entered the ship with everyone else.


    After entering the ship, the doors closed and the familiar sound of the interior pressurising sounded.


    Alex and the rest of the students watched as the green and blue Hortus gradually shrunk before their eyes.


    A feeling of excitement washed over the crowd when the realisation that they were actually about to take a test for the most esteemed universities in the federation set in.


    Soon, the ship exited the star system Alex had called his home ever since he could remember.


    Suddenly, red lights shed and an rm red, shaking all the students out of their excited states and recing them with concern and confusion.


    "Applicants beware, the ship is about to enter warp. Please take a seat and don''t walk around." A soft voice filtered through the chaos, calming everyone down.


    "Phew, I thought we were getting attacked or something¡­"


    "Attacked? Here? Pirates would need a death wish to attack a ship carrying the insignia of the federation right outside a star system."


    "Oh boy, I''m so nervous. This is my first time leaving Hortus and I''m already headed somewhere light years away!"


    "It''s a first for most of us. Don''t be scared, we''re all feeling the same excitement."


    "..."


    Various voices filled the cabin Alex and Mira were sitting in while the two of them just sat in silence.


    They may be partners, but they had only just formally met a week ago.


    There wasn''t much they could talk about.


    Soon, the various rms and lights intensified as a low hum filled the ship and slight vibrations in the sturdy metal walls, floor and ceiling could be felt.


    Zip!


    Whoosh!


    The rms all died down and the atmosphere in the room returned to normal as the ship officially entered warp space.


    Fascinated, Alex looked out the small window and found that the endless ck expanse had been reced by a streaking tunnel of colours shing past them at impossible speed.


    Even inside the warp space, they were still travelling at near light speed, allowing for an even faster journey but also providing the spectacle outside the window.


    ''Beautiful!''


    This was the only word Alex could use to describe the scene before him. He couldn''t properly put into words how it looked.


    ***


    Three weeks passed in the blink of an eye.


    Over this time Alex had trained in his Phoenix Fury every day, increasing his strength and changing his physique to look more lean ¡ª his muscles more defined.


    Thankfully for Alex, the small group of around 500 applicantsbined with the huge ship meant that each person got their own individual room for the long journey.


    This saved him a lot of misunderstandings and embarrassment of having to perform his weird stances in a public space.


    Despite the privacy given to each applicant though, Alex still met up with Mira at least once a day to either discuss their strategies for the test, as well as talk more in depth about their strength.


    The two had be much more familiar with each other over the three week period, and the number of awkward silences had lessened drastically.


    Only a few days ago, Alex and Mira had been discussing the level of their strength with each other, with Alex being ahead of Mira in Physical strength and reaction time, but behind in his speed.


    When the topic of talents was brought up, Alex made the decision to tell her about his me talent, even showing off a little of his mes in person.


    Even Mira was a little surprised when Alex showed her his talent, as the moment he reprimanded her for talking about her own out in the open was still fresh in her mind.


    But seeing Alex being so trusting of her, she decided to reveal the name and usage of her talent to him.


    "My talent is called ''Golden Presence''. You already know it''s A- rank. It''s a sort of limited time power up, Increasing all my physical attributes by 50% for 10 minutes. After that exhaustion takes over and my strength would decrease drastically until I can refill my energy reserves."


    This talent sounded very powerful to Alex, and if it weren''t for the drawback of her energy being depleted after and her strength decreasing, he would almost call it a cheat!

 Chapter 58 Exam rules

    58 Exam rules


    "Good. Now that we know each other''s strengths, we just need to know what we''re dealing with now." Alex sat in his room, opposite Mira who had just finished exining her talent.


    In fact up until that point, the examiners still hadn''t announced how the test was going to be carried out. The only thing they knew was that it was going to take ce on a Floodgate, and that they would most likely be fighting beasts.


    But specifics like how they were going to be ranked, what the actual criteria was to pass the test, what the ratio of E- all the way to E+ ranked beasts were on the etc. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Each of these was unknown to the applicants, and the only thing they seemed to have gleaned so far was that working in teams wasn''t prohibited.


    "All applicants gather at the brig in 5 minutes!"


    "I repeat¡­"


    Just as he was thinking about when they were going to head to the test site, an announcement started ying and repeated itself 5 times before it stopped.


    Alex gave a nce at Mira and they both nodded at each other in understanding. They had been expecting something like this, hence they had already packed all their things ready for departure, and Mira just gathered her things and took them with her to Alex''s room to save time.


    It wasn''t like they had much anyway, just a backpack full of some essential survival equipment, abat knife as well as a few other misceneous items.


    In order to be fair to all applicants, the federation banned the use of personal weapons during university entrance exams. The reason being that the richer examinees would have a far greater advantage during the test than the poorer ones.


    Alex was happy about this, as his own knife he bought in the Primordial Expanse had already been reduced to ashes, leaving him without a weapon from that point onwards.


    ''But I won''t be able to use me attacks with this¡­''


    This was the one major w that made him not toofortable with the arrangement though. Thebat knife provided to every awakened was only an ordinary knife, not even F- rank.


    It was made of a tough alloy that could withstand even E+ rank attacks, but any energy based attacks on it would make it crumble.


    After 3 minutes passed, Alex and Mira arrived at the brig to see hundreds of other students already standing there with their own backpacks, waiting in orderly lines for any further orders.


    Over thest 3 weeks they had calmed down drastically from their original excitement, and the rowdy ones who still wanted to cause trouble were made an example of to the other students.


    These pampered, spoilt kids had learned to put aside their ego''s over the course of the trip.


    Soon, the remaining 2 minutes were up and thest few students arrived in the hall and joined those waiting at the back.


    "Now that everyone''s here, I will start."


    The same man with the all ck aesthetic and oppressive aura from before, Professor Will Wother, spoke up.


    "This test will be simple and easy to understand even for the most mentally challenged of you kids, so listen up!"


    Some whispers went across the hall when the man called some of them ''mentally challenged'' but they quieted down when the man released a little bit of his aura.


    "The test willst 7 days. In these 7 days your goal is to score as many points as possible if you even want a chance at getting epted into the university of your choice. Even if they don''t ept you, if you''re lucky maybe another university will."


    Professor Will continued:


    "I''m sure most of you have already realised how you obtain these points by now, but for those of you who haven''t, I''ll exin."


    "You kill beasts. That''s it. For F- to F+ rank, you can get 1, 5 or 10 points for each kill depending on their respective rank. For E- to E+ you get 25, 50 or 100 points for each kill, following the same system. There''s no need to even consider anything past that point. The we''re testing on, Periculum, is home to a weak Floodgate, only releasing beasts up to a maximum of E+ rank."


    Professor Will finished speaking and let the new information sink in for the applicants, before he made onest announcement.


    He slipped up a sly smile, and said, "Only those of you who reach the top 50 will be guaranteed a spot at university."


    Many applicants despaired at hearing this.


    Just from counting there were over 500 of them in the test overall, meaning that only 10% of them will actually get to enrol in their dream university.


    Not to mention that there was a real danger of dying in this test, which didn''t make their emotions any more stable.


    The fact that the test was now sopetitive meant that the students had to push themselves to kill as many beasts as possible, which can lead to many more dangerous situations than they would otherwise find themselves in.


    But strangely, Alex and Mira didn''t look at all bothered by these new revtions.


    ''I''ve already fought through a beast tide and lived, this is nothing.''


    Meanwhile, Mira:


    ''This test is a piece of cakepared to what I went through in the Primordial Expanse.''


    They both had simr thoughts, and they both weren''t going to let some measly entrance test hinder their progression.


    Completely unbeknownst to each other, they both had the same goal in mind. They didn''t want to just settle for the top 50, they wanted to reach first ce!


    "Everyone take one of these. If you lose it, you are automatically disqualified from the test. Each one has a defensive function, releasing a barrier that can withstand E+ rank attacks if you encounter life threatening danger."


    Federal Officials walked all throughout the hall, handing some sort of wristwatch to each applicant, exining their usages and the consequences of losing them.


    "Remember, if you lose these, not only are you disqualified but we will also lose the ability to track your location."


    Many faces in the crowd paled when they thought about this situation happening to them, but they weren''t offered the time to contemte it any further as the rm red, signalling that the ship was exiting warp space.


    "Everyone at the ready, as soon as the ship arrives at Periculum, the test will begin!"

 Chapter 59 Arrival

    59 Arrival


    Because Periculum was dered a hostile territory, the ship didn''t need to exit warp outside the star system and carry on at a slower pace inwards.


    Instead they just exited warp right outside the''s atmosphere.


    Alex looked outside the window on the side of the ship and spotted an exotic covered in all different types of environments.


    There were rocky, mountainous regions; huge forested areas spanning hundreds of kilometres; a huge ocean circling around the whole globe etc.


    If you could think of an exotic environment, the chances were that it existed on this.


    Sensing the student''s questions about the, Professor Will answered: "When floodgates appear, the energy of the Primordial Expanse also floods out from the other side, changing the environment drastically to better suit the beasts that cross over."


    "So that''s how it works! Wait, doesn''t that mean that there are thousands of different types of beast species all crossing over due to how diverse the environments are?" Alex mumbled to himself, not expecting anyone to hear.


    But on the other side, Professor Will had heard his mumblings and smiled when he heard Alex''s confusing question.


    ''Smart kid, he''s already figured out a key aspect of Floodgates.''


    It wasn''t really a secret, but only people who spend enough time researching Floodgates would stumble across the answer themselves.


    The truth was that although there was only one singr point of exit in the real world, there were countless points of entry on the other side in the Primordial Expanse.


    Alex had spected this, and ryed his thoughts to Mira who also took on a contemtive look when she learned of it.


    But their contemtion didn''tst long as time had barely passed yet the ship had alreadynded on the surface of the.


    Looking outside, the ship hadnded in a rtively tame environment. It was just a huge grass in surrounded by trees a couple tens of kilometres in every direction.


    "Once that door opens, the test starts. Good luck." Professor Will pointed towards the huge cargo door at the rear of the ship and gave some parting words.


    Click!


    Psssh!


    With a click, the door slowly opened and some pressurised air escaped through the cracks.


    Alex, taking the initiative, grabbed Mira''s hand and jumped through the cracks with her by his side before the door had even opened a quarter of the way.


    Shocked, the other applicants looked around at each other for a few seconds, not knowing what had just transpired, before someone shouted.


    "Cheaters! They left before the door opened!"


    "Yeah, they cheated!"


    "They should be disqualified!"


    "Ban them!"


    "Punish them!"


    A ruckus soon erupted as many more applicants grew angry with Alex and Mira''s actions and joined in the fray.


    "Silence!"


    Professor Will released his aura and shouted loud enough to rupture a normal person''s ears.


    "I said the test starts when the door opens, not when it touches the ground!"


    Shock!


    Confusion!


    Realisation!


    The most active applicants who vowed for the duo to be disqualified were shocked that Professor Will was taking their side, but quickly realised that they were fooled.


    ''Dammit, they have a head start!'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    With thepetition to reach top 50 so fierce, all the applicants who realised what Professor Will meant, rushed towards the now half opened door.


    There was chaos among them, but behind them Professor Will just chuckled while watching this amusing scene y out.


    ''Alex and Mira huh, I better write those two names down.''


    But inwardly he was happy that there were at least two promising applicants among this bunch. Some years there wasn''t even a single applicant who knew to take advantage of his words to take the initiative like this.


    ***


    When Alex didn''t see any response from his wrist watch, he knew he made the right call.


    On the other side, Mira mirrored his thoughts as he had exined to her what he had nned in the short timespan between when he grabbed her hand and when he made a sprint for the door.


    She wouldn''t admit it out loud, but she was actually quite impressed that he managed to think of this.


    08:12


    Her impression of Alex had gone up quite a lot since she first met him outside the space elevator on Hortus.


    "We should head straight to the forest as quickly as we can, I doubt there will be any beasts walking out here in the open field."


    Alex spoke from the side, informing Mira of his opinion, which she agreed with.


    The beasts weren''t stupid enough to do this ¡ª they still had sharp instincts.


    They didn''t just have to watch out for humans, but also other beasts.


    "Over there! I saw some movement in the bushes!" When they reached the periphery of the forest, Mira eximed to Alex and pointed his eyes to where she was looking.


    The two immediately changed their direction towards where the movement came from, not needing to slow down for each other as their speed was almost equal.


    In just a few seconds, they arrived before the bush and Alex grabbed towards the shrubbery, easily ripping the whole bush out of the ground with his enhanced strength.


    Right where the bush had been previously, a yellow and white fox started growling and barking at them, attempting to bite their legs.


    "Just an F+ rank." Alex was let down at the realisation and swiped his hand across the fox''s head, severing it in one swing.


    The attack was so quick the fox hadn''t realised it''s head was separated and continued growling for a few more seconds before it stopped and the head rolled off.


    Ding!


    Ding!


    Alex heard two notifications simultaneously when he killed the beast, both from the Primordial Expanse and the watch on his wrist.


    ''d to know the system still works in the real world too.''


    He looked down at his watch and saw that his points had increased by 5.


    He was confused at only receiving half the intended points at first, but then looked over at Mira and spotted her also looking at her watch.


    "It seems the points from kills are shared when we''re in a team."


    Neither of them reacted to Alex''s statement.


    They had expected such a thing ever since they saw other applicants forming their own teams on the ship.


    ''Huh, wha-''


    Alex noticed something that he really didn''t like the look of.

 Chapter 60 Swamp

    60 Swamp


    Alex had taken a look at his inventory and noticed nothing new.


    And this was exactly the problem.


    [You have killed a beast, Yellow Fox.]


    He checked his notifications from the system again.


    He had clearly just killed that F+ rank yellow fox, but there was no soul orb dropped from it.


    Apart from the first time he killed that Rabid Rabbit back when he first entered the Primordial Expanse, every other soul orb he had obtained past that point went straight to his inventory.


    He spected the reason why the rabbit''s dropped to the ground was due to him not having ess to the inventory yet, but that wasn''t the main point.


    The problem was theck of soul orbs!


    ''I hope this is some special scenario specific to the Floodgates¡­''


    With no clues to go off, he could only put the matter to the side. He didn''t want to look too suspicious to Mira either.


    While the two of them had grown quite close over the previous month, his Soulforge talent wasn''t something he was ready to reveal to anyone other than himself yet. If ever.


    ''At least I still have 3 E- rank and 2 F+ rank soul orbs left from my battle against the beast horde.''


    Not all hope for loot was lost though ¡ª Alex dug his fist through the severed neck of the fox and felt around for anything hard.


    Thud!


    ''Lucky!''


    With recent developments he wasn''t actually expecting to find anything, but there actually was a beast core!


    "Look what I found! We got quite lucky." He called Mira over to take a look and she was just as excited to see the glowing white F+ rank beast core in Alex''s hand.


    Alex stashed the core away in his backpack before cutting off some meat from the fox''s corpse, and storing that away too.


    "Let''s move. We need to stay ahead of the other applicants." The excitement around the beast core had already died down. Alex and Mira continued on even deeper into the forest, looking for some more beasts to sh down and add to their point count.


    ***


    A few hourster, the duo encountered their first change in environment.


    It was a huge and endless swamnd, covered by a canopy of huge, tall trees. Most of the sunlight was filtered out by the huge canopy hundreds of metres above them, so barely any sunlight reached the swamp floor.


    ''Shit, this''ll slow us down drastically.''


    Alex gnashed his teeth as he thought about the time it would take them to filter through this swamp to another environment.


    Not to mention the fact that the darkness would allow any beast daring enough to sneak attack them.


    Alex looked down at his watch in contemtion.


    ''10 points¡­ We really need to find some more powerful beasts.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ever since the duo had killed their first F+ rank beast, they had only encountered one more beast of the same strength.


    There was no way for him to check the ranking while the trial was in progress, but he was sure there would already be many students ahead of him and Mira in the rankings.


    "We have to push through! It''s toote to turn back now." Alex ryed to Mira as he took the first few steps forward into the swamp, feeling the muddy water engulfing his legs all the way up to his knees.


    Even with his enhanced strength and speed, he was severely restricted while walking through this swamp.


    Mira, following behind him, was in the same situation.


    The slow walk through the swamp continued on for another 10 minutes ¡ª the duo constantly keeping an eye out for any movements.


    While their goal was to find and kill as many beasts as possible, they at least wanted to do it in an environment that was advantageous to them.


    If they were attacked in the swamp where their vision and speed was reduced to a minimum, then they were in a much more dangerous situation than normal.


    If they sustained any serious injuries then they were essentially out of the test as a whole from that point onwards, as every fight after that point would be impossible to win while managing those injuries.


    Huff


    Huff


    "Do you see an end to the swamp yet?" Mira asked Alex while taking deep breaths. The extra pressure and weight from the muddy water required more physical exertion to walk through, especially at the speeds they were moving.


    Alex focused his gaze on the dark horizon ahead of him. All that filled his vision was the same tall trees that were around them on all sides, up until a point where it was just too dark to see anything further past that point.


    "Nothing. Let''s just carry on, this swamp can''t carry on forever."


    Although their speed was drastically reduced, they were still moving at around 10 m/s. They had travelled over 6 kilometres in the 10 minutes that passed.


    Suddenly, Alex narrowed his eyes as he felt something briefly brush past his leg under the murky waters.


    "Shhh." He put his finger up to his mouth and moved his other hand behind him, signalling for Mira to stop.


    He looked back at Mira, met her gaze, and pointed at the swamp waters directly below them, while mouthing the word ''Movement''.


    Mira understood what he meant and slowly withdrew herbat knife from her belt and held it at the ready.


    Alex did the same.


    Slowly, and making as little noise as possible, Alex reached for his backpack and took out the b of meat he had taken from the yellow fox earlier.


    He held it in his hand and started moving it through the water between him and Mira, before throwing the b of meat at the base of one of the trees a few metres away from him.


    The area at the base of each tree was covered with dirt and roots above the muddy water, so Alex could still see the meat.


    "..."


    There was nothing but silence, until¡­


    Ssh!


    Something leaped out of the water, right where Alex threw the fox meat!

 Chapter 61 Transformation

    Chapter 61 Transformation


    The beast that was exposed looked like a huge scaly lizard, at least 10 metres in length. It looked like a prehistoric crocodile!


    Mud and water were sent flying in all directions as the lengthy beastnded on the roots and dirt and snatched the meat away.


    "An E rank beast!" Alex abandoned his stealthy approach and shouted across to Mira.


    ''This looks even stronger than the bear Rowan and I took down!''


    Alex wasn''t sure he could even kill this scaly beast. Its skin looked much tougher than that of the bear, and with only some normalbat knives at their disposal, it would be even tougher to pierce through.


    But they didn''t want to let go of the opportunity they had created for themselves.


    "You nk left, I''ll nk right." Mira called out to him and started moving to the side of the beast.


    Alex listened to hermand and did the same.


    There was no leader in this duo. They would follow each other''s lead when one thought they had a better idea than the other.


    And Alex was stumped on how they''d deal with this crocodile beast.


    Taking up his position to the left, he looked for Mira to see what she would do next.


    Taking herbat knife, Mira plunged out of the water onto a nearby root, and with her speed and strength no longer hindered by the swamp, sheunched herself towards the spine of the beast, utilising her full speed.


    ''Incredible!''


    Alex eximed in his mind when he saw her move. Her usage ofbining her strength and speed tounch herself like a spring was ingenious.


    He didn''t have an urate measurement, but he was sure that in that instant, she moved at speeds past 95 m/s.


    That''s near the limit of E+ rank!


    In a matter of milliseconds, Mira reached the back of the crocodile and shed her knife across the spine of the beast.


    Ssh!


    Shended on the other side of the beast, next to Alex, and observed the damage she had done to the beast.


    Just a shallow wound!


    That''s what her attack did.


    The beast had barely even noticed it had been attacked yet ¡ª it was still too busy munching on the fox meat Alexid as bait.


    "Tsk, this is going to be tougher than I thought." Mira looked vexed. She put her full strength behind that attack and yet she still failed to draw blood.


    "Let me try."


    On the side, Alex put away his knife and moved his hands in front of him.


    His face nearly went purple as he held his breath, intensely concentrating on the attack he was conjuring.


    A secondter, a fireball the size of his fist appeared in front of his hands.


    "I can''t control it anymore!" He could barely hold the power of the fireball under his control for another second before he had tounch it.


    If he held it any longer, it would explode right in front of him and Mira.


    Fwoosh!


    Sizzle!


    The fireball flew a couple dozen metres and reached the crocodile beast, which had finally taken the fight seriously enough to stop its feast.


    Hisss! Roarrr!


    Its reaction wasn''t fast enough to dodge the fireball.


    The fireball hit its tail, causing an explosion affecting a radius of over 10 metres around the beast.


    When the smoke and debris cleared from the air, Alex could see that the beast''s tail was no longer there and a burned stub was left in its ce.


    ''Tsk, I missed.''


    In reality, Alex was aiming for its head, not its tail.


    But he couldn''t do much when hecked control over the attack.


    Luckily, it seemed the explosion had sent fire all over the rest of the beast''s body and it was struggling and rolling all over the dirt, trying to put out the mes covering the various ces on its body.


    Ssh!


    Suddenly, the beast re-entered the swamp and the mes were put out instantly.


    "Fuck, don''t let it get away!" Alex shouted to Mira as he realised the major w in his n.


    They were surrounded by water! How were his mes supposed to bepared to a whole ocean of swamp water?


    The only good thing that came out of this was that it couldn''t get too far away from them.


    Its fin-like tail was gone so it couldn''t swim properly.


    And to prove this point, the croc beast surfaces a couple hundred metres away at the base of another tree.


    "Over there!"


    Alex and Miraunched off the roots andnded in the water 50 metres away from the beast.


    "What can we do now, our knives aren''t strong enough to pierce through its flesh and my mes are useless when we''re surrounded by water?" Alex asked Mira for any idea, as he was all out of them.


    One had to remember that they were only as strong as an untrained E+ rank human. Beasts had much stronger and tougher bodies than humans of the same level.


    "Let me try something." Mira spoke and then moved away from Alex and closed her eyes.


    The air started vibrating as Mira''s shoulder length ck and grey hair started growing all of a sudden and her hair started turning a golden blonde.


    ''Golden Presence!''


    Alex knew what she was doing immediately.


    She was activating her talent! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In less than a second, the transformation was over and Mira opened her eyes.


    She looked like a whole new person, she was much more beautiful as her redeeming features were enhanced even more.


    Her muscles looked more defined, and her clothes wrapped around her even tighter, expressing her more ''petite'' features for Alex to ogle.


    But Alex wasn''t interested in anything like that at the moment.


    He was more focused on what she was going to do next. She turned to Alex, and spoke.


    "Give me your knife." Not expecting this, it took him a second to react but he did as she said and took hisbat knife and threw it at her.


    She caught it, and immediately threw it at the crocodile beast 50 metres away.


    Shing!


    Completely different to her previous attack, it actually prated through its skin!


    The knife stabbed through the croc''s front leg and pinned it to the root.


    Roarr!


    Mira rushed over to the beast.


    The real battle began.

 Chapter 62 Drawback

    Chapter 62 Drawback


    Crash!


    Mira''s fist collided with the crocodile beast with intense force, sending it flying into the tree behind it.


    Crack!


    The tree came crashing down on top of the beast from the sheer force it came crashing into it.


    The over 100 metre tall behemoth copsed down, sending debris and swampy water flying everywhere.


    But Mira wasn''t done.


    Ignoring all the carnage andmotion her attacks had caused, she charged into what remained of the tree and found the crocodile beastying there, half dead and most of its lower body missing.


    The huge crocodile just desperately opened and snapped at Mira with its mouth, twisting its body in agony and hissing even more desperately when Mira hammered her punches one after one on what remained of its body.


    The huge E rank crocodile beast bled profusely through all its missing body parts and stopped struggling after a few minutes of suffering.


    [You have killed a beast, Mutant Crocodile]


    Mira saw the notification from the system in front of her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.


    She deactivated her talent, undoing her transformation and returning her golden blonde hair back to its short, ck and grey original look.


    But soon the drawbacks of her talent started showing and she could barely keep her bnce, going pale and looking like she was about to faint.


    Alex rarely had time to fully take in the majestic battle he just witnessed before he quickly ran over to her position and caught her before she fell unconscious into the swamp below.


    ''Incredible! Seeing her talent in person is a much more exciting feeling than hearing about it!''


    With the unconscious Mira on his back, he trudged through the swamp and carried on moving forward, doing his best to try and leave this cursed environment.


    ***


    Three hourster, Alex was still walking through the same monotonous scenery ¡ª the tall trees and dark swampy forest floor being the same everywhere he looked.


    Mira had regained her consciousness an hour prior but she was still groggy from the previous fight.


    In fact she still had a massive headache. If it weren''t for the fact that she was currently being carried by Alex, she''d have the urge to run over to the nearest tree and bang her head against it.


    That was how much agony she was in.


    "I''ve never seen an A- rank talent in action before,but your strength was absurd when you fought that beast." Alex struck up a conversation with her to try and ease some of the boredom of seeing the same thing ever since he had arrived on this.


    "Yeah well as you can see, it isn''t all sunshine and rainbows." Mira responded to him in a scratchy voice as she sipped a bottle of water she fished from her backpack.


    "The more energy I use in that state, the more effect the drawbacks have on me when it''s over." Mira repeated the major w of her talent, reminding Alex that her strengthes at a cost.


    "True. I guess it would be absurd if you gained all that strength with no drawbacks. If that were the case then your talent would probably be S- rank or above, haha." Alex was only half joking when he said this.


    If an A- rank talent was as powerful as this, then what about an A+ rank or even the elusive S rank talents?


    He didn''t even want to think about it. The idea of such power being granted right from square one seemed unfair for him.


    He had to work for his power, surviving the attack of the Galephant when he was just a weak F- rank, and then absorbing that mysterious me from the ming Lion.


    Both situations had been life or death battles that he hade out on top of either due to luck or abination of skill and luck.


    Either way, this didn''t concern Alex anymore, as something much more rewarding had just entered his gaze.


    "The swamp''s ending!" He shouted back to Mira as she couldn''t see over his shoulder.


    A few kilometres ahead, he saw a drastic increase in sunlight and picked up the pace.


    Some minutester, he arrived at the edge of the swamp, finally out of the dirty and murky waters.


    On the other side, a vast and rocky mountainous region greeted his eyes.


    ''It''s better than the swamp and forest I guess.''


    He was neither happy nor unhappy at seeing this new environment.


    It didn''t provide much cover or ces to hide, but that applied both to him as well as the beasts in the region.


    It would be much easier to spot beasts here.


    "Put me down, I can walk myself from here on." Mira called out to him from his back ¡ª Alex let go of her and she jumped down to the ground, her small frame looking much more vibrant and sturdy than when she copsed from exhaustion.


    Alex took a look at her and was speechless.


    "You recovered a while ago didn''t you?? You just didn''t want to walk through the water yourself¡­" He asked her, seeing how she looked just fine physically. Only having the headache to worry about.


    She looked away from him, her cheeks slightly red at being caught red handed. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But she didn''t answer him.


    She started walking through the rocky terrain and left Alex trailing behind, looking like he was plotting some sort of revenge.


    He looked down at his watch.


    ''22.5''


    His points had gone up by 12.5 when Mira killed the crocodile beast.


    ''I hope we can find some more E- rank beasts and higher soon.''


    With their goal being first ce, they wouldn''t stop for anything like sleep until the test ended.


    Their bodies had evolved when they first became awakened, and now that they were Evolvers they could go for weeks on end before they needed rest.


    But they still needed to take in a steady amount of water and food every day. In fact they had to take in ALOT more calories than when they were normal humans.


    This was because their bodies demanded more energy due to their increased physical characteristics.


    Their energy problem could only be supplemented when they learned a technique to absorb energy from the atmosphere directly.


    But being from the slums, Alex and Mira didn''t know that.


    Even if they did, they had no way of essing such a technique without first enrolling in a university.


    The duo continued walking for 1 more hour, and after not seeing a single beast during that time, the sun had started setting.


    Alex found a safe spot, picked up some dead branches from the ground and made a makeshift fire. Taking hisbat knife, he skewered some pieces of mutant crocodile meat and roasted them over the fire.


    They sat and ate for 10 minutes in silence, not gettingfortable as they would resume their search soon.


    Crunch


    It was very faint, but Alex was sure he had just heard a sounding from around 500 metres of their fire.

 Chapter 63 Human?

    Chapter 63 Human?


    Being careful not to make any noticeable movements, Alex carried on eating his food as if he had heard nothing, but he was much more alert than beforehand.


    Mira was no different. She had heard the same thing, except for the fact she was facing the direction the sound came from.


    It was hard to tell in the darkness, but she swore she could make out three dark silhouettes before they disappeared.


    Since Alex was facing Mira, away from where the sound came from, he mouthed to her, acting like he was chewing on some meat.


    ''Something in the darkness?''


    Mira fake yawned and tilted her head up and down in the process.


    This was a clear ''yes'' to Alex''s question. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Fwoosh


    All of a sudden, something came flying out of the darkness and brushed past Mira''s face, her barely dodging in time.


    With all pretenses shattered, both Alex and Mira stood up with their knives in hand and turned to face the direction the projectile had been fired from.


    Lit up by the fire between them, two bipedal figures stepped out of the darkness slowly and entered the range of the fire, revealing themselves.


    ''Humans??''


    The two people who showed up in front of them wore the same uniform.


    They were also applicants!


    "Two little rats like you don''t belong in this level of society. The mere fact that you even think you have a chance of enrolling in the top 5 is a joke." The boy on the left spoke.


    He had long, dark blonde hair tied up into a ponytail. He held the same standard issuebat knife in his hand. Except it was coated in some sort of purple substance.


    ''Poison.''


    Alex recognised this substance.


    Joanne had used the same thing when she and Raymond killed the ming lion.


    "Don''t you know the examiners are watching? Are you so daring to kill other applicants right in front of them?" Alex asked them. No fear could be heard in his voice.


    In fact there was a trace of confidence when he spoke.


    But Mira didn''t share that confidence.


    ''Where''s the third?''


    She had clearly seen three silhouettes, yet only two people had shown up in front of them.


    Alex wasn''t aware of the third person.


    "Haha, the fact you think this way is quite funny. Let me tell you something, rat." The boy on the right, a short and plump boy with spiky ck hair, spoke this time.


    "The examiners don''t care about applicants killing each other. In fact there''s a hidden rule they didn''t reveal. If you kill other applicants, you inherit their points."


    Alex was shocked when he heard this.


    Every applicant here was just a teenager at best.


    But then he remembered how the world worked.


    He had just been living in his own delusion ever since he returned back to the federation.


    How could things be any different in the federation than things were in the Primordial Expanse when they were essentially governed by the same system.


    The strong rule, the weak obey.


    "I assume youe from some sort of influential family to know such a hidden rule. I assume this is some sort of way to cull any weaklings or ''people who don''t deserve to be here'' like us?" Alex had a sinister look on his face when he asked this.


    "Think what you like. All that matters is that you will die here today." The blonde boy with the ponytail got fed up with all the talk and directly readied hisbat knife.


    Heunched himself off the ground towards Alex, with his knife in position to slit his throat.


    On the other side the spiky haired boy did the same with Mira.


    But Alex and Mira were quicker, before they were attacked they kicked the glowing, hot sticks of charcoal in the direction of the attackers, causing them to dodge and abandon their quick approach.


    "Don''t let the de hit you!" Alex shouted to Mira, not wanting her to get poisoned.


    Alex was about to prepare his own counterattack, but before he could do anything, an arrow came flying in from the darkness and prated his shoulder.


    "Arghh!" He cried out in agony, grabbing the arrow and attempting to snap it.


    But instead of feeling the wooden shaft of the arrow in his hands, he felt nothing.


    The arrow disintegrated into particles of light and were carried away by the wind, leaving his wound open and allowing the blood to flow out much quicker.


    ''Shit, I should have known there was a third.''


    Inwardly, he was cursing himself for not noticing the discrepancy.


    He should have noticed something was off when he saw two people approaching with nothing on them that allowed projectiles to be fired at speeds like that.


    ''How the hell did they get a bow?? Everyone''s supposed to be limited to the same equipment!''


    At the same time Alex had been shot by the arrow, Mira shot towards the two attackers she could actually see and shed at them violently.


    There was a spartan rage in her eyes as every swing of her knife wasunched with the intent to kill.


    ''I only just made my first friend, and now someone''s here to ruin it for me again. I''LL KILL YOU''


    Her thoughts ran wild as she abandoned all rationality and just attacked with sheer instinct.


    Her strength was higher than both of her attackers, allowing her to fight on par with both of them at the same time.


    But the archer had also started focusing on her, not giving her any room to attack, only defend.


    Seeing how the situation was quickly turning against their favor, with Alex injured and her unable to deal with three of them at the same time, Mira made a daring move.


    ''Golden Pres-''


    She was about to risk her life by transforming again so soon after recovering from her previous use, but a voice spoke through gritted teeth behind her.


    "Don''t."


    Hearing Alex''s voice, Mira snapped her head around and saw him standing with one arm limp, and a huge fireball in his other hand.

 Chapter 64 Exhausted reserves

    Chapter 64 Exhausted reserves


    A few moments earlier.


    ''Shit, I can''t believe I didn''t notice there was a third one.''


    Alex was mentally annoyed at himself.


    But considering his current predicament, he couldn''t afford to make any more slip ups due to his emotions.


    ''This fight is quickly tipping in their favor, especially now that I''ve been injured by that hidden archer.''


    Alex was wracking his brain trying to think of a n to get out of this situation alive.


    In the end there was nothing.


    Alex was all out of ideas.


    He looked over at Mira. She had already started to attack the duo at the front frantically with rage.


    ''Am I really so useless? I''ve already been incapacitated before the fight even began, yet she''s trying her best to fight them off even at such a huge disadvantage.''


    In his frustration, Alex essed his inventory and took out hisst remaining soul orbs.


    ''Maybe these can help me in some way.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Every time he had previously absorbed a soul orb, it strengthened his body in a way the beast cores could not.


    Therefore his experience led him to think, ''Since they strengthen my body when I use them, shouldn''t they also be able to heal me at least a little?''


    And that''s what brought him to his current situation.


    He took the soul orb out of his inventory and quickly calmed his thoughts to properly absorb it.


    Thankfully, Mira and the others were too preupied with trying to kill each other to notice his actions.


    "Ahhh, this feels refreshing." The moment the energy entered his body he felt a jolt of pain sh through his shoulder where the arrow had pierced.


    Then all the pain stopped.


    Even the pain from before.


    It was like his wound was gone.


    But when Alex looked down, the hole was still there. There was just no blood pouring out anymore. What was even more shocking was that he could visibly see the wound regenerating at a speed for him to see with the naked eye.


    ''At this rate, I''ll be good as new in 15 minutes!''


    He could even somewhat move his arm now!


    Alex stood up, no longer holding his shoulder with his uninjured hand.


    ''There''s no time, I have to go all out!''


    When he looked over Mira, she was being gradually pushed back by the onught of the two sinister attackers and the archer from far back.


    Since he had no time to do things one by one, he had to do everything at once!


    Looking at the other E- rank soul orb he had yet to absorb, he started conjuring a fireball in his other hand.


    At the same time, he absorbed the E- rank soul orb and all the other F+ ranks he had, officially emptying out his supply.


    His goal was to speed up his healing process, while simultaneously preparing a fireball to back Mira up.


    But things didn''t go as he expected.


    ''What the fuck¡­''


    Instead of feeling the energy from the soul orbs entering him and refreshing his energy body like he was used to, he felt the energy from the soul orbs moving in another direction.


    Towards his hand¡­


    Immediately, the fireball he was conjuring grew in size exponentially. In just half a second, it was already the size of his head, and it didn''t look like it would stop any time soon!


    Sweat covered his whole body as he was immediately hit with a strong headache.


    Controlling such a strong fireball put a huge strain on his concentration and he was almost unable to handle it.


    ''I better send this monstrosity away before something bad happens¡­''


    If this thing went off before he couldunch it, then there would be nothing left of him.


    Maybe the explosion would also reach Mira!


    He would just be doing the job of the enemy if he held onto this thing any longer.


    With rapid steps, he moved up behind Mira. When he reached her, he could see that her hair was turning the same golden color he had seen her use before.


    "Don''t."


    He spoke with rushed words.


    Thankfully she seemed to have regained her rationality and looked back at Alex, her face still seething with rage.


    But her emotions quickly died down when she saw the huge, still growing fireball in Alex''s hand.


    She cancelled her transformation, barely losing any energy from the process.


    "Dodge."


    Alex used all his will power just to push out his previous two words.


    Mira saw how strained he was. He looked like he just came back from a swim, and his veins were bulging on his head.


    She immediately did as he said and used all her strength to push herself away from the front line.


    Meanwhile, Alex couldn''t hold on any longer and released the Fireball from his control.


    Fwoosh


    The huge burning ball of fire quickly flew over the short distance.


    ''He missed!''


    Mira saw the fireball fly right over the attacking duo, whose expressions were filled with horror when faced with the miniature sun.


    It continued flying past, lighting up the darkness everywhere it flew.


    After a second passed, Mira could see the fireball had reached the top of a small hill in the rocky terrain, and when it did, she was shocked.


    ''The archer!''


    Now she understood.


    Alex hadn''t missed.


    He was never aiming for the two at the forefront from the beginning.


    Instead he was aiming for the bigger nuisance that had been the reason they were losing this fight from the beginning.


    BOOOM!


    As soon as the silhouette of the third party came into sight, a split secondter it was gone.


    Along with the entire peak of the hill he was standing on.


    When the fireballnded, it created an explosion affecting a radius of 50 metres from where it hit.


    Liquefied rock was sent flying in all directions, and Alex received a notification from his watch.


    He looked down at it, seeing that his points had gone up by 10.


    ''So they were telling the truth. This just makes everything so much moreplicated.''


    The archer was dead.


    The fact his points had increased were proof of this.


    Meanwhile, the other two attacker''s faces twisted and went white when they realised what happened.

 Chapter 65 Shock and Awe

    65 Shock and Awe


    The spiky haired round boy immediately made a run for it when he noticed that his archer friend was no longer in this world.


    He left the boy with the darkish blonde ponytail to fend for himself while he darted off into the swampnds.


    "Shit, Mchi you fucker don''t leave me here!" The golden haired boy noticed immediately that he had been abandoned, and attempted to run himself.


    But Alex and Mira weren''t going to let that happen.


    Mira sprang into action with herbat knife in her hand, making use of her superior speed to catch up with thest remaining boy.


    As soon as she came within point nk range, she shed her knife across his back with as much power as she could muster.


    The boy cried out in pain, tears streaming down his face.


    Mira had struck his spinal cord. He fell t on his face, no longer able to feel his legs.


    "No! Spare me please, I''m a member of the Promoti Family. They''lle for revenge if you do anything to me!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The boy pleaded for his life when he realised that he could no longer escape.


    "Ptui! Fuck your shitty family. Say hi to your friend in hell for me." Mira spat on the boy with disdain when she heard his plea.


    ''You clearly didn''t have any intention to let us live. You should have considered this before you beg for your own.''


    Mira thought to herself.


    She didn''t feel an ounce of guilt for this poor fellow before her.


    Neither did she feel any guilt for that mysterious archer who Alex took out.


    For people who clearly intended to harm her or take her life, she would feel no such emotions.


    With no further thoughts on the subject, Mira stabbed her knife down, piercing the boy''s heart.


    It only took a few moments after that for the life to drain out of his eyes for good.


    Alex approached Mira just as she did so. Upon seeing him, Mira asked, "What should we do about the fat one?"


    The fat one, aka Mchi, had escaped. Neither of them knew what kind of consequences this would bring.


    "Just leave it. He Ran off into the swampnds. It would be too tedious and a waste of time for us to chase after him in there. If we''re lucky and spot him at another pointter on, we can deal with him then." Alex gave his opinion on what to do about Mchi, and Mira epted it without much thought.


    Their goal was to find as many beasts as they can, and kill them.


    If they took a detour that could potentiallyst days just to kill one guy, then they would jeopardise their chances of even reaching the top 50.


    "Let''s carry on. My wound''s nearly healed and you look like you still have the energy to continue." Alex resumed speaking.


    With this the duo looted what they could from the golden haired boy''s corpse.


    They gathered some food, water and other useful items for survival and moved on.


    They didn''t even bother checking for any belongings of the archer.


    It had all been incinerated with Alex''s hugely powerful fireball attack.


    Everything seemed normal from this point onwards, but something weighed on Mira''s mind.


    ''How is his wound healing so quickly?''


    She had noticed this right away when everything had settled down.


    From what she knew, Awakened only start to develop faster regeneration from Distinguished rank onwards.


    But clearly Alex possessed that ability, since the hole left behind by the arrow had already scabbed over.


    ''Whatever, I can bring it up when the time feels right.''


    ***


    On the huge spaceship orbiting Periculum.


    Five men with imposing auras stood side by side, watching a huge screen that disyed various different ongoing scenes from the below.


    "What do you think, Professor Will? There seem to be some decent seeds in this batch."


    A burly middle aged man, with his bare chest exposed, spoke.


    "There are some kids with decent potential, yes." Professor Will just replied in a stagnant tone.


    He was too focused on the screens in front of him to engage in a proper conversation.


    To be specific, he was focused on the screen portraying Alex and Mira.


    On the screen, the duo had just exited the endless swamp and had set up camp for a short break to rejuvenate their energy.


    But with his examiner privileges, he knew the location of every applicant currently taking the test on the.


    So he knew that three other applicants were slowly approaching them from the darkness.


    ''What will you do, little Alex and Mira¡­''


    Inwards, he was actually rather excited and curious to see how the two dealt with the predicament that was rapidly approaching.


    He was hoping they showed as much potential as they did when the test first started.


    But as the three figures got closer and closer to the duo, traces of disappointment shed across his gaze when he realised they still hadn''t noticed the approaching enemies.


    ''I guess I was expecting too much.''


    It was only when they were within 150 metres of each other that Alex and Mira noticed the iing foes.


    ''Acting ignorant ey? Let''s see how this ys out.''


    Soon enough, the battle ensued when the first arrow was fired and missed Mira.


    Professor Will watched all the way up until the point that Alex was shot in the shoulder, to which he was so disappointed that he switched his focus to start looking at other applicants.


    ''Yep, I expected too much of such uneducated kids like them.''


    He had lost all faith in Mira and especially Alex when he didn''t even realise there was a third enemy until he had already been injured by them.


    But just as he was about to discard his hope for them entirely, he noticed something peculiar.


    ''What is that?''


    He spotted Alex grabbing the empty air and watched as a glowing white orb of light appeared in his hands.


    He then watched as it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and was shocked to see that Alex''s injuries had started to recover a lot quicker.


    ''What kind of item is this?? This kid has more secrets than I thought.''


    Professor Will was as curious now more than he ever was before.


    But when he saw Alex take out even more of those orbs of light, and the huge fireball that Alexunched a few secondster, even he, a B+ rank, couldn''t help his jaw from opening wide in shock.


    The burly man noticed the peculiar expression on Professor Will''s face, and when he looked at the scene he was viewing, he mirrored his shock.


    Soon enough, all five of the men in the room had focused entirely on the scene of Alex and Mira, all with different expressions on their faces.

 Chapter 66 Four days

    66 Four days


    ''I have to recruit these kids¡­''


    All four of the other men in the room thought.


    But Professor Will had other things on his mind.


    ''Just what secrets does this Alex hold? Not just him, but this Mira girl as well.''


    Will thought more about what Alex and Mira were hiding.


    The scene quickly toned down back to normal when two of the attacking applicants had died and the other escaped. But the shock hadn''t left the observing examiner''s faces yet.


    But Professor Will had to know everything about these kids, they shocked him with something new every time he watched them.


    He rewinded the recording back to when Alex and Mira were fighting in the swamp, and his eyes shifted when he saw Mira''s hair turn golden and watched as shepletely turned the fight against the E rank crocodile beast around.


    ''She has the strength to kill a beast a whole level above her while this ability is active¡­ this has to be at least a B+ rank talent!''


    Now, both of them had officially piqued his curiosity. He couldn''t wait for the exam to finish, he wished he could just fly over to them on the spot and recruit them, but there were procedures he had to follow.


    "It seems we have quite some good seeds this year." Professor Will asserted.


    When the other four men heard him, their faces fell. They knew the meaning of his words.


    ''Tsk, he''s already imed these two prodigies.'' The burly man thought.


    None of these other four men couldpare with Professor Will and the university he was representing.


    Only Capital Prime University could employ a famous peak Beacon on the cusp of bing an Ascendant.


    It wasn''t worth offending Will Wother nor Capital Prime just to snag a few good prodigies.


    ***


    Four dayster


    ''225 points.''


    Alex looked down at his watch and nced at the numbers shining in bold.


    Over thest four days, nothing too interesting had urred.


    No other applicants had attacked them ever since that trio, and there had been no sign of that spiky haired fat boy either.


    It seemed he had gone into hiding after what happened.


    Luckily for Alex and Mira, the number of beasts they hade across had increased after they left the swampy region.


    They had even encountered 2 more E rank beasts, which the duo had a much easier time taking down now that Alex wasn''t severely hampered by the environment.


    The only reason the fight against the E rank crocodile had been so risky was because the swampynd made Alex''s talent almost redundant, so Mira had to risk using her transformation to take it down instead.


    But every beast they had taken on after that was much easier to deal with.


    The E- ranks and below didn''t even need to be mentioned.


    Both Alex and Mira could solo them even without using their talents. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The first E rank they came across was a tricky beast called an Emberw. The Emberw looked like a 5 metre tall reptilian beast covered in scales that shimmered in a red and orange hue, resembling smoldering embers, hence the first half of its name being ''Ember''. It had long, curved ws capable of slicing through the tough stoneprising the mountains beneath them.


    This beast was somewhat tricky to deal with, as any hit from it''s ws could be deadly.


    Luckily, the open environment allowed for Alex and Mira to manoeuver around the beast''s attacks easier than with the mutant crocodile. It was a tough battle, but with the help of Alex''s mes they were able to take the beast down with minimal injuries.


    The second E rank they came across was even weirder.


    Oddly, when they killed it, it was just called ''Frog'' adding even more to the weirdness of the beast. Just like its name, it was a tiny frog the size of Alex''s hand, whichpared to the sizes of other E rank beasts, was quite abnormal.


    But the battle with this frog was actually their toughest battle yet. It wasn''t dangerous like their battle against the Mutant Crocodile, and it wasn''t as time consuming as their battle with the Emberw.


    Instead it was just annoying.


    The one redeeming quality this frog had to make up for its unusually small size was its terrifying speed.


    Its method of attack was to use its two hind legs like springs andunch itself at its prey at speeds exceeding that of even E+ rank beasts.


    This speed,bined with its small stature made it incredibly difficult tond a hit on it. And when you were hit by this thing at full force, it wasn''t fun.


    Alex and Mira both left that battle with their bodies covered in bruises from head to toe, much to the amusement of the examiners watching from space.


    The battle with that frogsted over an hour, and the duo were only able to finally kill the beast by tiring the little thing out, which slowed it down drastically.


    "Only 2 days left before the exam ends. Do you think we''re in first ce with this amount of points?" Alex asked Mira, trying to ease his boredom by striking a conversation with her.


    "I don''t know. But we''ve gotta be in the top 10 for sure." Mira wasn''t confident they were first, but from her impressions of the other applicants, she doubted there was anyone in this batch who were stronger than them.


    "I just hope this''ll be enough to enrol in Capital Prime¡­" Alex mumbled ¡ª Mira mirroring his hope.


    Up above, Professor Will chuckled to himself when he heard Alex mumble.


    ''Haha, trust me kid, if what you two did isn''t enough to enrol in Capital Prime, then no one deserves to enrol there!''


    Professor Will continued chuckling for a few more moments, but he was interrupted by a sudden rm.


    "Warning! Warning! Energy level exceeding E+ rank detected on Periculum! I repeat¡­"


    Professor Will''s eyes widened when he heard the alert.


    I was busy with IRL stuff, so only 1 chapter today :(


    TheUngod


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 67 White Tiger

    67 White Tiger


    "Warning! Warning! Energy level exceeding E+ rank detected on Periculum!..."


    The warning continued repeating through the ship.


    Neither the five examiners nor the rest of the ship employees knew what was going on.


    ''I''m detecting nothing abnormal, is this just an error?''


    Professor Will instantly scanned the entire using his senses when the rm first rang.


    But even with his expert senses, he didn''t sense any beasts higher than E+ rank anywhere on the.


    This could only mean one of two things.


    The beast responsible for this energy level had somehow figured out how to hide its presence from a B+ rank being like him.


    But this theory didn''t make sense since the ship''sputer had detected it.


    The second scenario was even more tricky.


    ''An exceedingly strong E+ rank beast has entered the¡­''


    That''s right.


    An E+ rank beast with an energy level above its own rank had infiltrated.


    A quick check of theputer''s systems and its diagnostics confirmed this theory to be true. It detected an energy level exceeding E+ rank, but it pinpointed the source to a specific E+ rank beast.


    This wasn''t the biggest problem though.


    The fact that this beast was still only E+ rank meant that no rules had been broken, meaning that the examiners couldn''t involve themselves to get rid of this threat until after the exam waspleted.


    ''Shit! Things are going to start getting tricky¡­''


    Professor Will eximed.


    The beast responsible for this energy signature appeared in the same region as Mira and Alex.


    ***


    "Let''s set off, we can''t afford to take any breaks before this exam ends." Alex announced.


    Both him and Mira had taken a short break to devour some of the meat from the Emberw they had saved for moments like this.


    17:03


    But without knowing where in the rankings they were exactly, they couldn''t take any long breaks.


    If they fell behind for even a few hours, their chances of reaching first ce would be at risk.


    By now they had left the rocky, mountainous region.


    They were currently walking through an exotic looking jungle. All around them stood trees of all shapes and sizes, but there was one characteristic they all shared.


    Instead of the universal green colour nts took, this entire jungle took on a purple theme.


    The nts were purplish pink, the trees were the same, everything in this ce was coloured in a purple hue.


    Even the animals and beasts, which made it tricky for them to hunt them considering how well they blended in.


    "If only we could find some strong beasts like that ''Frog'' and the Emberw. Even something like the Mutant Crocodile will do." After two hours of walking with absolutely zero beasts killed, Mira couldn''t stand it anymore.


    "How have we note across anything in thest two hours? Have all the beasts just decided to take a vacation or something¡­" Mira was half joking, trying to make light of their situation.


    But there was also some suspicion to her thoughts.


    ''But really, where are all the beasts? We''d have at least found a F rank or something like that on the way, but nothing¡­''


    Just as she was thinking about how weird theck of beasts in this area was, her thoughts came to a stop when something alerted her senses.


    Amongst the seemingly peaceful environment, the sounds of trees copsing could be heard in the distance.


    Alex had heard it too, and they both stopped.


    Looking in the direction of where the sound came from, the two of them focused all their senses in that one direction. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thud


    Thud


    Once again the sounds reverberated through the environment, even causing faint shakes in the ground.


    "Sounds like something big is moving. Maybe even a battle is going on over there." Mira gave her thoughts on this.


    "Mmhm." Alex grunted at her, agreeing.


    Without any further words, the duo darted in the direction where the sounds wereing from.


    But if their vision wasn''t obstructed by the tall and towering purple trees, they would have almost certainly run in the opposite direction¡­


    ***


    As Alex and Mira arrived at the site of the disturbances, they were confused at theck of any beast. Instead all they found was arge open clearing, where a jungle used to stand. The entire area was ravaged, with debris from trees strewn around all across the field.


    But a sudden scream pulled them out of their thoughts.


    Just back in the jungle behind them, a girl screamed, pointing in horror at something in the trees.


    Theywere unable to see what she was pointing at, but frowns were evident on their faces.


    ''We didn''t even notice she was following us.''


    This girl had obviously been following them, probably in an attempt to take their points.


    But they were equally as confused at why she blew her cover.


    However the reason soon made itself clear...


    Alex was covered in cold sweat.


    Mira was covered in cold sweat.


    The screaming girl was suddenly snatched up by a huge creature that looked like a white tiger.


    The girl was barely as big as the tooth of the huge creature. The tiger chewed a little, and the girl was gone.


    Alex and Mira were both horrified, this creature was the size of a mountain.


    ''How can such a thing exist¡­''


    ***


    "Shit, the situation is even worse than we thought!" Professor Will stood up from his seat, utterly shocked.


    On his screen, the white tiger had just shown up in front of Alex and Mira after chewing down that girl in one bite.


    "Sound the rms! Notify all applicants to hide and wait for us to pick them up, this exam is over!"


    All five of the examiners shouted out their orders in a rush, shock still evident on their faces.


    "I can''t believe it¡­ how could such a creature have shown up??" Professor Will gritted his teeth.


    "A divine beast has never left the Primordial Expanse through a Floodgate before¡­"

 Chapter 68 Divine beast

    68 Divine beast


    There''s a few pieces of information that only few Awakened knew.


    The existence of beast ssification was one of them.


    Nothing could have prepared humans for the arrival of the Primordial Expanse. Society had practically copsed when it first came about.


    But it was the arrival of Awakened that settled everything and brought order back to the Federation.


    However in the Primordial Expanse, things were a little different.


    Alongside the conventional F, E, D etc. ranking system, there was another set of ssification for beasts.


    Within each rank, each beast had another ssification.


    In ascending order, it goes from:


    Ordinary Beasts


    Mutant Beasts


    Variant Beasts


    King Beasts


    Ancient Beasts


    Divine Beasts


    The rank of a beast didn''t matter when the ssification of beasts was considered.


    There could be an F rank Divine beast, or there could be S rank Ordinary beasts.


    What mattered was that higher ssification beasts were much, much stronger than other beasts at their rank.


    Therefore it was perfectly normal that Professor Will and the Examiners were panicking so much with the intervention of an E+ rank Divine beast.


    Such a beast could easily wipe out every applicant on the and escape back to the Primordial Expanse before they could intervene.


    ***


    In front of the white tiger, Alex wasn''t much better than an ant.


    He was too shocked to even attempt an attack on the beast. Mira was the same.


    Instead they both turned around in an attempt to escape, but when they did so they stopped suddenly in their tracks.


    Hundreds of smaller beasts, led by a fewrger ones at the forefront held a staredown with the white tiger.


    These beasts were in Alex and Mira''s path of escape.


    Alex gritted his teeth, grabbing Mira before he made a dash in the opposite direction. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He ran directly towards the towering white tiger instead!


    Thankfully, the huge beast seemed too preupied with the staredown with the horde of beasts than just two puny humans.


    "No shit we found no beasts! They''re all right here!" Alex cursed bitterly.


    Mira shared his resentment, but still felt chills down her spine when she moved her gaze over the mountainous white tiger.


    However they once again encountered another predicament. Behind the white tiger, another horde of beasts stood.


    In fact, when he focused more, the entire field was surrounded by thousands of beasts of all different types.


    They were surrounded and had already lost the chance to escape. The horde of beasts were about to arrive and they had nowhere to hide in the wide open field.


    Suddenly, Alex looked towards to white tiger.


    Although it was faced with thousands of beasts at the same rank as itself, it still stood steady.


    Alex even weirdly felt that it didn''t even seem threatened¡­


    "Fuck it!" Instead of risking it and hoping the beast horde wouldn''t attack them, they instead made a run for it towards the white tiger.


    They continued to run towards the white tiger, which had not noticed them.


    However some nearby beasts had, and made chase after them.


    Birds, mammals etc. All after Alex and Mira with a greedy and ferocious look in their eyes.


    But just as the beasts were within biting distance of the duo, the white tiger swiped its paw.


    Over half the beasts that had been chasing the duo had been killed with just that swipe.


    The remaining half halted their chase and hesitated, considering whether they should retreat or continue going after the tasty looking prey.


    But before they could make their choice, the rest of the horde made their move.


    The thousands of beasts all came roaring in towards the white tiger at once.


    Alex and Mira took the opportunity to cling onto the tiger''s fur, hoping that it didn''t notice them.


    They got the feeling the tiger wasn''t going to be on the losing end of this battle¡­


    And it seemed like their gut feeling was right on point.


    The white tiger did not even take the thousands of beasts seriously. In its eyes, even the biggest beasts attacking it could just be considered a snack.


    The angry horde of beasts were point nk with the tiger and started their attack. However it was like a bunch of pebbles trying to take down a mountain.


    Not even the fiercest looking beasts left a scratch.


    It could not even be called an attack.


    It was just a one sided ughter, a free meal for the tiger.


    The huge tiger killed dozens with each swipe, sometimes using its huge maw to directly chomp down a few beasts.


    After just a few seconds, the once barren field had be a redke.


    But it was as if the horde were enchanted. The beasts just never stopped charging, which was a futile effort in front of the white tiger.


    "What the hell am I seeing¡­" Alex was speechless.


    Only once before had he ever seen such a one sided ughter.


    But not even that couldpare with what was going on before him.


    The white tiger just swiped, asionally fed on some beasts, and the thousandsrge beast horde had all died within the hour.


    After spending some time chomping down on the remains of some of the beasts, the huge white tiger lost interest.


    Instead, it turned its attention to the two little ants hanging off the hairs on its tail.


    Its eyes met Alex and Mira''s.


    ***


    "Evacuate all the applicants! Send down all avable shuttles!"


    A few examiners shouted orders across the chaotic ship.


    "Thankfully that beast horde showed up, otherwise it would be ake of human blood down there." The burly man spoke, his nerves still evident.


    "It''s a shame about those poor kids though, they showed some real potential." Another examiner stated, referring to Alex and Mira.


    "Yeah, they were too unlucky to run into the Divine beast. Hmmff, if only the federation wasn''t so paranoid in sharing information. We could have prevented this if we just disclosed the ssification of beasts beforehand." The burly man expressed his displeasure.


    "Shut up already! Look, what''s going on?" Professor Will silenced the room and pointed towards the screen.


    "How the hell are these kids always so lucky??"

 Chapter 69 Nice

    69 Nice


    What the examiners expected to happen didn''t ur at all.


    Instead, a much more perplexing situation was taking ce on the screen in front of them


    ***


    Right as the chaos settled, with the entire horde dead, the white tiger met Alex and Mira''s eyes.


    But instead of the ferocity they saw when the tiger had massacred the entire horde of beasts, they saw eyes filled with curiosity. Not something they had expected from such a mountain sized killing machine.


    Ding!


    Right as the stare down started, Alex and Mira''s watches pinged out with a notification at the same time.


    Unsure what to do, Alex hesitated for a few moments before his eyes parted with the tiger''s and he looked down at his watch.


    ''Urgent! Due to unforeseen circumstances, the exam has ended early. All applicants are to immediately wait for evacuation until further notice.''


    Alex wasn''t surprised at seeing this notification. Clearly the examiners had noticed the situation with this huge white tiger and the killing of thousands of beasts at once.


    It seemed that the federation had some exining to do. This rtively ''safe'' Floodgate clearly wasn''t as simple as it seemed.


    But Alex quickly threw any thoughts surrounding the subject aside, as he and Mira were currently locked in a stare down with the huge white tiger.


    Suddenly, they felt the energy in the air surrounding them rise rapidly, causing their nerves to go haywire.


    ''I guess this is where we die¡­''


    Alex was speechless.


    In his mind, the only reason why the energy would rise was because something was preparing an attack.


    Neither he nor Mira were doing such a thing, which only left one culprit.


    Out of nowhere, Alex felt a slight tug on his shoulder.


    He looked over absentmindedly and saw Mira holding tightly onto him, her eyes and face scrunched up as she prepared for the worst.


    ''At least I had the chance to make a friend before I die¡­'' Mira thought to herself.


    However, just as the energy in the air reached its peak, instead of the attack Alex was expecting, something else urred.


    ''You are good bait. I reward.''


    A deep and masculine voice entered his mind, the source unknown.


    But when he looked up and saw the same curious look in the tiger''s eyes, with no indication of an attack, he had a vague idea of what happened.


    ''Did the tiger justmunicate with me?''


    He wore deep shock on his face when this realisation hit him.


    He had never heard of a beast being able tomunicate with humans.


    Alex didn''t even know such a thing was possible.


    As far as humans were concerned, whether it was in the Primordial Expanse or out in the universe, they were the only known sentient creatures.


    Yet this tiger right in front of him was a direct contradiction to that theory.


    Just as Alex was recovering from his shock, the mountain sized white tiger shook very lightly, shaking Alex and Mira off it''s fur.


    It was at this point that Mira also opened her eyes, looking around confused.


    "Aren''t we supposed to be dead?" She asked Alex, still nervous.


    Alex looked at her trembling lips, and answered her.


    "I don''t think this tiger intends to hurt us. I think it justmunicated with me¡­" Alex wanted to continue further but he stopped himself when he realised that the examiners were probably watching this whole thing y out from the ship above.


    In fact he was still a little confused about something.


    Why had they not intervened yet?


    Clearly this white tiger wasn''t something that any applicant here even had a remote chance of facing.


    Hell, even awakened a whole rank above them probably wouldn''t stand a chance against it.


    "But why did it kill that other girl if it''s letting us live?" He was left puzzled by this.


    This was the one thing Alex didn''t understand.


    ''She stole prey.''


    But the voice entered Alex''s mind once again when he asked this. When he looked up, the white tiger was still ncing at him.


    He turned to Mira, and spoke.


    "I''ll exin it allter in more detail. First we should get out of here so the examiners cane pick us up."


    Mira nodded fervently, desperately wanting to escape.


    One had to consider that they weren''t even adults yet. When facing off against other humans or beasts of simr rank who threatened their life, they had the confidence to kill them.


    But when up against a foe with such arge disparity in strength, even the strongest willed awakened might feel fear.


    Although the tiger didn''t seem like it was going to kill them, considering it was still a beast he didn''t want to take any chances. Especially since it was their lives on the line.


    But just as he and Mira slowly started backing away, the tiger swiped its tail across, tangling the duo up before they could make it any further.


    ''Wait.''


    It spoke in Alex''s mind, and put the two down again right in front of its huge head.


    As it set the two down, the tiger started making some heaving motions, like it was about to throw something up.


    A few secondster, it did just that.


    Right in front of the duo, the tiger spat out two gleaming silver balls. They were about the size of a human head each, surrounded by a mysterious silver glow and gave off a menacing energy.


    Like they were of a higher existence than them.


    The tiger pointed its snout at the two silver balls and then at Alex and Mira respectively.


    Then, like it was never there, it disappeared into thin air. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    If they weren''t staring wide eyed at the tiger the whole time without blinking, they would have missed it.


    In the span of just milliseconds, it surrounded itself in a silver glow, simr to the glow given off by the two silver balls, and disappeared.


    Up above, on the spaceship.


    "Space element! This Divine beast even has the space element!" Professor Will eximed.


    "Wait what?? I blinked and I missed it¡­" Another examiner looked depressed when he heard Professor Will''s words.


    It was rare across the whole federation to see the space element in action.


    B ranks like them could go their entire lives before seeing someone use the space element, even rarer to see a beast with the element.


    With the tiger gone, the examiners turned their attention to the two silver orbs in front of Alex and Mira.


    Greed entered their eyes when they noticed their simrity to the space element the Divine beast had just shown.

 Chapter 70 Results

    70 Results


    The examiners watched next as the two orbs disappeared.


    They weren''t too shocked seeing this. While the space element was one of the rarest things toe across in the universe, space treasures weremonmodities in both the Federation and the Primordial Expanse.


    Thankfully, one didn''t need the space element to craft such artifacts. One only needed thebined effort of a formation master and a master cksmith to create a decent space treasure.


    It was expensive, but worth the exorbitant price to most awakened.


    Mira raised her brows when she saw the two silver orbs disappear in front of her eyes.


    She was surprised Alex was able to afford something like a space treasure considering his background.


    Now that everything was over, the two looked lost.


    The tiger was gone, the beast horde waspletely dealt with, and the exam had ended early.


    ''We didn''t even get that many points¡­''


    The thing that hurt them the most was the fact that they had no more time to gather points due to the exam ending early.


    Instead, Alex just plopped to the ground in exhaustion.


    "Might as well rx while we wait for the examiners toe pick us up." Alex sighed as he spoke, they had spent thest 5 days toiling away without rest, striving to obtain as many points as they could to reach first ce.


    But now they didn''t need to do that anymore.


    The realisation of this had settled in and the exhaustion they had built up all released at once.


    Whoooom!


    After 10 minutes, the sound of a shuttle breaking through the atmosphere sounded above them.


    Alex and Mira slowly stood up, stretching their arms and legs.


    "Wow I think this is the most tired I''ve been ever since I became an awakened!" Mira let out a satisfied groan as she stretched her limbs.


    Their muscles were aching from the constant fighting.


    ***


    Half an hourter, on the mothership.


    "It seems all living applicants have arrived." Instead of Professor Will, a much more schrly looking old man was addressing the group of applicants this time.


    Alex looked around.


    ''226''


    When he counted the number of applicants, his face fell when he saw that the original number had more than halved.


    The fact that the schrly man at the front of the hall said ''all living applicants'' could only mean that the remaining majority that weren''t in the hall were dead.


    ''This leaves a bad taste in my mouth.''


    Alex was unsettled by this fact, but he couldn''t speak up about it.


    After experiencing how truly horrifying and devastating Floodgates were, his low opinion of the Federation had rxed a little.


    He understood, after experiencing it first-hand, that fiercepetition was needed between awakened to motivate them.


    The disparity in strength between humans and beasts was only made more evident by the events he had seen today, and although he didn''t particrly agree with it, he knew the hard handed method the federation used to temper their awakened was a necessity to tackle the beasts.


    The constant threat of beasts was the best motivator for awakened to work hard to grow their strength and defend the federation.


    Unfortunately, resources were limited, so the more talented awakened were favoured.


    This led the federation to adopt the all or nothing approach.


    If you had the strength, then prove you were worth the investment. If you didn''t have the strength, then you got nothing. At most you''d end up as tempering for someone stronger.


    Of course there was always the third option of exploring the Primordial Expanse yourself to work for your own resources.


    But this was the most dangerous option that many awakened opted not to go for.


    The sad reality was that after their first journey into the Primordial Expanse, most awakened never dared to enter again.


    "Since everyone is here, it''s about time we do some exining." Alex was brought out of his thoughts by the deep voice of the schrly man.


    "Unfortunately, the exam had to be suspended early due to the appearance of a Divine beast from the Floodgate, which is the first time this has ever happened in the history of the federation." The schrly man revealed.


    Murmuring started amongst the applicants.


    "Divine beast? What is that?"


    "I''ve never heard the term ''Divine beast'', this old man must be covering up the real reason the exam ended early."


    "Wow, that name sounds imposing! I''m just d I made it out alive¡­"


    Instead of shock, horror or relief, the students wore confused expressions when they heard the term ''Divine beast''.


    "That''s all I can tell you regarding what happened. If you want to learn more about Divine beasts, then you better hope you make the quota for university. All will be exined to you about the ssification of beasts when you enter university. That is all about that for now."


    The old man stopped any further discussion on the subject, and changed to another topic.


    "Now it''s time for the reason you''re all here, the rankings." As he spoke, the old man tapped on his watch and a hologram appeared above him, big enough for everyone to see.


    "As previously stated, only the top 50 will be enrolled. If you are not within this group, then I am sorry. You can try again next year or you can enrol in a university outside of the top 5."


    "Now, starting at number 50, with 89 points, is¡­"


    When the old man started listing off the top 50, going in ascending order, Alex felt ted.


    ''Number 50 only had 89 points! That means not only have I met the requirements, but I''m pretty high up in the rankings!''


    The applicants and staff on board the ship apuded.


    11:35


    "In second ce, we have Mchi Promoti, also from Hortus. Amassing a total of 196 points, congrattions!"


    Alex looked over at Mira from across the hall and she was looking at him too, with just as joyful a smile on her face.


    ''This at least solidifies a spot at a top 5 university for me, but I''m not just aiming for the top 5¡­''


    Both Alex and Mira''s goals were Capital Prime University, the number 1 university in the whole federation.


    Soon, the schrly old man reached the top then, but Alex and Mira''s names still hadn''t been called out yet.


    Their excitement grew more and more as he read out name after name ¡ª neither of theirs having been spoken yet.


    "Congrattions on all who made it into the top 10! You''ll each receive a chance to enter the elite ss when you arrive at your university of choice."


    "Now, it''s time for the top three."


    "In third, we have Kiara Meriaum from Hortus. With a total of 181 points she has exceeded all expectations bying this far. Congrattions!"


    The applicants and staff on board the ship apuded. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "In second ce, we have Mchi Promoti, also from Hortus. Amassing a total of 196 points, congrattions!"


    Upon hearing who had earned second ce, Alex recognised that name instantly.


    ''Mchi¡­ So you actually made it this far.''


    It was the same spiky haired boy who had escaped into the swamp after his two teammates had been killed by Alex and Mira.


    Alex made a note of him and moved on.


    A huge smile was stered across his face.


    He knew what wasing next.


    "In first ce, we don''t often have situations like this but we actually have a tie!"


    This basically confirmed Alex''s thoughts.


    "In joint first, we have Alex from ARC colony 481, and Mira from unknown origins. Congrattions to you both for amassing 225 points each and achieving first ce!"


    Join the Discord!

 Chapter 71 Name calling

    71 Name calling


    Alex and Mira''s faces glowed when they realised they had gotten first. They didn''t even realise it was possible for them to get a joint first, they just thought the examiners would make a decision based on their performances during the exam since their points were tied, but it seemed that wasn''t necessary!


    "To all of those in the top 50, congrattions! And to all of those who managed to reach the top 10, I''m sure you''ll be happy with the rewards you''ve earned for yourselves." The schrly old man finished up his speech about the rankings by congratting all of those who made it.


    "Now, it''s time for the moment you''ve all been waiting for." He spoke somest few words before he stepped off the stage.


    In his ce, the five examiners took up to the stage.


    Alex naturally recognised Professor Will as the examiner who led everyone onto the ship back on Hortus.


    He was surprised to know that not only was he an examiner, but also a professor from a university!


    ''He must be the source of that strong pressure I felt back on Hortus!''


    Alex only affirmed his suspicions even further when he found out he was a professor from Capital Prime.


    "Settle down, settle down. Before we announce anything, I''d just like to remind those of you who didn''t quite reach the top 50 to not give up hope yet. If you''re lucky, one of us five Professors might favor you and choose to enrol you too." Professor Will spoke for the five examiners on the stage, filling the unlucky applicants below with a new hope for their futures.


    "The way this is going to work is simple. We will read an applicant''s name off of this list, and one or more of us professors will raise a hand, signifying our willingness to enrol you in our representative university."


    Professor Will continued.


    "If the professor from your chosen university doesn''t raise their hand when your name is called, then tough luck. Be happy you still get to enrol in a top 5 university, for most people don''t get the same chance as you. That is all."


    With that Professor Will ended his monologue and started calling out names.


    Starting from the bottom, each name was called and most of the time only 1 professor would raise their hand, the burly man.


    He was the representative professor of the fifth ranked university, the lowest of the five.


    Naturally it was inferior to the other four, so most of the lower ranked applicants ended up only making the cut for this one.


    But asionally, more than one professor would raise their hand, to which the student always chose the highest ranking of them all.


    After a few minutes of name calling, it had finally reached the top 10.


    50 students had been chosen so far, with 10 of them being lucky ones who didn''t reach the top 50 but still got lucky by being favored by a professor.


    "Now for the top 10, there is no need for any of us other than me to raise their hands. All four of their universities are open to you."


    This announcement by Professor Will raised the remaining applicant''s excitement by a notch.


    So far, only 1 person out of the fifty chosen had made it into the 2nd ranked university, the Federal Military Academy.


    No one was given the choice to enrol in Capital Prime yet. This just went to show how prestigious the number one university of the entire federation was inparison to the rest.


    From number 10 all the way down to number 4, each person''s name was read out. Yet still none of them had been given the chance to enrol into Capital Prime University.


    This left the top 3.


    "Kiara Meriaum, speak, which university do you wish to enter."


    Kiara was a young girl standing at 5''9, rather tall for her age and sex. She had flowing, wavy red hair that made her stand out amongst the ordinary crowd. Her face resembled that of someone from the ancient country of China, before the federation was established.


    To Kiara, she didn''t even need to think about her answer as it was obvious.


    Just like everyone else, she was going to enrol in the Federal Military Academy, the 2nd ranked university in the Federation.


    At least she was, before a certain someone raised his hand. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    For the first time since the name calling had started, Professor Will raised his hand, signifying that Kiara could choose to enrol in Capital Prime if she wished.


    She was dumbfounded at first. She didn''t think she was actually talented enough for the likes of Capital Prime, hence the thought of enrolling there never even crossed her mind.


    Her goal had always been the Federal Military Academy.


    But now, faced with this new choice, she didn''t hesitate.


    "I''d like to enrol in Capital Prime University!"


    The first official student of Capital Prime from this batch of applicants had been chosen.


    Next came second ce.


    ''Mchi Promoti, your death won''t be a quick one.''


    Alex thought to himself as he was reminded once again of this boy, who had ruthlessly tried to kill him and Mira for petty reasons.


    ''I hope to be seeing you at Capital Prime, that''ll make getting my revenge much easier!''


    Alex actually wished that Mchi could also enter Capital Prime instead of the opposite. Killing him when he finally thought he had achieved his dreams would be much more satisfying and fulfilling if he did so.


    "Mchi Promoti, make your choice." Once again, Professor Will called out the name.


    And once again, he raised his hand.


    ''Bingo!''


    Just as Alex wanted, Mchi would be going to Capital Prime, making his revenge much sweeter and easier to take.


    "I''d like to join the Federal Military Academy!"


    But contrary to his thoughts and the thoughts of everyone else who was present, Mchi actually rejected the offer from Capital Prime!


    Shock was written all over not only Alex''s face, but also Professor Will''s!


    Nobody had ever rejected his offer to join Capital Prime academy!


    But contrary to the reactions of everyone around him, Mchi''s expression didn''t falter.


    He turned around, gazing at Alex and Mira respectively, and smiled sinisterly.


    ''You bastard!''


    It was like he knew Alex''s thoughts all along.


    He knew Alex wanted him to join Capital Prime too.


    Alex had been yed.


    Join the Discord!

 Chapter 72 The truth

    Chapter 72 The truth


    "Ahem, well that was unexpected, to say the least."


    After the shock of Mchi''s decision settled down, Professor Will rposed himself and carried on to the end of the enrolment.


    "Finally, we have the joint winners of this exam."


    He announced, with everyone quieting down after he spoke.


    "Pick whichever university you like, Alex, Mira."


    Finally, it hade to their choice.


    Professor Will didn''t even need to raise his hand this time.


    It was obvious which university they were going to pick.


    He had read both of their applications when they first piqued his interest.


    He knew what their first choices were.


    "Capital Prime." They both said in unison.


    ***


    With the formalities over, everyone returned back to their assigned quarters on the ship. The ce seemed much emptier with over half of the original applicants being dead.


    Everyone but the top 10.


    The ones ranked 4-10 were given rmendation letters from their professors, which acted as an entrance ticket to the elite ss exams.


    That left the top 3¡­ except for Mchi.


    He had gone off with the Professor from the Federal Military Academy to speak in private.


    "As for you guys, we have something even more special to reward you with."


    There were only 4 people left in the huge hall.


    Professor Will and the three who had been epted into Capital Prime.


    There was no need for the other professors to be present.


    "Kiara, we''ll start with you." Professor Will asserted.


    "Your reward for reaching third will be an E- rank beast core."


    "..."


    ''...''


    The silence after Professor Will spoke was so palpitating that Kiara, Alex and Mira forgot to even think.


    ''That''s it? I work so hard just for one measly E- rank beast core which I could have easily earned myself if I put some effort in?''


    Kiara was majorly disappointed when she regained herposure, but she made sure not to show it in front of Professor Will.


    She didn''t want to lose her spot in Capital Prime before she even had the chance to step foot in the ce.


    "I know what you all must be thinking, and trust me I thought the same thing too when I was in your ce as a student." Professor Will chuckled when he saw the three kid''s reactions.


    ''This never gets old.''


    "This E- rank beast core isn''t just any ordinary beast core, it''s a Mutant beast core." Professor Will revealed.


    This time the three kids were confused.


    ''Dafuq?''


    The same thing was on all of their minds.


    ''What''s a Mutant beast core?''


    Naturally, after revealing such information to them, Professor Will exined further.


    "What I''m about to tell you isn''t exactly a secret¡­ I''d just prefer you keep the information to yourselves. We don''t want the citizens of the Federation to panic, do we?"


    The way Professor Will''s expression shifted so quickly from a joking tone to a deathly serious one concerned them.


    Clearly the information he was about to disclose to them had a high importance in the Federation.


    "Scrap what you think you know about the Primordial Expanse and the beasts."


    "Tell me, remember what that old man said on stage, about the appearance of a Divine beast?"


    The three nodded their heads.


    "Good. Divine beasts are actually a ssification of beasts, outside of the conventional methods we use to measure the strength of both beasts and humans."


    Alex, Mira and Kiara all fell into thought after he said this. They assumed the conventional methods he was talking about were the tier of their soul cores.


    "The known ssifications we have documented so far go as such, in ascending order:


    Ordinary Beasts


    Mutant Beasts


    Variant Beasts


    King Beasts


    Ancient Beasts


    Divine Beasts


    Our research ends at Divine beasts, which we believe to be the highest and strongest ssification a beast can reach."


    Alex couldn''t believe his ears when he heard this information.


    He thought he already knew a decent amount about the Primordial Expanse, but again and again more surprises just keep getting thrown at him.


    This was by far the biggest of such surprises.


    "So far, we have only found that only beasts naturally have these ssifications, with each beast having a significantly higher amount of strength and intelligence than that of a beast lower down in the ssification."


    "However¡­" Professor Will paused.


    "... when the first Mutant beast was killed, we found a mutant beast core inside."


    "From this, we found that humans can attain dramatically more strength by absorbing these beast corespared to the ordinary beast cores we''d been absorbing up until that point."


    "With this, we have differentiated the world of Awakened into two parts."


    "Ordinary awakened, who only ever know about Ordinary beasts and ordinary beast cores up until the day they die."


    "And Enlightened Awakened, who know the truth of the beasts and have even had the chance to absorb a mutant beast core, or perhaps even higher."


    Professor Will basically dumped the whole lot of information on them at once, which was a lot to process for these kids who had barely even touched the fruit of adulthood yet.


    ''So this whole time, I''ve just been at the bottom of the barrel of the real world of Awakened?'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Alex was having some conflicting thoughts of his own.


    This new information came as a big shock to him.


    But it also revealed a potential new path to higher strength for him.


    ''Now that I know these beasts can''t exist, I can''t ignore them! I have to obtain their strength!''


    "Why separate the world of Awakened into two parts though, why not let every awakened know about the ssification system?" Kiara raised up a very valid question.


    The other two were very interested in the answer to this as well.


    "We only reveal such information to awakened who enrol in university, as through the tests and exams they have proven their will and drive to strive for a higher strength. They can handle the weight of such heavy information, and even use it as motivation to further their strength even more." Professor Will exined.


    "But what about the awakened that don''t make it to university, you may ask? Well, since they didn''t make the cut, they probably wouldn''t have reacted well to such information in the end anyway. Plus, if they were still driven to prove themselves and increase their strengths even after being rejected from university, they''d eventuallye across this information on their own anyway."


    With this answer, Alex and the other two finally understood.


    Most awakened were actually not much different from the normal citizens.


    They just wanted to live peaceful lives, not bothered about improving their strength and whatnot.


    So it was best to leave them to it.


    "Sir, you said only beasts can ''naturally'' have these ssifications, does that mean that by absorbing these higher ssed beast cores, we humans can also raise our ssifications?"


    Mira thought to herself for a while before she picked up this key bit of information from going back over what Professor Will said.


    Hearing this, Professor Will smiled.


    "I was hoping one of you would pick this point out. Yes, that''s correct. In fact, I myself am a Variant ss B+ rank awakened."


    ''He just keeps dropping bombshell after bombshells¡­''


    Alex wasn''t even surprised anymore.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 73 Misunderstanding

    Chapter 73 Misunderstanding


    After Professor Will finished exining the ssifications of beasts, humans and most importantly, beast cores, Kiara had an excited look on her face.


    "So you''re saying I''m getting a Mutant Beast core as my reward! Thank you so much Mr Wothers!" She couldn''t quite keep herself contained with how jumpy she was.


    She herself hade from quite a prominent background not only on Hortus, but in the entire Luminous Star system, where Hortus and all the ARC mining colonies were located.


    But even she had never heard about anything even remotely like this.


    It seemed even her own family kept a tight lid on this information until the youths proved themselves worthy of learning about it.


    When Alex and Mira heard Kiara''s excitement, their own minds started to wander and their heartbeats rose.


    ''She''s getting an E- rank Mutant beast core for achieving third ce¡­ I almost can''t wait to hear what kind of reward we''ll be getting then!''


    Alex thought to himself, realising that the reward he and Mira were expecting was most likely even better than Kiara''s.


    ''I hope I''ll be able to catch up to Alex with this reward¡­''


    Mira on the other hand had some thoughts of her own.


    She had realised a while ago that Alex wasn''t normal in the slightest.


    She could tell that even with her limited knowledge and experience of the world of the awakened.


    His abnormally high regeneration speed, his seemingly underappreciated me talent, his quick thinking, Alex seemed to be unusually proficient in all of these even though he was only the same age as her, which made her doubt herself a little.


    ''Am I truly a genius like these people say I am?''


    In Mira''s mind, she was inferior to Alex even though her talent was A- rank.


    When she was in her transformed state, she knew she could match up to Alex, but that was only temporarily while her transformation was active.


    And once it deactivated, she would be in an even weaker state than normal.


    Meanwhile, Alex''s strength was permanent, and didn''t have any obvious drawbacks like hers did.


    Just as their anticipation reached a peak, Professor Will spoke up.


    "I''ll excuse yourck of manners for now, but in the future since you are now officially students of Capital Prime University, you must call me Professor. Not Mr Wothers, or sir, but Professor."


    Kiara apologised, while Professor Will carried on.


    "As for you two, your reward will naturally be better since you achieved first ce. Each of you will receive 1 E rank Variant Beast core each. I''m sure all three of you will be very satisfied with your rewards when you receive them."


    "Kiara, if you want to achieve the same heights as these two, then you must work harder to ensure a better future for yourself. You can all go now."


    Professor Will left some parting words for Kiara and congratted all three of them before he left the hall, leaving them behind to their own devices.


    Alex and Mira looked at each other for a few seconds, their thoughts unknown.


    Then Alex spoke up.


    "What do we do now¡­ He didn''t even tell us how to get to Capital Prime University¡­" He seemed utterly helpless when he asked this.


    Mira''s face fell, also clueless.


    "Basic information like that will be messaged to you on yourmunicators, I''m guessing you two just recently started using them?"


    Kiara gave them a friendly piece of advice, before leaving the hall as well.


    Alex and Mira thanked her, before heading to their own living quarters.


    At least Alex was heading to his living quarters¡­


    "What are you doing still following me? Shouldn''t you get some sleep of your own?" He questioned Mira, who had followed him all the way back to his room.


    "Take it out, I want to see what you got." She asked Alex in quite a demanding tone.


    She looked directly into Alex''s eyes with her own deep blue eyes, holding eye contact the whole time.


    Mira slowly edged closer to Alex, close enough that he could feel her breath on his chest.


    "W-what are you doing..? What do you mean you want to see them¡­" Alex stuttered, his cheeks flushed.


    He had never felt this way before.


    Only now had he realised that Mira seemed quite attractive.


    "You know what I''m talking about. Take it out." She didn''t even change her tone once, raising Alex''s heartbeat even more.


    ''R-really!? Does she really want me to take it out!?''


    Just as Alex was about to do something unthinkable, Mira continued again


    "Why haven''t you taken them out yet? I want to see what it is the tiger gave us."


    Alex: "..." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mira: "..."


    When he heard what Mira said, Alex felt like crawling into a ball and dying on the spot.


    He was so embarrassed!


    ''Thank god I didn''t do anything stupid!''


    Mira could tell Alex was acting weird, but she didn''t think too much on the matter.


    She was too focused on seeing those two silver orbs again to question him.


    "Haha right, of course! The silver orbs¡­"


    Of course, that was what Mira was on about the whole time¡­


    Right?


    Anyway¡­


    "Let me take them out and have a look then." Alex forced himself to calm down, and summoned the two silver orbs.


    The moment the two orbs appeared in front of their eyes, they were mesmerised by their stunning beauty.


    They shimmered in a mix of silver and white, with a milky texture.


    Yet strangely when they attempted to feel them with their hands, they shimmered in and out of reality, like they were trying to disappear.


    "Let''s see what the Primordial Expanse has to say about these."


    Normally, Alex didn''t use the Primordial Expanse to find out information on objects, because the method didn''t work for anything rted to his Soulforge talent for some reason.


    But for objects like beast cores, he had learned that he could actually use the system to disy some simple information about them.


    And now he was attempting to do the same with these two orbs.


    Focusing his entire attention on the orb in his hand, 10 seconds passed where nothing happened.


    Sweat started appearing on his forehead, and he started to get a headache, but he persisted.


    Finally, after 30 seconds of no results, he saw a familiar sight sh before his eyes.


    [Fragment of Space]


    Please vote!

 Chapter 74 Scammed?

    Chapter 74 Scammed?


    [Fragment of Space]


    [A small orb containing traces of Space element, crafted by a Divine beast. Absorb this fragment to obtain a talent rted to the Space element.]


    The moment Alex read the information the system had disyed about this ''Fragment of Space'', his eyes went wide.


    ''Space element?? Absorbing this gives us a talent rted to space???''


    Alex couldn''t hide his shock, and Mira noticed this too. She was even more eager to learn about these silver orbs upon seeing Alex''s reaction.


    Alex took a few moments to recover, and when he did, he ryed what he had learned to Mira.


    Her reaction quickly mimicked Alex''s.


    "Should we absorb it then? Will there be any negative effects if we do?" Mira immediately questioned. She had nevere across anything like this and didn''t want to rush into any rash decisions.


    After all, this was a gift from a beast, aDivine beast at that, so they had to be careful that this wasn''t something like a trojan horse.


    But Alex didn''t have the same reaction as her.


    He had gone through a simr process before, with the mysterious me orb he had obtained from that ming lion.


    And that had only turned out well for him.


    "I get the feeling this thing won''t be harmful to us at all¡­" Alex remarked.


    Before Mira could do or say anything, Alex took one of the silver orbs into his hands and did the same thing he had always done with items like this.


    ''Absorb!''


    Instantly, the silver orb disappeared, for good this time.


    As soon as the silver orb disappeared, Alex was surrounded by a milky silver stream of energy that seemed to dance around him for a few moments before it entered his head, prating right between his eyes.


    He closed his eyes in that instance and scrunched his face as he felt an influx of knowledge he didn''t understand, as well as a unique feeling energy starting to develop within him.


    Mira was shocked when she saw Alex making such a bold move, and looked on from the side, concerned for him.


    ''I trust your instincts, but I still can''t help but feel nervous about this¡­''


    She thought to herself, thinking about what Alex said right before he had absorbed the space fragment.


    Alex''s instincts had been pretty on point so far during the time she had gotten to know him, so she believed they wouldn''t fail him here, at this time.


    Momentster, the effects from absorbing the space fragment died down, and Alex reopened his eyes, looking as refreshed and enlightened as he had ever been. He took a few moments, staring at the empty space in front of him, his face deadpan. He was quickly drawn back to reality, shifting his gaze over to Mira, who still looked at him with worry on her face.


    "Your turn. It''s safe, trust me."


    He spoke to her, reassuring her that there wasn''t any danger involved with the process.


    She listened to him, and did just as he said.


    The process wasn''t any different than the normal process of absorbing a beast core, so she had no difficulties.


    After a few seconds, the peculiar phenomenon lit up the room for the second time ¡ª Alex being able to watch the process from the outside this time.


    ''So beautiful¡­''


    Now that he had gained a basic understanding of the process Mira was undergoing, thanks to the influx of information he had gained, he could discern just howplex and mesmerising the energy and runes surrounding Mira were.


    ''It''s time I check what I gained from this then.''


    While Mira was going through her own process, Alex decided to finally check the boon he had gained from this.


    Opening his details, he checked for any changes.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge], [me(D+)], [Inferior teleportation(F-)]


    Trait: [Enlightened]


    Trait Description: [You''ve learned the truth of the world, realising that you are just an ant in the face of the true powerhouses of both your universe, and the Primordial Expanse.]


    Trait Effect: Learning speed increased by 1%.


    Rank: [Evolver]


    Soul core: [E- - 1%]


    Soul ssification: [Ordinary - 0%]


    Compared to thest time Alex had checked his details, there were a lot of changes.


    The most notable being the addition of a new detail at the bottom, ''Soul ssification''.


    This had clearly been added because he had finally learned about the ssification of beasts.


    It seemed even the Primordial Expanse kept this information hidden until one came into contact with it themselves.


    ''What the¡­''


    Alex was shocked when he looked at his soul tier though.


    ''1%... How could it be so low?''


    His progress towards the next tier had barely even gone up, even after absorbing that soul orb during his fight against Mchi and the others in the exam.


    He had absolutely no answer for why this could be the case, and frankly he was a little scared thinking about this.


    ''I hope this isn''t a permanent thing¡­''


    If this slow progress was a recurring theme from this point onwards, Alex''s ns would be brought to a dramatic halt.


    ''I can''t test it out right now, I''m all out of soul orbs and beast cores. Guess I''ll have to take a trip back to the Primordial Expanse soon.''


    He put this aside for the time being, and instead moved his attention to his trait.


    ''It''s changed again, and this time it even has an effect!''


    He hadn''t noticed it the first time he skimmed over his details, but there was also another detail below his trait.


    ''Increased learning speed, huh. I guess this could be good in the long run.''


    There wasn''t much to examine past that, so he moved on to the final thing, the reason he had opened his details in the first ce.


    ''An F- rank trait¡­ I guess my 2% aptitude for conceptual affinities wasn''t just for show.'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He was at first happy when he saw that he had gained another talent, like he had expected.


    But the level of the talent didn''t bring him any joy.


    ''Let me at least check the description. Maybe this talent isn''t as bad as its level makes it look.''


    [Inferior teleportation(F-)]


    [Teleport anywhere within a 3 metre radius around yourself. Uses 50% of your total energy. Remark: A talent so bad that it shouldn''t exist. Even the Primordial Expanse has standards. The only constion is that you now have a minor affinity with space, congrats.]


    "..."


    Alex didn''t know what to think.

 Chapter 75 Miras reward

    Chapter 75 Mira''s reward


    Mira opened her eyes and revelled in the unique feeling that remained from the absorption of the space fragment.


    Unlike Alex, this was apletely new experience for her. She didn''t have the luxury of a talent that gave her an energy source superior to beast cores, nor the ability to reap beasts of their talents.


    At first she couldn''t handle the intense influx of information that forced its way into her mind, but she used her willpower to push through the pain.


    Luckily, the process onlysted a few seconds. ''Alex was right, there was nothing negative about this. In fact, this is probably the best I''ve ever felt in my life¡­''


    Mira tried to calm herself down and checked her own details,pletely forgetting that Alex was also in the room with her due to her excitement,


    [Details]


    Name: [Mira Mistborn]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Golden Presence(A-), [Call of the Void(S)]


    Trait: [Enlightened]


    Trait Description: [You''ve learned the truth of the world, realising that you are just an ant in the face of the true powerhouses of both your universe, and the Primordial Expanse. But there is something mysterious within you. Your potential is limitless.]


    Trait Effect: Learning speed increased by 1%


    Rank: [Evolver] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Soul core: [E- 22%]


    Soul ssification: [Ordinary - 0%]


    At first, Mira''s face soured when she looked at her name, but she quickly rposed herself and moved on.


    Just like Alex, she looked over all of the new details that had been added, being particrly surprised by her trait description.


    ''My potential is limitless? That can''t be true¡­''


    She had no idea what the system meant by this.


    There were many people out there with better talents than her, along with better traits.


    And after finding out about the ssifications, she felt even more inferior inparison.


    She felt she was even inferior to Alex.


    But, her eyes immediately stopped when she looked at her talents.


    ''I have two now¡­''


    Her heartbeat quickened as she read the name of her new talent, and it thrummed like a drum when she saw therge, bold ''S'' next to it.


    Her heart was so loud at this moment that even Alex was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of it.


    ''What''s going on with her?''


    He looked at her, a little concerned with the sudden elevation in her heart rate.


    But when his face met hers, he knew she wasn''t in any danger or anything.


    Her face was one of pure joy.


    "Get something good?" Alex asked, a smile on his own face when he noticed how happy Mira was.


    ''At least one of us got something good out of this.'' He thought.


    "Yeah¡­" She answered absentmindedly, too busy reading through the description of her new talent.


    [Call of the Void (S)]


    [Through your exceptionally high affinity with space, you have gained this miraculous ability to drift into the void, a mirror dimension beyond your own.]


    The description was vague, but it evoked a grandiose feeling. ''What kind of ce is the void¡­''


    Although Mira was absolutely clueless about what exactly her talent did, she was ecstatic nheless.


    There was no such thing as a useless talent!


    This was especially the case with S rank talents.


    Meanwhile, Alex was still standing there, awkwardly waiting for a reply from Mira.


    He had been waiting for a whole minute after asking Mira what she got, and she didn''t even pay any attention to him.


    ''Finally!''


    Eventually, she woke up from her dazed state and turned around, facing Alex.


    She looked at him, putting on a sad and depressed face.


    "What''s wrong? Did you not get anything? Don''t worry about it, I wasn''t much luckier either. I only got an F- rank talent from mine. I doubt it''ll ever be of use to me." He spoke to her, trying to cheer her up.


    But, when Mira heard Alex''s self deprecating words and how he tried to cheer her up, her cheeks immediately flushed red.


    She felt too embarrassed trying to trick him like this¡­


    "Err¡­ Actually, I did get a talent." Hiding her embarrassment, she dropped the sad look and spoke up.


    "Oh really? Well congrats! We both gained a talent!" Alex cheered, genuinely happy for her.


    "It''s an S rank talent." She spoke again.


    Alex: "..."


    Mira: "..."


    "¡­"


    "What? I don''t think I heard you right." Alex stuffed his ear with his finger, trying to figure out what was wrong with his hearing.


    ''I almost thought she said ''S rank'', yeah right, haha.''


    "I said I got an S rank talent." Mira repeated herself.


    Alex didn''t say anything.


    He didn''t even look at her.


    He turned around and fell face t on his bed, mumbling:


    "Why¡­ Why¡­ Why am I so unlucky¡­"


    Mira looked on from the side, unsure what to say.


    She knew things would be awkward when Alex revealed the talent he got was only F- rank, the lowest the ranks can go.


    ***


    It took an hour for Alex to ept what Mira had told him as the truth, but he was still shaken when she told him what her talent did.


    "So you''re telling me that you can enter this so-called ''Void dimension'', and that''s all you know?" Alex questioned.


    "Yup, that''s all it says." Mira answered.


    "Why don''t you test it out then. See what exactly this void dimension is." To Alex this was the obvious thing to do.


    That''s what he would do if he were in her situation.


    Mira was speechless though.


    ''Right now?''


    "Test it out here? But we''re in a moving spaceship. What if I enter the void dimension ande back to empty space¡­ I don''t want to suffocate to death in the emptiness of space."


    "..."


    "You make a valid point. Perhaps we should test it out when we reach Hortus. Speaking of, how do we get to Capital Prime University from there?"


    Alex shifted the topic of the conversation.


    Mira looked out the window of Alex''s room into the endless darkness for a few seconds before answering.


    "We''ll be taken back to Hortus where we''ll be dropped off. At that point we have 6 months before we have to make our own way to uni." Mira looked at hermunicator and read the details out to Alex.


    "But how are we supposed to make our way over there? I have no money¡­"


    Alex and Mira both went silent.


    This wasn''t something they had considered.

 Chapter 76 Goodbye, for now.

    Chapter 76 Goodbye, for now.


    A few dayster, Hortus.


    Alex and Mira were stuck in a conundrum they hadn''t foreseen at all.


    Theirck of money.


    In fact, this wasn''t even something Alex had considered ever since he hade back from the Primordial Expanse.


    He thought about his situation, and almost found it funny.


    He was now a student of Capital Prime University, yet he was poorer than the majority of the federation.


    Alex had nowhere to call home, his house on the mining colony had been taken back when he was no longer allowed on the depressing rock.


    He had no money to his name, all of his earnings from when he was a miner went straight back into just surviving day to day.


    Thinking back to his time in the Primordial Expanse, the only method of money making he had avable was to ept missions in the adventurer association, but there was no such thing in the federation.


    There were only such missions avable in universities and the military, if an awakened unaffiliated with either of the two wanted to take on missions, they would have to do so in the Primordial Expanse. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''How the hell am I going to scrounge up the funds to catch a ship to Capital Prime University in just 6 months?''


    Alex looked at themunicator on his wrist. Capital Prime University was practically located on the other side of the Milky Way gxy from Hortus.


    He looked at the prices of tickets to the sr system, where Capital Prime University was located, on what had originally been Mars, now terraformed into an Earth like.


    ''500,000 credits for the cheapest option¡­''


    This was an astronomical sum to Alex.


    Even all of his years of mining only summed up to a meager 10,000 credits.


    How the hell was he supposed to scrounge up 20x that amount in less than 6 months???


    ''It looks like I have no choice. I''ll have to hunt some beasts in the Primordial Expanse.''


    This was his only option.


    He was all out of beast cores and soul orbs, so he had to stock up on them too.


    The only possible way for him to amass this amount of money in such a short time was if he hunted beasts for their beast cores, and returned back to the federation to sell them off.


    ''But can I even return to the federation when I want? I forgot to ask Professor Will about this.''


    That''s right, Alex was unsure on whether he would even be able to return from the Primordial expanse in time to make the trip.


    One had to consider that for such a long distance between him and Capital Prime, it would take 2 months of warp travel before he would arrive.


    So in reality he only had at most 4 months toe up with 500,000 credits.


    The only problem was whether or not there would be a condition for him to return from the Primordial Expanse like there was when he was first dragged there.


    But it was his only option, so he had to take the risk.


    Considering he now had a n of action, he turned to Mira.


    "I''m nning on heading back to the Primordial Expanse to farm some beasts for their beast cores. What about you? What are you going to do for these next 4 months or so?" Mira considered Alex''s question for a few seconds, before she made a decision herself.


    "I''m going to do the same. After all, it''s almost impossible for people like us toe up with such a sum without putting our Awakened powers to use in the Primordial Expanse."


    She continued.


    "But, speaking of beast cores, why don''t we take a closer look at our reward foring joint first?"


    Alex felt a light go off in his head when Mira reminded him of this.


    ''Of course, the Variant beast core!''


    ''Wait¡­''


    "We haven''t received our reward yet."


    Both of their faces fell.


    Right.


    How could they forget?


    Professor Will said something about receiving their reward when they arrived at campus.


    "Dammit! So we''ll not only miss out on university if we can''te up with 500k each, but also our reward. Great! Just fucking great!"


    Alex continued cursing the clearly biased system. The least the university could do for them was to arrange transport!


    This system was clearly disadvantageous to the poor students entering university.


    It naturally filtered out the students from the lower ss who couldn''t afford university, with the richer students making up the majority of the entrants each year.


    "Looks like we have no reason to stay here any longer then, huh." After he calmed down, Alex shifted the topic back to their n of entering the Primordial Expanse once again.


    "Right¡­" Mira looked ufortable when she thought about this.


    ''We won''t be able to see each other for a while¡­''


    She had gotten used to Alex''s presence over thest month, and even adapted her fighting style to better coordinate herself with him.


    It was extremely unlikely that they would be able to cross paths in the Primordial Expanse, considering the location they were dropped into when they first entered was random.


    For all they knew, there could be millions of miles between them in the Primordial Expanse.


    [Would you like to enter the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex was about to answer the system''s prompt when he felt a sudden pressure engulfing him.


    "Wha-"


    He tried to speak but was cut off.


    "Promise me we''ll meet again."


    Mira asked, her arms wrapped tightly around him in a hug.


    Alex was at first confused. But his emotions took over and instead he let out a heartyugh.


    "Hahaha, of course we will!"


    Mira harrumphed when she heard his chuckling, unhappy that he was making fun of her.


    But she couldn''t help herself from joining him inughter.


    "What''s up with them?"


    "Idk, just some weird kids again. Just ignore them."


    The passerby looked at the unusual duo,ughing to themselves on the street while wrapped in a hug.


    "Ahem¡­"


    Alex coughed and separated from Mira, his cheeks slightly red from the gazes the onlookers were giving him.


    "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now then."


    "Yeah¡­"

 Chapter 77 Dropped in

    Chapter 77 Dropped in


    [Would you like to enter the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex pulled up the prompt again, taking a deep breath this time as he readied himself.


    ''Here goes nothing.''


    ''Yes.''


    Immediately, the familiar ck swirling void opened up in front of him. Alex felt an unstoppable force pulling him towards the portal, but he didn''t resist.


    He couldn''t resist even if he wanted to.


    Right before he entered the portal, he looked back at Mira onest time before speaking.


    "See you soon."


    He disappeared soon after.


    Mira looked at the vacant space where Alex had been, and sighed.


    She was once again all alone.


    Not wasting a second longer, Mira opened a portal herself and stepped through, entering the Primordial Expanse as well.


    Both of them had a difficult task ahead of them.


    But there was one important thing they had both forgotten about.


    Testing out Mira''s new S rank talent¡­


    ***


    Alex expected to have been dropped back outside a ruined Valentis city, the same location he had exited the Primordial Expanse from.


    Instead, immediately after stepping through the portal, Alex found himself falling from a height.


    Thud!


    It took a few seconds before he hit the ground. Alex groaned, rubbing his back.


    ''Well that sucked.''


    He was about to stand up and look around at this new location he found himself in, but found that he couldn''t move his legs at all.


    More than that, he couldn''t even see his legs!


    ''Quicksand!''


    As he looked down at his lower body, he found himself quickly sinking into a deep pit of quicksand.


    "Shit!"


    Only a few seconds passed and he was already neck deep in the pit. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The panic settled in as he frantically tried to il around, looking for anything solid to cling onto.


    But he found nothing, and was soon fully submerged in the quicksand. He instinctively tried to open his mouth to breathe ¡ª a rush of sand and mud entered his mouth instead, making him choke and short of breath.


    Even worse was that he couldn''t see anything. The sandpletely blocked the sunlight from reaching his eyes, causing him to panic even more. Usually, dark environments weren''t a problem for Alex as he was used to the darkness of the caves he used to mine in.


    But being underground in the mines and submerged deep into quicksand, slowly suffocating to death were twopletely different things.


    If it weren''t for the newly gained spatial sense he had acquired alongside his new affinity for space, he wouldn''t even be able to tell how deep he was.


    With the range of his sense only being 10 metres or so, he knew he was only a few centimetres below the surface.


    ''Wait, space!''


    A sudden epiphany hit Alex as he thought about his spatial perception.


    Maybe his newly acquired talent could help him.


    ''Teleport!''


    Immediately, light returned to his eyes as he found himself floating three metres off the ground.


    Alex was finally able to take in a long, deep breath.


    ''Haha, it worked!''


    But he also found himself with 50% less energy.


    No time passed and he found himself sumbing to the effects of gravity, once again falling towards the quicksand pit.


    ''No!''


    With hisst remaining energy, he cast his inferior teleportation talent again.


    This time, he found himself barely clinging onto a rock three metres away, his entire lower body submerged in the viscous liquid sand below.


    ''Phew! That was too close.''


    ***


    A few minutester, Alex had regained enough energy to move again, having used it all to teleport his way to safety.


    The rock he had climbed onto turned out to be a hugendmass, with the rock being just a small part of some cliffs. As it turned out, the quicksand he had fallen into wasn''t just a small ''pit''.


    It was a whole ocean¡­


    The sea of quicksand was endless and stretched far onto the horizon, with nothing else in sight.


    ''Thank god I fell so close to this piece ofnd, otherwise¡­''


    Alex didn''t even want to think about what would have happened to him if he had not fallen so close tond.


    ''Where the hell am I?''


    Alex turned around and inspected thend, only seeing endless rocky terrain in all directions but the quicksand ocean.


    "What kind of shitty ce have I been dropped into this time??" Alex cursed loudly, his cries carried by the wind and echoing through the empty space.


    There wasn''t a single living thing here except for him.


    ''I have to find civilization quickly¡­ I''ll even settle for a tiny vige. Just get me out of this hell!''


    Barely 5 minutes had passed before he had entered the Primordial Expanse and he was reminded why he hated the ce.


    ***


    The grey, dull rocks greeted Alex''s eyes just like every other day.


    It had been 3 days since Alex had re-entered the Primordial Expanse and the effects of starvation had already started to hit Alex.


    Even worse was that the climate of this ce could only be described as bipr.


    The sun zed during the day, not a cloud in sight and the temperatures reaching as high as 50 Celsius.


    During the night, the sun was reced by the moon, with ominous thunderstorms gathering and pouring hail and heavy rain down on Alex the whole time, non stop. The temperature going as low as 5 C didn''t help this at all, especially with Alex''s thin clothes.


    The only constion was that Alex had a source of water to keep him hydrated.


    But the biggest problem was theck of any beasts, or even vegetation.


    He had been starving the whole time he spent here.


    But the biggest problem was theck of any beasts, or even vegetation.


    He had been starving the whole time he spent here.


    ''If only my inventory allowed the storage of food¡­''


    This was the only bone Alex had to pick with his talent.


    The fact that he could only store items like space fragments, beast cores and soul orbs in his inventory made it useless in any scenario where they weren''t needed.


    ''I should invest in a storage item in the future.''


    Alex silently added this onto his future shopping list, still needing to buy a new weapon as well.


    As the sun started falling over the horizon, Alex''s mood started to drop.


    This would mark the fourth night he had spent in this deste wastnd.


    But just as all hope seemed lost, he spotted a shimmer in the distance.


    ''Wait, is that¡­''

 Chapter 78 Oasis

    Chapter 78 Oasis


    Off into the distance, Alex spotted something he never thought he''d see in this destend.


    An oasis!


    It seemed strange that there would be a random patch of forest with a smallke in the middle, but Alex was too desperate for any source of food to care about the why''s and how''s of the situation.


    The moment he spotted the oasis, he didn''t waste any time in making his way over there.


    He utilised his full speed, ignoring any pains from his stomach or muscles from theirck of energy over thest few days.


    All he could think about in his state was quenching his hunger that had been building up ever since he entered the Primordial Expanse this time.


    After a few minutes straight of running, Alex was covered from head to toe in sweat and his breathing was heavy. That short burst of running had taken quite the toll on him.


    If a beast were toe across him while he was in this state, he wouldn''t be able to do much to defend himself.


    But if he didn''t go all out to reach the oasis, then he might as well be dead anyway from starvation.


    One had to consider that awakened need a remarkably higher amount of energy intake than normal humans, which unfortunately meant that it was much easier to starve to death if you were an awakened.


    But this was only a problem up until the Distinguished rank, as from that point onwards awakened didn''t need to rely on food anymore and could perfectly sustain themselves just by absorbing thetent energy in the atmosphere.


    But, Alex didn''t have that luxury.


    After just a few more seconds of running, Alex reached the periphery of the oasis and finally stopped to catch his breath.


    Now that he was closer, he took a much better look at this saving grace and nearly felt tears fall from his eyes.


    ''Thank fuck! I would have been dead if it weren''t for this ce!''


    Seizing the opportunity, Alex dived right into the small forested region.


    ''Ah I can just taste the vegetation already. It''s time to dig in.''


    It was a desperate situation, and Alex wasn''t bothered about what he had to eat as long as it was edible and provided him with enough energy to keep going.


    But as he literally jumped down into the oasis, he felt something weird.


    ''That doesn''t make sense, I''ve been falling for 10 seconds already yet that drop was clearly only 15 metres in height¡­''


    An ominous feeling started to take over as the realisation settled in that everything wasn''t as it seemed.


    And just as he thought, the real picture revealed itself shortly after he started falling.


    Alex flipped himself over in mid air, turning to look at the scenery above him. But what he saw shocked him to his core.


    ''A hologram??''


    Right where he should have originally made contact with the thick, green forest floor, there was just a flickeringndscape of what was the oasis he had originally seen.


    ''No¡­ No it can''t be!''


    His hunger had led him to be tricked.


    He looked around himself in panic and noticed that the environment around him was rapidly being drained of it''s light ¡ª like he was falling into a very, very deep hole.


    Because he was.


    He was surrounded by walls of rock and dirt, clearly signifying that he was now falling underground in some sort of weird, cylindrical tube that dug all the way into the earth. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    There was a famous saying Alex remembered:


    ''If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.''


    That was thest thought Alex had as he plunged further into the deep hole, right before he fell unconscious.


    ***


    Alex felt a little disoriented when he woke up, with a mixture of emotions washing over him when he came to.


    ''Shouldn''t I be dead? Even a C rank wouldn''t survive a fall from such a height¡­''


    Alex didn''t believe in anything like fate, but it was unquestionable that he was constantly getting fucked over in life like it was just another rule of nature. If this wasn''t the perfect description of a shitty fate, then he wouldn''t know what to think.


    He hadn''t measured the depth of the hole because, well you know the whole ''Oh shit I am about to die'' thing he had going on, but from how he had been falling for at least 2 minutes before he passed out, it was pretty deep.


    If his memory wasn''t ying tricks on him, then he had fallen for some sort of trap by going for that oasis and now he was stuck here.


    Wherever here was.


    He looked around himself and all he could see was darkness ¡ª not a single source of light at all.


    ''This is probably what being blind feels like.''


    The only thing that convinced him he wasn''t dead was that he still had his other five senses.


    Yes, that''s right. Five, not four.


    He still had all of his normal smell, touch etc.


    But he also still had his spatial awareness, allowing him to create a general picture of his surroundings inside his mind, like some sort of 360 degree scan of the environment in a 10 metre radius.


    All that he could ''see'' around him was a wide open space. He only knew that there was a rocky floor beneath himself. ''This is clearly a cave, but why can''t I see the light from the surfaceing through?''


    This was one thing that confused him,


    If he was at the bottom of that deep hole, then why could he not see any light when he looked directly above himself?


    The answer was obvious.


    ''I''m not in that hole anymore¡­''


    This was the only answer that made sense.


    He had most likely been teleported to another ce before he hit the ground. How else could he exin theck of light, and that he had survived the fall with no injuries at all?


    Please vote!

 Chapter 79 Encounter

    Chapter 79 Encounter


    Looking around him, Alex only saw te and rocks, with some shattered and broken stonesying around here and there.


    Preserving as much energy as he could, Alex lit a small me on his fingertip and shot it directly upwards, wanting to get a gauge on how big this cave was.


    He saw the small me fly higher and higher, until it finally hit a ceiling at about 100 metres and dissipated with a tiny explosion, providing a better image of its surroundings for just a moment.


    Alex saw ominous and sharp stctite hanging from the ceiling, looking sharper than any knife he had seen before. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    If one of these things fell on him, he''d probably be dead instantly.


    He produced yet another tiny me, this time keeping it floating on his finger, and started walking in a random direction.


    The surrounding 20 or so metres around him now had a vague orange-yellow light permeating throughout.


    Alex continued walking and observing his surroundings, only using his original five senses to conserve energy.


    His spatial awareness was by far his most useful sense, but it was also the most costly in terms of energy, which he had a scarce amount of in his situation.


    He made sure to mark his tracks by leaving a trail of rocks behind himself in a line, making sure that he didn''t end up going in circles.


    This mundane explore, observe, mark routine carried on for a whole 20 minutes before he finally reached a wall.


    ''Around 3 kilometres from where I started.''


    Alex made a note of the distance and changed his direction, this time following the wall.


    ''Let''s go this way first.''


    Since he had two directions to choose from, he just picked at random and started walking.


    It didn''t take him too long to notice that the cave wall was just like any other cave ¡ª it had grooves, jagged edges and everything you''d expect from a rocky wall.


    Except for one thing, it was unusually straight.


    This whole time Alex had been walking in a straight line, with the wall of the cave not diverging off at any point.


    ''This can''t be a naturally formed cave.''


    Realising that this cave wasn''t normal, he kicked up his awareness and focus another level while he walked, making sure to check for any movements in his periphery.


    He carried this routine on until¡­


    "Grrrr-"


    A low growl came from the darkness.


    Immediately, Alex''s primal instincts kicked in when he heard the sounds of another living, breathing being.


    ''Food!''


    He couldn''t even see into the darkness to see the source of the sound, but he was so starved that he didn''t even perceive it as a threat.


    Only something to finally provide him with some much needed energy.


    Alex readied his stance to attack the source of the noise, focusing his senses to the max in the direction where the sound came from.


    Remembering the small me floating above his finger, he threw it in the direction the growl came from and waited.


    And waited..


    Until eventually, the shape of a wolf was revealed.


    Alex''s hunger was getting the better of him, and kicked up another notch when he noticed the size of the beast.


    It was at least big enough to keep him fed for a month!


    But there was one thing he failed to notice in his rabid state.


    The fact that this wolf seemed to be quite unordinary¡­


    In fact, if Professor Will was there, he''d immediately have realised that this wolf was an E rank beast, a rank above Alex.


    And it was a Mutant beast at that¡­


    ***


    A few days prior, in an unknown area of the Primordial Expanse.


    A swirling ck portal opened up in the middle of a forest clearing, signifying the imminent arrival of an outsider.


    Mira stepped out of the portal with a serious look on her face, ready to face any danger that mighte to her the moment she stepped foot back in the Primordial Expanse.


    ''What is this ce¡­''


    Just like Alex, she had been expecting to arrive back at the same deste wastnd she had first appeared in during her first run in with the Primordial Expanse.


    But the area she had just appeared in looked nothing like where she had exited during herst time here.


    In fact, it looked like heaven whenpared to where she was previously!


    She took a few moments to get used to the fresh air and the higher level of energy in the atmosphere, and when she did, she felt a strange sense of freedom.


    Back in her original location in the Primordial Expanse, she would be lucky if she could even keep herself fed and well rested, but in this ce she just nced at the forest around her and she could already see a few low rank beasts jutting about.


    This ce felt alien to her.


    ''I wonder where Alex is right now.''


    Her thoughts naturally drifted to Alex, which happened often in recent days.


    She couldn''t help but think about how good it would be if they could both explore the Primordial Expanse together. But such a wish wasn''t even worth mentioning, as there were few people in the entire federation who actually had the chance to meet people they knew in their universe over in the Primordial Expanse due to how random people''s ''spawn points'' are.


    Putting her drifting thoughts aside, Mira took a further look at her surroundings and noticed that she was on the periphery of a forest. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly from left to right, while being able to spot towering mountains off into the distance.


    ''I was hoping to make my way over to some civilised areas when I first arrived, but that n has to be scrapped now that I''m in apletely new, unknown ce.''


    From the whispers and rumors she had heard about people''s second ventures into the Primordial Expanse, people''s portals always opened up right back where they left. This left quite some questions in Mira''s mind considering that she had never heard of anyone being transported to somewhere new like she had been.


    Finished observing the forest, Mira turned around to see what else this ce had in store for her, and what she saw left her utterly shocked.


    For around 15 or so kilometres, there was nothing but a dirt filled wastnd with not a single sign of vegetation or life in sight.


    Behind this wastnd, there were ruins.


    Ruins of a city.

 Chapter 80 Fight or Flight

    Chapter 80 Fight or Flight


    Alex and the wolf stared each other down, neither side making the first move.


    ''Thankfully I''ve kept up my practice of Phoenix fury every day since I''ve obtained it, or else I''d be too physically exhausted to even fight right now.''


    Alex was in a standoff with the beast, but he knew he was at a clear disadvantage.


    He couldn''t sense the exact level of the beast, which concerned him a little. But he would have to face the wolf either way. There was no escaping out of the cave, so this was his only choice.


    Not to mention the wolf was his only saving grace in terms of food in the dark and damp cave.


    The wolf facing him finallyunched an attack, and a gleaming w specked with dust and dirt shed towards Alex, bringing along a rush of wind.


    "Huff!" Alex shouted as he controlled his breathing, concentrating his strength into his arms as he swept them to the right, striking the iing ws away.


    Bang!


    Alex felt an intense shock and pain travel up his arms from the impact with the wolf, making him feel as though he had been struck by a truck in a head on collision.


    ''This wolf''s strength is much higher than mine, If I keep blocking like this, I''ll be out of juice before I can even put up a fight. I need to finish this quickly!'' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Block!


    Dodge!


    Attack!


    Alex used all the techniques and movements he had in his arsenal, but the wolf was just too strong.


    Without a proper weapon, he couldn''t deal enough damage to actually pierce through its tough skin, only being able to knock it away a few times with the kic impacts he gave with his punches.


    The wolf came in for another attack, it was at least twice as fast than all the previous attacks it hadunched on him.


    ''It''s just been toying with me since the beginning! It hasn''t even been using its full strength this whole time¡­''


    Alex was shocked at the sudden speed increase of the wolf. It was like he could see a smirk on the beast''s face, like it was mocking him.


    At that moment, Alex used his waist to exert power. Strength gathered in his hands as they whistled through the air and mmed towards the wolf.


    Thump!


    Alex felt his fist meet with the wolf''s paw, but it seemed as if it had little effect in stopping its tyrannical approach as it swatted away his counterattack.


    "Arggh!" Alex yelped out in pain, his hand and fingerspletely broken by the impact. The sheer impact of the blow made him tremble, and he tried to retreat backwards.


    Seeing Alex attempting to escape, the wolf''s eyes shed once and kicked off the ground.


    Within less than a second it reached Alex''s position as it shed down on Alex with its menacing ws, drawing an arc across his back all the way from his shoulders to his tailbone.


    Alex screamed miserably. It turned out the wolf''s ws had dug deep into his back, just barely missing his spinal cord but ripping his back muscles to shreds in the process. He crawled back in retreat, the wolf not bothering to charge up this time as it stood in ce and watched as Alex pathetically hobbled his way back onto his feet.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!, I might actually die here!''


    The situation quickly took a turn for the worse as Alex realised that he was outmatched by his opponent.


    With absolutely no idea what to do, Alex summoned up hisst bit of courage and charged in towards the wolf.


    It was do or die in this scenario for him.


    Only this time, instead of relying on his instincts to fight, he followed the movements he had learned from his sessions of Phoenix fury and applied them to his fight with the wolf.


    So far, he had only taken the slow and passive approach to learning this technique, as he had never actually put it to use in battle before.


    But as he assumed the stances ording to the technique, he felt something inside of him resonate with it, as if it was the missing link between himself and his technique.


    ''Fire element!''


    Alex watched as fire elemental energy not only gathered around him from the atmosphere surrounding him, but also flowing throughout his body and fusing within it.


    Within moments, his body temperature rose by dozens of degrees, hot steam rising off of him as his skin started to glow orange.


    It didn''t take long for Alex to realise what was happening to him.


    Thetent fire energy inside him had resonated with Phoenix fury, and had even infused itself within him.


    He felt a massive boost to his strength, with fiery blood running through his veins and coursing throughout his body.


    On the side lines, the wolf watched on with wonder,pletely unaware of what was happening to Alex.


    All it understood was that he had started glowing out of nowhere. It only felt a little rmed at what it was seeing when it saw steam rising off of him, and it could even feel the temperature rising around itself.


    Alex''s eyes shifted, moving towards the legs of the wolf.


    ''That''s it''s weakness!''


    He hadn''t noticed it beforehand because he had to defend his life the whole time, but even now the wolf was protecting its legs the most.


    Not wanting to waste this precious chance, he let loose and charged towards the wolf.


    The very ground melted beneath his feet with every step he took. At least he was the only human down in the weird cave, otherwise this would have caused quite some awkward scenes.


    "Kill!" Alex''s eyes shed in a maniacal red as he fought the wolf, seemingly havingprehended something.


    His ming hands shed downwards, bringing an orange light wherever it went.


    As it shed down towards the ground, Alex''s body twisted, and strength was exerted into his powerful waist muscles. With great centrifugal force, he hacked down!


    The wolf had fully expected this by now, and had moved its head just in time to dodge the attack.


    But it was sent flying backwards into the wall anyway, with a charred stump in ce of one of its front legs!


    shing with his hands had been a feint that whole time!


    It had all been in preparation for Alex to deliver a powerful kick!

 Chapter 81 Triumph

    Chapter 81 Triumph


    Alex felt triumphant, but the fight wasn''t over yet.


    He had dealt a serious injury to the wolf, but it wasn''t dead yet and it was only angered even further.


    Alex could also feel his energy rapidly depleting as the seconds ticked by, unable to do anything to control how his energy was used while he was in this state.


    But even with its injuries, the wolf was on full alert against Alex, not taking its eyes off him once despite its struggle to stand up due to its missing leg.


    Gathering his strength in his legs, Alex entered a stance very simr to how professional sprinters start, andunched himself off the ground towards the injured beast.


    The wolf was determined not to let himnd another attack like the previous one, and it readied itself to receive him. It also had a few tricks up its sleeve!


    After a moment, Alex neared within 5 metres of the wolf, letting it feel the intense heat radiating off of his body.


    But it didn''t back down, energy started gathering near the rear of the beast, hidden away from Alex''s eyes.


    When Alex came within 3 metres of the wolf, it suddenly twisted its body at a weird angle and revealed its tail, along with a streaming ck mass of energy!


    Before Alex could react in time, itunched the ck ball of energy right at him, flying through the air at a speed faster than a bullet.


    When it hit, an explosion of ck energy sted out in all directions, sucking up any light from the surroundings to feed its ever expanding radius of destruction.


    With how close it was to the source of the explosion, the wolf itself was affected by its own attack as it yelped and squirmed on the ground, with the entire side of its body that was facing the explosion of darkness being broken, most of the cells that came into contact with the energy were dismantled down to their most basic state.


    The wolf gave the canine equivalent of a sigh of relief as it watched the dust recede, thinking it had rid itself of the threat that was Alex.


    But caught unaware, and with its guard down, it received a sharp and piercing sh to its chest, right where its heart was located.


    Shock streaked across its eyes as it shed its neck around to catch sight of the culprit, and it was horrified to see Alex''s orange, glowing arm stuck half way into its chest, clutching onto its heart with his searing hot fingers.


    "Gotcha!" Alex eximed aloud, mocking the poor beast as he squeezed his hand into a fist, turning the wolf''s heart into a paste as he did so.


    His eyes didn''t leave the wolf''s once as he waited for the life to drain away from its face.


    It was only after 10 more seconds passed that he received a notification from the Primordial Expanse, letting him know of the Wolf''s demise for real.


    "Hah¡­ hah" Alex gasped for breath. He looked as if he had been swimming in a pool of blood. His face and body were covered with dried and evaporated blood.


    He fell backwards, barely able to keep himself standing as his body returned to normal, and the adrenaline coursing through him receded.


    At the veryst moment, he made use of his Inferior Teleportation once again to dodge the iing attack from the wolf, but waspletely drained of energy afterwards. He only made it through thest attack with sheer willpower alone.


    Alex felt a wave of pain rush through him as his injuries caught up to him. Three big gaping w marks streaked across his back and his right handpletely shattered.


    If he didn''t get any medical attention soon, then he''d be toast, just like the wolf.


    Clutching back to hisst bits of consciousness, he used hisst remaining arm to crawl over to the wolf''s lifeless body, and dug his teeth into one of its legs.


    Ignoring the sour taste in his mouth, he kept eating and eating until he couldn''t anymore, and passed out shortly after.


    ***


    Contrary to Alex, Mira''s time in the Primordial Expanse had been rtively peaceful over thest few days since she had entered.


    But that was the problem.


    She didn''te back to this ce just to take a nice vacation, she was there to specifically hunt beasts for their beast cores, to earn enough money for a ticket to Capital Prime.


    Over thest few days, she killed every beast she came across, but she had yet to meet one above F+ rank, which was demotivating for her considering she wouldn''t even be able toe up with 10% of the credits she needed if she only brought back F rank beast cores to sell.


    And that was only considering she actually did find beast cores in any of the beasts she killed, which she had been unlucky to do so far.


    Over thest few days, she had traversed through what remained of the city, with clear signs everywhere that this ce was only recently destroyed.


    Naturally, when she realised this she was sad at first, thinking about the lives that were lost in the destruction of this once bustling city. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But sadness neversts in a world dominated by the survival of the fittest, and Mira''s thoughts quickly drifted towards how she could take advantage of this situation.


    With how recent this city was destroyed, there were bound to still be many valuables left behind by whatever destroyed it.


    All she had to do was scavenge through the rubble and wreckage to get to anything worth her time.


    But this idea quickly turned out to be nothing too good, as it seemed she wasn''t the first to think of this as almost everywhere she looked was already looted.


    All she had found of value so far were a few E- and E rank swords and daggers, but she only took the highest rank sword of the lot before leaving everything else.


    She had been meaning to purchase herself a weapon for a while now, and this hade to her at the perfect time.


    Unfortunately the rest of the weapons were too heavy for her to carry along with her the whole time she was in the Primordial Expanse, so she had to abandon them.


    After a few days of scavenging and hunting weak beasts, she was finally ready to set off from this ruined ce, to find somewhere with higher ranked beasts.

 Chapter 82 Shadow Wolf

    Chapter 82 Shadow Wolf


    Pain.


    That''s all that Alex felt when he awakened.


    His entire body ached to bits, and he waspletely unable to get himself up off the ground. He could onlyy therepletely helpless and defenceless until his body recovered.


    Since he had nothing to do while waiting, he decided to check the notification he had received when he killed the wolf.


    He was curious to know just how strong the thing was since it brought him the closest to death than he had ever been before.


    [You have killed a Mutant E rank beast, Shadow Wolf]


    Alex gasped in shock when he read the short sentence from the system.


    ''This thing was actually a Mutant beast???''


    This was the first time he had evere across such a thing, and it was by far the strongest beast he had ever fought.


    The times with the Galephant didn''t really count, as he hadn''t even attempted to put up a fight either time.


    ''So this is how strong Mutant beasts are¡­''


    He couldn''t help but go back over the battle, reminiscing every moment as if he was back on the scene fighting the wolf himself.


    Alex knew that if it wasn''t for that resonance between his fire elemental energy and his Phoenix fury technique, he would not have been able to take down such a fearsome monster.


    But one thing he had failed to consider was one fight in particr back during the exam. He and Mira had worked together, using their full power at the time just to barely take out a crocodile beast.


    They didn''t know it at the time, but that beast was actually also a Mutant beast. They were just unlucky and didn''t get any beast cores from it, nor did Alex get any soul orbs either.


    Speaking of soul orbs, Alex essed his inventory for the first time in a while, excited to find out what a Mutant beast''s soul orb would look like.


    But his face scrunched up in anger when he caught sight of the vacant white space.


    There was nothing in there!


    It wasn''t just a one time thing back due to the Floodgate!


    Clearly, something had happened to him that had caused him to no longer be able to obtain any soul orbs.


    Alex tried his best to think of anything that could have caused this, but he was all out of ideas.


    "Why did this happen? Why now of all times???"


    He spat out in anger at the open air of the cave,pletely venting whatever pent up emotions he was feeling.


    [Whether you get a soul orb from a beast you fell is not guaranteed, and has never been. You were graced by the aid of the Primordial Expanse during your time as a mere F rank weakling, the system substituting the beast''sck of energy with its own to facilitate the creation of a soul orb each time you kill one. But that privilege was only ever meant tost until you became an Evolver.]


    Out of nowhere, Alex received apletely unprompted response from the Primordial Expanse, which had never happened before, nor had he heard of it happening to anyone else.


    He reeled from shock when he saw the words floating in front of his face, unable toprehend what exactly had happened for a few seconds.


    But after reading through the information the system had presented to him, he understood, although still shocked.


    It seemed that the system had decided to provide a response when he vented out his anger towards this new development.


    ''Wait, does this mean that the system, or Primordial Expanse or whatever is actually a living being?''


    Alex had always suspected that there was something mysterious about the system and its working ever since he read his trait description upon his first arrival in the Primordial Expanse.


    The way the description for each trait was written was clearly the work of a cynical mind, not fond of weak people.


    But now that this system had actually responded to him, he felt unsettled.


    If you found out that there was an almighty, omnipotent god that clearly didn''t care whether you lived or died, constantly watching your every move, then you wouldn''t feel good about it either.


    The worst thing was, you weren''t even safe in your own thoughts as it could probably listen in on them too¡­


    The more Alex thought about it, the more he didn''t want to think about it.


    It was like that saying.


    Ignorance is bliss.


    In this case, Alex wished he had stayed ignorant.


    There was literally nothing, or anyone alive who could do anything about it. Alex just pushed his head back on the ground and released a heavy sigh.


    His only thoughts revolving around whether or not he would find a Mutant beast core hiding in the head of the wolf. But he had to wait another 12 hours before he was finally able to stand again. Fortunately it seemed his feast the previous day had filled him up with enough energy topletely heal his injuries, and at quite a fast pace too.


    ''Mutant beast meat must have an increased effect on healing whenever you eat it.''


    This made sense to Alex. Mutant beasts were a higher ssification than Ordinary beasts, and were supposed to be superior in every way. It was only natural that this superiority also included their effect when ingested.


    ''Now it''s time for the big reveal!''


    He could finally scratch that constant itch he had on his mind over thest day and find out if he was lucky enough to find a beast core in the wolf''s skull.


    Alex took his hand and sliced down across the beast''s neck, severing the head from the rest of its body.


    Next, he plunged his hand deep inside the open wound, grabbing and pulling out anything he could feel.


    He dumped therge amount of brains, skin and muscles onto the ground, until finally his hand caught onto something hard.


    Alex''s eyes lit up as he excitedly pulled out the source of this feeling, his heart palpitating with excitement as he could barely hold himself back from just tearing the skull apart to get to it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Finally, he forced it out, and a yellowish hue melted out into his surroundings.


    A sturdy, glowing yellow rock about the size of his fisty in his hand.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 83 Mutant

    Chapter 83 Mutant


    The moment Alex''s eyes caught sight of the glowing yellow rock, he knew he had struck gold.


    ''It actually had one! A Mutant E rank beast core!''


    It was unquestionable that this was the biggest boon he had ever had the pleasure of finding, and he had earned it all through his own hard work.


    He continued to inspect this peculiar looking rock, trying to decipher what made it different to every other beast core he hade across so far, but apart from its distinctively yellow colour, there was nothing different he found inparison to Ordinary beast cores.


    ''Well, here goes nothing.''


    Since his inspections hadn''t borne any fruit, he decided to absorb the core on the spot.


    Alex held the Mutant core in his hand and sat down in a meditative position, a habit he had picked up from a while back. He started thinking deeply about absorbing the core, like he had always done with every other beast core and soul orb so far.


    But this time, instead of dissolving into dust particles, the yellow rock stayed intact.


    ''Ugh, this is going to take hours!''


    Alex knew as soon as he felt the energy pouring into himself and raging across his body that this experience wasn''t going to be afortable one. The energy from this Mutant beast core was hundreds of times more concentrated than any Ordinary beast core he had absorbed. It was even miles ahead of the concentration of any soul orb he had absorbed as well!


    He had to keep his mind focused on absorbing the Mutant beast core for the next 4 hours straight before it finally lost its glow and crumbled into dust.


    Alex leaned back onto the wolf''s corpse and exhaled an exhausted sigh.


    If hepared himself before and after he absorbed the core, he felt much more invigorated and stronger now that he had absorbed his first Mutant beast core.


    But he couldn''t be sure unless he checked his details to see what progress he had made.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge], [me(D+)], [Inferior teleportation(F-)]


    Trait: [Enlightened]


    Trait Description: [You''ve learned the truth of the world, realising that you are just an ant in the face of the true powerhouses of both your universe, and the Primordial Expanse.]


    Trait Effect: Learning speed increased by 1%


    Rank: [Evolver]


    Soul core: [E- 6%]


    Soul ssification: [Ordinary - 20%]


    The only noticeable changes were to that of his soul core and soul ssification, which had both increased in his progress towards the next rank.


    ''So if I find and absorb 4 more Mutant E rank beast cores like that, then I will officially upgrade my ssification to Mutant?''


    Such a prospect made him excited for the future. It even made him want to run out into the wilderness right at the moment and start going on a beast killing spree.


    But he couldn''t.


    He was still stuck in this weird cave until he managed to find a way out for himself.


    ***


    Over the next half a day, Alex spent most of his time searching all throughout the cave, only he had made much more progress than he had the day before due to him no longer being starved, exhausted and low on energy.


    He had cut off some of the wolf''s pelt and used it as a rope, tying it to the huge wolf''s corpse and dragged it along with him wherever he went.


    This would be his food source for the foreseeable future.


    Thankfully one good thing about beasts over normal animals was that their meat didn''t spoil or rot due to their magical nature, so Alex didn''t need to worry about losing the majority of the wolf meat to the effects of time.


    However regardless of all of this, he had made no progress in finding anything like an exit. In fact he hadn''t evene across another wall to the cave yet, signifying that it was muchrger than he first initially thought.


    Alex had just been lucky to be dropped close to one of the walls.


    He hadn''t been counting but at the pace he walked over thest half a day, he had made at least 100 kilometres of progress. This was an astonishing figure considering this was all underground, inplete darkness the whole time!


    But it seemed his bad luck had run out, as only a few hourster he heard the sound of something moving nearby.


    ''The smell of the wolf corpse must have drawn something over to me!''


    Alex kept his senses on high alert, ready to make a move whenever he felt something even step within 10 metres of himself.


    He didn''t need to be so conservative with his energy anymore ¡ª he kept his spatial awareness on permanently, scanning anything that came within a 10 metre radius of himself.


    His first thought was that something hade over looking for food, just like he had done when he first encountered this ce.


    But when he moved forwards another couple hundred metres or so, something caught his eye.


    Something he hadn''t expected to find down in this vast, empty ce.


    A source of light actually existed far in front, lighting up an area ahead.


    When he moved closer, his eyes widened.


    ''Is that a house?''


    For the first time since he had entered this region of the Primordial Expanse, he finally found signs of human existence. Alex was unsure what to think of this new development, as no sane human would ever willingly choose to live down in a ce like this.


    But before he could get a proper grip on things, he noticed the door on the front of the house opening, and a human child walked out!


    ''A kid? In this ce, really?''


    His gut told him something wasn''t right about this, why would a kid be in somewhere like this? Was this a trap trying to use his sympathy to lure him in or something?


    ''I don''t like this one bit.''


    Alex didn''t move from his position, staying far back and observing the child, seeing what he would do next.


    But what he hadn''t expected was that it, or rather he, started walking towards him!


    Please vote! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 84 Not Alone

    Chapter 84 Not Alone


    Normally, Alex would be rejoicing at this situation, the revtion that this ce wasn''t some endless, barren cave, and there were actually other humans down here would be a greatfort. If other humans could survive down here, then that most likely meant that there was either a way up to the surface somewhere in this ce, or a self-sustaining civilization down here somewhere.


    But his skepticism was also high, as he only spotted this lone child, with no other humans or even living organisms in sight.


    The boy walked closer and closer to Alex, his visage bing more clear as he neared in.


    The boy looked to be around 10 years old, a short kid. He had ck hair, with pale white skin and deep ck eyes. His unique appearance was startling at first for Alex, but he quickly frowned when he got a full picture of the kid.


    ''He''s just like the workaholics I''ve seen back at the mines in the colony.''


    To Alex, the fact this kid had pale white skin wasn''t a good sign, as it meant that he had rarely ever seen sunlight, if at all.


    His hope for finding a way out of here was dwindling by the seconds.


    Eventually, the boy came to a stop around 5 metres away from Alex and gazed at Alex with an annoyed look.


    "What are you doing outside the town past curfew? You know Father Bertram won''t be happy about this?" The boy opened his mouth, asking Alex as if this was just another normal conversation.


    ''???''


    But Alex was stumped, he couldn''t form any coherent thoughts as he was just that confused.


    ''What the hell is this kid talking about? What town? Father Bertram? At least that confirms there are other humans in this ce.''


    Alex gathered his thoughts for a few seconds, considering how he should respond.


    A few momentster, he responded:


    "I''m not from around here, my town was attacked by a huge ck wolf, I was the only survivor. My family¡­ my family were all killed by that horrifying beast¡­" Alex put on his best acting skills and feigned a look of sadness and grief as he recounted his tale.


    The boy held a look of pity as he listened to Alex''s ''story'', but it was quickly reced by a horrified expression soon after.


    The boy acted as if he had seen a monster as he turned tail and ran as fast as he could back to his small, rudimentary house, and mmed the door shut behind him.


    Alex heard multiple locks click from the house. Clearly something Alex said didn''t sit right with this kid.


    He moved closer to the house, wishing to get a better look, while also wishing to talk to the boy.


    Alex walked near to the house, speaking his mind:


    "I don''t understand, surely there''s some misunderstanding going on here. Can''t you at least tell me why you ran off all of a sudden?" He shouted, loud enough for his voice to echo throughout the surroundings many times over.


    This would surely catch the boy''s attention.


    And just as he expected, it did.


    "Stop it! Be quiet, stop shouting! You''ll get us both killed if you keep being so loud!" The boy opened a small crack in a window on the second floor of his house and whispered to Alex, practically begging him to stop speaking.


    Alex saw the boy subtly nce at the darkness off into the distance, before he quickly diverted his eyes back to Alex.


    He made a mental note of these movements.


    "I won''t stop until you tell me why you reacted like that, as well as how I can get to the nearest town." Alex answered, repeating the same tone.


    "Okay! Okay! I''ll talk, just stop shouting." Seeing that his tactic worked and the boy finally cooperated, Alexplied.


    He nodded and gestured for the boy to continue speaking.


    "You''re dead meat, you''ll get me killed, you''ll get the whole town killed if you stick around here!" The boy exined, but Alex was only left even more confused.


    "Why?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned.


    The way the boy spoke implied he wasn''t lying at all, and he genuinely believed what he said.


    If this was so, then Alex also had reason to be a little nervous as well.


    "Your whole town was killed by the ck wolf, but you were the only survivor. ck wolves are prideful beasts! If you survived an attack from one of them then you were just lucky, there''s no question that it wille back to finish the job! It already has your scent, you''ll only get us all killed if you stick around here!" The boy rushed his exnation, like he was pressed for time.


    As he exined, he subconsciously nced off into one specific direction in the darkness again.


    When Alex heard this, he felt immense relief wash over himself.


    ''Phew!''


    Luckily it seemed there was some misunderstanding after all, as the Shadow wolf, or ck wolf as the boy called it, was already dead! Killed by Alex himself. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But the boy couldn''t have known this, as Alex only stated that he and his fictional town were attacked by it, and that he survived.


    ''I see, so there''s nothing to worry about then. That''s good to know.''


    Alex didn''t ask anymore questions to the boy. He knew he wouldn''t get any more useful information from him.


    Alex coughed, clearing his throat.


    He feigned a look of shock and hopelessness, pretending to be distraught after hearing what the boy said.


    "What¡­ It can''t be! But I escaped!" In reality all this extra acting wasn''t necessary, but Alex found it fun so he kept it up.


    After his performance was over, he turned around and mindlessly walked off into the darkness, out of the boy''s sight.


    Seeing Alex leave, the boy heaved a sigh of relief.


    ''Phew, thank god he''s gone. That poor guy doesn''t know what''sing¡­''


    But unbeknownst to the boy, the moment Alex left his vicinity, he changed his direction, heading in the direction where the boy kept subconsciously ncing every so often.


    ''Every time the town was brought up he nced in this direction, my best bet is it''s somewhere along this path.''

 Chapter 85 Other humans

    Chapter 85 Other humans


    Alex continued forth. His recent chat with that pale skinned boy had been quite fruitful. It supplied him with huge confidence to continue on his journey.


    While walking the whole journey, Alex also made a mental note of his surroundings.


    One good thing was that past a certain point, there was actually a faint light source lighting up the surroundings of the cave!


    All over the ceiling and walls of the cave there was a strange orange glowing moss, faintly showering the cave in an orange hue.


    So far he had spent 4 hours walking in the direction he had deduced the vige to be in. He had started to doubt his judgement after spending so long with nothing to show for himself, but the moment he spotted the blue orange moss lighting up the cave, he decided to continue in this direction regardless of if he found the vige or not.


    But the fact there was light meant that it was more likely to be in this direction.


    Assuming the people living down here were normal humans, they''d prefer to live near a light source over living in total darkness like that kid.


    He didn''t know what was up with that kid living in such a remote ce, all alone with no adult in sight, but he didn''t press too much on the issue.


    Everyone had their own uniqueness to them, he wasn''t going to judge some random kid.


    Besides, he had more important things to tend to.


    Like finding a way out of this ce.


    And making his way to the vige was his best bet.


    ''What''s that?''


    As he was walking, Alex felt a sudden influx of energy in the atmosphere surrounding him.


    ''Finally some more traces of life!''


    Alex sensed the battle a few dozen kilometres ahead of himself and picked up his pace.


    The ripples of energy he felt were tiny, suggesting there weren''t any high ranking organisms fighting, probably some F ranks at max.


    But it was a good start.


    What appeared in Alex''s sight when he arrived was the scene of two female and two male humans confronting an F+ rank beast.


    These four people seemed to be a part of some squadron, or some sort of organised group as they each wore an identical uniform. The two males, who were at the very front, served as human shields, constantly swinging their swords.


    The two females stood at the back, each holding a bow and taking turns shooting at the beast.


    ''Humans! And they seem to be awakened too, around F- rank!'' Alex inwardly felt ted at this sight.


    What the four F- ranks were confronting was a beast that, like the Shadow wolf, was all ck in colour, but this beast looked like a boar. Its physique was significantly smaller, dozens of times even. It had two pairs of huge, crescent moon shaped tusks beneath its snout, each at least a foot long.


    Hard ck fur grew all over its body, acting like an extrayer of defense against the four human''s attacks.


    Alex looked behind himself at the huge corpse of the wolf, and back at the boar.


    ''Yup, they definitely have the same aesthetic, except for theirpletely different species they look the same.''


    Naturally he had hidden the corpse of the wolf in the darkness when he confronted the child, and collected it again when he made his exit.


    Such a huge corpse would naturally attract some unwanted attention, which Alex would much rather avoid.


    "Huff Huff¡­" Puffs of white steam exited from the boar''s snout. After hacking at the ground, it suddenly charged, it''s whole body was like an out of control machine as it ran towards the two sword wielding men on the vanguard.


    "Ahh!"


    The floor shook, causing one of the men to lose his footing. He slipped and was sent flying by the huge boar. His stomach was nearly tornpletely open by the boar''s huge tusks. Blood poured out from his wounds and formed a puddle underneath him.


    Seeing this scene, the other man let out a loud shout and retreated, leaving the two women defenseless.


    With the other sword warrior no longer impeding it, the boar red with a fierce glint towards the remaining archers.


    The two females were scared, and abandoned their positions, retreating with the other uninjured man.


    But as they ran, the two of them tripped on something and fell down ¡ª despair taking over their faces.


    The remaining man showed a look of reluctance and internal strife as he nced at the two female archers'' plight, and the escape route in the opposite direction. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Eventually, he couldn''t take the guilt and turned around, disying chivalrous bravery and stepping in front of the two women with a firm resolve. He shouted some iprehensible words before lifting his sword, ready to receive the iing boar.


    Thud!


    Thud!


    The boar inched closer and closer, and the three awakened could clearly see the blood red eyes staring them down with a manic look.


    Of course, they knew the man wouldn''t be able to defend against the boar''s attacks.


    ''Impressive, but the level difference meant you were destined to lose this fight from the beginning.''


    Alex was watching from the side lines the whole time.


    The moment he saw the boar ready to charge towards the three awakened in the final showdown between the two parties, he decided to intervene.


    At that moment, Alex suddenly made his appearance, with a simple fireball hovering above his hand andunching towards the stomach of the boar, exploding underneath it.


    Boooom!


    As if a small earthquake struck, the boar which had just started its charge, suddenly found itselfunched high into the air while squealing, half of its lower body missing from the initial impact of the explosion.


    But it was only a second before it fell back down again, hitting the ground.


    Thud!


    Now came the aftershocks of the earthquake, as the body of the boar came to a full stop when it mmed into the ground.


    Alex dismissed the notification from the system and turned towards the three awakened, and their unconscious and injured friend.

 Chapter 86 Who are you?

    Chapter 86 Who are you?


    Soon after the dust cleared, the three awakened saw a youth of simr age to them in a strange outfit walking out from behind the now dead boar.


    Several small sparks and mes still remained in the surroundings, as a reminder of the attack Alex had justunched.


    "Are you okay?" asked Alex, with a smile on his face.


    The three awakened looked at Alex, their expressions those of shock and their mouths agape.


    They opened their mouths to speak.


    "Who¡­ What are you?" Alex just looked at them with a mysterious smile and replied.


    "Hello! I''m just a wandering warrior. Can you tell me a little about this ce?"


    Upon hearing Alex''s answer, the three conscious awakened quickly reacted, with the male taking the lead.


    "Y-yes, hello sir! We''re currently in the outskirts between the Wilnds and the Darkness."


    He gave a respectful answer. Although Alex came out of nowhere and they knew absolutely nothing about him, from the way Alex had easily subdued that powerful boar that not even the four of them could do with theirbined effort, it was obvious that his strength was far superior to theirs.


    They were currently on a mission in the Wilnds, a ce fraught with danger, set by their professors.


    This ce was very dangerous, and it was barren. If Alex chose to, he could kill them, and nobody would evere to know of it. They would just be another unlucky team that had likely fallen to a strong beast.


    Not to mention that he chose to save their lives too, so that had to count for something.


    "You might want to help your friend." Alex pointed towards the other male who had been sent flying by the boar at the start of the fight.


    "Right!" The two females stood up, immediately tending to the injured male and took out some unknown bottle and smeared it on the huge gash across his stomach.


    Alex stood in wonder as he watched the once lethal injury turn into a scar in a matter of minutes.


    "Oh, by the way, do you know of any towns or viges close by, and maybe where the closest Adventurer''s association is as well?"


    The three awakened looked into each other''s eyes, hesitant on whether to speak or not. But seeing Alex''s confident demeanor andck of malicious intent, the male stood forward and answered.


    "The closest town from here is Monty town to the east, around a two day walk from here. As for the Adventurer''s association, the only one I know of is located far away in the capital of the Cavernous Empire¡­"


    Alex continued asking a few more questions, before bidding his goodbyes to the team.


    ***


    Fine streaks of air rushed past Alex''s ears, as the scenery around him became blurred streaks of light.


    Alex hurried towards Monty town, recalling the information he had gained from the team of awakened.


    The ce he was in was called the Wilnds, a barren region with beasts scattered all over it, spelling danger for many unlucky travellers. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The whole ce he was in was called the Underworld, with him currently located in the territories of the Cavernous Empire, the reigning power down in this ce.


    What was even more shocking for Alex than the fact that this ce held an entire civilisation of humans, was the fact that as soon as he left the wilnds he was greeted by a sight he never thought possible.


    There was actually a blue sky above his head, along with a sun and everything one would expect of the surface.


    But he knew for a fact that he was still underground!


    Not just this, but there was vegetation everywhere he looked, apart from where the Wilnds met this ce.


    If Alex didn''t know any better, he''d have 100% thought he was on the surface.


    If he was dropped down here when he first entered the Primordial Expanse, he wouldn''t have noticed he was underground at all.


    But although this ce was technically a part of one whole empire, every city here may as well be its own independent power. Thend was vast and there were few people, leaving many ces disconnected from each other.


    If you wanted to leave your town or city, you''d first have to be an Awakened.


    What particrly caught Alex''s attention was the presence of Adventure Academies in this ce.


    He didn''t know the situation on the surface, but he hadn''t heard of such a thing when he spent time in Valentis city.


    They held a striking resemnce to the Awakened Universities of the Federation, which interested Alex a little.


    But he didn''t n on visiting any of these ces while he was down here.


    His goal ofing here in the first ce was to spend his time killing beasts for their beast cores so he could secure enough money to take a trip to Capital Prime University.


    Alex had already spent too much time idling in this ce, the only beasts he had seen so far were the Mutant Shadow Wolf and that ck boar.


    He was lucky to get a beast core from the Shadow Wolf, but he wouldn''t do something so stupid like selling off such a precious item.


    Whether there was anything to gain from the boar was unknown, as Alex was gracious enough to leave its corpse to the team he had saved aspensation for their information.


    Based on Alex''s speed, he didn''t need two days of travel to reach Monty town, like that male warrior said.


    Instead he reached it after only a few hours of travel at his full speed.


    Monty town''s architecture was pretty much identical to that of the houses he saw in Valentis city on the surface, only there were much fewer of them. Each building adopted the Ancient Medieval European style like most ces in the Primordial Expanse.


    Along the road leading into the little town was a bustling marketce, which he could see was filled with people all going about their business.


    But wherever there were people, there would naturally be a hierarchy.


    Alex hadn''t even entered the town yet but he could already see a distinct difference between people''s clothing.


    The houses nearer to the centre of the town were much bigger, cleaner and higher quality than those on the outskirts.


    Walking along the road, Alex eyed up the three metre tall stone walls surrounding the vige. There were also two guards standing near the entrance, holding swords and wearing armor that looked like they hadn''t been used in years.


    "Halt! State your purpose!" Upon spotting Alex, the guards were a little on edge.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 87 Wandering warrior

    Chapter 87 Wandering warrior


    The guard who was speaking looked hesitant to approach Alex.


    "I''m just a wandering warrior hoping to enter the town to get some rest and recuperate after my tiring journey! There''s no need to worry, I''ll follow thews of your town." Alex gave a slight smile, continuing his facade of being a nomad warrior. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hearing Alex''s words, the two guards eased up but were still a little weary..


    But the fact that he was apletely unknown warrior made his situation a little moreplicated.


    "You can enter the town, but you have to leave any weapons with us before you enter. You can collect them again when you wish to leave." The first guard spoke again, his mouth curling up into a smile.


    "But first we have to confirm that you''re not a fugitive." Clearly, this was what the guards were after from the beginning, as their faces changed to snide smiles while they kept their swords trained on Alex.


    They released their F rank aura to deter Alex from making any rash decisions.


    Of course they didn''t buy Alex''s story of being a nomadic warrior! Any random person could make such a story up on the spot, and the fact that he wasn''t wearing any armor didn''t match up to his story either.


    How could a warrior venture out without any armor? Of course it was because he wasn''t a warrior in the first ce.


    But Alex shrugged and pointed to his hips.


    "I don''t have any weapons on me." Alex grinned, holding his hands in the air as if he was cooperating.


    In front of Alex, the actions of these guards seemed like child''s y. He knew they were probably just following procedure, but something about the way they acted seemed off.


    Their curved smiles revealed they weren''t up to any good, and Alex could even sense a faint malicious intent in the aura they were giving off.


    ''This guy is easy pickings! If he really turns out to be a fugitive, we can collect the bounty money! Even if he isn''t, we can still take his money, as a ''toll'' to enter the town!''


    Alex walked in front of the two guards, who had their swords trained on him the whole time, as they made their way over to the guard''s barracks near the outskirts of the town.


    He wasn''t aware of the things they were nning behind him, but he wouldugh at their pathetic attempts to gain a quick buck if he knew.


    He was as poor as anyone could get in these parts!


    He didn''t have a single coin to his name, nor did he have anything of value on him that the guards could steal and sell off for any meaningful profit.


    The only thing of value he had on him was his clothes, which were just the standard getup he had received from at the start of his University entrance exam.


    But if the guards tried anything funny with his clothes, he wouldn''t hold back anymore¡­


    Soon, the trio reached the barracks and entered through the front doors. They garnered a few curious and interested looks from the other guards inside, but when they saw the two guys behind Alex holding their swords to his back, they just smiled mischievously and went back to their business.


    Stuff like this happened all the time in these parts, and there wasn''t a single guard who wasn''t in on it.


    ''Tsk. Looks like Marco and Brune got lucky on their shift today, this guy doesn''t look like the typical beggar thates through these parts.''


    Soon enough, Alex was brought to a huge wall, filled to the brim with wanted posters, all with a sketch of the wanted person attached to them.


    "Wait here while we check your face against each of these." One of the guards spoke in a dismissive tone, as if he no longer had to hide his intentions anymore now that he was in the barracks.


    Alex waited for over 20 minutes while the guards inspected each wanted poster closely against Alex''s face, but nothing turned up.


    Alex just scoffed at them.


    ''You''re not going to find any records of me in this ce you idiots!''


    How could there be any records of Alex''s existence down in this ce when this was his first time visiting? But the guards couldn''t know that, nor could they verify it.


    Finally, after another 10 minutes of no luck with the posters, the guards gave up looking and instead turned their attention back to Alex.


    "Looks like you aren''t a fugitive after all. You''re free to go once you pay the toll to enter the town." The guards put on arrogant faces as they stood in front of Alex.


    Their weapons were no longer trained on him but they towered over him in terms of height, not to mention they still didn''t believe he was a warrior. They thought he was just another human like everyone else.


    Alex chuckled, and opened his mouth to speak.


    "Haha, I''m afraid I''m all out of money, as you can see." Alex turned each of his pockets and indeed, there was nothing to be seen at all apart from some lint and dirt.


    Seeing this, the guards frowned.


    They hadn''t expected this, from what they had initially observed, Alex was clearly more educated than the average beggar, and although his clothes were dirty, they were still of high quality. Anyone would look this dirty after days or weeks of travel without being able to properly travel. Clothes like those were hard to find in parts like this.


    As they thought about what to do, one of the guard''s faces lit up like he had an idea.


    "Well since you don''t have any money, how about you exchange your cloth-" He started to voice his ''reasonable''promise to Alex and the other guard, but he was cut off before he could finish.


    "That''s enough."


    Alex dropped his amicable smile and his face turned deadpan. The guards had crossed his bottom line with this.


    "I''ve had enough of this little game, I''ll be leaving now. If you try to stop me, trust me, there will be trouble you won''t be able to handle." As he spoke, Alex released a little bit of his aura, instantly overpowering the two guard''s own aura.


    The guards had kept their full aura on show the whole time as an act of intimidation, but Alex just showing 1% of his aura already sent them with their tail between their legs.


    "Y-yes, respected sir!"


    The guards bowed in fear, stunning all the other guards in the barracks.


    Only the two guards, Marco and Brune, could feel the pressure of Alex''s aura, so everyone else was confused seeing this weird scene y out.

 Chapter 88 Monty Town

    Chapter 88 Monty Town


    Alex had seen enough to know what type of town this was. If the guards who protected it were so corrupt, then he couldn''t expect any better from the management either. He had no ns to interact with any of the higher ups while he was here, all he wanted was to collect some information, get some well needed rest and a hot shower, before leaving.


    Out of curiosity, he had tried to open the portal back to his own universe a few times while was bored and had nothing to do, but nothing had worked so far.


    And with no indication of how or when he could open the portal, he could only give up and move on to his other most important task.


    Hunting beasts!


    Based on the directions he had received from the guards before he left, he came before the market and couldn''t help but feel a little nostalgic.


    This ce reminded him of his childhood, running through the hectic streets back on the ARC colony trying to peddle whatever wares he could.


    Alex directly ignored all the useless stuff like trinkets, food etc and went straight for the section that sold weapons.


    When he arrived, he only saw one merchant covering three stalls of weapons, prompting a look of surprise from Alex.


    ''Only one weapon merchant in this whole town¡­ A little disappointing but expected for such a small town on the outskirts of the empire.''


    The merchant saw Alex walk over and put his book down. "Anything spark your interest?" He asked, but he wasn''t expecting to actually sell anything.


    People in this town rarely bought weapons, as only the guards had any real use for them, but they had their weapons supplied directly by the Mayor himself.


    Alex looked around the stalls, but most of what he saw were normal weapons, not even suitable for the weakest awakened.


    "Can you tell me a little about this one?" Alex came to a stop in front of a curved sword. It didn''t have any special appearance, but he could tell that it was one of the stronger weapons in this selection.


    The merchant''s eyes perked up when he saw the sword Alex was interested in, and quickly spoke, "Of course sir! This is actually a weapon for warriors! It''s an F- rank curved saber type weapon, capable of withstanding attack from strong F- rank beasts! All for a low price of 300 gold or 3 F- rank beast cores!"


    The merchant enthusiastically pitched the saber to Alex, but Alex couldn''t help but scrunch his eyebrows when he heard the price.


    He couldn''t even find anything above F- rank, and even those F- rank weapons were egregiously overpriced.


    ''3 F- rank beast cores for 1 weapon, yeah how about screw yourself instead.''


    Alex wouldn''t even take such a deal even if he was desperate. This was just a case of the demand being higher than the supply, allowing the merchant to overprice his weapons due to theck of anypetition in town.


    "Never mind, I''d rather not get ripped off thanks." Alex turned away from the stall the instant he heard the price for the saber. Not even Morlock sold F- rank weapons for such a steep price.


    The merchant tried his best to regain Alex''s favor, but after he didn''t even bother to turn back around he knew it was useless.


    "Tsk, if you can''t afford anything then don''t even bother asking, brat." He disyed his dissatisfaction, not even trying to hide it and spoke loud enough for Alex to hear.


    But Alex took no notice, in fact it was more like he didn''t care to even listen to the merchant''s very urate diss of calling him poor.


    Alex''s next location of choice was the inn.


    ***


    "Huff¡­ Huff." Mira exhaled two puffs of air as she dug her sword out of a disgusting insect beast''s corpse.


    Ever since she scavenged through the city, she eventually got lucky and found a sword hidden under some rubble. She was overjoyed when she found it, as it was an E+ rank sword! The highest rank weapon she had seen yet.


    It had been 7 days since that day, and she had made much more progress on her goal than the first few days she spent in this ce.


    She had found a map containing the locations of the nearby cities and towns from within a still rtively intact building near the centre of the city, and she made full use of the thing to n out her next actions.


    Instead of choosing to go towards the nearest city, like most people would, she decided to head over to the farthest city depicted on the map, Windrush city.


    It would take her over 10 days of travel to reach it, even at her speed. But she was satisfied with the n nevertheless.


    She didn''t n on spending too much time in cities during this period in the Primordial Expanse, as she only wanted to use them as rest stops to resupply and get some sleep, shower etc before she set out again.


    With 3 days left before she reached Windrush city, she had already amassed a small fortune in terms of beast cores.


    She had encountered a wide variety of beasts the further she got from the ruined city, even with the F tier beasts bing scarcer and E tier beasts bing moremon.


    Mira avoided fighting any E+ rank beasts or any beast she felt was a decent threat to her life. But she wasn''t able to avoid every encounter, and she was forced to escape from an E+ rank beast that was far too powerful for her to handle.


    It was clear that it wasn''t an Ordinary ss beast, but Mira was unable to tell which ss it was.


    Her speed was no match for the thing, and she was forced to use her talent, [Call of the Void] for the first time despite the risks involved.


    In the end, shepletely disappeared from the face of the Earth right in front of the confused E+ rank gori beast.


    It was from this that she discovered just how terrifyingly powerful her new talent really was¡­


    There was no process like opening up a portal and stepping through it like there was with the travel back and forth with the Primordial Expanse and the universe.


    Instead, she was there one second and poof!, she was gone.


    The ce she entered, The Void, waspletely unlike what she imagined it to be. She thought it would look like an endless expanse of darkness, but surprisingly it wasn''t!


    The moment Mira appeared in The Void, the first thing she noticed was that she was in the exact same spot she had left from.


    Only there was no beast chasing her¡­


    And there was no colour. The whole dimension was a mirror of her current location, coloured in ck and white.


    She was scared, the emptiness andck of any living thing in this ce creeped her out and she only stayed for 10 minutes, waiting this long only as a precaution due to the E+ rank gori chasing her.


    Thankfully, there was nothingplicated about returning back to the normal dimension, and she appeared back in her original spot without any fuss, and the gori had already left.


    Overall, it was the wildest 30 minutes she had ever experienced¡­


    But even with this detour she had yed over 15 E- rank beasts and 3 E rank beasts on the journey over. While onlying across 2 F+ rank beasts.


    In total, she had gained 8 E- rank beast cores and 2 E rank beast cores, with no luck with the F+ rank beasts.


    Thankfully, she had checked the exchange prices for beast cores online before she entered the Primordial Expanse, so she knew that she wasn''t even 10% of the way towards her goal.


    ''I wonder how Alex is doing¡­''


    Thinking about her own progress only made her mind wander to Alex''s.


    ''He''s probably doing much better than me, since he''s so much stronger.'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But she had no idea¡­

 Chapter 89 Martha

    Chapter 89 Martha


    m!


    Alex dug his fist out of the stomach of the huge snake beast he had just killed. Over thest few days he had been slowly hunting on the outskirts of the town, killing any beast that came within range of his senses. It didn''t matter if the beast was the weakest F- rank or not, he killed them all regardless.


    The unfortunate thing was though, that he hadn''te across any beasts above F+ rank anywhere near the town, which sucked but he figured this would be amon theme in this area.


    The town wouldn''t station F rank guards at the gates if there were E- rank and above beasts lurking around the vicinity. Clearly, this town was in quite a low risk areapared to the dark, damp cave Alex had firstnded in. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This was the 4th beast Alex had killed in thest day alone, which was quite a good haul considering the fact he hadn''t even encountered a single other beast than the Shadow Wolf before this point.


    It was obvious that areas more popted with humans tempted more and more beasts over. With how mindless these beasts were it wasn''t like they knew they were just walking straight into a death trap.


    But it was also good for the town, as the constant influx of beasts meant more ie, as well as a constant supply of high quality food.


    It was even better for Alex, as it allowed him to achieve his goal of earning money quicker. Naturally he set his sights on better alternatives, nning to move his hunting operation to a ce much less rural and more popted than this small town.


    But for the next few days he had to gather information as well as sell a few beast corpses, minus the beast cores obviously, and actually have some money to his name.


    Alex needed a new weapon, preferably a sword as he found he liked them better than daggers after using Rowan''s sword for a bit.


    But he wasn''t interested at all in the cheap and low quality wares the merchant had to offer, no, instead he was interested in a different supplier. The Mayor of Monty town.


    He already knew the Mayor was the Father Bertram that strange boy had mentioned when he first came across him, but he hadn''t had any contact with him yet.


    ***


    After a few more hours of hunting, Alex returned back to the town to sell off all of the beast corpses he had umted during his hunt over thest day.


    He had be somewhat of a local celebrity over thest few days since his arrival, as the locals hadn''t seen someone take care of so many beasts in such amounts like Alex did. Not even the guards themselves could match up to Alex''s clean work, which earned a lot of respect for him.


    "Another haul? How many this time?" An old woman behind the counter of the only butcher shop in Monty town spoke to Alex, interested in knowing what he was bringing her this time.


    "I have a total of 6 beasts today, some of them bigger than average so make sure to factor that into the price, Martha." Alex spoke in a familiar tone to the woman. Martha was the one person he interacted with the most over thest few days since he entered Monty town.


    Most people only knew her as the friendly butcher around town, but few actually knew that she was an adventurer during her younger years, peaking at F+ rank before she retired and set up shop in this little town. Her strength is what enabled her to properly deal with the beasts Alex brought in to sell.


    With how tough the bodies of the beasts are, it would be impossible for a normal human to butcher them.


    "Any interesting news today?" Alex asked Martha ¡ª amon practice he did every time he met her.


    "Nothing much, oh except for the fact that Father Bertram is returning in 2 days! The mood in the town has risen quite a lot recently after this news spread, it''s been over 4 months since hest set off, and most of us weren''t even sure he would return again¡­" Martha revealed to Alex.


    Upon hearing this news, Alex''s eyes perked up as he pressed on for further information.


    "He set off over 4 months ago and is only just now returning? Where could he have gone for such a long period of time to pass?"


    Martha looked at Alex, remembering that he was stillpletely unknown to the vige ¡ª he had only been there for a few days.


    "He was called to the capital, after all he is still technically a baron serving under the emperor, though he is nothing like the high and mighty nobles of the cities and the capital."


    Martha paused, seeing the 6 huge bodies piled up outside her shop, before returning to her exnation.


    "Apparently something big is going on in the empire soon, thoughmon folk like us wouldn''t know what that is."


    Alex listened attentively to everything Martha said. Each piece of information she had given him so far had been far more valuable than he had been able to glean from the other residents.


    "Hmmm, I see. Well, such matters have nothing to do with me, I''m just trying to earn a pretty penny for myself before moving on from this ce." Alex changed the topic of the conversation, after all the political matters of the empire really did have nothing to do with him.


    All he cared about was the money he was set on earning during this four month period.


    10 minutester, he left Martha''s shop with a bag jingling with coins every time he took a step.


    He received many curious looks from the people on the streets, but everybody ignored him soon after.


    Nobody here was a criminal, at least openly.


    Of course when the guards saw Alex walking about so brazenly with money practically falling out of his pockets, they gritted their teeth in jealousy but couldn''t do anything more than that.


    They knew better than to provoke Alex after what happenedst time in the barracks.

 Chapter 90 The Mayor

    Chapter 90 The Mayor


    ''I''m at around 400 gold now. It''s an okay sum but I''m gonna need more if I want to buy any half decent weapon.''


    Alex walked through the streets, thinking about his ns for the near future.


    After selling the beast corpses to Martha, he now had a total of over 400 gold coins to his name, give or take a few. That may seem like a lot, but that couldn''t even buy him a decent weapon, but that was without factoring in any beast cores he was lucky enough to find.


    If he counted in his beast cores too, he''d be up to 700 gold, as he currently had 3 F- rank beast cores to his name.


    His current routine was boring. Wake up, eat some Shadow wolf meat for breakfast, go out to hunt till sunset,e back and sell anything he hunted, sleep, repeat.


    This carried on for the next two days, until he woke up just like usual, but unlike the previous few days there was amotion going on throughout the vige.


    Alex exited the inn he was staying in and walked out onto the streets, curious to see what was going on.


    What he saw was the residents of Monty town all lining up the sidewalks, cheering and celebrating even though it was barely 7 in the morning. He was confused at first, still not fully awake, until he realised what day it was.


    ''Oh right, the Mayor''s returning today!''


    The moment he figured it out, he saw a caravan marching its way through the centre of the crowd all the way towards the town centre, where the elites of the town lived.


    The caravan was made up of various types of carriages, with food carriers, people carriers scattered across the whole thing.


    At the centre stood the most expensive looking carriage. It wasn''t luxurious whenpared to the real nobility''s ability to splurge money, but it looked like the sturdiest and most reliable carriage of the bunch.


    Soon after the caravan stopped, the door of the expensive carriage opened and an old man in his early sixties stepped out and took in a deep breath of fresh air. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Ahhh, it feels good to be back. I can''t stand the stifling air in the cities, I prefer much more natural and refreshing air like this." The old man mored.


    ''You''re still in the same cave no matter where you go¡­'' The air in this ce that actually had magical blue skies and green scenery everywhere one looked was much, much higher in quality than the air he was forced to breathe in the dark and damp depths of the Darkness he had first found himself in.


    Alex listened to the old man''s monologue and joked to himself. Of course he knew that there was in fact a huge difference in air quality in different parts of the cave system. He had experienced this for himself.


    The air in this ce that actually had magical blue skies and green scenery everywhere one looked was much, much higher in quality than the air he was forced to breathe in the dark and damp depths of the Darkness he had first found himself in.


    As the old man stood outside his carriage, he took in sights of the town he was so familiar with, yet felt so distant after such a long time away, and smiled at the crowd.


    He turned to the soldiers guarding the caravan and spoke.


    "Unload the cargo into my manor, you can go back to your posts when you finish." He dismissed the guards to go start their work, while he walked towards the crowd of people waiting.


    "I''m sure most of you heard of my return beforehand, but be rest assured that this town will be even more prosperous now that I''m back!" He spoke to the people, prompting cheers from nearly everyone present.


    Naturally, when Alex heard this he knew instantly who this old man was.


    ''Father Bertram, the Mayor of Monty town.''


    He hadn''t expected him to look like this.


    Father Bertram was wearing a normal suit that businessmen usually wore on outings. His clothes and appearance weren''t anything special, which surprised Alex a little.


    From hearing that Bertram was actually a noble, and seeing the actions of the guards under his employment, he had expected him to at least show something a little more high ss.


    Martha had mentioned that he was nothing like the nobles of the cities. But Alex was a ''seeing is believing'' kind of guy, so he remained skepical until he saw the man himself.


    But what he had seen so far showed that Martha was at least telling the truth on her part.


    He continued observing from a distance, not bothering to join in the mor of the crowd as he was still an outsider in this town. Alex wasn''t nning on approaching the mayor just yet, instead he felt it better to wait for all the celebrations and chaos to die down before he made any moves.


    After a few minutes of chatting, Bertram excused himself and tended to his caravan, helping to unload supplies and checking that everything was still where it should be. The crowd also started to disperse and go on to do their own jobs.


    Alex himself just exited the town, continuing his same mundane routine.


    ***


    In avish looking office, inside the manor at the center of the town.


    "Good morning sir, I''m d to see that you made it back safely and withoutmotion." A smartly man wearing a tuxedo addressed Bertram, who sat behind his desk looking out through the window at the bustling town.


    "It''s good to see you again, Kilian. Anything interesting happen while I was away?" Bertram answered Kilian, the head butler of the baron estate.


    "All is good sir, though there have been some intriguing developments recently that you may be interested in." Kilian remained respectful throughout the whole conversation with Bertram.


    "Oh? What is it then?" Bertram seemed slightly interested when he heard what Kilian said.


    Normally Kilian was a tough guy to impress, or catch the attention of. That''s why he made for a good head butler. So if something had actually intrigued him then whatever it was, was surely going to be interesting.


    "Around a week before you returned, an interesting fellow made his way into the town. The people know of him as Alex¡­"

 Chapter 91 Meeting

    Chapter 91 Meeting


    "Tell me more about this Alex person." Bertram asked Kilian, his interest seemed genuine.


    "Of course, sir. His first encounter with the town wasn''t like the normal one neers have when they arrive here. His background was and still ispletely unknown to us, so the guards took him into the barracks for interrogation, as well as to check if he was listed as wanted."


    Bertram listened intensely as Kilian continued.


    "However, still nothing came up regarding Alex. This prompted the guards to set him free, but it was reported that something set Alex off inside the barracks and he pressured two of our guards, Marco and Brune, to the point that they were stunned by fear."


    At this point, both of them became silent so they could consider the weight of the words Kilian had just spoken.


    "Hmm, it seems this ''Alex'' is quite strong, probably at least E- rank if his aura was enough to stun two F rank guards. Things could be quite troublesome for us if he sticks around these parts. Make sure to keep a close eye on him ¡ª I''ll arrange a meeting with him in theing days, to try and gleen some more information about his background. It''ll be troublesome if he''s the son of some powerful warrior family."


    Bertram seemed quite troubled by Alex''s presence in Monty town, his background beingpletely unknown was a problem for him.


    "Yes sir." Kilian obeyed and respectfully left the room to perform his duties.


    ''I can only hope you don''t interfere in our ns, for your sake Alex¡­''


    ***


    ''Another 500 gold, that seems like a decent amount to purchase a weapon!''


    Alex walked out of Martha''s store with more clinking bags of gold swinging from his waist.


    It had been another 3 days since Father Bertram had returned to the vige, and things had gradually turned back to normal again. The only noticeable difference was the higher number of guards patrolling the vige and its outskirts, as well as the livelier and more enthusiastic atmosphere of the people.


    More guards could be exined by the guards Father Bertram brought back with him joining the ranks of the current ones, which Alex didn''t pay any notice to.


    None of them were strong enough to be a threat to him anyway.


    In fact, quite strangely, he hadn''t met anyone above F+ rank in this vige other than himself, which seemed very strange considering there were E- rank beasts and higher lurking out there.


    It was unlikely they would actually attack this small town, but if they did then the residents were basically toast. They''d be helpless in front of something like that Shadow wolf.


    Speaking of the Shadow Wolf, it had now been reduced to a pile of meat only 25% of its original size, attributed to Alex''s constant consumption of the beast''s meat. Anything else he didn''t consume he stored inside the forest, hidden from both humans and beasts.


    The residents knew he was strong, but he didn''t want them finding out just how strong he was.


    As he was walking through the streets, counting his gold coins right out in the open for everyone to see, he was suddenly stopped by someone standing in the middle of the road.


    "Ahem-"


    But Alex just walked around them before they could even cough their words up.


    However, Alex''s interest was piqued when the person moved at a speed far too high for an F+ rank to reach, to arrive right back in front of him.


    This time, he met the person''s eyes square on.


    In front of him, stood a tall and handsome man. He had dark, ck hair styled into curtains and wore a clean and tidy tuxedo.


    "Might I have a moment of your time, sir Alex." The man spoke in an elegant tone to Alex.


    Standing in front, Alex wasn''t interested in all of these shy clothes or fancy manner of speech.


    No, instead he was most interested in the fact that this man was the first human he had met in this ce that was the same rank as him.


    Though, obviously he didn''t think he was anywhere near a match for his strength.


    Alex nodded at the man, giving him the go ahead.


    The concept of etiquette and saving face that these nobles liked to adhere to were something Alex had never liked, even before he came to the Primordial Expanse.


    "My name is Kilian, the head butler of the Mayor of this town, Father Bertram. My request is simple ¡ª Father Bertram would like you to meet him at his manor, you are free to deny this request of course." Kilian kept up his same polite and elegant tone the whole time he spoke, which Alex didn''t particrly like.


    The concept of etiquette and saving face that these nobles liked to adhere to were something Alex had never liked, even before he came to the Primordial Expanse.


    They were basically trained from childhood how to mask their real emotions and intentions, essentially making them the perfect liars and gaslighters. You could never really know what''s going on inside the head of someone like this.


    But considering Alex had ns to meet the Mayor anyway, he epted Kilian''s proposal and followed him at a leisurely pace towards the centre of the town, where the manor stood.


    "There are some things you should know before you meet the esteemed sir: first you should bow when you meet him to show respect to his noble status, and you should retain a respectful tone all throughout the meeting." Kilian informed Alex, expecting him to fullyply like any other civilised person of the Cavernous empire would.


    But Alex''s response waspletely out of his expectations.


    "Scoff, I''d like to remind you that he requested the meeting with me, not the other way round. I''ll speak how I do with everyone, and I bow to no-one who hasn''t already earned my respect."


    Alex''s remarks came as a big shock to Kilian, and even he, with all his training, found it difficult to keep hisposure and notsh out at Alex.


    ''It seems this person is from a lowly birth, as any esteemed noble would never act so impetuous!''


    The remainder of the journey towards the manor was finished in silence.


    Please vote!


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 92 Intentions

    Chapter 92 Intentions


    Kilian gave a look to the guards standing at the gates of the manor and without a word, they opened them for him and his guest, Alex.


    ''Let''s see if you keep up your uncivilised demeanor from now on, brat.''


    Kilian thought to himself as he silently led Alex through the gardens and into the main entrance, where a grand hall met their eyes.


    As one would expect of a typical noble''s mansion, the entire interior screamed out ''I am entitled and my ego has no limits.'' The entire ce was spotless, with a luxurious chandelier hanging from the ceiling, lighting up the whole hall. The carpet was a mixture of red and gold, with the walls being made out of marble with golden etchings engraved in them.


    Overall, the ce sucked.


    At least Alex thought it did.


    ''Who would want to live in such an unweing home? This ce seems more like a political embassy than a ce one should call home.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Overall, Alex didn''t feel weed into this ''home'', instead he felt like he was an alien visiting this ce.


    Although, he technically is an alien¡­


    "Follow me, the Mayor''s office is just this way." Kilian spoke, his tone still elegant but it had a hint of coldness to it.


    Alex didn''t speak and only followed, wanting to meet the Mayor and then be done with this ce, moving on to somewhere much less remote.


    But obtaining a new sword would have toe first.


    Eventually, after a few minutes of walking through the winding maze of hallways, they came to a stop in front of a rather normal looking door when onepared it to the rest of the manor.


    "The Mayor is just inside, I hope you''ll consider our previous conversation." Kilian didn''t even give Alex another nce as he just closed the door behind him when he stepped inside.


    Inside, the office looked like any typical office one would expect of a schr. There were bookshelves filled to the brim with books on either side of the room, with a huge convex window taking up the entire outer wall. In front of the window sat arge, vintage desk. Father Bertram sat at this desk with a smile on his face.


    "Wee, wee! I don''t believe we''ve had the pleasure of meeting before. My name is Bertram Artund, the Baron of this manor and the Mayor of this town!" Bertram enthusiastically introduced himself to Alex, saving the two from any icebreakers.


    "My name''s Alex, I''m a wandering warrior with no ce to call home. Why''d you request this meeting with me? Like you said, we have nothing inmon and we''ve never interacted before this." Alex went straight to the point, asking his most prominent question right from the beginning.


    To be truthful, Alex was quite surprised when Kilian showed up out of nowhere and said the Mayor wanted to meet with him.


    He had fully expected it to be the other way around with Alexing to the Mayor to purchase a weapon.


    "I see you''re not one to speak idle chatter, I like that. Since you wish to get right down to business, let''s not wait any longer." Bertram started to get a feel for Alex and knew he wasn''t too keen on this meeting, nor was he interested in hearing his empty words.


    Bertram adjusted his position in his seat, while Alex took the liberty to seat himself in front of him, lounging back into the chair and making himselffortable.


    Bertram felt his eye twitch when he saw this, but he ignored it.


    "I''d like to know more about you, like how you got here, why you''re here and what your ns are in this small town I call home." Bertram''s tone changed to a more neutral one as he asked these questions.


    This was the real reason he invited Alex to his office ¡ª to sniff out his intentions.


    Alex gazed at Bertram and knew what he was up to. The managers and superiors at the mining colony all tried to y simr tricks on him many times before during his time there.


    "Well let me put it simply for you: my name is Alex; I''m not from around these parts; my ns include hunting, earning a quick buck and leaving when I feel satisfied." With that said, Alex smiled at Bertram and let him digest the information ¡ª orck of ¡ª that he had given him.


    ''He''s just told me everything I already know, apart from thest part about his ns to leave when he is ''satisfied'', I''ve learned nothing new about this guy. Clearly he doesn''t wish for us to pry into his background for some reason.''


    ''But don''t worry Alex, We''ll be sure to find out your true motives soon enough.''


    Bertram mirrored Alex''s smile, and asked another question.


    "You mentioned you''re leaving when you feel satisfied. Might I ask, what do you mean when you say ''satisfied''?"


    Having picked apart Alex''s words, this was the only piece of information he felt could be of some relevance to Alex''s goal in Monty town.


    "Well before your butler so rudely stopped me when I was out on a stroll, I was actually nning oning to you myself at some point. You see, I''ve been without a weapon for a while after my old one was destroyed and what better ce to find a new one worth buying in this small town than the mayor himself."


    Alex had been meaning to buy himself a weapon for a while, especially after he had the opportunity to witness hisbat strength when he was coupled with Rowan''s sword.


    But the one thing holding him back was always money.


    Now he had the money to make it happen.


    Bertram remained silent while he considered what Alex had said.


    "Come on, we both know the merchants aren''t offering anything even worth spending a couple pennies on. What I''m looking for is only something you can provide in this deste ce. I know you can, since the weapons your guards carry are worlds apart from what that merchant is offering."


    Alex had hit the nail on the head, as Bertram looked at him with an understanding look on his face.


    "So all you''re here for is a weapon? And you''ll leave after you get one?"

 Chapter 93 The deal

    93 The deal


    "Now we''re both on the same page!" Alex sarcastically answered Father Bertram when he basically repeated what Alex had been exining for the past 5 minutes back to him.


    It took Bertram a few moments to consider things, with all sorts of thoughts going through his mind.


    ''Is he telling the truth?''


    ''Is he really just here for a weapon?''


    ''Can I really trust him?''


    ¡­


    Bertram went through many different emotions as he thought of every scenario, but even after all of that he couldn''te to a conclusion.


    In the end, he decided to just y along with Alex, for now.


    "So what kind of weapon are you looking for? Since it''s not something you can get from the merchant, I''m assuming what you want isn''t normal."


    He questioned Alex, probing him further on the type of weapon he was looking for.


    Meanwhile Alex went through his memories and crossed out any daggers, bows or spears and his thoughts took him back to Rowan''s sword.


    "Something around 1 - 1.5 metres in length, crafted using E or preferably E+ rank materials. Oh and it has to be fire resistant too."


    The long sword Alex described to Bertram quickly built a picture of the product in both of their minds.


    At first, Bertram looked as neutral as ever as he listened to Alex speak, but when he heard the mention of the rank of the sword, his face soured.


    ''He''s asking for an E+ rank sword! Only someone of equal strength could wield a weapon of such quality¡­ Not even I could have predicted this kid would be so strong. This changes everything.''


    Bertram kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to rm Alex, or Kilian who was waiting outside the door.


    The fact that Alex was most likely an E+ rank warrior or had the strength equivalent to one meant that he was currently the strongest person in this town, stronger than Kilian or even Bertram himself.


    Bertram was only E rank, but he wasn''t even abatant focused awakened as he had a talent that was more suited for administration, hence why he was the mayor of this town.


    "I''ll see what I can do." Bertram couldn''t promise Alex anything as it would be difficult for even him to procure an E+ rank weapon like Alex was asking for, especially one with the conditions Alex had requested.


    Alex left Bertram''s office without another word, satisfied with his conversation with the Mayor. He passed Kilian on the way out of the manor and the two exchanged a nce with each other, but Alex was the only one smiling when he left.


    ***


    Back in Bertram''s office, 5 minutester.


    "Sir, what do you think we should do?" Kilian asked Bertram with a concerned look on his face.


    Kilian had be worried while listening in on the conversation. There were very few E tier warriors living in Monty town, only 4 in total. Kilian and Bertram were two of them, while the other two were themanders of the town guards and the mercenary legion that Bertram had hired to protect his caravan for thest 4 months.


    Now, there was a fifth E tier, and he was most likely stronger than every other E tier. But they couldn''t be sure of Alex''s strength before they saw it for themselves.


    "What else can we do? We can only do what he requested of us and look into procuring a weapon like the one he described. It''s not like we''re losing anything from this, since he''ll be purchasing it off us." Bertram sighed as he leaned back into his chair.


    He had effectively given up trying to pry into Alex''s background any further.


    The best case scenario was that Alex wasn''t lying and he would really leave when he received the sword he requested. Or the worst case could be possible and he could have been sent here by his enemies to disrupt his ns.


    Either way, there was nothing he could do about Alex with his strength.


    "We can only sit back and wait to see what he does. Tell the men to postpone the n indefinitely until further notice."


    Bertram asked and Kilian left the room shortly after.


    Bertram remained in thought, sitting still in his chair, staring out into nothing.


    Nobody but him knew his thoughts at this moment.


    ***


    A week passed with nothing special happening.


    Nothing special for the vige that was.


    For Alex, something very special had happened.


    He was out on the hunt one day, and after killing an E- rank beast, nothing seemed out of the norm, until¡­


    Alex felt something enter his inventory!


    In his excitement, he found that he had gained a Soul orb from this beast!


    Not only this, but this beast seemed to be somewhat of a lucky charm, as it held an E- rank beast core too!


    Overall, that day was a very fruitful day of hunting. Earning as much as he did in thest 3 days alone.


    Bertram had someone with a stealth talent follow Alex, curious to see what he was up to. But all Bertram found out was that Alex had the same routine every day. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He''d spend sunrise to sunset just hunting, until he''de back to town to sell off his kills.


    The frightening thing Bertram had found out was that every beast Alex killed, was killed in one strike to the head. Even an E- rank beast Alex was lucky toe across fell to the same fate.


    Not even Bertram could take an E- rank beast down so easily and efficiently¡­


    However, after a week passed there was finally some progress in the request Alex had given to the Mayor.


    He had managed to find a weapon matching Alex''s specifications through his connections!


    But there was a catch, Alex had to collect it himself. E+ rank weapons were rare in this part of the underworld, with not a single craftsman being able to craft one of this rank. Of course, craftsmen in the city could produce much better, but every city was too far away, not to mention the fee would be extortionate.


    When Alex was summoned back to Bertram''s office ¡ª Kilian acting much more reserved and polite this time ¡ª he was informed of the situation right away.


    The sword was located within some ruins around a 2 weeks travel away from Monty town ¡ª located in the wilnds.


    Many warriors and other types of awakened had attempted to loot the ruins for themselves, yet all had failed.


    There were traps in there that only E+ rank awakened would be able to withstand or disarm, but most E+ ranks would already have a suitable weapon anyway so none had ever ventured out to the ruins.


    This left them unconquered until now.


    Considering the danger, as well as the fact that Bertram didn''t even have the sword on hand, Alex only paid him 10% of the original price as an ''information fee'', which was about 2000 gold and some 2 E- rank beast cores Alex had procured.


    With this information in mind, Alex left the office of the Mayor for thest time while he sorted out some things.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 94 Departing

    94 Departing


    First, he visited Martha and let her know of his intentions to leave, and that she would probably never see him again.


    After that, he collected the remainder of the Shadow Wolf''s corpse, which was about 25% of what it originally was, and took it to Martha to sell.


    "This is an E+ rank Mutant beast, the Shadow Wolf. Only around 25% of it remains, as the rest of it I''m afraid was my source of food ever since I came to this ce. I''m sure you know of its value, I''m just curious if you''ll buy such an iplete corpse off me."


    Naturally, Martha''s jaw fell to the floor when Alex exined to her what sort of beast she was dealing with.


    But it quickly stiffened up as she started calcting the numbers.


    ''It still has most of its bones, save for a few leg bones. Around 20% of the meat is left, which is still as ripe as the day it was in considering it''s a beast¡­''


    Her thoughts continued on for a few more minutes, with Alex waiting patiently by the side for her to finish.


    "I have to say I didn''t know you were this strong, killing such a formidable beast. To be truthful, I''ve never encountered such a strong beast in my life, whether out in the wild or in my time as a butcher. But my master, who happens to run the biggest butchery in the capital, hase across many beasts like this, so I can give you a price for the corpse." Martha revealed a little bit of her background, which surprised Alex a little bit as this was the first time she had revealed even a little bit of herself to Alex.


    Both of them were quite reserved in what they spoke about with each other, with neither revealing any information about themselves except for the basics up until this point.


    "I can give you 5 E+ rank ordinary beast cores for it. No negotiating." She finished off her exnation, finally giving Alex a price.


    ''It''s about what I was expecting, considering most of the valuable parts of it have already been removed.''


    Alex didn''t hesitate in epting the deal, as quite frankly the wolf would have ended up just being his food, with the bones scattered in a field somewhere if he couldn''t sell it here.


    Bidding his final goodbyes, Alex walked out of Martha''s shop 5 E+ rank cores richer and made his way out of Monty town. His time here had been rtively boring, but quite fruitful in the end.


    ''Time to get my weapon!''


    The travel time was 2 weeks, but that was estimated based on the other awakened who had ventured there before.


    Alex was much stronger and faster than them, so it would only take him around 5 days to arrive.


    ''I wonder what my results would be if I took the strength, speed and reaction tests again with my power right now¡­''


    In truth, Alex was much stronger than when he first exited the Primordial Expanse.


    Although his actual soul core rank hadn''t changed much, his other attributes had.


    Ever since he had acquired the technique, Alex hadn''t skipped out on any training of Phoenix fury, and by now his strength had been pushed up another couple hundred kilos. And that was only using the weakened training method¡­


    Not just his technique, but he had improved his knowledge and control over his strengths and talents over the past few months that it was astounding how much he had improved.


    He didn''t know the exact strength difference between Ordinary beasts and Mutant beasts, but just the fact that he could kill a Mutant E rank beast while still only being E- rank, not even a Mutant himself, showed his potential.


    If Alex had to estimate, his strength right now, if he activated all his strongest trump cards, would roughly be equivalent to an Ordinary D- rank awakened, which was terrifying to think about!


    If others in the Federation found out about this, they would call cheats! Such a thing shouldn''t even be possible¡­


    But Alex could push his strength even further. If he got his hands on the E+ rank fire attributed sword that was waiting for him in the ruins, then he might even be a match for an Ordinary D rank awakened.


    Perhaps he''d even be able to take on E+ rank Mutant beasts by that point.


    The only problem for him would be finding one¡­


    *** n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    4 more days had passed, and Alex was now deep into the wilnds.


    His trip had been better than any of his hunting trips beforehand. But that was probably because he hadn''t travelled so far from the town in any of those.


    Unfortunately he still had no luck with opening a portal back to his own Universe, with each attempt ending in failure.


    This worried him a little, as he still had no clues on the conditions required to open one in the first ce.


    He had killed a total of 8 E- rank beasts, 3 E rank beasts and 1 E+ rank beast on his way over. All of them Ordinary beasts.


    With the sudden nerf he got for his Soulforge talent when he reached E- rank, he hadn''t gotten a Soul orb for every beast like he would have hoped.


    But he did umte 6 in total, which was a little over a 50% chance of gaining one.


    It seemed the chances were higher, the higher the tier of the beast was.


    This was a good sign for Alex, as it meant that his cultivation speed wouldn''t decrease the stronger he grew!


    But after absorbing all of the soul cores and soul orbs he had earned over thest week, his progress towards E rank had stagnated at 65%, with his progress towards Mutant still stuck at 20%, thanks to the scarcity of Mutant beasts.


    Interestingly, the farther Alex travelled into the Wilnds, the darker the cave got.


    The artificial sky and sun asionally flickered, like it was about to fade out of existence.


    But Alex figured it was just because he was slowly getting closer and closer to the Darkness, the ce he had first entered when he fell into this damned cave.


    Considering that was where he had encountered the Shadow Wolf, that was Alex''s next destination after he obtained the sword from the ruins.


    He''d see how his luck was with finding beasts in there, before heading towards a city.


    Eventually, after a few more hours of walking through the dark, wet rainforest environment, he had arrived at his destination.


    The ruins.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 95 The ruins

    95 The ruins


    The eerie ruins loomed before Alex, a densebination of greenery and decayed cobblestone stretching as far as his eyes permitted. The towering trees of the rainforest obscured the flickering sky, with barely any light reaching Alex on the forest floor.


    It didn''t take long before the ruins came into view ¡ª ancient stone structures half-hidden by thick vines and foliage.


    From the outside, the ruins looked like a densely packed maze of walls, broken buildings and all sorts of remnants of a lost city.


    While the civilisation of the Primordial Expanse closely resembled that of Medieval Europe, this ce simply looked ancient. The closest resemnce it had was to the Mayan ruins from Central America.


    With excitement and anticipation flowing through his veins, Alex pushed forward, sinking his boots into the earth with each step as he cautiously made his way towards the entrance of the ruins.


    The path ahead was far from straightforward. As Alex ventured through an opening in the ruin walls, he encountered abyrinth of crumbling corridors and hidden passageways, each leading to a different ce. He chose a path at random and navigated through the maze with caution.


    From the stories Bertram had told him, he knew that this ce was fraught with traps, and even strong beasts. Not a single awakened who had ventured out to explore this ce had been sessful in doing so, as they were simply too weak to take on such a task.


    With the promise of an E+ rank sword at the heart of the ruins, there was bound to be at least a few E+ rank beasts roaming about.


    Otherwise, the sword would have been taken long ago.


    Snap!


    Suddenly, a few tens of minutes after entering and venturing through the maze in total darkness, Alex heard the sound of something like a twig breaking echoing through the tunnels.


    Unfortunately due to the terrible acoustics of the ce, he was unable to determine the exact location of the source of the sound.


    Nevertheless, he kept his senses on high alert, not holding back in anything. His spatial awareness was also kept on at all times, keeping him informed of any minor movements within a 15 metre radius.


    That''s right, 15 metres.


    He had found out a few days back. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When he firstnded in this ce, his range had only been 10 metres. But after absorbing soul orbs, beast cores and especially that Mutant beast core, his range had increased by 50%.


    Naturally, Alex was ecstatic at this prospect and started experimenting with all of his abilities when he found out.


    As it turned out, his Inferior Teleportation''s range had also increased, going from 3 metres to 4.5 metres! Its energy consumption was still the same though, which sucked.


    He found that fire produced with his me talent was also marginally stronger, to his surprise.


    Alex got thinking after this, and he hade up with a theory. Absorbing beast cores doesn''t provide any immediate boost to his strength, only strengthening him when he ranks up or tiers up. But absorbing soul orbs is a different story. Soul orbs let him feel an immediate boost in strength, not only physically but an all round boost to all of his senses, body, as well as his talents ¡ª excluding his Soulforge talent.


    This is what convinced him that his Soulforge talent was anything far from normal. Mira had gained an S rank talent from the consumption of the Space fragment, yet although Alex hadn''t gotten the chance to witness it in action yet, he had an inkling that it still wasn''t nearly as powerful as his Soulforge talent.


    Back to the ruins, Alex slowly walked through the tunnels of the maze with more than a little trepidation. Traps couldy await around any corner, or on any random stone. A pit could open up out of nowhere, or spikes could beunched from an opening in the wall. But Alex was no stranger to danger, and he moved with skill and precision, avoiding anywhere he suspected there might be a mechanism to trigger a trap.


    Yet the true danger of this ce awaited behind him, just outside of his perception. A fearsome beast watched him silently from the shadows, and he didn''t even know it.


    Alex was only aware that something was there due to its mistake of breaking a twig, but he had no clue where exactly it was.


    Suddenly, just as Alex spotted an area ahead lit up by a torchlight, a growl that shook the very ground beneath his feet took him by surprise. A beast resembling a jet ck panther lunged forward, ws bared and fangs gleaming against the contrasting darkness.


    Alex gritted his teeth, readying his fists for the iing attack of the beast.


    sh


    The impact came instantly as Alex felt a gash open up on his arm where he had blocked the panther''s attack in the nick of time.


    While he may be strong enough to kill even Mutant beasts above his rank, he was still susceptible to sneak attacks if done right.


    The panther beast was fierce and unforgiving ¡ª the beast knew its savage strength wasn''t on par with Alex''s, and yet it didn''t falter in the slightest.


    ''It''s probably an Ordinary E+ rank beast considering how deep its sh cut me.''


    Alex assessed his injury and saw a 10 cm long, 1 or 2 cm deep gash spewing blood on his arm.


    But even with the injury and pouring blood, his arm was still perfectly intact. In fact with Alex''s regeneration speed, an injury like this would only need a few hours to heal, and there wouldn''t even be a scar left behind.


    Alex gazed off into the darkness, where the panther had retreated to after Alex had sessfully blocked its attack, but was unable to see a thing.


    However, it seemed as if the panther beast had no idea about Alex''s sixth sense, his spatial perception as he could still mentally ''see'' its position just 9 metres away, waiting for him to drop his guard again.


    Alex wouldn''t just wait for it toe in for the attack again though. It was time to take the initiative.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 96 A terrifying thought

    96 A terrifying thought


    Seizing the opportunity, Alex lowered his stance andunched himself forwards, directly towards the panther''s position. With how close the two were to each other, the panther had no time to react before Alex already had his fist dug deep into its abdomen.


    Growl!


    It let out a painful roar as it desperately shed and wed at Alex with all its might, prompting him to jump back, away from the range of the beast''s ws.


    But the damage had already been done.


    Alex''s punch wasn''t any ordinary punch ¡ª his fist was infused with fire, increasing the lethality of his attack by a huge extent.


    By the time his fist hade into contact with its stomach, it was already toote for the sneaky beast. With the kic impact of his fist packing quite a punch, it seared through the panther''s skin, muscles and entered deep into its gut.


    The attack was so fast, that the panther hadn''t even registered any pain, as the nerves in the region that was hit werepletely burned to dust before they could send any signals to its brain.


    But the moment Alex''s fist came into contact with one very vital organ, it knew.


    It was well and truly, fucked.


    With its liverpletely kaput, the panther made a desperatest dash towards Alex, putting everything it had left in thesest few attacks. But the sheer amount of blood lost in the process, thanks to its increased heart rate andck of a liver, its movements were sluggish and it copsed to the side, heavily breathing while Alex watched from afar.


    He knew the moment his fist came into contact with the liver that the fight was already over. All he had to do was maintain a steady distance from the beast and it would copse from blood loss before it could even reach him, which is exactly how the situation yed out.


    "Know your enemy." Alex voiced his thoughts out loud as he approached the beast.


    In a way, he was talking to the panther. Due to its overconfidence andck of judgement, it hadn''t assessed that Alex was actually vastly stronger than itself and that it stood no chance right from the beginning.


    But it was also a warning to himself, as if he ever grew too overconfident orcent, he''d end up just like this panther one day.


    As it let out itsst breath, Alex sunk his hand deep into its skull and fished around for any beast cores.


    "Tsk." He was unlucky and didn''t find any, but he was pleasantly surprised to see a brand new soul orb appear in his inventory.


    ''Well, that''s better than I could have asked for!''


    His disappointment vanished as he took the soul orb out without a second thought and absorbed it on the spot.


    After around an hour, the process was finally finished and his progress was brought up to 74%, bringing him ever so slightly closer to E rank.


    ***


    A few hourster, Alex walked through the corridors of the maze with a much less tense look on his face.


    The reason why he looked so rxed was simple ¡ª the tunnels were no longer bathed in total darkness. He didn''t know how, or why, but at a certain point the tunnels were lit by torches with mes that seemed tost forever.


    At first he was enchanted by this magical mechanism, but the moment he moved his hands close to a torch to investigate, its fire died out and didn''t return to normal even when he took his hands away.


    From this point he hadn''t bothered to try his hand at it again, as it was a useless endeavour.


    Over the past few hours, the wound on his arm hadpletely healed, but he hadn''te across any other beasts again.


    He had expected to have at leaste across another one or two, but there was nothing impeding him on his way to the centre of the ruins. He had been avoiding all traps as well, so there was no trouble to be had from them.


    In fact the process had started to get a little boring, as he just kept on seeing the same winding corridors with dead ends for hours on end.


    That was until he finally found it.


    At a point he was forced toe to a stop, as there was nowhere for him to go anymore.


    In front of him stood two huge, towering doors over ten metres tall each.


    ''This has got to be the heart of this ce.''


    Behind those doors was most likely the exact thing he hade looking for.


    A sword befitting his requirements.


    Before entering, he checked everywhere around the doors and the surrounding walls, ceiling and floor. But there were no traps, no signs of a beast, nothing. The only things he noticed were some protruding rocks on the door and walls, but nothing happened when he pressed them.


    There weren''t even any signs of the doors having ever been opened before, which was confusing to Alex.


    ''How did they find out there''s a sword at the centre of these ruins then? They must have entered the centre room through some other means, that''s gotta be the only exnation.''


    Without further ado, Alex stepped forward and ced his hands on one of the doors, pushing forwards with all his strength.


    He pushed.


    And pushed¡­


    But the door just wouldn''t budge.


    ''How the fuck is anyone supposed to open this thing if not even I can???''


    Considering Alex''s strength, it would at least take someone at D or D+ rank to push open these doors, or someone at a higher ssification.


    Completely clueless at how to proceed, Alex gazed around the area, looking for anything that might give him a clue on how to open these doors.


    ''Hmmm?''


    Alex spotted something in the centre of the door ¡ª some sort of engraving.


    ''It looks like a man¡­ holding onto a rock on a wall?''


    Alex was utterly baffled when he analysed the engraving. It was so faint that he could barely make out its meaning, even with his eyesight.


    ''Wait, this looks familiar! But it can''t be¡­''


    Seemingly having recognised something about the engraving, Alex struggled toe to terms with his realisation, but considering he was all out of options, he put his conflicting thoughts aside, and grabbed onto the door once again. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But this time, instead of pushing with all his strength, he did the opposite.


    He pulled!


    Creak!


    The door cracked and shook the surrounding area, as it actually started opening!


    ''So this whole time I had to pull instead of push, and that mysterious engraving was just an instruction¡­''


    Alex was slightly embarrassed for not having tried it beforehand, but he had more important things to worry about.


    ''Those protruding rocks were actually door handles? But the doors on the sign weren''t any bigger than the people opening them¡­''


    Alex looked up at the 10 metre tall door as he pulled with all his strength.


    And a horrifying thought entered his mind.


    ''Giants¡­ This ruin was never built by humans¡­ That exins why the corridors were so tall and wide.''


    Alex was genuinely shocked.


    As far as he knew, humans were the only sentient species that had been discovered so far, apart from that Divine beast he had encountered.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 97 Desperate Gambit

    97 Desperate Gambit


    The door creaked open with a deafening groan. Alex was no longer concerned with the thought that a giant humanoid species had most likely been the ones that had built these ruins.


    For all he knew, they could have gone extinct before humanity had even risen out of their caves hundreds of thousands of years ago.


    As the door swung wide, a rush of stale air filled Alex''s nostrils, carrying with it the scent of dust and decay.


    ''This confirms it, these doors haven''t been opened for a very, very long time.''


    Stepping into the heart of the ruins, he was greeted by a vast chamber shrouded in darkness. Pirs rose like sentinels from the cracked floor, supporting the heavy weight of the ceiling up above. The only light flickering from the cracks above, with a small opening in the ceiling casting a spotlight down on the centre of the open space.


    ''That''s probably where the other awakened made their way inside to cast a look on the sword.''


    The small pedestal sitting right at the centre stood bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the gaping hole in the ceiling.


    Approaching cautiously, Alex felt a sense of unease as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled up. The sword was right in front of him, bathing in the sunlight on top of the pedestal, but each step he took closer to it, his senses warned him of imminent danger.


    He was met with the eerie silence broken only by the sound of his own footsteps echoing off the tall stone walls.


    ''Something else is in here with me, I can feel it.''


    But he knew from the tales the Mayor had fed to him that this ce had a guardian, and it wasn''t anything weak like that E+ rank panther he had killed earlier on.


    "I know you''re here." He spoke aloud, breaking the silence in the room.


    And then, without warning, it struck ¡ª instead of the usual growl he had heard so many times by beasts, a low guttural clicking sound emanated from the shadows at the edge of the chamber. Alex whirled around, his hands instinctively at the ready as a massive form of energy encroached from the darkness.


    ''A D- rank beast!''


    It was the first D tier beast he had seen since the destruction of Valentis, but this one seemed different from the ones he saw on the battlefield.


    Alex couldn''t quite put his finger on it, but something was different about this one.


    It was covered in a mixture of ck and white carapace, resembling scales, yet they weren''t. It''s hulking form bristling with jotted hair, no doubt as hard and sharp as knives. It was in all sense of the word, a huge fucking spider! Its eyes gleamed with something different than the usual feral hunger he saw in beasts. Instead it looked at him with anger, as well as pity.


    With a high pitched screech that shook both Alex and the very foundation of the ruins, the spider charged forward, its chitin-covered appendages shing and clicking as they tore through the air at Alex, moving at speeds he was barely able to keep up with.


    ''This thing''s a motherfucking mutant!''


    It was at this moment that Alex realised why the spider felt so different than the other D- rank beasts he had encountered before.


    Reeling from his shock, Alex tried to keep up his dodging but he was just no match for the spider''s speed.


    Shing!


    One of its long, skinny legs shed right past Alex''s head, barely missing his skull by millimetres. But he hadn''te out of it unscathed.


    In exchange for saving his head, he had lost an ear.


    The entirety of his hearing disappeared from the left side of his head, and he felt off bnce as even his vestibr system was badly damaged.


    ''Huff¡­ Huff¡­ It''s time to test your abilities Alex! COME ON!'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He delivered a p to his cheek, bringing himself back to his senses.


    The whole time the spider hadn''t delivered another attack on him. It was toying with him, it knew the gap between the two''s strength was so wide that any Ordinary ss E- rank like Alex stood zero chance of survival against it.


    But the thing about Alex was that he was unique.


    The Primordial Expanse said it itself. There was no other talent like Alex''s anywhere in the universe.


    From the depths of Alex''s soul, he knew this would be the hardest fought battle he would face so far.


    His whole body started glowing red and orange ¡ª he had started revolving his phoenix fury technique,bined with his control over the fire element.


    Just like in his battle with the Shadow Wolf, Alex had activated his maximum potential. He was going all out in this fight.


    Without missing a beat, Alex lunged forwards, hammering his hands down on the huge Spider''s carapace. Each hit let out a dull thud that resounded throughout the huge central hall. Not even the sharp hairs could stop or injure Alex in his brutal rampage, as they sizzled away before they could evene into contact with his fiery red skin.


    The battle raged on, each blownding with bone crushing force as Alex fought tooth and nail to gain the upper hand. Even with his upsurge of power from his breakthrough technique, he still had a hard time.


    Adrenaline surged through his veins, fuelling his every movement as he danced on the edge of the battlefield, dodging each strike he could, and doing his best to block all the others he couldn''t dodge.


    ''It seems I overestimated myself, even with all of these upgrades I''m still no match for a Mutant ss D- rank beast like I thought I was¡­ I wanted to finish this entirely with my own power, but it seems I have no choice.''


    Alex felt a little disappointed in himself, which might seem crazy to other people.


    He looked towards the spotlight in the centre of the hall, and went full speed towards it!


    Please vote!

 Chapter 98 Adrenaline rush

    98 Adrenaline rush


    The moment Alex made a run for the centre, the spider knew exactly what he was doing. By now it had already realised that Alex posed a serious threat to its life, especially with the boost in power he got from that ming transformation of his.


    And now, if Alex was sessful in what he was nning, the odds would no longer be in its favour.


    The Mutant D- rank spider lunged at Alex with lightning speed, its multiple eyes gleaming with malevolence as it descended upon him. Alex dodged and weaved, desperately making attempts at making his way towards the sword at the centre.


    ''It''s so close! I''m only 20 metres away!''


    With each passing moment, Alex felt the weight of exhaustion bearing down upon him. The constant upkeep of energy his ming transformation required was taking a toll on his body.


    His muscles ached, his breath became ragged gasps, and his movements grew sluggish as he struggled to keep ahead of the relentless assault from the spider.


    As the beast closed in for the kill, desperation surged through Alex''s veins. His body was now running purely off of the little amount of energy he had left and pure willpower.


    With a surge of adrenaline, he made a split second decision. Ignoring the creature''s attacks, he dashed towards the centre of the hall, taking multiple injuries to his chest, legs and arms in the process.


    But right as he was about to fall, his hand sped onto the hilt of the sword. In that moment he felt energy pour into his body, replenishing his dried up reserves. In one fluid motion, he pulled the sword free from its resting ce, the de shimmering in an otherworldly light as it responded to his touch.


    Instantly, it resonated with his fire element and burst into mes.


    ''I was wondering why such a strong beast was guarding this sword! The previous explorers who ventured here were all wrong, this isn''t an E+ rank sword at all, nor is it a D- rank sword¡­ It''s actually a Mutant ss D- rank sword!''


    For the first time in months, Alex took up another de, but the difference between him then and now was like that of heaven and earth.


    With a newfound power surging through his veins, Alex turned to face the now anxious Spider beast, his eyes metaphorically and literally zing with determination as he raised the sword high above his head.


    The beast hesitated, sensing the change in the air. The temperature in the hall had drastically risen the instant Alex made contact with the sword, and now with the sword above his head, it seemed as if it would never stop rising.


    Alex struck forwards, shing even though there was a 20 metre distance between himself and the beast. His de shed in a dim light as the ming aura left the sword and travelled through the air as a flurry of blows upon the beast. With each strike, the spider staggered, its hard carapace defences crumbling under the relentless assault.


    With the sword in hand, Alex felt invincible. But he knew the moment wouldn''tst forever. There was no such thing as infinite energy, and he could feel the sword running out quickly.


    With a final, decisive blow, Alex delivered a strike. The now dimly ming sword piercing through the cracks in its armour, deep into the heart of the beast. With a strangled and unrelenting cry, the spider copsed to the ground, lifeless and still.


    Breathless and battered, Alex stood motionless in the silent hall amidst the destruction and carnage he had caused, the sword still clutched in his hand. And then, he copsed. His body couldn''t take it anymore and he had used up all the energy avable to him, as well as the sword''s own energy. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ***


    ''Ugh¡­ Not this shit again.''


    Alex felt a sense of Deja vu when he woke up. He had been in this exact situation before.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed since the battle had concluded, but his injuries still hadn''t healed, and he could barely keep his eyes open even though he had just awoken.


    Eventually, he had healed enough to pick himself back up onto his feet, and he looked at the hall surrounding him.


    The ceiling hadpletely caved in, letting the moonlightpletely bathe his surroundings in a gentle glow.


    A sudden desperation came over him as he frantically looked around himself, but it died down quickly when he found the swordying right next to him.


    It would be quite upsetting if he lost the very thing he hade in search of right after obtaining it.


    Next, he looked over at where the centre of the hall used to be, and noticed a small hill of stones.


    He limped over and started removing the stones one by one, until 10 minutester the carcass of the spider was revealed to the world once again.


    ''Please god give me a beast core.''


    Even though he didn''t believe in an almighty divine entity like god, Alex still prayed.


    It took him a while, but with the help of his newly gained sword, he tore off the hard shell surrounding the spider''s eyes and dug his fist into the head like always.


    With the size of the beast, it took him a while to sift through the whole thing but he managed it anyway.


    ''Shit, rotten luck again!''


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to recover any beast core from the beast, which was a shame considering it was a Mutant!


    ''Please god show me a Mutant soul orb when I open my inventory!''


    Repeating the same process, Alex carefully and nervously essed his inventory, hoping to see the familiar purple glow of a soul orb like he always did.


    But there was no such thing.


    ''Ah shi-''


    Before he could spray more curses towards the world, god and himself, he paused.


    A soft glow lit up a small corner of his inventory he had almost missed, except this glow wasn''t purple.


    It was red!

 Chapter 99 Red orb

    99 Red orb


    ''Is this what I think it is?''


    Alex looked at the red orb dimly lighting up the small corner of his inventory space and didn''t know what to think.


    His inventory was empty before he killed the Spider beast, so he already knew what this was.


    But it was difficult for him to ept that he was this lucky!


    Without further hesitation, he picked up the orb and like always, it appeared in his hand. Contrary to every other soul orb he had ever seen, this one was at least 2xrger, about the size of both his fists put together. The most striking difference though was the red hue colouring his surroundings.


    It was a noticeable contrast to the soft moonlight drifting in from the copsed ceiling, but other than that, there weren''t any other new aspects to this soul orb for him to investigate.


    Without further adieu, Alex willed himself to absorb it, and when he did so he felt an immense shock pass through his whole body.


    ''What the fu-''


    Before he could think any further, the pain became so intense that he could hardly form any rational thoughts and he dropped to the ground and started spasming.


    ''Must¡­. Endure¡­''


    Through his tough willpower he managed to hold on to thest semnce of thoughts he had left, and forced himself to endure the endless amount of pain he was experiencing.


    ''Huff¡­ Huff¡­''


    ***


    Over an hourter, finally the pain started to recede and Alex could think normally again. However, the moment he pulled himself back up off the ground, he flung himself 15 metres in the air unknowingly.


    In a short panic, Alex prepared himself for a roughnding, but when he hit the ground¡­


    There was nothing. No pain, no shock, not even a little bit of aching. It was like he hadn''t fallen at all!


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out that Alex had gained a substantial increase in strength than before he absorbed Mutant ss D- rank soul orb.


    Curious to see where this sudden surge of strength came from, Alex opened his details.


    22:32


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge], [me(C-)], [Inferior teleportation(F+)]


    Trait: [Warrior]


    Trait Description: [After learning about the truth of the world, you''ve started venturing upon this path yourself. You can now be considered a fletchling elite. You still have a long way to go, but you are already considered a part of the top 5%.]


    Trait Effect: [Healing speed increased by 5%]


    Rank: [Evolver}


    Soul core: [E - 9%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 0%]


    ''...''


    A surge of disbelief washed over Alex as he stared at the numbers disyed before him. He felt as if he had been reborn when the pain dissipated, but he hadn''t expected something like this to be the reason for it! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He could scarcely believe that his soul core and soul ssification that had been stagnated for so long had finally both been upgraded simultaneously by this one soul orb!


    For a moment, Alex was at a loss for words. The implications of this were astounding ¡ª Alex had no clue where his strengthy now, but just from the small exertion from earlier, he knew that he would have a much easier time against that Mutant ss D- rank spider than before he absorbed its soul orb.


    But the most shocking thing for Alex had yet toe.


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    ***


    It had been 3 months since Mira entered the Primordial Expanse, and during this time she had be quite well ustomed to using her new talent, Call Of The Void. Ever since she was forced to use it in her battle against the strong E+ rank beast, she had started using it more often and she discovered more about it as time went on.


    Over a month ago, she discovered during a battle with a Mutant ss E rank beast that if she concentrated enough, she could actually vaguely sense the energy signatures of both awakened and beast while she was in The Void, which greatly shocked her.


    But it also filled her with a wild assortment of ideas. One of which changed her entire outlook on how she fought, and she was no longer like the Mira from 3 months ago that went flying in blind to every fight.


    Instead, she took on a more stealthy, assassin-like approach to her fights now. With her newfound ability to sense energy, she was essentially able to sneak up to any foe, no matter the difference in their strength, and perform the perfect sneak attack.


    No beast she had killed using the method had ever seen iting, and although she had yet to kill any humans using the method, she had still tested if a strong D+ rank adventurer could sense her presence when she was literally right behind him, but even he was unable to sense a thing.


    But the fighting technique was still wed. The sneak attack only worked the first time she initiated it against an enemy ¡ª if they survived the attack, they would be too guarded for her to sneak another attack in. Secondly, she was able to sense all energy signatures, which meant that if an enemyunched an energy based attack, then she would be confused on which one was the attacker, and which was the attack itself.


    The only way she could differentiate was if she exited The Void, which wouldpletely ruin the whole purpose of her being there in the first ce, as her position would be revealed and she would no longer have the element of surprise to her advantage.


    Lastly, she could only be inside the void for 1 hour, at which point she could no longer enter for the next 12 hours, so she had to time her attacks right. She could space her time out, for example only enter for two 30 minute intervals, but once her 1 hour was up, she couldn''t enter it no matter how hard she tried.


    Other than that, many other things had urred for Mira during these 3 months.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 100 Secret revealed

    100 Secret revealed


    Mira had be a regr in Windrush city over thest 2 months since she arrived. It was a bustling city situated between the cliffs and the sea. Here, she found temporary refuge from the harshness of the outer wilderness. Even for someone like her, who now had the power to take on Mutant ss beasts, it was still dangerous for her to venture out.


    She had set camp on the outskirts of the city, not bothering to rent a room in an inn or anything like that, as that would cost money.


    And money was the one thing she didn''t have at the moment. No, instead she had an abundance of beast cores hidden away in a secret stash.


    In total, she had over 50 E+ rank beast cores, 120 E rank beast cores and countless other E-, F+ rank etc cores.


    Overall, it was a good amount of cores she had gathered.


    If she wanted to, she could absorb every one of them right now and immediately push herself to D- rank, but she decided against that.


    The moment sheid her hands on the first Mutant ss beast core she had ever found, and absorbed it, she had made the decision to never absorb an Ordinary ss core again.


    She had encountered 7 Mutant ss beasts in total, but only managed to y 6 of them. The 7th was the E+ rank beast she had encountered on her way over to Windrush city, and used the Void to escape from.


    But she was still unsure now if that was even a Mutant ss beast.


    Of the 6 beasts she had killed, 4 of them were E- rank, with one E rank in the mix, and finally an E+ rank core too!


    With these 6 cores, she managed to push herself to Mutant ss, and just barely edging at 98% progress towards E+ rank.


    Considering she only encountered a Mutant ss beast on average of once every 2 weeks, she estimated that she''d reach E+ rank within this timeframe, with just enough time to spare before she had to head back to the Federation and buy that god damn ticket!


    Of course, ever since she reached E rank herself 2 months back, she knew that the prerequisite for exiting the Primordial Expanse the 2nd time onwards was to rank up once.


    Compared to the requirements during everyone''s first time in the mysterious realm, this was a lot morex. They didn''t have to go up a whole tier from F to E, they only had to go up one rank, which eased the strain and stress off a lot of most awakened''s shoulders.


    But even though every awakened who re-entered the Primordial Expanse would find this fact out at some point, the Federation decided to keep it as a secret from the general popce. If the weaker willed awakened learned that leaving the Primordial Expanse was easier than it seemed from the second time onwards, then they might do something stupid and enter.


    Only to get themselves killed in the end.


    The federation would much rather prefer they stay as E- rank awakened their whole lives and perform their jobs like the normal people do, than have them lose their lives in the Primordial Expanse because of some sudden burst of confidence.


    If an awakened re-entered the Primordial Expansepletely out of their own free will and came back alive and stronger, then that proved that they weren''t like those weak willed people and they had truly earned their spot as an elite in society.


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex looked at the message from the system with a dumb look,pletely perplexed at why this decided to show up now of all times.


    ''No.''


    He thought,pletely shutting down the prompt and leaving it dormant until he awakened it again, in which case he could change his answer and leave.


    ''I see now!''


    It didn''t take him long to put all the facts together and figure out the reason why, and he was absolutely thrilled when he did so.


    ''Haha! I can actually leave this ce whenever I want now! No longer do I have to worry about missing the 4 month deadline to leave this ce!''


    Naturally, Alex was ecstatic when the realisation came upon him that he was no longer permanently trapped in this ce.


    Only 2 weeks had passed since he fell into this deep, dark hole and yet he had already fulfilled the criteria to leave again. This beat even his previous record of 1 month!


    But considering he was in dire need of money and wasn''t in any sort of desperate situation like that of the beast tide before, he had no intention of leaving this ce until he reached the absolute limit of time he could spend here.


    ''It''s time to test out how truly strong I am now!''


    With a surge of confidence flowing through him, Alex pummelled through the remainder of the ruins, no longer having to worry about any of the walls copsing in on him and injuring him. When he had a clear enough view of the sky above, a rare sight in this huge jungle, he took a huge leap, 100 metres up and in the short moment where he no longer climbed in height, but also didn''t fall, he observed the location surrounding himself and the ruins.


    All around him, the area was filled with winding corridors, tall stone structures and directly below him, a towering pyramid dwarfed the rest of the structures. Before the ceiling caved in, it probably stood at over 200 metres in height, but most of its glory was nowhere to be found anymore after Alex''s momentous battle against the Spider beast.


    If he somehow found himself falling from a height like this just a day prior, he''d be severely injured when hended on the ground. But now, he''d only get a few light scratches, maybe a bruise if hended funny. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Please vote!

 Chapter 101 The plan

    101 The n


    ''Hmmm?''


    The moment Alexunched himself 100 metres in the air, he created quite a disturbance in his surroundings, creating a dull boom and sending soundwaves across the nearbyndscape.


    His movements didn''t go unnoticed, as just over 3 kilometres away, a man dressed in all ck, with a hood covering his face, shifted his gaze to the source of the sound.


    He sat on top of one of the many towering trees of this jungle, and he could see the faint figure of Alex rapidly rising through the air before he came to a stop, and started falling back down again immediately after.


    ''Found you!''


    Immediately after he spotted Alex, he jumped from tree to tree, with no sounds at all reverberating from each of hisndings.


    ***


    Even though Alex only spent half a second at most suspended 100 metres in the air, with his incredibly high thinking speed, it was like minutes passed in the air before he started descending.


    During this time, he made sure to observe any and every piece of scenery surrounding his immediate vicinity, checking for anything that might be of value, while also checking for enemies.


    Considering there was an incredibly valuable Mutant ss D- rank sword stored here for safekeeping, it wasn''t unlikely that there might be something else here.


    But from his short time in the air, he spotted nothing to indicate this was the case. In fact, the whole ce now looked like a shadow of its former self. Although the ce was literally ruins before Alex had arrived, now it just looked like a huge pile of shattered stones with a few upstanding buildings here and there in the middle of the jungle.


    If someone passing by didn''t know any better, they might just nce over this ce and move on, thinking it was just a copsed mountain.


    ''It''s finally time to start grinding!''


    Now that Alex had achieved everything he set out to do in this ce, it was finally time to focus on his main goal ¡ª to earn some fucking money!


    This whole time his gains were a big fat zero, which was quite a bad sign considering he had already spent 3 weeks out of his 4 months in this ce. But armed with the knowledge that he could actually leave whenever he wanted now, he wasn''t bothered by this in the slightest. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He could hunt until the veryst second if he was so desperate.


    But before Alex could even make impact with the ground again, his expression soured and he prepared for the worst.


    Crash!


    Right as he was just 2 metres fromnding, a figure dressed in an all ck cloak, clearly in an attempt to hide their identity, mmed directly into him. The impact sent both of them crashing for dozens of metres through the already destroyed ruins, wrestling with each other in mid air the whole time.


    "Who are you? What''s your problem!?" Alex exploded in anger at this mysterious new figure. His hands still tightly holding onto the hilt of his sword the entire time.


    But due to the awkward position he found himself in, he was unable to make proper use of it due to its lengthy nature. This was one of the major problems with longswords and spears.


    When an opponent came within point nk distance, just a few inches away from touching each other, your long reach would turn from an advantage to a disadvantage real quick.


    But thankfully, Alex was more experienced without a weapon than with one. Using his sword as a distraction, he hid the movements of his other arm, which had cocked back and finally¡­ BAM!


    Alex delivered a gut punch to the ck cloaked figure, finally separating the two from each other.


    It was around this time that their momentum also slowed down, and they both crashed into a few trees, knocking them down and finally bringing their speed to a halt.


    From that single sh alone, Alexnded over a kilometre away from his previous position, no longer inside the ruins anymore and he was back on the jungle floor.


    ''This guy is strong!''


    The power the ck cloaked figure would need to achieve this, was at least on par with Alex.


    ''But the real question is whether he''s a Mutant ss like me or not!''


    So far, Alex had only ever met Mutant ss beasts and he was able to distinguish the difference between Mutant and Ordinary ss due to their distinctive difference in energy signatures.


    But he had never met another human Mutant ss, and he felt no kind of difference in his own energy signature when his own ss upgraded.


    ''Now that I think about it, I couldn''t tell any difference between Professor Will''s energy and Mira''s, even though Professor Will was a Variant ss human!''


    The reasoning soon became clear to Alex, and he wasn''t happy with the answer. It meant he''d have to be a lot more cautious in the future in fights with other humans, as if he was right, then humans were different from beasts and could naturally conceal their energy signatures.


    It wasn''t that there was no difference in energy between the two sses ¡ª that would be impossible. It was actually the case that when one upgraded their ss from Ordinary to Mutant and so on, they instinctively start to conceal their real energy. Alex just hadn''t realised this until now.


    Only a half a second had passed since Alex stepped foot on the jungle floor, yet these thoughts flew by at lightning speed. This was just one of the many perks of being an awakened.


    "You don''t need to know who I am. Just know that you disrupted a n much bigger than both of us, and now you''re going to pay the price for it." The mysterious ck cloaked figure broke his silence. His voice sounded deep and croaky, as if he had been chain smoking for thest 50 years straight.


    ''??? What n? What kind of bullshit have I been pulled into this time!?''


    Alex was at a total loss on what to think. He hadn''t expected for the man to have such a random reason to attack him.


    But after his attempt to kill him right off the bat, Alex knew this guy meant business. He wasn''t here to chat, he was here to get a job done, and he''d use any means to get it done.


    But Alex wasn''t going to just back down either.


    Alex was ready to kill anyone who threatened him.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 102 A formidable foe

    102 A formidable foe


    The ck cloaked figure clenched his fist, with blue lightning appearing from nowhere and coiling around it, emitting sparks that sent crackled all over the surroundings.


    A few bolts of lightning shot off into the ground, exploded and sent debris and rocks flying towards Alex, and were blocked by his sturdy body before they soon fell back to the ground.


    ''This guy has some sort of lightning talent and it seems stronger than even my own me talent!''


    Alex gradually shifted his position, holding his sword directly in front of him, ''This battle will be even harder than I thought.''


    He could feel a real threat from this new adversary, he had no inkling about the guy''s true strength and now he revealed that he had a strong elemental talent!


    The only thing Alex could judge about this guy was that he was an E+ rank, probably only a sliver of energy away from reaching D- rank.


    But considering the sheer amount of power Alex felt in that first attack, he wasn''t an Ordinary ss, that was for certain.


    ''But, this is also the best chance for me to test my abilities! I''ve been itching to test myself since I upgraded to Mutant ss, as well as ranked up to E rank. Back then that fight with the spider was perilous, but at least I knew its level of strengthpared to me. But this guy¡­ this guy I know next to nothing about him.''


    Alex licked his lips and suddenly felt a strong desire to battle welling up inside him, spreading across his whole body. He could even feel his blood coursing in anger at this new opponent ¡ª he may be excited to put his newfound strength to the test, but that didn''t make him any less angry.


    "Haha¡­ It looks like the mutt has finally decided to take this seriously." The ck cloaked figure sneered and ridiculed Alex, his face still unseen but his sinister intent couldn''t be kept hidden.


    Shing!


    In an instant, the ck cloaked figure withdrew his own sword from thin air, a delicate looking sabrending in his hands.


    ''A spatial treasure!''


    Alex knew immediately where the sword came from, and his vignce only increased when he realised so.


    Spatial treasures weremon in the federation, but in the Primordial Expanse they were much, much rarer. Only the rich and powerful could afford even the smallest ones, so this guy must have quite the backing if he had one.


    A blue arc of light materialised into the man''s sword and brought with it a heavy killing intent. The aura emitted from it sparked into the surroundings and pressed down on the shrubbery, like there was a real, tangible pressure pressing down on them.


    Clearly Alex wasn''t the first person to figure out how to infuse his element into his weapon.


    The vignt Alex had a startled expression. Suddenly, his own sword became shrouded in mes and glowed an intense orange hue, and crept into the surroundings ¡ª the temperature rose over hundreds of degrees in an instant, burning any nearby greenery to ash.


    Alex himself was unscathed, as his affinity for the element and his control allowed him to withstand such high temperatures.


    Bang! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Alex jumped back and avoided the iing attack, jumping back several metres and dodging to the side as he watched a blue arc of light shoot past his head and cut down over a dozen trees before it dissipated.


    A ck shadow shed, and the cloaked man appeared right next to Alex. He gripped his sword in his hands and wordlessly thrashed over two dozen times in less than a second, sending a wave of attacks Alex''s way.


    With no room to dodge, Alex was forced to block and unleashed a tide of mes directly towards the dozens of blue lightning arcs.


    Boooom!


    In an instant, the surroundings lit up with a terrifyingly blinding white light as the two attacks collided, sending both parties flying in opposite directions and devastating everything in a 100 metre radius.


    "Cough¡­ cough¡­" Alex spit blood and wiped his face, recovering from the shock that collision of attacks had delivered to him.


    ''Yeah this guy isn''t normal. To be able to fight on par with me for this long, he''s at least a Mutant ss. Perhaps he''s even made some progress towards Variant ss, which is terrifying to think about!''


    With some lingering surprise, the ck cloaked man touched his face and felt a gash, centimetres deep.


    ''So strong! If I hadn''t absorbed those Variant cores my master gave me earlier, that attack would have probably blown my whole head off, instead of this little cut¡­''


    Very soon the surprise was wiped off of his face, and turned into a contorted expression of anger.


    "Impressive, especially for a kid as young as you. I''m curious, I can clearly feel you''re a rank below me, yet you still manage to put up such an even fight against me. Just where does your strengthe from?"


    However his anger did not cloud his mind. The small smirk under the shadow of his hood revealed he couldn''t wait to kill Alex, but his curiosity took precedence.


    "Huff.. Huff¡­ Everybody has their secrets." Alex just responded with a conniving chuckle while he caught his breath.


    The ck cloaked man didn''t show any reaction for a few seconds, only dusting off his robes and observing the surrounding destruction they had caused.


    "Oh well, it was only a small moment of curiosity. It won''t matter when you''re dead anyway." Alex felt weary every time this guy spoke. Each sentence he uttered, reeked of blind confidence in his abilities, which unsettled Alex a little bit.


    He spoke about Alex''s death as if it was already set in stone, even though the bout they just had revealed that they were actually equal in terms of strength so far.


    From what Alex had seen, this fight could still go either way,


    But judging from the man''s looks, he, like Alex, still had some hidden cards to y.


    Please vote!

 Chapter 103 Backed into a corner

    Chapter 103 Backed into a corner


    Alexunched himself towards the ck cloaked man, not giving either side time to recover. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he shed across the air, sending arcs of fire flying towards the guy.


    But his attack was too predictable and the man easily dodged it, feeling the searing heat as it shed past him into the distance.


    "You know, you really fight like an amateur. Do you not know anything else other than this projectile attack? Such crude fighting¡­ I''m honestly a little disappointed. This fight won''t be as exciting anymore." The man spoke again, this time ridiculing Alex''s style of fighting.


    "Argghh! Shut up and die!"


    This time the words from the ck cloaked man struck a chord in Alex, causing him to push himself even harder.


    Just like the man said, he really hadn''t got much more in his arsenal of attacks. His understanding of his me talent was still rudimentary and so far, he hadn''t put enough time into practising it and exploring how far he could actually take it.


    He had realised long ago why so few people reached B tier, as learning how to control elements was one of the hardest things awakened go through in their lives.


    But Alex was determined to not let this guy get the better of him, and he started revolving his Phoenix fury technique.


    Soon enough, the bright orange mes surrounding his sword extended up Alex''s hands, arms and up to his shoulders, spreading out to the rest of his body from there.


    In that moment, he felt a terrifying amount of strength built up inside him which he had never felt before.


    He had activated his me transformation once again.


    Looking at Alex''s figure, the ck cloaked man smiled, "That''s more like it! Finally, just as I was thinking about ending this farce, it bes interesting!"


    Ignoring the man''s words, Alex charged in rapidly, closing in on the man''s position in milliseconds and struck forth with his sword.


    By this point, he had stopped listening to the man''s pointlessmentary anymore, as it only served to fuel his rage even further.


    ''What-'' But as Alex''s sword shed down towards the cloaked man, he realised that Alex''s shy light show hadn''t been for nothing.


    His speed was so fast now that he could barely keep up with his attacks, and he had trouble dodging.


    The man kept running through the trees to avoid Alex. But after minutes upon minutes of endless running and chasing, they came to a standstill at the edge of a cliff, with a drop so far only darkness could be seen over the edge. The man knew he couldn''t escape Alex''s attacks anymore.


    He didn''t panic, although Alex''s attacks had suddenly be so overwhelming, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve himself.


    He jumped multiple dozens of metres backwards, out of range from Alex''s attacks for just a short moment.


    But this short moment was all he needed.


    Shing! The cloaked man pulled out some sort of stone, engraved with ancient looking runs all over.


    ''I didn''t expect that I''d have to use this, but whatever!''


    ''Activate!''


    He mentally chanted a word, and instantly a terrifying power leaked out of the rune engraved rock.


    The surroundings were dyed in a myriad of colours, shifting from dark blue, light blue, purple etc. There was even the faint sound of a roar reverberating throughout the area, even though there was no beast in sight.


    Suddenly Alex stopped, his face revealed his horror as he felt the aura exuding from that small rock.


    ''Variant ss!''


    A momentter he sped the sides of his head, howling out in pain as he spasmed around on the ground, his fiery aura burning away anything he came into contact with.


    The cloaked man came in close, passing right through Alex''s defences. With the help of Alex''s sudden mental anguish, the man''s hard-clenched fist drove into Alex''s body.


    Alex felt a new wave of pain hit his stomach. As he was yelling in pain, he felt a strong acid rise from his throat and he vomited out the contents.


    Drawing his fist back, the man found it covered in burns and the gloves covering them had been turned to ash, revealing his delicate white skin beneath them.


    Thud!


    He knew a single punch could not solve the problem called Alex, thus he delivered a second.


    Thud!


    And then a third¡­


    Alex let out a painful howl, his face stillpletely covered in sweat that despite the intense heat he was radiating, didn''t evaporate.


    ***


    A few moments prior, when the man activated the mysterious looking stone covered in runes.


    ''What is that?''


    Alex looked on vigntly, making sure not to get too careless. He had learned not to overestimate himself and underestimate enemies, so he held himself back from rushing in to attack while the cloaked man''s defences were down.


    He stood on as he watched the man lift the stone into the air, revealing a little bit of his face under his hood. His expression looked like one of fear and respect.


    Instantly, he felt the surroundings dim, and an aura leaked out of the stone that left him absolutely shell shocked.


    ''Variant ss!''


    Alex could only muster a single thought, realising what exactly this aura entailed. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    That stone must have been some sort of item or artifact that stored a one time use attack of a Variant ss E+ rank beast, as the stone itself turned to dust after the attack was unleashed.


    But¡­


    The strange thing was, that no matter where Alex looked, he couldn''t see any iing attack. He could still feel the terrifying energy exuded from the stone, but his eyes, and even his spatial perception couldn''t pick anything up.


    ''Wh-''


    But immediately after, he found out why, the hard way.


    His vision suddenly ckened and Alex felt himself being transferred to his own mental space, conveniently where his inventory was located.


    But what wasn''t convenient was the fact that he wasn''t alone in there. A disgusting looking creature with tentacles being its only appendages floated in the air in front of Alex.


    It looked like a mass of green and grey flesh melded together with the limbs of an octopus to create whatever abomination this was.


    But before he could react to this sudden development, the creature closed in with a blur of speed, so fast that Alex hadn''t even registered the fact that it had moved yet.


    The creature epassed Alex''s floating spirit form with its tentacles, and Alex felt an unimaginable world of pain envelop his very soul from this moment onwards.

 Chapter 104 Nightmare

    Chapter 104 Nightmare


    In the depths of his mind, Alex found himself ensnared in a nightmarish realm of twisted shadows and writhing tendrils. The disgusting looking tentacle creature had wrapped its tentacles around his spirit ¡ª his very soul. Its grotesque form pulsated with dark energy as itunched a relentless assault on his soul.


    The creature''s psychic attacks were relentless, tearing at Alex''s mind and feeding him his worst fears and doubts at once. His soul itself was taking damage, delivering unimaginable pain to him second by second. With each passing moment, he felt his soul shatter and be reborn, only for the process to repeat again in another moment.


    ''Is this it? Is this where I die?''


    The pain was so unbearable that Alex''s willpower started to wane, and he became convinced that he was going to die the more he experienced the terrors the nightmarish creature had pulled him into.


    *** N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Six year old Alex ran through the dusty streets of the mining colony, hisughter echoing off the metal walls as he chased after his mother. She was a blur of motion ahead of him, herughter mingling with his own as they yed together in the fading light of dusk.


    Memories shed before Alex''s eyes ¡ª the warmth of his mother''s embrace, the sound of her voice reading him bedtime stories, the smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the kitchen. It was a time of innocence and joy, a time where Alex was happiest in life.


    But amidst theughter and love, there was pain and loneliness ¡ª the faint memory of his mother''s disappearance, the aching loneliness that gnawed at Alex''s heart from that point onwards. The pain had been so unbearable for little Alex that hepletely shut the memories of his mother out of his life. And then, in the blink of an eye, it was all gone ¡ª his mother''s face, her name, her touch. All lost to time like they never existed. The only thing that remained was her soft voice reading him bedtime stories and consoling him when he had nightmares at night.


    But now, as Alex stood in his mind'' ovee with pain and on the verge of death, memories flooded his mind as the vague figure of his mother shed past. He remembered his goal to reach the peak in the universe, to be the greatest awakened that will ever live.


    With fierce determination burning in his heart, Alex thought of his only friend, Mira, who he had only known for less than half a year, but they had been through so much together it seemed like a lifetime. He thought of the times they shared together, times filled with fun as well as despair, and came to a conclusion.


    He didn''t want to be alone at the peak. He wanted Mira right there with him too.


    ***


    Suddenly, a burst of energy from somewhere deep within his soul, Alex''s willpower surged forth, a faint beacon of hope in the shroud of darkness. With a defiant roar, Alex pushed back with all his strength against the tentacle creature''s assault, channelling his inner strength into a powerful wave of energy that banished the creature to the nonexistence where it belonged.


    The battle was over before it even started. It was only a fading image of a Variant ss E+ rank beast anyway, if it were the real thing then Alex would have had no chance right from the very beginning. Alex had no idea where that burst of energy came from, but he could feel his soul burning with passion and a desire for more strength. He felt an emotion ovee him, one that screamed at him to kill anything that dared to stop his ascent to the top.


    But he suppressed the desire. If he let it consume him, he''d only end up like the majority of the Awakened in both the federation and the Primordial Expanse.


    For a few fleeting moments, Alex stood amidst the wreckage of his shattered soul, his chest heaving with exertion as he struggled to regain hisposure. But there was no time for rest or reflection ¡ª the ck cloaked man whounched the attack still lurked nearby, waiting for Alex to lose in the battle with the creature.


    With a steely resolve, Alex concealed the fact that he had actuallye out on top of the creature''s assault, his expression carefully mimicking that of himself only seconds prior as he bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    ***


    ''How long is this shit going to take? Master said that this attack is extremely powerful and guarantees death to any awakened below Variant ss and D tier. This kid must be quite strong to have survived this long.''


    Marc, the ck cloaked man thought to himself as he impatiently waited on the side lines, gazing off into the surrounding jungle from time to time in boredom as he waited for the attack to shatter Alex''s soul once and for all, turning him into a lifeless corpse.


    ''It''s a shame I can''t just finish the job myself since he''s so defenceless right now. But Master explicitly warned me multiple times not to interfere, lest I want the creature to make me its target instead¡­''


    The wait continued for another minute and Marc started getting a little suspicious, from the information his Master had given to him, the average time peoplested against this attack was only 30 seconds.


    The highest record there had been so far was a total of 10 minutes, and that was set by a Variant ss E+ rank awakened! The poor soul still ended up sumbing to the attack even though he was so powerful, only further pushing the idea of the terrifying nature of this attack.


    ''Whatever, I knew this kid was strong anyway. I''ll just wait another few minutes, he''s gotta be dead by then.''


    Marc shifted his back to face Alex, gazing off into the forest to make sure that no unsuspecting beasts or humans stumbled across him.


    However, the moment he turned his back, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    There was minimal wind at this time, only a gentle breeze rustling the trees above creating a calm atmosphere, but Marc was anything but calm.


    At his level, he had developed a sort of sixth sense himself, but it was more of a ''danger sensing'' sense rather than an actual sense like Alex''s spatial perception.


    And right now this sense was sending off rms across his entire mind and body, practically screaming that he was about to face more danger than he had ever faced before.


    ''What-''


    But before he could turn around to nervously check for any source of danger in his surroundings, he found he couldn''t turn his head anymore.


    His sight shifted, turning upside down as it quickly fell to the floor. His head rolled for a few seconds, before it stopped.


    From the position his head fell when it was severed from his neck, he could see the boots of the person who had just decapitated him.


    ''How?''


    In hisst few seconds, he could only question reality, as he recognised those boots all too well.


    They were Alex''s.

 Chapter 105 After

    Chapter 105 After


    From the moment that Marc had turned his back, to his head being sliced off, only a second had passed.


    Alex had been waiting for an opportunity to present itself to him, where he couldunch a sudden attack on the unsuspecting ck cloaked man, and he couldn''t have asked anything better than him turning his back to him.


    ''This is it!''


    In that instance, Alex activated the only move he had left that he hadn''t revealed to the ck cloaked man yet.


    Inferior teleportation.


    There were no sounds, no movements required as Alex appeared directly behind the ck cloak, his sword already against his neck.


    With a quick sh, the man''s head was separated from his neck, taking the hood with it too.


    As it rolled across the floor, Alex finally had the chance to get a good, proper look at the person who had hunted him so relentlessly over the past few hours.


    ''Average looking. Just another forgettable face.''


    Alex kicked the head off into the shrubbery, left to either rot or be some lucky beast''s lunch.


    ''It''s a shame I couldn''t ask who hired him to kill me, but whatever.''


    This was only a mild regret Alex had, but he didn''t dwell on it. The situation had been too dire and Alex had no clue whether the guy would have another hidden trump card like that weird stone from earlier, so he couldn''t take any chances.


    He had to end it then and there.


    ''Let''s see what loot you left me!''


    Naturally, as soon as the danger was over and the man was dealt with, Alex''s first thought was the spatial storage item he had on him.


    He had no clue what form it took, so he searched every nook and cranny of the man''s body, but found nothing that indicated it had a magical nature, or even vaguely gave off a little bit of spatial energy.


    ''Where did he hide it?''


    He was stuck, he had searched the man''s entire body yet the only things he found were his sword, which was quite valuable itself as an Ordinary ss D- rank weapon.


    But he had already confirmed that the sword wasn''t the spatial treasure. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, he had a thought and he couldn''t help but kick himself for it.


    ''Stupid! I need to keep my emotions in check.''


    Alex went over into the shrubbery, checking every bush and hole for the man''s head that he had so stupidly kicked away earlier in his fit of anger.


    ''Aha! Here it is. Now, show me the money!''


    Finally, after a few minutes of searching, he found it in a bush 30 metres away and retrieved it.


    Ignoring the terrified expression on his face, Alex checked for any jewellery or trinkets, and he finally felt a faint aura of spatial energy.


    ''It''s this earring!''


    He tore a small, diamond earring out of the man''s ear and inspected it. He poured a little of his own energy into it and immediately felt a connection to a small space outside of his own.


    ''Around 10 square metres, not too shabby.''


    There were a few items inside, many of which raised Alex''s heartbeat.


    ''Beast cores¡­ so many beast cores¡­''


    There were a total of 450 beast cores stored inside. All of them were above F tier, the lowest rank being E- rank, and they made up the lowest portion!


    In total, there must have been over a million credits worth of beast cores inside alone!


    If Alex wanted to, he could leave the Primordial Expanse right there and then and buy his ticket to the Sr system, where Capital Prime University was located.


    But he wouldn''t.


    He still had a few months left before he had to leave, and seeing that he was still here, he wanted to make the most of it.


    He made himself a goal to reach E+ rank at the minimum before he left this ce. Even better if he reached D- rank!


    ''But first I have to get out of this shitty ce¡­''


    Alex looked around himself, gazing at the jungle scenery and the flickering sky above.


    Taking away the constant attacks and the near death experiences, this ce was actually a huge boon for him.


    It enabled him to upgrade to Mutant ss, and E rank at the same time.


    Not only this but he had finally gained himself a powerful sword that wouldst him a lot longer than that shabby dagger he bought for himself the first time around.


    All in all, things seemed good.


    ''Guess I''ll try something before I leave.''


    Thinking of this, Alex took out a D- rank beast core from his storage, which he had already hooked onto his own ear.


    This beast core was only an Ordinary ss, like every other beast core in the storage. It seemed the previous owner made sure to absorb any Mutant core, not even bothering to store them.


    Holding the core in his hand, Alex started the process of absorbing it like he was always used to.


    Only, the results were less than satisfactory.


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - -0.1%]


    His progress towards the next ss had actually reduced, and since he was already at 0%, it went into the minuses¡­


    [Warning! Beings below King ss will only harm themselves by absorbing cores from lower sses. If your progress drops below -10%, you will almost certainly be demoted to the previous ssification, leading to certain death from the bacsh in 99.99% of cases.]


    ''It''s just as I suspected.''


    Alex wasn''t the least bit surprised when he read the notifications of the system.


    He had already learned that it liked to hide information from him, as well as drop sudden bombs like this from time to time.


    But in retrospect, it made sense that beings of a higher ss shouldn''t absorb cores from lower ssifications. They would only be diluting their higher ss energy with low, poor quality energy if they did so, which would only be harmful to them in the long run.


    It was like the system said, it would probably lead to certain death from doing so.


    Though he didn''t know why it only applied to sses below King ss.


    Now that everything was over and Alex was just about ready to leave, he received a notification from the system out of nowhere.


    [Your mental fortitude and willpower have proven yourself worthy in the attack against your soul. The secondyer of your talent [Soulforge] has been unlocked.]

 Chapter 106 Soul

    Chapter 106 Soul


    [Your mental fortitude and willpower have proven yourself worthy in the attack against your soul. The secondyer of your talent [Soulforge] has been unlocked.]


    The moment Alex read this notification, he was at first confused.


    ''Why did this show up now? Don''t these usually show up right at the moment you''ve achieved what it specifies? What''s with the dy?''


    In all honesty, Alex wasn''t too shocked when he saw the notification about his most mysterious talent. He had known from the beginning that it was specialpared to all of the other talents he had heard of, which was only further confirmed by the system itself calling it unique.


    [Due to the nature of your talent, it took some time to process the information before you could be presented with your reward.]


    "Right¡­" Alex voiced his thoughts aloud.


    To be honest, at the moment Alex was far too tired and exhausted from the constant fighting to even botherprehending anything the system was telling him.


    The shock from the attack on his soul had emptied his energy reserves, and had drained any mental energy he had left.


    Right now all he wanted to do was sleep.


    And that''s exactly what he did.


    ***


    24 hourster, still on the periphery of the jungle.


    ''Fuck that hurts!''


    Alex awoke with a migraine, feeling like his head was going to explode.


    ''I guess I know where the soul is located then¡­ why does my head have to hurt so much if it''s my soul that was attacked??''


    Alex voiced out his resentments to himself, but nobody other than himself was listening. Nor would anyone care either.


    ''I feel like I slept for a week straight!''


    Alex hadn''t known exactly how long he was asleep, but he was honestly surprised he hadn''t been woken up by some random beasting over and trying to eat his sleeping body for supper.


    Or maybe a beast actually did try, but he was just so tired and the beast was so weak that his body didn''t even react.


    ''What was I doing again? Oh right, something about my Soulforge talent changed.''


    With his mind slowly clearing up, memories of the previous day came back to him in waves and the most prominent of which was the notification about the ''secondyer'' of his talent being unlocked, whatever that meant.


    ''Thanks for the useless info system, it''s not like I can check any details of my talent anyway. I still don''t know if there''s anything I missed about the so called firstyer!''


    Alex wasn''t optimistic about anything, but he still checked anyway, because why not.


    Talents: [Soulforge(Soul+)], [me(C-)], [Inferior teleportation(F+)]


    ''See, like I thought-''


    Alex was so sure that there wouldn''t be anything new that he didn''t even give it a proper nce at first, but then he noticed the one thing that stuck out.


    ''It has a rank now¡­''


    The big, gleaming Soul+ sat right next to his Soulforge talent, which stuck out like a sore thumb.


    ''So my talent has actually had a rank this whole time, and I didn''t even know it¡­''


    Alex felt a little excited at this, but he also felt a little bit of closure. The system said his talent was unique, but it never said anything about how strong the talent waspared to others. He had even started to doubt it himself, all his talent had done for him so far was enable him to collect another bit of loot when he killed beasts, soul orbs to be specific, and these soul orbs only strengthened him a bit morepared to beast cores, and provided a bit more energy to progress through the ranks.


    But other than that, Alex wasn''t exactly sure if it provided any other benefits to him. He had begun to doubt whether his talent was really that strong, considering there were people out there like Mira, who had not only an A- rank talent, but now even an S rank talent, which he could absolutely notpare to in terms ofbat strength.


    But even now, when he looked at the very eye catching Soul+ next to his Soulforge talent, he still had some doubts. ''What the hell kind of rank is ''Soul+'' though? How the hell am I supposed to know if this is good or not?''


    He had never heard of anything like this before, nor did he think anyone in the federation had either¡­


    As far as Alex understood, the ranking of talents, soul cores etc all followed the standard F-S tier system that all ancient novels used for some reason.


    But now, his talent wasn''t even assigned the usual ''lettering'', instead it literally had the word ''Soul'' as its rank.


    He suspected it had something to do with the talent itself, considering it was also in the name of the talent itself, but considering he had no information to go off of, as well as the fact that there was nowhere he could read up, or ask anyone about it, he pushed his thoughts aside for the time being.


    Maybe some time in the future, he would get the chance to research more on the topic.2


    Out of curiosity, he attempted to glean some more information about the talent, just like he had been able to with his other two.


    He felt his mental power straining instantly and his energy reserves dropping, but in the end there was actually a result!


    [Soulforge(Soul+): Firstyer - Condenses the energy of any in beast into a more refined energy source called soul orbs ¡ª the most valuable energy resource in the universe, many would sacrifice millions just for the chance to get one. Absorbing these soul orbs dramatically enhances your physical abilities beyond what others can do alone with Beast cores, while simultaneously condensing your own energy, enabling any attacks you deliver to be stronger than your peers.


    Secondyer - Find out for yourself.]


    ''Fucking finally!!'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Alex eximed in excitement, even letting out a few yelps of joy, disturbing the silence in the jungle.


    He had finally been given some directions and information about the usage of his talent, and when he read the part about soul orbs being the ''most valuable energy resource in the universe'', his heart nearly stopped.

 Chapter 107 For your own safety

    Chapter 107 For your own safety


    ''The most valuable resource in the universe???''


    Alex would be confident in saying that right as he read that line would be the most shocked he had ever been in his life.


    The prospect that his soul orbs would be so sought after that people would literallymit genocide just to get their hands on some had never urred to Alex. He had been absorbing them for a while now since he had started off as an Awakened, and although they were much better than beast cores, surely they weren''t so good that people had to go to such lengths?


    Now that he knew this fact, Alex knew that he had to be much more careful in consuming them in the future. He didn''t know if the federation knew of the existence of soul orbs, but he wasn''t going to so casually expose them like he had mistakenly done before.


    He had brazenly taken them out during fights, like in the exam to recover from his injuries, and he had no doubts that some observers like Professor Will had noticed the strange glowing orb light that appeared in Alex''s hands and disappeared soon after.


    But the fact that soul orbs were so valuable, meant that there was actually another way to get your hands on them other than through Alex''s talent, which Alex really wanted to know how that was.


    This whole thing about soul orbs had stressed Alex out a little ¡ª he felt a much heavier weight on his shoulders now that he knew just how strong his talent was.


    And this was just the effects of the firstyer, there was still a secondyer to learn about, and maybe even moreyers after that¡­


    ''Speaking of the secondyer, what the hell system!??''


    Alex looked at the description for the secondyer, and noticed theck of anything of substance.


    ''Find out for yourself¡­ Is this some kind of joke I''m not getting? Why does this stupid system have to be so difficult? Always hiding information for no reason.'' Alex shook his head and his blood pressure increase the more he thought about it.


    [If information is withheld from someone, it is for their own safety.]


    ''Oh so now you talk? Who are you anyway, why are you always listening in on my thoughts? Don''t you know it''s rude to do that, urghh.''


    ***


    After his tantrum was over 10 minutester, Alex became much more clear headed and realised just how immature he had been.


    After thinking it over, the system was probably right. If Alex had known about things like Mutant beasts when he first entered the Primordial Expanse, he might have done something stupid out of blind confidence and got himself killed trying to fight something far above his own strength.


    It was because this information was withheld from him that he hadn''t gone out and done this. But theck of information was also a double edged sword.


    If he encountered a Mutant beast or higher naturally while out hunting, he might not have any clue what he was really facing and attack it not knowing it was sses ahead of him.


    The more Alex thought about it, the more he realised that the system was right and he was wrong.


    ''Haha, it''s actually funny how information is hidden to stop people from getting themselves killed because of their own stupidity.''


    Deciding that it was time to move on from this, Alex packed up his things and left ¡ª much more conveniently now that he had the storage earring.


    ''I guess the next three or so months are gonna be quite boring. Just endless killing and looting.''


    ***


    ''Only a day left before I return.'' Mira thought to herself.


    She had spent over 4 months in the Primordial Expanse at this point, and the time that she''d have to leave was imminent.


    In the final two months of her stay, her rate of hunting had risen drastically. Her original dozens of beast cores had turned into hundreds through her own hard work.


    Not only this, but she had also managed to switch out her Ordinary E+ rank sword out for a Mutant E rank sword.


    Although it was actually a rank lower, it was much stronger than its predecessor due to its higher ssification.


    It was with this sword, that she finally managed to take down her first Mutant ss D- rank beast, which luckily dropped a beast core. This was thest beast she had in, only a day prior. It was also the one that allowed her to ovee that final push to reach E+ rank.


    Now, she was a formidable Mutant ss E+ rank awakened.


    She had no doubts that there would be other newly enrolled students of a higher rank and maybe even ss than her, but she was confident that she wouldn''t be behind them in terms of actualbat power.


    Most of the kids enrolling in Capital Primee from notable families, utilising their family''s resources to push themselves through the ranks and sses.


    While this allowed for them to have a dramatic rise in the short term, things became much more tricky in the long run when they reach a point where they can''t rely on their family anymore and have to go out in search of their own resources.


    This was the reason such powerful families sent their kids off to Awakened universities and the military ¡ª so that they could learn some valuablebat experience to ready them for the harsh reality of the Primordial Expanse.


    It was this fact that allowed Mira to have so much confidence in herself, as her strength and power came from her and her alone.


    The only help she had along her journey was from Alex, and even then that was a mutual rtionship ¡ª a ''you pat my back, I pat yours'' type situation.


    ''Alex, I''ll be waiting for you on the other side. I hope you are ready, I''m finally strong enough to give you a good challenge!'' Mira''s self confidence and demeanour had changed drastically over thest 4 months. She had gone from the shy and reserved girl with trust issues, to a much more bright and radiant girl, unafraid to take on any challenges life throws her way.


    ''I wonder how Alex will react when he sees me¡­''


    But there was still a shy side to her when Alex was in the equation¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 108 Back so soon?

    108 Back so soon?


    Monty towny quiet under the moonlit sky as Alex made his way through its familiar streets. His mind still reeled from the harrowing encounter with the attack from the ck cloaked man, especially from that attack on his soul, but outwardly, he appeared unscathed.


    This would be hisst time visiting this ce, and he only decided to make this visit because it just happened to be along the route he was taking further into the Cavernous empire''snds, where he was hoping there would be stronger beasts he could hunt, resulting in more soul orbs he could harvest.


    He was especially excited to get back to hunting, as he couldn''t wait to see what new opportunities had been opened up to him by the secondyer of his Soulforge talent unlocking.


    ***


    Bertram sat in his study, his brow furrowed in deep concentration as he pored over maps and documents spread out before him. Kilian, his loyal butler, stood nearby, awaiting the Mayor''s instructions with quiet deference.


    "Kilian," Bertram began, his voice low and urgent. "The n is nearing its culmination. We must ensure that every detail is in ce before we move."


    Kilian nodded solemnly, his eyes betraying none of his turmoil brewing within. "Of course, sir. Everything is proceeding ording to schedule. We should be ready to move within a week."


    Bertram nodded, d to hear that their n was still on track.


    But his expression was soon reced with a much darker and sinister one.


    Bertram''s voice carried across his office, low and urgent as he spoke to Kilian about the town''s recent operations, but especially more so about recent events.


    "Has the count sent word to us yet?" Bertram said, his tone tinged with urgency. "I never trusted that brat from the very beginning, nor did I ever buy his story. We need to be rid of him before he makes any attempts to interfere with our ns ¡ª the other lords are bing more and more restless recently, and we can''t afford anymore hups likest time."


    He sounded nervous, like the answer to this question was the most important thing to him at this moment.


    Kilian nodded, his expression severe. "The count has sent word to us. He''s dispatched a Mutant ss assassin ¡ª his mission should have beenpleted already, that brat shouldn''t trouble us anymore."


    But just as things seemed like they were settled, amotion outside drew their attention. Bertram rose from his seat, curious to see what had the town residents so riled up so early in the morning.


    Shock and disbelief washed over him as he peered out of the window to see what was happening.


    And there, amidst the bustling streets of the town, walked Alex ¡ª alive and well, despite Bertram''s best efforts of involving the count in having him eliminated. Shock and disbelief washed over Bertram as he struggled toprehend how Alex had survived the assassination attempt of a Mutant ss assassin.


    But behind Alex, dragged a headless body, covered in apletely cked out cloak, with wounds and cuts revealing the white, pale skin beneath in some areas.


    People stood on each side of the street, their hands covering their mouths in shock and horror as they witnessed a new side to Alex, who was dragging the body.


    They could tell instantly that these injuries hadn''te from a beast, but a human. And the fact that the cut on the neck where the head of this nameless body had been lopped off was so clean and evenly cut, only further proved this fact.


    Never had they thought Alex would resort to killing another human, but they were reminded of the fact that he had only shown up in their town a few weeks prior, with absolutely no background to him at all. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He was aplete mystery at the time.


    Martha walked out of her butchery, also curious to see what themotion was all about, and just like most of the others, she too was shocked and surprised at what she saw.


    But her experience as an adventurer before she became a butcher told her that things weren''t as sinister as they seemed.


    ''Those ck clothes are an easy tell of an assassin, and the fact that Alex is dragging the body through the town with such a disgruntled expression on his face tells me the assassin was after him¡­''


    Martha carefully considered the facts of this and decided to stay out of it, as bigger things were clearly at y here.


    She noticed the injuries on Alex, which told her that the assassin was quite strong, especially after she had seen the Shadow wolf he sold to her before he left.


    That thing was a damn Mutant beast for god''s sake!


    Whoever could afford to hire an assassin capable of hurting Alex, wasn''t someone she wanted to mess with.


    ''I suspect something big is about to happen in Monty town, I better inform the guild before things get out of hand.''


    With that, she left in a hurry back to her butcher''s shop, and disappeared into a basement hidden underneath the flooring.


    ***


    "Kilian," Bertram muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "How is this possible? I thought you said a Mutant ss assassin was sent after him? Was there some sort of mistake, or mimunication?"


    Kilian''s expression remained impassive, but a flicker of unease danced in his eyes as he gulped loudly. "That is the Mutant ss assassin." He said, pointing towards the headless corpse Alex was dragging.


    A deathly silence drowned out the study when Kilian said this ¡ª a cold sweat forming on both of their heads as they realised the severity of the situation.


    Clearly Alex had surpassed both their expectations, neither of them had even entertained the thought that he might be a Mutant ss himself.


    But now that they saw him dragging the body of one through the streets, they were forced to ept the reality of their situation.


    "We''re fucked, aren''t we¡­" Bertram muttered, visibly shaking as he heard a series of loud thuds reverberating from the gates to his manor.


    Alex had arrived.

 Chapter 109 Cut the crap

    109 Cut the crap


    The gates of Mayor Bertram''s manor loomed before Alex, imposing and foreboding, but such weak and underwhelming defences would not deter him. With a determined stride, he knocked loudly on the gates, ignoring the shaking guards on either side of it, who had their spears pointed at him, but were too scared to move.


    "My goal is the Mayor and his ever so loyal butler, if you step aside now, there won''t be any unnecessary and easily avoided casualties." Alex spoke in a cold tone to the guards, prompting a quick reaction from them to drop their spears and make a run for it.


    The moment they heard Alex''s cold tone, they knew he wasn''t joking around. They had known him from his first entry into Monty town, and they were creeped out when they saw how he dealt with the two guards who tried to extort him.


    They had no doubts that the Mayor wouldn''t be able to escape from this. As town guards, they had ess to information the residents didn''t, and they had heard inklings of how the Mayor wasn''t as kind and innocent as the act he put on.


    Seeing that there was no reaction from inside the manor, Alex didn''t hold back anymore and directlyunched a light fist into the steady steel gates, sending them flying off their hinges with little effort. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He stepped through the threshold, his footsteps echoing off the cobblestones as he made his way towards the courtyard.


    Inside, Bertram and Kilian were taken aback from the sudden intrusion, their faces pale with shock as they emerged from the safety of the manor to confront their unexpected visitor.


    "Alex! I wasn''t expecting you''d return to this small town, and so soon after your departure too!" Bertram put on the best smile he could muster and ''enthusiastically'' weed Alex, ignoring the broken gates and the dead body leaking blood all over his precious gardens.


    "Cut the shit, Bertram. You know why I''m here." Alex''s gaze hardened as he locked eyes with Bertram, his voice steady and unwavering.


    He stepped aside, letting the two men get a full view of the headless corpse stinking up the ce.


    "This man attacked me right as I made my way out of the ruins after sessfully killing the guardian beast inside and sessfully getting what I came for." He exined slowly to the duo, but loud enough that the curious and concerned residents filtering into the courtyard through the busted gates could hear.


    "Oh, and thanks for the info by the way, the sword turned out better than I could have asked for." Alex sarcastically remarked, but his face was still as cold as ice.


    ''What! But the information we gave him was fake?? We were sure there was a Mutant ss D- rank beast inside guarding the ce, we weren''t even sure the story about the sword was true, as everyone who''s ever stepped foot in the ce has supposedly fallen to that same beast!''


    Bertram was screaming internally, his fear of Alex rising rapidly by the second as he realised how truly powerful and terrifying he was.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Alex! Why don''t we go inside and talk about it over a cup of tea?" Bertram kept up his kind and innocent facade, not wanting to expose himself while the whole town was basically watching from the sidelines.


    That would waste the years and years of work he had spent building up for his ns.


    "Oh Bertram, didn''t you hear me? I said cut the bullshit. Do you take me for a fool? You two were the only two people who knew where I was heading after I left this ce, and it was no ident that this assassin found me there. He had a purpose, and he didn''t hesitate in boasting about how he couldn''t wait to kill me." Alex cut Bertram''s attempt at a civilised conversation off before it could start.


    At this point, Kilian furrowed his brows into a disgusted expression. ''Shit, we didn''t take this fact into ount because of how sure we were that he was going to die.''


    Kilian had realised by now that they had been caught in the act, and they were pushed into a corner; they couldn''t weasel their way out using flowery words this time.


    Bertram had also realised this, and seeing that things had already gone past the point of return, he finally gave in.


    "Oh fuck it, I can''t deal with this shit anymore. He''s a spy! Are you people hearing me?? This brat Alex was sent here by our enemies to spy on us and cripple us from the inside." He started desperately shouting towards the residents standing on the side lines, revealing Alex''s ''secrets'' to them.


    "Don''t you get it? This man here was a loyal soldier of our lord, the Count, sent here to investigate and eliminate him when all of the facts were obtained. Now look, he''s not even trying to hide anymore; so brazenly breaking into my manor in the middle of the town!" Bertram continued his tirade, his confidence heightening when he thought his act of exposing Alex was working.


    But when he was finished, trying to catch his breath after so much shouting, Alex only chuckled.


    "Does everything always have to be so political with nobles like you? So far up your own asses that you think anyone and everything is plotting against you ¨C out to get you? Haha."


    Alex paused for a second tough, then continued.


    "I wasn''t lying when I said I was a wandering warrior. I really am, and I really did juste here to make a quick buck before I left this ce and continued my travels elsewhere. Everything would have proceeded as I just mentioned, but you just had to involve me in your meaningless affairs because of your arrogance."


    Alex looked with disdain at Bertram and Kilian, he still remembered the first time Kilian appeared in front of him and practically demanded he meet with Bertram, out of their own ''kindness''.


    He could barely stop his anger from welling up when he recalled how arrogantly Kilian had told Alex to act in Bertram''s presence, telling him to bow and demanding respect.

 Chapter 110 The truth

    Chapter 110 The truth


    Standing in front of the increasingly growing crowd of people, Alex slowly started recounting his version of events from his short stay in the town, starting off with how the guards tried extorting him the first time he entered Monty town, and that he had only managed to get past it due to his own strength being higher than that of the guards.


    "With how familiar all the guards seemed with this extortionate process, it''s safe to say that they do it pretty often to any neers that visit." Alex added, amused by Bertram''s frown growing increasingly as he spoke.


    "I had no idea about the actions of the guards, I was away for 4 months so how could I have known-" Bertram refuted Alex''s words, pushing the me solely onto the guard''s shoulders.


    "While that could be true, that just makes you an ipetent leader instead ¡ª unable to control your own subordinates, it truly is a wonder how a man like you ends up as the Mayor of the town." Alex rebutted. Anything Bertram could say to defend himself would only get thrown right back at his face.


    "Now, how about we take up your offer and head inside for a nice and friendly chat?" Alex ended the conversation short and started walking inside the manor, not even waiting for an answer from Bertram as he knew they''d end up following him inside anyway.


    Seeing the familiar extravagant interior of the manor, Alex still felt disgusted at how the outskirts of the town were only barely able to earn enough to survive day to day life in their tiny little houses, but here in the centre of the town there was such a luxurious mansion that probably cost the townspeople at least a years of their taxes to build.


    Inside the dimly lit halls of the manor, Alex led Bertram and Kilian silently towards the study, ensuring they were away from prying eyes. The air was thick with tension as the three men stood facing each other, fear only settling deeper into the opposing men''s hearts the longer they gazed into Alex''s eyes.


    There was a saying that the eyes were a window to the soul, and Alex''s eyes were reflecting a zing hatred back to them.


    "Now, gentlemen," Alex began, his voice low andced with dangerous intent, "We are going to have a little chat, and you are going to tell me everything. No more lies, no more excuses. I want the truth, and I want it now."


    Bertram sneered at Alex''s tone, but he said nothing, his eyes darting nervously between Alex and Kilian. It was clear the two men were on edge, theirposure starting to crumble in the face of Alex''s unrelenting gaze.


    "Why did you request the count to send an assassin after me, Bertram?" Alex demanded, his low voice echoing throughout the chamber.


    Bertram hesitated for a moment, his gaze darting nervously between Alex and Kilian. "I... I suspected you of being a spy from a rival nation," he stammered, his voice betraying his uncertainty.


    But Alex was not fooled by Bertram''s feeble excuse. "That''s bullshit, and you know it," he snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Now tell me the truth, or these next few seconds will be the most painful seconds of your life."


    Bertram paled at Alex''s words, but he knew that he had no choice but to continue his story. If Alex found out about the n, then he would kill him for certain.


    "It''s the truth!" He blurted, arroganceced all throughout his words as his fake demeanour crumbled.


    His eyes shifted to Kilian, who had said nothing by this point but kept up the same arrogant look and attitude as Bertram.


    "I don''t think you two realise what kind of situation you''re in. You have no control here, your lives are in my hands right now, and if you tell one more lie, I''ll only have to resort to methods much worse than this." As he spoke, Alex''s sword shed with a silver arc of light. His actions were so fast that neither man had even noticed Alex had made a move until they saw the blood dripping from the tip of his de.


    "ARRRGH!" Bertram cried out all of a sudden in a howl of pain. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He looked down, only to see three of his fingers missing and blood starting to pool on the ground beneath his feet.


    "I''ll take from you, both of you, until you tell me the truth or there is nothing left of you to take." Alex spoke in a cold tone, his sword ready to slice again at any time.


    "I promise I was telling the trut-" Bertram was cut off, the sword light shing once again.


    "That''s the remaining two fingers for that hand. I''ll start on your other hand next."


    ***


    Over 30 minutester, Bertram and Kiliany on the ground with tears, snot and blood streaming down their faces.


    They had still not revealed the truth up until this point, but Alex didn''t doubt his judgement and knew they were still lying.


    By now, both of them had lost an arm, a leg and all their fingers.


    "Okay! Okay, I give up. Just please stop, have some mercy for the love of god!"


    Finally, Kilian caved in first as he couldn''t take the torture anymore. His psyche hadpletely broken down alongside his physical body and he couldn''t put up with his facade anymore. "The Count invited Lord Bertram over to his manor 3 months ago during our travels, he seemed like he had something exciting to share with my Lord, and as his loyal servant I naturally apanied him and had the privilege of listening to his proposition as well."?


    Kilian started recounting events from the beginning, and judging by the look of betrayal on Bertram''s face, this was probably the real truth this time.


    "Stop! Kilian, if you speak one more word, I''ll have you killed!" Bertram shouted out in rage, clearly betrayed by Kilian''s words.

 Chapter 111 Shocking revelations

    Chapter 111 Shocking revtions


    Bertram was so angry that he was seeing red, but Alex quickly shut him up by releasing the full pressure of his aura upon him.


    "You won''t even be able toy a finger on him under my eyes, especially now considering youck the means to do so¡­" Alex shut Bertram up, even making a joke out of him as he pointed at hisck of fingers.


    "Continue, Kilian. I can guarantee Bertram won''t be able to hurt you."


    With a heavy sigh, Kilian continued.


    "At first, the Count seemed rather reluctant to speak, but after Bertram affirmed his loyalty to him, he revealed his n to us soon after." Kilian looked as if he had lived a hundred lives when he reached this point.


    "He had recentlye across some ancient ruins, and through his expeditions there he had found an ancient summoning formation." "To put it simply, this formation when activated would summon a Variant ss beast matching the rank of the one who summoned it."


    Kilian stopped speaking there, only adding. "I''m sure you can guess where this is going from here."


    Alex, contemting on the side, nodded. "There''s a catch ¡ª a certain condition needs to be met to activate this formation."


    Kilian affirmed Alex''s deduction with a nod.


    "But what does this condition have to do with me? So far from everything you''ve said, none of it has anything to do with me at all, and quite frankly I don''t see how it can." Alex questioned with a frown. His whole purpose ofing here was to find out the truth about the assassin.


    At most, he came here only expecting to find out a little bit about the person who sent this assassin after him to take his life.


    But it seemed like things were much moreplicated than they seemed, and there was a scheme at y here that he had somehow be unwillingly involved in.


    When Kilian heard Alex''s questioning and untrusting tone, he sighed.


    ''In the end I can''t hide it any longer.''


    "The condition was the sacrifice of people." Kilian spoke to Alex, revealing the truth.


    Alex was about to speak, shocked at what he was hearing, but Kilian continued.


    "Tens of thousands of people. All needing to be sacrificed if the Count wanted to summon a Variant ss beast at D+ rank, matching the Count''s own rank."


    This time, Alex was really shocked. But he also felt disgusted.


    The moment he heard that tens of thousands of people were going to be sacrificed, he felt the urge to vomit on the spot, but he stopped himself as he didn''t want to show weakness while he was still in front of the two men who were in on this n.


    At this point, Bertram hadpletely lost it. "You wanted the truth? Well there you go. Haha, tens of thousands of people are going to be sacrificed, and there''s nothing you can do about it. The n has already been set in motion! Not to mention you are no match for the Count''s strength."


    Alex wasn''t in the mood to listen to the ramblings of a genocidal madman anymore, so with a swift movement from his sword, he prated Bertram''s chest, directly piercing his heart.


    A look of shock and horror stered on Bertram''s face as he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. A realisation that he was about to die came across him, and in a final bid of madness, he did the unthinkable.


    In the same instance Alex had prated his heart, Bertram knew he only had a few more seconds to live, so with his final act of life, he let his energy run rampant across his body.


    In an instant, Alex felt a dramatic increase in danger well up inside him, realising what Bertram had just done.


    He had turned himself into a bomb.


    With how much energy Awakened stored inside of them, it wouldn''t take a genius to realise what would happen if all of that umted energy was released all at once, in a suicidal act.


    A big fucking explosion is what!


    With only seconds to act, Alex had no time to run away, so he made a gamble and went straight for Bertram''s body instead.


    He grabbed his body and shot upwards with all of his power the instant he grabbed him. His momentum carried him through the ceiling, and every ceiling above that until he reached the open air, where in ast attempt at saving himself and every other person in the town, heunched Bertram as high up as he could.


    He pushed so hard that he felt his bones in his arms shatter from overexerting himself, but he ignored it as he watched and hoped that his efforts had been enough.


    BOOOOOM!


    Silence. In the next second, the whole town was drowned in silence as the very air in the atmosphere had been sucked dry.


    A blinding light spread out from far above the town, shining like a second sun had risen and many residents cried out in pain as they felt their eyes burn, temporarily blinded by the light.


    Then, when the light receded, the true extent of the explosion revealed itself before their eyes.


    A massive hole.


    Alex had thrown Bertram so far up, that his body actually bounced off the ceiling of the underworld before it ignited in a zing fury. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    What ensued next shocked everyone below.


    An intense flurry of light flooded into the cave.


    The explosion had been so impactful, that the top of the underworld had been blown straight through and it had actually directly created a hole to the surface.


    The illusion of a sky had long been broken by the explosion at this point, and the true sky had already started filtering in through the 100 metre wide hole in the ceiling.


    Alex had still been over 400 metres in the air when the explosion went off, and was close enough that he could feel the heat directly on his skin, trying to burn him to a crisp.


    But thankfully, his high resistance to fire didn''t enable that, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief.


    Then the resulting shockwave came, and he was sent flying back down towards the ground¡­

 Chapter 112 Escaped

    Chapter 112 Escaped


    In the end, Alex only ended up with some minor bruising when the chaos finally died down. Most of the pain had actuallye from the fall back down to the ground, sped up by the shockwave.


    But the same could not be said for the residents of Monty town.


    He may have saved them from being at the epicentre of the explosion, potentially saving the lives of tens of thousands of people, but the explosion on the ceiling had caused tons and tons of debris to shatter and rain down on the surrounding 30 kilometres.


    A few unfortunate souls were unlucky and had huge, house sized pieces of rock fall right on their heads, turning them into a bloody paste in an instant. Others were still fast asleep in their houses, not knowing that a huge rock was about to obliterate them before it was toote.


    Over 400 people had died from the falling debris alone, with thousands moreying injured. Everywhere all over Monty town, people were screaming and crying, all trying to flee the area in case more debris falls and targets them next.


    ''That motherfucker!''


    Alex was furious. He felt a rage well up within him stronger than he had ever felt before as he looked on at the crippled town ¡ª a result of the destruction Bertram''s selfish act of suicide caused.


    He knew at that moment that the ns to sacrifice tens of thousands of people for the benefit of the count and his otherpatriots was most likely a terrifying truth.


    If Bertram didn''t even hesitate to take the whole town out with him when he realised he was going to die, then it was safe to say he would have done much worse things if he were still alive.


    Alex had realised now why the Count had involved Bertram and Kilian in his n. As a Count and the Mayor of a major city, the deaths of tens of thousands of citizens wouldn''t go unnoticed to the empire and there would surely be an investigation that led right back to him.


    But, people rarely heard news of small towns on the outskirts of the empire. Monty town for example was as far from the major poption centres as it could get, and with it''s over 30,000rge poption, it would be quite the prime target for the Count to consider for his ns.


    The only obstacle would have been Bertram, but it seemed it wasn''t much of a problem in the end as he was drawn over to the Count''s side anyway, and pretty easily at that.


    Alex looked up at the huge hole on the ceiling of the underworld, seeing the natural light flooding in for the first time in over a month, he felt a little nostalgic.


    Alex looked up at the huge hole on the ceiling of the underworld, seeing the natural light flooding in for the first time in over a month, he felt a little nostalgic.


    He knew that right now, he could finally escape this underground hell and make his way back to the surface.


    But he didn''t even entertain the thought.


    Now that he knew of the Count''s n, he had to do everything in his power to stop it.


    He may have be more emotionally detached as he experienced more and more of how fucked up reality was, but he wasn''t some psychopath who would let tens of thousands of people die.


    Even if it meant he missed his flight to the Sr system, he''d do everything in his power to make sure the Count''s n doesn''te to fruition. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He could always exin his situation to the University and hope they understood, but if not, he would make them regret not admitting him just for being a littlete.


    He wouldn''t do anything violent or take any drastic measures.


    No, he would simply disy his potential to its full extent and be the most promising and powerful awakened in the entire federation, making the higher ups of the University realise what they had lost out on.


    But this was all in the case that Alex couldn''t take care of the Count in time, which only the next few months of his time in the Primordial Expanse would tell if he could or not.


    Putting his thoughts aside, Alex returned back to the now half destroyed manor, looking for Kilian.


    However, no matter where he looked, or how much rubble he unturned, he couldn''t find his body anywhere.


    Which meant that he must have escaped somehow.


    But considering the condition Alex left him in, he wouldn''t be able to move, let alone escape the town in the short time between when Alex jumped through the roof and when the explosion went off.


    This must have meant that Bertram and Killian weren''t the only ones aware of the Count''s n in this small town. There must have been an aplice or two who were hiding on the side lines while Alex interrogated the duo.


    And when they saw Alex leave with Bertram''s rapidly deteriorating body, the perfect opportunity to snatch Kilian and escape arose for them.


    ''Dammit! Not only do I have to deal with this Count, he''s now going to know I''ming for him when Kilian starts spilling the beans!''


    This wasn''t good news for Alex. The Count would probably ramp up the timeline for the n when he found out how much Alex knew, meaning Alex had to leave immediately for the city the Count resided in, Evermoor city.


    He felt bad for leaving Monty town behind while they were still suffering from the devastation of Bertram''s implosion, but time was of the essence and he couldn''t afford to be wasting it here anymore.


    The only upside to this whole shitshow was Alex''s speed.


    What would usually take month long trips either way between these cities and towns, would only take Alex a few days at most.


    He was also probably stronger and faster than the hidden aplices Kilian had, so he might reach Evermoor before they do, giving him a major head start.


    If he was lucky, he might even be able to catch them on the way and silence them before word of his actions today could reach the Count.

 Chapter 113 Evermoor city

    Chapter 113 Evermoor city


    "What the hell happened back there?" A brown haired, curvy woman in her twenties asked. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Our ns have been found out, Hera. That Alex kid is much more terrifying than he had originally thought. You''ll be out of the loop because you were in covert ops, busy setting up the entrapment formation, but the Count sent a Mutant ss E+ rank assassin after the kid, and Alex came back to town the next day dragging his lifeless, headless corpse through the streets." Kilian gave a short recount of events to the woman as hey still on her back.


    Because of how injured he was, missing a leg, an arm and all of his fingers on hisst remaining arm, he couldn''t even look after himself, let alone move.


    What Alex had done to him had been truly messed up, but well deserved considering the stakes.


    So, the woman, Hera, had to carry him on her back the whole trip back to Evermoor.


    Hearing Kilian''s terrifying ount of the events that went on inside the manor, away from prying eyes, the woman''s eyes bulged and she felt her throat dry from the stories Kilian told.


    "What do we do now then? With Bertram dead you''re inmand now. We need a n of action." Hera spoke up, her voice tinged with urgency when she realised they weren''t out of the danger yet.


    Alex would surely also make pursuit.


    Kilian nced at the rapidly declining scenery behind them, his expression grave. "We press on to Evermoor city," he replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. "The Count is the only one who can help us salvage our ns now. After all, his upgrade to Variant ss also relies on this n."


    Hera nodded, her brows furrowed in thought. "But what about Alex? He knows the truth now and he won''t stop until all of us are dead."


    Kilian''s jaw clenched at the mention of Alex''s name, his eyes shing with a cold light. "The Count will deal with him when the timees. The boy may be terrifyingly strong, but he''s still only E+ rank at best. There''s no way he will be able to hold up against the Count with his Mutant ss D+ rank strength."


    Hera finally rxed a little when she heard that Alex was no match for the Count. As long as they reached Evermoor city then they could finally let loose their tension for good.


    And Kilian can find a specialist doctor to heal him.


    ***


    ''Don''t think you''re going to get away from me so easily, Kilian.''


    Alex thought to himself as he ran at full sprint towards Evermoor city.


    He was a blur as he crossed through treacherous cliffs, around murkykes and through the unforgiving environment of the jungles. Alex pursued Kilian and his unknown number of aplices relentlessly. But even after 3 hours of continuous searching, he still hadn''t spotted anything signifying a human had been there recently, so either they hadn''te through this region, or they were experts at hiding their tracks.


    ''Where are you, Kilian?''


    Alex was starting to get a little frustrated at this point. He began to suspect that they hadn''t made their way over to Evermoor city after all, and he was just sent on a wild goose chase.


    All of his efforts over thest few hours had been for nought.


    But even considering this, he would still make haste towards Evermoor. If he couldn''t meet them on the way, then he would just have to face them head on at the doorstep of the enemies.


    However he also grew a little concerned about the strength of the Count. Considering he had Mutant ss E+ rank assassins loyal to him, he must be even more powerful himself to be able tomand people like that.


    And that was exactly what Alex was worried about. He had only barely been able to take out the assassin, so he had no idea how to deal with someone like the Count.


    His only idea was to strengthen himself.


    If he reached D- rank, then he might stand a chance against the count.


    At least, that was the only option he had thought of so far.


    ***


    A few dayster, the gates of Evermoor city.


    "It''s your turn to take over john." A guard suited up in pristine silver armour spoke to another guard dressed the exact same.


    ''Damn this job sucks.'' John, the guard who had just started his shift at the gates, moaned inwardly to himself.


    As an E rank, he should be out adventuring, killing beasts and increasing his rank.


    But no, because of his stupid parents, he became a guard because it was much safer than the other option.


    ''One of these days I''ll quit this shitty job and be an adventurer. One of these days¡­''


    "Hey!"


    No response.


    "Hey! Hello?"


    John was awoken from his daydreams of the future by the shouts of the merchant in front of him.


    This was what he hated the most about this job.


    As an inspection officer, it was his duty to make sure that people weren''t smuggling any illegal or dangerous goods into the city.


    But the worst part was the merchants themselves. Those stuck up men and women always acted high and mighty just because they had a little bit more change in their bank ounts than he did.


    They treated the guards like crap every day they came in and out of these city gates, and it had be the norm to do so now.


    John grumbled, and started his duties.


    He made sure to make each inspection at least twice as long to piss off the merchants even more.


    This was the only bit of happiness in this mundane job ¡ª seeing the merchants be so annoyed but unable to do anything about it always put a smile on his face.


    "Hey, can''t you see there''s a line here?"


    "Huh, where do you think you''re going?"


    "Piss off back to the end of the line."


    Suddenly, amotion started in lines up to the gates as merchants and travellers alike started cursing in the direction of one man.


    "Think you''re a tough guy shing that shabby sword on your hip?" Suddenly, a big burly mercenary stepped out from his caravan and confronted the neer who rudely pushed towards the front of the queue.


    ''Who does this kid think he is, so brazenly pushing his way to the front of the line¡­ I like him!''


    John watched on from the side, and couldn''t help but admire this neer.


    "Move." Alex spoke to the mercenary who stepped in front of him. He was in no mood to deal with stuff like this again.

 Chapter 114 Late arrival

    Chapter 114 Late arrival


    The moment Alex spoke, an intense aura wafted out from his body that suppressed the mercenary in front of him.


    Instantly, the mercenary''s face froze and was reced with a look of horror. It was toote for him to realise that he had antagonised someone who he clearly should have avoided at all costs.


    Without a word, Alex casually passed by the mercenary, but not without leaving a warning for all of the other curious and brave onlookers queued up in front of him.


    Crack!


    The mercenary felt his arm crack and bend backwards,pletely snapping the bone in two.


    But he wasn''t even able to react to the pain as Alex''s aura was still pressing down on him like a mountain. It was like he lostplete control over his body, but his mind was still present and he could still feel every stimulus his body felt.


    He could only cry out in his mind as Alex snapped his arm, helpless to even move a muscle.


    "Anybody else interested in blocking me?"


    Alex asked loud enough for the entire crowd gathered outside the gates to hear, and he only received silence as an answer.


    Most of the merchants and travellers there had been sheltered their whole lives so they had never witnessed something as brutal as Alex disfiguring that mercenary''s arm, and they nched and heaved when he did so.


    For a simple warning to the crowd, it was very effective.


    Soon enough, Alex came to the front of the gates where the guards were standing trying to hide the smiles on their faces.


    It had been such a long time since they had seen the merchants be so timid like puppies with their tails between their legs, but every chance it happened was very wee.


    John approached Alex,pletely dropping the current merchant he was currently inspecting without a thought.


    "Can I get your name and purpose for your visit?" John spoke the usual weing messages the guards gave to every new face they saw.


    On the other side, Alex looked deeply at each guard who manned each queue. After his previous interaction with the Monty town guards, his opinion of these supposed defenders of the people had dropped as low as it could go. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Now, he intended to find out if those Monty town guards were just a one off urrence or if it was something he had to experience in every town or city he visited.


    He was hoping it was the former.


    "Name''s Alex. I''m here for sightseeing."


    Alex dropped the cold tone he used to speak to the mercenaries and merchants and instead opted for a casual one.


    John wrote something down in a notebook for a second, and then continued.


    "Wee to Evermoor city, Alex! Every unregistered visitor needs to pay a toll of 1 gold coin as a registration fee. Every visit after that point will be free."


    Contrary tost time, it seemed this toll wasn''t just a method of extortion the guards used to fill their own pockets like the ones in Monty town did. Just from theck of reaction from any of the merchants or mercenaries in the queue behind him, he knew that this was something everyone had to pay.


    Seeing this, Alex nodded and put his hand in his pocket to pretend to pull out a gold coin.


    All his belongings were stored in his spatial storage, and he didn''t want to expose that he owned one so he camouged his actions.


    John led Alex away from the long lines of people to a small ticketing booth, where another middle aged guard was sitting inside, reading a newspaper.


    "Yo Marv, we got a neer to register." John greeted the guard and pointed at Alex.


    Marv grumbled and put down his newspaper.


    "What''s your name, age and rank if you''re an awakened?" Marv spoke in an annoyed tone to Alex.


    But it wasn''t like his displeasure was targeted towards Alex, it was more so towards the fact that he had to actually do his job instead of cking off reading the newspaper.


    "Alex, 17 years old, E rank." Alex''s answer was short and concise, to the liking of Marv, and the official procedures were over quick.


    John led Alex over to the gates, with Alex now registered in the city''s files. But before the two left each other, John leaned in close and spoke in a low tone.


    "By the way, I loved what you did with those merchants earlier. Those guys have been stuck up and arrogant for longer than I can remember, so it''s always nice when they get humbled like that."


    John expressed his admiration for Alex''s bold actions back in the crowd, and seeing how Alex had already unintentionally gained favour with the guard, he decided to use it to his advantage.


    "I appreciate it. By the way, you haven''t happened to have seen any injured people being carried into the city recently? My friends and I were attacked by a strong beast on the way over and we were forced to split up. I don''t know how many of us made it out alive, I''m just hoping I wasn''t the only survivor¡­" Alex made a sob story on the spot, painting Kilian and whoever his aplices were as his friends.


    When he heard Alex''s question, John frowned a little bit.


    "We aren''t supposed to disclose visitor information like this¡­ But seeing as they''re your friends, I do recall a man missing multiple limbs being carried into the city by a woman earlier. Though I wasn''t the guard that admitted them, so I didn''t catch their names or anything."


    John made sure to check nobody was close by and listening before he answered Alex. He already had a good impression of the boy since his handling of the merchants, so he decided to help.


    "Was the man missing an arm, leg and some of his fingers?" Alex felt his emotions rile up when he heard that there actually was someone like that who entered the city earlier. But just to be sure, he had to know what injuries the man had.


    "As a matter of fact, he did." ''That settles it. Kilian''s already made it back to the city, and it seems like he only has one aplice, a woman. This isn''t good, now my element of surprise is lost. Not to mention I just gave my details to the guards as well. How stupid of me! I have to act fast!''


    Alex quickly thanked John for his cooperation and started walking at a brisk pace into the city.


    Time was not on his side.

 Chapter 115 Information Gathering

    Chapter 115 Information Gathering


    As Alex stepped into Evermoor city, the bustling streets teeming with life and activity, he knew he had to tread carefully. After finding out that Kilian had already arrived, he had to conceal his identity as his description was probably already fed to the Count and soon the guards would find out too.


    When that happened, Alex didn''t want to be around.


    His first destination was a clothing store, where he purchased a simple ck, hooded robe. Simr to the one the assassin had worn.


    With the hood pulled low over his face, he felt much more secure moving through the crowded streets, unseen and unnoticed by those around him.


    And with the sun about to set on the horizon, his disguise would be much more difficult to see through as he would blend in with the dark alleys, his robe hiding him from sight.


    ''Where to now¡­''


    Now that he was here, Alex didn''t actually know what he should do. Should he go straight to the Count''s manor and barge in to kill the Count on the spot?


    No, that would be suicide.


    Alex was confident in his abilities, but he wasn''t stupid.


    He was still only E rank and there were probably many people in this city stronger than him, not including the Count himself.


    From what he knew of how the hierarchy of this world worked, people with higher political power also tended to be the ones with the highestbat power too.


    Such was the case with Valentis city, where the city lord was a mighty C+ rank awakened.


    But Evermoor was a much, much smaller city than Valentis, so the Count''s strength couldn''t exceed D+ rank at the most, which gave Alex a little bit of hope that he could actuallyplete this mission.


    Since Alex couldn''t go straight to the Count and kill him right now, his next best choice was to gather information on him.


    And the best way to do this was to visit a popr tavern.


    It would be hard for a suspicious neer like him to gain any useful information from the residents of this town, but things would be different when they got ckout drunk.


    There was a popr saying where Alex grew up ¡ª that drunk men have no secrets!


    Because they''d spill them all after a few drinks!


    With this n in mind, Alex headed over to the nearest tavern he could find on the outskirts of the city.


    Slipping inside, he found a secluded corner and settled in, his ears listening for any tidbits of information that seemed interesting.


    "Did you hear Laura is having another child? Damn it must be what, the 15th one now? When will that woman ever stop¡­"


    Alex didn''t even want to hear how a woman could push out so many babies¡­


    Skip.


    "How''s life now that you''re an adventurer? Soon enough you''ll be an F+ rank like me, then we can go out on missions together!"


    This one was just a big brother talking to his little brother about their future.


    ''How nice would it be to have a supportive family¡­''


    Skip.


    "Bloody hell, Bran, this expedition''s been a cursed mess. We''ve scoured every bit ofnd in the east forest and we''ve got nothing to show for it to the Count!" Garrick, a grizzled veteran with a scar across his cheek, swirled the dregs of his mug and scowled.


    ''Now this seems interesting¡­''


    At the mention of the Count, Alex naturally listened intently to the conversation between these two mercenaries.


    Bran, younger and more immature, leaned back in his chair, caressing his own mug. "Yeah, the Count''s not pleased. He expected us to return with the location of the beast, and what do we have? A few scratches up a tree and some old, muddy footprints."


    Garrick''s eyes narrowed. "It''s that damn beast ¡ª the one that''s been causing havoc in the forest recently. It''s already imed the lives of many mercenaries and even a few city guards. The Count''s already fed up with the constant tales of despair, so now he''s strapping on his armour, nning to venture out himself."


    Bran''s eyes widened. "The Count? I''ve always wondered how strong a man like him really is. I''ve only ever seen E tier''s in action, it''ll be a real treat for the eyes to see a peak D tier like the Count fight."


    "Aye, he sets out in a few days." Garrick said.


    Hearing this conversation, Alex knew immediately that he had to take advantage of it.


    From what he had overheard, the Count was searching for a beast that not even these veteran mercenaries could find.


    Instantly, an idea popped into Alex''s head and he left the tavern shortly after.


    If he could get to this beast first and take it out before the Count arrives in the forest, then he''ll be sent on a wild goose chase and he''d be out of the city for a while.


    Alex could use this opportunity when the count is away to deal with the weaker members of the Count''s n, as well as investigate suspicious locations like the Count''s manor etc.


    Not to mention, it would buy time for Alex to strengthen himself for his inevitable fight with the count.


    One might ask why he doesn''t just report what he knows to someone who already has the political power and strength to take on the Count. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But there were many factors that would not make this a viable n.


    For one, Alex didn''t know anyone like that in this ce. And if he did, he didn''t know who to trust either, as he had no idea how many people, or who exactly the Count had involved in this n other than Bertram.


    So for this reason, Alex had to take the burden of protecting the lives of tens of thousands of people upon himself.


    Alex was essentially the only hope these people had.


    With his next steps carefully thought out, Alex left the city in the dead of night, heading east towards the forest the two mercenaries had been talking about.

 Chapter 116 Narrow minded

    Chapter 116 Narrow minded


    "Still no luck?" A mercenary dressed in full leather armour spoke to his friend.


    It was currently midnight, and these two mercenaries were supposed to be on watch duty for the next few hours while everyone slept.


    However they had been searching in the forest for two weeks by now, and nothing had ever happened at night. It was the most boring job of the lot and every mercenary in theirpany dreaded their name being picked for night watch duty.


    "Yeah, this is getting ridiculous. We''ve been searching for weeks and still no sign of that sted beast." The other unlucky nightwatchman spoke.


    The first mercenary listened and chipped in again, "Tell me about it. I''m starting to think it''s just a ghost story cooked up by the Count to scare off adventurers. After all, anybody who''s actually supposedly seen the beast hasn''t lived to tell the tale."


    Annoyed that his friend would even consider such a thing, the second adventurer angrily chastised him, "Don''t be foolish. You''ve seen the aftermath ¡ª the torn bodies, the blood soaked ground. Whatever it is, it''s real enough."


    From the shrubbery, Alex listened in on this conversation between two mercenaries and scoffed when he heard the same type of ramblings the mercenaries at the tavern had been spewing.


    ''They must really be desperate for any bit of information about this beast if they''re beginning to doubt it even exists.''


    Alex couldn''t care less what these low rank mercenaries thought though. If the Count was so adamant that something was out here terrorising the adventurers of Evermoor city, then Alex believed so too.


    Besides, these low rank mercenaries had only been hired to find and track the thing, not kill it. That was a job for the Count, who had obviously be impatient with theirck of progress, hence his decision to venture out and find it himself.


    Alex had only been spying on these mercenaries to see if he could gather some intel on the beast that he may not have already heard from the two men in the tavern, but it seems his efforts were fruitless.


    With no reason to stay near the mercenary camp, Alex left in the silence of the night and continued on his own search.


    Though the ramblings of the mercenaries had gotten Alex thinking.


    What type of beast was it? What rank was it? What about its ss?


    There were many unknowns of this investigation, but Alex was still dead set on finding and killing this beast himself before the Count did.


    If the beast turned out to be something he couldn''t handle, then he could just run away and give up on this.


    In the grand scheme of things, if even Alex was unsessful in finding the beast, then the Count wouldn''t have much better luck either, which still afforded Alex some time to search through Evermoor for any suspicious activities rted to the Count.


    ***


    The forest was shrouded in darkness as Alex ventured deeper into its depths ¡ª utter silence permeated the surroundings as the only sounds were the trotting of Alex''s boots and the crunching of the dead leaves underneath them. With each step, he was careful to observe his surroundings using not only his sight, but his spatial perception too. He scanned for anything that might indicate any sign of the unseen beast, his senses heightened to the max.


    As he created his own random, winding path through the woods, Alex''s keen spatial perception caught sight of something glinting in the moonlight.


    At first, he dismissed it as some random puddle when he cast his eyes over there, but in a faint moment of realisation he noticed that the liquid in the puddle was too dark and cloudy to be water.


    Upon closer look, Alex realised what it was.


    A puddle of blood, followed by a trail of it leading off into the darkness.


    With a furrowed brow, Aled knelt down to examine it, his fingers lighting up with a small me, revealing the crimson stained earth below it.


    ''This must be one of the blood trails the mercenaries in the tavern mentioned. They might not have gained any more info from this, but who''s to say I won''t either.''


    The trail led Alex deeper into the forest, winding its way through the dense undergrowth and gnarled tree roots. It was clear that whatever had made this trail, wasn''t willingly moving its way over here.


    It was clearly being dragged by something, and judging by the sheer amount of blood Alex had already seen, it was safe to say that whatever poor soul was being dragged was not alive at the time.


    Alex followed with caution, his footsteps silent as he moved through the shadows.


    Along the way, he spotted some cloth type material, matching that of the old and medieval style clothing themoners and weak adventurers in the Primordial Expanse wore.


    It was clear now that the corpse being dragged was human.


    And he was also 100% sure that whatever was dragging it wasn''t.


    This was clear from the weathered paw prints faintly pressed into the dirt, and the asional w marks and fur left on some dead wood scattered across the ground. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    There were also some faint hand prints on the ground and trees here and there, but Alex just chalked that down to the mercenaries being messy in their investigation.


    ''The Count must be stupid. He hired a bunch of mercenaries who have no investigative skills whatsoever. If he even hired one detective or private investigator to apany them, they could have spotted these signs in a heartbeat.''


    The trail ended near the base of a hugely tall and wide tree.


    He suspected that the mercenaries had done the same thing as him, and followed the trail of blood through the forest until they came up to this very same tree.


    But Alex made a guess that these mercenaries were very narrow minded and only focused on a single point, the blood.


    Since there was no mention of anything other than blood being found from the conversation he overheard in the tavern, Alex guessed that they had been so focused on the blood that they had failed to notice the other clues in their surroundings, hence leading them to a dead end.


    But Alex hadn''t ignored any of them.


    Even if he took his eyes off them and focused on the blood trail, his spatial perception still noticed the irregrities in the general surroundings, telling him that this wasn''t a single beast causing havoc for Evermoor city, but a pack of them.

 Chapter 117 Drawing near

    Chapter 117 Drawing near


    With his theory of there actually being a pack of beasts killing adventurers and travellers in this forest, Alex made sure his sword didn''t leave his hand at any time.


    With the advantage of numbers now stacked against him, he didn''t want to take any chances and get sneak attacked by a group of beasts and end up as the next victim.


    He knew he couldn''t underestimate them as well, as they clearly had some skills in hiding and staying out of sight.


    But they still weren''t smart enough to cover their tracks, otherwise Alex would end up like the mercenaries ¡ª clueless and probably dead soon enough.


    ''Where could these beasts be hiding then? The trail of blood ended at the food of the tree, but there''s no branches sticking out of it until at least 50 metres up, no ordinary beast could climb such a thing unless it was-''


    While considering his options, Alex suddenly stopped dead on his tracks and looked like he had some sort of brain wave.


    ''Unless they have appendages like humans. I only know of one species like that ¡ª monkeys!''


    The moment he thought about this idea, it was like a floodgate opened in his mind.


    ''Those handprints I saw earlier!''


    Alex followed the trail back to where he dismissed those handprints, and took a closer look at them.


    ''Aha! Yes!''


    When his eyes drew close, he spotted the same type of fur he had seen dotted across the dead branches and some tree bark earlier.


    ''Those mercenaries must have thought the same thing as me, that these handprints were the result of the victim wing at the ground and nearby environment to get away from their attacker. But no, we were both wrong! It''s actually monkey type beasts that caused this!''


    Alex was reinvigorated with energy as he finally figured out the clues to what type of beast it was that caused these mysterious deaths and disappearances, but that left him in a new type of predicament.


    He looked up towards the canopy, and only saw darkness.


    In the dead of night, he couldn''t see anything above 70 metres in height, everything above that was faded into darkness.


    And his spatial perception only stretched for 15 metres around himself so that was even less helpful.


    He could try tounch himself off the ground and jump up a couple hundred metres until he reached the canopy, but that would just create a ruckus and alert any living being within miles of his presence.


    Assuming the beasts were like chimpanzees and made their habitat high up in the canopies of the trees, they could be anywhere in this forest right now, but Alex had a good starting point.


    The tree where the trail ended.


    The pack of beasts had clearly used this particr tree to drag their victim up to their usual habitat.


    So considering all of the other options were crossed out, Alex was forced to take the long route.


    ''This is going to be a long night¡­''


    He had to climb the tree himself, making as little noise as possible.


    Alex took off his boots and stretched his feet a little ¡ª he''d need them to be in their best condition considering the trees in this ce were abnormally tall, reaching up to 500 metres at their peak.


    ***


    Three hourster, 400 metres off the ground.


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" Alex took in some deep breaths as the exhaustion of the endeavour up the tree was taking its toll on him.


    He didn''t have the dexterity of the monkey type beasts so he was forced to dig his hands and feet into the bark of the tree to make footholds for himself, which was quite tiring considering the bark was as tough as the skin of an Ordinary ss E- rank beast.


    ''What the hell is up with these trees?? All this time I''ve been searching for these abnormal beasts, but these trees are clearly the abnormal ones in this forest¡­''


    By now, Alex had already reaffirmed that this was the right decision, otherwise he would have just given up and made his way back down.


    Around half way up the tree, he spotted some blood once again, so the beasts had clearly stopped carrying the corpse and instead opted to drag it up, as the blood trailed upwards along three, until the trail thinned up until the point where there was none anymore.


    It wasn''t like when Alex followed the blood trail to the base of this very tree ¡ª no, it was more like the body they were dragging had run out of blood entirely¡­


    It was from this that Alex knew he made the right move of following the trail up the tree, but he hated himself for it at the same time.


    It was the most boring and exhausting thing he had done during his time in the Primordial Expanse, and that was quite something, considering he had literally spent days walking through an empty desert before he fell into this godforsaken ce.


    ''Finally!''


    After another gruelling half an hour of climbing, Alex finally reached the top of the tree, which also happened to be the tallest tree for miles, and took a good nce around him.


    There were clear signs that the beasts were here as well at some point, as some branches had been munched on, and others had been disfigured from them jumping from branch to branch.


    ''They headed off in this direction.''


    Alex searched in a circle around the whole canopy of the tree until he found the spot with the most deformed branches, where the monkeys had clearly used it to jump from this tree to the next.


    With this approach, Alex followed their tracks into the next tree, where he carried on the same process as before and carried on¡­ N?v(el)B\\jnn


    And on¡­


    And on¡­


    Even more hours passed and Alex was still doing the same thing ¡ª jumping from one tree to another, looking for the spot with the most deformed branches, rinse and repeat.


    He had covered at least 15 kilometres with this process.


    ''Wait!''


    Until eventually, he spotted some movement nearby.

 Chapter 118 Found you!

    Chapter 118 Found you!


    The moon hung high in the sky as Alex carefully crept through across the tree branch he was leaning on. His senses were sharp and his body tense. Alex had stopped making any sudden moves when he spotted some movements in the trees far away. Then, he heard it ¡ª a rustling in the trees ahead of him, followed by a low growl.


    Alex''s eyes darted in the direction the sound came from, and he finally caught sight of them for the first time: a pair of monkey-like beasts, their eyes glowing with malice. They were perched in the branches, staring each other down like they had a blood feud.


    ''Found you!''


    He celebrated mentally at finally finding the beasts before the Count could, and watched on carefully.


    Alex moved little by little, ever so slightly until he reached a tree that gave him a better view of whatever was going on.


    Below them, the pack of beasts gathered across an abundance of trees, all watching the tworger, and more menacing beasts, squaring off in the centre. Their growls echoed through the trees, their chiselled and hairy bodies tensed with anticipation. It was clear now to Alex that this was a fight for domination, a battle to determine the alpha of the pack.


    He inspected the beasts closely, and realised that they were all actually Mutant ss beasts!


    The two beasts fighting in the centre looked to be the most powerful, probably D rank beasts!


    Alex watched intently, his breath slow and steady. The first beast, a hulking brute with dark fur and gleaming eyes, lunged at its opponent, sharp ws shing through the air. The second beast, leaner but equally fierce, dodged to the side and countered with a powerful swipe of its arm.


    ''Holy shit! This is just perfect!''


    Alex had never seen such behaviour in beasts before, but then again the only interactions he had ever had with them was when they were facing him off directly, and every time they looked fuelled with an uncontroble rage towards him.


    But this was the first time he was observing them from an outside perspective, and it was eye opening to him.


    ''These beasts actually have a hierarchy, and a societal structure!''


    Most beasts he had seen up until this point had been solo hunters, or at most a pair of beasts hunting together.


    But this was the first time he had seen beasts with a pack mentality.


    The two beasts shed violently, their roars mingling with the sounds of the forest and the maddening chants and groans of the pack below only spurred them on even more. ws tore through flesh, and blood sttered across the treetops. The rest of the pack watched with bated breaths, their eyes red with ferocity, waiting to see which beast would emerge as their Alpha.


    Alex''s muscles coiled like springs. He was ready to strike at any giving moment, but he held back and waited a little longer. He knew he had to wait for the perfect moment. If he attacked too soon, he risked alerting the pack before he could deal killing blows to the two most powerful beasts of the bunch.


    But if he waited too long, the victor might recover and be too strong to take out before the rest of the pack could react. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Patience was key.


    The fight grew more brutal with each passing second. Therger beast bit down on the other''s shoulder, tearing a chunk of flesh away.


    Roarrr!


    The leaner beast howled in pain but retaliated with a series of rapid, savage blows. Both were bleeding heavily by this point, their movements growing sluggish, their strength waning.


    ''Any time now!''


    Alex''s eyes narrowed as he watched the struggle. The beasts were exhausted, their attacks losing their ferocity.


    He could see the moment approaching, the point where both beasts would be too weakened to defend against a new threat. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword.


    Therger beast stumbled back, its chest heaving, blood pouring from multiple wounds. The leaner beast took advantage,unching a desperate, final assault. This wasn''t just a fight to im a victor ¡ª it was a fight to the death.


    They crashed together, a whirlwind of ws and teeth, each one fighting with thest of their strength.


    Then, it happened. Therger beast managed tond a powerful blow to its opponent''s head, sending it sprawling to the branch below.


    But the effort cost it dearly ¡ª it staggered, barely able to stand, its body trembling from exhaustion and blood loss.


    ''Now!''


    Alex knew this was his moment to strike.


    With a silent leap, he dropped from the canopy, his sword shing taking on its familiar orange hue, and mes grew out of it.


    Hended between the two beasts, their eyes widening in shock and confusion. Before they could react, he struck.


    His de cut through the air with deadly precision, slicing through the neck of therger beast. Blood sprayed, and the beast''s body crashed through a few branches, falling to the ground below, lifeless.


    The leaner beast, still dazed from the blow to its head, tried to rise, but Alex was already upon it.


    He drove his sword into the beast''s chest, piercing its heart. The beast let out a final, gurgling growl before copsing in a heap.


    Alex pulled his de free, standing amidst the broken branches and the dead body of the lean beast, his eyes cold as they darted around at the 30 or so beasts surrounding him.


    [You have killed a beast¡­]


    [You have killed a beast¡­]


    He dismissed the notifications from the system and looked on at the pack.


    The rest of the pack watched on with stunned silence, their eyes flickering between their two champions and the lone human who had just dispatched them so effortlessly.


    But of course, things wouldn''t have been so easy for Alex if both beasts were still in their best condition.


    With them both being Mutant ss D rank beasts, he would have never been able to kill them so easily if they weren''t so injured in the first ce.


    The fight would havested hours otherwise, and it wouldn''t be a 1v2, but a 1v32¡­


    But now, the real fight would start¡­

 Chapter 119 The wrath of the pack

    Chapter 119 The wrath of the pack


    For a moment, Alex wondered if the pack would even attack, seeking revenge for their champions.


    But those thoughts washed away the moment he saw their faces and eyes flicker with rage, like a switch had just been flicked inside them and all of their previous shock, fear and horror had been reced with a spartan rage.


    Now, thirty or so beasts, driven by fury and grief over their fallenrades, encircled Alex. They moved with predatory grace, not even releasing any guttural sounds like they did when their tworades were fighting. Only an eerie silence permeated the air.


    These beasts were rtively weaker than their two championspeting for the position of Alpha. The majority of them being E to E+ rank, with the exception of two D- rank beasts.


    But all of them were still Mutant ss beasts, so Alex had to be extremely careful in this fight.


    Instantly, the first wave of attacks came fast. Alex swung his sword in a wide arc, shooting out a zing de of fire towards the iing apes, cleaving through the front line. Blood sprayed, and bodies fell.


    These were only the weakest E ranks of the bunch.


    But the momentum of the pack didn''t falter. They kepting, a relentless tide of ws and teeth.


    A beast lunged at his legs. Alex kicked it away, shing at it, but one of the D- rank apes came from behind and bit down into his shoulder, causing Alex to stop his attack immediately and he desperately delivered a backwards kick,nding right on the beast''s groin.


    Clutching his shoulder with his free hand, he continued blocking as the beasts kept up their onught against him.


    But for every attack he blocked, it seemed like two more would take their ce. The beasts swarmed him, their ws raking against his shabby leather armour, their teeth snapping inches away from his flesh. Alex fought with a savage efficiency, but he couldn''tpare to the real savages of nature. The numbers were overwhelming.


    Over 20 beasts were all mouring to get a bite out of him, and Alex couldn''t even move a muscle at this point.


    With his desperation reaching a new high, he was forced to drain over 50% of his energy in one shot by activating his Inferior teleportation,nding on a nearby branch 5 metres above his previous position.


    He had been practising his teleportation almost every day when he wasn''t in a life threatening situation like this, and his range had risen up to 5 metres, which in this case had thankfully saved his life.


    But unfortunately it seemed this training had zero effect on his spatial perception, as it seemed the range and sensitivity of this ability only increased when his spatial affinity itself increased.


    But even though his teleportation had saved himself a bit of time, the beasts just charged right back at him like nothing had happened, leaving him no choice but to abandon the fight in the canopy and take it to the ground below.


    He had spent enough time fighting in an environment where the beasts had the advantage ¡ª now it was his turn to return the favour.


    Boooom!


    With an incredibly loud thud, Alex jumped from his branch, over 400 metres in the air andnded on the forest floor below, sending dirt flying in the air and a shockwave throughout the forest.


    When something as incredibly hard and dense as Alex''s body hit the ground at a supersonic speed, such reactions would be a normal urrence.


    Just as Alex did so, the beasts also all started jumping down from their trees, filling the forest with booms that made it sound like the forest was being carpet bombed.


    Ignoring the aching in his legs from the heavy impact, Alex countered the iing beast''s attack and rolled just in time to avoid a deadly swipe.


    It seemed the beasts still had some basic intelligence left inside their monkey brains, as the one that just attacked him had used a particrly sharp piece of stone as a weapon.


    With the environment now to his advantage, Alex waited for the beasts to all pile up close to him, and let out a fierce battle cry as he let loose a fiery st from his body, burning the skin and eyes of all the beasts around him.


    This was an attack Alex had used to get himself out of many sticky situations before, but these beasts were strong.


    They weren''t Ordinary ss beasts like the ones he was used to fighting, they were Mutants.


    Alex''s fire had indeed injured them, but it wasn''t fatal.


    It at least bought him a few extra seconds though, and he made use of this to drive his sword into 5 of the beasts that looked the most injured, some of them even blinded as the mes directly turned their eyes to ash.


    But even during this short moment of respite he bought for himself, the struggle still continued and there were still 15 of these beasts left, with both of the D- ranks still alive.


    Alex''s instincts were screaming at him to give up at this point and escape, but he ignored them and continued fighting.


    ''I have to kill all of these beasts here and now, or my efforts here will all be for nothing. Instead of hindering the Count''s efforts, I may as well be handing them to him on a tter with how loud and chaotic this battle has been so far. I''m sure the mercenaries are already on their way here, not to mention the Count himself.''


    ''I have to finish this, now!''


    Alex realised that he was pressed for time in this situation, but his energy was running low. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I don''t want to do this, but I have no other choice. This is going to hurt!''


    He looked hesitant at first, but he bit his lips and overcame these contradicting emotions, and did the unthinkable.


    He threw his sword to the side, and opened his arms wide, inviting all of the beasts toe attack him at once.

 Chapter 120 What the f*ck??

    Chapter 120 What the f*ck??


    The moment Alex threw his sword away, the remaining beasts all swarming in at once, as if they knew that he was at his most vulnerable point at this moment.


    But in reality, Alex was actually about to unleash the strongest attack he could conjure up with his current strength and abilities.


    Right as the monkey beasts started to swarm him, Alex''s skin started to turn orange and mes started to envelope him.


    He had activated his Phoenix fury technique.


    But quite unlike every other time he had used it, his skin didn''t stop glowing when it reached a certain point.


    Instead, the light his body gave off became brighter and brighter until even the beasts attacking him couldn''t bear to look at it directly.


    It was like the sun had risen in the forest even though it was the middle of the night.


    He lit up the surrounding tens of kilometres with his intense light, so much that even the mercenaries sleeping in their encampments were woken up by their internal clock, thinking that it was morning already.


    ''Man, this sucks.''


    Alex on the other hand wasn''t enjoying this moment one bit.


    He had long built up a strong resistance to the fire element, but that was only up to a certain point.


    If he were to be hit with a strong fire elemental attack, then he would still be injured, just not as much as anybody without his resistance would be.


    However, in this case, Alex knew what he was attempting would leave him seriously injured even with his resistance.


    Soon enough the heat and light became so intense that the beasts had stopped attacking him entirely, as every time they came close to his body, the heat straight up seared their skin off of their muscles.


    Alex himself was in an even worse state, as he had no skin left to burn, and the mes were starting to eat away at his muscle fibres bit by bit.


    But it wasn''t over yet.


    This was only the build-up to the true attack that Alex was preparing, and¡­


    BOOOOM!


    It finally reached its tipping point.


    All of the umted energy in Alex''s body ¡ª literally everyst bit of it, was unleashed at once, not in a mighty explosion like he would normally release, but in a roaring, ming shockwave that spread out in all directions and burned every tree in a 1 kilometre radius to a crisp.


    As for what was left of the monkeys, well¡­ there wasn''t anything left.


    Except for a few shining beast cores that had luckily been scattered around the area when the beast''s bodies had been vaporised.


    It seemed these little rocks of energy were quite resilient, as Alex''s attack didn''t even leave a scratch on them.


    As for Alex himself, he toppled over into the mounds of charcoal the moment his energy zeroed out, with all of his skin burned off and half of his muscles cooked to well done.


    If someone came over to look at him right now, they''d think a demon had just risen from the depths of hell.


    But he was still alive, and he was healing, but very, very slowly considering any energy he regenerated was immediately siphoned off to his most damaged areas.


    ***


    "What the fuck just happened??" Carter shouted as he ripped open the ps of his tent and stormed outside.


    He was the leader of the mercenaries hired by the Count to look for the beast that had been causing trouble for Evermoor city over thest few weeks.


    One second he was sleeping peacefully in his tent, then the next moment he was thrown around like a ragdoll and a loud bang had nearly burst his eardrums.


    As he exited his tent, every other mercenary in the corps had the exact same look of shock and bewilderment as him.


    Nobody knew what was going on, and it was his job as their leader to find out.


    "Mike, you and jones were the only ones on watch duty tonight. Care to exin what the fuck exactly happened?" Carter immediately went over to one of the two people who had actually been awake.


    He and Jones were the most likely person to have witnessed what happened personally, as every other mercenary was cooped up in their tents fast asleep.


    "Was there an attack?? An explosion?? Did you two cause all this mess???" Carter burst out at Mike, berating him even more as his questions continued.


    But this whole time, Mike just sat there with a distant look on his face, like he had no idea Carter was even speaking to him and he had been daydreaming this whole time.


    Whack! N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was only after Carter delivered a loud p to Mike''s cheek that he was forcibly brought out of his reverie.


    "Focus god dammit!" Carter barked.


    "Uh-Uhhh¡­ T-The¡­" Mike struggled to get his words out.


    But the terrifying look on Carter''s face made him rpose himself.


    "T-there was this bright light all of a sudden, like the sun had just risen, and then a few secondster the lightpletely disappeared like it was never there! And then after that, the trees started shaking, then boom! The whole camp was suddenly messed up like some explosion was set off in the distance and we were feeling the aftershocks of it!" Mike recounted all that he could remember to Carter.


    The whole ordeal had only taken ce in less than 10 seconds, so he couldn''tpute much of what was happening at the time as the weird phenomena just kept oning until that final shockwave.


    "Which direction did you see the light rise from?" After Carter had learned the general ount from Mike, next on his agenda was to investigate the source of this shockwave directly.


    ''This is our closest lead to finding the beast!'' He thought.


    "Over there."


    But the direction Mike pointed in just happened to be the same direction where Alex was currently lying in a pile of ash, unconscious¡­

 Chapter 121 Heartache

    Chapter 121 Heartache


    ''Ughh, this shit again.''


    Alex felt his consciousnesse back to him and a feeling of Deja vu came over him, as he had experienced this exact situation too many times by this point.


    ''Well, the upside is that I''m still alive.''


    However, although he was alive, he couldn''t move a muscle.


    Nor could he see, hear, touch etc¡­


    His body was so severely damaged that all five of his main senses had been lost.


    In fact, he was only aware that he even had a physical body left because he had activated his spatial perception to observe his surroundings for a moment, before it was forcibly cut off a momentter due to ack of energy.


    To give an exnation to what Alex had done to get himself in this situation, it was actually rather simple.


    Just like every other time he activated his Phoenix fury technique andbined its use with his me talent, he felt his body well up with mes and his strength increase etc.


    But, all of those previous times he let the fire surrounding his body increase in ferocity and temperature all the way until it reached a point where his instincts told him it would be dangerous to continue any further.


    And that was how his unique power up technique worked.


    But on this asion, he ignored those instincts telling him not to go any further and let the mes run rampant.


    After all, the mes still weren''t under his control ¡ª he was a long way from reaching that point.


    And because of this, those same mes started to eat away at his own body as his body wasn''t strong enough to bear the pressure this technique was putting on him.


    How did Alex know this was going to work?


    The simple answer was he didn''t.


    Well, he was certain there was a 50% chance on whether it worked, or he died.


    This certainty came from the fact that his energy reserves were down to a meagre 30% of their original capacity.


    His teleportation alone had drained 50% of that energy.


    But Alex knew that even though he couldn''t stop his mes from running rampant when he went past that threshold, there was one thing that could.


    Ack of energy.


    He was lucky enough that this self created technique used quite a lot of energy even before he did something as stupid and daring as this.


    And when he had no more energy to give, those mes couldn''t sustain themselves any longer and boom!


    ''Please please please please please!''


    Internally, Alex was hoping, praying, doing whatever it takes to bring luck to his side.


    His injuries would be too serious for even the most expensive and advanced of medicines to heal in the Primordial Expanse.


    Sure, he could fully recover if he made it back to his own universe, but that was only an option to consider in the worst case.


    What Alex was hoping for was to have gotten at least one Soul orb from all those beasts he had killed.


    Just one Mutant ss E rank orb could heal him back to normal in minutes. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Such a thing was easy for the most sought after energy resource in the universe!


    The only downside was that all of that energy would go to healing him, so he''d get practically no progress towards the next rank from it.


    But that was the price to pay if he wanted to actually function like a normal human being again.


    ''Yes!!!''


    And just as he was hoping for it, he found what he needed.


    But then again, he''d have to be one unlucky guy to not even get one orb from killing 32 Mutant beasts.


    Without a second to think about it, Alex summoned and absorbed the Soul orb the moment his eyes caught onto it.


    Instantly, he felt some senses slowly start toe back to him as his body already started to repair itself.


    "Men, spread out and search the area. I want you to tell me about anything you find that seems abnormal or out of ce. I don''t care how minor it seems, just report it."


    Just as Alex felt his hearinge back to him, he heard a loud andmanding voice reverberate through the area and the mour of what sounded like over fifty men rushing around.


    ''Shit, I should have known my actions here wouldn''t have gone unnoticed. I''m lucky to be buried under all this ash otherwise they''d have found me already.''


    Alex still needed another few minutes to fully recover, so he could only lie silently in wait and hope that nobody found him during this time.


    "Boss, we found some beast cores just lying about in the ash! From what we counted, there were over 11 of them so far ¡ª there is a high probability that there are more buried underneath this ash!"


    ''Fuck! These fuckers are stealing my loot! All my precious money, noooo!''


    Alex felt his emotions rile up as he heard the excitement andughter of the mercenaries above ravaging through the spoils of Alex''s efforts.


    ''They better pray they don''t absorb any of them, or they''re dead meat.''


    Of course, Alex had no intention of letting them go scot free with what rightfully belonged to him.


    He just had to recover to his full strength first¡­


    "Oh shit! Boss, I think I found a body over here!"


    ''Oh great, they just had to go digging around for MY LOOT, and now they''re going to find me before I fully recover.''


    ''Screw it!''


    Alex wanted to be conservative with his Soul orbs, but if he wanted to recover even faster, faster than they could uncover his body, then he had no choice but to absorb more.


    Opening his inventory again, he got a good look at what he gained this time and was delighted to find over 18 Soul orbs sitting there peacefully!


    He had no time to inspect them closely and simply chose the smallest one of the bunch.


    Even in this time crunch, his heart couldn''t take it if he lost all of the energy of a D rank soul orb to simply heal his wounds¡­


    After absorbing the Soul orb, Alex just waited.


    And soon enough, light from some makeshift torches reached his eyes once again as the ash covering his body was removed.


    "This guy''s still alive!"

 Chapter 122 Just a hunter

    Chapter 122 Just a hunter


    ''Shit!''


    This was the only thought in Alex''s head as hey still in the shallow hole, staring right at the group of mercenaries confusedly observing his body.


    "Hi¡­"


    He let out an awkward greeting to break the ice between the two parties, which only led to further confusion among the mercenaries.


    Alex had only just absorbed the second soul orb just moments prior to being found, so he had to do his best to buy himself some time before these mercenaries found out what happened here.


    But then again, with their level of deductive reasoning, Alex doubted they''d even consider him to be a part of what happened here¡­


    Aside from that, all Alex needed to do was buy himself a minute at most topletely heal his injuries, and then another minute on top of that for his energy to refill.


    "Who are you? And how on earth are you still alive?" Carter was the first to wake up from his stupor, and he immediately started asking questions.


    Alex''s thoughts ran wild through his mind as he did his best toe up with a usible exnation that these men would believe.


    "I''m a hunter, I came to these woods to hunt! Then the next thing I know, there was a loud bang and that was all I could remember before I woke up in this hole. Ughh, thank you so much for digging me out, I can''t imagine what would have happened to me if you didn''t find me in time!"


    Alex pushed his acting skills to the maximum, giving them the first-long exnation he could think of.


    But it seemed the mercenaries actually believed his story, as their faces started to be a little less weary and were reced with pity as they looked at Alex.


    Like he said, if his story were true then he''d have likely ended up suffocating to death if they hadn''t found him, at least ording to his story.


    Of course Alex didn''t mention that he was a Mutant ss E tier awakened, or his story wouldn''t make any sense at all.


    However, while most of the mercenaries had already been convinced, their leader Carter still wore a frown on his face.


    "You''re a hunter? Hunting out here¡­ at midnight?" Carter questioned him further.


    ''Fuck, I forgot what time it was.''


    But Alex with his quick thinking mind managed to spur up a response in no time.


    "Of course, don''t you know most of the beasts in this forest are nocturnal? If I went out hunting during the day, I''d end up going back home without a single kill to my name¡­"


    Alexpletely made this up.


    He had absolutely no idea what types of beasts roamed these forests apart from that pack of monkey beasts he had taken out.


    But taking the fact that these men were mercenaries into ount, he was hoping that they wouldn''t have much knowledge in hunting, which he was confident about from theirck of progress in finding the monkey beasts.


    Mercenaries were warriors for hire, and most jobs they took on were simple like protecting a merchant''s caravan from attacks, acting as a police force etc.


    It was very rare that they get hired to do something like tracking down a beast in a forest as huge as this one.


    Doing that was like asking them to find a needle in a haystack.


    ''Now that I think about it, it is kinda weird that the Count hired mercenaries to do the job, rather than actual hunters or at least adventurers who had more experience in tracking down beasts.''


    Alex grew a little concerned at first, but those emotions quickly died down the more he thought about it.


    ''Nah, the reports said that the monkeys had already taken many victims, many of which were hunters. Maybe all of the hunters and adventurers the Count would have hired have already been killed by the very things they were supposed to track down!''


    Barely half a second had passed for Alex to process these thoughts, and he had kept a close eye on the reactions of the mercenaries, in particr their leader, Carter. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If they didn''t buy his story of being a hunter, then he''d have to buy himself some time another way.


    ''Wow, these guys must be on the nicer side of the mercenaries I''vee across in this godforsaken realm. I guess I''ll spare their lives for taking my loot ¡ª I''ll just take a finger or two off of anyone I see with a beast core.''


    He could tell that Carter was a D- rank, but he didn''t know if he was a Mutant ss or not.


    If Alex were in his peak form, then he wouldn''t have much of an issue in killing Carter, it would just take some time with all of the other mercenaries interfering.


    But with the way he was now, he''d stand no chance.


    "Well alright then, your story checks out. Men, fetch some gauzes and the rest of the medical supplies and help our lucky friend here out of this hole! Come on, chop chop! We still have some more digging to do!"


    Carter shouted out some orders, thankfully he bought Alex''s makeshift story and even ordered his men to help Alex out and dress his wounds.


    ''Wow, these guys must be on the nicer side of the mercenaries I''vee across in this godforsaken realm. I guess I''ll spare their lives for taking my loot ¡ª I''ll just take a finger or two off of anyone I see with a beast core.''


    "Thank you so much!" Alex thanked Carter enthusiastically, but he had already left the area by that point to go find a spot to dig as well.


    ''These guys sure love money. Though I guess that makes sense considering the only reason they''re out here is because the Count is paying them handsomely. I wonder what their reactions would be if they found out the beast cores they ''found'' are actually Mutant ss.''


    A few mercenaries moved Alex''s body over to somewhere more sanitary and safe and started to prepare his arms, legs, head etc for the dressing of his wounds.


    But¡­


    "Hey, I swear your body was half burned to a crisp just 20 seconds ago¡­" One of the younger, schrly looking mercenaries spoke up when he was prepping Alex''s body.


    Hearing this, Alex could only sigh.


    "Hah, I''m sorry about this, kid."


    Whack!


    He knocked the boy with a swipe to the back of his neck, and he was passed out before he even hit the ground.

 Chapter 123 Caught

    Chapter 123 Caught


    "H-hey, what are you doing!?"


    The other mercenary who was apanying the boy who Alex just knocked out asked, Alex''s swift movements were clearly too fast for him to follow so he became nervous. His legs were shaking and he was stuttering.


    "I''m sorry about this as well."


    Alex just repeated his apologies to this guy as well, and he couldn''t even react when Alex''s hand came chopping down on his neck too, sending him into a deep sleep on the ground with the previous kid.


    Alex''s actions had been so quick that nobody had taken any notice of what had happened yet, as everyone was too preupied with digging up holes everywhere looking for Alex''s loot.


    He was fully healed by this point, but his energy was filling up slower than expected.


    Alex only had a few seconds before someone would notice something was wrong, so he had to think fast.


    ''Fuck!''


    Alex felt like punching himself in his stomach for this decision, but he took out a third Soul orb, this one being a little bit bigger than thest.


    He checked what rank it was this time, and as expected it was an E rank soul orb.


    A tear ran down Alex''s cheek as he took it out of his inventory, and immediately started absorbing it.


    But he was reminded instantly of the sudden nerf the system had given to him just for upgrading his soul core to E tier.


    The process of absorbing beast cores and soul orbs had be far too slow to be effective.


    He only had a few seconds to spare, not a few hours!


    ''Why does everything have to be so painful¡­''


    In the end, Alex was forced to do something that would only bring him more pain.


    He focused his entire willpower on the dim soul orb in his hand and immediately forced the energy into his body, ignoring any pain or warning signs his body was giving off, begging him to stop the process.


    ''I am sorry my precious body but it needs to be done!''


    Eventually, he couldn''t take it anymore and was forced to stop after 60% of the soul orb had been absorbed, otherwise he would have risked permanently damaging not only his body, but his soul too.


    He felt like his soul was getting ripped apart but his teeth clenched and he suppressed any urges to cry out and howl all of his grievances into the sky.


    Eventually, he couldn''t take it anymore and was forced to stop after 60% of the soul orb had been absorbed, otherwise he would have risked permanently damaging not only his body, but his soul too.


    Thankfully, his energy reserves were pushed right back up to 95% full, and his progress towards E+ rank had even gone up by 7%!


    It was around the same time that Mike, who happened to be one of Carter''s deputies, noticed that Alex was standing upright, looking like he had juste back from a refreshing bath rather than the brink of death.


    ''What the-''


    However, rm bells started ringing in his mind when he saw the bodies of the two mercenaries lying down beside him. He could see they were still breathing, but the scene still didn''t look good.


    "Men, get to battle formation!" Mike shouted at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of every mercenary and putting a temporary stop to the sounds of constant digging.


    "Mike, what the hell are you doi-" Carter started to question Mike''s judgement immediately, but Mike didn''t say a thing and just pointed towards Alex.


    "What?"


    Carter had the same reaction as Mike at first, but he immediately jumped out of his hole andnded a couple metres away from Alex.


    His gaze could scare an ordinary person into pissing themselves.


    He looked like an angry predator that had been backstabbed by itspatriots.


    "Exin yourself immediately."


    Alex looked at the pitch ck sky and cleared his throat.


    "I''d like all of you to kindly ce my loot in a pile in front of me. All 25 of them are to be returned, and all of you get to keep your fingers in exchange." Alex returned the gaze back to Carter and didn''t flinch a bit.


    He had faced far scarier opponents before ¡ª Carter was nothingpared to those.


    The mercenaries looked around at each other in shock. None of them were terrified, but they were shocked that someone would speak so boldly and brazenly to their boss. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Especially when they outnumbered him 50 to 1.


    "What loot?" Mike asked from the side, looking just as confused as he was before all of this started.


    Alex, on the other hand, just activated his spatial perception and a brilliant idea came to his mind.


    He started to reach down to the ground, but his quick movements startled the mercenaries, especially Carter.


    Realising this, he slowly reached into the ground, and dug deep inside.


    "Oh, I''m sure most of you have realised it already. What else could you have been digging around for this whole time?"


    It was from this sentence that Carter and the rest finally realised what Alex was talking about.


    But this only made themugh.


    "You mean to tell me that ALL of these beast cores are yours? Puha! Come on, don''t be so ridiculous. You were just lucky to havee across a group of beasts fighting and were lucky enough to survive their final explosive attack. Don''t joke around with us!"


    Mike seemed unconvinced by Alex''s argument.


    But when Alex released the full pressure of his aura, his mind was quickly changed.


    ''Mutant ss!''


    For the first time, it was Carter''s turn to be surprised.


    It wasn''t public knowledge, but the only way to be a Mutant ss in Evermoor city was to submit your loyalty to the Count and sign a soul contract.


    Either that, or venture out to kill and collect enough Mutant ss beast cores yourself.


    But the second option was magnitudes harder.


    And Carter knew for a fact that Alex wasn''t working for the Count, as he himself was actually secretly working for the Count just like every other Mutant ss in the city, and he knew the face and name of every one of them.


    Which meant that Alex wasn''t from Evermoor city!


    ''Wait, is he the guy the Count warned us about!?''

 Chapter 124 Warning

    Chapter 124 Warning


    ''Don''t tell me this is the guy the Count warned us about¡­''


    Carter slowly started to be more nervous when he considered this question.


    On the other side, Alex just gazed across the entire crowd of unmoving mercenaries,pletely unaware of Carter''s thoughts.


    His energy had already recoveredpletely to 100% by this point.


    "Well then, it seems like none of you are willing to return what is rightfully mine. For that, I can only say that what happens next is your own fault." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Alex announced then shook his head.


    The moment thest word left his mouth, he immediately made his move.


    His first target was Carter, who happened to be the strongest person out of this bunch of mercenaries.


    His Mutant ss D- rank strength would prove to be a decent challenge for Alex to ovee.


    Yes, only a challenge.


    Alex didn''t actually view Carter as a threat at all.


    "You leave me no choice." Alex spoke to the man, but Carter didn''t look like he was in any mood to listen.


    Swoosh!


    Alex''s sword drew a heavy arc across the air, scaring away any brave mercenaries who wanted to step in and intervene with Alex''s fight against Carter.


    It''s zing glory proving to be quite the effective deterrent.


    A secondter, Carter appeared at another spot in the clearing.


    Deep red blood sttered on the ground.


    When his bloodshot eyes spotted Alex''s, a menacing light shed across them.


    With that one swing from his sword, Alex had cut off Carter''s thumb. Even worse was that it was his right hand''s thumb ¡ª his dominant hand.


    Carter''s grip on his sword immediately loosened, and he couldn''t hold it right without a thumb to support it. He was forced to switch it to his non-dominant hand.


    Without wasting a single second, the enraged Carter shouted some incoherent grunts and rushed forward to attack.


    Alex swiftly sidestepped, dodging the sword, and then kicked forwards, removing Carter from his rampaging path. Simultaneously, Alex''s sword shed in the air andnded a mind numbing blow on the back of Carter''s neck.


    His huge sword, over double the length of Alex''s, shot forward with a terrifying speed, tearing the air in its path.


    Alex swiftly sidestepped, dodging the sword, and then kicked forwards, removing Carter from his rampaging path. Simultaneously, Alex''s sword shed in the air andnded a mind numbing blow on the back of Carter''s neck.


    Thud!


    He hit the ground not a secondter,pletely unconscious from Alex''s previous attack.


    "Oh man, you really made this whole thing a lot easier for me by going all blood frenzy mode on me!" Alex made some sarcastic and joking remarks about Carter while casually wiping down his sword using Carter''s clothes, removing any blood or dirt that still lingered.


    The moment this scene urred in front of every one of the mercenaries'' eyes, Alex expected one thing to happen.


    For everyone of them to use their intelligence and see that they, even as a 50v1, were no match for Alex, and surrender themselves and Alex''s beast cores back to him.


    However, everyone just stood there, unmoving.


    That was the case at least, until one of the older men, clearly a veteran among this group, made the first move.


    But he wasn''t moving towards Alex, nor did his eyes even drift near to Alex.


    Instead, he held his hands behind his back the whole time, facing in Alex''s direction but staring at Carter''s body with a gaze that Alex couldn''t decipher.


    "What? Was he your lover or something?"


    Alex joked, making fun of the guy, but even that prompted no response.


    However at that moment he felt a spiking of energy in the air, one which didn''t seem natural.


    The source of the spiking energy just happened to coincidentally originate from the same direction the veteran was¡­


    ''What''s this¡­ wait!''


    "You fucker!" Alex shouted in a rage as he realised what was going on by now.


    ''He''s absorbing one of my beast cores!''


    Alex felt himself be welled up with anger and every other negative emotion as heunched off the ground.


    Before the veteran adventurer had time to react, Alex closed the distance between the two of them in less than a blink of an eye.


    "You shouldn''t have done that."


    Silence.


    The moment Alex spoke, all of the mour and light speaking from the other adventurers died down in an instant.


    Shing!


    Alex drew his sword back to himself and wiped it down once again.


    "Puh¡­ Puh¡­" The veteran tried to spit out a few words, but all that came were some noises and grunts.


    Thud!


    Shortly after that, his vision started fading to endless darkness, but not before he felt himself toppling to the ground.


    Alex hadn''t shown any mercy to this man ¡ª the moment he saw him so boldly take one of his beast cores and start absorbing it, he was practically a dead man already.


    This was only confirmed though the moment his head left his shoulders and rolled into the hole the man was previously digging.


    Mike felt his back drowning in a cold sweat. He looked towards the gruesome scene of the veteran''s still standing, headless body and couldn''t even catch his breath since the whole ordeal took ce before his eyes could even register what had happened.


    But it was like his brain instinctively knew, as the cold sweats appeared before Alex had even killed the man.


    It was like Mike was staring down a real predator, and he didn''t like what he was seeing.


    Step¡­


    Step¡­


    Mike slowly started to walk towards the centre of the clearing, where Alex happened to be.


    Alex of course noticed this change immediately, but he paid no notice to it and continued wiping down his sword.


    But when Mike finally came within stabbing distance, he looked up at him and met his eyes.


    Gulp!


    Mike couldn''t help but be afraid when he looked into the deep abyss of Alex''s eyes.


    "I-I surrender!"


    Pushing past his nerves, he stuttered out his surrender towards Alex as he passed him the two beast cores he had already collected, emptying the rest of his pockets as well to prove that he wasn''t hiding anything from Alex.


    "Thank you! Finally someone here with a brain, I''ll do you the favour of letting you keep all 10 of your fingers for being brave enough to step up first!"


    Alex announced loudly for all of the mercenaries to hear, and shooed Mike away when he was finished.


    Mike, naturally relieved, couldn''t stand staying here any longer and made a run for it out of the forest.


    He couldn''t care less what happened to hispatriots anymore.


    But Mike''s actions sparked a big movement, as every one of the remaining mercenaries started to walk towards Alex and offering their apologies and beast cores.

 Chapter 125 Lay low

    Chapter 125 Lay low


    A few hourster, Alex finally made it out of the forest after that tiring night he spent in there.


    The conclusion to the events with the mercenaries had been quite uneventful in the end.


    Everyone but Carter and that veteran turned out to be smart and obedient little puppies and surrendered themselves to Alex.


    Such a scene might be funny to any passer-by''s, if there were any, as the scene of 50 powerful, awakened men all submitting themselves to one lone teenager with looks of fear on their faces would make for quite the funny scene.


    Though of course, if they looked a little closer and saw the blood sttered randomly around, and the dead body on the ground, things would be much less funny.


    In the end, every mercenary gave Alex his beast cores back, but they had to give up one of their fingers in exchange for being so greedy in the first ce.


    At least Alex gave them the courtesy of choosing which finger they''d lose.


    As for Carter, for his act of trying to kill him, Alex lopped off his left hand entirely. This left the man with a right hand but no thumb, and no left hand at all.


    ''Serves you right, idiot.''


    Just thinking of the looks on the guard''s faces when they see 50 mercenaries returning back to the city with one missing finger each almost made Alex want to witness it personally.


    But he had to act in moderation at this point.


    The Count clearly already knew of Alex''s presence in the area, so security around the city would be ramped up quite a lot.


    ''I can lie low for a few days before I try anything. I can just disguise myself and bribe a merchant to let me in with them during the hustle and bustle of the morning period.''


    Right now, Alex had much more pressing things to attend to, which required his immediate attention.


    He knew already that the Count was a powerful Mutant D+ rank awakened, and he was probably like Alex ¡ª able to fight above his rank, so he maybe had C- rankbat strength.


    Meanwhile, Alex was a Mutant E rank, with around D rankbat power, slightly pushing D+ rank if he pulled off another suicidal move like the ming shockwave that rendered a 1 kilometre radius of the forest charcoal.


    So the solution was simple ¡ª Alex had to rank himself up to match the Count''sbat power.


    And, Alex just happened to have everything he needed for that.


    After using two (and a half¡­) of them, he still had 15 Mutant Soul orbs remaining.


    These ones weren''t the weakest of the batch like the previous three he had absorbed.


    No!


    The weakest of this lot was E+ rank! And there were only two of them!


    The rest were all D tier, with two of them being D rank, and the remaining 11 being D- rank.


    If this wasn''t enough to push Alex towards D tier, then who knows how he''d cope with ranking up so slowly in the future¡­


    ***


    "Did youplete the task?" A cold and deep voice asked.


    "Yes sir." Mike, the only mercenary who hadn''t lost a finger, answered.


    The Count leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. He drummed his fingers on the desk, considering his next move.


    "Do you think he fell for it? Do you think it worked?" The Count asked Mike again. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    On the other side of the study, Mike no longer looked as nervous as he did when facing Alex''s cold, unemotional stare.


    In front of the Count, he looked dignified.


    "I think the n worked wlessly sir, in fact it seems like he''s actually solved the problem of our nuisance beasts for us. All the while, he didn''t suspect a thing." Mike answered with absolute confidence in his tone.


    Naturally, the topic of the conversation revolved around Alex.


    "That''s good, your efforts have bought me a valuable few days of time. Thanks to you, the main n can go ahead without any interruption from such vermin like that Alex. In just a few more days, everything will be ready and we can begin action. Inform the other Barons and the Viscount as well."


    Mike nodded to the Count and exited the study, leaving the Count to think by himself.


    ''In the end, you''re still a child Alex. Such a simple scheme and yet you still fell for it. There never were any ns for me to venture out and take care of some pesky beasts. The fact that you even believed the words of those mercenaries I nted in the tavern proves just how na?ve you are.''


    With that, the Count stood up from his chair and tidied up his suit a little.


    ''It''s time to get started. Things are going to get a lot more busy in theing days.''


    ***


    ''One E+ rank soul core done. Time to check the progress.''


    Alex sat on a damp rock near a waterfall he had found, in deep thought and meditation.


    He had been holding a Soul orb in his left hand until just a moment ago.


    ''Let''s see here, I was on roughly 20% progress towards E+ rank thest time I checked.''


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge(Soul+)], [me(C-)], [Inferior teleportation(E-)]


    Trait: [Warrior]


    Trait description: [After learning about the truth of the world, you''ve started venturing upon this path yourself. You can now be considered a fletchling elite. You still have a long way to go, but you are already considered a part of the top 5%.]


    Trait effect: [Healing speed increased by 5%]


    Soul core: [E - 49%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 0%]


    Alex brought up his details and had no reaction to what he saw.


    His soul ssification had finallye back out of the negatives, but that was a given since he had absorbed so many Mutant soul orbs already.


    However his progress in his Soul core had gone up by 29%, 7 of this came from his partially absorbed soul orb which had sadly dissipated into thin air when he couldn''t keep up the absorption any longer, making him lose out on that 40% remaining energy inside of it.


    ''So I''ve gained 22% from that E+ rank soul orb¡­ Hmm I guess this might be good enough to take me to D- rank then!''

 Chapter 126 Count Desmond

    Chapter 126 Count Desmond


    "So close!"


    Alex eximed with nervousness.


    He had just finished absorbing the 14th Soul orb, one of the two D rank soul orbs.


    It had been 3 days since the whole ordeal with the mercenaries had ended, and other than eating and sleeping, Alex had spent that whole time focusing on absorbing all of his newly gained Soul orbs. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Right now, he was sitting at 77% progress through E+ rank, and with only 1 Soul orb remaining, he was cutting it quite close.


    ''I hope this one does the trick¡­''


    Unfortunately, when he reached E+ rank, the progress he gained towards the next level lessened with each Soul orb absorbed, which led him to this point.


    He looked at thest remaining D rank soul orb with his nerves feeling a little tense.


    If this didn''t give him thatst 23%, then he''d be stuck at E+ rank and whether he was able to fight on par with the Count would be entirely down to luck.


    ''My estimate of this lot of Soul orbs only pushing me to D- rank waspletely wrong ¡ª I might not even make it there in the end¡­''


    Of course, to anyone paying attention to Alex''s situation over the past few days, they would be right to point out the fact that he still had over 20 Mutant ss beast cores sitting in his storage space.


    However, Alex knew the difference between using beast cores and Soul orbs to push himself through the ranks, and it wasn''t small by any means.


    He had already made the mistake of absorbing beast cores in the past instead of Soul orbs, and it had cost him dearly in terms of potential strength.


    If Alex had been absorbing Soul orbs, and only soul orbs from the very beginning, then he''d probably be able to fight the Count while he was still at E+ rank.


    But he didn''t, so he''d have to make up for it in the long run.


    The moment he had learned that his Soul orbs were the most valuable energy resource in the universe, he had forgone any ideas of ever using a beast core to up his strength ever again.


    Alex sighed. It seemed that he was a bit impatient to reach D- rank so that he could fight the Count as soon as he could.


    Alex started doing some meditative exercises that he had read about online in the past when he was bored.


    ''I need to calm down, my judgement has already been impaired by my obsession with reaching D- rank, and if this keeps up, then I might even get too ahead of myself and die in the process.''


    Alex started doing some meditative exercises that he had read about online in the past when he was bored.


    Thankfully, it seemed they weren''t a total scam and his riled up emotions had settled 5 minutester.


    "Now I can start the process of absorbing the final orb."


    Alex looked at the luminescent red orb sitting in his palm, and didn''t hesitate any longer.


    ***


    "Men, stop the carriages! We''ve arrived."


    Count Desmond jumped off his horse, suited up in a glistening suit of armour, and ordered hisckeys.


    ''It''s almost time! The moment I be a Variant awaits!''


    Count Desmond thought to himself.


    He had been working towards this n ever since he had discovered that sacrificial exchange formation a few years ago.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t set it up inside Evermoor city as it was simply toorge and too popted with people and awakened from all over the ce.


    If he tried to do anything like, say, sacrifice a few tens of thousands of unawakened people, then his actions would never go unnoticed in such a city.


    This meant that he had to make a bunch of empty promises to a few lesser nobles, Barons to be exact.


    Bertram was one of these Barons, and he was stupid enough to believe that the count would ever give him the chance of bing a Variant too.


    No, that right was reserved only for himself and his son, the Viscount.


    "Mike, get over here."


    Nearby, Mike stopped talking to one of the guards immediately and rushed over to the Count.


    "Tell me the details of this town. I want to know its poption, how many awakened there are, and the names of the strongest people who live here."


    Count Desmond didn''t waste any time in giving orders to get what he wanted.


    He had spent thest 4 years waiting for this moment, and he wasn''t keen on waiting any longer.


    The longer he waited, the more likely that something could pop up andpletely spoil his years of effort.


    Something like a certain brat named Alex for example.


    It wouldn''t take Alex long to have figured out that the Count had tricked him into doing his own clean-up work while the Count himself had already set off for Monty town to officially start his n.


    "Uh- Ahem, there''s around 30,000 people living here, give or take a few hundred. As for the awakened, there are 551 of them in total, with 95% of them being F- rank awakened, who''ve been stuck at that rank for various reasons. The strongest person in this vige is Martha, the butcher. She currently sits at D+ rank, but she''s only an Ordinary ss. Bertram would have been the next strongest after her if he wasn''t dead. As for the rest, they''re mostly weak F+ or E- ranks and can be ignored."


    Mike cleared his throat and spilled everything he knew about Monty town, feeding the Count all of the information he wanted to know.


    If Alex were there, he would be shocked to find out that Martha was actually a D+ rank, as when he first met her and dealt with her, he only got a general feeling that she was F+ rank the whole time.


    Count Desmond also thought this too, as the reports Bertram and Kilian fed to him had all stated that she was at most an E- rank retired adventurer.


    ''It seems there''s something deeper going on in this town¡­ But it won''t matter, as they''ll all be dead in a day anyway.''


    Clearly Desmond knew something was up with this ce that he wasn''t aware of, but he seemed unconcerned with such things.

 Chapter 127 D- rank

    127 D- rank


    "All done!"


    Alex eximed with a relieved sigh as the days of constantly absorbing energy were over.


    Now, the most important thing had to be done and he had to check his details to see if he had sessfully reached D- rank or not.


    But before he could even think of the word ''Details'', a prompt shed in front of his eyes on its own.


    [Congrattions, You''ve sessfully upgraded your Soul Core to D tier! You must be surprised to see this message from the system, like receiving a birthday card from God himself! But you''re not so special, every being in the universe sees this message when they reach D tier.]


    Alex saw the message and his heart rate instantly elerated and adrenaline started pumping through his veins at record speed.


    But when he actually read the first few lines of the message, his excitement quickly turned into annoyance.


    However he suppressed any negative feelings for now and continued on.


    ''I always think it''s weird when the system says every ''being'', not every human.''


    [¡­ Now that you''re a D tier, there are a few things you should know. First off, the usual method of upgrading your soul core won''t work the same way anymore. There will be requirements you''ll have to meet now if you want to even move between the ranks, let alone upgrade yourself further towards C tier.]


    Alex skipped past the lines upon lines of useless text from the system, straight to the juicy bit of the message.


    He sighed, but he knew this wasing.


    Alex had already been told that in order to reach C tier, one needed to have control over an element.


    Notplete control, only a basic control over one. Using Alex as an example, basic control over the fire element would enable him to shoot mes from his fist, or put a basic me enchantment on his sword, but all without actually activating his me talent.


    But these requirements clearly weren''t easy, otherwise there would be C, B or even A ranks running around everywhere given enough time had passed.


    Which was probably why the system introduced these requirements in the first ce ¡ª there would be a huge power imbnce in the universe if it were so easy for people to be so strong.


    When he was young, Alex had seen live streamed footage of a rebellion against the federal government, the rebels took over a, killed all of the inhabitants that didn''t agree with their ideals and staged a war against the federation using the stolen warships and technology.


    But in the end, this rebellion was quelled by one single man.


    The man just floated out in space and watched as the copsed in on itself.


    Alex didn''t know what he was even seeing at the time, neither did every other unawakened person.


    All the reports said the constant fighting and bombing the rebels had done on the had caused the core of the to copse.


    But for some reason the image of that man silently floating in space left a deep mark on 7 year old Alex''s mind, and he checked those records once again when he returned from the Primordial Expanse, except this time the reports were different.


    The stuff about bombs causing the to copse in on itself were all a lie.


    It turned out that the man who was so deeply ingrained in Alex''s mind was an A+ rank awakened at the time, and his specialty just happened to be Earth element attacks.


    What really happened to the was that the man destabilised the core himself.


    Now, that man is the President of the Federation, but back then he was just an unknown face.


    This memory was brought to light all of a sudden when Alex thought about the system''s reason for requirements to increase one''s strength further.


    If everyone could be as strong as the man in his memory and shatters while they watched from the space above, then civilization as a whole would be wiped out within days.


    Alex stopped letting his thoughts run wild and continued reading further.


    [These requirements will be set ording to your strength, and ssification. Meaning any Mutants, Variants etc won''t be able to cheat their way through them using brute force. And as I''m sure just like most of you who receive this message, you were hoping for a reward from the system when you saw the congrattory message at the start. Well, you''re in luck! A reward is given, but you''ll have to find out what it is yourself.]


    Alex was forced through a rollercoaster of emotions whenever he read one of these system messages. It seemed that whatever sadistic higher dimensional entity controlled this system loved to y with his emotions.


    It always left him with a cliff hanger!


    Of course, Alex was very interested in finding out what requirement the system had set for him to reach D rank.


    But he could find that outter, along with whatever reward the system had supposedly given him.


    Right now he had bigger things to focus on.


    Now that he had reached D- rank, he was ready to take on the Count, at least he had the confidence to, so he immediately set out for Evermoor city.


    He was only a few tens of kilometres away, and having gone up two whole ranks and even upgraded to the next tier, he could actually test out how fast he was now.


    ***


    30 secondster, Alex came to a stop.


    ''That''s a bit extreme¡­''


    He was already at the gates of Evermoor city¡­


    Just his jogging speed was over a kilometre a second now, and he hadn''t even been taking it seriously.


    That was supposed to just be a warmup¡­


    ''Whatever, I can give myself a proper test when I fight the Count. More importantly, why are the guards at this gate smiling at me so arrogantly?''


    Alex''s focus quickly shifted to the actions of the guards at the gate. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Forgetting the fact that they had been switched out from the ones he usually saw at this ce, he didn''t like their expressions.


    "You''re toote. The Count''s already started his n, hahaha!" And from behind the guards came Kilian, whose entrance was quite anticlimactic considering he was being pushed in a wheelchair by his female aplice.


    But Alex was too angry to focus on that.


    ''That fucker tricked me! He was ying me all along!''


    Now Alex knew what was really going on.

 Chapter 128 Against the clock

    128 Against the clock


    "Did you really think the Count would go out on an expedition to kill some lousy beast right before reaping the fruits of his n? You really are one naive kid, haha!" Kilian immediately started mocking Alex, as he knew that he had truly one upped him this time.


    Those moments of torture back in Bertram''s office all seemed worth it to him now just from seeing the look on Alex''s face.


    Alex took his sword and lit it ame, slowly moving it through the air, pointing it at every guard present.


    "I''ll give you all one chance. Whoever reveals the Count''s location to me first gets to live, while everyone else will die a slow, painful death bathed in mes."


    Alexpletely ignored what Kilian said and focused on the more pressing matter at hand ¡ª where on earth the Count was.


    But regardless of his threat, none of the people present came forward.


    They all stood in silence with smug smiles on their faces, like they had already won whatever showdown this was.


    However Alex wasn''t going to give up this easily.


    Choosing one of them at random, he shed his sword through the air, not even using his mes this time, and one of the older looking guard''s head was lopped off.


    With Alex''s current strength, the sheer force of a swing of his sword tore the air apart and carried this force on for dozens of metres before the effect dissipated.


    His choice of guard to kill first wasn''t at all random though. He had chosen one of the older looking guards for two reasons.


    Number one being that the older people get, especially people like these awakened guards who have higher willpower than normal, the more stubborn they be.


    The older ones were much more unlikely to tell him any info about the Count ¡ª they''d rathery down their lives than stop being so stubborn.


    Reason number two was to show that Alex wasn''t kidding about killing everyone there, and he used the old guard as an example to show to the younger and more inexperienced ones present that he meant business.


    They were much more likely to spill the beans on the Count.


    However before he could begin his second round of selections, Kilian spoke up from the rear once again.


    "There''s no use. You''re already toote, Count Desmond had already started his n nearly 18 hours ago. Within the next 6 hours, all of the residents of Monty town will be dead whether you like it or not, and the Count will achieve his goal of bing a Variant."


    Kilian bbered on and on about how superior the Count was to Alex, but Alexpletely filtered these words out. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He instead focused on one thing Kilian had just let slip.


    ''Monty town. The Count is in Monty town!''


    "Hahahah!" Out of nowhere Alex started to burst out in a maniacalughter, stunning and confusing all of the people present.


    In their eyes, Alex had already given up when he heard that he was toote, and had broken down.


    But Kilian felt like something was off.


    He knew Alex better than these people, and he knew that his mental willpower was way too strong to let something as minor as this break him down.


    ''Why is heughing?''


    Slowly, Kilian started to be more and more concerned as he heard Alex''sughter be louder and louder until it garnered the attention of everyone at the gates.


    The merchants, the mercenaries, the travellers. All of them turned to look in Alex''s direction as they wondered what the hell was going on.


    Soon after, Alex''sughter died down, and his expression turned into a condescending smile.


    "Ahh Kilian, you really are so arrogant aren''t you. Casually letting the name ''Monty town'' slip out in your act of trying to show off."


    Alex''s words made the guards start to sweat a little, as in truth none of them actually knew where the Count was located, only Kilian did.


    And Kilian had just so happened to have told Alex.


    "So what? Like I said, you''re toote anyway."


    However Kilian still yed the ''toote'' card, the unconcerned and confident look still sitting on his face.


    But inside, that strange feeling that something was wrong started to grow.


    "That''s where you''re wrong. You''re still thinking in the perspective that I''m an E rank, in which case you''d be right. But what if I wasn''t an E rank anymore? Haha."


    Now, Kilian''s feeling burst out and he couldn''t keep hisposure anymore. If what Alex was implying was true, then things had just taken a turn for the worst and Alex might really be able to make it back to Monty town on time.


    Behind his back, Kilian threw up a few hand signs towards the guards, while at the same time his femalepanion let go of his wheelchair and held her hand tightly behind her back, where her sword sat nicely in her waist belt.


    However what Kilian didn''t expect was that Alex saw through everything he had just set in motion.


    His Soul core wasn''t the only thing that upgraded when he absorbed all of those soul orbs.


    His spatial perception had also received a bountiful upgrade too.


    Now, his range was 50 metres.


    Everything within this 50 metre radius was revealed before his eyes.


    "From your reactions and how you''re desperately trying to coordinate an attack against me, I assume you were telling the truth about the Count being in Monty town, which means I already have all the information I need. You know what that means for you guys, don''t you¡­"


    Alex held his sword in front of him, his gaze looking over every guard and mercenary under the Count''smand.


    For just a split second, a very faint spark could be seen trying to light a me on Alex''s fingers, but Alex hadn''t noticed a thing.


    Nor had he activated his me talent yet¡­

 Chapter 129 Marthas gift

    129 Martha''s gift


    Shing!


    With a swing of his sword, every enemy in front of him was dead, leaving only Kilian sitting in his wheelchair looking deathly scared.


    ''That guy was a Mutant E+ rank, yet he killed him just as easily as everyone else. That means¡­''


    Kilian had deduced immediately the extent Alex''s strength reached now, and the realisation left him in horror.


    ''Considering his power, he might really have a chance to defeat the Count if he makes it on time¡­''


    Alex looked at Kilian and contemted. He remained silent longer than usual and it only left Kilian even more scared the longer he took.


    At some point, a yellow liquid started pooling underneath him¡­


    Then, Alex suddenly smiled and gazed off into the distance.


    Kilian looked in the same direction, following Alex''s gaze.


    But when he looked back, Alex was gone.


    Not only this, but so were his two remaining limbs¡­


    "AHHHH" He started screaming wildly as the pain struck him all at once, and what was even worse was that a small but undying me was lit underneath him, slowly roasting him alive.


    But he was powerless to even do anything about it ¡ª without any limbs or energy left in his body, he couldn''t even move himself.


    He was doomed to sit there and die an excruciating and painful death after hours of slowly being roasted¡­


    ***


    "Serves you right."


    Alex felt no remorse or guilt for doing that to Kilian, in fact, during the moment he feltpletely blissful.


    In his mind, he was doing the world a favour by ridding it of scum like him.


    He had just taken a few extra steps to make him suffer a more painful end.


    ''With my current speed, I should arrive in around 3 hours. That gives me another 3 hours to kill the Count and stop the process of summoning the Variant beast at all costs.''


    This was the fastest Alex had ever run, but he felt it was still inadequate. If his affinity for the space element wasn''t so shit, he could have gotten a talent better than his Inferior teleportation and teleported directly to Monty town, not having to waste 3 hours running over there.


    But he was doing the best he could with what he was given.


    Moving through the treacherous jungles, forests and wilnds, Alexpletely ignored any obstacles on his way and mowed down anything he couldn''t ignore.


    ***


    Nearly 3 hourster, Monty town.


    "You are quite strong considering you''re just an Ordinary ss. Tell me, who sent someone as talented as you to such a deste ce, and why."


    Count Desmond spoke to the exhausted and blood ridden Martha with a casual and curious smile on his face.


    While they may have both been D+ rank awakened, the difference between them was like heaven and Earth, simply due to the fact that Count Desmond was a Mutant ss.


    Nothing Martha did could prate his defences, and the fact that the Count''sbat power equalled that of a C- rank awakened made her situation even worse.


    "I¡­ Huff¡­ won''t tell you anything¡­" Martha responded to the Count while trying to catch her breath.


    ''So this is how I die. I''m sorry master but it seems I was inadequate in the end.'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Martha had already resigned herself to death, but her gaze remained firm and she still stood her ground against the Count like she hadn''t already suffered multiple broken bones and deep cuts all over her body.


    "You know, I really have to respect your mental fortitude, but nothing you can do will stop me frompleting my n. We''re just 3 hours away frompletion. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to keep you alive to watch this whole town perish. Maybe then you''ll have the smarts to tell me who sent you here."


    Martha fell to her knees and held her body up with her sword dug into the ground. She looked down, her hair falling to each side of her head, hiding her face from the Count''s view.


    ''Sigh, It seems like I have no choice but to use it.''


    "I see you''ve made your choice. Good, I was just-" Count Desmond walked over to her with a victorious smile on his face. Martha''s act of falling to her knees and lowering her head was amon action known across the Cavernous empire of admitting defeat.


    However, just as Count Desmond drew close to her, Martha suddenly sprang up from the ground with a renewed vigour and a wide smile on her face.


    "Even if I use this on you, I still wouldn''t be able to kill you. But I know this will be a tremendous help to a certain someone."


    20:49


    She held a small pendant in her hand, while Count Desmond looked on warily.


    But before he could finish Martha off, the pendant in her hand shattered to pieces and a mysterious force wafted out of it towards the Count.


    It wasn''t an attack, but its ominous energy still sent chills down his spine.


    Unfortunately for him though, he wasn''t able to avoid the energy at all and it entered his body with no obstructions.


    The Count held a concerned look on his face, but he didn''t feel any change the moment it fully entered his body.


    "Hah! I don''t know what tricks you just pulled, but it looks like your sorry attempt failed in the end-"


    His gloating came to a sudden stop when he felt something change within him.


    His energy started draining, and he felt himself be weaker and weaker until¡­


    Whoosh!


    A rush of wind flooded through the surroundings, originating from the Count''s direction.


    But this wasn''t wind at all, it was energy! Pure energy!


    ''M-my energy¡­ No! Tell me it''s not true!''


    Count Desmond desperately opened his details to look at the status of his soul core, but what he saw left him filled with rage.


    Soul Core(Weakened - 6 hours until healed): [D - 99%]


    "You bitch! I''ll kill you!"


    With a blood filled rage, Count Desmondunched himself towards Martha, sword in hand.


    She paled as his sword drove deep into her heart, the pain sending her body into shock.


    But a smile returned to her face as she looked off into the distance behind the Count, seeing a faint silhouette that felt all too familiar to her.


    ''I hope you make good use of this gift, Alex.''


    A short momentter, she was drained of herst remaining light of life.


    Martha had died.

 Chapter 130 Arrival

    130 Arrival


    "I can see Monty town!"


    After nearly 3 hours of constant running, Alex finally came close enough to see the outline of Monty town, and he didn''t like what he was seeing.


    Smoke was rising from all over the town and fires encapsted half of the town.


    ''I can''t be toote, the Count needs living people toplete the sacrifice. This damage to the town has to be superficial. I still have another 3 hours before the sacrifice takes ce.''


    However while Alex was thinking, he spotted some battles off into the distance, causing carnage amidst the town.


    "Is that¡­"


    Alex immediately seemed to have recognised one of thebatants fighting, but he almost couldn''t believe his eyes.


    If he was seeing things correctly, then Martha was currently ensued in a battle with the Count, but what didn''t make sense was the fact that the Count seemed to be injured somehow.


    ''This can''t be right.''


    Alex refused to ept what he was seeing unless he got a closer look.


    But when he moved closer, things quickly became clear.


    ''No!''


    He watched as the Count drove his sword through her heart, and the life left her eyes soon after.


    But in herst moment she smiled, however Alex had a strange feeling that she was smiling at him for some reason.


    She wasn''t looking at the Count, and she had no reason to smile at the very man who killed her, so the only exnation that made sense was that she was signalling something to Alex.


    But he couldn''t get there in time.


    Soon after, he reached the periphery of the town, and not wanting to make his presence known, he snuck his way in.


    Alex moved swiftly through the ruined Monty town, his heart heavy with sorrow and his resolve to kill the Count unwavering.


    He approached one of the entrances to the centre of the town, where multiple people from the Count''s forces were waiting, stopping anyone from leaving.


    ''This is where he''s keeping all of the citizens hostage.''


    Now that he knew where the tens of thousands of people were being kept, a n started to form in his mind.


    At each entrance, he inspected the level of the individuals guarding and found that none of them went above D- rank.


    ''So the Count''s keeping the people in the town centre while he sends his forces to set up the formation around the town. I don''t have much knowledge regarding the subject, but I can imagine that a formation to sacrifice tens of thousands of people would be quite big, like covering the whole town big.''


    With this information in mind, Alex finally had aplete n of action.


    First, he would use his element of surprise to take out as many of the henchmen guarding the town centre as he could, and then he''d free as many of the citizens as he could before the Count notices what''s happened.


    Creeping up on the first set of guards, he counted there to be 4 of them. With a single, precise blow, he sent each one of them to the afterlife, their lifeless bodies falling to the ground.


    Alex felt nothing from their deaths. If they were willing to participate in the genocide of tens of thousands of innocent people, then they deserved to die.


    As he moved through the town, he encountered more and more groups of guards, and repeated the same process with each one of them.


    Each one looked in shock as Alex approached them, their eyes widening in fear as his sword separated their heads from their bodies before they could even form a thought.


    Alex spared no words for these people as he delivered swift and deadly justice. One by one he ended their lives.


    At one point, Alex came across a single guard who he couldn''t kill instantly like the others.


    The man was Count Desmond''s second inmand.


    "I don''t know how you made it here so quickly, but you won''t be able to stop us. We''re only 2 and a half hours away frompletion, and you won''t even make it past me, let alone my father."


    The man, a long haired, blonde hunk of meat, spoke to Alex with a criminal smile stered across his face.


    Alex knew instantly that he was a Mutant ss D rank awakened, but he wasn''t worried at all, considering that he himself had also be a D tier awakened.


    And he would use the fact that the enemy doesn''t know this fact against them.


    However, his mind immediately went back to thest words the man spoke.


    ''His father? Is this guy the Count''s son?''


    Alex smiled when he heard this. He could use this fact to his advantage.


    He already knew that the Count would never promise the other nobles a chance to be Variants too.


    But his son was an exception to this.


    "You and your father nned everything perfectly. Everything would go in your way and by this time tomorrow, you''d both be powerful Variants."


    Alex looked straight into the man''s eyes, producing a snark smile, and continued. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "But you made one simple mistake. You didn''t ount for me."


    The moment thest word left his mouth, he immediately took action.


    ''It''s time to test out mybat power!''


    Viscount Lucien, the Count''s son, smiled, his voice dripping with arrogance. "So, you''re the one causing all this trouble. I''ve been looking forward to meeting you. It''s unfortunate that we''re meeting in such a time squeeze though."


    Alex didn''t waste time on words. He drew his sword, the de gleaming under the sunlight. He had no time for a prolonged battle. He had to finish this quickly.


    With a swift action, he activated his Phoenix fury technique, feeling the surge of power as the fire element infused into his body.


    mes erupted around him, engulfing himself and his sword in a zing inferno. The heat radiated off him in waves, the ground beneath his feat scorched by the sheer intensity.


    Lucien''s eyes widened slightly, but his smirk remained.


    "Impressive."

 Chapter 131 Blood fuelled rage

    131 Blood fuelled rage


    Lucianughed, a dark, mocking sound that echoed through the hall. He drew his sword, a wicked de that glinted in the dim light.


    "You''ll try, but you''ll fail. Just like all the others."


    The clock was ticking. Alex had 2.5 hours to save 30,000 lives. He couldn''t afford to waste any time. With a deep breath, he activated his Phoenix Fury technique, feeling the power surge through him. His body glowed with a fiery aura, the mes of his talent enhancing his strength and speed. His sword ignited, the de wreathed in intense mes.


    With a burst of speed, Alex lunged at Lucian, his me-imbued sword slicing through the air. Lucian barely had time to react, parrying the strike with his own de. The force of the impact sent sparks flying, the sound of shing steel reverberating through the hall.


    Lucian countered with a flurry of attacks, his de moving with deadly precision. Alex deflected each strike, his movements fluid and controlled. The mes surrounding his sword burned brighter, the heat intensifying with each sh.


    Alex pressed the attack, his fiery strikes relentless. Lucian was strong, but Alex''s determination drove him forward. He couldn''t afford to lose, not with so many lives at stake. He channelled more of his fire talent, the mes licking at his skin but not burning him, instead fuelling his power.


    "You''re strong, but you can''t win."


    Lucian continued taunting Alex, his arrogance not waning one bit.


    Alex ignored the taunt, focusing on the rhythm of the fight. He ducked under a sweeping strike, retaliating with a powerful upward sh that Lucian barely blocked. The mes from Alex''s sword scorched Lucian''s arm, eliciting a hiss of pain.


    Lucian''s eyes narrowed, and he unleashed a wave of dark energy, the force of it mming into Alex and knocking him back. Alex staggered but quickly regained his footing, the fire within him burning hotter in response to the challenge.


    "You underestimate me. And that will be your downfall."


    He charged again, this time faster and more aggressive. His sword moved like a blur, each strike aimed with lethal intent. Lucian struggled to keep up, his defence faltering under the relentless assault.


    The heat in the hall grew oppressive, the mes from Alex''s sword creating an inferno around them. Lucian''s face was twisted in a snarl, his confidence waning as he realised the true extent of Alex''s power.


    "Damn you! You''ve been hiding your power all this time!"


    Lucian summoned more dark energy, trying to push Alex back, but Alex was relentless. He broke through Lucian''s defences, his ming sword cutting deep into Lucian''s side. Lucian cried out in pain, stumbling back as blood flowed from the wound.


    "Think what you like, it won''t matter. In the end, you''ll die, your father will die, everyone involved in this horrible plot will die."


    With a final, decisive strike, Alex plunged his sword into Lucian''s chest, the mes consuming him from the inside out. Lucian''s eyes widened in shock and agony before the fire engulfed himpletely, leaving nothing but ash.


    Alex pulled his sword free, the mes dissipating as he took a moment to catch his breath. He had won, but there was no time to celebrate. The clock was still ticking, and he had to save Monty town.


    He turned and sprinted out of the alleyway, his mind focused on stopping the Count. The Count would be his biggest challenge yet, but the lives of 30,000 people depended on him.


    The night time air was cool against his heated skin as he ran, his thoughts racing. He had to be smart, had to be fast. Every second counted. He pushed himself harder, thendscape blurring as he sped towards his destination.


    As he neared the Count''s location, he could see the signs of the impending formation. Dark figures moved in the shadows, preparing for the sacrifice. Alex''s heart pounded in his chest, the urgency of his mission driving him forward.


    He burst into the town square, his sword ready. The Count''s men turned, their eyes widening in surprise and fear at the sight of the fiery warrior before them. Alex didn''t hesitate. He charged into the fray, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision.


    They were no match for him. He moved like a force of nature, his mes burning away their attacks. They fell before him, one after another, their screams echoing in the night.


    Alex fought his way to the centre of the formation, where the head guard stood with his brows furrowed, oblivious to the chaos around him. With that nuisance taken down, Alex dashed into the centre of the town.


    "Leave now! All of you, run as far away from the town as you can! I''ll deal with the Count, but ignore whatever he said to you. He was never nning on letting you live, he''s going to sacrifice every single one of you if you stick around here!"


    As the townspeople emerged from their homes, their faces filled with gratitude and relief, Alex allowed himself a moment of respite. But he gave each one of them a stern look as he roared his orders again.


    In the next 10 minutes, the 30,000 people dwindled down to under 15,000. Over half of the people huddled into the town centre had already run outside the walls of the town and continued running madly into the distance.


    "Stop you fucker!"


    Thud!


    A booming voiceshed out throughout the square as the Count made his entrance.


    No words needed to be exchanged as the Count immediatelyunched himself towards Alex in a blood fueled rage.


    "Can''t summon your precious Variant ss beasts if you don''t have any people to sacrifice!"


    Alex assumed the role Lucien took against him in his previous fight, taunting the Count as he took his still zing sword and blocked the iing attack.


    "You won''t stop me! I can still summon one beast! My son will just have to make do without being a Variant for the time being."


    However, Alex let out a chuckle when he heard this.


    "I''m afraid your son has already been dealt with." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 132 The Counts fury

    132 The Count''s fury


    "What did you do to my son!?"


    The Count''s voice boomed across the square as heunched himself at Alex in an enraged fury. His dark de swung with deadly intent, slicing through the air towards Alex''s head. Alex barely managed to parry, his fiery sword meeting Desmond''s with a shower of sparks.


    The impact jarred Alex''s arm, but he pushed back with all his strength. The two men locked eyes, hatred zing in both. Desmond''s face twisted in fury, and he forced Alex back a step. "You''ll pay for that!" the Count snarled, his voice dripping with venom. Alex swung his sword in a wide arc, mes licking at Desmond''s armour. The Count dodged, his movements quick and precise. He retaliated with a series of rapid strikes, each one aimed to maim or kill. Alex blocked and countered, his fiery sword leaving trails of burning air.


    Desmond''s attacks were relentless. He was stronger than Alex had anticipated, and each blow carried the weight of his rage and sorrow. Alex could feel the heat of his own mes intensifying, the power of his Phoenix Fury technique driving him forward. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You think you can stop me?" Desmond roared, his de crackling with dark energy. "I''ve faced worse than you!"


    Their swords shed again, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the square. Onlookers, too slow to flee, were thrown back by the sheer power of the sh. Buildings trembled, windows shattered, and debris rained down around them.


    Alex grit his teeth, focusing on the fight. He couldn''t afford to be distracted, not with so much at stake. He pushed Desmond back, his ming sword a blur of motion. Each strike was aimed with lethal intent, but the Count''s defences were formidable.


    "You won''t win," Alex growled, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. "You''re out of time."


    Desmondughed, a harsh, grating sound. "You think you''ve won? You''re a fool!"


    The Count unleashed a wave of dark energy, the force of it mming into Alex and knocking him back. Alex rolled with the impact,ing to his feet just in time to deflect another strike. Desmond was on him in an instant, his attacks fierce and unrelenting.


    They traded blows, each one more brutal than thest. Alex could feel the strain of the fight, his muscles burning with effort. But he couldn''t afford to slow down. He had to keep pushing, had to find a way to end this.


    Desmond''s eyes gleamed with malice. "You think you''re a hero? You''re nothing!"


    Alex ignored the taunt, focusing on the rhythm of the fight. He ducked under a sweeping strike, retaliating with a powerful upward sh that seared the Count''s arm. Desmond hissed in pain but didn''t falter. He countered with a vicious thrust, aiming for Alex''s heart.


    Alex twisted, the de grazing his side. Pain red, but he pushed through it, his own sword shing across Desmond''s chest. Blood sprayed, and the Count stumbled back, his face contorted in rage and pain.


    "You''ll pay for that!" Desmond bellowed, his voice echoing through the square.


    ''Damn that bitch Martha, if it weren''t for her, my power wouldn''t have been so weak!''


    What Alex didn''t realise was that the Count''sbat power actually exceeded his estimations.


    When he was a D+ rank, his power actually matched that of a C rank!


    But now that he was weakened, pushed back a whole rank, hisbat power actually matched Alex''s estimations.


    So Alex hadn''t realised anything was wrong with Desmond from the beginning, only that it looked like Martha had somehow injured him.


    Desmond summoned more dark energy, the power crackling around him. Alex braced himself, his mes burning hotter in response. The two forces collided in a blinding sh, the impact shaking the ground.


    Onlookers screamed, fleeing in terror as the battle raged on. Many were caught in the crossfire, their bodies thrown by the force of the sh. Blood stained the cobblestones, mingling with the dust and debris.


    Desmond''s face twisted with fury. "You think you can stop me? I''m unstoppable!"


    Alex could feel the strain of the fight, his breathing in ragged gasps. But he couldn''t afford to stop, couldn''t afford to let the Count win. He channelled more of his fire talent, the mes licking at his skin but not burning him, instead fueling his power.


    "You''re wrong," Alex said, his voice cold and hard. "You''re finished."


    He pressed the attack, his fiery strikes relentless. Desmond''s defences began to falter, the power of Alex''s mes driving him back. But the Count was far from defeated. With a snarl, he summoned a wave of dark energy, the force of it mming into Alex and knocking him back.


    Alex staggered, but quickly regained his footing. He could feel the urgency of the clock ticking away, each second bringing the townspeople closer to safety. He couldn''t afford to waste any more time.


    "You''re running out of tricks, Desmond," Alex said, his voice steady. "And out of time."


    Desmond''s face contorted with rage. He summoned all his remaining strength,unching a final, desperate attack. His strikes were wild and powerful, but Alex''s defence was imprable. He parried each blow with precision, his fiery sword cutting through the air with deadly grace.


    "You don''t know when to give up, do you?" Alex muttered, his eyes locked on the Count.


    Desmond''s attacks grew more frantic, his desperation evident. Alex could see the fear creeping into his eyes, the realisation that he was losing. With a final, powerful strike, Alex broke through the Count''s defences, his ming sword cutting deep into Desmond''s side.


    The Count cried out in pain, stumbling back. Blood flowed from the wound, staining his clothes. But he wasn''t done yet. With a snarl, he summoned all his remaining strength,unching a final, desperate attack.


    Alex met him head-on, their swords shing in a blinding sh of light. The impact sent them both staggering, but Alex recovered first. With a swift, decisive move, he drove his sword through the Count''s chest, the mes consuming him from within.


    Desmond''s eyes widened in shock and agony. He tried to speak, but no words came out. The fire spread quickly, engulfing his body. Within moments, there was nothing left but ash.


    Alex pulled his sword free, the mes dissipating. He stood over the ashes of his fallen enemy, his breathing in ragged gasps. The fight was over, but there was no time to rest. He had to ensure the townspeople were safe.


    He turned and sprinted towards the edge of the square, his mind racing. The Count''s men had scattered, their morale shattered by the death of their leader. Alex moved through the chaos, searching for any stragglers who might pose a threat.


    The townspeople were still fleeing, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty. Alex''s voice rang out above the din, urging them to keep moving. He could see the relief in their eyes, but also the lingering fear.


    "Keep going!" he shouted. "You''re almost safe!"


    The townspeople quickened their pace, their fear driving them forward. Alex watched as they disappeared into the distance, a sense of grim satisfaction settling over him. He had done what he could to protect them.


    He turned back towards the square, his eyes scanning the area for any remaining threats. The Count''s men were gone, their spirits broken. Alex felt a surge of relief, but also a lingering sense of unease.


    The fight with Desmond had been close, too close. Alex knew he couldn''t afford to let his guard down. There were still many enemies out there, many challenges to face. But he was ready for whatever came next.


    He sheathed his sword, the mes extinguishing. His body was exhausted, but his mind was sharp. He knew there was no time to rest, no time to celebrate.


    "Hahahahha!"


    But when Alex turned back towards the town square, his eyes widened in shock and horror.


    "Did you think you could kill me so easily?"


    Count Desmond let out a deadlyugh as he stood amidst the square, uninjured.


    "Haha, it looks like you''re the one out of time now, Alex!"


    As he spoke, Desmond clicked his fingers together, and immediately after a booming sound echoed throughout every alley, street and house in Monty town, and a dome shaped barrier epassed the entirety of the town.


    Alex looked desperately towards the edge of the barrier, and watched in distraught and desperation as the remaining 13,000 people who hadn''t made it out yet screamed and cried out in agony and dissolved into puddles of blood one after the other.


    These puddles of people all flowed towards the centre of the town, where Count Desmond was standing with his mouth still agape in sinisterughter.


    A few seconds passed and the suffering of the thousands of Monty town citizens was over.


    Each and every person who remained in this town was turned into a puddle of blood and sucked into the centre.

 Chapter 133 Failure

    133 Failure


    Alex''s heart pounded in his chest as he watched the remaining townspeople dissolve into puddles of blood, their screams echoing in his ears. Count Desmond''s sinisterughter filled the square, a haunting reminder of the carnage that had just unfolded.


    "You''ll pay for this," Alex growled, his voiceced with fury. His fiery sword zed with renewed intensity as he prepared to strike again.


    Desmond smirked, his eyes gleaming with malicious glee. "You''re toote, Alex. The ritual isplete."


    With a flourish, the Count drew aplex vigil in the air. Dark energy crackled and surged, coalescing into a vortex of shadows at the centre of the square. The air grew thick with the scent of blood and decay, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.


    Alex lunged forward, his sword aimed for Desmond''s heart. But the Count was ready. He parried the blow with ease, the force of their sh sending shockwaves through the square once more. "You can''t stop it now," Desmond sneered. "The Variant beast will awaken, and you will be powerless to stop it."


    A deafening roar erupted from the vortex, shaking the very foundations of the town. Alex nced towards the swirling mass of darkness, his eyes narrowing in determination. He had to finish this, now.


    The pressure of a mighty C+ rank Variant beast oozed out from the vortex, sending biting chills down Alex''s spine as he realised he was finished if this thing came over.


    ''I''ve never felt something so terrifying before¡­ Even Professor Will''s aura didn''t feel so bone chilling!''


    Desmond pressed the attack, his strikes fuelled by dark energy. Alex met each blow with his own, his mes burning hotter with every sh. The twobatants moved in a deadly dance, neither willing to give an inch.


    "You think you can defeat me?" Desmond taunted, his de slicing through the air. "I''vee too far to be stopped by the likes of you."


    Alex didn''t respond. He focused on the rhythm of the fight, his movements precise and deadly. He could feel the strain of the battle, his muscles burning with effort, but he couldn''t afford to slow down. Not now. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With a powerful thrust, Alex drove his sword towards Desmond''s chest. The Count dodged, but not quickly enough. The de sliced through his side, and Desmond hissed in pain, stumbling back. "Enough of this," Desmond snarled, his hand clutching his wound. "It''s time for you to witness true power."


    He raised his hands, chanting in anguage Alex didn''t recognize. The vortex of shadows intensified, and from its depths emerged a massive, grotesque creature. The Variant beast, a towering abomination of ws and fangs, let out a bone-chilling roar.


    Desmond activated a suppressing formation, vigils glowing with dark energy around the beast. The creature''s power was forcibly reduced, but even at E+bat strength, it was a formidable threat.


    "Destroy him," Desmondmanded the beast, his voice filled with triumph.


    Alex turned his attention to the beast, his grip tightening on his sword. He had to survive this. He had to find a way to kill Desmond once and for all.


    The beast lunged at Alex, its ws shing through the air. Alex dodged, his sword zing as he countered with a series of rapid strikes. The beast roared in fury, its movements slowed by the suppressing formation but still deadly.


    Desmond watched with a twisted smile, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "You''re finished, Alex. There''s no escape."


    But Alex refused to give up. He channelled more of his fire talent, the mes enveloping his body in a fiery aura. He struck the beast with all his might, each blow sending sparks flying. The beast howled in pain, its dark blood sttering the ground.


    As the beast recoiled, Alex saw his opportunity. He turned his attention back to Desmond, his eyes burning with determination.


    "This ends now," Alex growled, his voice cold and hard.


    He charged at Desmond, his fiery sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. Desmond raised his de to defend himself, but he was too slow. Alex''s sword sliced through Desmond''s arm, severing it at the shoulder. The Count screamed in agony, blood pouring from the wound.


    "You think you can defeat me?" Desmond spat, his face contorted with pain and rage. "I am unstoppable!"


    Alex didn''t hesitate. With a swift, decisive move, he drove his sword through Desmond''s heart. The mes consumed the Count from within, his screams echoing through the square. Within moments, Desmond''s body was reduced to ash, carried away by the wind.


    This time, Alex made sure that his death was real. He wouldn''t let the Count pull any tricks on him again.


    His neglect of checkingst time had led to the deaths of over ten thousand innocent people.


    Alex stood over the ashes of his fallen enemy, his breathing in ragged gasps. The fight was over, but a hollow emptiness settled over him. The townspeople were dead, their lives sacrificed in a gruesome ritual. He had failed to save them.


    But there was no time to dwell on his failure. The Variant beast still lurked in the town, a deadly threat that needed to be dealt with.


    Alex turned his gaze towards the darkened streets, his sword still burning with fierce determination. He would hunt the beast down, kill it, and ensure that the sacrifices of the townspeople were not in vain.


    He moved through the wreckage of Monty town, his senses on high alert. The beast was somewhere in the shadows, waiting. With every step, Alex felt the weight of his failure pressing down on him. But he couldn''t afford to stop now. He had to survive, and had to be stronger. As he entered a narrow alley, the sound of ws scraping against stone reached his ears. The Variant beast was close. Alex tightened his grip on his sword, mes flickering along its edge.


    He would face the beast head-on, and he would win. There was no other option.


    The darkness of the alley swallowed him, and the hunt began.

 Chapter 134: Variant beast

    "COME GET ME IF YOU DARE, STUPID BEAST!"


    Alex shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing throughout every nook and cranny of the town.


    He really didn''t like being hunted like this, especially by a predator he couldn''t even see.


    Instead, he''d much rather provoke it into revealing itself and as a result making the ensuing fight much easier without having to constantly stay on alert in case the beast decides to sneak attack him.


    He knew it had to have at least a semnce of intelligence, as he had already found out from his encounter with the Divine white tiger that beasts can actually have intelligence on par with humans, the higher their ssification is.


    And just like Alex wanted, his n seemed to have worked.


    ''I''ll have to send a letter to the afterlife to thank Count Desmond for suppressing this thing, otherwise I''d have been dead meat already¡­''


    Attracted by the sudden burst of insults originating from Alex''s mouth, the Variant beast soon made its appearance in a storm of fury.


    During its first appearance through the swirling vortex, Alex hadn''t been able to get a good enough look at it before it disappeared somewhere into the town, hence he had only known that it was huge.


    It looked like every depiction of a demon Alex had ever seen or imagined, only a little more overweight¡­


    Its towering legs smashed through every building like they were made of paper, and every step shook the earth beneath them. Two deep yellow eyes focused on the shouting human, sending a cold chill down Alex''s spine.


    "Yeah that''s what I thought you filthy mutt! Come and get me, fatty!" Alex shouted, all the while ignoring the pressure let off by the beast.


    He knew this thing was suppressed all the way down to E+ rank, but that suppression didn''t extend to the pressure its aura gave off.


    That still oozed with the ferocity of a C+ rank beast, which made Alex nervous to even approach the thing.


    ''Get a hold of yourself Alex! You know this thing has been weakened, don''t sumb to its tricks!''


    The beast dashed toward Alex. Over twice as tall as the houses it was trampling on, it would be hard not to spot such a behemoth charging towards him.


    Even the spectators outside of the barrier could see the behemoth rampaging through what used to be their livelihoods, their homes, their entire lives.


    Which begged the question.


    ''How did this huge thing even hide from me in the first ce?''


    Alex soon got his answer to this question, as the thing quickly disappeared before his very eyes.


    Poof!


    He didn''t even see any magical effects or anything to indicate it was nning such a disappearing act.


    One second it was there, then he blinked, and it was gone.


    Just as Alex was starting to get a little paranoid, he felt a terrifying presence appear behind him.


    ''Shit!''


    With a swift dodge, Alex reacted with lightning speed, dodging an attack from one of the demon-lookalike''s terrifying ws.


    ''So that''s how!''


    It was at this moment that Alex realised how the beast had managed to effectively fade from existence right before his eyes.


    All over the beast, he could see the faint remains of a dark energy, which Alex could only presume to be the darkness element.


    This,bined with the fact that the huge dome barrier surrounding the town blocked any sunlight from getting in, made for an incredibly deadlybination.


    But it also meant that Alex was at a severe disadvantage.


    ''It''s a variant beast, of course it has to have something unique about it!''


    This dark elemental energy wasn''t anything like that of Count Desmond or his son Lucian''s dark energy.


    Their energy just contained their sinister intent, which had most likely been built up over time by countless killings and brutal acts.


    But the darkness element this Variant creature was controlling was the real deal.


    Emphasis on the ''controlling'' factor too.


    The requirement to have a basic control over an element to pass into C tier wasn''t just there for humans, but for beasts too.


    While the creature might have the strength of an E+ rank Variant beast thanks to the suppression, that didn''t mean it lost its abilities too.


    Which meant that it was able to do much more with its darkness element than any actual E+ rank Variant beast could.


    However there was one thing that Alex knew countered darkness¡­


    And that was light.


    He may not have ess to the light element, which was the perfect counter to darkness, but he had the next best thing.


    Fire!


    Fire produced light, especially at extremely high temperatures, and Alex would use this to his advantage.


    Guided by the loud sounds of the beast''s movements, Alex knew its exact location, and he started his preparations for unleashing a me sorge that the beast wouldn''t be able to put it out quick enough.


    Things would have been a lot easier if he used his spatial perception, but that used up way too much energy, and in his current predicament, he needed to conserve everyst drop of energy he had ess to.


    Thankfully, his job of creating a me was made much easier by the flimsy craftsmanship of the houses in the Primordial Expanse.


    Almost all of them, save for the more expensive and privileged housing, were made of wood.


    Alex lit his hands alight with mes.


    He started spinning in a helicopter motion as he let the mes shoot out from his hands in every direction, hitting any loose bit of wood they came into contact with.


    Fireballs streaked through the air like meteors, and at one point onended in a pile of broken houses.


    In the next few seconds, the fire spread quickly and the whole town was lit up in a ze, with the number of shadows and darkness reduced by over 95% of their original reach.


    "Now we can have a fair fight."


    His gaze had changed to one of confidence when the beast tried, and failed to repeat its disappearing act again.

 Chapter 135: Surviving, but at what cost?

    Alex didn''t expect the mes to damage the beast at all, but they had done their job very well.


    After all, their job wasn''t to cause any damage, but to further suppress the beast''s abilities.


    The giant beast was engulfed in mes, brighter than the rest of the town. It''s rough, scaly skin had long taken on a cker hue thanks to the charring of the mes.


    It was slowly bing more desperate, as with enough time passed, the mes covering its body from head to toe would burn through its scales and reach the parts that would actually deal some real damage to it.


    But Alex wouldn''t give it the chance to do anything about that.


    At least, he tried to, before somethingpletely unexpected took ce.


    The beast''s desperation seemed to have been some sort of a ruse, as it disappeared without a trace and was reced with a despondent, neutral gaze.


    And in a shocking turn, water started to ooze from every pore on its body, dousing the sizzling, hot mes, with steam rising from all over its body.


    In no time, the mes covering its body were put out, and the beast turned its sights to the distance, where the whole town was still engulfed in a zing glory.


    It huffed inwards, and shot out a pressurised beam like a waterjet, which put out any mes it came into contact with.


    Alex just stood there on the side-lines, still reeling in from the shock that this beast had ess to two elements, two!!


    He had never seen such a thing before, never had he heard of it happening.


    Other than himself.


    Even Mira only had ess to one element, and that was the Space element that she had gained from the space fragment she absorbed.


    Otherwise, she''d have had to struggle to learn to control one of them like every other awakened with average potential.


    However, Alex snapped out of his daze and instantly sprung to action.


    ''I can''t let it continue to extinguish these fires!''


    He couldn''t just sit there any longer and watch the beast destroy all of the hard work he put in to suppress one of its two elements.


    Sure, he was essentially sent back to square one now that the thing still had another element to rely on, but that was way better than fighting it when it had two!


    Spotting an opening, Alex targeted the beast''s exposed nk. He charged, his fiery sword shing in a wide arc. The beast recoiled, more out of surprise than pain, but it gave Alex the moment he needed.


    He couldn''t let it continue to extinguish the mes. The light from the fires was the only thing keeping the beast''s darkness element at bay. Without it, the battle would be unwinnable.


    The demon growled, its eyes narrowing as it prepared another water jet. Alex moved quickly, darting to the side and closing the distance between them. He swung his sword with all his might, aiming for the beast''s legs to cripple its movement.


    The de connected, sending sparks flying. The beast roared in pain and anger,shing out with a massive w. Alex ducked under the swipe and retaliated with a fiery thrust, driving the de deep into the beast''s side. The mes licked at its scales, preventing the wound from closing.


    However things wouldn''t be so easy for Alex, as the beast changed the target of its water jets from the fires, to Alex himself.


    It closed the opening in its mouth even tighter, increasing the pressure of the water to a point where it could cut through steel like butter.


    If this thing hit Alex, he didn''t even want to imagine the kind of damage it would do to him.


    Since he was left with no other way to dodge in time, he was forced to teleport out of the way, depleting his energy to less than 20% remaining.


    ''I have to finish this now, or I''m dead.''


    Taking advantage of the beast''s confusion and surprise at Alex''s disappearance, he appeared on the thing''s back, and hacked with all his power in a vertical sh, right where its spinal cord was located.


    The beast''s movements became more frantic, its desperation showing. Alex pressed his advantage, shing and stabbing with relentless precision. Each strike was aimed to maximise the suppression of its abilities. He had to keep the beast on the defensive, unable to focus on putting out the fires.


    The beast snarled, summoning another burst of water. Alex anticipated the move, rolling to the side andunching a fiery projectile at its head. The beast flinched, the water stream going wide and missing its mark.


    Alex saw his chance. He charged forward, leaping onto the beast''s back again. His sword burned brighter, the mes intensifying as he drove the de into the beast''s spine. This time the de went deep enough to reach its bone.


    Instantly, the thing fell to its knees as it lost control of any feeling in its legs.


    The mes spread from the wound, engulfing the beast once more. It tried to summon water to douse them, but Alex''s relentless assault kept it from focusing. The light from the fires grew brighter, drowning out the shadows and further suppressing the darkness element.


    With a final, desperate effort, Alex drove his sword deeper, the mes burning hotter than ever. The beast let out a guttural roar, its body convulsing as the light overtook it.


    It tried to get away using whatever reserves of energy it had left to forcefully summon darkness into the surroundings, but the light from the mes was just too overwhelming.


    Alex leapt back, breathing heavily. He watched as the beast''s body crumbled, the fires finally extinguishing. The oppressive darkness lifted, and Alex felt a surge of relief.


    But the victory was bittersweet. The town was in ruins, and the lives lost weighed heavily on his mind. He had survived, but at what cost?


    He felt something enter his inventory, but he was in no mood to check.


    Over ten thousand people had died for this abomination to be summoned, and he was the one to gain the rewards from it.


    He dug into the beast''s skull, finding a beast core sitting neatly inside, but he felt no positive emotions when he lifted it.


    He emotionlessly put it inside his storage artifact, joining the rest of his beast core collection, and removed any further thoughts about it.


    He turned away from the smouldering remains of the beast, his thoughts already on the next challenge. There was no time for rest, no time to mourn. Survival was all that mattered.


    As he walked away, the memory of the fallen town stayed with him, a reminder of the price of power and the cost of survival.


    He had won, but he didn''t want to stay in this ce any longer.


    There was still a month and a half remaining before he had to return back to his own universe, but he didn''t want to stay in this ce where there was only pain and misery everywhere he looked any longer.


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    ''Yes.''

 Chapter 136: Back, again.

    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex didn''t even give it much thought as he answered yes to this prompt.


    He hadn''t even checked Count Desmond''s body for any spatial treasures or any other valuable items, but he couldn''t really care about any of that right now.


    All he wanted to do was leave.


    ***


    A huge, ck swirling vortex opened up in the same spot Alex and Mira had departed just a few months beforehand.


    Soon after, a figure appeared from the other side.


    It was Alex.


    Several seconds of silence passed.


    Alex just kept looking up, into the void of the deep night sky with emotionless eyes.


    There were no tears, there was no emotion at all. Most of all, there was no hope.


    "I''m sorry." Alex said with a restrained voice as his gaze continued to linger up above him.


    It was like he was afraid to look back down, like he would be forced to face a grim reality ¡ª all those faces of the people who needlessly died, if he did so.


    He didn''t me himself for their deaths, but he med himself for being too weak to save them.


    ''Strength. In the end it alles down to strength, it always does.''


    The madughter of Desmond kept reying in his mind from the moment those thousands of desperate people turned into puddles of blood.


    "You didn''t do anything wrong." A voice spoke out from the shadows, followed by the figure of a man whose appearance looked familiar to Alex.


    ''You again.''


    It took him a few seconds, but Alex recognised him as the man from Valentis city. The one who guided him on the right path in his search for the sleeper, back when he took his first mission as an adventurer.


    But even though Alex had no idea how the man knew about his situation, nor how he had even followed him from the Primordial Expanse, he simply didn''t care.


    "How do you know!?" Alex shouted in a loud voice.


    "If I didn''t fall for those stupid tricks back at Evermoor, if I didn''t waste so much timeing up and executing a stupid n to kill all those nameless henchmen, if I just went straight for the Count as soon as I saw him, those people would still be alive!"


    Alex clenched his fists so tightly that they started to bleed.


    His emotions, all of his regretspletely poured out to this mysterious man, as for some reason, he couldn''t hold them in any longer while in his presence.


    "Alex," The man said in a calming, serious voice. "You didn''t kill all of those people. The Count did. You tried your best to save them, but sometimes our best isn''t enough. You aren''t even an adult yet ¡ª a child like you should never have to bear the responsibility of thousands of lives."


    "But-" Alex tried to rebut, but the man stopped him.


    "You saved 17,000 people. If it weren''t for you, the number of lives lost would have been doubled, and it probably wouldn''t have stopped with just Monty town."


    Alex gritted his teeth.


    He felt like the man was reprimanding him.


    But he also couldn''t argue with him.


    ''Everything he said was right, but why did it all still seem so wrong.''


    "Fate."


    The man spoke again.


    "Fate controls everything. You might think you were fated to save those people, but they could have been fated to die from the very beginning. There is no point in dwelling on what could have happened, instead it is better to focus on what can happen from this point onwards."


    The man gave Alex some time to process his words, after all they were a little bit profound for an uneducated brat like Alex.


    "You are only feeling so down because you felt personally responsible for saving their lives, but think back ¡ª did you feel this way when the entire city of Valentis fell, where millions of people died? No, you didn''t. Because you weren''t responsible for their lives, and you knew it."


    mes welled up in Alex''s palms as he felt anger and rage boiling inside of him.


    "ARGGH, JUST SHUT UP!"


    In what seemed like a split second, the mes soared towards the man, but in a weird turn of events, there was nothing there.


    Like the man was never even there to begin with.


    But Alex didn''t seem to notice.


    ''What do you care about how I feel?''


    ''Fate? Everything is already set in stone? I can''t change fate even if I want to? Fuck that, I''m never letting something like that control my life.''


    ''I could have saved all of those people if I was stronger. Power, I need more power.''


    Alex quietly turned around and wandered through the streets.


    Everything seemed so meaningless to him at the moment, and he wasn''t even paying any attention to where he was going.


    ***


    "That kid left?" A well armoured man spoke.


    He had been waiting in line for the reception to the space port, and had been watching Alex''s mental breakdown from the moment he stepped out of the portal.


    "Yeah¡­ He seemed quite depressed ¡ª shouting about ''it''s all his fault'' and what not. He even started talking to himself at one point, like he was having a full blown conversation with nobody but himself. It''s kinda creepy really." The female clerk behind the counter spoke to the armoured man as it was his turn.


    "The kid''s probably been through some kind of traumatic experience in the Primordial Expanse. Give it some time, and he''ll either adjust his mindset correctly, or he''ll remain broken like that for the rest of his life. I''ve seen too many people like this over the years, and it always ends up as one of the two."


    The armoured man finished up his conversation about Alex and quickly moved on to his own, as he had a deadline to meet and he couldn''t miss the flight off.


    Like the man said, he had seen many people like Alex over the years, so he wasn''t shocked at all seeing him act so crazily in public without any care.


    For Alex, this was the worst day in his life that would probably affect him until the day he died.


    But for the Armoured man, it was tuesday.

 Chapter 137: Ring! Ring!

    Alex kept walking absentmindedly.


    For some reason, everything that had happened today seemed unreal. Yet his mind kept taking him back, and he knew all too well that it was real.


    Those were real lives that were lost.


    Alex felt like a dark void was growing in his chest, constricting on his heart, muscles and organs with all their power.


    He knew what this dark void was though.


    Guilt.


    Regret.


    Alex was full of these emotions, and he couldn''t do anything to rid himself of them.


    Nor did he want to.


    ***


    Time passed.


    Alex had been walking continuously for an unknown amount of time, as he wasn''t even keeping track anymore.


    He just felt so exhausted.


    He hadn''t been to sleep once since he hade back from the Primordial Expanse.


    In fact, he hadn''t been to sleep for a whole week before that as well, as he had been too focused on stopping the Count.


    And well¡­


    It all turned out to be for nothing in the end.


    Hours passed, and Alex''s mind had never stopped ticking.


    He was constantly thinking about things.


    At some point, he remembered that he had to eat to stay alive. But he discovered that he wasn''t even hungry.


    ''Probably a side effect of reaching D tier.''


    But Alex didn''t even care.


    "You look like shit, kid."


    Alex would usually at least engage in a conversation with someone who spoke to him.


    But he didn''t even bother and just carried on walking.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you!"


    He just kept walking.


    Alex didn''t answer.


    A momentter, a raggedly dressed man appeared in Alex''s vision, and he looked up to see him smiling down at him with interest.


    "That''s a nice earring you got there. Oh, and the sword too."


    Alex kept on walking.


    But the man stopped him.


    "Don''t make me say it a third time."


    The homeless guy issued a threat to Alex, trying to scare him into actually acknowledging him.


    "Piss off."


    His n half worked, as Alex finally responded.


    But he continued to ignore him.


    Seeing this, the homeless guy drew out a crude de made from a piece of broken metal.


    "I warned you kid. Hand over that pretty little earring, and the sword."


    This time, Alex stopped out of his own will for the first time and gave the man a good look.


    And before the guy could react, Alex delivered a swift chop to the back of his neck with his hand.


    His goal wasn''t to kill him, but to incapacitate him.


    The guy was trying to rob him, but that wasn''t reason enough to kill him outright.


    He was just trying to make enough money to survive another day.


    ***


    More time passed, and Alex still hadn''t stopped walking.


    He had been walking in a straight line the whole time, and he could even see the sight of the space port he had returned to when he came back from the Primordial Expanse.


    Only he was seeing it from the other side.


    He had walked in a straight line across the whole, and was nearing back to where he started again¡­


    Ring! Ring!


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, his watch started to ring.


    He let it run through at first, just ignoring it.


    Ring! Ring!


    But it just started to ring again.


    A small feeling appeared in his mind, urging him to check his watch even though the rest of his brain kept screaming at him to just destroy it then and there so that it couldn''t annoy him again.


    Alex chose to listen to the small feeling instead of the rest of his screaming brain.


    He tried checking the name, but his eyes just seemed so unfocused that he couldn''t even read it properly.


    It was probably from theck of any sleep at all.


    Instead, he just answered the call and let whoever it was through.


    "Alex! Thank god I was thinking you''d lost yourmunicator for a second there! Where are you? We have to be on the next flight out of here by tomorrow at thetest or we''ll miss the entrance ceremony!"


    A flood of emotions returned back to Alex as a voice he hadn''t heard in so long, one that he had subconsciously missed so dearly over the past few months, spoke from the other end of the call.


    ''Mira.''


    He recognised her voice immediately.


    "Alex?"


    All of a sudden he felt so choked up with emotion that he couldn''t even get the words out to answer her.


    "I-"


    He attempted to get the words out of his mouth, but he just couldn''t and cut the call short.


    Instead, he rushed over towards the space port at full speed.


    He was over 200 kilometres away, but with his new status as a D tier, that wasn''t much of a problem at all.


    He arrived there in minutes.


    ***


    "What the hell¡­?"


    Mira quietly whispered to herself as she speechlessly looked at the ''call ended'' on hermunicator.


    ''Why did he do that?''


    Immediately doubt started to sprout in her mind.


    Maybe Alex had changed over thest few months in the Primordial Expanse?


    Maybe he''d forgotten about herpletely¡­


    All sorts of depressing reasons for Alex to hang up so suddenly started to take ce in Mira''s mind, and she couldn''t help but start to get nervous.


    However, before they could root even deeper into her mind, she heard amotioning from nearby.


    "Do you see that? I think someone powerful is running over this way. At that speed they have to be at least C- rank to be running so fast!"


    Conversations started between strangers as they watched a cloud of duste closer and closer to the spaceport from far off into the distance.


    A few secondster, a sonic boom echoed across the ins as the speed of the approaching figure increased past the speed of sound.


    At this point, the local security forces had to get involved as themotion had be too big to ignore.


    But Mira knew exactly who was causing such a ruckus the moment sheid eyes on the figure.


    "Alex!"

 Chapter 138: Breakdown

    "Alex!"


    Mira dashed through the crowd, straight towards Alex who was rapidly approaching the spaceport.


    Any feelings or thoughts she had about Alex''s sudden hanging up were gone ¡ª reced by an intense emotion she had never felt before.


    Alex looked up, seeing Mira rushing towards him. She looked as fierce and determined as thest time he saw her, but her eyes softened with concern as she took in his dishevelled state.


    His eyes were a deep red and he had deep ck pits under them, as he hadn''t slept for over a month.


    To normal people, this would be deadly, but D tier awakened like Alex could take it. Although they would still suffer quite a lot, just like Alex.


    "Mira¡­" Alex''s voice cracked.


    Mira closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him tightly.


    All of a sudden, the dam Alex had built up to hold back his emotions shattered. He clung to her, his body trembling as the sobs erupted from deep within him. Tears streamed down his face, soaking into Mira''s shoulder.


    "I couldn''t save them," he choked out. "I tried my best, but I still failed¡­"


    Mira didn''t know what had Alex so emotional, but it was clear to her that it wasn''t a light topic.


    She held him tighter, her hand gently stroking his hair. "It''s okay Alex. You''re here now. I''m here."


    The words were meant tofort, but Alex felt the raw pain dig deeper. He buried his face in Mira''s shoulder, his tears relentless. "They''re all gone, Mira. All those people¡­ thousands of them, and I just watched as they died."


    Mira''s grip on him tightened as she grasped the reality of his situation. She knew what it was like to lose someone, but to feel personally responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, she had no idea how much he must be hurting.


    "Let''s go somewhere more secluded, and we can talk more about our experiences this time around."


    Mira suggested while still holding tightly onto Alex.


    If she let him go, he''d probably fall to the ground, limp from the pent up exhaustion.


    "Okay¡­"


    Alex let out a mumbled reply, before he finally passed out for the first time in over a month.


    ***


    Some timeter.


    "I know you''re awake."


    Mira satfortably in a chair as she watched Alex slowly wake up from his slumber with a gentle smile on her face.


    Alex blinked, the world slowlying back into focus. He felt a strangebination of relief and sorrow as he saw Mira sitting beside him, her gentle smile offering a small measure offort.


    "How was your sleep?" Mira asked softly, concern still evident in her eyes.


    Alex took a deep breath, the memories flooding back. He wanted to bury them, but he knew he needed to share them with Mira. Maybe it would help ease the burden, even if just a little.


    "It was¡­ the first sleep I''ve had in over a month. How long was I out?" Alex admitted, his voice hoarse.


    Mira nodded, replying, "You slept for three whole days."


    Alex sat up, feeling the weight of his exhaustion.


    But after his thoughts started to settle, he began to quickly panic as a realisation hit him.


    "Three days!? But what about our flight to the Sr system? I''m so sorry¡­ We missed our chance at Capital Prime because of me¡­"


    He slowly started to sink into the bed as guilt flooded over him.


    But Mira justughed it off.


    "Rx. We''re on that flight right now. I paid for both of our tickets, and we''re already headed to the Sr system. Now, tell me what happened to make you like this."


    ''Phew!''


    With this, Alex calmed down enough to think rationally, but when asked how he became so¡­ depressed, his mood shifted.


    He swallowed hard, the images shing before his eyes. "Mira, what I went through in the Primordial Expanse¡­ it was beyond anything I could have imagined. I went there to earn money, to gain strength. I found both of these, but the pain¡­ It wasn''t worth the pain."


    Mira reached out, cing a hand on his arm. "Tell me everything, Alex. You don''t have to carry this alone."


    Alex''s forehead was covered in sweat as he started recounting events. "I killed a man, a Count who lorded over a Million people. He was nning the sacrifice of tens of thousands of people across many different towns, all in the effort to summon enough Variant beasts to push his own strength into Variant ss."


    Mira''s eyes widened, but she stayed silent, letting him speak.


    "I arrived in town just as the Count was about toplete his formation," Alex continued, his voice shaking. "I fought him with everything I had. But he was a slimy bastard all the way until his death. Just as I thought I killed him, he tricked me somehow and he was still alive.


    The worst part is that I was toote, the formation had just beenpleted as well and he initiated the sacrificial sequence."


    He paused for a second, his hands clenched into fists. "But 13,000 people were yet to leave the premises of the town, and were trapped inside the barrier erected by the formation to keep them in."


    Tears streamed down Alex''s face again, the pain from the memories still fresh and raw. "I watched as the remaining 13,000 people screamed, cried out in agony and distraught¡­ and turned into puddles of blood. They were innocent, Mira. Children, adults, elderly¡­ None of them were spared. Their lives snuffed out in seconds, and I couldn''t do anything. I was toote."


    Mira''s eyes glistened with tears as well. She had already built up quite the mental fortitude from the constant deaths and misery in the Primordial Expanse, but this was just on a next level. Her heart broke for Alex. She could see the torment in his eyes, the deep guilt and sorrow he carried. "Oh, Alex¡­"


    "All because of that stupid oasis. If I''d never been dropped into that stupid rocky wastnd, then I never would have gone through this." Alexmented to himself.


    But Mira jumped up in shock when she heard this, her hand covering her mouth.


    ''A rocky wastnd¡­ an Oasis¡­ don''t tell me!''

 Chapter 139: Swapped?

    Mira''s shock was palpable. She jumped to her feet, her hand covering her mouth. "A rocky wastnd¡­ an oasis¡­ don''t tell me!"


    Alex looked at her, confused and concerned. "Mira, what is it?"


    Mira''s mind raced as she tried to piece together the fragments of her own experiences. She had to know for sure. "Alex, when you entered the Primordial Expanse, did yound on and filled with nothing but rocks for as far as your eyes could see?"


    Alex nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing, still red from all the tears. "Yes, I did. Well, I entered near thisndmass. Where I reallynded was right on the edge of an ocean made of quicksand, and I luckily saved myself from sinking and suffocating to death thanks to my new talent. Turns out it wasn''t so useless after all¡­"


    Mira took a deep breath, her thoughts clicking into ce. "Alex, I think we might have somehow switched locations in the Primordial Expanse. The first time I entered, Inded on a rocky wastnd too. Only I didn''t spot any quicksand ocean where I spawned. But the second time, I ended up in apletely different ce, in front of apletely ruined city, surrounded by green, jungle-like terrain."


    Alex''s eyes widened as he processed her words. The shock was enough to make himpletely block out his previous depressing emotions. "Switched locations? How is that possible? I''ve never heard of people''s portals even opening a few metres away from the location they exited from, let alone switching the locations of two people millions of miles apart¡­"


    "I know," Mira said, pacing back and forth. "But it''s the only exnation that makes sense."


    Alex sat up straighter, the weight of their situation settling in. "What was the name of the ruined city your portal opened near?"


    This question was incredibly important to Alex, as it would determine whether or not their locations had really been switched or they were just being paranoid.


    If her answer wasn''t what he was thinking, then there was still the possibility that everything was just a coincidence and they had been lied to, or had information withheld from them by the federation.


    It wasn''t like it hadn''t happened before¡­


    "I visited a nearby city, and found out that the ruined city was originally called Valentis city before it fell to a beast tide."


    The moment the words ''Valentis city'' left Mira''s mouth, Alex knew they weren''t just being paranoid.


    Something was going on here, and neither of them had any clue what it was.


    "I fought in that beast tide¡­ I watched Valentis fall¡­" He mumbled, prompting a look of shock from Mira.


    ''Both times he''s spent in the Primordial Expanse have ended in the mass deaths of people¡­''


    Mira made the connection instantly, but kept her thoughts to herself as she didn''t want to rm or startle Alex any further than he already was.


    Otherwise he might really start ming himself for everyone''s deaths.


    She was sure that he''d ovee his current depression sooner orter, as he hadn''t actually done anything wrong. He just failed to protect people''s lives and he felt guilty for that.


    But if the idea that thousands, or even millions of people would die every time he entered the Primordial Expanse, then he might just never enter it again, or do something even worse to himself¡­


    "I don''t know why this happened to us, but we need to keep it to ourselves for now. Unless there is a good reason for us to bring it up, we shouldn''t speak of this to others." Alex reasoned, and Mira quickly agreed.


    ***


    "Intergctic Express ship Code 4123, you are clear to enter. Wee to the centre point of Human existence itself!"


    It had been over 2 months since Alex woke up on the ship, already on its way to the Sr system.


    Now, they had just arrived and were cleared to enter.


    The Sr system was a very tightly guarded region of space, thanks to its rich heritage as the origin point of the Human race as well as the fact that it was the centre of politics in the Federation.


    During these two months, not much else had gone on, and the journey went better and smoother than expected.


    Normally, one might encounter a space pirate or two on such a long voyage, but they were lucky to have encountered none.


    Alex had also calmed down a lot more. He kept his emotions in check, and vented when he needed to or felt overwhelmed, but otherwise he seemed like he was back to normal.


    But of course, he would never forget the events that went down, it just meant that he had epted them as they were, and no longer med himself as much.


    As they had promised, there was no mention of location swapping from that day forth, not even when the two were in the privacy of their own rooms.


    They had already made the mistake of talking out loud about it when they first realised their situations, as they had no clue whether there were some sorts of listening devices in their rooms etc.


    Alex had also reimbursed Mira, as she had taken the liberty to purchase a ticket for Alex while he was passed out.


    She denied his money at first, saying she was doing a favour for a friend and that she''d do it again in a heartbeat.


    But she relented when Alex gave her a glimpse into his spatial storage¡­


    She had amassed quite a small fortune for herself during her stay in the Primordial Expanse, but it was still nothingpared to Alex''s haul¡­


    They had both grossly underestimated their earning potential as Awakened, both overshooting their initial goal of 500,000 credits by a long shot.


    "We''re finally here. The Sr system!"


    Mira said excitedly as she gazed outside of her room''s window into the darkness, at the tiny dot off into the distance.


    This dot was in fact the blue and green they were headed to, Mars!

 Chapter 140: Mars

    Alex looked outside his window, staring at the beautiful blue their ship was rapidly approaching.


    The ship made its slow but steady approach to Mars. Through therge observation windows, they could see the transformation of the red.


    Once a barren, destendscape, Mars had undergone hundreds of years of terraforming, turning it into a lush, Earth-like. Vast oceans glistened under the sunlight, sprawling forests covered thend, and massive cities dotted the surface, connected by an intricate web of transportation systems.


    "Look at it, Alex," Mira whispered, her voice filled with awe. "Mars is... breath taking."


    Alex nodded, his eyes wide with wonder. "It''s incredible. Hard to believe it used to be a lifeless rock."


    As their ship descended through the atmosphere, the view of the terraformed grew clearer.


    They could see massive cities filled with skyscrapers and bustling traffic of people everywhere within, surrounded by verdant countryside and shimmering bodies of water.


    "We have arrived at our destination, we wish you all a safe journey from here on!"


    An announcement red out from one of the loudspeakers, bringing Alex and Mira out of their awe.


    The ship made a smoothnding at the main spaceport on Mars. The passengers were instructed to disembark and proceed to the inspection area.


    Alex and Mira gathered their belongings and joined the line, moving through the process with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.


    As they reached the front of the line, a stern looking security officer scanned their IDs and documents.


    "State your business on Mars," the officer demanded.


    Neither of the two were surprised at the strict security checks, as this whole Sr system was under tight wraps, which was expected considering it was the centre of the Federation and its control over the gxy.


    While Alex was busy with looking for his documents on hismunicator, Mira cleared her throat. "We''re here to enrol in Capital Prime. We have our eptance letters and all necessary documentation."


    The officer scrutinised their papers, then spoke. "All newly enrolled students should have been here already. Thousands of peoplee through these checks every year with forged papers trying to enter Capital Prime, and none seed. What makes you think you''ll be the ones to break this record?"


    At first, Mira didn''t even react as she had done everything properly and followed all the rules. But she couldn''t help but be gobsmacked when this officer was using them of forging their documents!


    Not to mention, the officer hadn''t presented any evidence other than them beingte, which made this situation seem even more suspicious.


    "Our documents aren''t forged." Mira stiffened her tone and answered resolutely. She wasn''t going to let some no name customs officer stop them from rightfully entering.


    By now, Alex had also realised what was going on, and his mood quickly took a 180 from being excited to finally enrol in the best university in the gxy, to annoyed and angry at the arrogance of this officer.


    But before he could even speak up, Mira pulled up hermunicator''s interface and started calling someone from out of nowhere.


    It only took a few seconds for the person on the other side to pick up,


    "Hello, is this Professor Will I''m speaking to?"


    Mira turned towards the guard, a smirk on her face.


    But the guy justughed it off.


    "Neat trick, but some no name wannabe students like you wouldn''t have the number of one of the most prestigious Professors in the university, just give up al-"


    "..."


    A holographic figure soon appeared out of Mira''smunicator.


    It was Professor Will.


    Immediately, the officer''s face went from the typical arrogant smile to one of horror.


    Professor Will only took one look at the guy before he delivered an ultimatum.


    "Let my students pass now and I won''t have to contact your higher ups about this incident."


    The guy was too scared to even speak anymore and he could only thoroughly nod his head and open the gates for the duo.


    Professor Will''s hologram gave a nod to Alex and Mira, and disappeared shortly after.


    They sarcastically thanked the officer and made their way towards the transport terminal. Their bus was sleek and futuristic, just what one would expect from such an advanced city, designed forfort during their rtively short journey to Capital Prime city, where the University was also situated.


    Alex and Mira found seats near the back, their excitement quickly returning to them.


    ***


    "Screw those damn rich kids and their entrance letters!"


    Roan shouted at the top of his lungs the moment Alex and Mira had left.


    He was the officer who stopped them from entering.


    And he had just received a disciplinary action notice on hismunicator.


    ''Screw that Professor Will, he said he wouldn''t pursue the matter any further if I let them pass!''


    However while Roan was venting his anger in any way he could, hismunicator started ringing once again.


    This time it was a call from his manager.


    He quickly freshened himself up and calmed down, before he picked up the call.


    "Good morning sir, I hope-"


    "Cut the bullshit. You''re fired, Roan."


    His manager instantly shut down his zing and got straight to the point.


    "I''ve given you too many chances over thest 6 months, but this time you really screwed up. How the hell did you manage tond in the bad books of Professor Will Wothers!? I warned you not to keep bothering the newly enrolled students just because your own kids didn''t make the cut, yet you never listened. I''m sorry Roan, but this is goodbye.


    You''ve been removed from your position, effective immediately."


    All of a sudden, Roan felt his worlde toppling down all at once.


    ''No¡­''


    ''All this just because I was messing with some kids¡­''


    One second he was happily ''doing his job'' as a customs officer, and the next he was getting dragged out of the terminal by the security.


    ''Fuck this shitty world! Life is so unfair!''

 Chapter 141: Registration

    Alex had already forgotten the incident at customs, as he was entirely focused on observing thendscape shing past his eyes in a blur.


    ''I could have arrived twice as fast if I had just ran¡­''


    It was in times like this that he realised he was no longer ordinary. As a D tier awakened, he would already be considered an elite, but when his Mutant ss status was factored in as well, it was brought up a whole other level.


    ''I wonder how strong the other students are now after 6 months.''


    He was D- rank, while Mira was half way through E+ rank, both of them being Mutant ss.


    But they weren''t able to test each other out ever since they came back from the Primordial Expanse, as they would have risked destroying their whole transport ship if they fought on there¡­


    He knew they were stronger than average, as they had achieved joint first ce in the entrance examination.


    But that was just the examination for their star system.


    There were hundreds of thousands of other star systems littered throughout the gxy, all with students who had achieved first ce in their own exams with their own strength.


    This meant that they potentially had hundreds of thousands ofpetitors, all vying for resources to improve themselves.


    As the transport bus pulled up to the grand gates of Capital Prime city, Alex and Mira were struck by awe at the sheer scale of the ce. The gates were massive, ornate structures that towered for hundreds of metres above them. Beyond the gates they could see the sprawling city, which extended on for miles on end.


    They had both seen some pretty impressive feats of engineering in both this universe and the Primordial Expanse, but this was a different vibe.


    They disembarked the bus and joined the throng of students heading towards the registration area.


    The lines were long, filled with students from all over the gxy, each one a rival in the fight for resources. Alex and Mira moved to their respective lines and queued up obediently like the rest of the students.


    Clearly there must be some strict punishments in ce for these thousands of hot headed students to all wait quietly for their turn without causing a ruckus, and Alex didn''t to be the one setting an example for them.


    After a wait that seemed to stretch on forever, they finally reached the front of their lines. They handed over their documents to the officials, who scanned them and confirmed their authenticity.


    ''If only the officer at the gates had bothered to do this¡­''


    "Wee to Capital Prime city," the official said, while a notification rang out from theirmunicators.


    Their student IDs were allocated and a virtual packet of information had been sent to them.


    ''Everything seems pretty normal so far. I wonder what makes this ce the best university.''


    "You''ll notice that you''ve received a notice from yourmunicator. This will contain all of the information you will need to navigate your way through university life in these next few weeks. You''ll be assigned dormitories based on your gender. Follow the signs to your respective dorms. sses start in three days, and you''ll be updated on any further info on yourmunicator."


    Alex and Mira exchanged a nce, knowing they were going to be separated for a little while. The university''s policy was strict on this matter for some reason, with male and female students housed on opposite sides of the city.


    The officials waved them through and moved onto the next lot of students.


    "Guess this is where we part ways for now," Mira said, giving Alex a small smile.


    "Yeah, but we''ll catch up soon," Alex replied, keeping his tone light. "We''ve got three days to get settled. After that, I have no doubt we''ll be seeing each other often in sses etc."


    Mira gave him a quick hug before heading off in the direction of the female dorms.


    Alex was already used to this by now, the two had grown very close ever since they had met. He made his way over to the male dorms, a massiveplex of buildings taking up a huge chunk of this part of the city.


    It made sense that they were so big, considering there were millions of students attending this university at once.


    There were hundreds of thousands in his batch alone.


    However, when he arrived at his door number, he was less than impressed.


    "What the heck is this!?"


    In front of him stood apletely underwhelming looking house, probably only big enough to fit a single bedroom, a small bathroom and a kitchen.


    This was theplete opposite of what he was expecting.


    "You''re telling me I got first ce in my exam, got epted into the best uni in the federation, yet this is all they give me?"


    Alex felt like he had been scammed.


    Rowan never mentioned anything like this. Nor did Professor Will.


    "Surprised? You must be new here."


    A voice chimed in from the side, taking away Alex''s attention from the small, shabby house.


    The person who spoke was a young male around his age, quite good looking. He was probably adies man.


    Contrary to Alex''s nd and cheap clothing, his seemed quite expensive.


    "Awakened universities are nothing like those universities normal people attend. Dorms here are allocated based on your strength, and your ranking in your year. Everyone starts out with a house like this one," The young man said, pointing at Alex''s dorm, then continued.


    "But when the rankings open, those who can prove their worth and strength will naturally take a spot amongst the top 10,000 and gain the right to better housing. It''s just another method to drivepetition between the students, as your im to a dorm can be taken away just as quickly as you can gain it."


    Alex listened to the information this stranger was giving him, and couldn''t help but feel thankful.


    "Thanks for the info," Alex said, extending his hand." I''m Alex, by the way. Nice to meet you."


    Alex thought this guy was another new student who had arrived earlier than him, who was just trying to introduce himself to the other students in his dorm.


    But what happened next, he would have never expected¡­

 Chapter 142: Settling in

    The young man''s demeanour shifted instantly. Instead of epting Alex''s handshake, he swatted Alex''s hand away with an arrogant look.


    "Don''t get the wrong idea," he sneered. "I''m only here because the university requires me to be. If it weren''t for the fact I''m getting paid a few Prime points for doing this, we''d have never crossed paths. Don''t think for a second that we''re friends."


    Alex blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in attitude. "Uh, okay I wasn''t expecting that."


    The young man scoffed. "You''ll learn soon enough that in this ce, there''s no room for weakness or naivety. If you want to survive, you''ll need to toughen up. This ce is no different from the Primordial Expanse in that respect."


    With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Alex standing there feeling a mix of frustration and confusion.


    He nced back at his dorm, the small, shabby house didn''t look so bad now that he knew everyone, regardless of status or strength, was assigned the same at the start of the year.


    The information the young man provided was clear: everything in this university was aboutpetition. If he wanted better amodations, better resources, and any semnce offort, he would have to fight for it.


    ''Well, nothing new.'' Alex thought. ''I''ve fought through, much, much worse.''


    He entered the small house and started to unpack his things. The interior was as unimpressive as the exterior, with just enough space for a bed, a small bathroom, and a kitchen.


    It was clear this ce was designed to only be temporary, as any self respecting person would never willingly choose to live in a ce like this.


    As he unpacked, hismunicator beeped again. He checked the message, which outlined the schedule for the next few days: orientation, preliminary strength assessments, and a detailed introduction to the ranking system.


    ''Three days until sses start,'' Alex reminded himself. ''Three days to prepare.''


    ***


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Mira was experiencing her own version of the dormitory reality. Her assigned house was equally underwhelming, but she took it in stride, as it was much better than what she used to live in before she became an Awakened.


    She was also assigned a second year ''guide'' who exined to her the basics of university life. But contrary to Alex''s situation, Mira was the one acting cold on her end.


    She unpacked her belongings and reviewed the same schedule Alex had received. The preliminary strength assessments would be crucial in determining their initial rankings.


    The higher their rankings, the more resources they had ess too. Not to mention a better dorm¡­


    ***


    The next day, the city was abuzz with activity. Students were exploring the grounds, training in designated areas, and preparing for the assessments.


    Alex decided to take a walk around, familiarising himself with theyout of the city and observing thepetition.


    asionally, he''d see some arrogant looking seniors picking on some new entrants, but he didn''t bother to do anything to stop it.


    It was none of his business anyway.


    But one thing was for sure.


    ''I''m stronger than all of these guys.''


    He spotted various groups of students engaged in intense training sessions. Some were practisingbat techniques, while others honed their talents and elements. The atmosphere was electric, filled with a sense of purpose and fiercepetition.


    But all Alex saw was a bunch of weaklings.


    Although each one of them were first years like him, he hadn''t even spotted anyone stronger than E rank yet.


    Nor could he tell if any of them were Mutants or higher sses, but from those he''d observed, there was only one Mutant ss, who openly unted his strength. He was also the highest rank of the bunch, E rank.


    If it were Alex from say, 6 months ago, he''d be impressed with this guy''s strength.


    But now, he could onlyugh at this guy''s strength.


    Alex knew that he and Mira were stronger than everyone else during their entrance test, but he didn''t think that would also extend to the University too.


    But then again, he''d only observed maybe less than 300 students so far, whichpared to the hundreds of thousands that were in the first year alone, was nothing.


    However it did seem like he had overestimated his assessment of the students here.


    He at least knew now that he was at least in the upper tier of first years in terms of strength.


    As he walked, he noticed arge screen covering the skyscraper at the centre of the city from top to bottom.


    On it, a long list of names were disyed.


    Five rows of names to be exact, each one 10,000 names long.


    The first four rows were designated to each year group, from first years to fourth years. Thest row was special though, as it ranked the strength of all of the students currently in the universitybined!


    The first year''s list was currently empty, as the ranking hadn''t been established yet.


    However the other four were quite active, and below the top 1000 students, there were frequent changes in name''s positions as students challenged each other.


    ''That''s where I need to be,'' Alex thought, determination burning in his eyes.


    His eyes hovered on nothing but the spot in first ce.


    On the overall rankings¡­


    Back in his dorm, he reviewed the information packet on hismunicator more thoroughly.


    The assessments would cover a range of skills:bat prowess, strategic thinking, elemental control, and talent assessment. Each category would contribute to his standing on the rankings.


    ''Achieving a high rank will be tougher than I thought¡­'' Alex thought.


    As it turned out, the rankings weren''t as simple as they seemed.


    ''I''m confident about scoring high on thebat prowess section, but stuff like strategic thinking, elemental control etc, I have no clue where to even start¡­''


    This system seemed rigged against the poorer students like Alex and Mira, as the upper ss students would have already received training in these areas before University even started, giving them a head start.

 Chapter 143: Class begins

    Time quickly passed, and sses were about to start.


    ''The first thing on the itinerary is the talent assessment.''


    Alex was quite worried about this assessment, as he didn''t want to expose any of his secrets.


    He didn''t know how the assessment worked, but if it were exposed that he had three talents, and one of them was even outside of the conventional ranking system, ranked at Soul+, he didn''t even want to think about the kind of trouble that would cause for him.


    The talent assessment was held in over 150 different gyms across the city, as it didn''t make any logistical sense to have all the hundreds of thousands of students all crammed into one location.


    Unfortunately, a gym was allocated to Alex, and every other student, and they couldn''t request a change.


    So Alex and Mira were unlikely to end up in the same assessment centre.


    When he arrived at his location, it was a huge building spanning tens of floors high. Today, the huge hall on the first floor was reserved for the first years.


    Compared to others, Alex was a little early in his arrival so he was nearer to the front of the queue of students waiting to be assessed.


    ''Thank god I came early¡­''


    But when he saw the length of the queues just 10 minutester, he couldn''t help but praise himself for his foresight.


    The gym itself could fit over 300 people inside at once, but there were thousands of people waiting for their turn.


    Before the students were allowed to enter the gym, they had to meet some requirements first.


    Their ID would be scanned to look at their records, and their age had to be tested to see if they were really who they were iming to be.


    ''These measures are probably in ce to stop any cheating.''


    Alex had guessed correctly, as there were multiple cases every year of a second year or higher student being paid to take the first year assessments for them in order to achieve a higher standing on the first year ranking.


    If there were any irregrities with his records, or his age didn''t match, then he wouldn''t be allowed inside the gym and his score for this section would be a big fat zero.


    Alex didn''t think that the students who had already enrolled into Capital Prime would make such a stupid mistake ¡ª he''d expect such acts from applicants who were yet to enter.


    However, the truth was theplete opposite.


    Every 100 or so students that were scanned, there would be an irregrity, which would cause that student to be thrown out and given an automatic zero, which would be detrimental to their overall score.


    This was shocking for Alex. He didn''t think thepetition was so high in this ce that these students were willing to risk their whole futures just to get a higher spot on the rankings.


    ''Just getting through the door is a hidden assessment itself!'' Alex mused inwardly.


    An hourter, it was finally Alex''s turn.


    "Scan your ID over there, and extend your hand in front of you." An exhausted voice spoke to him.


    The man standing in front of him looked dead tired. The deep, dark bags under his eyes indicated he probably hadn''t slept in a while.


    Alex retrieved his ID from hismunicator and scanned it where the man pointed. The ID was scanned, and both his records and entrance exam score were shown and thoroughly examined by theputer that was overseeing the assessment.


    A few secondster, he retrieved his ID, and the results of the scan appeared in front of the sleep deprived man.


    [Entrance Exam Score: First ce]


    [Criminal Records: Shoplifting, Anti-social behaviour]


    [Danger risk assessment: Minimal - Level 1 risk of causing harm to people or buildings.]


    "Everything looks fine, other than your criminal records. But nothing to warrant expulsion." He said nonchntly.


    His hand then grabbed onto Alex''s outstretched hand and pricked his index finger with a needle.


    However, instead of piercing his skin, the needle bent instead¡­


    ''Looks like we finally have a strong one.''


    The man didn''t seem to have much of a reaction to this, and only fetched another, stronger needle.


    "Rx your hand, I need to draw some blood to check your age."


    Alex listened intently, not wanting to mess anything up. He felt a little prick on his finger, but the feeling onlysted a second as the wound quickly closed up.


    But the man had gotten the blood he needed already.


    "Entrant''s blood indicates an age of 17 years 10 months old, matching the date of birth stipted on the ID." The man spoke to the AI, then finished up.


    He let go of Alex''s hand and gave him the signal to enter the gym.


    "You can go inside. Good luck."


    Alex smiled at the man and thanked him. Then he walked inside, his heart beating in nervousness and anticipation.


    ''First hurdle ovee.''


    He knew that there shouldn''t be anything wrong with his records, but from his previous experiences with security checks, he just had the vague feeling that something would go wrong for him again.


    Thankfully this time that wasn''t the case.


    Though the man did make a note of his criminal records, which concerned Alex a little.


    He had earned those from his youth, when times were tough and he could barely afford to eat, thus resulting in more drastic ''illegal'' measures.


    ''The past doesn''t matter anymore. What does matter though, is how the hell I''m going to exin my talents¡­''


    Inside the gym, Alex was led to a section by the AI.


    ''Talent, rank and energy assessment. So Talents aren''t the only thing they will be assessing today.''


    When he arrived, he was greeted by a much more professional looking woman, who didn''t show any signs of exhaustion like the first man.


    "I will first be taking a measure of your soul core''s rank. Please restrain your willpower and do not resist this process, otherwise the results will not be urate."

 Chapter 144: Rank assessment

    "I will first be taking a measure of your soul core''s rank. Please restrain your willpower and do not resist this process, otherwise the results will not be urate."


    ''Hmm?''


    The woman spoke to him as soon as he entered, not wanting to waste any time as there were still thousands of other students to get through.


    As it turned out, testing the power of a person''s soul core rank was actually easy to measure, and every awakened university had the means to do so.


    It was just an expensive process.


    That was why Alex had never gone through this when he excited the Primordial Expanse, and was required to go through the legal procedures before he was allowed back into society.


    The government just hadn''t deemed him worthy enough to use their more advanced equipment to assess him, as he was just a lowly runt from the slums of one of the many mining colonies in the star system.


    The more expensive and advanced testing equipment was only affordable for those in the middle sses upwards to use.


    But it was free for every student in Capital Prime, which just boasted their prestige and resources even further.


    Shortly, the woman positioned an ominous looking device over Alex''s head, epassing his entire cranium with its many testing apparatuses.


    "Please don''t resist, you may feel ufortable at first, but the results need to be urate in order to be valid."


    She gave him a polite warning once again before she activated the device.


    ''Ugh, I feel nauseous!''


    Immediately Alex was hit with a weird feeling, like his brain was being prodded by a burst of energy.


    The feeling was ufortable indeed, but it wasn''t painful.


    Alex just felt a little sick from the effects of the device, but the woman turned it off a few secondster.


    "All done! Your results will take a few seconds topute, before they are avable for you to view on yourmunicator."


    ''That''s convenient.''


    After a 10 second wait, a little longer than the woman predicted, just as she said hismunicator pinged with a notification while the woman''s own device received the same notification.


    "Wow¡­ Looks like you''re quite the strong one!"


    She was speechless when she first read the report, with his rank unmistakably being D- rank!


    "It seems this year will be quite interesting, I look forward to your performances in the Combat assessments. With your rank alone you''ll be able to make it into the top 10,000 on the first year rankings!" The woman''s professional demeanour subtly shifted into an energetic one as she read out Alex''s results.


    Though, Alex didn''t have any reaction at all.


    If he wanted to see his soul core''s rank, he wouldn''t ever go through this ufortable process again.


    He''d just open his details¡­


    "Next we have the talent assessment. This one will be much less ufortable than the previous one. Unfortunately, the university doesn''t afford you the option of privacy like the external assessment centres do. But it is good for you to let your talent be known here anyway, as it increases your chances of a high ranking drastically."


    Alex listened to the woman closely as this was the one assessment he was really worried about.


    The fact that the university didn''t offer the option of privacy was what worried him the most, as that meant that his Soulforge talent would likely be discovered and reported to the university''s higher ups.


    He didn''t want this to happen at all, as he''d just end up as someb rat, or even worse as a ve to some high rank human for the rest of his life if they found out he had a method of ''producing'' Soul orbs.


    "Excuse me, but before this test begins, can you exin to me how exactly my talents will be tested? The association assessment centre I went to when I first came back from the Primordial Expanse said that they can''t test for them, they can only see me activate my talent directly? That would be troublesome for me as I have quite a destructive talent¡­"


    He asked the woman in as careful and as curious a manner as he could muster. Alex really wanted to know if there was a chance of his Soulforge talent getting found out or not. If it was just like the previous talent assessment he had, then he wouldn''t need to worry.


    But he had a bad feeling that the university would have some more advanced testing process that would uncover his talents whether he liked it or not¡­


    "Sure thing, unlike those other testing centres, we have a much more simple way of doing things. This isn''tmon information until youe into contact with organisations like this university, but the system has contracts that govern an exchange between two parties. We call these Soul Contracts. These are what we use to record student''s talents."


    Alex was confused, ''Soul Contracts?'' he thought.


    ''So there was such a thing?''


    "Can you exin to me what these Soul Contracts do?" He didn''t feel good at all when he heard of such a thing.


    Just the name alone seemed ominous enough, and he could glean their use just from the mention of the word ''Soul'' in the name.


    "Soul Contracts act just like our normal legal contracts in the federation, only they serve a much higher power and have much more dire consequences for breaking them. Both parties agree on the terms, and if either party breaks their side of the deal, their Soul will be dealt a varying degree of punishment." The woman paused to see Alex''s reaction.


    And she was satisfied when she saw the shock on his face, and continued.


    "And in this case due to the severity and secrecy of the information we wish to gain from you, the punishment to both parties will be theplete obliteration of the soul. There is noing back from that, and if you believe in an afterlife, well good luck getting there without a soul¡­"


    "..."


    ''Fuck.''

 Chapter 145: Talent assessment

    ''So basically, I''m fucked then.''


    Things actually turned out to be much worse than he thought.


    If their method of testing was just like the other assessment centre, then he could just get away with lying, or hiding the truth again.


    But this time there were no loopholes for him to exploit.


    If he tried such a thing with this soul contract, then he''d essentially be killing himself.


    The only upside was the fact that the other party, which he assumed would be the university''s board of directors, and the woman testing him, would suffer the same fate if they divulged his information to anyone else.


    ''What to do, what to do¡­''


    Alex was seriously considering just leaving the university right then and there.


    He hadn''t signed anything yet, so he could still back out now.


    But something inside of him screamed at him not to do so; that he would bemitting a horrible mistake if he did so.


    ''Fuck it! If they find out, they find out. It would have happened eventually one day anyway. I''m just bringing that day forward on the timeline!''


    After Alex had calmed down from his shock, he nodded to the woman to begin.


    She began shortly after, and Alex waspletely shocked by what just happened.


    He thought she''d just take out a fancy piece of paper from a drawer somewhere, but no such thing urred.


    Instead, a system panel appeared in the middle of the air between the two people.


    But the amazing thing was, that both of them could view it!


    ''I never expected this!''


    The panel looked exactly like the one that showed up when he summoned his details, but the contents on this one was different.


    It was a Soul Contract.


    ''So this is how it works! I should have expected this, the system always does things outside of the normal conventions. It''s no surprise that it puts its magical abilities to use in such a way.''


    On the Soul Contract, the details for both parties were already filled in, and Alex read through them very slowly and carefully.


    His life and Soul were on the line after all.


    He didn''t want to get scammed into killing himself because he didn''t read the Contract properly.


    ''Alex will agree to share the details of his talents to the parties specified¡­''


    ''The parties specified here¡­ will agree to keep his details secret indefinitely.''


    ''...''


    ''Failure toply with the conditions on both party''s ends will result in the subsequent party''s Soul Punishment ¡ª Soul obliteration.''


    ''Do you agree to sign this contract?''


    The whole contract wasn''t that long, which helped Alex to understand the terms easier.


    There seemed to be no loopholes, which was expected of something the system had conjured up itself.


    He looked at the Yes or No prompt that floated in front of him, and hesitated for a moment before he made a decision.


    ''There''s no going back once I hit yes¡­''


    His hands were visibly shaking as he was stuck with this dilemma, but in the end, he forced himself to push through it.


    ''Yes¡­''


    The contract disappeared immediately after he agreed, as the other parties had already agreed as well.


    Everything seemed normal at first, with nothing out of the ordinary happening.


    "Uhh, so do I just tell you the details of my talents or something like that¡­"


    He broke the awkward silence in the air by asking the woman.


    But she just looked at him with a smile he couldn''t see through and didn''t answer.


    "..."


    A few more seconds passed and still, nothing had happened.


    The woman had still kept up her mysterious smile the whole time, but deep inside even she was getting a little confused.


    ''Shouldn''t it have shown up by now?''


    She was getting worried herself, as it had never taken this long in the countless talent assessments she had conducted before this one.


    In fact, she was a little scared, as her life and soul was on the line as well.


    If anything went wrong for some reason, she''d die!


    But just as her hands started to shake, another system panel appeared in the air ¡ª also visible to both Alex and the woman.


    ''Phew! What took that so long? Never mind, let''s just get this over with.''


    Alex recognised the panel that appeared immediately.


    It was a snippet of his details!


    It only showed his Talents section, as well as the Talent details themselves, but such a thing appearing for another person to see was still startling to him.


    He observed the reaction of the woman as she looked at them, and it was as predicted.


    She gasped in shock as she read through his talents and their details. This was the first time she had visibly shown her shock in front of Alex, as she simply couldn''t have masked it this time.


    ''Fuck, here ites. ''How do you have three talents??'', ''I''ve never seen this rank in my life¡­'', ''I need to report this to my superiors!''''


    All kinds of different scenarios passed through his head of how the woman would react to him, but surprisingly none of them urred.


    "You have two elemental talents!?" The woman red out in a mixture of shock and excitement.


    ''Huh, that''s it?''


    Alex took a look at the panel that popped up himself, and he was utterly confused.


    ''Where is it?''


    He read it again, just to make sure.


    Talents: [me (C+)], [Inferior teleportation(E)]


    ''Huh, they''ve both gone up in rank since Ist checked them¡­''


    ''Never mind that, where the hell is my Soulforge talent!?''


    He read through the whole thing again and again, but it just wasn''t there.


    Considering the fact that he was still alive and well, clearly nothing had gone wrong with the Soul Contract, which just made this situation even more confusing.


    ''Wait, don''t tell me it''s really gone!''


    In utter desperation, he opened his details, which only he could see and rushed to check his talents.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Soulforge(Soul+)], [me(C+)], [Inferior teleportation(E)]


    Trait: [Warrior]


    Trait description: [After learning about the truth of the world, you''ve started venturing upon this path yourself. You can now be considered a fletchling elite. You still have a long way to go, but you are already considered a part of the top 5%.]


    Trait effect: [Healing speed increased by 5%]


    Soul core: [D- 2%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 0%]


    ''Okay thank god for that!''


    He was relieved beyond measure when he spotted it sitting there as it always did in his details.


    But that just left him with even more questions as to why it wasn''t on the talents shown to the university.


    Though, he couldn''t reallyin about it being missing either¡­

 Chapter 146: Potential

    "That''s it for the talent assessment, though it''s still surprising to me that you have two elemental talents¡­" The woman eximed, noting down his results for this one in hermunicator.


    Only she knew how this information would affect his overall score for the first year''s ranking.


    But Alex could already guess that he''d be pretty high from her shock at finding out he had two talents, and they were both elemental talents.


    That was ignoring the fact that they were both rather low ranked, just the fact that they were element based was a huge advantage for him.


    Take Mira''s Golden Presence for example.


    Though that was an A- rank talent, it didn''t cater to any specific element and instead gave an overall boost to her strength, senses, etc.


    While this sort of talent would be good in the lower ranks, from B rank onwards it wouldn''t be as useful as her other talent, Call of the Void, disregarding the fact that talent was S rank¡­


    ''So the uni knows I have a C+ rank and an E rank talent, I wonder where that would put me among the other students. Though, I can probably guess how Mira''s talent assessment is going right now¡­''


    Meanwhile, while Alex was in thought, his assessor was trying to evaluate Alex''s score for this assessment.


    ''Hmmm, I guess with two elemental talents he just barely qualifies for A tier potential. That settles it then!''


    She typed in ''A- rank potential'' on hermunicator.


    ***


    Speaking of Mira, she had just entered her own assessment centre and had already done her Soul Core rank assessment. Her assessor, also a woman, had a much more tame reaction to Mira''s E+ rank resultpared to Alex''s D- rank.


    After all, there were probably at least ten thousand other students of the same rank as her.


    "The Talent assessment will be next. You can rx, we use Soul Contracts to ensure the utmost secrecy regarding this section¡­"


    Mira''s assessor repeated the same exnations Alex had gotten from his, mentioning the benefits of the Soul Contract, as well as the punishments for breaking it, giving Mira quite a shock that such a magical contract even existed!


    She was just as shocked when the system panel appeared in the air to officiate the contract between Mira and the university.


    However this look of shock waspletely reverted and swapped with her assessor when Mira''s Talent section of her details showed up next.


    "What?"


    At first, the assessor thought she was seeing things wrongly, but she was a B rank and a higher being¡­


    There couldn''t be anything wrong with her eyesight.


    ''Two talents, one A- rank, the other an S rank!''


    She could feel herself fainting from the sheer emotions she was feeling in this moment. Though she was brought back to consciousness a few secondster, as her willpower was still extraordinarily strong due to her high rank.


    It was quite a feat to make a higher being faint ¡ª if others found out about it, Mira''s status would miles up in everyone''s mind.


    "A-Ahem, your results are out¡­ You clearly already know what talents you have, but you should know you have a very good chance of vying for the number one spot with enough training and experience¡­ Oh right! When I say the number one spot, I mean on the overall rankings!"


    Mira''s face lit up when she heard the awestruck woman in front of her exin her situation.


    She hadn''t expected her potential to actually be so high, that given enough time she could actually reach the top spot in the whole university!


    But that was something for future her to worry about, as right now she just had to focus on what was immediately ahead of her, the first year rankings!


    She still had more assessments to worry about, and just like Alex, she wasn''t confident in the more theoretical areas.


    ''S+ rank potential, Note: Extra attention should be given to this student, not only does she have an S rank talent, but it''s of the space element.''


    Mira''s assessor typed in her results for this section as well, and moved on to the next section.


    ***


    "Finally, we have the energy assessment. This section is the simplest and the shortest of the three."


    Alex''s assessor spoke to him with a much more benevolent smile on her face this time. It seemed she acted more favourably to the more talented students, which just reflected the ''Might is right'' ideology of this society.


    "This whole building acts as an energy suppressor, though ites with the added bonus of being able to detect energy signatures and their rank too. This is what we use to measure your energy levels."


    ''So that''s why I felt some kind oftent pressure pass over me when I entered this ce!''


    Alex hadn''t paid much attention to it, but there was a faint suppression covering him the whole time he was here.


    Though the feeling was faint, he had no doubt that it would strengthen if he tried to charge up an attack or anything like that.


    "All you have to do is release the full might of your aura, and the building will automatically suppress it and register it within the university database, while producing urate results about the level of your energy."


    The woman spoke informatively to Alex, making him aware of the process so he would remain calm the whole time.


    She may have rxed her still, professional tone with him, but she was still very good at her job.


    "Most awakened have an energy level matching that of their Soul core''s rank, while the students here are the elite of the elite, so theirs might even exceed it by a rank or two. I suspect this may be the case with you."


    ''Hah, looks like you''re going to be in for another shock then!'' Alex thought internally as a small smile appeared on his face.


    He already knew the level of his energy, but he wanted to see the reaction of the woman when she found out too.

 Chapter 147: Energy assessment

    And just as Alex expected, the woman was in for quite a shock.


    Fwoom!


    The room lit up for a short instant as Alex let out the full might of his aura, which hadn''t failed to intimidate the people who felt it¡­ until now.


    As a B rank, the woman would naturally be impervious to the pressure of a puny D- rank like Alex.


    But although it didn''t intimidate her one bit, it still left her very surprised.


    ''This feels like¡­ the aura of a C rank!''


    It felt to her like she was delivered shock after shock with this kid Alex!


    And now, he had the aura of a C rank while only being a first year!


    But she still waited for the more urate assessment of the building''s AI to properly record his energy assessment.


    Beep!


    And she didn''t have to wait long.


    [Energy level of subject ''Alex'' barely reaches the threshold of C rank, fluctuating between C- rank and C rank during the detection. Recorded 59% more fluctuations towards C rank. Rmended result is ''C rank energy signature'']


    Theputer delivered its assessment, allowing both Alex and the woman to hear his results at the same time.


    ''Huh! That''s surprising! Thest time I really checked the level of my aura was during the fight with the Count, and it was only around the mid range of C- rank. I guess it''s gone up a bit over thest few months.''


    "Yo-You have an energy level 5 ranks ahead of your own! Just what kind of monster are you!?"


    Colour drained from her rosy cheeks and she was left pale faced.


    The testing device couldn''t have been wrong, as it had never been wrong ever since its introduction in the testing process over 50 years prior.


    Not to mention that she had felt his aura to be around the same level herself, which was just absurd to her.


    The reason his energy level was 5 ranks ahead and not 4, was due to the fact that the difference between D+ rank and C- rank was 2 ranks, not 1. This was why the woman had said that some exceptional students had a difference of 2 ranks when she exined the average results other students had.


    She looked over to Alex and squinted her eyes.


    ''This kid has some big secrets. He needs some special attention.''


    As she thought, she opened his file and changed her previous assessments.


    ''This kid doesn''t have A- rank potential¡­ He has S- rank potential!''


    She erased her previous entry and changed it for her new one, which required authorisation from a member of the board to see if he qualified for such potential or not, asbelling a student with S tier potential was a big deal.


    Mira''s assessor would have to go through the same thing as well with her S+ rank potential ¡ª she might even need the approval of the President of the university himself to sign off on her assessment¡­


    Alex didn''t know much about energy levels. The only thing Alex had learned during his time in the Primordial Expanse was that energy levels were used as a rough base to determine thebat power of an awakened.


    The woman sensed his confusion and exined to him.


    "Energy levels have a deeper meaning than just to estimatebat power, they are an indication of a person''s soul strength and willpower.


    The only known way to increase one''s energy level is through intense training andbat experience, building up what ismonly known as ''killing intent'', or through the much more straightforward but much harder goal to achieve, to upgrade your ssification."


    What the woman said was right, and both cases actually applied to Alex. He was constantly fighting beasts and humans in the primordial Expanse so he had effectively been killing two birds with one stone, gaining experience and training at the same time.


    Not to mention that he had already upgraded to Mutant ss himself, which he hadn''t thought was much of a big deal himself up until this point.


    "Ah that exins it then, my energy level must be so high because I''m a Mutant ss!" He eximed to the woman as if he finally figured out the solution to a hard problem.


    But when she heard his exmation, she just stood there with a nk stare.


    ¡­ and dropped hermunicator on the floor.


    "You what?"


    ***


    This time it took the woman a whole minute to recover and pick up hermunicator.


    "If what you are saying is true, then your rise to the top is all but guaranteed." She spoke, not mentioning any of her previous actions so as to not embarrass herself further.


    "The earlier one bes a Mutant ss, the better. You may not know this, but upgrading from Ordinary ss to Mutant ss doesn''t actually have much of an effect when you reach my rank. I myself upgraded to Mutant ss when I was C+ rank, and have been a Mutant ss ever since.


    If I were to fight someone like you who became one at a much earlier rank, I''d stand no chance in a fight if we were the same rank."


    Her face scrunched up, talking about this probably brought back some bad memories, but she continued soon after.


    "That''s why it''s so important to upgrade sses so much earlier. It''s almost impossible to find a team to help you take out such beasts with, especially at my rank. I''m probably going to stay a B tier for the rest of my life. There''s no hope for me to ever reach A tier unless Ie across some lucky inheritance in the future¡­"


    ''Wait, find a team to help you fight such beasts? Why would she need to do such a thing?'' Alex asked internally, though he was lucky to have not asked that question out loud, as she would have probably given him a beating for saying such a thing.


    Alex didn''t know it, but most Ordinary sses had to treat Mutant ss creatures like they were raid bosses in a video game, creating a team of anywhere from 10-30 people to take one down depending on its strength, this was in the case that they were of the same tier as them¡­


    This was why Mutant ss awakened were so rare, as beasts only ever dropped 1 beast core, and that was if they were lucky to have even dropped one.


    It was obvious that 1 beast core wouldn''t be enough for 30 people¡­


    There were very few cases of Ordinary sses taking them down as a solo, like Alex and Mira did.


    If someone wanted to do such a thing, they''d need to have a high rank talent like Mira''s to even stand a chance.


    Or be like Alex, aplete anomaly in this well oiled system of awakened.


    ''My absurd and anomalous strength probablyes from my absorption of Soul orbs instead of Beast cores¡­''


    Alex had realised this fact too while listening to the woman speak about her own experiences of reaching Mutant ss.


    "Who knows, if you''re lucky you might even be able to kill a Variant beast one day!"


    She spoke, looking as if she didn''t even believe her own words.


    But Alex held an awkward smile on his face as he looked at the Variant ss Soul orb and Beast core sitting in his inventory and storage¡­

 Chapter 148: Miras assessment

    Mira stood in the assessment chamber, waiting for the AI to scan her energy levels. The room was dimly lit, the only lighting from the various screens and sensors that lined the walls.


    The woman who was assessing her seemed professional, but Mira could sense a hint of curiosity in her eyes. After all, it wasn''t every day that students with exceptional potential arrived at Capital Prime University.


    "Alright, just rx and let the scanner do its work," the woman instructed, her voice calm and steady.


    Mira nodded, taking a deep breath. She let her aura flow freely, feeling the familiar surge of energy within her. The room lit up briefly as her energy filled the space, causing the sensors to beep and hum in response.


    The woman''s eyes widened slightly. ''This feels like¡­! But she''s only an E+ rank student!''


    The assessment AI began its work, and Mira could feel the slight tingling sensation as the machine analysed her energy levels. She stood still, her gaze fixed on the screen, waiting for the results.


    Beep!


    The results appeared on the screen, and both Mira and the woman leaned in to read them.


    [Energy level of subject ''Mira'' barely reaches the threshold of D+ rank, fluctuating between D+ rank and C- rank during the detection. Recorded 63% more fluctuations towards D+ rank. Rmended result is ''D+ rank energy signature'']


    Mira raised an eyebrow. ''Interesting. I''ve been focusing on refining my aura, but I didn''t realise it had progressed this far.''


    The woman, on the other hand, was visibly shocked. "You¡­ You have an energy level four ranks ahead of your own! That''s incredible! Just what kind of training have you been doing?"


    Mira shrugged slightly, a small smile ying on her lips. "Just a lot of intense training andbat experience, I suppose."


    The woman''s face paled slightly as she processed the information. "This is extraordinary. The testing device has never been wrong, and I can feel it too¡­ Your energy level is far beyond what we typically see in first-year students."


    She opened Mira''s file and began making notes, her fingers flying across the virtual keyboard. ''I''m even more certain now, this girl has S+ rank potential!''


    As she updated the file, the woman knew that this assessment would need the highest level of approval, just like Alex''s assessment required.


    Mira, observing the woman''s actions, felt a mix of pride and anticipation. She knew she was strong, but seeing the official recognition was a different matter entirely.


    "So, what kind of training exactly?" the woman asked, unable to contain her curiosity.


    "Well, apart from the usualbat drills, I''ve been spending a lot of time in the Primordial Expanse," Mira exined. "I''ve fought countless beasts and honed my skills there."


    The woman nodded, impressed. "That exins a lot. The Primordial Expanse is known for its harsh conditions and powerful creatures. But still, this level of advancement is rare."


    "Have you always had such high energy levels?" the woman asked, curiosity tinging her professional demeanour.


    Mira shook her head. "Not always. It increased significantly after I became a Mutant ss."


    The woman''s eyes widened in surprise. "You''re a Mutant ss? That exins a lot."


    Mira nodded, her expression calm. "Yes, I reached Mutant ss a few months ago."


    The woman''s mind raced. ''A Mutant ss at such a young age? That''s rare. But even so, most Mutant ss students I''ve assessed have energy levels only three ranks above their own at best. Mira is four ranks ahead. This is unprecedented.''


    She took a deep breath and continued to type into Mira''s file, noting the new information. "Bing a Mutant ss so early is a significant achievement. It''s likely a major factor in why your energy level is so advanced."


    Mira watched the woman with interest. "Does that mean I''ll be treated differently here?"


    The woman paused, considering her words. "Not differently, but your potential will be closely monitored. Students with your level of promise are given opportunities to advance more quickly, but ites with higher expectations and more rigorous training."


    Mira nodded, understanding the implications. "I''m ready for it."


    The woman gave her a small, encouraging smile. "I believe you are. With your current trajectory, you could achieve things most students can only dream of."


    Mira felt a surge of determination. She had always aimed high, but hearing it from an official at Capital Prime University solidified her resolve.


    The woman finished updating Mira''s file and saved it. "This assessment will go to the board for approval. Given your unique circumstances, it might even require the president''s review. But I have no doubt you''ll be recognized for your potential."


    Mira thanked the woman and left the chamber, her mind already focused on her next goals. She knew the path ahead would be challenging, but she was prepared to face it head-on.


    As the woman watched her leave, she couldn''t help but feel a mix of awe and concern. ''I''ve seen many promising students, but Mira is something else entirely. I hope she''s ready for what lies ahead.''


    Mira walked through the hallways of the university, her thoughts racing. She had always known she was different, but now she had the official confirmation. Her journey was just beginning, and she was determined to make the most of it.


    She reached her dorm room and sat down at her desk, pulling out her training schedule. She needed to refine her abilities further and push her limits even more. The assessment had shown her just how much potential she had, and she wasn''t about to let it go to waste.


    Her mind wandered to the challenges she would face, the battles she would fight, and the goals she would achieve. She knew it wouldn''t be easy, but she was ready for whatever came her way.


    Back in the assessment chamber, the woman reviewed Mira''s file onest time. ''S+ rank potential¡­ This girl is truly remarkable. I''ll be watching her progress closely. She''s going to change the game.''


    With that thought, she closed the file and prepared for the next student. But the memory of Mira''s assessment lingered in her mind, a reminder of the extraordinary talent that had just passed through her hands.

 Chapter 149: Combat assessment

    Alex walked out of the gym, lost in thought.


    ''For such a strong awakened, a B tier at that, she sure seemed shocked at my results¡­''


    His assessor''s reaction had been startling¡ªshock, disbelief, awe. This was the best Awakened university in the federation, and the assessor had seen countless prodigies, yet she had been floored by his results. It was a humbling reminder that even among the elite, he was an anomaly.


    He reyed the assessment in his mind. The numbers on the screen, the murmurs of the technicians, and the final verdict: his energy level fluctuated between C- and C rank, peaking more often than not at C rank.


    ***


    The next day, Alex was up early, filled with anticipation for thebat assessment. He made his way to the stadium, which looked like a colossal coliseum on the inside. The sheer size of the arena was overwhelming, with tiered seating stretching up to the sky, and a wide, open space in the centre where the battles would take ce.


    ''This ce just continues to surprise me!''


    As he entered, he joined thousands of other first-year students, each buzzing with excitement and nerves. The air was electric with the collective energy of so many powerful individuals gathered in one ce.


    Alex took a deep breath, calming himself. He scanned the crowd, noting the variety of auras¡ªsome strong, some weak, some wildly fluctuating. He could sense the hidden potential in many of them.


    A tall, imposing figure stood on a tform at the centre of the stadium, waiting for the noise to die down. When silence finally fell, he spoke.


    "Wee, first-year students, to yourbat assessment," the man said, his voice resonating through the stadium. "I am General Marks, abat professor here at Capital Prime University and a general in the federal military."


    Alex''s eyes widened slightly. General Marks was the strongest person he had ever encountered, his energy signature unmistakably A-tier. The sheer force of his presence was palpable, and Alex felt a mixture of awe and respect. Seeing an A-tier in person was rare, people could go their whole lives and never even have the chance of seeing one in person..


    General Marks continued, "Today''s assessment will test not only yourbat abilities but also your resilience and adaptability. Each of you will face ten opponents in individual arenas. The fights will be monitored and judged by sophisticated AI systems, ensuring fair and urate evaluations."


    The general''s gaze swept over the crowd, and Alex felt as though he was looking directly at him. "Your results will primarily be based on the number of fights you win, ounting for 80% of your score. The remaining 20% will be determined by other factors such as your individual strength, reaction time, critical thinking, and unique abilities."


    There was a murmur of anticipation among the students. Alex clenched his fists, this assessment practically catered to him. He knew this was his chance to secure his spot at the top of the ranking.


    General Marks continued with a conniving smile on his face, "Remember, this is a test of your potential and your ability to adapt under pressure. If you get injured, you can only me yourself.."


    With that, the students were directed to their assigned arenas. Alex''s heart pounded as he walked to his designated spot. The arena was a circr tform, surrounded by a shimmering energy barrier that would contain thebatants and protect the spectators.


    The AI overseeing his arena hummed quietly, a reminder of the meticulous observation they would be under.


    ''Tsk, boring.''


    As he took his ce, Alex noticed his first opponent entering the arena. The boy looked confident, but Alex sensed his energy level¡ªa solid E+ rank. He couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed. He had hoped for a more challenging first fight, but he knew the real tests wouldeter.


    The AI''s voice echoed through the arena, announcing the start of the match. "Combatants, prepare for battle. The match begins in three, two, one... Begin!"


    Alex''s opponent charged forward, his fists glowing with energy. Alex stood his ground, his mind calm and focused. He had faced stronger opponents in the Primordial Expanse, and this would be no different.


    As the opponent closed the distance, Alex sidestepped with ease, dodging the initial attack.


    He countered with a quick, powerful strike to the boy''s side, sending him stumbling. The crowd''s murmurs were a distant hum to Alex, who was entirely focused on the fight.


    His opponent recovered quickly,unching a series of rapid punches and kicks. Alex weaved through the attacks, analysing his opponent''s movements.


    The boy was fast, but his strikes were predictable. Alex saw an opening and took it,nding a decisive blow that knocked his opponent to the ground.


    The AI''s voice rang out, "Match over. Winner: Alex."


    There was a brief moment of silence, followed by ps from the spectators. Alex helped his opponent up, offering a respectful nod.


    As he prepared for his next match, Alex couldn''t help but feel a surge of confidence. He was ready for whatever came his way, determined to prove that his extraordinary energy levels were backed by equally extraordinarybat skills.


    The next few matches followed a simr pattern. Alex faced opponents of varying strengths, but none posed a significant challenge. His training and natural abilities allowed him to dispatch each one quickly and efficiently. With each victory, his confidence grew.


    As the fifth match approached, Alex felt a familiar thrill of anticipation. His next opponent stepped into the arena, and Alex immediately sensed something different. This opponent''s energy was stronger, more focused, and there was a hint of something else¡ªsomething dangerous.


    The AI announced the start of the match, and Alex''s opponent wasted no time,unching a barrage of attacks. Alex was forced to go on the defensive, blocking and dodging with all his skill. The opponent was relentless, each strike more powerful than thest.


    For the first time that day, Alex felt truly tested. He could see the determination in his opponent''s eyes, and he knew this would be a fight to remember.


    The battle raged on. His opponent was a formidable fighter, and for a moment, doubt flickered in his mind. But he quickly banished it, focusing on his training and instincts.


    ''This energy reminds me of¡­ Shit, stop getting side tracked Alex!''


    For a moment Alex''s thoughts shifted in the midst of the battle, as he was reminded of Count Desmond''s darkness elemental energy.


    He waited for the perfect moment, biding his time. When his opponent overextended with a powerful kick, Alex seized the opportunity. He moved with lightning speed, delivering a series of rapid, precise strikes that left his opponent reeling.


    With a final, powerful blow, Alex knocked his opponent to the ground. The AI''s voice dered the match over, and the crowd erupted in apuse.


    ''You were alright, but it''s a shame your energy brought up memories I wish to forget.''


    As Alex left the arena, he felt a mix of exhaustion and exhration.


    ''They may not have been much of a challenge, but fighting so many battles in a row is still exhausting!''


    On the side, General Marks watched Alex with an intense gaze, his thoughts unknown.

 Chapter 150: Nikolas Stein

    Alex stood tall, well as tall as his 5''8 self stood ¡ª his heart pounding in exhration.


    He had won nine matches in a row now, with his confidence soaring with each victory. However it also made him realise how weak the average first year student was.


    It was like each of these youths just floated their way through their time in the Primordial Expanse, having everything spoon fed to them and not experiencing any danger or suffering at all.


    He had an inkling that none of the opponents he had faced so far had been through even 1% of anything he''d experienced so far.


    But then again, the same could be said for Alex, as each of his opponents hade from wealthy and prominent backgrounds, with family and teachers to back them up and prepare them for their time in the Primordial Expanse. They had probably received drastically different advice about the Primordial Expanse than Alex did.


    Alex''s advice was all just about how to survive as the bare minimum. There wasn''t any focus on how he might gain strength and experience etc.


    The crowd of people spectating his fights had grown steadily over the past few hours, as the various stadiums across Capital Prime city were avable for the rest of the University toe and visit, or spectate.


    As Alex had won 9 matches in a row, and they had all been quick and rtively easy fights too, he had hundreds more people joining his stands after each fight.


    ''I truly wonder how half of these guys even made it far enough in the Primordial Expanse to reach this point¡­''


    As Alex waited for his final fight, his mind drifted back to his opponents.


    There was this one boy called Kai, only a year younger than himself, who looked so timid and scared to fight that Alex even wondered whether he was an awakened at all.


    Alex watched as every Opponent Kai faced had their expressions light up in delight when their fight against Kai was announced.


    It was essentially a free win.


    Other than that, all his other opponents had been subpar at best, aside from that boy with the darkness element he faced, but he still wasn''t good enough to really pique Alex''s interest.


    "Next match: Alex versus Niks Stein."


    The AI''s mechanical voice interrupted his thoughts.


    A hush fell over Alex''s arena when the announcement was made.


    ''What''s with the sudden silence?''


    Alex frowned, puzzled by this change in atmosphere.


    He nced around, noting the shocked and interested expressions of the other students.


    Murmurs began to spread through the crowd, but Alex couldn''t understand the source of their astonishment.


    ''Who is Niks Stein?''


    Alex wondered internally. The crowd had changed after the announcement was made, and they clearly weren''t so shocked by Alex''s name¡­


    So it could only be because of his opponent,


    But there was no time to seek an answer. He shook off his curiosity and strode confidently into the arena. The energy barrier hummed to life, enclosing him in its protective field.


    Just as Alex expected, the audience''s whispers grew louder as Niks Stein entered the arena. Alex studied his opponent, noting his equallyposed demeanour and the cold glint in his eyes. Niks exuded a feeling of power and confidence that matched Alex''s own.


    ''This guy is different from the other guys.'' Alex thought.


    As the twobatants faced each other, Alex caught snippets of conversation from the spectators.


    "That''s Niks Stein? No wonder everyone is shocked."


    "His father is an S rank awakened, and his father just reached A+ rank recently. They say Niks inherited a variant of his grandfather''s legendary S rank Talent, with Niks'' own Talent being S+ rank!"


    "Both of them haven''t lost a match yet. This is going to be insane!"


    ''So that''s what made everyone so quiet!''


    Alex had already filled in the nks from the short pieces of information he had gleaned from the audience.


    ''So he''s some rich kid who inherited his granddaddy''s talent? Let''s see if he lives up to all this hype.''


    A demeaning smile flickered across Alex''s face. There was one group of people in society that Alex disliked the most.


    The snobby upper ss brats who sh their egos around everywhere they go and cause pain for those weaker and poorer than them.


    ''It''s because of people like this that society has gone to shit.''


    This was the first opponent that Alex actually felt danger from, but he still scoffed at such a thing.


    Alex''s power all came from himself and his own efforts. Everything he had, he worked extremely hard for himself.


    ''Meanwhile, Niks over here was pampered from birth, probably fed copious amounts of beast cores and all kinds of other expensive elixirs that he hadn''t worked for.''


    "I''ve heard about you. You got lucky with your fights so far, but this is where your luck ends." Niks spoke with a faint smile.


    Alex''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and responded.


    "I think you''re getting luck and skill mixed up."


    Niksughed but didn''t respond.


    ''What is this guy trying to do?''


    Alex wasn''t impressed with the guy''s mediocre attempt at trying to get in his head.


    He was already a little disappointed that the students of Capital Prime didn''t turn out to be as strong as he had hoped.


    But he would dly put this guy born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, in his ce.


    "Alex¡­ Just a nobody who thinks he''s a somebody. This fight will be over before he can even touch Niks."


    ''Of course the guy has the typical clich¨¦ bunch ofckeys, whose only purpose is to throw around pointless insults and sow discord between two parties.''


    A group of arrogant faced brats joined the audience, and immediately made their presence known with their loud mouths.


    Strangely though, most of the spectators didn''t seem to disagree with what they were saying.


    All of them had heard of the Stein family before, as anyone with a brain and an inte connection should have heard about them.


    They had no doubts that Niks would wipe the floor with Alex, which Alex just found hrious.


    ''You guys haven''t seen anything yet!''


    "Combatants, prepare for battle!"


    In just a moment''s notice, the fight was about to start!

 Chapter 151: Light

    As the AI''s countdown ended, Alex braced himself.


    "Fight!"


    Niks released his aura, and Alex''s eyes widened in shock. He immediately recognized the intensity.


    "He''s a Mutant ss D rank Awakened," Alex muttered to himself, the realisation hitting him hard.


    The spectators gasped in awe as the powerful aura spread throughout the arena.


    "He''s a D rank in his first year? Incredible!"


    "And who''s this Alex guy? He must be good to face someone like Niks!"


    Alex ignored the murmurs, focusing solely on his opponent. Niks moved with lightning speed,unching a series of rapid punches.


    Alex barely had time to react, dodging and parrying with equal swiftness. Their fists collided with bone-jarring force, each trying to overpower the other.


    Niks''s strikes were precise and relentless. He was clearly well-trained and ustomed to using his physical abilities to their fullest.


    Alex countered with his own martial prowess, but his movements were much slower and less shy than Niks, as he hadn''t received any training.


    The twobatants were locked in a brutal exchange of blows, neither willing to back down.


    "You''ve got no skill, you''re just fighting on instinct." Niks grunted, his voice strained from the exertion.


    Alex didn''t respond and only gnashed his teeth together. Niks wasn''t wrong in his observation, Alex had been fighting with sheer instinct alone up until this point.


    ''But my instincts still haven''t failed me yet!''


    They continued to sh, the intensity of their hand-to-handbat growing with each passing second. Alex could feel the eyes of the spectators on them, but he blocked it out. This fight was about proving his own strength, not just to the audience, but to himself.


    Niks''s smirk faded as he realised Alex wasn''t going to be an easy win without putting in some more effort. He stepped back, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "You''re better than I thought," he admitted, still no hint of respect in his tone.


    Alex didn''t respond. He was too focused on the fight to engage in banter. He lunged forward, aiming a powerful kick at Niks''s midsection. Niks blocked it with his forearm, but the impact forced him back a few steps.


    The crowd''s excitement was palpable. "This is insane! Both of them are incredible fighters!"


    Alex and Niks circled each other, each looking for an opening. Alex could feel his muscles burning from the intense exertion, but he pushed the pain aside. He had to stay sharp, had to stay focused.


    The previous 9 fights had taken their toll on his body, and he was quickly growing even more exhausted as time went on.


    Niks moved first, darting in with a flurry of punches. Alex parried and countered, his movements a blur. They exchanged blows with brutal efficiency, each trying to gain the upper hand. The arena floor trembled under the force of their strikes, the air thick with tension.


    Suddenly, Niks stepped back, a confident smile spreading across his face. "Time to end this," he dered.


    Before Alex could react, Niks activated his Talent. A blinding light erupted from his body, causing Alex and the audience to squint. The light didn''t fade; instead, it seemed to envelop Niks entirely.


    Alex''s eyes widened in realisation. "An S+ rank Talent, so it was true!... and it''s of the Light element too!"


    The audience was stunned into silence, their eyes fixed on the radiant figure of Niks. The brilliance of his aura was overwhelming, casting long shadows across the arena.


    "He''s got an S+ rank Light element Talent? This is unbelievable!"


    "Alex is in trouble now. How can he fight against that?"


    Alex didn''t let the shock paralyse him.


    ''Since you don''t want to y our little game anymore, I might as well take this seriously too!''


    Just like Niks did, Alex activated his own talent. To be specific, his me talent.


    It wasn''t nearly as shy as Niks''s, but it still garnered a wave of shock and cheers from the crowd.


    This was the first time Alex was revealing this move to the public, as every opponent Alex had faced with this technique so far had been reduced to ash.


    He picked up his sword, and along with the rest of Alex''s body, it was quickly drowned in mes.


    "Interesting! It seems you have an elemental talent too. You might not be as bad as I thought, but you''re still the same rat underneath that fiery exterior!"


    Niks didn''t seem bothered by Alex''s transformation into a ming spectacle.


    "Alex is holding his own against an S+ rank Talent. This is unreal."


    "Who is this guy? Where did hee from?"


    Niks lunged forward, his speed and power enhanced by his Talent. Alex barely managed to dodge, the air crackling with energy as Niks''s fist missed him by inches. The ground where Niks struck Alex was scorched, the sheer force of his attack leaving a smouldering crater.


    "You see, the interesting thing about Light-," Niks spoke amidst the mes, "Is that it is the limit of speed in the universe."


    Instantly, Niks disappeared from his spot.


    But it wasn''t something like teleportation, no, he just moved so fast that not even the more experienced senior students in the audience could spot him.


    Alex felt a surge of adrenaline. He knew that it was impossible for Niks to achieve something as overpowered as lightspeed at his rank, as the energy it would take was far, far ahead of anything he could provide.


    ''Where is he??''


    But Alex was unable to find him nevertheless, which led to him being unable to dodge Niks''s strike to his back when he came back into focus.


    "Puh!" The air was all forcibly pushed out of Alex''s lungs as he was sent flying forwards into the arena barrier.


    Killing was banned in thebat assessment, and was severely punished even if it was aplete ident, so Niks only used the butt of his sword to strike Alex''s back.


    He wasn''t going to take any chances just because of some fight.


    ''How the hell am I supposed to beat someone I can''t even see!?''


    Meanwhile, Alex was going through a dilemma on the other side of the arena.

 Chapter 152: Frustrating loss

    Alex could tell right off the bat that Niks was weaker than the Count in terms of overall strength.


    But Niks''s talent made for quite a unique situation for Alex, where even though he was technically able to beat him in terms of strength, he was actually on the losing end instead because he simply didn''t have a counter for Niks''s incredible speed.


    ''I need to think of something quickly, or I''ll end up losing this battle!''


    This was the first time Alex was all out of ideas while in a fight. Every other time, he had something to rely on in case the worst case scenario happens, but he had already used up his trump cards, and any other ideas he had would just be thwarted out by Niks''s speed anyway.


    ''Fuck, this is so frustrating!''


    Alex struggled to his feet, grasping for breath as he red at Niks. His body ached from the impact, and frustration gnawed at him.


    ''His speed is just overwhelming.''


    Alex clenched his fist, mes licking up his arms.


    ''Damn it, I can''t even see himing! How am I supposed to fight back?''


    Niks smirked, seeing the frustration in Alex''s eyes. He enjoyed the upper hand, relishing the chance to demonstrate his superiority to the general student body spectating their battle.


    ''He''s good, but he''s not good enough. My speed is his Achilles'' heel.''


    Niks moved again, disappearing into a blur.


    Alex braced himself, trying to predict where the next attack woulde from. He spun around, swinging his ming sword wildly, but struck only air.


    Niks reappeared behind him, delivering a powerful kick to Alex''s side.


    Alex grunted in pain, stumbling but refusing to fall.


    ''I need to think of something, anything!''


    Niks observed Alex with a mix of interest and annoyance. Despite being a rank lower than himself, Alex''s aura was far superior to his own.


    As a D rank, Niks''s own aura was just scraping the edge of C- rank, barely qualifying to be ssed at that level in his energy assessment.


    But he could feel clearly that Alex''s aura was nearly two levels ahead of his own.


    ''He''s got raw power, and he has a pretty decent talent too, no doubt about it. If it weren''t for my speed and S+ rank talent, he''d have the upper hand right now¡­''


    Internally, Niks knew that speaking in rtive terms, Alex was stronger than himself, which just seemed impossible.


    Thinking of this realisation only made him even more frustrated, and he increased the intensity of his attacks a notch further, wanting to finish this fight even quicker.


    Niksunched another flurry of attacks, each one faster and more precise than thest. He was pushing himself at these speeds, but he wasn''t in the mood to fight Alex any longer.


    ''He''s pushing me harder than anyone else has before. This is ridiculous. How can someone from the slums be this strong?''


    He was born with a diamond spoon, his grandfather and father were some of the strongest people in the whole federation, and he had them to support him from the moment he was born.


    Yet whenparing himself to Alex, aplete nobody from the slums with no backer or support to his name, he was inferior.


    Even when he took his S+ rank talent into ount, he was still inferior, even though he was currently beating him in a fight.


    Niks knew this, but his pride was too high to admit it to himself.


    Alex barely managed to block and dodge, his movements growing more desperate with each passing second. He tried to focus, to find a rhythm, but Niks was relentless.


    Alex''s thoughts raced as he fought to keep up. ''I''ve fought so hard after bing an awakened to reach this point, but it feels like nothing I do matters against him. There has to be a way¡­''


    Niks circled him, the air practically crackling with the sheer amount of energy concentrated within this small arena.


    He could see the determination in Alex''s eyes, the refusal to give up. It only made him even more eager to win and trample on that pride of Alex''s.


    ''I have to crush him, I can''t show a struggle against him. That''s what grandfather would expect of me.''


    Alex lunged forward, swinging his sword with all his might. Niks easily sidestepped, delivering a swift punch to Alex''s gut. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he dropped to one knee, gasping to air.


    ''This is pathetic! I''m better than this rat!''


    Niks watched him struggle, a smirk ying on his lips. "You''re strong, for a slumrat. It''s time to end this."


    With a burst of speed, Niks closed the distance, aiming a powerful kick at Alex''s head.


    Alex barely managed to raise his arms in time, deflecting the blow but still feeling the kic force of it.


    He staggered back, his vision blurring from the impact.


    ''Killing isn''t allowed in these fights, but there''s no rule that says you can''t cripple someone! This guy''s trying to cripple me, aiming for my head! He''s trying to turn me into a vegetable!''


    Alex scowled and felt anger burning through his veins when he noticed Niks''s sinister intentions, but he was powerless to fight back.


    This ce was cruel, there was no option of surrender given to the students. They were simply forced to fight until one victor was chosen by the AI.


    Alex''s frustration and anger boiled over, and he roared, mes erupting around him. He charged at Niks, swinging wildly, but Niks was just too fast.


    He dodged every attack, countering with precise strikes that left Alex battered, bruised and scarred.


    The reality was settling in for Alex. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t keep up with Niks''s speed, and that was his downfall. It was infuriating, and it was exhausting.


    Niksnded a final blow, a powerful strike to Alex''s chest with his sword that pierced through him and sticking out of his back.


    Alex fell down to the ground, blood dripping out of the wound, gasping for breath.


    ''It''s over¡­ I''ve lost.''


    Niks stood over him, looking down at him with a mix of triumph and annoyance.


    The sword stilly in Alex''s chest, blocking the blood from pouring out like a fountain.


    Niks wasn''t an idiot, he wasn''t nning on killing Alex and getting himself expelled from Capital Prime.

 Chapter 153: After

    ''If it weren''t for my speed, I would be the one on the ground instead. That''s what pisses me off the most.'' Niks thought to himself, unamused at his wless win streaking to an end.


    "Winner: Niks. Alex ends with Nine wins and One loss. Niks ends with Ten wins and Zero losses."


    The AI''s voice echoed through the arena, announcing the end of the fight.


    The crowd erupted into chaos, apuding both fighters for their incredible disy of skill and power.


    ***


    Alex woke up in his dorm room, groggy and disoriented. His head throbbed with a migraine, and his vision was blurry.


    He looked around in confusion, trying to piece together how he ended up there. Thest thing he remembered was losing the fight against Niks.


    ''What the hell happened?'' he wondered, rubbing his temples. ''I remember losing... and then nothing.''


    Alex grabbed his head and groaned, as the pain from the continuous hits to his head all hit him at once. Combined with the migraine he was experiencing, it made for quite a nastybo.


    As his vision slowly adjusted, he noticed a blurry figure in the corner of his room.


    ''Huh, my head''s so messed up that I''m even seeing things now.''


    He thought it was just a hallucination caused by his migraine. He blinked several times, trying to clear his sight.


    But no matter what he did, the blurry figure just wouldn''t go away.


    ''Weird.'' Alex thought.


    The blurry figure began to speak. "You fought impressively against Niks. Although you lost, I know the oue will be different in the future when you grow stronger."


    Alex was startled. ''Am I hearing things too?'' He dismissed it with a grunt, grumbling, "Great, now I''m seeing and hearing things."


    He stood up from his bed, waving his arms about randomly as he tried to swat away the image of the blurry figure.


    If all else fails, attack it!


    The blurry figure moved closer, and Alex''s heart skipped a beat.


    The figure moved at a speed faster than Alex couldprehend ¡ª faster than even Niks had been during his fight.


    The figure rested a hand on Alex''s head, and suddenly, a wave of pure energy flowed into him. His headache vanished instantly.


    He looked up, his vision finally cleared and scrutinised the face of the person resting his hand on his head.


    "You''re not a hallucination are you¡­" He asked, still a little confused.


    "Nope." General Marks answered.


    That''s right, it was General Marks standing in Alex''s room.


    The instant Alex realised, his face paled and he dropped back onto his bed, his legs shaking.


    He quickly sat up, his eyes wide with surprise and embarrassment. "General Marks! I''m sorry, I thought I was hallucinating!"


    General Marks chuckled, a stern expression still on his face. "No need to apologise, Alex. You took quite a beating out there. It''s understandable that you''re disoriented."


    Alex looked down, feeling a mix of frustration and shame. "I lost... I thought I could handle it, but his speed..."


    "You fought well," General Marks interrupted. "Better than most. It''s not every day someone like Niks is pushed to that extent. You''ve got raw talent and determination. Don''t let this loss define you."


    The words General Marks spoke were deep, and hit quite hard for Alex. He had only been solely focused on winning and hadn''t taken the time to consider the fact that he was essentially from apletely different world from Niks.


    He was born with nothing, and had to work hard to gain what he had. While Niks was born with everything, literally everything at his disposal with the help of his family.


    Alex nodded slowly, absorbing the words. "What happened after I passed out?"


    General Marks sat down on the edge of the bed. "After the fight, you were taken to the infirmary. You were in pretty bad shape, but nothing that couldn''t be healed. You''ve been out for a few hours. The results have been tallied."


    Alex''s heart raced. "And?"


    "You ended up in third ce in your batch for thebat assessment," General Marks said, a hint of interest in his voice. "And 37th overall across all the assessments in the city."


    Alex clenched his fists. "I deserve to be higher. If it weren''t for Niks''s speed..."


    General Marks nodded. "I understand your frustration. But rankings are just numbers. What matters is how you use this experience to improve."


    Alex sighed, feeling a bit more at ease. "I guess you''re right."


    After a moment, he looked up, curiosity burning in his eyes. "General Marks, do you know of a girl named Mira? What ce did she achieve in the overallbat assessment rankings?"


    General Mark''s expression shifted slightly, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. "Mira? You know that girl?"


    Alex didn''t notice the increased focus on General Mark''s face and answered out of instinct. "Yeah, she''s my friend. We travelled here and enrolled in the university together. We even took part in the same entrance examination and both achieved a joint first ce."


    He exined his rtionship with Mira to General Marks, which only caused the general to look away, deep in thought.


    But a few momentster, he looked back at Alex, and answered his question.


    "I suggest you go and check with her yourself. You should hear it from her, rather than from me." The general spoke, but quickly moved on.


    "You have potential, Alex," General Marks continued. "With the right training and mindset, you can achieve great things. Don''t let this loss discourage you."


    Alex nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "I won''t. I''ll train harder, push myself further."


    General Marks stood up, a satisfied look on his face. "That''s the spirit."


    As General Marks turned to leave, Alex called out, "Thank you, General Marks. For everything."


    The general paused at the door, looking back with a serious expression. "Words mean nothing, Alex. Don''t thank me yet. Show me your gratitude through your actions, not your words."


    With that, General Marks left, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts. Hey back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing.

 Chapter 154: Miras performance

    Alex left his dorm room, feelingpletely rejuvenated thanks to General Marks'' infusion of pure energy.


    As he walked through the campus, he noticed more students than usual throwing looks his way, whispering to each other, and some even boldly pointing.


    ''What''s with all the attention?'' he wondered, walking past them without paying much heed. Internally, he was curious why he was garnering so much attention even though he lost the fight.


    The murmurs continued as he made his way to Mira''s dorm. ''Did something else happen that I''m not aware of?'' he thought, a bit puzzled.


    After a short walk across the campus, he arrived in front of Mira''s dorm address. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Stumped, Alex looked around, trying to figure out where she could be.


    ''Where could she have gone?'' he thought, scratching his head.


    "Boo!"


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mira appeared right in front of his face, literally an inch away. Alex jumped back in shock, nearly tripping over his own feet.


    "Whoa!" he eximed. "How the hell did you do that? You scared the crap out of me!"


    Mira grinned mischievously. "Surprised you, didn''t I? I''ve been working on my not so new talent anymore."


    Alex blinked, trying to regain hisposure. "Call of the Void? Oh yeah how could I have forgotten!? But how did you appear out of nowhere like that? I couldn''t even sense a thing even when you were right in front of me! Not even I can do that with my teleportation!"


    Mira''s eyes sparkled with excitement. "It''s a bit different from teleportation. I can step through the void, moving in and out of reality. It''s like walking through a hidden dimension. Pretty cool, right?"


    Alex''s jaw dropped. "That''s insane! How did you figure it out?"


    Mira shrugged nonchntly. "Lots of practice and experimentation. The Primordial Expanse is full of surprises."


    Alex shook his head in disbelief. "You''ve got to teach me how to do that."


    Miraughed. "Sorry, Alex. This one''s all mine. But I can show you a few tricks."


    Alex grinned. "I''ll take whatever I can get. Anyway, I wanted to ask you how you did in thebat assessment. General Marks wouldn''t tell me, and said I should hear it from you."


    Mira''s expression turned serious. "I ended up in first ce."


    Alex smiled and replied. "First ce? That''s great!"


    But a short momentter his face shifted to one of shock. His jaw literally hung open, unable to close itself.


    "Wait¡­ Like first ce on the overall rankings, first ce!? Or just first out of your batch?"


    It was his turn to be serious as he asked this question.


    Mira nodded. "Yeah, I was pretty surprised myself. But I guess all that time in the Primordial Expanse paid off."


    He had no clue where Niks ced overall, but he assumed he had a good shot at first ce, but as it turned out Mira took that spot for herself.


    Alex couldn''t help but feel a mix of pride and envy. "How the hell did you get so strong?"


    He had spent 2 months on the same ship as her on the way here, yet not once had he suspected her of being this strong.


    Mira smiled mischievously at Alex, "It''s a secret!"


    ''So cheeky!'' Alex thought, pretending to sulk.


    Seeing Alex''s ''sad'' face, Mira couldn''t hold herugh in any longer and blurted out, "Just kidding! I''ll tell you about itter!"


    "Wow¡­ You''re really something, huh? Compared to you, I feel like I wasted my time in the Primordial Expanse¡­"


    Alex''s mood quickly took a downturn when he was reminded of his own result.


    Mira smiled warmly. "Thanks. But don''t sell yourself short, Alex. You did amazing too."


    Alex sighed. "Yeah, but I ended up in third ce in our batch and 37th overall. I feel like I could''ve done better if it weren''t for Niks''s speed."


    Mira ced a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but quickly took it back as she felt an unknown emotion well up within her when she did so. "A-Ahem, It''s only because of my talent that I reached first. I''m still not confident that I could defeat you if we fought¡­."


    Alex nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "You''re right, but you earned that spot through your own efforts, who cares if you rely on your talent? Doesn''t everyone? Even I do."


    They stood infortable silence for a moment, both reflecting on their experiences.


    "By the way," Alex said, breaking the silence, "What else can you do with Call of the Void? Any other cool tricks?"


    Mira''s eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, you have no idea. But I''ll show youter. Right now, how about we grab something to eat? I''m starving."


    Alexughed. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Voidwalker."


    Mira smirked. "Voidwalker, huh? I like the sound of that."


    As they walked to the cafeteria, they continued to banter back and forth..


    "You know," Alex said, "I think we make a pretty good team."


    Mira nodded shyly, her cheeks were flushed but she didn''t know why. "Definitely. Just imagine what we can achieve together, hehe. Who knows, if we were in the same batch for thebat assessment, there might have been another ''unprecedented'' joint first ce!"


    They reached the cafeteria and grabbed their food, sitting down at a table in the corner. The whispers and stares from other students continued, but Alex and Mira ignored them, focusing on their conversation.


    "So, what''s the n now?" Alex asked between bites.


    Mira shrugged. "Keep training, I guess. I mean, isn''t that the whole reason why we came to this ce?"


    Alex nodded. "Yeah, I want to work on my speed. Niks showed me a major weakness."


    In fact it was more than a major weakness. It was the whole reason Alex had lost the fight. He couldn''t keep up with Niks''s movements with his eyes, nor could his own body react in time to Niks''s attacks.


    Alex was stronger than him, but what is the point in having all that strength when you can''t evennd a hit?


    Niks was right, speed was Alex''s Achilles heel.


    Mira grinned. "I can help with that. My Talent is pretty simr in practice to his, in fact there''s already a consensus that mine''s better since I achieved first ce and he got second! I can teach you a thing or two about moving quickly."


    Alex''s eyes lit up. "That would be awesome."


    They spent the rest of the meal discussing their training ns, strategies, and goals. By the time they finished, both were feeling more determined than ever.


    As they left the cafeteria, Alex turned to Mira. "Thanks for being such a good friend, Mira. I don''t know what I''d do without you. Life was so¡­ lonely before I met you."


    Mira smiled embarrassedly, not knowing how to respond to Alex''s sudden bold act of confidence.


    But seeing his face, Mira couldn''t help but feel butterflies in her stomach.


    ''I see now... these feeling are...''


    She didn''t know why, or how, but something inside her just burst, and her thoughts unknowingly spilled out her mouth.


    "I-I think I''m falling in love with him¡­"


    They both stopped in their tracks.


    But both for very different reasons¡­

 Chapter 155: Unexpected confession

    Alex stood frozen, staring at Mira in stunned silence. His mind struggled to process what she had just said.


    Mira meanwhile, felt her face flush madly, redder than a tomato, as shepletely averted her gaze, her embarrassment obvious.


    ''Why did I say that out loud!? How could I be so stupid!?'' She screamed and berated herself internally.


    The urge to run away and never face Alex again was almost overwhelming. She couldn''t bear the thought of seeing his reaction to her impulsive confession.


    On Alex''s side, his mind was still reeling.


    ''Falling in love with me?''


    The weight of her words was difficult to grasp for him. He had never experienced love before.


    Love had always been a distant, almost alien concept to him.


    His friends in the mines often spoke of their romantic escapades and the intense feelings they had for their partners, feelings that Alex could never quite rte to.


    The idea of loving someone so deeply that you would do anything for them, even die, seemed like a fairy tale.


    But then, realisation dawned upon him.


    That''s exactly how he felt about Mira.


    He''d fight with his life on the line for her sake.


    ''But isn''t that what all friends do for each other?''


    His confusion seemed like it would never end.


    ''Wait, is this what love feels like?'' he asked himself.


    The epiphany hit him hard.


    He, too, was falling for Mira. He had only realised that now after being confronted with Mira''s one confession.


    All these realisations shed through his mind in only a few short seconds after Mira''s confession.


    Alex coughed, trying to bring her attention back to him.


    Mira hesitatingly turned her face towards him, but couldn''t meet his eyes directly. Her face was still bright red.


    ''She definitely didn''t mean to say that out loud.'' he thought.


    Ignoring the awkwardness, he grabbed Mira''s shoulders gently but firmly, forcing her to look him in the eyes.


    Her eyes were wide with a mix of fear and hope, and he looked into them seriously.


    "I think I might be, as well," he said softly.


    Mira fidgeted, trying to squirm out of his grip even harder now, but he held her steady.


    ''Really? Does he really feel the same!?''


    Internally, she couldn''t be happier.


    The prospect that he felt the same way about her made her feel like she was on top of the world.


    The happiness was almost too much to contain, even though she tried to mask it with her nervous movements.


    An awkward silence ensued for about ten seconds. Both of them were lost in each other''s eyes, lost in their own thoughts.


    "I-I-"


    Click!


    Alex attempted to speak, but before he could finish stumbling over his words, a sharp click echoed through the air.


    Both Alex and Mira turned simultaneously to look at the source of the sound.


    "Don''t mind me, carry on." Rowan said mischievously, adjusting the sunsses on his face.


    But the embarrassed duo could clearly see the old fashioned, 21st century camera he was hiding behind his back.


    "Fine, fine! How could I not capture such a cute moment between two blossoming lovers on camera!!?" He grinned sheepishly.


    Both Alex and Mira felt their cheeks redden even further when Rowan said the word ''lovers''.


    Mira looked at Rowan with a strange and somewhat upset expression on her face, as if her face alone was saying ''How could this random person spoil my moment like that!!''


    But Alex had a different reaction.


    "Rowan?" He asked, somewhat cautious.


    "That does happen to be my name." Rowan replied sarcastically.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Alex hadn''t seen Rowan since his first time in the Primordial Expanse.


    Alex had changedpletely from thest time Rowan had seen him, but in Alex''s eyes, Rowan didn''t look like a day had passed since theyst saw each other.


    "Oh, just passing by, you know. But then I recognised you from a distance and came over to greet you after so long. That''s when I witnessed your little confession and thought, ''What a perfect moment to capture!''"


    Mira groaned, "You couldn''t have picked a worse time." She said, trying but failing miserably to hide her embarrassment.


    Rowan shrugged. "Come on. It''s not every day I get to see such a heartfelt confession. Besides, " he added, winking, "you two look great together."


    Alex rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to respond. "Thanks, I guess?"


    Rowanughed and gave Alex a thumbs up.


    Mira gave Rowan a half-hearted re. "Next time, maybe ask before you start snapping pictures."


    Rowan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I''ll ask next time."


    He then turned to Alex, a soft smile on his face. "So, aren''t you going to introduce us?"


    ''Oh right! These two don''t even know each other¡­''


    ***


    A few minutester, the duo turned trio sat down around a table.


    Alex awkwardly twiddled his thumbs while Mira stared daggers into Rowan.


    ''They didn''t know each other, but they sure act like they do¡­'' Alex observed.


    "So, where were we?"


    Alex turned back to Mira, trying to ease up the tension in the air.


    Mira''s heart skipped a beat at his words.


    She was so focused on trying to see through Rowan that she had distracted herself from the fact that she had identally confessed to Alex only a few minutes prior¡­


    "I think we were talking about, um, training?"


    But when it came down to it, she just couldn''t bring the topic up without getting embarrassed, hence she switched it to something else.


    Alex chuckled. "Right. Training. But, uh, maybe we should finish that other conversation first."


    Mira nodded sheepishly,a warm feeling giving way in her chest.


    "Mmm, maybe we should¡­"


    Rowan, sensing that his presence was no longer needed, gave them a wink and a quick wave.


    "I''ll leave you two love birds alone. Catch youter."


    Rowan walked away, but quickly turned back around.


    "Oh by the way, meet me at this location after your assessments end, Alex. We have some stuff to talk about."


    He handed a note with an address on it to Alex, and walked away for real this time.

 Chapter 156: Elemental Control

    Back in his dorm, Alexy on his bed, staring at the ceiling in deep thought. The events of the day reyed in his mind like a movie on loop.


    His recent loss to Niks still stung, a sharp reminder of his shorings.


    However his feelings on this matter were vastly overshadowed by another event that took ce. One that was much more important to him than his defeat.


    His nearly 18 year long streak of being single had been broken!


    That''s right, he and Mira had made it official!


    After Rowan''s departure, they had found a quiet and secluded spot and had a heartfelt conversation, solidifying their feelings for each other.


    By the end of it, they had confirmed their rtionship as boyfriend and girlfriend, which left both of the youth''s feeling giddy.


    As he reflected on the day''s events, Alex recalled thest topic he and Mira had discussed before parting ways: training together.


    Mira''s ''Call of the Void'', although of apletely different element, had a simr sort of usage to Niks''s annoying speed, making her the perfect partner to help Alex prepare for his next bout against Niks.


    They had agreed that this joint training would be beneficial for both of them, but they needed to finish their assessments first.


    The elemental assessment was the next hurdle they had to ovee, and it wasing up imminently thanks to Alex skipping over half the previous day to recover from his fight.


    ***


    A few hourster, Alex had freshened up and arrived at the building where the Elemental assessment would take ce.


    It was the same building where the talent, rank, and energy assessments had urred.


    ''Huh?''


    To his surprise, the first thing Alex saw when he arrived was thepleteck of students lining up outside the doors of the building.


    In fact, the number was so small that he thought it had ended already and he was toote!


    Curious, Alex asked around and learned that most of the new students, averaging at Mid E rank, didn''t have any elemental control and didn''t want to embarrass themselves by showing up.


    This was normal actually, as they would only really start to show any elemental control when they reached D tier, or E+ rank at the very least.


    This meant that the students who actually showed up were most likely the most talented of the batch!


    With the queue not being that long, he only had to stand there for 10 minutes.


    When his turn came, Alex stepped inside and was led to a familiar room.


    ''I''m getting a feeling of Deja Vu again¡­''


    And when he entered the room, he could tell why.


    "Hello," Alex greeted neutrally.


    It was the same woman who had assessed him before, in the Talent, rank and energy assessments.


    Already used to Alex after their previous meeting, the woman nodded in response, not wasting any time.


    "Alright, let''s get to work." She spoke, easing the tense atmosphere in the room.


    "For this assessment, all you have to do is demonstrate your elemental control." She pointed out very obviously, as one should already be able to deduce what would happen from the name of the assessment itself.


    If they couldn''t even do that, then it would be a true wonder how they even got epted into Capital Prime¡­


    However, Alex stood there, stumped.


    ''How the hell do I do that?'' he thought.


    He closed his eyes, trying to think, but his mind drew a nk.


    Seeing this, the woman raised an eyebrow at his hesitation. "Why the hell would you show up here if you know you don''t have any control over your elements yet?" she asked, her tone sharp.


    Alex didn''t know why her attitude towards him had taken such a dramatic turn.


    But what he also didn''t know was that rumours of his rtionship with Mira had already spread throughout the first years¡­


    And some women weren''t too happy to hear this¡­


    Determined not to fail, Alex took a deep breath and focused.


    ''May as well try this.''


    He wasn''t trying anything new.


    All he was doing was essing his energy like he would always do when training, only this time he would try and recreate the feeling he got whenever he activated his me and teleportation talents.


    Slowly, a small me started to form above his fingertips.


    Before the woman could hurl out any more demeaning insults, she was forced to swallow her own words.


    ''How the hell is this kid so talented at everything he does¡­''


    She felt a little jealous, but who wouldn''t if they knew the extent of Alex''s future potential.


    There were talks that he would be one of the next S rank humans one day, which were some big shoes to fill considering there were less than a hundred of those in the entire federation!


    This was also one of the main reasons why many women were annoyed that he had already been snatched up by another girl¡­


    Alongside the small me, slight disturbances in the surroundings, like objects in the room moving a couple millimetres, started to ur.


    To the untrained eye, these movements would be negligible, but the woman had quite the perception.


    ''Space element!''


    She realised where the source of these disturbances came from immediately.


    Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she masked her reaction. She typed ''B-'' on hermunicator, signifying Alex''s result for this assessment.


    "Phew!"


    When Alex finished, he was covered in sweat from head to toe from the intense concentration and energy usage.


    ''Who''d have thought that I''d get such an intense workout just from a little bit of elemental control!''


    Satisfied, he looked towards his assessor in expectation.


    "You get a B-," She informed him.


    ''Huh?''


    Alex felt a pang of disappointment when he heard this. This was by far his lowest result across all of his assessments.


    Even considering his defeat against Niks in the final stages of thebat assessment, he still managed to score an S+ result in that section.


    "Don''t be too upset, a B- is actually an outstanding result." But the woman continued.


    It looked like there was more to Alex''s result than he had thought!

 Chapter 157: Nerves

    "A B- is actually an outstanding result for this assessment,"


    The woman paused to look at Alex, and continued, "You''re likely the highest scorer in this batch. Most students can only slightly increase the elemental energy in their surroundings, which is considered a good result."


    Alex listened intently, taking what the woman said with deep interest.


    "You''ve taken it a step further by manifesting your elemental control into the physical world with your fire, and the spatial disturbances."


    Her words offered some constion.


    She added, "FYI, to achieve an S+ result, you''d need basic maniption over your element, which essentially means your control needs to be good enough to use it in battle. This is also the main requirement for upgrading your soul core to C tier."


    Alex nodded, absorbing the information.


    Despite his initial disappointment, he realised that his result was actually very good.


    ***


    Alex returned to his dorm, feeling a mixture of relief and exhaustion.


    The elemental assessment had taken all of the energy and effort out of him for the day, and all he wanted to do now was rest.


    Ring! Ring!


    But before he could do that, hismunicator started going off like crazy, and like a fairy, Mira''s face appeared in front of him in holographic form.


    "Hey! Alex, how did your elemental assessment go?" She greeted, excitedly smiling the whole time.


    She couldn''t wait to talk to him.


    "I got a B-, how did yours go?" Alex replied, smiling back with his cheeks slightly flushed.


    Only a day had passed since they had started their rtionship officially, and it was still going to take Alex some getting used to ¡ª seeing Mira''s face so up close and personal, even though it was a hologram, made his chest feel funny.


    Mira''s smile faltered slightly, "I got a C¡­"


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise.


    ''A C? That doesn''t sound right for her. I expected her to get around the same as me¡­''


    Mira sighed, her expression a mix of frustration and eptance. "Yeah, it''s not greatpared to my other results. But considering most E+ ranks don''t have any elemental control at all, I guess it''s not too bad."


    ''Oh yeah, Ipletely forgot she''s not even a D tier yet!''


    Alex nodded, "True, and you only have one element so far don''t you?"


    Alex was right.


    Mira only had some control over the space element, which was the reason why her results were so ''low''.


    Her talent, Call of the Void, was strong, incredibly strong.


    But it was also difficult to control.


    Mira had spent the entirety of her time in the Primordial Expanse teaching herself how to use it. It wasn''t like she had any instructions or a teacher, so she had to work her way up from the bottom.


    Thanks to this, she had no time at all to practice her space elemental control.


    The small amount of control she had was thanks to the small tidbits she had picked up over the months through the usage of her talent.


    If it wasn''t for her even gaining the talent, she''d have ended up like the majority of the students in not even turning up for the elemental assessment¡­


    Switching topics, Alex leaned forward. "So, about the final assessment ¡ª the strategy assessment. Have you read the details?"


    Thanks to the difficulty of this assessment, the university had released some details about it beforehand.


    Mira''s expression turned serious. "Not yet, but I have heard some things. It''s going to be the longest and most difficult assessment so far. For most students, it will be the deciding factor on whether or not they even qualify for the rankings!"


    Alex nodded, pulling up the information alongside Mira''s hologram. "The format is an assassination scenario¡­"


    This was what worried Alex.


    He had no idea how to assassinate someone!


    It''s not like there was a school somece where he could learn all about the art of assassination¡­ right?


    "The assessment will take ce in a Virtual Reality environment. After all, it''s not like they''d get us to assassinate real people¡­" Alex joked.


    "Each student will be loaded into a separate VR environment and stripped of all of their awakened abilities, left with only the body of a normal human being!" Mira spoke, reading from the information sheet.


    The two of them continued reading through the details of the assessment released by the university, and couldn''t help but feel uneasy about the uing assessment¡­


    Their goal was to assassinate an F- rank awakened. Even though this didn''t sound like much of a challenge, it would actually be their hardest test yet.


    The difference between an F- rank and a normal human would be like pitting a kitten against a fully grown, battle hardened adult lion.


    "We need to remember that we''re not just trying to kill an awakened," Alex said. "We''re doing it without any of our usual powers. We have to think like normal humans again."


    This was where strategy came in.


    Since they had no strength to rely on, they had to focus on using all of the other factors to their advantage.


    Things like their intelligence, experience etc would be crucial.


    And most importantly, environmental factors.


    Unfortunately, the university hadn''t released anything rted to how exactly the assassination would be set up, so they could only specte.


    But that was why there was a 1 week time limit to this assessment, which would only be 1 day in reality thanks to the time dtion technology on the Virtual Reality pods.


    They had a week to assess, analyse and examine everything they could use to their advantage in assassinating the F- rank.


    "Man, this is going to be tough¡­" Alex spoke, unsure if he could even pull this task off.


    "Yeahhh¡­" Mira agreed, also just as worried.


    ***


    The next morning, Alex woke up feeling refreshed. But that was about the only good thing about his start to the day.


    The strategy assessment would start in a few hours, and he hadn''te up with any ideas on how he''d even approachpleting it yet.

 Chapter 158: Virtual Reality

    "All students waiting for the strategic assessment to start, line up here!" A voice boomed out through the surroundings.


    There was no need for things like microphones and loudspeakers in the university, as everyone there was an awakened and could infuse energy into their voice to increase its volume drastically.


    For some, they could even use this as a method of attack, using soundwaves.


    Alex, hearing this announcement, naturally hurried his steps and arrived at the assessment venue within a few seconds.


    The distance between his dorm and the venue was short after all, only a few kilometres, which for a D tier awakened like Alex was nothing short of a light walk.


    ''Fuck, I haven''t felt this nervous since I was first whisked away to the Primordial Expanse!''


    Alex was feeling the brunt of all of his emotions as he stood in line as the students slowly filtered into therge building that housed the virtual reality pods.


    His goal was to be first ce on the first year rankings right from the start.


    And considering his result from the Combat assessment, his only chance of this even happening was thest assessment, the Strategic assessment.


    But Alex had little confidence in this one.


    All of these other students looked calm and collected as they filtered in, but that was because they came from privileged backgrounds and had training and education in strategic nning during their middle school and high school days.


    Whereas Alex, as one of the few students who came to this ce from a very underprivileged background, had no such education.


    "Mira!"


    Coincidentally, Alex spotted Mira joining the queue near the back, and she spotted him as well.


    Having seen her boyfriend, a word which she was still too embarrassed to say out loud, Mira moved through the thousands long line and cut in right next to Alex.


    Normally, students as prideful and arrogant as these would never have let someone just cut through the thousands long queue like that.


    But word of Mira''s performance in the Combat assessment spread quickly after it ended, and only exacerbated even further when it was announced she was the first on thebat rankings.


    They may be arrogant and narcissistic, but they knew their limits.


    If they challenged her, they''d only end up embarrassing themselves.


    If there was one thing Mira had learned over her short time alive, it was that the best way to humble a narcissist was to humble them in their own game.


    And with her strength at the top being irrefutable, they were forced to humble themselves in front of her.


    "Alex! I didn''t expect we''d be sent to the same assessment centre this time!"


    Mira didn''t hide her excitement as she started chatting away with Alex.


    Her hands were flying about as she talked, barely able to contain themselves, even asionally brushing past Alex''s warm and soft hands, which only made her blush.


    It was still too early in their rtionship, and hand holding wasn''t even a thing they had considered yet.


    Mira, especially, was too embarrassed¡­


    "Yeah, it seems we got lucky this time."


    Alex responded to her excitement in kind.


    "But it''ll be short lived. It''s a shame the one assessment we can actually take together is the one where we won''t be having any contact with other students¡­"


    Mira''s smile faltered a little when she realised this, but she kept it up.


    They were only going to be apart for a week anyway, which would be even shorter in real time.


    There wasn''t much for them to talk about at this point, as their position in the line had reached the doors and it was their turn to enter.


    "Student ID please."


    The attendant standing at the door asked in a neutral tone.


    Alex scanned hismunicator on the attendant''s device, as in this day and age everything was digital, including his Student ID, even his federal ID as well.


    Mira did the same, and they were both let through immediately after.


    "Go and find an empty pod, and the AI will exin everything to you when you load in."


    Another attendant greeted them in front of a bunch of long lines of futuristic looking pods that seemed to stretch infinitely.


    Each one of these pods were Virtual Reality pods, created to simte a 100% realistic environment, replicating every sense and even being upgraded to take into ount Awakened''s abilities when they first started appearing in the federation and the first cmities caused by the integration of the Primordial Expanse had passed.


    Developed shortly after the eve of the new space age started, there was almost immediately a craze surrounding the Full dive Virtual Reality systems as all of the old and young gamers all flocked towards their nearest retailer to ce an order on them.


    There were even a few cases where some people had their own ''VRMMO Webnovel'' stories happen to them, going from a poor person from the slums to a famous, rich pro gamer thanks to theire up in the biggest games of the time.


    But back to the present, the craze around Virtual Reality had died down a little after hundreds of years had passed and people had gotten used to its existence.


    The market for them was still huge, but their use in training was even bigger.


    Alex exchanged his goodbyes with Mira and went to the nearest empty pod he could find, which required quite the walk as the ones near the entrance were all already upied.


    He had to walk for over 300 metres before he found an empty one.


    Following the instructions of the attendant, hey down in the pod and allowed the seat to form perfectly around his body to enable the most optimalfort during his time in the Virtual test.


    He was going to be sitting in the exact same position for 24 hours straight after all, the least they could do was make itfortable for him.


    "Initiating test¡­"


    The moment the pod closed, the AI voice operating the simtion spoke, and attached a helmet-like device over Alex''s head, and Alex''s consciousness gradually drifted away from his physical body¡­

 Chapter 159: The trial begins

    [This test will run for 24 hours, with a time dtion of 1:7, equaling 7 days in this virtual world.]


    [Introduction: Youhavended in a quiet, secluded forest away from civilisation after escaping from a group of bandits who had attacked and killed the rest of your camp.


    Scenario: Once a formidable warrior, you are left powerless. Your abilities have vanished, leaving you with only your wits and wisdom to carry you through this test.


    Objective: Assassinate ''The Whisperer'', an F- rank awakened. Seemingly weak in regards to the average awakened, but a deadly opponent for a powerless human like you.]


    Lines of information appeared in front of Alex as he found his consciousness being dragged into this empty, dark space.


    But after he finished reading the information the system had given to him and started to get ustomed to floating around in thispletely ck, empty void, he felt himself getting pulled into another space once again.


    ''This feels just like every time I''ve been pulled through the portals to and from the Primordial Expanse¡­''


    ***


    The forest stood silent, the entire ce seeming empty andpletely devoid of life.


    Alex blinked, disoriented. The world around him shifted, pixting into existence.


    But he was unable to see any of this as he adjusted to his new body.


    ''This feels horrible!''


    He hadn''t realised it before, as he had gained his strength through a gradual process of ranking up over the months, but the difference between Alex when he was a normal person and when he was a D tier awakened was like heaven and earth!


    With his strength and abilities being stripped away, this naturally meant any upgrades to his physical body as well, which included all of his five senses.


    The change was so drastic that he felt like he had been plunged into a sensory deprivation chamber, and it took him over an hour before he hade to terms with his new body.


    For a moment, Alex was startled at the realism of this ce, almost forgetting that it was a simtion and thinking that he had somehow been dragged back into the Primordial Expanse.


    But when he tried to use any of his abilities, and failed, he knew he was still in the test.


    ''How the hell am I supposed to assassinate an F- rank awakened like this!?''


    Feeling stripped of everything that made him unique, Alex felt vulnerable and only now realised the difficulty of this assessment.


    His once formidable presence reduced to that of an ordinary man, he stood at the forest''s threshold, the cool mist of the morning clinging to his skin.


    The forest was unlike any he had seen before ¡ª the air tasted metallic, and the trees, skeletal and twisted, reached for the grey sky like desperate hands.


    ''This ce gives me the creeps¡­''


    The ground crunched under his boots as he stepped forward. The forest stretched endlessly, devoid of life.


    No birds sang, no insects buzzed. Only silence ¡ª an oppressive, suffocating silence.


    With his eyes now focused, Alex noted something that stayed in his vision no matter where he looked, or if he closed his eyes.


    6 days, 22 hours, 57 minutes.


    ''A countdown. That helps.''


    He had a week toplete the trial, and with the countdown there, it would add a constant pressure and motivator to him to start work immediately.


    Alex pressed deeper into the forest, the creepy trees branching out like fingers everywhere he looked.


    He scanned the ground, searching for any signs indicating that life other than himself was upying the forest.


    But there was nothing but dead leaves and the faint remnants of what might have been a vibrant undergrowth.


    ''Where do I even start? The least the examiners could have done is point me in the direction of the enemy. Now I have to track them down as well as form some sort of impossible n to assassinate them¡­''


    Clearly Alex wasn''t happy with his scenario so far.


    "Great, now the test just bes even harder.''


    He had no clue whether the other students were as confused or anxious as him.


    In fact, he didn''t even know whether the scenario would be the same for everyone, or whether each person would be dropped into different ones.


    Maybe others had been dropped into the middle of an urban environment?


    Or maybe they were like Alex, and dropped into the middle of bumfuck nowhere and not given any indication of where to even start.


    But whatever the case, it meant nothing to Alex at the moment as he only had himself to worry about.


    Of course, he worried a little for Mira, but considering the surprise she brought with her results in the Combat assessment, he had confidence in her.


    ***


    6 days, 17 hours, 29 minutes.


    Over 5 hours had passed, and Alex hadn''t found a single thing.


    He had just walked aimlessly deeper into the forest, not having any clue if he was even moving in the right direction or not.


    ''This is just stupid!''


    Alex''s anger welled up, as this pointless hunt was just wasting his limited time.


    To make matters even worse, it was getting dark.


    Night was starting to fall, and Alex could do nothing but huddle up against one of the creepy trees.


    With the mist still constantly hovering on the forest floor, his vision was reduced to only a metre in front of himself, and the darkness made it even worse.


    ''They could have at least made a better scenario.''


    Alex was still coping, refusing to ept that he was ipetent in everything that came to nning and strategy.


    With nothing left to do, Alex slowly drifted into a sleep.


    With his body being that of a normal person, he was already exhausted from the hours of walking.


    Thankfully, he wasn''t hungry at all.


    The examiners had probably removed the function after taking into ount the type of environment he''d be dropped into.


    ***


    ''Seek the temple of darkness, where moonlight weeps,''


    Alex shifted in his sleep. His eyes darted around rapidly under his eyelids.


    ''Where roots entwine secrets, and shadows keep.''


    His expression drifted into a frown, looking pained as his hands started to twitch.


    ''There, the whisperer waits, veiled in grey,''


    At this point, he was full on shaking.


    ''To test your mettle, to steal your light away.''


    His eyes dashed open, and he shot up to his feet.


    "WHO''S THERE!"


    He shouted at the top of his lungs, his hands balled up into fists.


    Alex shifted his gaze all around him, but all he saw was the same dark mist stopping his vision from reaching any deeper into the forest.


    "Haaaa, this ce is driving me crazy." He sighed.


    "Even the forest is whispering to me. What the hell was that? A riddle? A poem?"


    Alex didn''t realise it, but his hands were still shaking.


    His chest was heaving up and down with exasperated breaths.


    This was the first time in a while he felt real fear.


    He hadn''t even felt this scared when he faced the Count, as during that time he was filled with anger.


    Thest time he felt like this, it was when the Galephant attacked his camp when he first arrived in the Primordial Expanse¡­

 Chapter 160: The Whisperer

    ''Wait, the forest whispered¡­''


    Alex felt his emotions calm down as he analysed the poem he heard in his sleep.


    ''Whispered¡­ The Whisperer!''


    He immediately made a link.


    ''The Whisperer, is this the effect of his abilities? Did he do this to me? Does he know where I am?''


    Alex had a myriad of questions that were left unanswered, as his concern grew.


    If the Whisperer found out that Alex was here to assassinate him, and even knew his location, then sessfullypleting this trial would be impossible.


    ''Wait! Maybe he wants me to find him!''


    But Alex hadn''t given up hope yet.


    The whisperer mentioned something called a ''Temple of darkness'', and he doubted he said that just to fuck with Alex.


    "It has to have some meaning, maybe it''s a location? Better yet, maybe it''s where The Whisperer is located!"


    Although this may have been a trap, Alex still felt excited that he had finally gained at least a clue, even if it would turn out to be a dead end.


    He would rather spend his time doing something useful rather than waste away for the next 6 days having achieved nothing.


    ***


    The next morning, Alex followed the ''instructions'' of the poem.


    Or rather, he walked aimlessly until the environment started to slightly change.


    The trees thinned, and the mist slowly started to dissipate.


    And there it stood ¡ª an ancient temple, its stone fa?ade crumbling, its entrance veiled by ivy and vines.


    To his surprise, the small clearing actually had some green to it, as it looked like this was thest ce with vegetation that wasn''t withered and dead.


    ''This must be it, the Temple of darkness.''


    Alex felt confident in his guess ¡ª what else could this ce be?


    Everything in this trial had a purpose, and if there was an ancient temple surrounded by greenery in the middle of a dead, grey forest, then it was definitely important.


    ''I can''t enter yet.''


    But Alex wasn''t as stupid or na?ve as he used to be.


    If this were him from half a year ago, he''d have run in and blindly sought out The Whisperer.


    But things were different now.


    He didn''t have any abilities or strength to his name, so he had to be a lot more careful in his approach.


    Although he wouldn''t really die in this ce since it was just a Virtual Reality simtion, he doubted the examiners would just give the students a second chance after they die.


    It would probably just result in a low score and an early end to the trial.


    Scouting out the local area, Alex found a few outstretched and sturdy trees, which he promptly climbed to get an overhead view of the temple.


    The Temple was around the size of a five story mansion, looking like an Aztec pyramid that grew thinner the taller it got.


    It was only when Alex reached the peak of his tree that he could get a good overview of the whole area.


    ''This ce isn''t abandoned. This could be good, or it could be bad.''


    Through a few small holes in the temple, he could see some light filtering out.


    Considering this ce looked like it had been left to ruin for thousands of years, it was clear these lights weren''t left there by its original owners.


    ''This confirms it, The Whisperer should be inside this ce. Or it should at least lead to his location.''


    Alex climbed back down the tree, not spotting anything else that looked useful.


    He broke off a branch from the tree and sharpened the end against some rough rocks to turn it into a makeshift spear.


    It wasn''t much, but any weapon is better than no weapon.


    With nothing much left to do, Alex moved towards the overgrown entrance, and cautiously looked inside.


    ''I can''t see shit.''


    There was no light in the corridor, so he could only see a few metres ahead from the light of the sun filtering in from the outside.


    Since he couldn''t see any further inside, where the sunlight couldn''t reach, Alex gathered a few rocks and twigs from the nearby forest floor, testing their weight in his hand.


    ''Seems heavy enough.'' He thought.


    He approached the temple entrance once again, sticks and stones in hand, his heart tensed in preparation.


    He threw the first rock into the darkness, holding his breath.


    nk!


    Itnded with a soft thud, echoing through the empty corridor.


    But there was no reaction so far.


    Encouraged, Alex tossed another rock, then a twig. Again, nothing. The temple seemed eerily silent, as if waiting for him to take the next step.


    ''No traps triggered by weight or movement so far. Good.''


    Alex tightened his grip on his makeshift spear and cautiously stepped into the temple. As he stepped past the veil of light, the corridor swallowed him in darkness, the faint light from the entrance quickly fading behind him.


    He moved slowly, his eyes straining to adjust to the dimness.


    ''Stay calm. Keep moving.''


    The air inside was cool and damp, carrying a faint, musty smell.


    Alex''s footsteps echoed softly, the only sound in the oppressive silence.


    He felt along the walls, their cold, rough surface guiding him forward.


    The temple''s interior was like abyrinth, a maze designed to disorient and trap the unwary.


    Alex''s sight, deprived of the enhanced sight he once possessed, struggled to pierce the darkness.


    As he ventured deeper, the corridor branched off into several passages.


    Alex paused, listening intently for any signs of movement. The temple seemed deserted, but those torches couldn''t have been lit themselves.


    Speaking of¡­


    ''Finally!''


    Multiple sources of light met his eyes.


    He recognised these light sources from a nce, they were from the torches he saw through the gaps in the temple''s roof when he scaled the trees.


    ''Which way?''


    Alex decided to follow the strongest glimmer of light he could see, hoping it would lead him to a clue or somewhere actually useful.


    He moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. The corridor he chose led to arger chamber, its high ceiling lost in shadows, with the sunlight peeking through a few gaps here and there.


    ''What is that?...''


    There was something in the middle of the chamber.

 Chapter 161: Dont look

    In the centre of the chamber, a stone altar stood, covered in ancient symbols. A flickering torch, half-burnt,y on the ground nearby, providing the only light.


    Alex picked it up, grateful for the illumination.


    ''An altar of some sorts? Why would The Whisperer be here? What are the examiners nning with this test? What does this have to do with strategy?''


    Alex''s mind raced with questions as he was just left even more confused, wondering why he was led to this ce.


    With nothing else to go off of, he could only do the sensible thing and examine the altar at the centre.


    But not before checking for any traps, obviously.


    nk!


    He dislodged a loose stone from one of the chamber''s walls, and tossed it at the altar in the centre, careful not to damage any of the symbols on the sides.


    With theck of any reaction, he still wasn''t sure there weren''t any traps, but it was better than nothing.


    Approaching the altar, he examined the symbols, but they were unfamiliar and indecipherable.


    ''I doubt this actually means anything anyway. No way the examiners would make something like this a part of the main assignment.''


    The chamber had several exits, each one leading deeper into the temple.


    Alex weighed his options, then decided to continue heading in a straight line, towards the exit on the opposite end of the chamber.


    It would make for an easy method to find his way back out, since he''d just have to turn back around and walk in a straight line again.


    Holding his half-burnt torch high, he exited the chamber, this corridor being narrower and more winding.


    With the age of this ce, most of the stones and building blocks that made the temple up had degraded.


    He had to squeeze through tight spaces and duck under low hanging rocks and arches. The walls here were even more ancient, covered in a thickyer of dust, cobwebs and moss.


    ''Pause¡­''


    Suddenly, he heard a faint sound ¡ª footsteps, barely audible but distinct. He froze, listening intently. The sound grew louder,ing from the corridor ahead.


    ''Something''s here!''


    Alex extinguished the roger, plunging himself into darkness again.


    He pressed against the wall, holding his breath. The footsteps grew closer, then stopped. Alex''s heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears.


    Alex just hoped the source of those footsteps couldn''t hear his heart beating.


    He peered into the darkness, trying to see the source of the sound. A shadowy figure moved cautiously down the corridor, but its movements were deliberate and silent.


    ''Is that The Whisperer?''


    Alex stayed still, watching the figure. They seemed to be searching for something, moving slowly and carefully. The figure paused, looking around, until its deep, ck irises stared directly into Alex''s.


    At that moment, Alex knew true horror.


    His heart was practically beating out of his chest at this point, and he closed his eyes reflexively.


    He could hear the footstepsing closer to him, but he was focused on a different source of sound.


    He was focused on the whispers, to be exact.


    ''Open your eyessss¡­''


    ''Look!''


    ''Do it, Alexxx¡­''


    ''Open them, you know you want tooooo¡­.''


    The whispers were snake-like, dragging out thest word of each sentence.


    Each of the whispers felt like they were prating Alex''s head directly, like they were directly bypassing Alex''s physical form.


    Alex felt somethingpelling him to listen to the whispers, and he tried with all his willpower to overrule the feeling.


    ''I can''t! I won''t!''


    He didn''t know why, but something inside him told him that he shouldn''t open his eyes, no matter what.


    ''Don''t look! Keep your eyes closed!''


    Tap


    Tap


    Step


    After a whole minute of the whispers constantly torturing his mind, he could vaguely hear the sound of footsteps getting farther and farther away from him.


    With the signal of the steps moving away, the whispers also faded lower and lower, until they were no longer present in his mind.


    Alex fell to his knees then the whispers left. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving, heart pounding at a rate that would send him into cardiac arrest on any normal day.


    He kept his eyes squeezed shut, unwilling to risk another encounter with whatever that was.


    Minutes passed, each one feeling like an eternity.


    Slowly his heartbeat began to slow, his breaths became more regr. His mind, which had been a chaotic whirlwind, started to clear.


    ''What the hell was that??'' he thought, still trembling from the trauma. He forced himself to take slow, deep breaths, trying to regain hisposure.


    ''How the hell am I supposed to assassinate a figure like that? That was no human¡­''


    Alex struggled to his feet, leaning against the rough stone wall for support. His legs felt weak, barely able to hold him up.


    He stayed there for a moment longer, gathering his strength.


    ''I need to keep moving, staying here won''t do me any good.''


    He opened his eyes cautiously, half-expecting to see the shadowy figure still lingering nearby.


    The corridor was empty though, thankfully, the darkness undisturbed.


    But still, somehow the eerie silence left Alex feelingfortablepared to the experience with those whispers piercing to the very core of his mind.


    Alex picked up the half-burnt torch and flicked his fingers, trying to use his me talent to relight it.


    But, he had forgotten that he had no such powers in this ce, and was forced to continue walking in the darkness.


    He had no idea where he was going anymore, but he had to keep moving forward.


    The corridor twisted and turned, leading him to the location where he saw the shadowy figure searching through earlier.


    After feeling around for a while, Alex determined that there was some sort of table leaning up against the corridor in this section.


    ''It''s rather wide here, am I in an office?'' He thought, but dismissed it soon after.


    He could care very little what type of room he was in, as his hands brushed past something on the table.


    Something that felt like a book.

 Chapter 162: The Book

    Alex''s fingers brushed against the book, its texture rough and ancient under his touch. Clutching it tightly, he turned and retraced his steps through the corridor, moving cautiously but urgently.


    ''Maybe this book will have some clues regarding this assessment.''


    The memory of the shadowy figure propelled him forward, each step taking him farther from the terror he had just experienced.


    After what felt like an eternity of navigating the narrow, winding passage, he finally saw a faint glimmer of light ahead.


    ''Thank god!''


    Relief surged through him as he quickened his pace, practically stumbling out into the clearing. The sunlight was blinding, and he had to squint as he emerged from the temple''s oppressive darkness.


    He took a moment to savour the warmth of the sun on his skin, his heart still racing from the encounter. But he couldn''t stay near the entrance for long. He needed to get to a safe distance, away from the temple and The Whisperer.


    ''If I encounter that thing out here where it''s bright, I''m done for¡­''


    Alex moved swiftly, making his way into the periphery of the forest nearby. Once he found a secluded spot, he pulled the book out from under his shirt.


    ''Please be something useful!''


    Sitting down, he opened it and saw the same indecipherable symbols as those on the altar. For a moment, he was disappointed, but then the words began to shift and change, morphing into the universalnguage he could understand.


    ''Well that was interesting¡­ anyway.''


    Alex didn''t question the transformation; he chalked it up to the examiners'' peculiar methods and began to read.


    The book detailed The Whisperer, the shadowy figure he had encountered, and the very target he had to assassinate. It exined its power to send whispers directly into a person''s mind, coercing them into actions against their will.


    ''From how desperate it was to get me to open my eyes, it must not be able to attack someone who can''t see it.''


    Alex''s hunch had been correct: The Whisperer couldn''t directly attack someone who wasn''t looking at it. The book confirmed this, stating that anyone who looked at The Whisperer would immediately feel their soul being sucked out and devoured.


    ''Man¡­''


    Considering Alex had been watching The Whisperer''s shadowy figure roam about the corridors for a few moments before it noticed him, he had been EXTREMELY lucky to not have been killed right then and there.


    ''I can''t make such a mistake again this time!''


    Though of course, he wouldn''t really have been killed, as this was just a VR simtion.


    The worst that could happen to him out of this would be that he would fail the strategic assessment and lose his chances of achieving anything of significance on the first year rankings.


    Alex shuddered, realising how close he hade to failure. If the corridor hadn''t been so dark, he might have caught a full glimpse of The Whisperer. But now, armed with this new information, maybe things could go differently.


    ''Man it sure would be helpful if I was blind right now¡­''


    ording to the book, The Whisperer couldn''t leave the temple.


    This was a huge relief. Alex''s mind began to formte a strategy.


    He needed to ensure that he could navigate the temple without risking another encounter.


    Considering his previous encounter with it had been down to pure coincidence, he wasn''t certain that he could actually seek it out, and that it would only find him itself when Alex had spent enough time roaming around the temple corridors aimlessly.


    ''I need a n¡­'' he thought.


    ''I can''t just go in there blindly and hope everything will just work out in my favour¡­ oh shit! Wait, I''ll do exactly that!''


    Mid thought, Alex had a brainwave.


    He was only mockingly using the word ''blindly'', but the moment he did so, an idea had formted in his mind.


    Since The Whisperer only seemed to be able to attack people who could look at it, then what about people who couldn''t?


    If Alex just covered his eyes with a makeshift blindfold or something simr, then even if he made the mistake of subconsciously opening his eyes, they would still be blocked from looking at anything.


    ''I might be onto something!''


    Alex continued to flip through the pages of the book, but didn''t spot anything else that would be of use to him.


    It was all just some ramblings of other people''s experiences with The Whisperer, but none of their documented experiences were as unsettling and scarily close to death as Alex''s own.


    They were all just stuff like, ''Oh, I heard some whispers in my sleep one night, and couldn''t get another wink of sleep for a week straight after that!'' or stuff like, ''I faced The Whisperer head on and I wasn''t even injured!''.


    Half of these ounts were very obviously fake.


    ''I need to remove any obstacle that could spell failure for me ¡ª all of those torches in the temple need to be put out, I can''t risk being able to see anything at all.''


    The less light there was, the lower the risk of seeing The Whisperer in the case that his blindfold fell off or something.


    Although it would take some extra steps and time, which was steadily ticking down against Alex''s favour, it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Speaking of time, Alex looked at the countdown in his peripheral vision.


    6 days 2 hours 17 minutes.


    It had been nearly a full day since he had entered this simtion, and Alex thought he had actually made some decent progress so far.


    Though this could be attributedrgely to luck, as if The Whisperer hadn''t basically given away its location, it would have taken Alex much longer to find this ce.


    ''It''s time to get started then. I have at most 5 days to prepare before I''ll have no choice but to enter inside again.''


    Alex stood up and started searching the forest for any useful materials.


    He had formted a somewhat decent n in his mind to get around The Whisperer''s pesky ability to kill anyone who sees it.


    But he still didn''t have any clue how he would go about killing it.

 Chapter 163: What on earth is he doing?

    ''How the hell do I even kill this practically supernatural being with this weak ass body?...''


    Alex was in a little bit of a conundrum.


    He walked around the forest, looking aimlessly around the forest, but he didn''t know what he was even supposed to be looking for.


    ''This reminds me of those old survival videos I used to watch. Man, they actually had some useful stuff in them, I remember even putting them to use with my work in the mines one time¡­''


    Alex started to reminisce, as he quite enjoyed these types of settings, just not when he was forced to kill something way above his league with a short time limit hanging over his head.


    ''Wait¡­''


    But thinking about this stuff gave Alex an idea, but it was quite crazy¡­


    ''Surely the examiners would allow this, right?''


    Alex considered whether the examiners would even allow for such a crazy idea, but there was only one way for Alex to find out.


    ''It''s time to make a bomb!''


    ***


    "These kids show some promise, rmend their files to the strategy department."


    A gruff, old man spoke as he watched countless floating screens, each depicting a student''s strategy assessment.


    Some of the students had already failed, as they had either died to The Whisperer already, or had died to some natural causes etc.


    Each of them were strong awakened in real life, so they had unconsciously forgotten that their fragile bodies were much more susceptible to the elements in this test.


    Even some students who had shown good strategic thinking had fallen to this, as one often overlooked the simple things when thinking about the big picture.


    "How''s the strategy assessment going so far?" Nearby, Professor Will walked over with a smile on his face and spoke to the gruff old man.


    Seeing Professor Will approach so amicably, the old man couldn''t help but let out a small smile himself.


    "It''s about average this year. There aren''t any strategic geniuses like that kid fromst year, but there are some good seedlings. Like this kid for example."


    The old man exined and pointed towards one of therger screens, where Niks was doing something to the outside of the temple.


    "What is he doing?" Professor Will asked, confused with Niks''s actions.


    On the screen, it just looked like Niks was cing some random logs of wood and old stones at random ces throughout the periphery of the temple.


    "He''s taking advantage of the temple''s age." The old man answered.


    When Professor Will heard this, he knew what Niks was doing in an instant.


    ''Smart kid.'' He thought, neither surprised nor amused.


    What Niks was basically doing was finding some critical vulnerabilities in the temple''s structural integrity, and targeting them.


    In short, he was going to copse the temple.


    Not even an E- rank awakened, let alone an F- rank like The Whisperer, could survive thousands of tons of stones crashing down upon them.


    Though, of course this wasn''t taking into ount sses.


    A Mutant ss might survive such a thing, with serious injuries.


    But for the sake of the students, the examiners didn''t even consider making The Whisperer a Mutant ss, as that would just make the assessment impossible to beat.


    "What is this kid doing?" Professor Will spoke and pointed to a screen.


    Mira was shown on this screen.


    Professor Will wasn''t an expert in strategy, he just had some basic knowledge on the subject. The old man was the real expert on strategy.


    "It looks like this girl is going to attempt to burn The Whisperer to death. My guess is she''s going to gather as much wood as she can from the surrounding forest and fill the temple with it, then use the torches on the walls to light it all on fire." The old man spoke, giving some slight praise to her.


    "It''s a risky n, but it might work. Either way, she''ll rack up a decent amount of points just for trying the idea out anyway." Professor Willmented.


    He knew how this assessment was judged, and it wasn''t just a pass or fail scenario.


    Points were given based on various factors, like ingenuity, originality, and efficiency.


    But 40% of the overall result still came from whether they seeded in the assassination or not.


    So Professor Will was essentially implying that Mira would get at least 60%, which would put her in the top 10% of students for this assessment.


    Since the old man, Marshal Velen didn''t disagree with him, it was basically already a confirmed result.


    Marshal Velen and Professor Will watched the screens, evaluating the students'' performances. As they moved their attention from Mira to another student, their discussion shifted.


    "What about this one?" Professor Will pointed to a screen showing another student, Harper, carefullyying out what appeared to be small traps around the temple''s entrance.


    Marshal Velen''s eyes narrowed in interest. "Ah, Harper. She''s demonstrating a keen sense of tactical defence. She''s setting up an array of snares and pitfalls. It looks like she''s trying to create ayered defence to funnel The Whisperer into a kill zone."


    Professor Will nodded. "Smart. She''s using the terrain to her advantage, making sure she has control over the battlefield. It''s a methodical approach, ensuring she has multiple fallback positions. It''s less direct but highly effective."


    "Yes," Marshal Velen agreed, "Harper''s approach shows a deep understanding of defensive strategy. It might not be as shy as some of the others, but it''s solid and reliable. She''s not just thinking about the immediate kill; she''s preparing for contingencies."


    Moving on, Professor Will pointed to thest student he was interested in ¡ª Alex.


    "What on earth is he up to?"


    He thought Alex would be putting up quite a good performance so far, but when he looked at the screen and saw Alex excitedly ploughing through the forest floor with a giant smile on his face, he was utterly dumbfounded.


    "I have no idea¡­"


    Not even the old man, Marshal Velen, aka the Dean of the Strategy department, knew what Alex was up to.


    ***


    "I need this and this and this, I can''t forget that too!"


    Alex smiled and talked madly to himself as he walked all over the nearby forest, picking up various random objects from the forest floor, the trees.


    If it existed in the forest, Alex had already taken it.


    What was he doing you might ask?


    Well, he was making a bomb of course.

 Chapter 164: Unconventional plan

    There was a very obvious question that needed to be asked here though.


    How the hell was Alex nning on creating a bomb from scratch, with nothing but the materials in the forest?


    Well, it alles back down to one thing.


    Alex, specifically his mind.


    The examiners may have stripped him of all his powers and strength for this assessment. But there was one thing they couldn''t take away from him, his experiences and memories.


    Everyone''s mind is linked to their souls, so even if someone one day found themselves inside another person''s body, their mind would remain unchanged and their memories intact.


    The same goes for if an Awakened one day finds themselves inside the body of a normal person.


    Sure, they would be depressed that they''d lost all their abilities and their talent, but they would still have the mind of an Awakened.


    Specifically, the knowledge, thinking speed, reaction speed, experiences etc.


    This was the case with Alex.


    He would never have been able to do what he was doing in the test if his memory hadn''t been enhanced multiple times through his upgrades as an Awakened.


    And his memory was near photographic level at this point.


    This leads us back to the present.


    When Alex had been reminiscing about the times he had spent binge watching all those survival videos, he was reminded of one video in particr where the presenter spends hours going through a very detailed process of making a bomb step by step, just for the sake of it.


    Alex, drawing on this experience, began to set out into the forest to explore if this wild idea was even a possibility in this assessment.


    He went through the step by step process in his mind, just how the presenter did it in the video, and started off simple.


    First, he had to gather some charcoal from somewhere. This is easy, all he has to do is find some burnt wood, and he had the perfect idea for that.


    Putting a makeshift blindfold over his head, he ventured back into the temple very cautiously with all of his remaining four senses on high alert, and only ventured deep enough before he spotted some faint lighting through the thin fabric of his blind fold,ing from one of the torches lighting up the corridor.


    He grabbed the nearest torch he could find and got the hell out of the temple before he had another run in with The Whisperer.


    ''Hehe¡­''


    With the torch in hand, Alex headed out of the green, lush forest with a maniacal smile on his face and headed into the dead, deste forest filled with the creepy looking trees.


    And started a wildfire¡­


    When this died down after a few hours, Alex would have all the charcoal he could ever need.


    This was the easiest step out of the bunch though, as the harder stuffes next.


    These next few steps would determine if his n was even feasible, as the other ingredients needed may not even be present in this ce.


    The next ingredient he needed to find was Potassium nitrate.


    Potassium nitrate can be found in areas with high amounts of decaying organic matter, and considering there wasn''t a single other living organism in this ce, it would be quite hard to find such a thing.


    But thankfully, it can also be found in ces like under an old pile of leaves that had been left to rot.


    There were plenty of ces like this in the forest, especially past the greenery around the temple and in the sad, creepy and dead forest making up the rest of thend in this ce.


    The real question though, was whether Alex would be able to extract enough of it.


    It would take quite some time and work, and it wasn''t even guaranteed if he would find any.


    But he had to try. So he prepared the necessary materials for it.


    Potassium nitrate can sometimes be extracted from the soil under these decaying piles of leaves by soaking it in water and then evaporating the water to collect the crystals.


    Alex prepared everything he needed, using his shirt as a container to carry the water, as it turned out the thing was quite waterproof so all he had to do was plug up all the neck and arm holes and barely any water soaked through.


    He poured it on top of a decent looking plot of dirt, ced a ring of wood around the area and lit it on fire to quicken the evaporation process.


    Since it would take a few hours before he would find out if he had any results from this, Alex moved on to the next step in the meantime, the hardest step of them all.


    It wasn''t hard because of anyplicated process involved or anything, but because Alex doubted he could even find the damn ingredient!


    The penultimate ingredient he needed was sulfur.


    ''Where the fuck am I going to find this¡­''


    This was the trickiest part of the whole thing, as sulfur could only be found in ces like volcanic environments, hot springs etc.


    And looking around himself, Alex doubted he''d even find a ce like this anywhere within 10,000 km of his location¡­


    It was all just dense, dead and creepy forestry.


    ''Guess I have to go with the alternative then.''


    The lucky thing was that Alex wasn''t out of options just yet, as sulfur could be substituted.


    Many people may not know this, but when making something like ck powder for an explosive, sugar can actually rece sulfur as an alternative, and in Alex''s situation, there was a much more likely chance of him being able to extract sugar from his surrounding environment than sulfur.


    With this in mind, he returned back to the temple''s surroundings, where the only fresh, green piece of nature he could find in this godforsaken test was located.


    ''Let''s see here¡­''


    With his poor eyesight thanks to only being a normal human again, it was hard for him to examine the nearby area for anything of use.


    ''Sugarcane!''


    But after a while of searching, he spotted a promising sight.


    ***


    (A/N: Please don''t repeat Alex''s actions from this chapter in real life.... I don''t want the next Ted Kaczynski running around because of this chapter....)

 Chapter 165: Sugar

    Alex was neither surprised or unsurprised when he found the sugarcane, as the environment around the temple was strangely tropical.


    He pulled the stalks from the ground, it was a small patch but it would be enough for his purposes.


    It wasn''t like he was nning on sticking around here for long anyway, besides, it was all a simtion so it would all disappear when the 7 day countdown ended.


    He knew extracting sugar from the cane would be a time consuming process, but he had no choice since the only other alternative, sulfur, wasn''t an option in this ce.


    After he finished pulling all the stalks from the ground, Alex gathered all of them and brought them back to the small clearing where he had set up his makeshift workstation with his activity over thest few hours.


    ''This should keep me busy for the next few days¡­''


    He found a sharp stone to strip the useless outeryer of the cane, revealing the juicy inner core.


    He spent the next hour or so doing the same thing to every other piece of sugarcane he had.


    Alex took off his waterproof shirt and hung it up with four rocks, weighed down with more rocks on top, to keep it in ce and in a dome shaped position at the centre.


    This way, he could collect the juices.


    When he was finished with the stripping part, he smashed the juicy inner core between two rocks, squeezing out as much juice as possible into his waterproof shirt.


    This part took even longer, and he had to repeat it with each stalk.


    Not to mention the fact that he only had one shirt, so he could only collect as much as that fit in it.


    ''Shit, how could I forget!''


    Alex ced his hand on his head and chastised himself for his stupidity.


    ''I need to make a container to boil this in!''


    Yes, he had missed out this simple but crucial step.


    ''I don''t have the time to be making mistakes such as this.''


    There were still around 5 and a half days left before the test ended, but Alex would need a lot of this remaining time just to extract all of the ingredients he needed to create the ck powder for the bomb.


    Any mistake, or misstep in the process would only cost him precious time he couldn''t afford to lose.


    ***


    A few hourster, Alex returned to his makeshift workshop area with a crude looking y bowl in hand.


    His skill at pottery was utterly abysmal, and he was embarrassed at how wonky and disfigured the pot/bowl turned out.


    ''Thankfully nobody''s watching.''


    He thought so, but this wasn''t the case.


    Unbeknownst to Alex, somebody was watching.


    Two very influential somebodies to be exact.


    And these somebodies had realised what Alex was up to by now.


    ***


    "If this kid is nning on doing what I think he is, then he may just be one of the boldest fes I''ve seen in recent years¡­" Marshal Velenmented to Professor Will, who stood right beside him with the same amused look on his face.


    ''This kid is smart, but will the AI judge his actions as fairly as the other students?'' Professor Will thought to himself.


    The AI overseeing this assessment was actually the main AI that maintains and oversees the university''s functions on a day to day basis, so it was fair to say that it wasn''t stupid at all.


    But it ran on logic, just like every other machine or artificial intelligence out there.


    It had alreadypiled a general database of what a ''good'' or ''bad'' strategy looked like from examining all of the previous students who had ever taken this test, but few had ever chosen such an unconventional ''strategy'' like Alex''s.


    Which led Professor Will to question how Alex would be judged.


    Marshal Velen also had simr thoughts, but they were along a different path.


    ''I need this kid in my strategy department.''


    In Marshal Velen''s mind, the rest of the students were all mediocre, decent at best.


    But he wasn''t looking for ''decent'' students, no, he wanted the best. The outliers, the unique students who didn''t just follow the set path their families or teachers hadid out for them through countless experiences beforehand.


    If everybody used the same strategies every time, then could that really be considered a good strategy?


    It was the unique strategies that would catch your opponents off guard that were the most effective in real world situations.


    Everything else were just predictable and easily avoidable scenarios, as if the hundreds of thousands of students taking the test knew about them, then there was a good chance their future opponents would too.


    "I''m looking forward to seeing what this kid does next." Marshal Velen spoke his mind.


    ''Huh? Did I hear that correctly?''


    Professor Will was confused when he heard this.


    Marshal Velen was a stoic man ¡ª it was rare to hear aplimente out of his mouth.


    ***


    "All done!"


    Alex looked at the small pile of white crystals gathered at the bottom of the bowl with an exhausted but aplished smile on his face.


    But when he looked to the side and saw the countless other stalks of sugar cane he had yet to liquify, his face quickly fell as he realised just how much work he had ahead of him.


    ''At least the Potassium Nitrate is finished¡­''


    This was the only constion he had, as he had left that to evaporate near the fires and under the sun for thest few hours, and he was heading over to see the results from it now.


    Alex: "..."


    Marshal Velen: "..."


    Professor Will: "..."


    When Alex arrived, he could only stand there with a nk look on his face.


    ''Why am I so stupid¡­''


    He had made the same mistake again, but he hadn''t fixed this one.


    Alex had left the Potassium nitrate-water mixture to dry and evaporate in a hole in the ground he found nearby.


    But now that the evaporation had finished, all of the Potassium nitrate had been reabsorbed back into the ground, since he hadn''t put it into a container¡­


    ***


    "On second thought, maybe the strategy department could do without this kid¡­"


    Marshal Velen was speechless.

 Chapter 166: Completion and testing

    Like nothing, 5 days had passed.


    Alex couldn''t believe how fast the past few days had gone by.


    He was running out of time and still had so much to do, with only 1 day left before the test would be ending.


    ''I have to hurry!''


    Thest five days had been a gruelling test of his endurance and will, as he knew he couldn''t afford any more stupid mistakes like the ones he had made days beforehand.


    The memory of his earlier blunders still stung, but he couldn''t let that deter him. He had to focus on the task at hand, and that was to finallyplete the bomb.


    Alex had spent thest few days meticulously extracting and further refining his ingredients. Each day was a blur ofbour and concentration, but he had finally managed to gather enough charcoal, sugar and potassium nitrate.


    ''It''s almost time.''


    The y bowls he had crafted after his screw ups were now filled with the essential ingredients he needed to craft his ck powder.


    Most of Alex''s time over the previous days had been spent juicing the sugarcane.


    He had built a new, sturdier dome with his waterproof shirt to collect the juice more efficiently. Boiling the juice in his crude y bowls had been a slow process, but he had managed to reduce it to a thick syrup, which he then dried to obtain crystalline sugar.


    The potassium nitrate extraction was a painstaking process. After his initial mistake, he had crafted more y containers to prevent the nitrate from being reabsorbed into the ground.


    This time, he sessfully evaporated the water in each pot, leaving behind a decent amount of potassium nitrate crystals.


    With the potassium nitrate, the sugar and the charcoal all in hand, there was only one thing left he had to do.


    ''Oil!''


    There were plenty of lush nts surrounding the temple, so he gathered a bunch and extracted a decent amount of oil into one of the empty y pots he had.


    This process didn''t take nearly as long as it took for the other ingredients, as the oil didn''t need to be pure, or edible or anything like that.


    It just needed to be mmable.


    Now that all of the ingredients were gathered, Alex gathered everything but the oil, and poured it into a y bowl.


    With no measuring equipment, Alex could only eye out the ratio of each ingredient he was pouring in, and hope that it wasn''t too bad of a mixture.


    This was a critical step, and he could only take it very slowly, as any unevenness could lead to an unstable or ineffective powder. He knew the ratios had to be close to perfect for the mixture to be effective.


    ''Finally, ck powder!''


    The past 5 days of his work had finallye to a satisfying end.


    But he wasn''t finished yet.


    ''Well, let''s just hope nobody''s watching¡­''


    With nothing else as an alternative, Alex ripped off his pants, leaving his lower body exposed to the elements.


    Shiver!


    "Sssss¡­"


    Naturally, Alex''s little friend down there didn''t bode well against the wind¡­


    But he was forced to put up with it for the sake of his n.


    With his now torn apart pants, he separated them into two different sections ¡ª one muchrger than the other.


    He doused the small sections in the oil, then proceeded to pour the ck powder intotherger pieces of cloth that used to be his pants.


    The smaller pieces of cloth would act as an effective fuse, allowing him a small amount of time to move out of the way of the explosion before it is set off.


    Alex decided to make two bombs: one small test bomb, and onerger bomb, roughly the size of his head.


    The test bomb was crucial; he needed to ensure the mixture worked before risking everything in the temple.


    ''It''s time!''


    With the test bomb ready, Alex knew it was time to see if his hard work would pay off or not.


    He chose a safe spot away from the temple and other potential hazards.


    cing the test bomb on the ground near one of the creepy looking trees, lit the fuse and proceeded to sprint away as quickly as he could.


    Alex didn''t have a clue how quickly or slowly the fuse would burn, and he wasn''t willing to take any chances and die a stupid death before he could even assassinate The Whisperer.


    His decision turned out to be the right one, as the fuse burned down rapidly.


    For a tense moment, nothing happened.


    ''Did I mix it wrong?-''


    Boom!


    Then, with a sudden and satisfying burst, the test bomb exploded.


    The sound was loud, reverberating throughout the empty forest for kilometres in each direction. The st tore through the creepy tree he ced it under, and even a few of the other trees nearby.


    ''Such a small thing actually had a radius of 5 metres!''


    The st was very clearly powerful enough to confirm the effectiveness of the mixture.


    ''I couldn''t have gotten it more perfect¡­''


    Feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety, Alex returned to his work area.


    He checked the main bomb onest time, ensuring everything was secure.


    The fuse was soaked in oil, secured in ce, and the powder was tightly packed.


    ''I wonder how strong this one will be¡­''


    He was itching to just try it out, but he held himself back as this was his only chance now at assassinating The Whisperer andpleting the assessment.


    He bundled the bomb in his shirt, tying it up carefully to ensure it wouldn''te apart.


    ''This is it. Everything I''ve done over thest week led to this moment.''


    With only around half a day left before the end of the test, it was now or never for him toplete the final part of his n ¡ª killing The Whisperer.


    ''It''s time to enter again!''


    With the main bomb ready, Alex approached the temple cautiously.


    He tied the blindfold over his eyes once more, relying on his other senses and his memory of theyout to guide him forwards.


    ''Open your eyessss¡­.''


    ''Look at meee¡­.''


    The Whispers returned not long after he entered.


    It seemed The Whisperer was bing more and more unsettled, the longer Alex hadn''t entered.

 Chapter 167: Plan in action

    Alex moved slowly, each step deliberate. He knew the temple''syout rtively well since thest time he was inside, having explored a decent chunk of it the previous time he entered before he was scared away by The Whisperer.


    ''Nearly there.''


    His goal was the thin corridor he had met The Whisperer in during hisst encounter with it.


    Alex''s idea was that even if the explosion itself was somehow not powerful enough to kill The Whisperer, then the resulting copse of the surrounding temple would finish the job.


    The ce was already practically falling apart, so the explosion would be all he needed to take the whole thing down on top of The Whisperer.


    The only downside was that he would also be crushed alive within it as well¡­


    But that was a problem for him to face in the future.


    Besides, the test only said that he had to assassinate his target.


    It didn''t say anything about Alex surviving¡­


    ''Here!''


    After a few more minutes of slowly making his way through the temple corridors, he arrived back at the thin corridor where he had first spotted The Whisperer before.


    He found a spot in the wall where a stone was missing, and ced the bomb inside.


    He unravelled the makeshift fuse and set it in ce nearby, ensuring it was able to burn without obstruction.


    ''Look at meee¡­.''


    ''I see youuuuu¡­''


    Right as he finished setting up, Alex heard the whispers invade his mind once again, but he fended them off with his will.


    Instead, he was focused on something much more important.


    Footsteps.


    He head the creepy and disjointed footsteps of The Whisperer approaching from ahead of him in the corridor, and he stood as still as a rod up until the moment the footsteps stopped right in front of him.


    ''I''m facing The Whisperer right now!''


    Alex thought nervously as he fought to stop himself from removing his blindfold.


    ''LOOK AT ME¡­''


    But suddenly, the intensity of The Whisperer''s invasion of his mind shot up, and he was barely able to control the movements of his hands.


    His eyes had already shot open underneath the blindfold, and there was only a thin piece of cloth between Alex and The Whisperer, preventing him from having his soul sucked out.


    ''Fuck¡­''


    Barely able to control himself, Alex used thest bit of rationality he had left in him and did the only thing he could do in this situation.


    Stab!


    Stab!


    With a sharp, jagged stone he had brought in with him, he stabbed it into both of his eyes, gouging them both out of their sockets and disconnecting them from his visual cortex.


    ''ARRRGHH¡­''


    He bit his teeth together, biting his tongue off in the process as the pain was too intense for his normal human body to deal with.


    "Screeeeeech!"


    It seemed Alex''s refusal to go along with it''s wishes had made The Whisperer go insane, as it let out an absolutely ghastly howl that echoed through the halls of the temple, bursting Alex''s eardrums in the process.


    With only 2 of his senses remaining, Alex desperately felt around for the fuse and felt his hands touch something very hot, burning them.


    ''Yess!!''


    He grabbed onto the torch, ignoring the searing pain, and used his other hand to feel along the walls and floor for the thin piece of cloth acting as the fuse.


    ''Here!''


    After a few seconds of desperate searching, he caught onto something that felt like the fuse, and lit it on fire.


    ''I hope I lit the right thing¡­''


    The Whisperer was still preupied with its screeching, Alex only being able to tell it was still there because of the vibrations caused by its screeches.


    ''It''s time I got the fuck out of here!''


    Blindfolded, disoriented, deaf and without any taste, Alex ran as fast as he could through the dark corridors, running his hands along the walls to keep to the same path.


    He counted his steps, trying to remember the twists and turns.


    The screeches grew to a point where they had transcended the realm of sound and had energy infused into it, allowing Alex to hear it somewhat even though his ears were destroyed.


    But Alex pushed through, his willpower barely holding on and driving him forward.


    ''Phew!''


    He felt the cool air of the forest hit his face as he stumbled out of the temple.


    ''Please work! Please work!''


    He begged and prayed to anything and everything he could think of as hey down t on his back, ignoring how close he was to the temple.


    Alex was just too exhausted to move another muscle.


    "..."


    But even after a few dozen seconds, nothing happened.


    ''Did I miscalcte? Did I fail to mix the ck powder correctly? But the test bomb worked¡­''


    Boooooooom!


    But before he could even question himself any further, he was thrown away by a shockwave into the distance.


    ''I guess I just miscalcted the time¡­''


    The ground shook, and a massive plume of dust and debris shot up into the air.


    Alex turned to the direction of the explosion, feeling the vibrations through the air and ground, and waited as the ancient structure crumbled, the force of the st shattering stone and wood alike.


    The sound was deafening, echoing through the forest, but Alex was unaffected thanks to already being deafened by The Whisperer.


    He dropped to his knees, coughing up blood as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.


    ''Fuuuuuuuck¡­.''


    And he passed out.


    ***


    An hourter.


    As the dust settled, the previous lush, green clearing with an ancient temple adorning the middle of it had been turned into a pile of rubble.


    Trees, rocks, stones and shrubbery alike had all been thrown about, making the ce resemble the deste and creepy forest that surrounded it.


    ''Ughhh, did I pass the test or not?''


    Alex gradually awoke, expecting to wake up in the nk space with the AI informing him of his result in the test.


    ''Huh, why haven''t I heard anything yet?''


    Confused, he opened his eyes.


    ''So I am in the nk space, but where''s the AI?-''


    Alex thought to himself.


    But his thoughts were forced away from him as he was suddenly filled with horror.


    ''Red.... eyes....''


    The Whisperer was in the space with him.

 Chapter 168: Test over

    Alex stood there, stunned to the core of his soul as he looked The Whisperer in the eyes.


    ''Huh?''


    But strangely, the soul sucking, terrifying event he was expecting didn''te.


    ''Aren''t I supposed to die when I look at The Whisperer?''


    Alex questioned, clearly confused.


    The Whisperer looked like a twisted figure of what was once an ordinary old man.


    His spine was twisted aplete 180 degrees, with his torso facing the opposite direction of his legs.


    However, his deep, stunning red eyes were the most striking feature, as Alex couldn''t take his eyes away from them.


    Just as the tension seemed to pass, The Whisperer started to morph.


    His body twisted and squirmed, causing his already deformed body to be unrecognisable.


    ''What''s going on?''


    However, he didn''t have to ruminate any further as the morphing Whisperer disappeared into thin air a few secondster, like it had never even been there.


    ''What was all that about?''


    A bright, shimmering light appeared in the air where The Whisperer had just vanished, startling Alex out of his daze. He squinted at the light, which gradually formed into a system window prompt.


    [Assessment Complete]


    ''Is this¡­ the AI overseer?''


    Alex wondered, cautiously stepping closer to the floating window.


    He looked at the text that began to scroll across the screen.


    [Subject: Alex]


    [Strategy assessment result: Pass - full marks.]


    [Congrattions on passing the Strategy assessment! You are currently ranked 1st on the rankings for this assessment.]


    Alex blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing. His result was better than anything he could have possibly thought it might be.


    ''First? I''m ranked first?''


    His heart pounded in his chest as he re-read the message, a sense of disbelief mingling with overwhelming relief.


    Shortly after his results were shown, the world around him began to blur and distort. Alex felt a sudden tug, like a hook pulling him from the depths of a dream. The familiar sensation of waking up washed over him, and he opened his eyes once again in the chair of the VR pod.


    "Finally!"


    The word slipped from his lips with a mix of relief and exhration. He flexed his fingers, feeling the strength of his real body return.


    Every muscle, every fibre of his being thrummed with power. The talents and abilities of an Awakened filled him, a stark contrast to the frail human shell he had inhabited for the past seven days.


    He stood up, feeling the floor solid beneath his feet, appreciating the sheer physicality of his movements.


    Seven days in there as a normal human had given him a new appreciation for the strength Awakened possessed.


    ''I''m really back, it''s not a trick,'' he thought, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.


    It gave him a new perspective on his life, and he realised how lucky he really was to have made it as far as he did in life.


    Just the struggle he went through to kill The Whisperer was a reminder to not take what he has for granted.


    A new determination surged through him.


    He wasn''t just back; he was better. The assessment had tested him in ways he hadn''t expected, forced him to use his mind in ways he had never done before. He hade out stronger from it, more resilient.


    He looked around the room, taking in the familiar sight of the VR pods and the other students who were beginning to stir. Some looked relieved, others confused, and a few still seemed lost in their virtual worlds.


    All of them had been through simr experiences, the struggles and triumphs each of them had experienced in this strategy assessment would be eye opening for the majority of these students, as it highlighted their shorings, as well as made them aware of the fact that even when things seemed overwhelmingly stacked against them, with enough wit and intelligence, a n could be made to ovee this.


    "Alex," a voice called out.


    He turned to see Professor Will and an unfamiliar looking old man approaching. Their expressions were unreadable, but there was a glint of something in the old man''s eyes that Alex hadn''t seen before. Was it approval? Respect?


    He didn''t know.


    "Well done," Professor Will said, his tone even but with a hint of respect. "You''ve passed with full marks and achieved the highest rank, it''s not every year we see such a result."


    Marshal Velen nodded, a rare smile breaking his usually stern demeanour. "You''ve shown exceptional ingenuity and resilience, kid. Few have taken such an unconventional path and seeded."


    Alex inclined his head, acknowledging the praise from Professor Will and Marshal Velen, aka the unfamiliar old man.


    But he felt a pang of cynicism. Praise was rare, but it was usually just a prelude to more demands, more expectations.


    "What''s next?" Alex asked, cutting to the chase.


    Professor Will exchanged a nce with Marshal Velen before answering. "You''ll have some time to recuperate, as the test is still ongoing for some students, and then we''ll discuss your future. There are opportunities for someone with your talent."


    Opportunities. The word hung in the air, heavy with promise and uncertainty.


    Alex nodded, understanding the unspoken implications of him showcasing his potential. More challenges, more risks. But this also meant more rewards.


    As the professors walked away, leaving him to his thoughts, Alex reflected on the test, particrly the end where The Whisperer showed up in the nk space and disappeared just as suddenly.


    ''Whatever.''


    He nced at the other students again, wondering how they had fared. Though he could tell from a nce with one look at their expressions.


    Some were smiling, grinning from ear to ear.


    Others were downtrodden.


    Did they take the conventional routes? Did they find easier paths than him?


    In a world where everyone was selfish and driven by their own ambitions, he knew that standing out was both a blessing and a curse.


    "Time to move forward," he murmured to himself, wanting the time to pass quicker so he could see how he had fared on the overall first years ranking.

 Chapter 169: Miras exam

    As Alex walked out of the assessment chamber, he couldn''t help but rey thest seven days in his mind. The strategies he had employed, the risks he had taken, and the unexpected challenges he had faced.


    Each memory was a lesson, a reminder of what he was capable of.


    ''Maybe my strategic thinking wasn''t as bad as I originally thought it to be?''


    He had made fire without tools, extracted chemicals from the earth, and crafted a bomb with nothing but his wits and the environment around him.


    The survival videos he had binge-watched were more than just entertainment; they were the lifelines that had helped him seed.


    "Adapt and ovee," he reminded himself.


    Alex reached his dormitory, a stark contrast to the rugged, wild environment of the simtion. He stepped inside, the familiarity of his personal space grounding him.


    He headed straight for the shower, letting the hot water wash away the grime and exhaustion of the past week.


    He hadn''t actually umted any dirt or grime on his real body, but the feeling was more like a cebo.


    As he stood under the stream, he allowed himself a moment of vulnerability. The relief of having his powers back, the rush of emotions from his sess, and the stark realisation of how fragile normal human life could be.


    He had walked a thin line between life and death many times over the past year, and it had changed him.


    Clean and refreshed, Alex dressed infortable clothes and sat at his desk, staring at his reflection in the mirror.


    The face looking back at him was the same, but his eyes held a new depth. He had been reminded of the limitations of humanity and the extraordinary gift of being an Awakened.


    Back when he was a normal human in the real world, people always said that being whisked away to the Primordial Expanse was a curse, and in a way they were right.


    But it was more of a door to a whole new world (literally) opening up for them.


    Sure, there was a very real risk of death from this, but even if you were the biggest coward in the world, you would still be able to make it back from the Primordial Expanse given enough time.


    In fact, the highest percentage of people that came back from the Primordial Expanse were the cowards, as they were grounded in reality.


    They knew when something was too risky to take on, they knew when something waspletely out of their league, and they knew exactly where to draw the line.


    It was the people who didn''t know these things that perished the most in the Primordial Expanse and gave it the bad reputation.


    Many people, when forced away to the Primordial Expanse and given all of the fantasy abilities and system panels, get main character syndrome and start to act like the world revolves around them, like they are the main character in their own story.


    But it doesn''t take long before reality hits them in the face like a 100mph brick.


    Taking an old notebook out of his storage space, Alex began jotting down his thoughts. Strategies that worked, mistakes he had made, and insights he had gained.


    He felt it would be helpful for him if he documented these things, as it would help him grow and be more mature and experienced in the future.


    Yes, he did have near photographic memory thanks to the enhancements he had received from being an awakened, but that didn''t mean he didn''t forget things.


    He had recalled nearly every detail of the survival videos he had watched months ago, but that was only conditional.


    He was so locked in ¡ª in the zone, during the test that his mind worked like a well oiled machine toe up with a n that would help him seed.


    If he tried to recall the memories of the videos now, he''d be able to remember most of it, but some moments may be missing.


    ''Strength is not just physical,'' he wrote.


    He had realised this now that he had experienced being so weak once again.


    ''It''s also the ability to think, adapt, to strategize.''


    ***


    As the day turned to night, Alex felt a calm settle over him.


    Hey down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The future was uncertain, filled with potential dangers and opportunities.


    But he was ready, and he wasn''t alone.


    "How was your test, Mira?" he asked with a gentle smile.


    On the other end of hismunicator, Mira alsoy on her bed, with a slight smile on her face as she heard Alex''s voice for the first time in a week.


    "I passed, high marks!" Her reply was short, but it was filled with the joyful youth a girl her age should get to experience.


    Alex nodded, his hologram on the other side in Mira''s room mimicking his actions.


    "So what strategy did you use? Mine was quite ''unconventional'' as the AI put it, so I highly doubt anyone else used the same one as me." Alex asked, curious to know how Mira had ovee the difficulties of her assessment.


    Miraughed softly. "Unconventional? That sounds like you, Alex. But my strategy was pretty straightforward."


    Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Straightforward? Do tell."


    Mira began, "Well, when I first encountered The Whisperer, I remembered an encounter with a simr creature I came across in the Primordial Expanse."


    Alex listened intently, surprised that she had actually met something so terrifying in real life before.


    He couldn''t imagine the fear she must have felt in that situation.


    "The Whisperer, being a creature that feeds on people''s souls, is sensitive to emotions. And what are emotions? They are just a bunch of chemical reactions in our bodies."


    Alex tilted his head, even more curious to know what she was going on about.


    "I tested it, and I was right. The Whisperer was sensitive to certain chemicals I found throughout the periphery of the temple, and I scattered a lot, and I mean A LOT of them all around the temple over the first few days."


    Alex blinked in surprise, "There was such a thing?"


    "Yes," Mira continued. "The Whisperer was only an F- rank awakened, so it''s abilities were weak on the rtive scale of awakened. It wasn''t able to differentiate between different types of chemicals, so it couldn''t tell the difference between me, and the various other random nts I had ced all over the temple."


    Alex couldn''t help butugh, taking his palm to his forehead. "That''s genius. Simple, effective, andpletely bypasses any need for confrontation."


    "So, how did you kill it then?" But there was still this part that Mira had missed out.


    Mira giggled. "I didn''t."


    ''???''


    "What? Then how did you pass the test?" Alex was thoroughly confused at this point.


    Mira looked amused at Alex''s confusion.


    "Well, the original n was to burn it to death, I was going to trap The Whisperer in a room I filled with a bunch of dead wood and set it alight with it trapped inside. But¡­"


    Mira paused, looking as if she was still confused about the situation herself.


    "...but The Whisperer killed itself¡­"


    Alex: "..."


    Mira: "..."


    ''What?''


    Before Alex could even ask, Mira continued.


    "It turns out The Whisperer was eating every nt and chemical I had ced in the temple." She spoke, giving some more background.


    "But one of the nts I ced turned out to be poisonous¡­"


    ''...''

 Chapter 170: Jonathan

    Alex stared at Mira, utterly speechless.


    The fact that her test had such an anticlimactic end left him baffled. His test had been a nerve wracking ordeal, and here Mira was, recounting how The Whisperer practically poisoned itself to death.


    He internally cursed, thinking, ''Why couldn''t my test have been so easy?''


    But he quickly dismissed the thought.


    Mira''s sess wasn''t due to luck, but her own skill. She was clearly more analytically and strategically gifted than Alex. She had observed The Whisperer, understood its weaknesses, and devised a n based on these insights.


    The fact that it died in a way outside of her calctions didn''t matter, as it would have been killed by the fires anyway.


    In contrast, Alex had gone in blindly, relying on what he heard and saw, which led to a more convoluted and dangerous solution.


    "You''re telling me it just¡­ died?" Alex asked, still trying to wrap his head around it.


    Mira nodded, her smile widening. "Yep, one of the nts I scattered was toxic. The Whisperer ate it and died. Simple as that."


    Alex shook his head,ughing despite himself. "I can''t believe it. I went through so much trouble making a bomb, and you outsmarted it with nts."


    "Well, we each have our own strengths," Mira said gently. "You did what you thought was best given your information. And it worked, didn''t it?"


    "Yeah, but still," Alex replied, scratching the back of his head. "You made it look easy."


    "Strategic thinking is all about knowing your enemy," Mira said. "I had a bit of an advantage because I encountered something simr before. But you did great, Alex. You showed creativity, which I heard is valued highly in this assessment."


    Alex appreciated her words. "Thanks, Mira. I guess there''s a lot I could learn from you."


    "Not me," Mira disagreed. "But them."


    She pointed towards the towering skyscrapers at the centre of the city.


    "The professors of this ce are much better at this than me, obviously." She affirmed.


    "Right." Alex replied, reminded of the very reason they came to this ce.


    "By the way, I know you seeded, but what did you get on the test, Alex?" Mira asked, curious.


    She hadn''t shown it earlier, but she was very interested in Alex''s test when he mentioned using a ''bomb'' to pass it.


    "I passed, full marks."


    "..."


    This time, it was Mira''s turn to be speechless¡­


    ***


    Seated around arge, circr table, several imposing men and women sat with tense looks on their faces.


    All of them were seriously staring at the singr holographic screen that floated in the air in front of each of the upied seats.


    There was only one document on these holographic screens that each of these people were scanning seriously.


    "The AI finishedputing and analysing the results of all of the assessments. The first year ranking has been generated ording to the results given. It''s done."


    An old man with a ck overcoat and a ck camouge military uniform reported.


    He stared intently at the holographic screen in front of him, his face expressionless.


    "Are you sure this is correct, sir? This final ranking¡­ don''t you think we should choose some more¡­ suitable candidates for the first spot?" A young looking, but serious man wearing a simr uniform questioned. His brows furrowed as he looked at the names in the top three.


    He looked like he had a lot more to say, but restrained himself while in front of so many important and busy people.


    "An AI paired with one of the most powerful supeputers in the federation analysed and sorted these rankings, and you are suggesting it made a mistake, Jonathon?" Professor Will retorted with a deep frown on his face.


    This was the first time he had spoken during this meeting.


    He usually just sat on the side lines each year and listened to what the true powerhouses had to say.


    But this time, it seemed trouble was starting to brew.


    Jonathan scoffed at Professor Will''s rebuttal, but he diverted his eyes back to the old man at the head of the table.


    "I''m not saying the AI made any mistakes¡­ I''m just suggesting we look at this from a¡­ human standpoint." Jonathan spoke, trying to argue his point.


    He was already not fond of using AI to judge the potential of students, as he believed using more experienced, human judges would provide better results. Therefore, it made sense for him to be speaking out during this meeting.


    But that was only a cover.


    "It looks like you''re not satisfied with your son''s ranking, or am I wrong, Jonathan Stein? A young woman with silver hair and vibrant silver eyes asked mockingly.


    She was sitting in the chair next to Professor Will''s and smiled provocatively in Jonathan''s direction.


    Jonathan scoffed at her remark and muttered a few curses under his breath.


    "My son deserved to be first, so keep your mouth shut, Fayre? I''ll speak to my father about this! He''ll make things right, you''ll see." Jonathan Stein cursed quietly, but loud enough for Professor Will, and Fayre, the silver haired woman, to hear.


    Everyone else seated around the round table sighed deeply when Jonathan mentioned his father. The Stein family was famous throughout the federation as some of the strongest humans, but among the higher echelons, they were known more for their anger issues¡­


    "Your father won''t do anything to interfere, Jonathan." But the whole room was quietened down when the old man at the head of the table spoke up for the first time since the bickering had started.


    He had been sitting there, silently listening the whole time, but things had gotten a little out of hand.


    When Jonathan heard the old man''s tone, sounding so certain when dismissing his father''s interference, he couldn''t help but quieten down.


    His father was strong, one of the strongest people in the Federation.


    But when up against the Principal of Capital Prime, he still had a long way to go.


    His father was known as being ''one of the strongest'', but the Principal was the publicly undisputed second most powerful person in the Federation.


    He was the only confirmed King ss S tier awakened.


    This begged the question, what about the person in first ce?


    Well, not much was known about him as he rarely showed up in the federation, but there were rumours that the Principal had fought him in the past, and had lost horribly¡­

 Chapter 171: First year rankings

    The room fell into a tense silence as the Principal''s words reverberated through the air.


    Jonathan Stein, cowed into submission, leaned back in his hair, muttering to himself but otherwise keeping quiet.


    The other professors exchanged nces, some relieved, others like Professor Will and Professor Fayre amused at Jonathan''seuppance.


    The Principal, a man ofmanding presence and steely grey hair and a sharp gaze, took a moment to let the quiet settle before continuing. He nced at the holographic screen in front of him one more time, the first year ranking prominently disyed.


    "Let''s proceed," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Professor Will, I want you to oversee the mentorship program. Pair the top ranked students with experienced mentors. We need to ensure they are cultivated well."


    Professor Will nodded, his expression serious. "Understood, sir. I''ll begin the arrangements immediately."


    "Fayre," the principal continued, turning to the silver haired woman. "You will be responsible for the tactical training sessions. Focus on developing advanced strategies andbat techniques. Our students must be prepared for any situation."


    Fayre smiled confidently. "Consider it done, sir."


    The principal then directed his gaze at a middle aged woman with a stern demeanour. "Professor Hart, you''ll handle the periodical psychological assessments. Identify any potential issues and provide the necessary support. Mental fortitude is just as important as physical strength."


    Professor Hart inclined her head. "Of course, Principal. I''ll ensure each student develops hardened wills by the end of the year."


    Satisfied with their responses, the Principal addressed the rest of the professors seated around the table. "Each of you will have a role to y in shaping these students. Our goal is to produce the best and brightest, capable of leading our Federation in the future. Do not underestimate the importance of your duties, no matter how trivial they may seem."


    He paused, letting his words sink in. The professors nodded in agreement, fully aware of their responsibilities. They wouldn''t have been hired as professors at the best university in the federation if they didn''t.


    Now, onto the matter of the first year ranking," the principal said, shifting the focus back to the holographic screen. "We will release the rankings to the public shortly. This transparency is essential to foster a sense ofpetition among the students."


    Jonathan shifted ufortably in his seat but remained silent. The principal''s eyes flicked to him briefly before continuing. "Remember, these rankings are not set in stone. They are a reflection of current performance, not potential. Encourage your students to strive for improvement, regardless of their position."


    With that, the principal pressed a button on his terminal, and the holographic screens around the room flickered, disying the names, scores, and assessments in meticulous detail.


    "The rankings will be live in five minutes," the principal announced. "Make sure everything is in order."


    The professors busied themselves withst minute checks, ensuring the data was urate and ready for public release. It would be embarrassing if one of the professors submitted the wrong student''s data. The AI wouldn''t have made any mistakes, but the same couldn''t be said about the professors.


    The atmosphere in the room was tense but focused.


    As the countdown reached zero, the principal stood, signalling the end of the meeting. "You are dismissed."


    The professors rose, murmuring their acknowledgements before filing out of the room. Jonathan lingered for a moment, his frustration evident, but he ultimately followed suit, a dark expression on his face.


    ***


    The news of the first year rankings spread rapidly throughout the whole city. Students gathered in groups, eagerly checking their devices for the official list. Excitement, anxiety, and curiosity were palpable in the air.


    Alex and Mira were among the first to see the rankings.


    ''I did it¡­''


    Alex''s name was prominently disyed at the top, with the results of each of his assessments disyed right beside it. He stared at the screen in disbelief, a mix of pride and astonishment washing over him.


    "First ce¡­" Mira whispered, her eyes wide in admiration. "You deserve it, Alex."


    Alex nced at her, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "I guess we know who''s stronger out of us then, don''t we?"


    He nced at the ranking, with Mira''s name sittingfortably in second ce, Niks Stein in third ce, behind them both.


    "I wish I could see Niks''s face right now!" Alexughed.


    Around them, students reacted to the rankings with various emotions. Some were thrilled with their cements, while others were devastated.


    But like the principal said, these cements weren''t set in stone. Even the students near the bottom of the rankings felt determined to improve.


    Every student epted into Capital Prime had potential ¡ª some of them just disy it muchter than others.


    It didn''t take long for the students to notice that the top 2 ranks were among them either, and many of the students looked at them with ferocious looks on their faces.


    If it weren''t for the 2 week cooldown period before anyone could challenge the rankings, Alex and Mira would probably be swamped with requests to fight right now¡­


    "Let''s get out of here¡­" Alex spoke to Mira, not liking the kinds of gazes some of the students were giving them.


    Particrly the lustful gazes some of the male students were giving Mira.


    He didn''t need to protect her or anything like that, as she was very capable of dealing with these nobodies herself.


    A few minutester, the two found themselves in a more secluded park.


    "What do you say we start that training now?" Alex asked, referring to the training Mira had promised a few days earlier, before they had officiated their rtionship.


    "Sure, when do you want to start?" Mira happily obliged, as she was the one who offered it in the first ce.


    "How about right now?-"


    Ring!


    Alex asked, but had to pause as hismunicator started ringing.


    When he looked at who it was, his face couldn''t help but frown, and Mira couldn''t help but let out augh.


    "Rowan! It''s this guy again! I swear he must be choosing this timing on purpose, that''s two times now!"

 Chapter 172: Rowan again?

    Alex stared at hismunicator, Rowan''s name shing on the screen. Mira, noticing his frown, chuckled. "Rowan again?"


    "Yeah," Alex sighed, answering the call. "Hey, Rowan. What''s up?"


    "Alex! You''re first ce!" Rowan''s voice was a mix of excitement and disbelief. "I just saw the rankings. I can''t believe it. When I met you in the Primordial Expanse, I didn''t expect you to be this strong!"


    Alex couldn''t help but smile at Rowan''s enthusiasm. "Thanks, Rowan. It was a tough journey, but I managed."


    "Tough journey, huh? You make it sound so casual. I''m genuinely impressed. How did you manage to outshine everyone?"


    Alex nced at Mira, who was listening with a smile. "A lot of hard work and some help from good friends."


    Mira blushed slightly at thepliment, nudging Alex yfully.


    "Listen, Alex," Rowan continued, his tone bing more serious. "I was nning to meet up with you to discuss something, but I just got assigned a mission. I won''t be able to see you in person."


    "No worries, Rowan. We can talk now. What''s up?"


    "Great. It''s about the rmendation I gave you to get into Capital Prime. I need your testimony to confirm that I was the one who rmended you. It''s for my rewards, you see."


    Alex''s mind raced back to the moment in the battle against the beasts where Rowan had mentioned something about Capital Prime. He had almost forgotten Rowan''s role in that. "Of course, Rowan. I''d be happy to help."


    Rowan''s relief was palpable over themunicator. "Thanks, Alex. This means a lot. Seeing you at the top of the rankings is incredible, and it will definitely boost my standing too. I need to submit this quickly, as my flight off leaves in a few minutes."


    "Wait, you''re leaving now?" Alex asked, surprised.


    "Yeah, duty calls. It''s an urgent mission, and I can''t afford to miss it."


    Alex nodded, even though Rowan couldn''t see him. "Understood. What do you need me to do?"


    "I just need you to record a quick message stating that I was the one who rmended you to Capital Prime. The admin team will handle the rest."


    "Alright," Alex agreed, opening the recording app on hismunicator. He quickly recorded a message, clearly stating that Rowan had rmended him to Capital Prime and expressing his gratitude for the opportunity. "Done. I''ll send it over now."


    "Got it," Rowan said as he received the message. "Thank you, Alex. This will help me a lot. I knew you were talented, but seeing you achieve this is something else."


    "Good luck on your mission, Rowan," Alex said sincerely. "Stay safe out there."


    "Thanks, Alex. You too. Keep up the good work, and I''ll catch up with you when I''m back. Take care!"


    With that, the call ended, and Alex put hismunicator away, turning to Mira with a sigh. "Well, that was unexpected."


    "Rowan seems like a good guy," Mira observed. "He really believes in you."


    "Yeah, he does," Alex agreed. "And he''s been a good friend since we met. I''m d I could help him out."


    Mira smiled, her eyes filled with warmth. "You''ve got a knack for making allies, Alex."


    Alex shrugged, a modest smile ying on his lips. "I just try to do right by the people who support me."


    ''And do wrong to the people who hinder me¡­''


    They stood in the park for a moment, the evening breeze rustling the leaves around them. The excitement of the rankings and Rowan''s call had left Alex feeling a mixture of pride and excitement.


    "Shall we get back to that training?" Mira suggested, breaking the silence.


    Alex nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, let''s do it."


    After his chat with Rowan ended, Alex and Mira were nning on heading over to the nearest training hall to start sparring each other, but on the way they had both received notifications simultaneously, notifying them of the allocation of their new dorms.


    They were very excited to see their new dorms, so they had put off the training for a little bit while they went and inspected their new homes.


    However something very peculiar happened when they arrived.


    It turned out that they were now neighbours¡­


    "I thought the male and female students were supposed to be split up¡­" Alex spoke, revealing his confusion on the matter.


    "I just read through the rest of the email we received about this, and it says here that the top 100 will be settled into their own specific living area, regardless of gender." Mira observed, breaking the confusion the two of them were feeling.


    "Really? That''s great then! We won''t have to separate from each other for longer periods!" Alex eximed gleefully, with Mira joining him.


    ***


    After inspecting their new homes, which happened to be small mansions with a bunch of facilities Alex and Mira were unfamiliar with, they had discovered that they had their own private training areas, equipped with an arena protected by the same energy barriers that were used in the Combat assessments.


    Alex was already in the training gear as they were using his training grounds, and Mira quickly joined him after a few minutes or so after changing to her ownbat uniform.


    ''Wow¡­''


    Alex couldn''t help but ogle sneakily as he watched Mira walk through the backyard door and into the training section.


    The training uniforms of males and females were different, for obvious reasons, and this became very obvious to Alex when he saw Mira.


    Mira''s uniform was skin tight, hugging her body from her neck to her feet, as the uniforms were made out of an advanced nanomaterial that minimised any wasted space in the clothes, to enable smoother movements inbat.


    But this came with the added effect of Mira''s curves all being on show.


    "Alex¡­ Where are you looking¡­" Mira blushed as she saw Alex staring at her with eyes wide and mouth slightly open.


    He thought he was being sneaky with it, but his thoughts and reality werepletely different¡­

 Chapter 173: Sparring

    Seeing that he was caught, Alex embraced his shamelessness, his grin widening.


    "I saw something beautiful, so I couldn''t help but look."


    Mira blushed deeply, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, keep your eyes on the prize, Alex. You don''t want to get ''distracted'' during our training, do you?"


    "I don''t mind being distracted by you," Alex shot back, winking.


    He stepped into the arena, adjusting his stance. "But you''re right. Let''s focus."


    Mira shook her head, still smiling as she joined him. "Alright, let''s get serious. How about we restrict our strength, only relying on speed before we get to using my talent?"


    "Sounds good to me," Alex agreed, settling into his stance. The atmosphere shifted as both of them prepared for the spar.


    Alex watched as Mira moved gracefully, her uniform clinging to her body in a way that highlighted her agility and the toned muscles beneath. She wielded her training sword with practised ease, her eyes never leaving his.


    "Ready?" Mira asked, her tone serious now.


    "Ready," Alex replied, his voice steady.


    They circled each other, the tension building. Alex could feel the energy in the air, feeling the anticipation. He focused on Mira''s movements, watching for any sign of her next move.


    Suddenly, Mira dashed forward, her speed impressive considering she hadn''t reached D tier yet. Alex reacted instinctively, dodging her initial strike and countering with a swift jab. Mira deflected his attack, her movements fluid and precise.


    "You''ve gotten fast," Mira remarked, a hint of pride and mockery in her voice.


    She knew speed was Alex''s weak point, especially against someone like Niks.


    "Thanks," Alex replied, not letting up. He pressed the attack, using his agility to keep Mira on her toes. Their weapons shed, the sound echoing throughout the arena.


    Mira shifted her stance, her eyes narrowing. "Let''s see how you handle this." Sheunched a series of rapid attacks, each oneing from a different angle.


    Alex''s mind raced, analysing her movements. He could see the subtle shifts in her posture, the way she telegraphed her next strike. He used his spatial perception to anticipate her moves, deflecting her attacks with precise blocks and counters.


    "You''re reading me well," Mira said, a note of challenge in her voice.


    She had been waiting for a long while to get her own time in the arena with Alex, and she wasn''t regretting it one bit.


    Alex smirked. "I''m in first ce for a reason.


    They continued their spar, their movements a blur of speed and skill. Alex could feel himself getting into the zone, his focus sharpening. He was aware of every detail, every subtle cue that Mira gave off.


    After a particrly intense exchange, they paused, both of them breathing heavily. Mira smiled, her eyes shining with excitement. "You''re really pushing me, Alex."


    "You''re not making it easy either," Alex replied, equally breathless but with a confident grin on his face.


    They circled each other again, the tension between them palpable. Miraunched another attack, her movements swift but graceful, but Alex was ready.


    Mira struggled to keep up, her deflections bing more desperate. Alex''s perception allowed him to predict her every move, his speed higher than hers, overwhelming her. Finally, with a swift disarm, Alex sent Mira''s training sword flying from her grasp.


    Breathless and grinning, Alex pointed his sword at her, the tip hovering just inches from her chest. "Looks like I won this round," he said, his voice filled with triumph.


    Mira panted heavily, her eyes zing with a ferocity despite her defeat. "You got me this time," She conceded, wiping the sweat from her brow. "But don''t get toofortable."


    Alex chuckled, lowering his sword. "I wouldn''t dream of it."


    Unhappy with her loss, Mira''s expression shifted from frustration to something more sinister.


    "How about we go again?" She suggested, her voice firm. "But this time I''ll use my talent."


    Alex''s eyebrows raised in surprise. "Is it time?"


    Mira nodded, her eyes gleaming with an intent to win. "Yep. Isn''t this what you wanted? To train against my talent so that you can better counter Niks?"


    Alex couldn''t help but see her point. "Alright, let''s do it," he agreed, stepping back to reset their positions.


    Mira took a deep breath, her posture rxing as she prepared to tap into her talent.


    Alex watched her closely, readying himself for what was toe.


    He knew that Call of the Void was a powerful talent, allowing Mira to step into the Void dimension and bepletely hidden from his senses.


    Whoosh!


    The moment she activated her talent, Alex felt a shift in the air. Mira''s form shimmered for an instant before disappearing entirely. He could no longer see her, hear her, or sense her presence in any way.


    ''So this is how it works¡­''


    "This is trickier than I thought¡­" Alex muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the arena for any indication of Mira returning.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded in his side as Mira''s training sword struck him out of nowhere. Alex grunted, swinging his sword in the direction of the attack, but he hit nothing but air.


    Mira had already vanished back into the Void dimension.


    ''I see how she got second ce now¡­ In fact, how did I even ce above her? She should be the one in first¡­''


    Alex''s mind raced as he tried to anticipate her next move. He focused on his spatial perception, but it was no use.


    Mira''s talent made herpletely undetectable.


    She was slipping in between the third dimension and the Void dimension. Her talent was a variation of the Space element, but it didn''t affect the nearby space whatsoever, leaving Alex blind.


    Whack!


    Another strikended, this time on his back, causing him to stagger forward.


    He spun around, his eyes wide and alert, but again saw nothing.


    Mira''s attacks came in rapid session and in short bursts, each one catching him off guard and pushing him further into a defensive stance. He swung his sword wildly, hoping to catch her by chance, but his efforts were futile.


    "Damn it, Mira," Alex muttered through gritted teeth, frustration mounting as he struggled to keep up with her relentless assault.


    Mira''sughter echoed around him, her voice seeming toe from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Having trouble, Alex?" she teased, her tone yful yet confident.


    Alex couldn''t help but smile despite the pain. "You could say that."


    The attacks continued, each one more precise and powerful than thest. Mira''s mastery of her talent was impressive, and Alex quickly realised that he was outmatched. He could feel his energy draining, his movements bing slower and more sluggish with each passing moment.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Alex fell to one knee, panting heavily. "I concede," he said, his voice strained. "You win, Mira."


    Mira reappeared in front of him, her form solidifying as she stepped out of the Void dimension. She looked down at him with a cheeky smirk, her eyes twinkling with victory. "Told you not to get toofortable."


    Alex copsed onto his back, staring up at the sky. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, his breathing in ragged gasps. "You got me good."


    Mira knelt beside him, her expression softening as she offered him a hand. "You did great, Alex. Even without your strength, you''re still an amazing fighter."


    Alex took her hand, allowing her to help him to his feet. "Thanks, Mira. You''re incredible with that talent of yours. I couldn''t even follow you."


    Mira blushed at thepliment, but her smile remained. "I''ve had a lot of practice. And you''re no slouch yourself. You had me on the ropes in our first spar."


    Alex chuckled, brushing himself off. "Guess I need to train harder if I want to keep up with you."


    Mira''s eyes sparkled with amusement. "Or maybe I just need to reach D tier so we''re on even footing."


    ''...''


    Alex felt his brain short circuit when he remembered that Mira hadn''t even be a D tier yet.


    ''I just lost to someone a whole two ranks below me¡­''


    They stood in silence for a moment, both of them catching their breath and reflecting on the intense training session. The evening breeze rustled the leaves around them, the calm after the storm of their sparring match.


    "Shall we head back to our dorms?" Mira suggested, breaking the silence. "We both could use some rest."


    Alex nodded, feeling the fatigue settling into his muscles. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."


    They made their way back to their new dorms, the excitement of their training still fresh in their minds. As they walked, Alex couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride and aplishment. Despite the challenges, he had proven himself and strengthened his bond with Mira.


    When they reached their dorms, they paused at the entrance, giving each other a look that seemed like neither one of them wanted the other to leave.


    "Good night, Alex," Mira said, her voice soft.


    "Good night, Mira," Alex replied, smiling.


    As they parted ways and headed to their respective rooms, Alex kept looking back at Mira''s departing back, smiling.


    And with that, he closed the door to his dorm, a sense of determination and anticipation filling his heart as he looked forward to the next training session.


    ''I won''t lose the next time!''


    ''Actually I probably will¡­ But with enough training and experience against her talent, the time wille where I will beat her!''


    Alex slowly drifted into sleep on his new king size bed after his thoughts went through the day''s events.

 Chapter 174: Orientation

    A few days had passed since Alex and Mira''s intense training session, which just turned out to be apletely one sided defeat. The two had continued their sessions, training every day and honing their skills against each other with each sparring match.


    Today, however, was different.


    Today was the day of the orientation, where the freshmen students would officially meet their instructors and learn about the path their education would take.


    Alex found himself standing in arge clearing outside of the city, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of freshmen just like him.


    The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a warm glow over the gathered crowd. A massive stage had been erected at the front of the clearing, where many figures were already standing.


    These figures were the professors who would be in charge of the freshmen for the next year.


    Alex stood near the front of the crowd, alone. Mira had gotten separated from him in the throng of students as they made their way over. He scanned the sea of faces, hoping to spot her, but there were simply too many people.


    However he wasn''t concerned one bit, as the two of them could just meet up again afterwards when the orientation ended.


    ''I wonder how this orientation will go,'' Alex thought to himself. ''Though I''m not too bothered about what instructor I get assigned to.''


    As the murmur of the crowd grew, a hush suddenly fell over the clearing.


    The principal of the university suddenly appeared on stage, and his presence stunned the students into silence.


    Alex''s eyes widened in awe.


    The principal was a very well known public figure, not just within the university, but throughout the entire federation. As the second strongest person in the federation, he was immensely powerful and respected.


    He was also the very first S tier individual Alex had ever seen in person, and to top it off he was far stronger than the average S tier awakened as well. His interest in the principal only grew higher as he studied the mysterious man on stage.


    The principal, a tall and imposing figure with an air of authority, stepped to the centre of the stage. He needed no microphone, injecting a tiny bit of energy into his voice, he began to speak, and every student and staff member in therge clearing could hear him crystal clear.


    "Wee, freshmen," he began, his voice resonating through the air.


    "Congrattions on making it to our prestigious university. You are the best of the best, and we are here to ensure you stay that way."


    The crowd listened intently, the weight of the moment sinking in.


    Many students felt excitement, thinking ''This is where my rise to glory begins!''


    Though most of the students thinking this were near the bottom of the ranking, or hadn''t even made it on there.


    The principal continued, "The purpose of this orientation is to introduce you to your instructors and to exin the course of your training. The decisions you make today will shape the next four years of your life, so choose wisely."


    He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Additionally, I am pleased to announce the formation of an elite ss. Only the top 100 students will be granted ess to this ss, where you will receive personal tutoring from an instructor of your choice once per week, provided they agree.


    This ss will offer many benefits, including exclusive ess to five C~B tierbat techniques from our library per month, not to mention many other beneficial resources for your training."


    Alex''s heart raced.


    ''An elite ss? Personal tutoring? Exclusivebat techniques? This is incredible!''


    He remembered his experiences withbat techniques, particrly the Phoenix Fury technique that had significantly enhanced his abilities. The thought of gaining ess to more powerful techniques filled him with glee.


    "Be wary though, as your position in the elite ss can be taken away as easily as it is granted. If you should fall outside of the top 100, then the student who takes your ce will also rece you in the elite ss. So don''t ck off." The principal warned.


    The principal concluded his speech with a congrattory message to those who had already made it into the top 100, then stepped aside. Another senior-looking professor took his ce, ready to continue the orientation.


    The professor, a stern-faced man with a no-nonsense demeanour, addressed the crowd. "General sses such asbat and theoretical studies will be up to you to attend. Each ss will have thousands of students, so it''s impossible for one professor to personally tutor every individual. Instead, you will practise your techniques and fight against each other.


    If a professor sees a student they like, they may pay extra attention and provide personal guidance if you prove yourself worthy."


    Alex nodded to himself, absorbing the information.


    ''It makes sense, with so many students, the professors can''t possibly focus on everyone. It''s a good thing I''m in the elite ss.''


    The professor continued, "Your sess here depends on your dedication and effort. Take advantage of every opportunity provided to you, and don''t be afraid to push your limits. Remember, you are here to be the best."


    Alex nced around, noticing the ferocious expressions of the students around him. Each one of them nced at him from time to time, looking like they wanted to tear him apart and take his spot in first ce on the rankings.


    "Go back to your dorms and await further instruction, you will be notified of your instructors and schedules within the next hour."


    Finally, the orientation drew to a close.


    Alex made his way through the crowd, heading towards his dorm. He was lost in thought.


    ''I wonder where Mira is?''


    As he walked, hismunicator buzzed with a notification. He pulled it out and nced at the screen.


    [Congrattions, Alex. You have been officially epted into the elite ss!]


    The message continued with more details, which the principal had already mentioned on the stage.


    But it was a given that Alex would make it to the elite ss, considering he was in first ce¡­

 Chapter 175: Library

    [As a top student, you have the privilege of selecting from a list of personal tutors who are willing to personally tutor you. Below is the list of avable instructors:]


    The list seemed endless, filled with names upon names of instructors.


    Alex was stunned by the sheer number of choices. Each name represented a wealth of knowledge and experience, a potential mentor who could guide him to new heights.


    Though Alex dismissed all of these names when he spotted one name in particr that he was already familiar with.


    ''Professor Will.''


    He chose Professor Will without hesitating, as he had already done a lot for him, and Alex could tell that the man had something special about him, but he just couldn''t quite pick it out yet.


    [In addition to personal tutoring, you have been granted upgraded library privileges. You may ess 5 C tierbat techniques, or 1 B tier technique from our library each month.]


    Alex''s eyes widened into smiles. The library privileges were the one thing he was really happy to see. They were a game changer for him. He could already imagine the kinds of powerful techniques he would soon have at his disposal.


    Without wasting any time, Alex skipped heading back to his dorm for the time being and headed straight for the library.


    He wasn''t nning on borrowing any techniques just yet, he just wanted to see what kinds of techniques were avable, as well as to widen his horizons.


    It''s not like he was going to be doing anything meaningful back at his dorm anyway, just sitting there waiting for the message about sses toe through, so he thought he might as well explore for a while.


    The university''s library was a vast, imposing structure filled with countless books and scrolls.


    One might ask why the need for physical books and scrolls when they lived in the prime age of information, where everything is digital?


    Well it was for security reasons.


    These techniques were strictly confidential, and owned solely by the university.


    They were arge part of the reason why Capital Prime was the top 1 university in the federation, and they didn''t want theirpetitor universities or outsider awakened gaining ess to their most valuable resources.


    The policies surrounding the borrowing of these techniques were incredibly strict, with the student having to return them after a certain allotted period of time, or else they would face expulsion or imprisonment if they refused to hand the technique back, depending on the tier and rarity of the technique in question.


    If someone also tried to copy the technique down into theirmunicator, the system would automatically detect what they were scanning and alert the city authorities immediately.


    As Alex entered the library, he felt a sense of awe. The knowledge contained within this one building was invaluable, perhaps being the very cornerstone of human civilisation.


    He approached the heavily guarded front desk, where an old librarian was sitting, reading a book.


    He noticed Alex approaching, and smiled as he watched this freshman walk in.


    ''Fresh meat right after the orientation ended? It seems like we have quite the interesting fellow here.''


    Alex, seeing that the librarian had already noticed his presence, started speaking.


    "I''m here to take a look at the C tier and B tierbat techniques."


    He spoke in a neutral tone.


    Hearing the mention of C and B tier techniques, the old librarian perked his eyes up immediately, as he realised that this boy must be one of the new elite ss students.


    They were the only freshmen currently qualified to borrow such techniques, as the other freshmen would have to work hard through missions or menial tasks to earn the opportunity to borrow one.


    The system waspletely unfair and catered towards the rich and strong, but that was just how society worked.


    If you wanted something, asking for it wouldn''t get you anywhere.


    You had to take it through your own effort!


    The old librarian scanned Alex''s student ID on hismunicator, and it immediately confirmed Alex''s ce among the elite ss.


    ''Huh?''


    But it also revealed to the old librarian that Alex was also the number 1 student on the first year rankings.


    ''This kid just got a lot more interesting¡­''


    The old librarian''s eyes twinkled with interest as he scanned Alex''s student ID.


    "Ah, I see you''re one of the new elite ss students," he said, his voice warm and weing. "And the top ranked freshman, no less. Impressive."


    The librarian stood up and gestured for Alex to follow him.


    "Come with me. The C tier techniques are stored in the main section of the library. B tier and above, however, are kept in a more secure area due to their value. You need special permission before you can enter that section, even if you are an Elite ss student."


    Alex nodded at this revtion. He wasn''t nning on borrowing anything yet anyway.


    As they walked through the library, Alex marvelled at the sheer number of books and scrolls lining the shelves.


    The air was filled with the faint,forting scent of aged paper and leather bindings. It was a ce of knowledge, tradition, and power.


    "Here you are," the librarian said as he arrived at a section near the back marked ''C tier techniques''.


    "You''re free to browse through these. If you find any that interest you, let me know, and I''ll assist you in the borrowing process."


    Alex nodded, thanking the librarian before turning his attention to the scrolls. He began to peruse the titles, noting the diversity of techniques avable.


    There were techniques for enhancing speed, strength, endurance, and even some for manipting elements like fire and water.


    ''Energy condensing techniques? What are these?''


    Though one particr section of techniques caught his eyes, as he had never seen nor heard of techniques like this before.


    He read through some of their titles, but none of them really exined their usage to him.


    Since the librarian was still nearby, he decided to ask him, and see what these techniques were all about.


    He had a feeling that they would be pretty useful, considering their names.

 Chapter 176: Energy Condensing Techniques

    Alex''s curiosity was piqued as he stood in front of the section filled with scrollsbelled ''Energy Condensing Techniques.'' He had never encountered anything like this before.


    The titles seemed intriguing but mysterious, offering no clear indication of what the techniques actually did.


    He turned back to the old librarian, who was still nearby.


    "Excuse me, sir?"


    Alex called out.


    "Could you tell me more about these energy condensing techniques? I''ve never heard of them before."


    The librarian''s eyes rose in surprise, and a knowing smile spread across his face.


    "Ah, I knew an inquiring mind like you would immediately pick out these. Not many first year students take note of these right away, at least not before their Energy theory lessons. Come, let''s have a seat and I''ll exin."


    Alex followed the old librarian to a nearby reading table, feeling a mix of anticipation and curiosity. The librarian motioned for him to sit down and then took a seat opposite him.


    "Energy condensing techniques," The librarian began, "are fundamental for any awakened individual who wants to truly be a powerhouse and maximise their potential. You see, in your current state, your energy just randomly runs rampant through your body, stored randomly and inefficiently."


    Alex nodded, his mind racing with all sorts of thoughts as he visualised what the librarian was describing. He had always felt his energy as a chaotic force within him, powerful but hard to control at times.


    "These techniques," the librarian continued, "allow you to concentrate your energy into a single area in your body of your choice, though the head or heart is rmended. This not only helps in storing your energy more effectively but also condenses it, increasing your overall energy capacity. The result is a significant boost in your abilities, as well as your endurance in a battle."


    Alex''s eyes widened as he grasped the implications.


    ''So by practising this simple technique, I''d be able tost way longer in battlepared to now? Howe I haven''t heard of anything like this before?''


    Alex thought to himself, but didn''t bother to ask as he had already guessed the answer.


    ''Is this another thing only avable to university students, or high level awakened?''


    "How haven''t I thought of doing this before?..." Alex mumbled, unaware that the old librarian was still listening.


    "This process is not something you should attempt without the proper technique. If you try to condense your energy without guidance, it could explode out of control, tearing apart your body and leaving you either severely injured, or just dead on the spot. It''s a delicate and precise process."


    Alex shuddered at the thought of such a catastrophe.


    "I see. That''s why these techniques are so important. But do I need to go through any testing to determine what technique is right for me?"


    The librarian shook his head.


    "No testing is necessary. These techniques are designed to be adaptable to any awakened individual. You simply need to choose one and follow its instructions carefully, preferably with an individual who has already experienced this process watching over you."


    Relieved by this information, Alex made a decision.


    "I''d like to borrow a B tier energy condensing technique," he said in all seriousness.


    Hearing Alex''s request, the old librarian couldn''t help but smile widely, and nod approvingly.


    "A wise choice. B tier techniques are significantly more effective than the D tier ones the university gives out to every student at the start of Energy theory sses, and much better than their C tier counterparts."


    ''Well duh, I already know how the ranking system works, old man¡­''


    Alex thought to himself, but he wouldn''t dare say it out loud.


    "On average, they provide about eight times higher energy capacity and increase your physical attributes, such as strength and speed, by a maximum of 20%."


    Alex''s mind reeled at these numbers though.


    ''Eight times energy capacity? A 20% increase in physical attributes? Is that even possible from just one technique?''


    He could hardly believe the potential gains.


    "That''s incredible¡­" He muttered, more to himself than the librarian.


    "You''ll only see improvements like that when you master the technique. Most B tier techniques have four stages. At stage one you''ll have an increased energy capacity of 2x and a 5% increase in your physical attributes. Stage two is 4x, and 10% increase. Stage three is 6x, and 15% increase and finally stage four would be 8x and 20% increase."


    The old man paused, then continued.


    "This is the average for most B tier techniques, and the actual figures may vary slightly, but they are all around that range."


    The librarian stood up, and motioned for Alex to follow.


    "Come with me. I''ll take you to the secure section where the B tier techniques are kept."


    Alex followed the librarian through the library''sbyrinthine corridors, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation.


    They reached the heavily guarded section, and the librarian presented his special ess privileges.


    The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and they stepped inside.


    The atmosphere here was different, almost reverent. The B tier techniques were kept in ss cases, and Alex could see even more tightly guarded sections behind energy barriers near the rear of the room, presumably where the A tier and maybe even S tier techniques were kept.


    "The A tier techniques are kept behind that barrier. As for S tier techniques? They are tightly guarded under the watch of the Principal himself. There is no safer ce in the federation for them."


    The old librarian exined when he saw Alex eye up the energy barriers with interest.


    ''I see, that makes sense for such valuable treasures¡­'' Alex thought.


    The librarian led him to a casebelled B tier energy condensing techniques. Inside were several scrolls, each one meticulously preserved and locked behind the ss.


    Seeing how old these were, one might ask, How could they be so old if the Awakened and the Primordial Expanse had only been around for around a century or so?


    The answer was simple, these techniques didn''t originate from the federation.


    They came from the Primordial Expanse, from various different ruins or trades with the native cities there.


    Their top scientists and schrs had tried, but these techniques were just too mysterious for them to crack.


    The highest ranked techniques they had made so far were only D tier techniques, which were what the federation gifted to every student once the orientation was over and the sses started.


    The federation was still rtively new to the world of the Awakened inparison to the natives, so it would still take them quite some time before they could catch up in knowledge and experience.


    "These are the B tier energy condensing techniques," the librarian said.


    "Take your time to choose one you like."


    Alex approached the case, his eyes scanning the titles of the scrolls.


    Each one seemed to promise incredible power and potential.


    He read through the descriptions carefully, trying to absorb as much information as possible.


    ''They all promise the same thing¡­''


    Though Alex quickly noticed they all practically had identical descriptions, with four stages like the librarian had already said.


    But Alex didn''t want the run of the mill techniques, he wanted something unique.

 Chapter 177: Heart of the Phoenix

    Alex''s eyes continued to scan through the different B tier techniques, his eyes flickering over every scroll.


    Each one promised the same basic improvements: increased energy capacity and physical enhancements.


    He continued to read through the titles and descriptions, feeling a growing sense of impatience. Just as he was about to give up and pick one of the generic techniques at random, one title caught his eye: "Heart of the Phoenix."


    His breath hitched as he read the description.


    This technique concentrates energy in the heart, enhancing the user''s endurance and vitality. It promised a drastically improved supply of energy, like all the others, but also significantly improved recovery rates.


    The name alone struck a chord with Alex. He remembered his Phoenix Fury technique, which resonated with his fire element and me talent. It seemed like a perfect match.


    "This is the one," Alex said, pointing to the scroll. "Heart of the Phoenix."


    The librarian nodded and removed the scroll carefully from the ss case containing it.


    He handed it over to Alex, but not before reminding him. "Remember, this technique must be kept top secret. Only you are allowed to read and practise it. If you share it with anyone, the punishment is severe. As this is a B tier technique, the only end would be death if you spread it.


    The university wouldn''t care that you are the first ranked freshman, and they would strictly enforce this rule regardless of rank."


    Alex felt a small chill at hearing the punishments.


    ''I better watch my words carefully¡­ I don''t want to identally spread some information about this!''


    He nodded solemnly.


    "Understood. I won''t share it with anyone."


    "And don''t forget," the librarian added, "you need to return the scroll in a month. You can either return it or extend your loan for another month, the choice is up to you. But this will mean you''ll miss out on borrowing a different B tier technique, or five C tier techniques."


    "That''s fine," Alex replied. "Heart of the Phoenix is all I need for now."


    The librarian handed him the scroll, and Alex felt a sense of awe as he held it. "Good luck," the librarian said. "May it serve you well."


    With a grateful nod, Alex left the library, making his way quickly back to his dorm. He couldn''t wait to start practising the technique.


    Once inside his room, Alex immediately headed to his training area. He sat down, unrolling the scroll carefully, and began to read through the instructions in detail. The diagrams and exnations were intricate, emphasising the need for precision and patience. He took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.


    He started by following the initial steps, drawing his energy from all over his body towards his heart. The process was slow and demanding, requiring his full concentration. He visualised his energy as a flowing river, gently guiding it toward a central point in his chest.


    Starting from the farthest reaches of his body, his hands and feet, he locked onto the randomly rampaging energy in the area of his fingers and toes, and forcefully stopped their movements.


    This alone took a huge amount of concentration and effort to achieve.


    But the harder part had yet toe.


    He started to slowly focus this energy to start following the pathways set out in the scroll, but this was already taking a toll on his body.


    Minutes turned into an hour, and his body was soon covered in sweat. Despite his efforts, he hadn''t achieved any meaningful progress. The energy was stubborn, resisting his attempts to follow the right pathways.


    He had to be careful with every move he made, and had to stop and restart many, many times as the energy just became too hard to control.


    "This is harder than I thought," Alex muttered to himself, wiping sweat from his brow. He felt a wave of frustration but pushed it aside. He knew this wasn''t something he could master in a day.


    Exhaustion began to set in, and he realised he would have to stop for now. If he pushed any further, he might pass out. Just as he was about to take a break, he heard a familiar voice.


    "Alex?"


    He looked up to see Mira standing at the edge of his training area, her eyes filled with curiosity. "What are you doing?"


    A smile spread across Alex''s face. He hadn''t seen Mira since before the orientation, and it was a face he was already starting to miss.


    "Mira!" He eximed.


    "I went to the library right after orientation to check out the techniques avable to elite ss students. I borrowed something called an energy condensing technique."


    Mira walked closer, her interest piqued. "Energy condensing technique? What''s that?"


    Alex exined the concept to her, detailing how they can increase your energy capacity and make your use of your energy more efficient etc. But he didn''t mention anything about his own technique, as he also exined the punishments for spreading such techniques.


    "That sounds amazing," Mira said, her eyes wide with excitement. "Do you think I should get one too?"


    "Definitely," Alex replied adamantly. "It''s a huge advantage. You should go to the library and borrow a B tier energy condensing technique for yourself. It''ll make a big difference."


    Mira didn''t hesitate. "I''ll go right now!"


    As she turned to leave, Alex called out, "Good luck, Mira!"


    ''Maybe I was too out of my league earlier.''


    After an hour had passed, Alex felt like he could try again.


    He sat down and started to try something different.


    He closed his eyes in concentration again, only this time, he focused on just one of his hands to draw the energy from, rather than all four of his limbs.


    ''I can feel the difference already!''


    The process was much smoother than his previous attempts to push the energy through the specified pathways to his heart.


    But just like before, he soon faced trouble once again.


    ''Ugh, this is just too taxing on my body and mind¡­''


    Sweat had already started to umte all over himself again, and his consciousness was bing weak.


    ''I guess this was still too much¡­''


    He passed out soon after.

 Chapter 178: Called out of the blue

    Alex was disoriented when he woke up.


    The exhaustion was gone, but he quickly realised he was still wearing his sticky and dirty clothes as he wasn''t really in any position to change them the previous night considering he passed out before he could do anything.


    He looked out of his window, and noticed that it was already early in the morning.


    ''Did I sleep that long?''


    Alex wondered as he stripped off his clothes and took a quick shower to clean himself off.


    His body was still damp when he left the shower. He changed into some casual clothes after drying and put his dirty clothes aside for the time being, before someone came to collect it to clean it thoroughly.


    The menial chores like washing clothes, washing dishes etc had be much more convenient in this era, as one just had to request a robot assistant toe to their house to do their chores for them.


    This was especially useful for people like Awakened who needed to use their time efficiently, and couldn''t afford to waste a couple hours a day doing menial and boring tasks.


    ''Since even one hand was too much for me to handle, I guess I should try only 1 finger this time.''


    Alex knew that it would be hard to even progress to the first stage of the technique, but he didn''t expect to meet such hardship straight away.


    He had expected it toe quickly to him, just like the Phoenix fury technique did back when he first obtained that, but it seemed that wasn''t the case with this one.


    B tier techniques were in an entirely different league of their own.


    Ring!


    However, just as he was about to start his practice session once again, hismunicator started ringing, bringing Alex out of his meditative state.


    ''Who is it this time?''


    Alex was annoyed at first ¡ª constantly being disturbed at moments where he didn''t want to be had started to be amon urrence for him for some reason.


    However, he quickly dropped his annoyed mood the instant he read the name on the caller ID.


    ''Professor Will? What would he want with me? sses don''t start for like another 5 or 6 days right?''


    With no clue why he would be receiving a call from Professor Will at this moment, Alex picked up the call.


    "Good morning sir!"


    He answered the call semi-enthusiastically, as this man would be his personal tutor for at least the next year.


    "Alex, it''s good to see you''re up so early in the morning. I wasn''t disturbing you, was I?"


    Professor Will hadn''t seen Alex since the Strategic assessment, and even then he had only watched on from the side lines.


    "No sir, I was just freshening up. Might I ask what the purpose of the call is? sses shouldn''t be starting yet, right?"


    Alex answered cordially, and got straight to the point.


    Both of them were straightforward people, so Alex just skipped the usual chit chat.


    "It''s good that you ask, since I know you and Mira are so ''close'' now, I''d like you to go fetch her and have the both of you meet me in the Capital Building."


    Alex felt a little embarrassed, as word of his rtionship with Mira had reached even the higher ups of the university by now, and Professor Will was clearly teasing him about this.


    "Yes sir, I''ll go tell her now and we''ll leave right away." Alex replied, before Professor Will nodded and hung up the call.


    Alex obliged, as Professor Will sounded quite serious when he asked to meet.


    Especially considering the location he wanted to meet at.


    The Capital building was essentially the headquarters of Capital Prime university, situated right at the centre of the city, as well as being the tallest skyscraper on the entire!


    This was the ce where all the important decisions concerning the university, and even the federation were made.


    It was also where the Principal''s office was located, and where he spent most of his time.


    Contrary to popr thought, the Principal actually spent less time in the Primordial Expanse than the average D rank awakened.


    He had already reached the peak of power, there was little that could entice him into taking a trip to the Primordial Expanse anymore, and his time was better spent managing the university''s affairs, and raising the next generation of elite awakened.


    One of the biggest motivators for suchrge amounts of resources to be spent on the young awakened was theck of manpower in the higher ranks of humanity.


    Yes that''s right,ck of manpower.


    When facing off against beasts of a higher ss than yourself, it would be almost impossible to take it down without having a team of equal power to yourself.


    This wasn''t that big of a deal for the lower ranked awakened, as there were uncountable numbers of them across the whole federation, but for A tier and S tier awakened, this was a very big problem.


    There were less than 1 million A tier awakened across the whole federation.


    Although this may at first seem like a big number, there were many things to consider.


    First, the scale of the federation. It spanned the whole milky way gxy, with hundreds of billions of star systems inhabiting the space.


    Even more worrying for the higher ups was that out of these 1 million A tier awakened or so, only about 10% of them had upgraded from Ordinary ss to Mutant ss.


    And out of this 10%, only around 1% had upgraded to Variant ss.


    This puts the issues faced by humanity into perspective.


    The problem was even worse for the S tiers.


    There wasn''t a single Ordinary ss S tier, with all of them upgrading to at least Mutant ss in A tier before they reached S tier.


    However, out of these 100 or so S tiers, only the top 10 of them were Variant ss or higher.


    With the Principal being the only confirmed King ss.


    The mysterious person in number one being the only anomaly, as little was known about him, other than he was a man, and he was stronger than the Principal.


    With this information in mind, it is clear to see that it is impossible for the Principal to progress any further, as there was simply nobody powerful enough to help him take down an Ancient ss beast.


    There were rumours he had requested help from the mysterious strongest man in the federation, but he was turned down for some unknown reason.

 Chapter 179: Capital Building

    After visiting Mira''s dorm and waking her up, the duo quickly made their way over to the Capital building.


    With their speed, it would only take them a few minutes to reach it.


    "What do you think Professor Will wants with us?" Mira asked Alex out of curiosity.


    She barely had any time to even properly dress herself, only putting on some casual clothes like Alex before she was literally dragged out of her dorm, still half asleep by him.


    Though, she quickly gained energy when she felt the refreshing wind press against her face as she ran through the streets.


    "I have no clue, but he sounded pretty serious when he asked to meet." Alex replied, just as clueless as Mira.


    Mira looked a little worried at this, but Alex quickly reassured her.


    "We haven''t done anything wrong, so he can''t have called us to reprimand us or anything like that. The most likely case is that he''s called us to inform us about something. Maybe it''s just something to do with the elite ss, or something like that."


    Once his words reached Mira''s ears, she became as calm as Alex and only felt a strong sense of interest around why Professor Will would drag the two of them out of their beds so early in the morning to meet in one of the most important buildings in the whole federation.


    Ding!


    While the two were running, Alex''smunicator rang out with a notification.


    Normally, it wouldn''t make any audible noises when he was notified of anything, but Alex had set it so that it would do so if he received any important messages, and he had designated anything Professor Will sends as important.


    As expected, it was a message from him.


    ''Floor 512, hall 2.''


    "It''s just some instructions telling us where to go when we get there."


    Alex replied to Mira, who looked at him with anticipation, only for it to be flushed out as the message was just an ordinary message.


    After a short three minute run, the two had reached the central area of the city and soon enough made it to the front doors of the Capital building.


    "Wow¡­"


    Everywhere they looked, there were droves of peopleing and going from the building.


    If they were to count, there were at least 10,000 people walking back and forth in the courtyard alone.


    "If this is how busy this ce is in the early morning, I wouldn''t want to be here in the peak hours¡­" Alexmented, receiving a chuckle from Mira.


    "Let''s go in."


    Mira said.


    Alex agreed, and they passed through one of the many front doors.


    "This ce is like a maze¡­"


    As soon as they entered, they were already lost as to where to go.


    There were no receptionists, or even a front desk for them to go over and enquire at.


    "So what do we do no-" Mira asked Alex, as he was the one with all the information from Professor Will, but she was cut off by a low huming from above them.


    They looked up, only to see a hovering drone scanning them.


    "Identities confirmed, Mira Mistborn and Alex [nk], are cleared to enter. Please head to elevator #3829 to reach floor 512, please¡­."


    The drone carried on spouting information in an emotionless tone, but Alex had other things on his mind.


    ''Mistborn? Mira never told me she had ast name?''


    This was the first time Alex was hearing of anything like this, which was odd considering how close they were. Especially now that they were a couple.


    "What did it mean by calling you Mistbo-" Alex asked Mira straight away.


    But Mira''s face had already fallen, like she was in a very bad mood, as she had also noticed the drone calling out her full name.


    ''Luckily it seems she didn''t notice me asking. Phew!''


    Alex didn''t pry any further when he saw her face, and only silently grabbed her hand to lead her along the route the AI drone had specified.


    Her grip tightened when Alex grabbed her hand, which only further confirmed to him that she was troubled by something.


    ''I should ask her about this in a more private location. After our next training session would be best.''


    The two of them soon reached the specified elevator, and they boarded along with a few other passengers.


    Whoosh!


    The elevator doors closed and it instantly elerated to an insanely high speed, putting the upants under an intense amount of pressure, equivalent to about 9 G''s.


    The upants were all awakened, so they didn''t feel much.


    The elevators were operated by smart AI''s, which scanned each upant when they entered to determine if they were an awakened or not, adjusting the speed of the elevator ordingly.


    After all, it would take quite a while to reach all the way up to floor 512 if they had to move at the speed of an ordinary elevator.


    A dozen secondster, the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened up, revealing a spectacr sight to the upant''s eyes.


    Everywhere they looked, they could see lush greenery adorning the walls, ceiling and even a few trees here and there.


    This waspletely out of Alex''s expectations when he first walked into this ce, as he thought it would just be a bunch of boring offices.


    Instead, he was greeted by basically a miniature ecosystem.


    Even Mira was brought out of her bad mood at the sight, her eyes glistening as she looked around at the beautiful scenery.


    All of this, couldn''tpare to the sight on the other side of the floor to ceiling window though.


    At over 2.5 kilometres in the sky, they could see the whole city, and even further beyond that.


    ''This ce is breathtaking!''


    Alex was jealous of the people who had the privilege ofing to work in this ce every day.


    He would have given anything to have a life like this back when he was a simple miner.


    Of course, his priorities in life had changed drastically from that point now.


    "We should get going." Alex spoke, waking up from the shock of seeing this ce for the first time.


    Mira gave a simple nod in agreement.


    The couple made their way over to arge door, marked ''Hall 2'', just like what Professor Will specified in his message, and they entered.


    "It''s good to see you two in the flesh again."


    When they entered, aside from Professor Will, who stood alone in the centre of the room, the whole ce was empty except for an odd looking piece of futuristic tech on the floor.


    "You two must be wondering why I called you out of the blue toe and meet me in this ce."


    Alex and Mira both nodded. They were thinking exactly that.


    "Well, I think you two have gotten limated to university life well enough now. So about that reward I promised you two for achieving first ce in the entrance test?"


    ''So that''s it! Ipletely forgot about that reward!''


    Both of their faces lit up when they heard Professor Will''s words, as they were reminded of what the reward was.


    A Variant ss beast core!


    ''Oh shit! that reminds me, I forgot about the Variant ss beast core and soul orb I got from the summoned beast as well!''


    A wave of emotions hit Alex and Mira all at once.

 Chapter 180: The Promised Rewards!

    "As promised, your Variant ss beast cores!"


    Professor Will produced two beast cores the size of his head from thin air ¡ª he had taken them out of his spatial storage.


    "Normally, we reward students with beast cores of equal rank to the student, but since you both earned joint first but are currently different ranks, we thought it only fair that we reward you both with D- rank beast cores."


    He exined to the duo, who nodded their heads at his words absentmindedly, both sucked into their own thoughts.


    However their thoughts were drastically different.


    ''I can''t believe I''m already making progress towards Variant ss before even reaching D tier!'' Mira thought to herself.


    ''What am I supposed to do with this¡­'' Alex thought, unsure how to react.


    While Mira was ecstatic with her reward, Alex was conflicted.


    If this were presented to him a few months ago, or before he had entered the Primordial Expanse for the second time, then he would have had the same reaction too.


    But aftering into contact with the truths of his talent [Soulforge], he had already made the decision to only absorb soul orbs from that point onwards.


    This left him with his conflicted feelings at the prospect of being rewarded a beast core¡­


    Sure, he was happy that he was rewarded with something so precious by the school, but it wasn''t even useful to him anymore.


    ''Maybe I should sell it? No, I can''t.''


    At first, he considered selling it for a quick buck, but not only would that reflect badly on the university if he sold the gift they had graciously given him, but it would be such a waste of such a rare resource!


    ''Maybe I should give it to Mira¡­''


    This seemed like a much more usible option, and it was one that would win him some more favour with his girlfriend.


    ''But how would I exin to her my reasoning for not needing it for myself? Should I tell her about my Soulforge talent?...''


    Alex''s thoughts led him to a very difficult juncture. He had a decision to make regarding this reward.


    But even more importantly, he had to make a decision on telling Mira about his talent.


    How would it affect his rtionship with her? How would she react when he tells her about how it seems to be of an even higher rank than even S+ rank?


    How would she react when she finds out it lets him produce one of the most precious resources in the whole universe? Or the fact that he was a literal walking factory producing it whenever he kills beasts?


    All of these were questions that Alex didn''t really want answered, as he didn''t want to jeopardise his rtionship with her so early on.


    ''No, I shouldn''t tell her just yet. She has secrets of her own that she hasn''t told me, like herst name, ''Mistborn''. I don''t know the story regarding that, but I could tell that it didn''t bring up pleasant memories when the drone revealed it.''


    In the end, Alex decided against telling Mira about his biggest secret.


    He had no clue what the effects of him telling her would be, and he wasn''t willing to risk it, for now.


    "Well, take your rewards before I start having some ideas of my own for them!"


    Seeing theirck of action, Professor Will urged them on with a light joke.


    This jolted them both out of their thoughts, and they reached out in unison to grab a beast core each from Professor Will, thanking him profusely.


    "Don''t thank me, you two earned this through your own efforts. No go, run along, the day has just started and I''m sure you two don''t want to be held up here any longer."


    With the procedures done and over, Professor Will shooed the two of them out of the room, but not before telling them to conceal their beast cores somehow.


    This ce may be one of the safest and most civilised ces in the federation, but that wouldn''t stop any greedy onlookers from giving some petty robbery a try after spotting the two of them boldly walking through the city with Variant ss beast cores in their hands.


    Both Alex and Mira put their newly gained beast cores in their spatial storages, and Professor Will led them to the same elevator that brought them up to floor 512.


    "Remember, don''t show them in public, or else you''ll be in for a rude awakening."


    He left them with a final reminder / warning, before the doors closed and the elevator whizzed down towards the ground floor at terminal velocity.


    ''I can tell these kids will have a long road ahead of them.''


    Professor Will thought to himself.


    Alex and Mira were two of the most promising students he had seen during his tenure at Capital Prime university, and it was already astonishing that they had both turned up in the same period of time, as geniuses like them didn''te around often.


    The only people Alex and Mira reminded him of were the Principal and the most elusive ''strongest'' person in the federation.


    This just went to show how highly he thought of them¡­


    ***


    Back at Alex''s dorm, Alex sat down opposite Mira in his training ground.


    Mira looked excitedly at therge beast core ced in front of her, not noticing Alex''s look of contemtion as he stared at his beast core.


    "Shall we start absorbing them now?" Mira asked, still not looking at Alex.


    However, the moment she did look up though, she was perplexed.


    "What''s wrong, Alex?"


    Mira asked, with concern evident in her tone.


    Seeing that she had noticed his mixed feelings, Alex didn''t keep silent anymore and spoke.


    "Mira, I need to tell you something. Before you make any decisions, please listen to me."


    ''What¡­''


    Mira started to get a little worried as she heard Alex''s serious tone of voice.


    She didn''t know why, but she felt nervous listening to Alex speak like this.


    This was the first time she had heard him be so serious with her since they both confessed their feelings to each other. NovelBin-chapter

 Chapter 181: Revelations

    Mira''s heart beat rapidly as she waited for Alex to speak.


    "I can''t tell you why, but I can''t absorb this beast core." Alex revealed, his tone still as serious as ever.


    "I-"


    Mira attempted to get a word in, but Alex cut her off as he started speaking again.


    "Nor can I absorb this one."


    He spoke, as he took the beast core he had looted from the darkness beast that was summoned when the Count sacrificed the residents of Monty town.


    ''What?''


    In ce of the nerves and anxiety she was feeling just a moment prior, she felt utter confusion seeing a second Variant ss beast core appear in front of Alex.


    "Alex, what are you saying¡­"


    She was finally able to get a word in, and she could only question Alex''s actions at that moment.


    Mira knew that Alex wasn''t the joking type when it came to things like this, but it all just didn''t make sense to her.


    ''Can''t absorb Variant ss beast cores? What would make it so someone couldn''t do such a thing?''


    She just couldn''t wrap her head around the thought, as for most awakened it was a pipe dream to absorb one of these in their lifetime.


    But here Alex was, saying that he couldn''t even though he had two of them.


    Mira was focused on one other aspect she had noticed, however.


    "Where did you get the second Variant ss beast core from?"


    She hadn''t seen anything like this as a reward for being in the elite ss, or first on the freshman rankings, even though there should be, which could only mean one thing.


    He had obtained it in the Primordial Expanse.


    Considering this, Mira believed that there were two possibilities.


    He had gotten extremely lucky and encountered a seriously injured Variant ss beast; he had killed a Variant ss beast and taken its beast core.


    ''It can''t be the second, that would just be impossible without a team. So it must be the first. My, I didn''t realise you were actually one lucky guy, Alex!''


    With her assumptions clear, she returned back to the main topic.


    "Why can''t you absorb these? Find any random awakened on the street and they would kill a million people to get the same opportunity as you."


    Mira actually sounded a little annoyed at Alex''s bold statement, it was like he was belittling their achievements.


    "I wish I could tell you, but I can''t. You just have to believe me, you have to trust me, Mira. Some day, I will exin everything to you, but today isn''t that day¡­"


    Alex looked torn as he held himself back from telling her the truth, but he considered it to be the right decision.


    "But why can''t you tell me though? Why¡­"


    Mira was stubborn, but seeing the torn and anguished look on Alex''s face, she knew that he was struggling at this moment too.


    She took a moment to think, and topose herself.


    "Okay¡­ I''ll believe you¡­ for now."


    She relented and epted what Alex was saying, but that just left them with another problem to solve.


    "What are you going to do with these two then?" She asked, as she pointed at the two beast cores lingering in front of Alex.


    With this question, Alex''s mood brightened once again, as he picked them both up and ced them in front of Mira, next to her own beast core.


    "I think you know what I''m doing with them. More specifically, what YOU will do with them."


    If anyone could see Mira''s face at the moment, they would think that she was some crazy stalker, as she looked at Alex with a look only an obsessed fan would give to their favourite celebrity.


    "I- I can''t ept this." She stammered out.


    chapter-source-NovelBin


    "You''re gonna have to ept it! They''re yours now, I won''t ept them back!"


    Alex knew Mira was going to react like this, as she wasn''t the gift epting type.


    But he wasn''t going to let her refuse this gift!


    "Now go, go back to your dorm and absorb them before I start to regret my decision!"


    ***


    Mira left shortly after the exchange finished, but she made sure to give him the most lengthy and loving hug he had ever experienced before she hopped over his fence into her own garden.


    ''It''s time I get down to my own business too!''


    In truth, Alex wanted Mira to leave so that he could do the one thing she shouldn''t see yet.


    He was going to absorb his Variant ss soul orb!


    It had been sitting in his inventory ever since he had left the Primordial Expanse, as he had either not found a private enough location to go through the process of absorbing it, or he just didn''t have enough time to do so thanks to the tightly packed schedules the university had given them over thest week.


    But now that he had some days to do whatever he liked before sses started, it was the perfect time to do so.


    He had given Mira the excuse that he was just going to practise his Heart of the Phoenix technique, and she believed it pretty easily.


    It wasn''t really a lie either, as that was exactly what Alex nned to do, just after he had absorbed the Variant ss soul orb first.


    ''Here goes nothing!''


    He sat down in the centre of his training ground, and pulled the Soul orb out of his inventory, feeling the intense waves of energy exuded by it as it sat in his hand.


    ''Absorb!''


    He activated the absorption process.


    "ARGGH!!!"


    Immediately, he was hit with a pain like no other.


    He hadn''t experienced anything like this in any of his other experiences absorbing soul orbs.


    ''I guess this is what it''s like to absorb Variant ss soul orbs! Ugh!''


    The pain was a result of the remnant energy of the Variant ss beast assaulting Alex''s own, from within his body.


    This was what made Variant ss so different from Mutant ss. Each beast, or human, would have something unique to them that differentiated them from other beasts of the same type, or other awakened in the case of humans.


    In this case, the darkness elemental energy was the unique trait of the Variant beast that Alex had killed, and he was feeling the full force of it attacking him every second that passed.


    ''I can see now why Energy condensing techniques are so useful! Ugh!''


    The chaos of his own energy didn''t help, and Alex realised pretty quickly how much easier the pain would be for him if his energy wasn''t so chaotic.


    But he couldn''t do anything about that for the time being.

 Chapter 182: True nature

    ''Come on, push through!''


    It had been 30 minutes since Alex had started absorbing the Variant ss soul orb he had looted, and the pain still continueding in waves.


    However, he had made a little progress and had sessfully forced a small portion of the rampaging darkness energy into submission and absorbed it.


    This small portion of energy was already enough topletely rejuvenate Alex and allowed him to keep going with the absorption, and it was only around 2% of the total energy he was going to gain from this soul orb!


    ''Why the hell is this soul orb so hard to absorb?? None of the others were like this!''


    He was already getting frustrated by the pain that he was forced to go through just to force the rampaging energy into submission.


    ''Maybe it has something to do with the special nature of soul orbs? Or perhaps even the unique nature of Variant ss beasts?'' Alex thought, trying to distract himself from the pain he was constantly going through.


    ''Perhaps¡­ perhaps it has something to do with the Variant beast that dropped it? After all, soul orbs are different than beast cores in many ways. The energy I''m trying to absorb from this soul orb may still be under the control of the dead variant beast, as there might be a remnant of its will attached!''


    Alex felt like he had finally struck gold with his assumptions, as it made sense considering this sensation of struggle and pain was only urring after he attempted absorbing a Variant ss soul orb for the first time.


    [Congrattions, You''ve finally started using your brain andprehended a tiny portion of the true nature of Soulforge! The thirdyer weakens slightly. More information about your secondyer has revealed itself.]


    ''Wow! So that''s all it takes huh?''


    Normally, Alex would hate to be interrupted when he was in the middle of such an important moment, but exceptions were made for the system.


    And Alex''s assumptions were turned into truths from the sudden interruption of the system.


    But even more interesting was the fact that the thirdyer of his Soulforge talent had weakened just from him gaining a little bit ofprehension.


    Alex was fully expecting to have to go through another experience like the mental attack that led him to unlock the secondyer


    Speaking of the secondyer, Alex paid particr attention to thest part of the system''s message.


    If he remembered correctly, thest time he checked the information of Soulforge, the description for the secondyer was just something like ''Find out for yourself.'' which was basically just a passive way of the system saying ''Fuck off.''


    ''So does that mean I''ll actually get some sort of exnation for what the secondyer does now? Or will the description still stay the same? I guess I''ll find out by checking.''


    Alex wasn''t going to check his details just yet though, as he had to finish absorbing the soul orb before he moved on to doing anything like that.


    It would be waste if he gave up on it now just to satisfy his curiosity a little.


    However, he immediately noticed something different when he shifted his whole attention back to absorbing the soul orb.


    ''It doesn''t feel as painful now?''


    Right away, the pain didn''t feel as intense and ufortable.


    Before, it felt like he was getting pricked by thousands of needles at once all over his body, constantly.


    But now, it only felt like he was getting pricked by hundreds of needles.


    The pain was still there, but there was just less of it.


    This was a very wee change to Alex, as it enabled him to shift a little more of his willpower from resisting the pain to actually suppressing the rampaging energy that was causing the pain.


    ''It''s time to get down to business then!''


    With his confidence revamped, Alex immediately got to it.


    ***


    ''Why did he do that?''


    When Mira returned back to her own dorm, the questions started returning to her mind once again.


    The sudden weird vibeing from Alex was just too concerning for her to overlook.


    She said she would trust him for now, but there was still a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, telling her that something was off about all this.


    Mira wanted to know what had Alex so worried, which was selfish of her, but she was doing this because she cared for him.


    She had lied to Alex when she said she was going back to absorb her beast cores.


    In fact, jumping over her fence was only an excuse to make Alex believe her.


    What she really did was enter the void dimension as soon as she witnessed Alex sitting down into a meditative position and close his eyes.


    ''What is that?''


    Immediately, she knew something odd was going on.


    Alex had told her that he was going to work on his Heart of the Phoenix technique, but she knew that wasn''t what he was doing.


    She spotted a weird red orb appear in Alex''s hands, which had obviouslye from his spatial storage.


    But even weirder was that he held it tightly in one hand, just like how one would when absorbing a beast core.


    ''What is he doing? What''s wrong??''


    Immediately, she noticed something off as Alex immediately started wincing in pain.


    She almost stepped out of the void dimension then and there due to her concern for Alex, but she knew he would be angry at her if she did so, as it would be a breach of the trust he ced in her.


    ''Is this why he couldn''t absorb the beast core? Because he would absorb this thing instead?''


    She questioned as her gaze focused on the red ball of energy sitting neatly in Alex''s palm.


    ''Wait, doesn''t this look familiar?''


    But she recognised the red hue it was giving off as she watched more closely.


    To confirm her suspicions, she grabbed the beast core Alex had given to her from her spatial storage, and held it next to the red orb Alex was holding.


    ''It''s the exact same colour¡­''


    The whole time, Alex had no idea any of this was happening.

 Chapter 183: Remnant souls

    ''It''s¡­ huff¡­ finally done!''


    After nearly a full 20 hours passed, Alex absorbed thest remaining bit of energy from the soul orb and watched as the faint red ball of light dissipated as there was no energy left to sustain its light.


    He was expecting the process of absorbing a Variant ss soul orb to be a little different than that of Mutant or Ordinary sses, but he didn''t expect it to be this different.


    At most, it would only take him a few hours to absorb a D+ rank Mutant soul orb.


    But this D- rank Variant ss soul orb took a whole 20 hours!


    And that was with the sudden buff Alex had received near the start ¡ª if he didn''t get that then it would have taken even longer, probably closer to 30 hours.


    ''That was so much hard work¡­ I''m almost dreading having to do that for every soul orb I obtain from this point onwards¡­''


    By choosing to absorb this Variant ss soul orb, Alex was resigning himself to a much tougher future.


    As he had already determined, absorbing lower ss soul orbs or beast cores would lower his progress through the ss upgrade, and now that he had gained some progress towards Variant ss, there was no option for him to use Mutant ss soul orbs anymore, unless he was willing to undo all of that effort he just went through.


    Of course, this would only erase his Variant ss progress, and leave his Mutant ss energy untouched, unless he went even further down the dark path and absorbed Ordinary ss soul orbs, which would just be a death wish.


    ''I just significantly slowed my progression through the ranks in the future, but it will be worth it.''


    It didn''t really bother Alex much, as even if he didn''t do this, he still had the requirements to go up each rank, and tier, to worry about.


    He was still a D- rank awakened, and that wouldn''t change until he found out what the requirement was to rank up, even if his progress reached 100%, that wouldn''t change.


    ''Time to check what I gained!''


    Excited, Alex pulled up his details.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [18]


    Talents: [Soulforge(Soul+)], [me(C+)], [Inferior teleportation(E)]


    Trait: [Seasoned Warrior]


    Trait description: [As someone who managed to take down a Variant ss beast alone, the systemmends you. You have proven yourself worthy of being an awakened.]


    Trait effect: [Healing speed increased by 5% and enhanced senses.]


    Soul core: [D- 30%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 22%]


    There were a few things that were different from thest time Alex checked his details, but one thing stuck out in particr.


    ''I''m 18 now¡­ I don''t even remember when my birthday is¡­''


    Alex had finally officially be an adult, which left him with feelings of emptiness, as he realised that he hadn''t even celebrated his birthday since he was just a small child.


    Ever since his mother died and his father abandoned them, Alex had stopped keeping track of his birthdays, and it had been so long that he had even forgotten the actual date it was.


    He was an adult now, but he didn''t feel any different.


    However, Alex quickly turned his attention to the things he had actually opened his details to check.


    ''My soul core''s progress has gone up by 28%, and my Soul ssification''s progress has gone up by 22%... not bad for just one soul orb!''


    The progress was good, but he was honestly expecting a little more progress in his soul core considering it was a Variant ss soul orb.


    That thing packed a lot of energy for something so small!


    ''Anyway, onto the real interesting stuff¡­''


    He was d with his progress from just one soul orb, but he turned his attention elsewhere.


    Something far more intriguing and interesting¡­ <span -read-first<="" span="">


    [Soulforge(Soul+): Firstyer - Condenses the energy of any in beast into a more refined energy source called soul orbs ¡ª the most valuable energy resource in the universe, many would sacrifice millions just for the chance to get one.


    Absorbing these soul orbs dramatically enhances your physical abilities beyond what others can do alone with Beast cores, while simultaneously condensing your own energy, enabling any attacks you deliver to be stronger than your peers.]


    ''The description of the firstyer looks the same¡­ now let''s check the secondyer¡­''


    [Secondyer - Soul orbs don''t just contain energy, but they can also contain the remnant soul of the defeated foe inside. This is dependent on the strength of the beast''s soul, so higher ssed and higher ranked beasts will have a higher chance of harbouring these remnant souls.


    Through absorbing soul orbs you will gain some remnant memories of the in beast, chosen at random from the beast''s entire lifetime ¡ª Find out the rest for yourself.]


    ''Find out the rest for yourself¡­ Again!?? This joke is getting old, system!'' Just likest time, Alex felt his blood pressure increase just from the anger he was feeling.


    But since he had already been through this once before, the feeling subsided quickly.


    Besides, he had more important things to focus on.


    ''Like how the fuck is this going to be helpful for me!?? Remnant memories, that sounds cool in concept but in reality, what the hell am I supposed to gain from some random beast''s memories?''


    Alex couldn''t help but feel like the reveal of his secondyer was quite anti-climactic, as he was expecting something incredible, along the same lines as his firstyer.


    But no, he was left with this.


    ''Maybe the real benefit of this is hiding in the rest of the description the system refuses to reveal to me¡­ Fuck you, system!''


    ''Oh, and if this is the case, then why the heck did I not gain any memories from the Variant beast then huh??? Isn''t it supposed to be dependent on the strength of the beast''s soul?? I don''t know man, that Variant beast seemed pretty strong to me!''


    Alex continued venting his anger to the system.


    But he didn''t expect it to actually reply.


    [That was a Summoned beast, unlike regr beasts which go through the same stages of life as every other naturally born life form, these Summoned beasts are created at the moment of the summoning. Hence, it was essentially a newborn baby with no memories when you fought it. Everything that it experienced, you had also already experienced.


    Even if there were any remnant memories, you would gain nothing from them.]

 Chapter 184: Searching for an answer

    Alex took a deep breath, trying to calm the frustration boiling inside him. The system''s exnation made sense, but it didn''t alleviate his irritation.


    The system''s reply echoed in his mind. A summoned beast had no memories to give, being born at the moment of its summoning. The exnation only added to his irritation.


    ''So what now?'' he wondered, his thoughts a chaotic swirl of frustration and confusion. ''How do I make use of this supposed secondyer?''


    Alex knew he needed moreprehension of his talent to unlock further information about Soulforge, but he had no idea how to achieve that. His current understanding came from what the system had revealed and his personal experiences. The cryptic nature of the system''s messages only deepened his frustration.


    ''I guess I''ll have to figure it out as I go,'' he concluded with a sigh. ''There''s no point in getting angry over it.''


    He dismissed the system interface and got to his feet, stretching his stiff muscles. Twenty hours of sitting still had taken a toll on his body. His legs were numb, and his back ached. He grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ''At least it''s done,'' he thought, trying to find a silver lining. ''Now I need to figure out my next move.''


    He had hoped the Variant ss soul orb would give him a significant boost, and while it had improved his progress, it hadn''t been the dramatic leap he''d anticipated. The slow and arduous process of absorbing higher-ss soul orbs meant his future progression would be even more challenging.


    ''This is going to be a pain,'' he mused, his frustration simmering. ''But it''s worth it. I''ll be stronger from it.''


    ***


    Meanwhile,pletely unbeknownst to Alex, Mira had been watching his every move from the void dimension. She had been observing him ever since he started absorbing the soul orb 20 hours ago.


    Her curiosity had kept her glued to the spot, watching intently as Alex struggled and finally seeded in absorbing the Variant ss soul orb.


    Mira watched as Alex let out a heavy sigh and got to his feet. She could see the frustration etched on his face, his movements stiff and weary.


    ''What''s he so angry about?'' she wondered. She could tell something was bothering him, but without knowing the details, she couldn''t discern the specifics.


    She tried to piece together what she had observed. Alex had spent a considerable amount of time absorbing the soul orb, and his reaction afterward suggested he wasn''t entirely pleased with the oue.


    ''Maybe he didn''t get what he expected,'' she thought, her mind racing with possibilities. ''But what could it be?''


    Before she could ponder further, she noticed Alex start moving towards his front door.


    ''Where''s he going?''


    However panic started to settle in as she exit his house, and started walking towards hers,


    ''Oh shit!''


    Adrenaline surged through her as she realised she needed to get back before he noticed she wasn''t there.


    ''Damn it, I need to hurry!'' she thought, quickly retreating back to her dorm and exiting the void dimension.


    ***


    As Alex walked, his thoughts continued to churn. He needed a n, a way to make sense of his new abilities and figure out how to utilise them effectively. The frustration of not knowing gnawed at him, but he forced himself to focus.


    ''There has to be something more to it,'' he thought. ''I just need to find it.''


    He reached Mira''s dorm and opened the door, stepping inside.


    Mira was already there, sitting on her bed and pretending to meditate. She looked up as he entered, her expression curious.


    "You look exhausted,'' she said, noting his dishevelled appearance.


    "Yeah, it''s been a long day," Alex replied, not wanting to delve into the details of his frustration. "How about you? What have you been up to?"


    "Just practising my energy condensing technique," Mira said, pointing at the fact she was sitting in the lotus position.


    "Did you make any progress with yours?" Mira asked.


    She had to y her story well, as she wanted to hear what excuses Alex would give her.


    After all, he told her that he was going to practise his Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    "Sort of," Alex said, flopping down onto her bed. "It''s much harder than I expected."


    Mira studied him for a moment, noting that he was telling the truth, but they were clearly on about two different things, "You don''t sound too happy about it."


    Alex sighed. NovelBin-story


    "I''m just frustrated. This whole process is moreplicated than I thought it would be."


    Mira nodded, not pressing further. She could tell Alex was grappling with something, but she knew better not to push him when he was being so vague with his answers.


    He clearly wasn''t ready to talk to her about his issues yet.


    Hours passed as Alex and Miray on her bed, staring at the ceiling and chatting away about every random thing that popped into their heads.


    Mira had eventually fallen asleep, her soft breathing aforting background noise in the otherwise silent room.


    Alex couldn''t help but watch her beautiful face rest peacefully on the soft sheets, sleeping peacefully like there was nothing that could disturb her at that moment.


    It brought a calm to Alex''s chaotic mind, allowing him to think more clearly.


    ''Comprehension¡­ I need to find a way to gain moreprehension into my talent, but how?'' he thought, gently stroking Mira''s hair.


    ''Think, Alex, think!''


    The idea of gaining remnant souls from the beasts he killed still seemed bizarre and impractical. But he found it odd that the system emphasised the fact that these were remnant beast souls more than just remnant memories.


    Perhaps there was more to it than just gaining some memories from the beast?


    ''Wait¡­ Soul?... that rings a bell.''


    His mind moved like clockwork as memories he had previously discarded or branded as unimportant started appearing, creating a link that he had previously not seen before.


    ''It''s been right in front of me this whole time, I just haven''t been paying enough attention!''

 Chapter 185: Dr. Arlen Zoric

    Almost everything to do with his talent had something to do with souls. Soul orbs, Soulforge, Remnant souls. Even its rank was Soul+! How had he missed this? It was staring him in the face, and he had been too frustrated to see it.


    ''The key is the soul,'' he realised, his mind suddenly clear. ''But where do I start?''


    He needed to gain his ownprehension on the subject, but where the hell was he supposed to gainprehension into souls?


    ''Perhaps I can study soul orbs? No no no, that''s a useless venture. I would have found something by now.'' He started going through different ideas like crazy, but each one sounded even more unrealistic than the previous.


    ''Wait, I''ve been thinking about this the wrong way¡­ Isn''tprehension just another word for understanding something? Then does that not mean I can gainprehension through the tried and true method, education? I''m already at the best university in the federation, surely there''s something?''


    He considered his options, he knew the system wasn''t just going to hand him the answers. He needed to find experts on the subject, people who understood souls and their intricacies.


    Perhaps there would be sses on this subject at the university.


    ''It''s a long shot,'' he thought, ''but it''s better than nothing.''


    Souls weren''t a new concept to humans, as the concept of a spiritual entity that lives inside the body had been around for thousands of years before humans even stepped foot off their home.


    However, this had just been an unconfirmed, no supporting evidence theory up until a hundred years ago.


    The arrival of the system and the Primordial Expanse had confirmed the existence of the soul, with things like the soul core, soul ssifications being revealed to the human race.


    So it wasn''t that wild of an idea for Alex to find an expert on them.


    Carefully extricating himself from the bed, he moved to the small desk in the corner of Mira''s room. The university''s ss registry was avable on the uni''s intr, and he quickly essed it, his fingers moving swiftly over the keys as he searched for anything rted to souls.


    He scrolled through the listings, his eyes scanning the names and descriptions.


    After several minutes of searching, he found what he was looking for.


    ''Soul Studies,'' he read, excitement building within him. The course description promised an in-depth exploration of souls, their properties, and their applications. It was exactly what he needed.


    But there was a problem. The ss was only essible from the second year onwards.


    ''Of course,'' he thought bitterly. ''Nothing can ever be simple.''


    Still, it was a lead, and he wasn''t going to let it go to waste. He made a note of the professor''s name, Dr. Arlen Zoric, and the time and location of the ss. If he couldn''t attend the ss, he could at least try to speak with the professor. Maybe Dr. Zoric would be willing to share some insights or point him in the right direction.


    ''It''s a start,'' he thought, feeling a sense of drive. ''I''ll figure this out.''


    However, Alex was so deep into the zone that he had failed to notice that Mira had never went to sleep.


    She was just pretending.


    And she had seen everything Alex had been doing over the past few minutes.


    ''What was he reading about?''


    Alex quietly exited Mira''s room, going back to his own dorm to get some sleep himself.


    However he was so deep into the zone, that he failed to notice the slight movements of Mira''s eyelids as well as the subtle adjustments of her breathing as she maintained the illusion of sleep.


    That''s right, the illusion.


    She had never gone to sleep, she just wanted Alex to think she was.


    Once the door clicked shut behind Alex, Mira opened her eyes fully and sat up, he mind racing with questions.


    She had watched Alex meticulously search for information about souls, making notes about a professor and a ss he couldn''t even take yet.


    The curiosity she felt earlier only intensified.


    ''Souls? Why would he be interested in that?'' she wondered, the puzzle pieces of Alex''s recent behaviour only bing more convoluted. His fixation on souls didn''t align with anything he had mentioned before.


    Something was definitely off.


    Mira waited patiently, listening to Alex''s footsteps fade away before allowing herself to rx.


    NovelBin-unofficial-text


    Shey back down, this time genuinely falling asleep as her mind reyed the events of the previous day.


    ***


    The morning sun cast a soft glow through the dormitory windows, and Mira woke up bright and early.


    She felt unusually alert, her mind already focused on Alex and his ns for the day.


    She knew him well enough to anticipate his next move: seeking out Dr. Arlen Zoric.


    After a quick breakfast, Mira dressed in a casual but inconspicuous outfit. She was going to be spying on him from the void dimension, but if she had toe back to real space for some reason, she wanted to blend in.


    She waited for 20 minutes before she noticed Alex had awoken, and listened to his movements closely as she waited for him to leave his dorm.


    Mira followed Alex across the campus to an inconspicuous, small building. With one look, one would just pass it off as just another office building.


    ''This must be where the Soul studies ss is held.''


    Students were already gathering outside, the morning hustle and bustle of the university in full swing.


    Alex reached the ssroom and waited outside, clearly hoping to catch Dr. Zoric before his lecture began.


    Mira found a spot nearby where she could observe, and waited along with Alex for Dr. Zoric to show up.


    "I think your curiosity is getting the better of you, youngdy."


    However, Mira was suddenly frightened to death by a voice that spoke out to her from nowhere.


    Even more shocking and horrifying was the fact that this voice could clearly sense her presence.


    But she was in the Void dimension!

 Chapter 186: Caught in the act

    "I think your curiosity is getting the better of you, youngdy."


    Mira''s heart raced as she heard the voice echo through the void dimension. Her eyes darted around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but the dark, amorphous surroundings of the void dimension made it difficult.


    It may be a mirror dimension of the real world, but that didn''t mean it didn''t have its own unique aspects to it.


    Mira wasn''t used to this new, anxious sensation she was feeling.


    She had used the void dimension countless times since she first obtained the talent, staying hidden and observing, using it as a ce to escape to etc.


    But now someone had not only sensed her but was talking to her directly.


    "Over here," the voice repeated, calm and authoritative.


    Mira''s breath caught in her throat as she turned and saw the figure emerging from the shadows of the void dimension. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.


    Standing before her was the Principal of Capital Prime university. His presence wasmanding, his aura almost tangible even in this alternate dimension.


    Mira was frozen, a mixture of fear and shock overwhelming her senses.


    "P-Principal??" She stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.


    The Principal, renowned as the second strongest person in the federation and the only publicly known King ss awakened, nodded slightly.


    His presence here was both surreal and intimidating.


    Mira had always known him as a distant figure, a powerful individual far removed from the everyday happenings of students like herself.


    But now, here he was, standing in the void dimension, having a one to one conversation with her directly.


    "Yes, Mira," he said, his tone firm. "I must admit, I''m curious. What has you so interested in your little boyfriend that you felt the need to spy on him from a ce so obscure as this?"


    Mira''s face flushed with embarrassment.


    She had been caught red handed, and by none other than the principal himself.


    She fumbled for words, trying to find a way to exin herself without revealing too much. Her mind raced as she considered what to say.


    "I¡­ I was worried about Alex," she began hesitantly. "His behaviour has been strangetely. He''s been acting distant, and thenst night, he was up researching souls until deep into the morning. It''s not like him. I didn''t know what to think, so I thought¡­ maybe I could find out what''s going on by following him."


    The Principal listened intently, his expression unreadable.


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    Mira couldn''t tell if he was angry, disappointed, or merely curious. His silence only added to her anxiety.


    She decided to continue.


    "He''s obsessed with the concept of souls all of a sudden," she exined. "He''s always been straightforward about his goals and interests, but this¡­ this fixation on souls is new. I don''t understand why he''s so interested in them all of a sudden, nor why he has to be so cautious about it."


    The Principal nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.


    Mira couldn''t help but feel like she was being examined under a microscope.


    The surreal nature of the situation made it hard for her to feel grounded. Here she was, in the void dimension, having a conversation with one of the most powerful and influential figures of the federation.


    "I see," The Principal spoke finally. "And why did you think spying on him was the best course of action?"


    Mira bit her lip, feeling even more ashamed and embarrassed. "I didn''t want to confront him directly. I thought it might push him further away. I just wanted to understand what he was doing so I could help him."


    The Principal''s eyes softened slightly. "It''s natural to want to help those we care about. But you must understand that trust andmunication are the foundations of any strong rtionship. Spying on Alex, even with the best intentions, is not the way to go about it."


    Mira nodded, feeling chastised but also relieved that the Principal wasn''t outright condemning her actions. If he wanted to, he could probably give her a harsh punishment for viting another student''s privacy like that, but he understood her situation.


    His words made sense, aligning with what Alex had said when he had withheld information from her about why he couldn''t absorb those Variant ss beast cores.


    She recalled the anguish in his eyes, the way he struggled to keep his secrets. Perhaps there really was a good reason for his behaviour, and she needed to give him the space to reveal it in his own time.


    The Principal continued, his voice steady and calming. "Alex is dealing with something, and he''ll tell you about it when he''s ready. Spying on him will onlyplicate things. If he seems distant, there''s probably a good reason for it. Trust him, and let hime to you when he''s ready to share."


    Mira felt a wave of guilt and understanding wash over her. The Principal''s advice resonated deeply with her. She had always valued trust in any rtionship she had with anyone, regardless of if it was a romantic one or not, and this was a stark reminder for her.


    She nodded, again, more firmly this time.


    "You''re right, Principal," she said softly. "I''ll stop spying on him. I just¡­ I was worried."


    The Principal gave her a reassuring smile. "Worry is natural. But remember, trust is paramount, especially in a world as ruthless as ours, and even more ruthless like the Primordial Expanse. Alex wille to appreciate your support and patience."


    Mira felt a sense of relief at the Principal''s understanding. She still had questions, but she knew now that she needed to approach them differently.


    However, before she could thank him, the Principal''s expression turned more serious.


    "There''s something else you should know," he said. "Using the void dimension on the university campus is dangerous. You''re not the only one who can sense its presence, with me currently being the underlying example of that."

 Chapter 187: Danger lurks around every corner

    "There''s something else you should know," the Principal said. "Using the void dimension on campus is dangerous. You''re not the only one who can sense its presence. A ranks and higher awakened can detect your presence whenever you enter it, and starting from S- rank, individuals can interact with different dimensions directly, including the void dimension, even without any rted talent.


    That''s how I found you."


    Mira''s eyes widened in shock.


    She had no idea that her actions could have been detected by others, let alone that they could interact with her directly. The realisation that she was so close to danger made her stomach churn.


    "The professors here are highly skilled at their jobs," The Principal continued. "If they sensed you without knowing who you were, they might have branded you as a threat. If I hadn''t exined things to them beforehand, you would have already been swarmed by them."


    Mira''s heart pounded in her chest as she grasped the full weight of what he was saying. She had been oblivious to the risks she was taking. The void dimension, which had always felt like a safe haven, was now revealed to be nowhere near as safe as she thought.


    "I¡­ I didn''t know," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.


    The Principal nodded. "I understand. But you need to be more careful in the future. The void dimension is a powerful tool, but ites with significant risks. Use it wisely and sparingly, especially on the university grounds. If you ever sense another presence in the void dimension with you, exit immediately. discover-stories-on-NovelBin


    Anything that can exist here is not something the current you can take on."


    Mira nodded, feeling humbled. But her face quickly twisted as she grasped the meaning of the Principal''sst sentence.


    "Wait¡­ Are you saying there are other beings in the Void dimension¡­?"


    "Yes, even I would have a tough time against the stronger ones." The Principal answered.


    But this answer was enough to scare Mira out of her wits.


    She had been using the void dimension all this time, and had been unaware of the dangers she was facing every time she entered.


    Each time could have been herst, and she was blissfully unaware this whole time.


    "If you encounter such a being in there, you can only consider yourself unlucky, as there aren''t many of them considering the size of the void dimension. You coulde across one tomorrow, or you could nevere across one at all. It all depends on your luck." The Principal added.


    Mira needed some time to adjust to this new information that had been revealed to her, and she realised that she was still in the void dimension right now!


    What if one of those void beings came across her?


    But her fear quickly dissipated as she remembered just who she was with.


    The Principal would take care of any being that might encounter them.


    "Thank you, Principal." She said sincerely. "I''ll be more careful from now on."


    The Principal gave her a nod of approval. "Good. Now, go back to your dorm and give Alex the space he needs. Support him, but let hime to you in his own time."


    Mira felt mixed emotions as she exited the void dimension, the familiar surroundings of the university campus regained their colour as it came back into view.


    She felt a strange mix of relief and apprehension. She had narrowly avoided a dangerous situation thanks to the help of the Principal, but she had also gained some very valuable insights because of it.


    She realised that she had been too focused on her own worries and had been too selfish to consider Alex''s perspective.


    Back in her dorm, Mira sat on her bed, deep in thought. The Principal had opened her eyes to the foolishness of her actions, leaving her ashamed and humbled.


    ***


    Meanwhile, back in the void dimension, the Principal remained in ce, deep in thought.


    ''So he''s interested in the soul so early on, huh? Interesting¡­ I wonder what has him so curious about it. He shouldn''t have had any interactions with it yet at such a low rank¡­'' the Principal mused.


    He had sensed something intriguing about Alex''s interest in souls. It was unusual for someone of his rank to be so fixated on such an advanced concept.


    ''Perhaps I should pay more attention to him from now on,'' the Principal decided. ''He might be the next S tier awakened in the future¡­''


    The Principal''s thoughts wandered as he considered the situation. Alex was just bing more and more interesting, the more he learned about him.


    Everything Alex had shown to the university so far would indicate a great future potential, perhaps even bing an S tier awakened in the future.


    If he was nurtured well, then he would be an extremely valuable asset to not only the federation, but to the Principal himself.


    He had been stuck as a King ss for decades, unable to progress any further due to the sheer disparity in strength between King ss beasts and Ancient ss beasts.


    He wasn''t strong enough to take them down alone, and he had failed to gain help from that slippery fellow, so his only other option was to turn to the youth.


    With someone like Alex''s help, it might just be possible for the human race to gain another Ancient ss awakened in their ranks.


    That''s right, another one.


    It was only known to a very select handful of people, but that slippery bastard in first ce was actually already an Ancient ss awakened, and he refused to give up how he had be one.


    It wasn''t like anyone could force him to give it up anyway, as nobody in the federation was daring or strong enough to try and force his hand.


    With a final, contemtive look around the void dimension, the Principal exited, returning to the third dimension. The morning sun cast long shadows across the campus as he walked, but strangely, nobody seemed to notice his presence as he strolled past countless students, yet none of them even gave him a second nce.

 Chapter 188: Bold move

    Alex stood outside Dr. Arlen Zoric''s ssroom, tapping his feet rapidly on the floor as he waited anxiously for the respected professor to show up.


    He had spent the previous night researching everything he could about souls, but everything he read was either vague or just in useless to him. They all led to one thing in the end, consulting an expert.


    Dr. Arlen Zoric was a well respected figure in the University, known for his deep understanding of souls and their properties. The Principal of the university even once said that Dr. Zoric knew more about souls than he did, inplete confidence.


    This alone brought respect to his name.


    Getting his attention and approval wouldn''t be easy, but Alex was determined.


    Alex took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He spotted Dr. Zoric approaching the entrance, surrounded by a few other students who were probably also eager to get a word in before ss.


    Alex waited impatiently until Dr. Zoric had almost reached the door, then stepped forward, hoping to catch him before he entered the lecture hall.


    brought-to-you-by-NovelBin


    "Dr. Zoric," Alex called out, his voice clear and respectful.


    Dr. Zoric turned, his sharp eyes assessing Alex quickly. "Yes? Can I help you?" he asked, his tone polite but clearly preupied.


    "Professor, I''d like to join your soul studies ss," Alex stated directly, trying to keep his voice steady.


    Dr. Zoric raised an eyebrow, a look of mild amusement crossing his face.


    "If you''re interested in joining a course, you can do so through the official channels, I don''t have time for this."


    Alex felt a pang of frustration but didn''t let it show. He had expected this response.


    As Dr. Zoric turned to enter the lecture hall, Alex made a bold move and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.


    "Please, Dr. Zoric, hear me out," Alex said urgently.


    Dr. Zoric''s eyes darkened slightly, and Alex felt a wave of pressure, a leak of the professor''s aura meant to intimidate him.


    Alex could tell instantly that Dr. Zoric was at least a B+ rank, which was honestly quite low for a professor, but just like Professor Will, there must be some special circumstances that allowed him to gain the position.


    It was a subtle disy of power, but it sent a clear message: know your ce.


    The rtionship between professors and students in Capital Prime was a delicate bnce of respect.


    The Professors earned and deserved the respect of the students because of their experience and their willingness to put aside their own affairs to guide the younger generations, but the moment a sign of disrespect was shown, they wouldn''t take it lightly.


    Despite the oppressive feeling though, Alex held his ground, determined to make his case.


    "I''m a first year student," Alex exined quickly before things got out of hand. "I know I''m not supposed to be able to join your ss yet, but I can''t wait a year to do so."


    Thankfully Dr. Zoric seemed to be the forgiving type, as his mild annoyance turned to curiosity. He studied Alex for a moment, then let out an exasperated sigh.


    "Why is it so urgent for you, then? Most students wait their turn. What makes you so special?"


    Alex hesitated, knowing he didn''t have a good enough excuse ready for such a question like this.


    He knew he had to say something, but he was unsure of what to share.


    Hesitating, he took a deep breath, deciding to share a tiny bit of the truth.


    "I suspect that my talent has something to do with the soul," he admitted.


    "I''ve been experiencing things that I can''t exin, and I believe understanding souls might help me understand my abilities better."


    Dr. Zoric''s eyes narrowed slightly, a knowing look crossing his face. He was silent for a moment, considering Alex''s words.


    The Principal, who was listening in from his office tens of kilometres away, also had a knowing look on his face.


    ''So that''s why the kid has such an interest in souls all of a sudden,'' he mused. ''But, there was no such thing about either of his talents having such a rtion to souls in the information the Soul contract revealed. Hmm, quite peculiar¡­''


    The Principal was spying on Alex, even though he had chastised Mira for doing so. But it wasn''t like he had to follow his own advice, heck, it was practically his job to spy on the students...


    Back at the doors of the lecture hall, Dr. Zoric finally spoke.


    "Exceptions have been made in the past for students whose talents are rted to the soul, but they were admitted through the official channels from the beginning of their enrolment. Their talent''s rtion to souls was naturally exposed during the talent assessment, so the university could judge that it was beneficial for them to join the ss." Dr. Zoric continued.


    "Considering you aren''t already in the ss, this clearly wasn''t the case for you, which either means you''re lying, or you''ve somehow skirted the terms of the soul contract. I''m much more inclined to believe the former."


    Alex''s heart pounded in his chest as anger and frustration mixed. He knew he wasn''t lying, but exining theplexities of his talent to Dr. Zoric just for him to be admitted into his ss wasn''t an option either.


    His mind raced as he desperately tried toe up with a solution.


    Meanwhile, just as Dr. Zoric was about to refuse Alex''s request, the professor paused, his eyes zing over momentarily as if listening to something Alex couldn''t hear.


    In reality, the Principal''s voice had entered Dr. Zoric''s mind.


    "Make an exception for this kid," the Principalmanded.


    Dr. Zoric was sceptical though, "The boy is most likely lying," he replied mentally.


    The Principal''s voice was firm. "I don''t think he is. And if I''m right, then this makes the whole ordeal much more interesting. Let him in."


    Dr. Zoric sighed, relenting to the Principal''smand.


    He refocused on Alex, who stood there anxiously trying toe up with another excuse, awaiting his verdict.


    "Fine," he said, somewhat reluctantly.


    "I''ll make an exception for you, just this once. You can join the ss."


    ''Huh?''


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise and relief.


    He hadn''t expected for Dr. Zoric to actually ept his quite honestly disrespectful proposal, especially considering how he reacted to Alex''s initial request.


    "Thank you, Dr. Zoric! You don''t know how much this means to me!"


    Dr. Zoric nodded curtly, not letting on about the Principal''s intervention. "Don''t make me regret this decision. I can still Expel you from the ss just as easily as I let you in. Find a seat and settle in, you''re lucky, this is the first lecture I''ll be putting on for this year."


    Alex hurried into the lecture theatre, his heart still pumping wildly from the encounter. It seemed Dr. Zoric had forgotten to retract his aura, as the whole time they were conversing he still had it trained on Alex.


    He found a random spot near the front and sat down, feeling deep relief and gratefulness for being let in.


    As the other students filed in, Alex couldn''t help but nce around.


    ''So these are the other second year students huh, I''ve only seen Rowan so far.'' He thought.


    ''I didn''t expect them to be this strong.''


    He secretly inspected a few of the student''s and found that most of them were around D to D+ rank, with a select few students even being C- rank!


    Though, he still reckoned he could take most of them on in a one on one battle, as most of them were still Ordinary ss students.


    This was the difference between the top first year student, and the average second year student.

 Chapter 189: The first lecture

    Dr. Zoric entered the lecture hall shortly after, his presencemanding immediate attention from the lecture hall packed with students. There were hardly any empty seats left, which just showed how popr his ss was.


    The room fell silent as he reached the podium, his eyes briefly meeting Alex''s before scanning the rest of the ss.


    "Good morning, everyone," Dr. Zoric began, his voice carrying easily throughout the room. "Some of you may already know of me, some of you may not. So let me introduce myself."


    He paused, his gaze sweeping across the rows of students. "My name is Dr. Arlen Zoric, I''ve spent the better part of my life studying the nature of souls. For context, I am 126 years old."


    The students in the lecture hall gasped in shock when they heard Dr. Zoric''s age.


    They knew that awakened could live for a long time, as they might asionallye across awakened over thousands of years old in the Primordial Expanse.


    But the Primordial Expanse and the system had only been around in the federation for 100 years or so, so it was rare to see such aged and experienced awakened, as most of them died off in the early days of the Primordial Expanse''s appearance.


    "I was 24 years old when the Primordial Expanse made its first appearance. At that point, it was still considered a curse, and I was unfortunate enough at the time to be afflicted with it, disappearing shortly after those ck lines appeared on my body, you''ve all heard the same story." Dr. Zoric exined further.


    "However, from the moment I stepped foot on the other side and saw the system interface appear before me, I knew from that moment onwards my life would change forever. I''m sure most of you were the same, but you might be surprised to find that I wasn''t excited about being able to live out my ''novel-like'' fantasies etc, but rather from the few short words I noticed on my Details."


    He paused, watching the reactions of the students around the ssroom.


    He did the same introduction every year, but seeing the reactions of the students never got old.


    "''Soul'' core, and ''Soul'' ssification. Those were the words that enraptured me right from the start."


    Dr. Zoric''s introduction was met with attentive silence. The students hung on his every word. powered-by-NovelBin


    Alex, sitting near the front, was particrly interested in hearing more about his experiences.


    However, it seemed that this was the point where the introduction would end.


    Breaking up the silence in the room, Dr. Zoric spoke, picking out a student at random.


    "You there, tell me what you think a soul is." he said as he pointed at a particrly well endowed female student.


    She looked a little confused at first, as it seemed she wasn''t paying full attention to the ss as the other students next to her had to nudge her to get her attention.


    After a moment, she realised the Professor had asked her a question about souls, and stammered a little to answer it.


    "The soul is an intangible entity, a core aspect of our being that transcends our physical body and its needs."


    Her answer earned her some praise from her nearby friends.


    "That''s a good answer, " Dr. Zoric stated. "But you''re wrong."


    All of the students looked confused when Dr. Zoric said this, even Alex, as this was the general consensus concerning souls.


    But none of them dared to refute back and waited for Dr. Zoric to speak again, as he was one of the leading experts on the subject.


    "To put it simply, the soul is indescribable. It is both tangible and intangible, it is both a part of you, yet separate. While the concept of souls has existed in various cultures and philosophies for millenia, it wasn''t until the advent of the system and the Primordial Expanse that we had concrete proof of its existence. Even then, we still know barely anything about it."


    He gestured at a holographic disy that appeared behind him, showing a diagram of a human figure with a glowing orb at its centre. "This is a simplified representation of the soul. In reality, the soul is far moreplex and intricate. It is the essence of who we are, epassing our consciousness, memories, and emotions."


    Dr. Zoric paused to let the information sink in before continuing. "Past studies into the soul, just after the federation stabilised from the apocalyptic advent of the Primordial Expanse, used advanced techniques to bring back a dead person hours after they had died, previously impossible without the special help of a certain individual with an S+ ranked healing talent."


    "Would any of you like to guess what we learned from this experiment?" Dr. Zoric asked.


    Alex looked around, and seeing that nobody had answered, he took a guess at it himself.


    "Nothing?" Alex replied.


    His reply was sceptical as he didn''t know what Dr. Zoric was getting at, but considering the fact that he had already emphasised that humans still knew very little about the soul, he hatched a guess that this experiment was useless.


    "A decent guess, but no. We were fortunate actually to have discovered something ¡ª something that the old religious factions weren''t particrly too happy about." Dr. Zoric fiddled with the hologram a little bit, and showed a recording, with the faces of every person in the video being cked out.


    "Watch this. Any student that can figure out the point I''m trying to make will get a Mutant ss D+ rank beast core as a reward." Dr. Zoric said as he pulled out a beast core from thin air.


    The moment it appeared and the promise of a reward was mentioned, many of the student''s faces lit up with greed, even the ones that weren''t paying proper attention.


    Such a thing wasn''t easy toe across for these students, and even the more talented ones who were already Mutant ss were interested in this lucrative reward.


    Seeing that everyone was now paying very close attention, Dr. Zoric smiled and started the holographic video recording.


    A scene opened up on the stage at the front.


    A dead body with its face cked outy on a medical table in an empty room, surrounded by around a dozen different people wearing white coats.


    Each one of them had their face cked out, except for one.


    ''Dr. Zoric?''


    Alex recognised him immediately.


    As it turned out, Dr. Zoric himself was a part of this experiment he was making an example out of, to the surprise of the many students in the room.


    It was once again a reminder that Dr. Zoric wasn''t just some nobody professor, but a leading researcher in the subject of souls.


    "Is the procedure ready?" One of the cked out figures asked, his voice being distorted too, to further protect his identity.


    "Yes, sir." Dr. Zoric, the one in the video, answered.


    None of the others in the room spoke from that point onwards, as they all turned to look at one person, who looked just as inconspicuous as all of the others in the room.


    However, in reality, they were probably one of the most high profile people in the federation, let alone that room.


    "Time''s running out #@$%, you can start already."


    The leading researcher spoke, with the name of the person being censored out.


    Immediately after, a bright white light filled the room, blocking out the video feed, until a few secondster everything returned to normal.


    But there were now 11 living people in the room, and 1 less dead person.


    The video continued for a little while longer, with the person lying on the table getting up and looking around disorientedly.


    The researchers proceeded to ask them some routine questions, like can you tell me your name? Can you tell where you are right now? What''s today''s date? Etc.


    To which the person who used to be dead only a few seconds ago managed to answer these questions perfectly.


    It was miraculous, considering that before the advent of the Awakened, people would be brain dead just a few dozen minutes after the brain is starved of oxygen.


    The video recording stopped abruptly, as Dr. Zoric had paused it.


    But even though the students were interested in seeing what happened next in the scene, they were much more interested in hearing what Dr. Zoric had to say.


    "Did any of you notice it?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.


    As expected, nobody answered. The hall waspletely silent.


    But after a few moments, the same female student he had picked on at the start of the ss spoke up.


    "The test subject in the experiment was perfectly fine?"


    She seemed unsure of herself, hesitating whether to even answer.


    But contrary to her thoughts, things didn''t go as badly as she expected.


    "Hmm, it''s not quite what I was expecting, but you''re close enough. Catch." Dr. Zoric said as he threw the beast core to the girl.


    "She''s right, the subject waspletely fine, but that''s only half the point."


    Dr. Zoric continued.


    "We were closely monitoring the subject the whole time since his death, which we also orchestrated."


    Dr. Zoric paused for one final time, taking a look at the faces of all of the students around the room, as they were all surely about to change when they heard his answer.


    "And what did we find out? The man''s soul never left his body. Not once during the 24 hours he was dead. This only meant one thing for us."


    *Cough*


    Dr. Zoric cleared his throat.


    "There is no afterlife. Death is the end. Death is final."

 Chapter 190: Religion

    As soon as the lecture hall full of student''s heard Dr. Zoric''sst remark, the room wentpletely ballistic.


    Some students were silent, still processing what he had just said, while others had already gotten angry ¡ª these were probably the students from a religious background.


    Dr. Zoric''s theory basically made a joke out of every religion out there with his wild conclusion, which was probably why the faces of all of the members of the experiment were censored, as there were sure to be many threats on their lives if not.


    Religion was still a decently big thing in this day and age, especially when one considered the scale of the human race''s influence now.


    They spanned across the whole gxy, with hundreds of billions of star systems being upied, each with billions more people per habitable.


    The poption of humans in the federation had probably reached the quintillions by now.


    There was at least 1 prominent religion on every, with some religions going even farther than that and influencing whole star systems or even several hundred light year regions of space.


    Considering the trends of religion that were recorded in the ancient times of the 21st century, people became less and less religious as humans became smarter and advanced as a civilisation, and it was projected that it might even die out within the next few centuries after that.


    The estimates weren''t quite right, but they were along the right lines.


    Religion did die down as humans learned more about the universe, but it quickly saw a humungous boom in growth with the advent of the Primordial Expanse.


    This was due to two reasons; number one being the groundbreaking discovery of the ''soul'', and the other being the system itself.


    The discovery of the soul was obvious, as it was already deeply linked with religion for tens of millenia before that point, and the argument of ''no evidence'' for the existence of god or the beyond became invalid, as there was evidence now.


    However, the system itself was a little bit of a peculiar situation.


    It quickly became clear what sort of influence the system had over not only the Primordial Expanse, but even humans as well as the universe.


    The level of control it had over almost everything was so vast that it was almost godlike, in fact many religions did spawn out of this that worshipped the system as a god figure.


    But Dr. Zoric didn''t seem to care about any such threats on his life from these religious fanatics, as he let his face and his participation in the experiment be very public.


    It''s not like an attempt could be made on his life either, as not only was he a Variant ss B+ rank awakened, but he was a professor of the most advanced and influential university in the federation.


    The university wouldn''t have such a reputation if one of their staff members could be assassinated so easily.


    "Now, I''m sure that if any of you had a semnce of intelligence, you''d immediately point out that this was the result of only one experiment. It''s obvious, as nothing about a second was mentioned in the recording. If you weren''t even able to point this out, then you might as well quit the Soul studies course, as you are clearlycking intelligence." Dr.


    Zoric started speaking to the students, but he quickly started going off trail as he eyed down the particrly violent and angry students who were clearly part of some religious faction.


    When the students heard him speak, the chaos died down a little bit, as each student, angry or not, wanted to hear what else he had to say.


    Some of them wanted to hear him say ''Haha, that was a joke, gotcha!'', while others who were more inclined to scientific thinking were curious to see how he justified the conclusion he hade to from just one experiment.


    "Well, I can tell you right now that we didn''t just do one experiment. In fact, we did thousands overall before we eventually came to a stop." Dr. Zoric spoke again, his face revealing a little bit of the nostalgia he was feeling, as he practically relived those moments all over again.


    Dr. Zoric said, "The individual with the S+ rank healing talent that we were working with could only bring people back from the dead at a maximum of 24 hours after death, any longer than that and it would be toote. So that was the time limit we were working with."


    *p*


    The holographic video reappeared once again, but in a difference scene as Dr. Zoric continued exining.


    "However, we also wanted to see what would happen if we examined and observed someone who had gone past that 24 hour limit. And yet, we still reached the same conclusion. Our scanners didn''t detect the dead individual''s soul leaving his body even a month after his death."


    The students who were still sceptical up to this point had now also joined in the shock of the other students, as the more Dr. Zoric revealed, the more believable his theory started to sound.


    Some students even burst out crying, presumably from either the fear of death, and now knowing that there was no ''eternal happiness'' waiting for them on the other side, or perhaps it was because a loved one had recently died and they realised that they were really gone, forever, never able to meet them again.


    Whatever the case, these students were left alone to silently sob to themselves as the rest of the students continued looking at Dr. Zoric for any sort of validation or answers.


    Eventually, Alex, still sat in the front row, came out of the deep thinking state he had been in ever since Dr. Zoric first announced his theory.


    "But sir, if you are right, and there really is no afterlife or anything like that once we die, then what is the point in us even having souls? Doesn''t that sound counterintuitive? It still sounds a little wild to me that even though souls were officially confirmed to be real, this discovery also led to the theory that there is no afterlife¡­ it''s kind of ironic."


    Dr. Zoric smiled when he heard Alex''s question, as he was waiting for one of the students to point this small discrepancy in this theory out.


    He just hadn''t expected the student to bring this point up to be Alex, after all he still thought Alex was lying about his talent being rted to souls, but the more he got to know him, the more he started to loosen up his rigid thoughts.


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    *Ahem*


    Dr. Zoric cleared his throat, then answered Alex.


    "The simple answer to your question is ¡ª we simply don''t know either."


    The students were a little disappointed at Dr. Zoric''s anticlimactic answer, but he wasn''t finished yet.


    "If we knew everything there was about souls, I sure as hell wouldn''t be standing here teaching you guys, that''s for sure. In fact, that''s what you guys are here for."


    The hall echoed with a few chuckles at Dr. Zoric''s witty remark.


    "Sure, 99% of the students who join this course are just here because your understanding of your soul will be much more important to you once you be a higher life form, but 1% of you will develop a deeper interest than that and take it even further, hopefully bing a leading researcher in soul studies and seeding where we, the previous generation, failed."

 Chapter 191: Taking it slow

    With that, Dr. Zoric brought the first lecture of Soul studies to a close as he quietened down the ruckus the religious students were still making and left the lecture hall, not even waiting for the students to leave first¡­


    It seemed like Dr. Zoric was like the average 21st century university student, as he sure as hell acted like he didn''t want to even be there.


    Thest one to enter, the first one to leave¡­


    ''That was quite the interesting lecture, to say the least, but I didn''t gain anyprehension in souls from it.'' Alex thought to himself.


    He was the next one to leave the lecture hall, as he didn''t see any benefit to interacting with the other students in the ss.


    Most of them were all older than him, but weaker.


    Not to mention, he didn''t feel like there was any chance of him being able to gain anyprehension into souls from listening to their experiences with it, as they all looked more clueless than him regarding the subject, save for a select few like that well endowed girl.


    ''Oh well, he didn''t really go that in depth into the subject anyway, more so just talking about his own experiences regarding the history of them, which was still interesting to hear. But it was just the introductory ss anyway, I have no doubt I''ll be able to gainprehensionter down the line when we start to get more into the details and theory.''


    ***


    A few minutester, Alex returned back to his dorm, his mind refreshed after listening to Dr. Zoric''s lecture.


    He put the matter of souls aside for the time being, as there wasn''t much he could do about it in the short term.


    He couldn''t rush into things, but he also didn''t want to have to wait, it was quite contradictory.


    ''I guess I''ll have to focus on my other sses while I wait for next week''s lesson.''


    Like most of the sses students took, Dr. Zoric only lectured on Soul studies once per week, per year group.


    ''However, it looks like my schedule''s clear for the rest of the day.''


    But Alex couldn''t even attend any other sses as the first year sses still hadn''t started yet ¡ª starting the next day.


    The higher year sses started a week earlier as they didn''t have anything like the talent, strategic assessments etc.


    ''There''s not really much for me to do with the rest of my day then, other than practising Heart of the Phoenix.''


    Unlike thest time, where he lied to Mira saying he would be practising it, this time he would be doing it for real.


    If he managed to condense his energy into the first stage of the technique, then he would receive a much needed upgrade.


    ''Time to start with just one finger this time¡­''


    ***


    Miray back on her bed, covered in sweat and exhausted, as she had just finished a practice session of her own Energy Condensing technique.


    Unlike Alex, Mira had chosen a rather regr Energy Condensing technique called the Tri-organ Condensation, which focused on condensing energy into three different parts of her body, rather than one like most other techniques did.


    Although the concept sounded rather specialpared to Alex''s, or all of the others that only focused on one.


    But in reality, it wasn''t that special.


    By condensing energy into three organs instead of one, it put a lot less strain on her body, as the distribution of pressure was spread out.


    With single organ techniques, the act of condensing all of the rampaging, chaotic energy of one''s body into one specific area would put more strain on that area, requiring an equally strong body to withstand the increased pressure.


    But with Mira, her body wasn''t anywhere near as strong as Alex''s, nor a lot of the newly enrolled students for that matter, so she chose something different.


    The three organs method would split the condensed energy up into three parts, each connected via pathways throughout the body.


    It was initially more difficult to advance to stage 1 with this method, as she''d have to focus on moving her body''s umted energy into three different areas at once instead of one, but the stages after that weren''t so difficult.


    Besides, the benefits of the Tri-organ Condensation technique were also appealing to Mira.


    It offered not only bnce, but a higher energy capacity, even higher than the single organ techniques offered.


    ''I wonder when Alex will return¡­''


    Mira''s mind drifted back to Alex, as she thought about how he was acting earlier.


    She had taken the Principal''s advice and stopped spying on him, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t concerned for him anymore.


    Instead the concern just deepened, as she knew less now than she did before.


    Her questions only increased, especially after her chat with the Principal.


    ''Oh wait, he''s already back!?''


    However, she heard movement in Alex''s house next door, which she immediately attributed to Alex returning from his soul studies lecture.


    ''Maybe I should go over and check on him¡­''


    Mira leapt up from her bed, her exhaustion seemingly gone as she looked energetic enough to run a marathon.


    ''Ugh.''


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    But her ns of going over to Alex''s house right away were struck down by the smell pervading her room.


    Specifically, the smell she was giving off.


    She was still covered from head to toe in sweat, even if her exhaustion had disappeared.


    ''I should shower first¡­ Definitely.''


    ***


    Half an hourter


    Ding!


    Alex heard his doorbell ring, which was unusual as nobody should be visiting him, considering he didn''t know anybody well enough that they should be visiting him¡­


    But when he went and answered it, he was surprised to find Mira on the other side of it.


    "Mira? What are you doing here? Why didn''t you just hop in through the garden, like you normally do?"


    Straight away, something seemed unusual about this situation to Alex, as Mira hadn''t bothered to ring his doorbell or even knock before, as she just prounced right into his dorm just like she did her own most of the time.


    ''Wait, why did I do that?''


    Mira realised her mistake as well, but didn''t let it show on her face.


    ''Am I really that hung up over the way Alex has been acting that I resorted to knocking on his door like some courteous visitor?''


    Mira was confused by her own actions.


    "Uhh, I just didn''t know if you were home or not, so I thought I''d check by ringing the doorbell, hehe."


    That was a lie, of course she knew he was home.


    "Oh."


    Alex didn''t seem to put much thought into it anyway, to Mira''s relief.


    After the awkward few seconds at the door passed, Mira entered, her eyes darting back to Alex''s face from time to time.


    She was trying to see if she could discern any details of how Alex''s lecture went from the way he acted, which¡­ worked?


    In a way, it did work.


    She noticed immediately that Alex was acting much more normal now, whichpared the previous night, was a drastic change.


    He looked like a fanatic with the way he was researching souls.


    "I didn''t see you this morning, did you go somewhere?" Mira asked.


    ''Uhh, what do I tell her¡­''


    Alex wasn''t sure how to exin it.

 Chapter 192: Trust

    Mira followed Alex into the living room, the awkwardness of the door encounter still lingering. Alex closed the door behind them, his mind racing with thoughts of how to exin his absence and the lecture without revealing too much.


    He had spent the past few months guarding his secret, and he wasn''t sure if he was ready to share it yet.


    He offered her a seat on the couch, which she took, and then sat across from her in an armchair. Mira''s eyes were curious, studying his face intently.


    "I didn''t see you this morning, did you go somewhere?" she asked again, her tone casual but tinged with genuine concern.


    Alex hesitated, trying to formte a response. But as he looked at Mira, he realised that evading her questions would only lead to more suspicion. He needed to make a decision, one that could potentially change the course of their rtionship forever.


    ''Can I really trust her?'' he wondered. He looked into her eyes, searching for any sign of deceit or doubt, but all he saw was genuine concern and curiosity.


    "Mira," he began slowly, his voice serious. "I need to ask you something important. Can I trust you?"


    Confusion flickered across her face, quickly reced by a look of earnestness. "Of course, Alex. You can trust me with anything. You''re like family to me now. I don''t know what I''d do without you."


    This reassurance from Mira hit Alex deeply, where it mattered. This was exactly what he wanted to hear.


    He didn''t want Mira to treat him any differently just because of the fact that he was different.


    Alex took a deep breath, weighing her words carefully. He had to trust her, there was no other way forward. "I believe you," he said softly. "But what I''m about to tell you, it''s... it''s something I''ve kept secret for a long time. And I need to make sure no one else can hear us.


    Not even the Principal."


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    Mira''s eyes widened in surprise. "Alex, what is it? And why so much secrecy?"


    "Is there anywhere we can talk where not even the Principal can eavesdrop?" he asked, his voice urgent.


    Mira looked puzzled, then shook her head slowly. "There probably isn''t a single spot in the entire sr system away from the Principal''s prying eyes. He''s incredibly powerful."


    Alex clicked his teeth in frustration. He knew how powerful the Principal was and how difficult it would be to find a truly private space. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He decided to ask the system for help, not expecting any response.


    ''System,'' he called out in his mind. ''Is there any way I can share this information with Mira without anyone else being able to see it?''


    To his surprise and delight, the system responded immediately, though its tone was as condescending as ever.


    [You''re an idiot, Alex. If you can show your information directly from your details via a soul contract, why wouldn''t the system be able to do this for you?]


    He realised his mistake of underestimating the system''s capabilities. ''How can I obtain a soul contract?'' he asked.


    [Both parties must wish to sign a soul contract with each other. Then the contract will appear.]


    Alex had one more important question. ''Since my Soulforge talent didn''t show up in my details thest time I signed a soul contract, why would that change now?''


    [Your talent is above the level that soul contracts can control. You can choose whether the information on it is shown or not. Although you didn''t know this thest time, you subconsciously omitted it from the details shown.]


    With this new information, Alex turned back to Mira, only a second of time having passed since he first consulted the system. He met her gaze, determination etched on his face.


    "Mira," he said seriously, "do you trust me enough to sign a soul contract with me?"


    Mira''s eyes widened in shock. She had never expected him to go to such drastic measures. "Alex, a soul contract? What are you hiding?"


    She saw the earnest look in his eyes and knew he was serious. Despite her confusion, she felt a surge of trust and loyalty towards him. "Yes, I trust you," she said firmly. "If this is what it takes to prove it, I''m in."


    As soon as she agreed, the terms of the soul contract appeared in the air, glowing softly in front of them. It was simr to the detail screens they had seen during the talent assessment. The terms were simple but severe, stating that if Mira revealed what Alex was about to show her, her memory would be wiped and her soul core would be damaged, setting her back to F- rank.


    Mira read the terms carefully, feeling a mixture of concern and resolve. She nced at Alex, seeing the same concern mirrored in his eyes. He wasn''t worried for himself, but for her. The contract would benefit Alex, but the consequences for her were severe.


    After a moment of consideration, she nodded. "I agree," she said, her voice steady. "Let''s do this."


    They both reached out to the glowing contract, their fingers touching the ethereal surface. Instantly, they were engulfed in a white light, transported to a space that felt otherworldly and serene.


    They looked around, disoriented and nervous about the sudden shift. The white space was empty except for the two of them, creating an atmosphere of istion and privacy.


    [This ce ensures no prying eyes,] the system''s voice echoed in their minds.


    In the centre of the space, a detailed screen appeared, disying Alex''s information. Mira approached it cautiously, her eyes scanning the text. As she read, her expression shifted from curiosity to shock, and finally to understanding.


    Alex watched her closely, his heart pounding. He wasn''t just showing her the information on his Soulforge talent; he was revealing his entire details. It was a huge risk, but one he was willing to take.


    Mira''s face slowly went from confusion and caution to one of utter shock as she started reading the words on the huge floating screen.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [18]


    Talents: [Soulforge(Soul+)], [me(C+)], [Inferior teleportation(E)]


    Trait: [Seasoned Warrior]


    Trait description: [As someone who managed to take down a Variant ss beast alone, the systemmends you. You have proven yourself worthy of being an awakened.]


    Trait effect: [Healing speed increased by 5% and enhanced senses.]


    Soul core: [D- 30%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 22%]


    She read everything from his Age, all the way down to thest area concerning his Soul ssification.


    However, the thing she immediately noticed was the fact that Alex had three talents, instead of the two she thought he had, and there was a very obvious discrepancy in the unknown third talent.


    ''Soulforge?''


    Just as she focused on the peculiar name, she noticed the rank right beside it.


    ''Soul+!? What the hell kind of rank is that??''


    This truly shocked her, as she had never, ever heard of any rank other than the traditional F-S rank system.


    The fact that Alex''s talent somehow broke this almost unbreakable convention, left Mira in awe.


    She understood now why he wanted her to sign a soul contract for this, as this really was something that he couldn''t just tell anyone.


    She also realised how useful the white space they were in was, as she knew from her earlier encounter with the principal that he wasn''t one to respect people''s boundaries¡­


    But just as she thought the shocks were over, the details of Soulforge showed up before her.


    [Soulforge(Soul+): Firstyer - Condenses the energy of any in beast into a more refined energy source called soul orbs ¡ª the most valuable energy resource in the universe, many would sacrifice millions just for the chance to get one.


    Absorbing these soul orbs dramatically enhances your physical abilities beyond what others can do alone with Beast cores, while simultaneously condensing your own energy, enabling any attacks you deliver to be stronger than your peers.]


    [Secondyer - Soul orbs don''t just contain energy, but they can also contain the remnant soul of the defeated foe inside. This is dependent on the strength of the beast''s soul, so higher ssed and higher ranked beasts will have a higher chance of harbouring these remnant souls.


    Through absorbing soul orbs you will gain some remnant memories of the in beast, chosen at random from the beast''s entire lifetime ¡ª Find out the rest for yourself.]


    ''...''


    ''What?''


    Mira didn''t even react properly, as she physically didn''t have enough shock factor left in her.


    ''Soul orbs? Is that the glowing orb I saw in Alex''s hand earlier?''


    Turning around, Mira looked at Alex, who was looking back at her with a concerning look on his face.


    This was the first time he was revealing his talent to anybody, so he was still quite nervous.


    "Is this the reason why you couldn''t absorb those beast cores?" Mira asked.


    She spotted the corrtion instantly.


    She knew about the effects of absorbing a beast core below her own ssification, so she couldn''t even imagine how much worse it was for Alex.

 Chapter 193: The past

    "So this is what you''ve been hiding all this time¡­" Mira mused to herself, not expecting an answer from Alex.


    Mira''s shock was still evident as she processed Alex''s revtion. She still hadn''t quite got a grip over Alex''s Soulforge talent, nor about how it somehow had a rank that wasn''t following the normal ranking system.


    But even more astonishing was the fact that it seemed so¡­ overpowered.


    The fact that Alex could get something so precious like those ''Soul orbs'', just from killing beasts, while everyone else was still stuck trying to get beast cores, was simply a cheat!


    The usage of these soul cores seemed like a crazy benefit for someone like Alex.


    She looked back at him, she saw his vulnerability and the trust he had for her in his eyes.


    ''He has been carrying this burden alone for so long¡­ I can''t imagine how unbearable that must have been, always trying to hide, trying to cover up so that he didn''t turn into some kind ofb rat, or ve to someone who uses him to farm those Soul orbs for them¡­'' Mira thought to herself, pitying Alex.


    "Wait¡­ If you''ve been carrying such a big secret like this one, how has the university not reacted against you yet? They should know about your absurd and unusual talent from the talent assessment, after all, we signed soul contracts."


    Mira quickly realised one thing that confused her, which was the fact that the university still seemed so¡­ neutral about Alex, even though his talent literally broke the normal conventions people had gotten used to for the past 100 years.


    Alex, expecting this question, had already prepared an answer.


    "Apparently soul contracts don''t work on my talent, as its rank is too high to be forcefully viewed."


    ''Ah, I see. That makes sense then.''


    Mira didn''t even seem too shocked by this, as she subconsciously expected an answer like that when she considered the fact that the rank of the talent was ''Soul+'', whatever that meant.


    But it was a clear indicator of one thing, Soul+ was at least a higher rank than S+, as her Call of the Void hadn''t been exempted from being viewed.


    ''He truly is extraordinary¡­''


    With how much trust Alex had shown in her through this act, even though he had her sign a soul contract beforehand, Mira knew she had to reciprocate it properly.


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    ''I don''t like it¡­ But now seems like a better time than any other!''


    Taking a deep breath, she made a decision.


    "Alex, I think it''s only fair that I show my trust in you. I''m going to tell you something very important and secret to me too. You deserved to know about my past, and about myst name, ''Mistborn''."


    Alex''s curiosity was piqued. He nodded, signalling for her to continue.


    Mira took another deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "You are the closest thing I have to a family, I want you to know everything there is to know about me. And now, in this undetectable space, it seems like the perfect moment to share my secret.


    My past is dark, and it''s something I''ve been trying to move on from, but it''s a part of who I am today, and I''d have never ended up meeting you if it went any other way."


    Unexpectedly, it seemed the white space surrounding them had more to it than they originally thought.


    The white space around them shifted, and Alex felt a sense of disorientation.


    The scene had changed.


    He found himself looking at a young, frail girl, barely seven years old.


    ***


    The small room was dimly lit, the only source of lighting from a flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. The air was thick with the stench of alcohol and stale smoke.


    A young girl, with a frail frame and vacant eyes, stood in the corner of the room. Her long, tangled hair partially covered her bruised face.


    Suddenly, the sound of a door mming echoed throughout the house, followed by heavy, staggering footsteps. The young girl, Mira, flinched but remained silent, her eyes trained on the floor.


    "MIRA, GET HERE YOU STUPID LITTLE BITCH!" a voice roared from the hallway.


    A tall, burly man stumbled into the room, a half empty beer bottle in his hand.


    His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was contorted with rage.


    Without warning, he swung the bottle at Mira, smashing it over her head. The ss shattered, and blood started to pool on her scalp, dripping down to her face.


    Mira didn''t cry or wince. Her expression remained empty, deadpan. This was not the first time she had been subjected to such violence, nor was it thest. It was all she had ever known in her short life.


    "You''re worthless!" her father screamed, his voice slurred with intoxication. "You killed your mother! It should have been you, not her! You ruined my life!"


    Each word was like a dagger, but Mira''s face remained emotionless. Her father''s resentment was born out of the belief that she was responsible for her mother''s death during childbirth. His drinking problem started shortly after, and with it came the beatings and the verbal abuse.


    They lived in a small mining colony, far from any major civilisation. The istion meant that Mira had no escape, no one to turn to, no other family than her father.


    She wasn''t allowed to go to school or even leave the house. Her father controlled every aspect of her life.


    Hours passed and her father eventually passed out on the couch, the room silent except for his heavy snores. Mira retreated to her small, cluttered room.


    She sat on the edge of her bed, her mind numb from all of the pain and fear. This was her life, day in and day out.


    ***


    The scene shifted before Alex once again.


    Mira was older now, around nine years old, sitting in her room, waiting for her father toe back home from work.


    She was tense, expecting the usual cycle of drinking and beating to begin as soon as he walked through the door. But tonight, something was different.


    Hours passed, and there was no sign of her father. The house was eerily quiet.


    As the night grew deeper, anxiety gnawed at Mira. Despite the abuse, her father was the only constant in her life. The thought of him noting home was unsettling to such a small, helpless child.


    She started to cry silently, her small frame shaking with sobs. She didn''t know how to take care of herself, how to get food, or do anything her father usually did for her. She was utterly alone and scared.


    However, just as she was about to pass out from exhaustion, a sound came from the front door.


    Mira jolted awake, feeling reinvigorated, her heart pounding with a mixture of hope and fear.


    But something was wrong.


    She could hear more than one set of footsteps outside the door.


    Curious, and a little scared, she hopped out of her bed and started to inch closer to the front door of the house, trying to get a look out of the keyhole, but to avail.


    BOOOM!


    The door exploded inward, sending Mira crashing to the ground, covered in dust and debris.


    Shey there, unconscious, her tiny body bruised and scratched from the impact.


    "Search the area! He could be hiding anywhere in here for all we know!" Amanding voice barked from outside.


    Immediately after the orders were issued, a group of men dressed in ck, armed to the teeth, stormed into the house through the gap made in the wall that the explosion had created.


    "Search every room! We need to find Kaiser Mistborn, NOW!" the same voice ordered again.


    Just as the man said, the other men started entering each room of the Mistborn household with guns drawn, and the safety off.


    With the precision and efficiency these guys had, it was clear that they were trained for scenarios like this one.


    After only a minute passed, each of the men came back out to the centre hallway where the front door used to be, each one looking much more rxed now, with their guns being left to hang by their sides.


    "Sir, it looks like the ce is empty. I don''t even know how someone can live like this though¡­ But we did find this." One of the armed men came forwards and spoke to the middle agedmanding officer who had stayed behind to watch the front entrance.


    He held a small diary in his hand, and he gave it over to themanding officer.


    "We were toote, this ce looks like it was upied just recently." He said, his tone delivering his disappointment to the other armed men in the hallway.


    "But at least we have this diary, perhaps this can give us some leads to go off of, and find this son of a bitch to put an end to this!"


    The way the man spoke, it was as if there was some deep, unspoken background between him and Kaiser Mistborn.


    ''Hmm?''


    However, just as he was about to make his exit with all of the other armed men, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.


    He raised his hand in the air, balled up into a fist.


    ''Halt.''


    This signified for everyone to stop, immediately, which theyplied.


    The middle aged man bent down, spotting something beneath the rubble.


    A piece of clothing.


    "Gotcha!" He muttered, reaching down.


    Expecting to pull out a burly man, he was shocked to find a frail, malnourished little girl in his grasp instead.


    Mira''s unconscious formy limp in his grasp.

 Chapter 194: Officer Jones

    The scene shifted once again, and Mira opened her eyes groggily, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings.


    The room was clean and tidy, a stark contrast to the home she had known all these years.


    As she tried to make sense of her new environment, a voice came from the corner of the room.


    "You''re finally awake?"


    Mira turned her head, seeing a middle aged man sitting there. He was the one who found her under the rubble that he had admittedly caused by blowing up her front door and taking half the front of her house with it.


    Confusion and fear washed over her as she tried toprehend what was happening. This was the first time she had ever left her house, and the realisation made her panic.


    She started to breathe rapidly, her small body shaking with anxiety.


    The middle aged man noticed her distress and slowly moved over to her side, gently stroking her freshly cleaned hair.


    He had some female officers help clean her up when she first arrived here, as her body was in a bad state when he brought her in.


    It wasn''t just from the rubble sticking to her, as she probably hadn''t taken a bath in weeks.


    "Hey, hey, it''s okay. You''re safe here," he said softly, his touch and tone soothing her frayed nerves.


    "What''s your name?"


    Mira hesitated, not used to speaking.


    She hadn''t spoken in years, as her father used to beat her even harder than normal when she did so, telling her that she didn''t deserve to speak and so on.


    But after a moment, her hesitation stopped, and she opened her mouth.


    "M-Mira," she finally croaked out. Her voice was hoarse from disuse.


    "Hello, Mira. You can call me Officer Jones," the middle aged man introduced himself with a gentle smile.


    He was still stroking Mira''s hair, as it seemed to calm her down.


    With his other hand, he fiddled with hismunicator, before a holographic image of a man was projected into the air, for both Mira and himself to see.


    "Can you tell me if you recognise this man?" Officer Jones asked.


    But Mira''s eyes immediately widened in fear, and she flinched at the sight of the man in the hologram.


    It was her father.


    Officer Jones noticed her reaction and reassured her once again.


    "Don''t be scared. Nobody can hurt you here, you are safe in this ce."


    His voice was still as calm as ever, which had an effect on Mira.


    m|vlempyr your story source


    And it also made her more trusting of his words, as she looked around the unfamiliar room for a second time, realising that she really might be safe in this ce.


    But she was still locked in this room with an unfamiliar man, so she knew she wasn''t totally safe.


    Her father never really said much about what to do when interacting with strangers.


    But from the snippets she had caught on tv a few times when her father wasn''t home or looking, she knew that it could be dangerous for small children like her to be left alone in the presence of a stranger.


    "What''s your rtion to this man?" Officer Jones asked, his voice gentle but probing.


    Mira stared down at the bedsheets, her tiny hands clutching them tightly.


    After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. "M-my father¡­"


    Officer Jones sighed, his expression sombre. He had hoped for a different answer, but this confirmed his worst fears.


    Internally, he was hoping that Mira was just a case of being kidnapped by a strange man, as he had seen how she flinched when he showed the holographic image of her father.


    If she was a simple case of kidnapping, then that meant she would have had a loving family she could go back to when all of this chaos was over.


    But things are never so simple.


    "Did your father do any bad things to you?" he asked, trying to keep calm in front of Mira, trying to keep hisposure.


    Mira, now a little more trusting of Officer Jones, pointed to a long scar hidden under her hair and then to a fresh bruise on her face.


    Officer Jones'' face darkened at the sight.


    ''This bastard! She''s just a child for god''s sake¡­'' he thought, nor letting his thoughts slip out for Mira to see.


    However, he was still very apprehensive about his next question, but he had to ask it, for Mira''s sake.


    "Did your father do anything¡­ naughty to you?" he asked carefully.


    The room went silent when this was asked.


    Mira looked confused.


    "Naughty?" she repeated, not understanding the term.


    Officer Jones facepalmed.


    How could Mira know what this would mean?


    She was still just a 9 year old girl, and her father had kept her isted all her life.


    She didn''t have any education, so she would have no inkling of what he was referring to.


    "Did your father do anything to you that hurt your¡­ private parts?" he rified gently.


    Mira''s eyes widened in realisation this time, as she understood what he meant now with further rification.


    She shook her head vigorously, letting a quiet ''No'' slip out of her mouth, barely audible.


    Seeing her reaction, Officer Jones let out a breath he didn''t know he was holding.


    ''Thank god, at least you left her a little bit of dignity, Kaiser, you sick bastard.'' Officer Jones thought to himself.


    With the immediate concerns addressed, Officer Jones began to exin things to Mira in a way that she could understand. "I am a police officer, and we are in the police station right now ¡ª the safest ce you can be in this little mining colony!"


    Mira listened intently, very interested in hearing more about this ce.


    Like all children her age, she was a very curious kid. Being cooped up in her house all day, every day for the past 9 years was like torture for her curious mind.


    But now that her father wasn''t here, and she was already in a new ce she hadn''t experienced before, she didn''t have to hide her curiosity anymore.

 Chapter 195: Hope

    However, the mood was quickly brought down by Officer Jones when he brought up another concerning topic.


    "Your father is a very, very bad man. He has killed many people today, and we are trying to find him. Do you know where he could have gone?"


    ***


    The scene paused at this point, with the real Mira turning to Alex, her eyes reflecting the depth of emotions she was feeling in this moment.


    "My father didn''t just ''kill many people''; he blew up a hospital, killing 2500 people as a result. Nobody made it out alive."


    Mira had chosen this moment to exin just how bad of a person her father was, as the scene was made up of her memories, so she knew that it wouldn''t go into any further detail about what happened, as she only found out the facts years after the fact.


    Alex''s eyes widened in shock.


    He knew her father was sick in the head after hearing, and seeing the kinds of things he did to Mira when she was just a kid.


    But this was a whole other level of fucked up.


    "How could he do such a thing?"


    Mira took a deep breath before continuing. "The hospital was the same one I was born in, and where my mother died. It turns out he didn''t just me me for her death, but med the doctors too. And then, one thing led to another, and he started ming the whole hospital."


    Alex could see where this was going. "So your father, who was an alcoholic who beat his daughter every day, also turned out to be a psychopathic mass killer as well¡­"


    Mira nodded, her expression sombre. "Yes. He was a broken man, consumed by his grief and anger. And I, along with the hospital, was just a constant reminder of what he had lost."


    ***


    The scene resumed.


    Mira shook her head again, indicating she had no idea. Officer Jones sighed, then smiled at her reassuringly.


    "That''s okay. Let''s forget about your father for a while and focus on you."


    Mira looked worryingly at the Officer, unsure of what he meant.


    But Officer Jones looked even more conflicted.


    With kids like her, there were two options.


    She could either end up in an orphanage, receiving an education until she became an adult and could start working for herself.


    Or, she could be sent to a foster family and receive simr treatment, only in a real family, instead of an institution.


    However, Mira''s situation was so bad that he knew neither of these would go well for her.


    She would most likely be bullied by the other kids for not knowing anything, and for being so skinny etc, as kids her age could be so cruel to each other.


    This would only make things worse for Mira. .


    Seeing the anxious look on Mira''s face, Officer Jones made a split second decision.


    ''Ah, screw it.''


    "How would you like toe home with me?" he asked gently.


    A flicker of surprise and happiness crossed Mira''s face, but she quickly suppressed it, not wanting to get her hopes up. Officer Jones noticed her reaction and smiled warmly.


    "You''ll be safe with me. Your father won''t be able to hurt you."


    This was one thing he was confident in, as he was an E- rank awakened, while there were no records of her father being anything but a normal human.


    Mira felt a strange sense of trust towards Officer Jones. Maybe it was because nobody had ever been this kind to her before, nobody had treated her like a normal kid, while Officer Jones had.


    She hung her head low, and nodded sheepishly, agreeing to go with him.


    With a caring smile, Officer Jones leaned in and softly hugged Mira, picking her up out of the bed.


    Feeling the warmth of a protective father figure, Mira couldn''t suppress her emotions any longer.


    She burst into tears, wailing as she let out all of the pent up pain and fear she had been holding in all these years.


    Officer Jones just stroked her back, and held the hug, silentlyforting her.


    Her small body shook with the force of her sobs.


    When she finally calmed down, he gently set her back on the bed and looked into her eyes.


    "Mira, I''m going to take care of you from now on. You won''t have to go back to that house, or see that sorry excuse of a father ever again. I promise."


    Mira nodded, her eyes still filled with tears. "Okay," she whispered.


    Officer Jones smiled and ruffled her hair. "Good girl. Now, let''s get you something to eat. You must be hungry."


    Mira''s stomach growled in response, and she nodded shyly. Officer Jones chuckled and stood up, holding out his hand.


    "Come on, let''s go to the kitchen."


    Mira hesitated for a moment, then shook his hand, feeling a sense of security she had never known before.


    As they walked to the kitchen, Officer Jones spoke softly to her.


    "I know this is all very new and scary for you, but I want you to know that you''re safe now. No one will hurt you here."


    Mira looked up at him, her eyes filled with a suppressed curiosity. She nodded to him, letting out a small "Thank you."


    "You''re a very brave girl. Things are going to get better from now on."


    As they reached the kitchen, Officer Jones set about making her a simple meal.


    He would have loved to present all kinds of delicious dishes to her, but feeding someone who had been starving for so long, so much food at once would only be more damaging than helpful.


    Mira watched him with wide eyes, still trying to process everything that had happened, and before she knew it, a te was ced before her.


    She hesitated for a moment, before digging in, her hunger oveing her fear.


    Officer Jones sat across from her, watching her eat with a thoughtful expression.


    "Mira, do you have any other family? Anyone else we can contact?"


    She just shook her head.


    It was just her and her father.


    The scene ended there, and changed once again.

 Chapter 196: The calm before the storm

    ''It''s still going?'' Alex questioned internally.


    He expected the memories to end here, but instead a new scene opened up before him once again.


    Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow on the room.


    It was morning, and Mira sat at the table, her feet dangling joyfully from her chair, swinging back and forth as she nibbled on her breakfast.


    Opposite her Officer Jones looked over with a smile, bustling around the kitchen, making pancakes, his back to Mira. The smell of coffee and freshly cooked breakfast filled the air, creating a sense of normalcy andfort that Mira had rarely known.


    "Did you sleep well?" Officer Jones asked, ncing over his shoulder with a warm smile.


    This was his first time in his 35 years of life that he had taken on the role of a father, and he had enjoyed every moment of it ever since he had taken Mira in.


    He had always been unsure on whether he wanted kids or not, but after spending time with Mira, his opinion hadpletely flipped.


    Seeing Mira happy made him even happier, and it was the highlight of his day when he saw herugh joyfully, especially after she had been through the kind of hell she had lived in for the past 9 years.


    He even became more motivated in his everyday life, at work, at almost everything.


    Taking Mira in had been the best decision he had ever made, and he would never regret a thing.


    Though he did feel a little bit guilty of burying her under all that rubble when he first breached her house¡­


    Mira nodded, her mouth full. She swallowed quickly and smiled back.


    "Un, the bed you gave me is veryfortable Uncle Jones."


    Mira had stopped calling him Officer Jones now, as it seemed a little too formal for their rtionship.


    But he also didn''t want her to start calling him ''dad'' either, as he didn''t feelfortable with it considering her past¡­


    "Remember, you can just call me Uncle. You don''t have to call myst name every time you speak to me. We''re family now," he said, flipping a pancake with practised ease.


    Mira''s heart swelled with an unfamiliar sense of warmth at the word ''Family''. It felt strange and wonderful to think of herself as part of a real family now.


    "Okay, Uncle," she replied shyly.


    Officer Jones finished up in the kitchen and brought a te of pancakes to the table, sitting down across from Mira. He began to dig in, giving a few of them to Mira to nibble on too.


    "How was school this week? Did the other kids treat you nicely?" Officer Jones inquired, cutting into his stack of pancakes.


    Hearing this question, Mira''s mood lowered a little and her feet stopped waving as joyfully.


    In a quiet tone, she spoke. "I don''t like school¡­"


    It was clear to Officer Jones that starting school for Mira would still need some work, but he believed that with time, things would work out.


    "I know you''ll do well. You''re a smart, brave kid, Mira. I heard Mrs Johnson even gave you a gold star for your reading yesterday." Officer Jones chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a little.


    Mira didn''t reply, but he did notice her ears and cheeks bing slightly red. It seemed she still hadn''t gotten used to getting praise, as it was still a new concept to her, after only receiving contempt and maniption over the years.


    ''Huh?''


    However, Officer Jones'' expression changed mid conversation, growing more serious and concerned.


    Mira noticed but didn''t say anything. She was still just a 9 year old kid, she was still getting used to reading people''s expressions and didn''t fully understand what his look meant.


    Officer Jones took a deep breath and stood up. "I''ll be back in just a minute. There''s something I need to take care of."


    Mira nodded, watching him leave the house. She didn''t question it much.


    Officer Jones often left to go run errands, or most likely just work.


    She continued eating her breakfast, savouring the rare peace and happiness she was feeling after years of constant anguish.


    Crash!


    But the tranquillity was quickly shattered when she heard a loud ng outside, followed by grunts and whooshing sounds.


    Mira''s heart raced with anxiety. She got up from the table and inched closer to the front door, opening a small crack to take a peek outside and see what was going on.


    However, her blood ran cold at what she saw.


    ''Uncle Jones¡­''


    Officer Jones wasying on the ground, unmoving, with a man standing over him.


    Mira recognised the man immediately.


    It was her father.


    He stood there, a cruel smirk on his face, holding a long de, which Mira quickly noticed was impaled in Officer Jones'' chest.


    Panic and terror gripped Mira.


    She mmed the door shut, screaming and crying, as she ran towards her bedroom to hide, her tears blurring her vision.


    She crawled under her bed, sobbing uncontrobly.


    Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the horror she had just witnessed, hoping desperately that it was all just a nightmare and that she would wake up soon.


    But nothing she did could wake her up from this nightmare.


    In her desperation, she reached into her shirt, taking out a small ne that Officer Jones had given to her on the first day he brought her home.


    He told her that if she ever felt herself in danger and scared, that she should press the button and everything would be better, that she would no longer be scared when she did so.


    With trembling hands, she pressed the button.


    Immediately, a loud, high pitched rm starts ring from all directions outside the house.


    Mira didn''t know what she expected to happen when she pressed the button, but this wasn''t it.


    She had no clue what the sound was for, but it was all too well known to the other upants of the neighbourhood.


    It was a panic rm given to all police officer''s families, for them to use if they were ever in an emergency or under attack.

 Chapter 197: Illusion of freedom

    The rm startled her father, who was about to break into the house looking for Mira.


    She had unknowingly saved her life by pressing the panic rm, as the bloodlust her father was radiating clearly indicated he didn''t have any good intentions for her.


    Considering their rtionship and his hatred for her, it was safe to say that if she didn''t press the panic button, she would end up with an even worse fate than Officer Jones, and she was only a child.


    Alex, seeing this scene y out in real time in front of him, understood now why Mira hated herst name so much.


    Hearing the approaching sirens and seeing themotioning from the neighbours houses, her father fled the scene, disappearing into the early morning shadows.


    Within moments, police vehicles descended from the skies, and officers swarmed out in droves, guns drawn, with the higher ranked Awakened officers fully kitted up in armour and various different types of weapons in their hands.


    "Sweep the area! Find the source of the panic button!" A tall, middle aged man ordered.


    He was the head officer on scene, the chief of their police district.


    It might seem weird for the chief of police to personally respond to the scene of a crime, but this case was different.


    A panic button was activated, which meant one of their own was under attack, or even worse, their family was under attack.


    Normally he also didn''t need to respond to these distress calls, even though he would have loved to, but this time it was much more serious.


    The panic button activated was assigned to an awakened officer, causing it to be regarded as a serious incident right off the bat.


    And there was good reason for it.


    As the officers fanned out, searching the scene, the energy around Officer Jones''s body began to shift. The air grew chaotic, like a storm was brewing in the small suburban streets, with clear blue skies.


    A ck void-like portal opened up above his body, sucking him inside, never to be seen again.


    From the other side, a bat-like creature the size of a small child emerged, screeching and pping its wings menacingly. .


    The police acted quickly, cordoning off the nearby area, with some taking to the skies in their hover cars, blocking the beast from taking flight.


    However, with the police response generated from the panic button, the beast wasn''t a threat to the neighbourhood, especially considering the police chief was there, who happened to be a C- rank awakened.


    Meanwhile, the beast''s rank matched Officer Jones'', so it was only a measly E- rank.


    The head officer, signalling to the other officers to not take any action, summoned a weird object to his hands and led the charge, swiftly neutralising the creature before it could cause any havoc.


    But their relief was short-lived.


    They had failed in their duty of protecting their officer-in-need''s life.


    The ck portal opening up and taking away Officer Jones'' body was evidence enough that he was dead, and they were toote.


    This only left them with questions that needed answering.


    Who killed Officer Jones? Why?


    The normal, unawakened officers emerged from the house, holding a now deactivated panic button and carrying a sobbing Mira in their arms.


    "We found her hiding under a bed, with the panic button still tightly pressed in her hands. She''s the one who activated it."


    The head officer looked at Mira with a mixture of sorrow and pity. "Take her to a safe ce. We need to figure out what happened here."


    When Mira was taken away, the head officer pulled out hismunicator and called a special contact among his list of contacts.


    It rung for a few seconds before it was picked up,


    "Yes?" A drowsy female voice answered from the otherside.


    It was clear she had just woken up, and wasn''t much of a morning person.


    "Requesting help from the irvoyant on street¡­."


    The head officer exined the situation in short but concise enough that the woman on the other end got the full picture.


    "I''ve notified him. He''ll be there in 5 minutes."


    The call ended abruptly there, but the head officer was used to it by now.


    ''With the irvoyant here to rey what happened here, we should be able to identify a suspect and apprehend them.'' He thought to himself, still fuming that one of this own had been killed in such a brutal way, and right in front of his family too.


    ***


    The scene faded at this point, and the space surrounding Alex and Mira transformed back into the white void.


    Alex stood there, still silent, processing what he had just witnessed.


    He turned to Mira, and she had silent tears streaming down her face.


    It was clear that this incident still stung deeply for her, as she cared a lot about Officer Jones, even though her time with him had been short lived.


    But it was because of him that she managed to change her life for the better.


    She had him to be thankful for everything she had today, as he helped her in more ways than she could have known, and her father just had to rip that all away from her and cut her happiness short, all because of his own spite and hatred.


    Alex drew Mira into a tight hug, drawing her close.


    "I''m so sorry," he whispers, his voice filled with sorrow. He didn''t know what else to say.


    He sucked atforting other people. Especially people he cared about.


    The space around them began to warp once more.


    [Your time ofplete privacy is over. Enjoy the illusion of freedom again.]


    The system''s voice was as indifferent as ever, making light of the situation. But Alex was too drained to argue, and besides, he had bigger things to focus on.


    Like Mira.


    He just held her tighter as the space around them warpedpletely, as theta appeared back in his living room in reality.

 Chapter 198: Breaking news!

    "Breaking news! The Pioneer expedition party has been reported to have returned from their 10 year long expedition outside of the Milky way gxy!"


    The moment Alex and Mira returned back to reality, their silence was broken by the sound of the news channel ying on the TV in Alex''s living room.


    "You can let go of me now¡­" Mira spoke, breaking the tense, emotional moment the two of them had.


    Considering they had just been through a whole ordeal of revealing secrets to each other in their own private dimension, they looked rather unfazed by their situation.


    But they had each been through some weird things during their time since bing an awakened, so it would take more than just that to surprise them.


    "This just in, the federation has confirmed the sightings of the expedition party''s ship, and have released a statement regarding their return."


    Meanwhile, the news anchor on the TV continued reading her reports.


    "What''s this about an expedition party? And why is every news channel reporting on it?" Alex asked,pletely unaware that this boldly named ''Pioneer Expedition party'' even existed before this moment.


    He flicked through each channel, but they were all ying the same thing.


    "What''s so important about these guys?" Alex asked once again.


    His confusion only led to more confusion as the images of their ship were literally stered across the screens of every TV channel he changed to.


    Their ship didn''t look very special either, it just looked like the typical federal military destroyer, carrying at max 1000 crew members.


    Such a thing would look intimidating in the pictures, but in reality it was only used mostly as a people carrier.


    The weapons mounted aboard could only damage a C+ rank awakened at most, and that was if they were only Ordinary ss.


    "It says here that they are the only expedition party crazy enough to leave the confines of the Milky way to go explore the void beyond. Their first target was Andromeda, the nearest gxy to our own." Mira spoke.


    She had searched their name up on hermunicator, digging for information about them, as she too was clueless about who they were.


    But it made sense that they hadn''t heard of them before.


    They left the milky way 10 years ago, when they were just kids.


    There was a lot of news and hubbub surrounding this topic around that time, but after that point, it was practically radio silence.


    There was something blocking the Pioneers from sending and receiving signals when they left the confines of the Milky way, so humanity didn''t even hear a single peep from them over thest 10 years.


    "So that''s why there''s such a bigmotion surrounding their return¡­" Alex spoke, letting his thoughts out freely.


    "This just in, it seems the leader of the Pioneers, Ciril Sarjak, has started a public broadcast from his ship, let us tune in to hear what good news he has for us!" The news anchor, a male one this time as Alex had changed the channel, spoke.


    Soon after, the scene changed and the interior deck of a ship could be seen.


    .


    It looked just like the typicalmand centre for any ship of their size.


    But there was one odd thing, there wasn''t a single crew member present¡­


    "That''s weird, where''s Captain Sarjak?" The news anchor spoke.


    Captain Ciril Sarjack was a famous name even before he founded the Pioneer group and headed out on their bold expedition.


    He was an A+ rank adventurer, rumoured to have the potential to reach S tier. It was unknown to the public, but he was also a Mutant ss awakened, on the verge of reaching Variant ss.


    This was the real reason he hadn''t reached S tier yet, as he was waiting to reach Variant ss before he did so.


    "Oh! There he i-" The news anchor''s eyes lit up as he spotted Ciril Sarjak sitting in the captain''s chair as the camera panned around the deck.


    However he froze halfway through his speech, as he spotted something shocking.


    As did the trillions of other viewers currently watching the broadcast.


    Ciril had appeared on the broadcast, however he had a gaping hole in his chest¡­


    *Cough*


    *Wheeze*


    However it seemed he wasn''t dead, as he let out some groans and opened his eyes abruptly.


    "H-help me¡­" He spoke, his voice sounding grisly, like he had half his voice box torn out of his throat.


    Because it had been¡­


    But awakened were resilient, so even with half his voice box gone, he could still speak.


    "T-They attacked us¡­ those monsters¡­ they killed everyone. They were unstoppable¡­"


    His monologue continued as trillions sat watching the broadcast in silence, utterly shocked by what they were seeing.


    The chat box had even abruptly stopped as everyone was too focused on the broadcast itself to engage in any idle chatter.


    "We are not alone¡­"


    The broadcast abruptly cut off.


    ''What the fuck just happened..?''


    Alex didn''t know whether Ciril Sarjak had ended the stream himself, or if someone from the federation of the broadcastpany intervened to end it short.


    However, they were toote, as Ciril''sst sentence still made it through.


    "We are not alone¡­ What did he mean by that?" Alex muttered his thoughts aloud.


    Mira was also thinking the same thing, but before she was able to let out her wild guess of what Ciril could have possibly meant by saying that, the TV crackled with static, bringing both of their attentions back to it.


    The broadcast, which had been abruptly cut off, had somehow booted back up again and was streaming live.


    This time though, it skipped any intermediaries, and was broadcasting directly to every TV,municator, radio etc in the federation.


    Even if the federal officials wanted to cut it off again, they couldn''t.


    The scene of the deck opened up once again, for all viewers to see.


    But this time, they were greeted by a gruesome sight.


    Ciril Sarjak was no more one whole person, but two¡­


    As he had been split in half from the abdomen.


    His lifeless eyes looked helplessly at the camera, many viewers were creeped out as they felt like he was staring directly into their souls as thest light of his life blew out.


    The most shocking thing of all though, was that Ciril was not alone in the room.


    There was a figure standing above him, hunched over.


    A figure that wasn''t human¡­

 Chapter 199: The Final Frontier

    Space.


    Often referred to as ''The Final Frontier'' by many adventurous spirits. wee to NovelBin mp,y,r


    At first, humans conquered the biting cold, with the discovery of fire.


    Then came agriculture, leading humans into conquering hunger.


    And from agriculture, civilisation bloomed.


    The growth of humans was exponential, only getting bigger as time flew by.


    From barely surviving day by day in the wilderness, to bing the dominant species of the Earth, they had slowly built up over time.


    Humans had gone from nothing but small specks of matter that had nearly faced extinction dozens of times throughout their pitiful existence, to the dominators of the Milky way gxy.


    And this was all before the Primordial Expanse opened up its metaphorical doors to the human race.


    And in all this history, not once had humans evere across another sentient species like them, who had their own civilisations and had maybe even spread out into space to conquer their own star systems.


    Not a single one.


    Of course, one might ask about the Primordial Expanse.


    Were there no foreign species in there?


    The answer was no, or at least no one from the federation had ever seen one.


    Nor did the native humans seem to have either.


    When humans first invented warp travel, they had expected toe across hundreds, possibly thousands of equally or possibly even more advanced sentient species of all different shapes and sizes spread out across the milky way.


    But the most they ever found was animal and nt life on others.


    At first, they thought ''Maybe there was once another sentient species that had died out somehow?''


    But nope, there were no ancient ruins, or abandoned dyson structures etc.


    It was almost like the Milky way was a sandbox set up specifically for the Human race to y with by some higher being.


    But they had found no evidence of that either.


    Eventually, they had just given up trying and hade to the conclusion that they were alone in the universe.


    That was, until this day.


    ***


    "What is that¡­"


    "Oh my god¡­"


    "Blegh-"


    The reactions from the trillions of people watching varied quite a lot, with some even throwing up immediately at the scene of Ciril''s lifeless, dismembered bodyying there.


    This came as quite a massive shock to the citizens of the federation, as figures like him, the higher life forms among the awakened were almost idolised like gods.


    And seeing one of their idols fall to such a gruesome fate, live on TV was like the ultimate reality check.


    The non-human figure in the broadcast turned around to face the camera, revealing its full image for the human race to see.


    The being stood tall, its form both alien and terrifying. Its skin was a dark, mottled texture, almost reptilian, and its eyes were a piercing, glowing yellow.


    The figure''s body was muscr, exuding a sense of power and dominance, especially while standing over Ciril''s body.


    The trillions of viewers could barelyprehend what they were seeing.


    "#''@|}{-=~@##''"


    The figure seemed to have spoken.


    It was a harsh and gutturalnguage, not one that humans would be able to understand, sounding like an odd beast.


    The sounds were abrasive, sending a grating shiver down spines across the federation.


    Then, almost as if it were adjusting to the broadcast, thenguage shifted, bing clearer, more structured.


    "Humans," it began, now speaking in the universalnguage of the human race, the one adopted as the officialnguage by the entire federation.


    "Pathetic, weak creatures. You think yourselves the masters of this gxy, the rulers of the stars. Yet you are nothing but insects, crawling in the dirt."


    The figure sneered, its yellow eyes narrowing into slits. "You idolise your so-called awakened ones, but look at them now. Feeble, broken. They are but weaklings on the grand scale of the universe."


    A hush fell over the viewing audience, a collective intake of breath as the alien figure continued.


    "I am Zorath, and Ie from what you call the Andromeda Gxy."


    Zorath leaned closer to the camera, his reptilian face filling the screen. "And now, I know your location."


    A sinister smile spread across his face as he let that sink in for all the people watching.


    The broadcast ended there, for real this time.


    But nobody got up from their seats, nobody went back to what they were originally doing.


    They were all too stunned by what they had just watched.


    Alex and Mira included.


    Panic quickly began to spread as people regained their senses, a ripple effect across the federation as the reality of their situation sank in.


    The human race, thinking themselves invincible in their domain, had just invited a new, unknown enemy into their doors like a trojan horse.


    The peace humans were used to wouldn''tst much longer¡­


    ***


    Soon enough, system messages started appearing in front of every awakened, regardless of if they were in the Primordial Expanse or in the federation.


    They all received the same thing.


    [Announcement: The Protection period hase to a premature end.]


    [The veil has now been lifted.]


    [The fated day hase. You simple creatures have finally figured out that you are not, in fact, special. The universe is not yours alone, and there are an uncountable number of races out there, much stronger than your own. To your misfortune, one of these races found you before your culmination period was able to finish. Good luck, humans. You will need it in theing future.]


    [The system graciously gifts 200 years of free, uninterrupted time to adapt to the Primordial Expanse, and your new status as an awakened race.]


    [However, due to your own hubris, always hungry for more resources, constantly fighting each other, you ventured outside of the protective veil ced around your gxy, hiding you from the outside races.]


    [You brought this upon yourselves, humans. You may think the Primordial Expanse is a dangerous ce. But the real danger has been hidden in your own domain this whole time, your leaders were just too arrogant to realise it.]


    "..."


    "..."


    Alex and Mira were both lost for words.


    Their faces were expressionless as they read the system messages as they came one after the other.


    "The federation really fucked up big time¡­"


    But their emotions were in turmoil.

 Chapter 200: Emergency meeting

    Alex and Mira didn''t leave his living room for the next 30 minutes.


    They just sat there on his couch, deep in their thoughts about the events that had just urred before theirs and trillions of other people''s eyes.


    ''Aliens exist¡­''


    This was the one take Alex got out of the broadcast.


    He was unsure of their existence beforehand, just like most other citizens of the federation.


    They found no evidence of their existence in their own gxy consisting of hundreds of billions of stars and star systems, so what was the likelihood they would exist elsewhere?


    Well, it turns out that it was pretty high.


    However, when he saw the Divine tiger and learned that it, like many other beasts of its ss, had sentience, he became more sceptical.


    After all, there was a saying back in the old days of the human race, when the Earth was still split into countries and humans were warring with each other all the time.


    If there was no evidence of Aliens, it just meant they didn''t want to be found.


    This thinking went in line with what the system had announced to every awakened in and out of the federation.


    They were given a 200 year grace period, where they would bepletely hidden from the universe, so it was pretty obvious that other races that came into contact with it around the same time would be offered the same thing.


    "The future looks bleak for us now¡­" Alex spoke, breaking the tense silence between him and Mira.


    It wasn''t like there was any awkwardness between them.


    They were just too absorbed in their own thoughts that they had forgotten the other was in their presence.


    "Yeah¡­" Mira replied, feeling a mix of anxiety and uncertainty.


    If what that Alien, Zorath, said was true, then humanity would soon be facing their biggest crisis in history.


    Even bigger than the advent of the Primordial Expanse.


    They had no information on their enemy.


    Not how advanced they are technology wise, not how strong they are as a race, nor how many awakened they had, if any at all.


    Meanwhile, they already knew a great deal about the human race, which Zorath had ''kindly'' reminded them of.


    "Announcement: All students and staff please make your way over to the Clearing. ALL students AND staff are required to attend, I repeat, ALL students AND staff are required to attend!"


    Suddenly, an alert red out of a nearby loudspeaker in their neighbourhood.


    The instructions were clear, and anyone with a brain could probably guess that this emergency meeting was rted to the broadcast that had just aired.


    The Clearing where they had to go was the same one the freshmen orientation had taken ce in, as that was the only ce in the university that could fit so many students.


    And considering that all four years were required to attend, there would be millions filling the fields¡­


    "Come, let''s leave before everyone else takes all the good spots." Mira spoke, leading Alex out of the living room, and then the front door by his hand.


    "It seems the old fogeys at the top couldn''t sit still after watching the broadcast. Not even 45 minutes have passed since it ended, and an emergency meeting has been called. I have no doubt this is taking ce at every university across the federation as well."


    The duo caught on to a conversation from students talking nearby.


    From what it seemed like, the federation was taking this incident very seriously, no doubt because of the fact that one of their strongest awakened below S tier, Ciril, was practically toyed with to death before their very eyes.


    And to apletely unknown, new enemy no less.


    "What does the university expect us freshmen to do? It''s not like we''re strong enough to fight! I mean, look at us. Only the top 100 are D tier already, while the rest of us are still trying to make our way out of E tier¡­"


    Alex agreed with this, with Mira having simr thoughts.


    The way things looked, the students were probably going to be conscripted to fight in this uing war.


    But sending the untrained, inexperienced freshmen out as cannon fodder would just be a waste of resources and would only cut off the path for the future generations to grow.


    ''At the very least, there should be some strength requirements for who can fight in this war.''


    Alex thought to himself.


    However, all of this deliberation would be useless until they learned more about who they were up against.


    For all they knew, the worst case scenario could happen, and every member of Zorath''s race could have the strength of an A tier awakened¡­


    If that happened, the humanity was no doubt fucked¡­


    Even with his King ss, S+ rank strength, the Principal would still end up dying to such a foe.


    He may be strong, but he didn''t have infinite stamina.


    The enemy could send a constant barrage of cannon fodder until he ran out of juice, in which case they could go in for the winning blow.


    ''It seems I need to increase my strength rapidly¡­'' Alex mused.


    He was still only a D- rank Mutant.


    It was quite astounding for a freshman to have such a status, but like Zorath said, in the grand scheme of things he was just another speck of dust.


    ''But how do I even know the requirements for reaching the next rank? The system never mentioned anything about that?''


    Alex was confused, as he constantly heard about how there were requirements to be met to rank up.


    But he had never heard of anyone mentioning what they were, nor did anyone seem to be willing to share any info on it.


    However, he decided to use his brain for once, and tried something out.


    ''Since I can find out more information on my talents by putting more focus on them, can''t I do the same with my soul core?''


    Putting his theory into practice, he opened up his details while walking over to the clearing, and poured his concentration on his soul core.


    And sure enough, he had gained a reaction out of it.

 Chapter 201: Uncertain future

    [Soul Core: D- 30%]


    [Requirements for rank up: Kill an enemy 2 ranks above you, of the same ss, without any outside help. (1/1)]


    The requirements showed up in front of Alex when he concentrated on his soul core for 5 seconds.


    And when he saw what he had to achieve, he was a little stunned.


    ''Wait, I''ve already met the requirement?''


    The requirement itself was something that he had already done, and more than once.


    When he saw the 1/1 next to it, he was a little overjoyed.


    But it also posed a question.


    ''This isn''t normal, is it?''


    All things considered, it was asking him, as a D- rank, to kill someone who was at least D+ rank.


    Not to mention the fact they had to be of the same ss.


    For Alex, this was very doable, which he had already proved through his previous fights.


    However, if someone with a more average skill set were given a rank up requirement like this, he could imagine now why so many people had stagnated in the ranks, and why there were so few A tier and S tier awakened.


    The system did say that each requirement would be tailor made and scaled to the person who receives it, but clearly there was still some degree of difficulty to them regardless since so many people struggled to fulfil them, and would likely never do so for the rest of their lives.


    He could see now why the university valued talent''s so much, as these were basically essential if awakened wanted to make it past D- rank¡­


    ''So all I need to do now is absorb maybe 3 or 4 more Variant ss soul orbs, and I''ll be D rank?''


    Now that he didn''t have the requirement to worry about, Alex felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders.


    He had been worried in the back of his mind this whole time that he would never find out what his requirements were to rank up.


    And here he had just found out that not only was it easy to check, but that he had already met them.


    ''I should see what this emergency meeting entails, then I can set out to focus on a n to rank up.''


    Alex would need a steady influx of Variant ss soul orbs if he wanted to keep his previous pace.


    And there were only two ways to achieve that.


    The first was to go back to the Primordial Expanse.


    But Alex didn''t want to do that again so soon, as he had only just returned from a rather traumatic trip there if he was being honest¡­


    Not to mention the fact that he wouldn''t be able to return before he ranked up to D rank.


    If he was unlucky, this could take months, with most of that time being used just searching for Variant ss beasts around his rank.


    Targeting the E tier Variant ss beasts was always an option as well, but that would only yield him like 4% progress, with F tier Variant beasts not even being considered in this.


    Not only were Variant ss F tier beasts extraordinarily rare, rarer than E or D tier ones, but the progress gained from them would be negligible.


    But regardless, Alex wouldn''t pick this option.


    Which only left him with the other option.


    Floodgates.


    This was one of the only ways Awakened could obtain beast cores and rank up outside of the Primordial Expanse.


    And Alex was hoping he could find a mission in the university to help eradicate beasts from such floodgates.


    He was much stronger nowpared tost time, and the likelihood of another Divine beasting through from the Primordial Expanse again was so small that Alex should consider himself the unluckiest person in the universe if it urred again.


    "We''ve arrived."


    Mira brought Alex out of his thoughts as the two of them had just arrived at the clearing, where hundreds of thousands of students from all different years were currently waiting.


    mp-y,r.


    The stage was still there from the freshman orientation, and there was only one man standing on there.


    The Principal.


    Even the staff were forced to stand below in the audience with the students.


    They were far more likely to be conscripted for this war than the untrained, weak students.


    In fact, it was written in their work contracts that they had to answer such a call to arms if a situation ever arose where it was required.


    After another 15 minutes of waiting, thest few students were arriving and just as thest student, still soaked in water from the shower he was taking, arrived in the field, the principal started speaking.


    "If you are not aware, or have not been watching the news over thest hour, then let me inform you now of the reason for this meeting."


    His voice carried across to the 2+ million strong audience of students.


    "The human race is now at ALERT level 1."


    ALERT levels were the system the federation used to quantify threats to humanity.


    It went from level 5, all the way down to level 1.


    Level 1 meant that there was an existential threat, with an uncertain chance of survival.


    There was only one point in history where this threat level had been reached.


    And that was when the first beasts started appearing with the advent of the Primordial Expanse.


    "War has been dered upon us, by a foreign race we still know nothing about, while they know everything about us."


    Over 60% of the students present were watching the broadcast at the time, or had heard from their peers what had happened.


    But for the 40% that didn''t, this was a bombshell they never thought they''d experience.


    It was too much information to take in at once.


    "First, he just said we are facing an existential crisis."


    "And now he''s saying that a foreign race ising with an army to attack us?"


    "Did he just say foreign race? Does that mean Aliens are real?"


    Many students started chattering, shouting and pushing up against each other as chaos ensued among the millions strong audience.


    "SILENCE."


    But things became dead silent with just one shout from the Principal.


    He had leaked a little bit of his aura, spreading it across each and every student and staff present.


    Everyone, regardless of rank, was instantly immobilised, unable to even control their own bodies, as they were forced to do nothing but listen until the Principal released his aura.


    "I know some of you, no, most of you are disgruntled by this revtion. But it is true, and we as a race cannot ignore such a threat. I''m sure some of you have guessed why we are here today. And you have guessed correctly." He continued his speech, this time not hearing a peep from the audience below as they were all still sumbing to his aura.


    "From this moment onwards, all sses will be increased in their intensity. Combat sses will now be mandatory to attend. Unless there is a special case, theory sses will be reduced to bi-weekly sses from weekly sses."


    He took a pause, so each student and staff member could take in this information.


    "From this moment onwards, you will train like your lives depend on it." The Principal let out a deep sigh, showing that even he was feeling unsettled about this situation.


    "Because they do depend on it."

 Chapter 202: Dissatisfaction

    Contrary to their thoughts, the students actually weren''t that disappointed when they heard the words of the Principal.


    Their training regimen was bing a lot more intense and stricter, but was that not the reason they came to the best university in the Federation anyway?


    To receive the best training that there was to offer?


    Only thezy and underachieving students were the ones somewhat dissatisfied about this, as it meant that their free time would basically be taken away from them, which they would usually spend doing something less useful like ying full dive VRMMO games rather than training their actual real life abilities.


    However, for students like Alex, there was also some dissatisfaction among them.


    ''Theory sses will be reduced to one per 2 weeks rather than once a week?''


    Alex was not happy about this in the slightest.


    This would slow down hisprehension of the Soul drastically, as there would now be less soul studies sses for him to attend.


    He hadn''t even gained anyprehension from the first ss, and he wasn''t sure that he would from the second one either.


    At the rate he was going, the war with Zorath''s race would start before he actually gained anything meaningful.


    And Alex, as bold as he was, decided to voice out this dissatisfaction.


    "Mr Principal, I disagree with you on decreasing the frequency of the theoretical sses, please reconsider your decision on those!"


    Alex pushed arge portion of his energy into his voice to enable it to travel over the millions of other students'' voices and reach the ears of the Principal on stage.


    However, as a side effect of this, it meant that all of the millions of students present heard his voice too.


    And they all turned in his direction, giving him thousand yard stares as they pitied him and ridiculed him for questioning the decisions of the Principal.


    Mira understood Alex''s plight though, especially now that she had been fully exposed to the effects of Alex''s Soulforge talent.


    He didn''t have the time to exin to her his reason for attending the Soul studies sses, as they were rudely interrupted by the casual deration of war on the human race by this unknown Alien race.


    But she was smart enough to make an educated guess, which wouldn''t really be hard when one had all the facts like her.


    If Alex coulde to that same conclusion, then Mira sure as hell could.


    "Who are you to question the Principal''s ruling, huh?"


    "Keep your mouth shut, kid, you don''t want to experience the kinds of things we''ll do to you if you don''t."


    All kinds of dissatisfied voices floated his way, some more passive than others.


    But for the ones that threatened him with actual violence, Alex just released his aura upon them, and that quickly shut most of them up.


    Except for a few second years or higher, who just lifted their eyebrows in surprise when they felt Alex''s aura.


    They had much more experience and training time with the university, so Alex''s aura wasn''t strong enough to cow them into submission yet.


    But it did send his message across that he wouldn''t be so easy to mess with.


    "Your Soul Studies ss will be safe from this change. I did say ''unless there is a special case,'' and the Soul studies sses are one of such special cases. There is no need to worry."


    This time only one voice was carried across to Alex, but only he could hear it.


    It was the Principal, and he had alleviated Alex''s dissatisfactions in an instant with this one message.


    His face went from scrunched up in a frown to a cid, subtle smile in an instant.


    The other students nearby also noticed this change.


    ''The Principal must have scolded him for his insolence, hmph! As he deserves!''


    They attributed his change of expression to him being scolded, but not wanting to reveal his embarrassment on the outside.


    But Alex couldn''t care less for their own fantasies they were creating in their minds, as he was only interested in what benefitted himself, and Mira.


    With the smallmotion caused by Alex over now, the Principal continued speaking, to the whole crowd this time.


    "The frequency of missions avable will also be ramped up, offering a 5x increase in the number of missions avable at each time, as the awakened association''s own mission boards will be integrated into our own system for the time being.


    These missions may be more enticing to some of you, as you can receive both the Awakened Association''s rewards, as well as the university''s awards forpleting them."


    This news brought excitement out of each and every student in the audience, including Alex, who was just earlier thinking about taking on missions to increase his levelling speed.


    The fact that there were essentially double the rewards avable for these missions was also a very big motivator for the more daring students.


    "However, there will also be some changes made to the mission system." The Principal spoke again, causing the excited students to hold their breaths as they prepared to hear the bad news.


    "Previously, only second year students onwards were allowed to take on these missions." He continued.


    ''What? I didn''t know this!'' Alex thought to himself.


    He had a feeling that the Principal was about to announce a change to this rule, but if he didn''t, then Alex would be in some deep shit.


    His only other option for ranking up would be to take another trip to the Primordial Expanse, but that was only ast resort.


    "But, considering the fickle situation of the Federation right now, we havee to the decision to allow first year students to take on these missions. BUT, only if we deem them fit to do so through our own evaluations."


    Hearing this, the second to fourth year students all sucked their teeth, as this was bad news for them.


    With the first years now being allowed to take on these missions, it only meant that they had even morepetition. only found at NovelBin _e-mp|y,r


    Sure, the frequency of missions was increasing by 5x, but one had to consider the fact that there were millions of students all vying for these missions, and now with probably hundreds of thousands of new students joining them, thepetition would only be more fierce.


    A 5x increase in the frequency of missions might have sounded like a lot, but that was without considering all of the other background details.


    Like the fact that beforehand, the averagepletion rate for these missions among the students was a measly 10%.


    This wasn''t because they were so dangerous or anything like that.


    No, it was simply because the number of students that could take on the same mission wasn''t restricted, but only one student, or one group could actuallyplete it.


    This left all of the others with wasted time and another failure under their belt.


    Thepletion rate was higher for the stronger and more talented students, but it still only neared 40%.


    This system might seem very stupid to some, but it was the best the university had to offer.


    It wasn''t like they engineered these missions themselves.


    These missions were real, with billions of lives being at risk each day until a strong awakened or university studentes over toplete the mission.

 Chapter 203: A week

    Thankfully though, these missions weren''t thatmon.


    If they were, the federation wouldn''t be as safe as they imed it to be.


    But there still were millions of people at risk all over the federation from situations like rogue awakened going on killing sprees, floodgates opening on remotes, or awakened dying, causing a beast of equal rank and ss to cross over from the Primordial Expanse.


    These were just a few examples of the types of missions that could be offered.


    Alex only had these floodgate missions in his mind though.


    For one, if he were lucky and encountered a Mutant ss beast through one of them, and even luckier to obtain a Soul orb from ying it, then he would be one step closer to reaching D rank.


    It would be even better if he could find a Variant ss beast...


    Secondly, these missions were popr among students.


    As they were one of the only types of missions where no matter how many students epted the mission, they wouldn''t fail it as long as they just showed up and participated.


    Their rewards would be dependent on their contribution to suppressing the situation.


    "And finally, before we end this emergency meeting, I have one more thing to say."


    The Principal ended the chatter among the students with just a flick of his hand, suppressing them all from speaking or moving once again.


    "Your new schedules will arrive as soon as this meeting is over in a few moments. You are not to go back to your dorm and ck off. We are now in wartime, and any acts of rebelliousness orziness will be punished much more harshly than normal."


    As the Principal finished his speech, the sound of millions ofmunicators pinging simultaneously started to echo across the clearing, notifying each and every student of their new schedules.


    ''The higher ups must have the administration team working overtime¡­ Pushing out millions of new schedules and organising such an emergency meeting before even an hour passed since the broadcast is insane,'' Alex thought, impressed at the efficiency of the school.


    But what he was unaware of was the fact that there was no administration team¡­


    There was only one, central AI that controls the university''s day to day affairs, and it had only taken a few microseconds to create these new schedules.


    ''Let''s take a look at my new schedule then.''


    Alex looked down at hismunicator, just like everyone else.


    ''Combat sses first, huh? Sounds good to me.''


    This would actually be his firstbat ss, if he didn''t count thebat assessment as one.


    But after hisst performance in that assessment, he had no doubts that this would be anything but easy for him.


    He wasn''t bothered about whether he would be ced in the same ss as Niks, as he had already moved past that incident.


    He had bigger things to worry about now.


    ***


    Over the next week, Alex had attended all sorts of sses, as stipted by the university''s new rules.


    His days now consisted of 12 hours training, whether at home or in sses, 8 hours of allotted sleep time, and 4 hours for other misceneous tasks like eating, breaks etc.


    Overall, it wasn''t actually that much different to his normal schedule¡­


    But he could imagine how the other,zier students were feeling right now.


    They probably only did a tenth of the intensity of this training before the rules were changed, and he could only look on with schadenfreude each time he stepped into a ss and saw them struggling to keep up.


    ''They brought it upon themselves.''


    Alex didn''t like people like that, the ones who had high talent and potential, but took it for granted.


    But moving on, Alex had actually gotten lucky with a few of his sses, specifically his strategy sses, and hisbat sses.


    This was because Mira had actually been assigned to the same ss as him!


    Considering the size of this year''s freshmen group, and the fact that each ss was only at maximum 200 students, the likelihood of them even making it in one ss together was low.


    He suspected that some strings were pulled by someone higher up to make it happen for them, but there was no conclusive evidence of any such thing taking ce.


    Besides, he wouldn''t know who would do such a thing for them either, as he didn''t really know any of the Professors that well, other than Professor Will. .


    But Professor Will didn''t have any pull in what sses he or Mira could be in, so it couldn''t have been him.


    He had made some solid progress over thest week, even nearingpletion of the first stage of his Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    By focusing his concentration on only one finger at a time, he was able to make much more progress than before, and he was nearly there now.


    He had already moved the energy from his arms, legs and abdomen to his chest area, specifically in his heart.


    Now, all he had left was to direct the energy in his head towards his heart.


    He had left this section forst as the scroll said it would by far be the hardest section toplete.


    The head was a very delicate area because of the brain, and if he messed even one tiny little thing up, it could cause a snowball effect of bad things that could happen, and he could either end up as a vegetable, or even dead.


    He sat down in a meditative position in his dorm''s training area, giving a nod to Mira to say he was ready.


    Alex had called Mira along for this session.


    Considering the danger, he wanted her to be there to pull him back before any life threatening damages took ce, should anything go wrong.


    Speaking of Mira, Alex had decided to give her some of the Mutant ss D tier beast cores he had lying there in his storage artifact.


    The reason was simple, it was so that she could reach D tier.


    This gracious gift from Alex was only a one time thing though, as Mira said that she wanted to work hard and earn her own beast cores from then on.


    She didn''t like taking hand outs, but she was tired of falling behind others, specifically the D tier students.


    She may be second on the overall freshman rankings, but she wasn''t second ranked in strength.


    Especially now that she had to use her Call of the Void sparingly, after finding out that there were many hidden dangers involved with using it.


    By using these beast cores, she was only catching up with everyone else.


    Besides, she couldn''t really rely on these hand outs from D tier onwards anyway, as she would have to meet requirements to rank up just like every other awakened when they reached that rank.


    "Are you sure you want to do this now?" Mira asked, concerned for Alex''s safety.


    She was still sceptical of Alex''s decision to only have her supervising him while he attempted the breakthrough to stage one of his Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    Mira felt that having someone like a professor who was much more experienced in the subject would be a much better option.


    But Alex had insisted on her being the one watching him.

 Chapter 204: Breaking through

    ''Just¡­ huff¡­ a bit¡­ huff¡­ more¡­''


    Alex sat in the same meditative position, sweat covering every nook and crevice of his body.


    It had been an hour since he had started practising his Heart of the Phoenix technique, a drastic improvement since the first time he had learned it.


    And now, he was nearing in on breaking through to stage 1.


    He had already moved the chaotic energy from his head down to his neck, and now all he had to do was move all of the umted energy in his neck down to his heart, and then the breakthrough should bepleted.


    On the side, Mira was still watching intently, like she had been doing the whole time, waiting to see if Alex made any slip ups.


    She was hoping he wouldn''t, but he had already gotten past the most concerning part of moving the energy away from his brain, so the likelihood of turning into a vegetable was drastically weakened.


    But it was still a small possibility, so she stayed focused.


    After another 10 minutes, Alex was at the final stretch.


    He could feel the intense feeling of all his energy pooling up inside his chest, specifically inside his heart.


    And he was just about to finish moving thest strand of energy,pleting the process.


    ''And.... Complete!''


    He let out a deep breath of exhaustion as a smile stered across his face.


    The feeling of aplishing something you set out to do was always a blissful feeling.


    However, just as he was about to stand up and announce the good news to Mira, he felt something strange.


    Specifically, he felt something strange inside his body.


    Something¡­ hot.


    ''What is this? What''s happening??''


    On its own, the newly created ball of energy in his heart started revolving, increasing in its eleration with each revolution.


    It only took it a few seconds before it reached incredible speeds, but this wasn''t good news for Alex.


    The ball of energy was situated in his heart, the second most delicate organ in his body.


    It was already under a lot of strain after he had justpleted the first stage of the technique, and it hadn''t had enough time to stabilise and recuperate before this strange phenomenon started.


    It didn''t take long for Mira to notice something off as well, and from her view, it looked like something had gone wrong with his breakthrough.


    She leaped forwards, concern etched into her face, and ced her hands on Alex''s back.


    This was the protocol they had discussed.


    If Alex were to fail in his breakthrough and have his energy go haywire, he wanted Mira to jump in and through the connection between her hands and his body, force the chaotic energy out of him and release it into the outside world.


    But the moment she ced her hands on his back, she recoiled backwards in shock, as she felt an intense jolt of pain pass through her hands the moment they touched Alex.


    She looked down, and found that the skin on her palms was almost burned to a crisp¡­


    But there wasn''t any indication that Alex''s body was so hot, which confused her deeply.


    It lookedpletely fine¡­


    Meanwhile, for Alex everything was the opposite.


    He felt like his whole body was burning from the inside out, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    His whole body had stiffened up the moment hepleted the breakthrough.


    He couldn''t even blink, as his eyelids were practically glued open. Nor could he even move his eyes, he was stuck, staring at the same spot on the ground.


    Until finally, his whole body became alight with mes.


    "W-What¡­ What is happening¡­"


    Mira gawked at the sight before her,pletely dumbfounded by what she was seeing.


    It looked just like the times Alex activated his Phoenix fury technique, only 10 times as intense.


    .


    But she quickly started to panic as something seemed to be going wrong with Alex.


    Normally, he would be perfectly fine surrounded by mes like this.


    But she could see through the thick orange lights, and Alex''s skin was peeling off, and his whole body was slowly bing charred.


    "No! Alex!"


    She screamed, tears in her eyes as she watched the person she loved the most suffer this fate.


    But there was nothing she could do.


    "P-Please don''t die!"


    Tears started streaming down her face as she watched the horrific scene going on before her eyes.


    But there was still a tiny little bit of hope left in her heart.


    She pulled out hermunicator, and called a number in her list of contacts.


    Ring¡­.


    Ring¡­.


    Ring¡­.


    It took her four attempts at calling to get through to the person on the other side.


    "M-Mr Principal, please help! It''s Alex¡­ Please help¡­. Please¡­."


    She had called the Principal of Capital Prime, one of the most esteemed figures in the entire federation.


    Nobody knew this, not even Alex, but the Principal had given her his own private number to call after the announcements surrounding the new war ns had been made.


    After the emergency meeting regarding the deration of war by the Alien race, everyone had dispersed.


    But when Mira arrived back at her dorm, she found the Principal sitting on her couch, eating a bag of chips.


    She couldn''t process what was happening at first, but the Principal exined it to her as simply and vaguely as he could.


    He told her that her talent, Call of the Void, would be extremely vital at some point in the war, but he didn''t tell her the reasons for it.


    He only ended the short conversation between them with that, and he handed her the half eaten bag of chips, before disappearing from her sightpletely just a momentter.


    The Principal didn''t give her a reason or any instructions about calling him, and she didn''t care anything about that at the moment, as she just wanted Alex to live.


    And when the Principal saw the state Alex was in through the holographic video on the other side, even he was shocked.


    The other important figures in the meeting he was in all looked on at him with annoyance, as hismunicator rang four times, disturbing them, and now he had just taken a call while they were in an important meeting regarding the ns for dealing with this Alien race.


    But they couldn''t speak up, as the Principal was the most forefront authority in that room, and they could only sigh in resignation when they saw him disappear from his seat.


    "I guess we''ll end the meeting here. Let''s reconvene tomorrow, when the Principal deals with whatever this is that''se up."

 Chapter 205: Shock

    Just a moment after Mira''s call with the Principal ended, he appeared right in front of her.


    He only nced at Mira for a moment before he determined she wouldn''t be able to help him with the state she was in.


    Emotions were good, they were what made us human. But Mira''s emotions right now would only hinder her.


    "What happened here?" The Principal asked Mira, but kept his eyes trained on Alex at all times.


    Alex looked like he was experiencing the typical processes burn victims go through, only 100x slower.


    "H-He was attempting a breakthrough to the first stage of his Energy Condensing technique¡­ it all seemed fine for the first hour, but then this happened out of nowhere¡­ *sob* Please help him Principal!"


    Mira pushed out an exnation through her tears, receiving a nod from the Principal as he looked inquisitively at Alex.


    ''What on Earth caused this reaction from the kid?''


    Even while standing right in front of him, he couldn''t tell what was wrong with him.


    He inspected Alex''s energy, but that seemed fine. In fact it seemed more than fine, it seemed harmonious.


    Like he had already seeded in breaking through to the first stage of his energy condensing technique¡­


    "What Energy Condensing technique is he using?" He asked Mira.


    He knew of every technique that the university held in their arsenal, but he hadn''t heard of any of them having a reaction like this after breaking through.


    "H-Heart of the Phoenix¡­"


    Mira replied meekly.


    ''Heart of the Phoenix huh? That''s an interesting and rtively powerful technique, and it would exin why he''s burning so slowly, since he''s probably regenerating at incredible speeds while constantly receiving the pain and torture of his body burning to a crisp.''


    The Principal thought to himself.


    This was at least one good bit of news, as it meant that Alex had much more time before he reached a point beyond redemption, where he couldn''t be saved.


    It gave the Principal more time to figure out how to save him.


    ''But this still doesn''t exin why this phenomenon is happening to him.''


    His thoughts reached a standstill, and the Principal looked like he had hit a roadblock.


    This rarely happened to him at his rank, and with the abundance of experience he held within him.


    And he didn''t like it one bit.


    With nothing elseing to mind, he decided to take action.


    ''This girl was too weak to help him. I can onlymend her for trying though, she must really love him.''


    The Principal noticed the burned skin and ck marks on Mira''s hands, which indicated she had already tried.


    He respected her for this, as not many people would take such a risk to their own lives for the sake of trying to save another.


    Moving at a normal pace, he approached Alex from behind.


    Alex was still in the same position he had been when it started.


    He was in the motion of standing up from the meditative position, half crouched and half slouched over from the moment he clutched his chest in pain.


    Copying the same actions as Mira did before she called him, he reached his hands forward to press onto Alex''s back.


    He had the same intention as Mira, to draw the chaotic energy out of Alex''s body.


    But contrary to Mira, he would absorb the energy himself, to study it.


    He was curious to find out what caused this phenomenon, and he had a feeling the root cause had something to do with Alex''s energy.


    However, Mira, as well as the Principal were utterly shocked by what happened.


    The Principal couldn''t even draw his hands in close to Alex, as he felt pain immediately overwhelm his hands, which wasn''t a big problem for someone with his willpower, but there was a bigger issue at hand.


    His hands were in the same state as Mira''s¡­


    He, a King ss S+ rank awakened, was injured by the mes surrounding Alex''s body.


    Even he had to take a step back and look at his hands in shock, as this was never something he would have considered to happen.


    ''This is much more serious than I thought.''


    His hands regenerated back to their peak form in seconds, but the shock from what had just urred still lingered.


    But something didn''t make sense to him.


    If his hands were injured so easily, then how was Mira alive right now?


    If she put her hands anywhere near the mes surrounding Alex, she''d be burnt to ash in a matter of milliseconds.


    Yet she had received the same injury as the Principal.


    "Tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning to end. Describe everything, I don''t care how small or insignificant the details seem." .


    He instructed Mira with a very stern tone, emphasising to Mira how serious this situation was.


    Just like he asked, Mira recounted from beginning to end, not forgetting to add every minor detail she could remember.


    For awakened like them, their memory was impable, so everything she described was urate, straight from her memories like a video on yback.


    After a few minutes passed, the Principal understood the bigger picture more clearly now.


    ''I see, so she ced her hands on him right as she noticed when something had gone wrong with Alex, before these mysteriously strong mes appeared. That exins how she''s not dead right now.''


    The Principal didn''t forget to remind her of this, of how lucky she was to be alive.


    If she had even kept her hands on Alex a second longer, then she''d probably had lost her arms, or perhaps even her life.


    This left her shocked, but it only made her even more worried and terrified for Alex.


    She had only experienced that pain for a fraction of a second, while Alex was undergoing that pain constantly for the past 10 minutes.


    She couldn''t even imagine what Alex must be feeling, both physically and emotionally in that state.


    But contrary to both Mira''s and the Principal''s thoughts, Alex was in quite a¡­ unique state¡­


    In fact, he didn''t even feel any pain at all now.


    ''Where am I?''


    Because he wasn''t even in his physical body anymore¡­

 Chapter 206: Where?

    ''Where am I?''


    Alex felt utterly confused as he asked himself this question.


    One second, he was standing among the mes, feeling each and every cell in his body be ripped apart, burned to ash, and regenerate hundreds of times every second.


    Then the next second, all of that pain and suffering was gone, as he felt his soul suddenly be sucked into this ce.


    ''Is this¡­?''


    He looked around, and the ce seemed oddly familiar to him, but he couldn''t quite put a name to it.


    His mind was a little bit messy after he had been exhausted by the breakthrough to the first stage of his Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    But strangely, while in this ce, he felt himself be rapidly more energised.


    He felt his mind feel a lot more rejuvenated.


    ''This is my inventory space! But why, and how am I here?''


    With his mind now clear enough to think straight, Alex had finally recognised where he was.


    But that only brought more questions to light.


    He looked around himself, but the ce just looked as empty as it always did.


    It had been over a month since he hade back from the Primordial Expanse, and he had already exhausted his reserves of Soul orbs long ago.


    Without a constant source of beasts to hunt, his progress halted and he could only focus on other aspects of his strengths, hence why he was so focused on practising his Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    It was also the reason why Alex wanted to go on a mission to a Floodgate so badly, as that right now was still his only option to gain more Soul orbs and rank up.


    ''So¡­ What am I supposed to do in this ce? Why exactly am I here?''


    But Alex was still stumped on the reason for him being transported to this ce all of a sudden.


    Even though he couldn''t think of a reason for being transported there though, he could still make valuable use of the time he had there.


    After all, it was the only moment of respite he had over thest few hours since the pain had started.


    And he decided to use this time to strategize.


    ''I need to rank up, I can''t just stay as a D tier forever¡­ But how am I supposed to take on a mission? The university denied my request to take on a mission thest time I tried, so why would it be different the next time?''


    This was true.


    Alex had already tried to apply for missions, but as a first year he was required to go through a screening process before he could ept any.


    However the response he got back from them was immediate.


    ''It''s too early to go out on any missions, focus on your training for now.''


    Was what themittee overseeing his request said.


    But that just sounded like some bullshit to Alex if he was being honest.


    What ''too early''? He was the first ranked freshman for god''s sake!


    Realistically, he was stronger than 80% of the second years already, so what the hell was stopping him from going out on missions other than the stupidmittee?


    He had been meaning to take this up with someone even further up the university food chain, but he hadn''t had the time yet due to how packed his schedule was over the past week.


    The Principal didn''t joke when he said that everyone''s training would be kicked up multiple notches, though Alex himself always took it a step further and trained himself even harder than the university required him to.


    That''s just what he was used to already.


    However, Alex already had a n for taking on missions, and he was already currently in the process of executing that n as he sat there, floating in the midst of his empty inventory.


    His n was a two stage process.


    The first stage of this he had already achieved, it was to break through to the first stage of Heart of the Phoenix, giving him a boost in both his power as well as increasing his energy reserves.


    But he just needed to survive whatever was happening to him at the moment¡­


    The second stage of his n was much moreplicated.


    It was to gain moreprehension into souls and reveal more about his Soulforge.


    He was hoping that he could gain thisprehension from the next Soul studies lecture he would attend, which happened to be the next day.


    But because of how unknown and uncertain the whole thing was, he couldn''t be sure of this.


    The best case scenario was that he could gain theprehension he was looking for tomorrow, and finally have more information about his Soulforge be revealed to him.


    But the worst case scenario¡­ He didn''t want that to happen at all.


    If he were really that unlucky, he could be stuck in this weird limbo for months. Attending each week''s Soul studies ss, but not gaining anyprehension into souls even after months of learning about them.


    However one thing was for certain.


    He had to make it through this damn painful ordeal before he thought any further about these ns!


    ***


    Over an hour had passed now, yet Alex was still in the same state as he had been since those mysterious mes had erupted from all over his body.


    The Principal had already given up on trying to actively help, and could only stand on the sidelines with Mira to watch Alex closely, documenting every change and small detail in dramatic detail in his mind.


    This was a never before witnessed or experienced phenomenon as far as he was concerned, so this could be some very valuable research material, whether Alex survived or not.


    "Please¡­ Pleasee back to us Alex!"


    Mira silently hoped and prayed to herself. Her tears had long already dried up and run out.


    All that was left was a despondent look on her face.


    "Something''s different¡­"


    But word from the Principal brought her thoughts back to reality as she looked on with the small amount of hope she had left.

 Chapter 207: Phoenix

    The Principal had been watching Alex closely for the whole hour he had been doused in those mes, so he noticed a change in Alex immediately.


    And what he noticed wasn''t good at all.


    He magnified his vision by many magnitudes, something any S tier could easily do.


    His vision was brought to the cellr level, and he could see each and every one of Alex''s cells clearly like he was viewing them through the world''s most advanced microscope.


    And what he saw left him feeling pity for Alex.


    His cells were slowly losing energy, and their regeneration speed was slowing down.


    For reference, if it took Alex 1 second to regenerate at the beginning of this whole ordeal, then it now took him 2 seconds.


    It didn''t seem like much, but it was a big deal.


    "What is it, Principal!?"


    Mira looked at the Principal with the small amount of hope she had remaining, some light still flickering in her eyes.


    But her hope was like a small fire doused with a bucket of water as she saw the pitying look on the Principal''s face.


    He shook his head at her, and let out a small exnation.


    "I''m afraid he won''t be able to take much more of this. It has taken a toll on his body and it can''t take much strain anymore."


    This exnation left Mira heartbroken.


    She didn''t have any more tears left to cry. She just looked off at Alex with an empty look on her face, like she had lost all hope.


    ''I should have stepped in earlier¡­ I should have stopped him before all of this could happen¡­ I should¡­.''


    She started to me herself for what was happening to Alex.


    She was the one who was supposed to watch over his break through process and step in if something were to go wrong.


    And now, because of ''her'' ipetence, Alex was going to die¡­


    She couldn''t handle the pain and heartbreak.


    She had only felt this feeling once before, with Officer Jones''s tragic demise at the hands of her father¡­


    ''Please, I don''t know what I''ll do without Alex¡­''


    Mira prayed and prayed, but in the end, no miracle surfaced from her prayers.


    After another 10 minutes of watching in silence, the mes finally died down, and disappeared entirely soon after.


    The Principal approached the spot where Alex had been standing the entire time, but Alex wasn''t there any longer.


    All that was left of him was a pile of ash.


    ''Such a pity, he was one of the most Promising kids I''ve seen from this generation.''


    He took onest look at what had once been Alex, and turned around with a sigh as he turned to leave the now silent dorm.


    He felt it best to leave Mira to grieve alone.


    To Mira, the silence without Alex was deafening.


    ''He''s gone¡­''


    She was older, and more experienced now. Compared to when she had lost Officer Jones, she felt this loss even heavier.


    She closed her eyes, and picked up a pile of Alex''s ash.


    ''This is all that''s left of him¡­''


    She gripped it tightly in her hands, holding it close to her chest.


    She was about to stand up and take it to a storage container, to keep a part of Alex''s remains safe and close.


    But when she stood up, she found that the ash had mysteriously disappeared from her hands.


    In her depressed state, she couldn''t think clearly, and she just thought that she must have dropped it in her clumsiness, which only made her feel guilty.


    But as she opened her eyes, she couldn''t help but step back in shock.


    "What''s going on¡­"


    She eximed loudly, thinking out loud.


    The Principal heard her cries from outside the house, and he immediately appeared right back next to Mira.


    There was only one thing that could get Mira to react like that after what had just happened, and it was Alex.


    Only something to do with Alex could make Mira react so emotionally while she was in such a grieving state, so he decided to make the decision to return and see what was going on.


    And when he arrived, he was just as shocked as Mira.


    In fact, he couldn''t remember thest time he was this shocked¡­


    It must have been at least 100 or so years, when he witnessed the arrival of the Primordial Expanse and the awakened¡­


    ''It can''t be¡­ I thought those tales were all but legends¡­''


    As he watched the scene urring before his very eyes, he could only berate himself for not realising this sooner.


    ''Heart of the Phoenix¡­ Fire¡­ Ash¡­ It all makes sense now!''


    He had pieced together the puzzle surrounding Alex''s mysterious phenomenon, but he almost couldn''t believe it.


    ''The legend of the Phoenix¡­ It''s true!''


    He remembered an old folks tale he had heard during one of his many travels in the Primordial Expanse, back when he was just a lowly D tier awakened like Alex and Mira.


    There were only a few publicly known Divine beasts to the natives of the Primordial Expanse.


    The Phoenix was one of such beasts.


    But the Phoenix was also different from the other publicly known divine beasts.


    It was revered almost like a god among some tribes of natives, and its stories were almost like Myth.


    There were even rumours among the higher ranked awakened that the Phoenix might hold the clues to a ssification above even Divine rank, but those were all baseless, unfounded rumours.


    But there were also a few fact checked sources that said the Phoenix was killed during a battle with other Divine beasts tens of thousands of years prior, which clearly went against the theory of it being of a mysterious ss above Divine ss.


    However there was one story he had heard about Phoenixes that had stuck with him all this time.


    It said that they were essentially immortal, that they would rise from the ashes to be reborn again.


    It could happen mere seconds after their death, or it could happen millions of yearster, but they would be reborn.


    And right before him, Alex was going through such a process.


    The Ash on the floor had started moving on its own, forming a human shaped figure, until only a few momentster, Alex had reappeared in his naked form.

 Chapter 208: Assimilation

    10 minutes earlier


    While Alex was busy thinking of his ns for the near future, he was forcibly pulled out of his concentration.


    Out of nowhere, the entire space that surrounded him in his inventory started to spontaneouslybust.


    The ce became alight with mes in mere moments, and before Alex knew it, even his spiritual body was too.


    However instead of pain, all he felt was confusion at seeing this happen.


    ''What the fuck is going on?'' He thought.


    And soon enough, it seemed like the system was actually going to give him an answer for once.


    [Technique: Heart of the Phoenix has resonated with technique: Phoenix fury¡­ beginning assimtion process¡­]


    He watched as this prompt appeared before his spiritual body, but it disappeared soon after, reced by another prompt.


    [Assimtion process halted¡­ Talent: [me] has resonated with the two techniques¡­ Adding it to the assimtion¡­]


    For some reason, it seemed to Alex that even the system was struggling with this whole ordeal, it didn''t usuallymunicate with him so rigidly.


    All of the other times it would provide him with some quip and witty humour, usually targeted at Alex himself.


    But now, there was nothing of the sort.


    However Alex put this thought aside for the time being, as he had much more important things to focus on.


    Such as not dying to this raging fire!


    He may not be able to feel pain, as he was just a spiritual body, but he could still see that the mes were slowly burning away at the edges of this space itself, as well as his soul.


    It had already burned his toes and fingers to ash, as they were the most vulnerable areas.


    ''Hurry up with the fucking assimtion, system! Or I won''t even be alive to enjoy the effects of this when it''splete!''


    He egged the system on, but there was no reaction from its side.


    Instead all he could do was wait in silence for the process to be over.


    But he waited and waited and there was no indication of any of the mes stopping their rampage.


    Over 9 minutes had passed by now, and all that was left of the inventory space was the small area Alex was upying, and all that was left of Alex''s spiritual body was his head¡­


    ''Please¡­ Fuck¡­''


    Alex had practically given up all hope at this point.


    He waited for the final 10 minutes, but his consciousness faded into nothingness as the final spark consumed the remaining piece of his spiritual body.


    ''Fuck¡­ you¡­ system¡­''


    Those were hisst words before he was gone.


    ***


    [Assimtionplete.]


    [Techniques: Phoenix Fury, Heart of the Phoenix havebined with Talent: me. For further details check your Talent tab. (P.s. You''re one lucky son of a bitch, Alex.)]


    Alex awoke back in the real world just a few momentster, which hepletely didn''t expect.


    ''What just happened¡­ I thought I was going to die?''


    He tried to make sense of the situation, but he just couldn''t.


    Instead, he focused on what he could make sense of.


    Such as the two people standing in front of him.


    ''Mira and¡­ the Principal? What the hell is he doing here?''


    He had expected to see Mira, but he never expected for there to be a second person in his living room. Let alone someone with such a prestigious status as the Principal.


    He wondered how the Principal even came to be here.


    Did he sense themotion in Alex''s living room?


    All Alex could do was guess before he actually asked him for the real answer.


    ''Though I doubt Mira was the one to call him over, haha! I know her well enough to know she doesn''t have connections like that.''


    While Alex was busy in his own thoughts, the other two were also standing there in the silence of the living room, taking in what they were seeing.


    The Principal was the first toe back to his senses, and he spoke.


    "How do you feel?" He asked, referring to Alex.


    Alex, not expecting the Principal to be the one engaging in conversation with him, had to take a second before he answered.


    ''Wait, how do I feel?''


    He had been so preupied with making sense of this new and odd situation, that he had forgotten to even inspect himself.


    ''Woah! What the f-''


    But the instant he used his Spatial perception, he felt the difference instantly.


    His previous range was anywhere between 30-50 metres.


    But now, he could sense well over 200 metres away!


    ''What happened to my inventory?''


    But there were changes all around, it seemed, as Alex was just as shocked when he checked his inventory.


    Previously, the space looked like it could upy the same amount of area as his living room, but now, he felt it might be as big as his whole neighbourhood!


    ''These changes are just too absurd¡­''


    "I feel fucking great!" Alex blurted out, forgetting he was in the presence of the Principal.


    Instant regret filled him when he cursed at the Principal, but as the man he was now, he didn''t bother correcting himself. He just embraced the shame.


    However it seemed the Principal wasn''t bothered at all with Alex''s ''unusual'' answer, and instead decided to get a closer look at Alex''s body.


    He got up close, REAL close to Alex.


    There were probably only a few centimetres between the two of them, making Alex a little bit nervous.


    With his hand on his chin, clearly contemting something, the Principal looked Alex''s body all over, cing his hands on one of Alex''s muscles from time to time, squeezing a little bit, then letting go.


    "Hmmm, try punching me."


    ''Huh?''


    Alex thought he heard wrong at first.


    Did the Principal, a King ss S tier awakened, just ask him to punch him?


    "Uhh, are you sure sir?"


    Alex was a little, no, very unsure about this.


    He didn''t want to offend one of the strongest people in the federation and get on his bad side¡­


    "It''s not like you''ll even be able to hurt me. I just want to test out your strength. Go on, give it a try."


    But the Principal just egged him on with a slight smirk on his face.

 Chapter 209: Questions without answers

    Since the Principal insisted, Alex decided to go along with this test.


    "Uhh, okay¡­"


    He assumed a stance like a boxer, so that he could maximise his output.


    And when he was ready¡­


    Whoosh!


    He threw a punch as hard as he could at the Principal''s stretched out palm.


    Smack!


    And¡­


    Nothing happened.


    Alex didn''t even push the Principal''s hand back, nor did he even feel any shockwaves from the connection between his fist and the Principal''s hand.


    It was like his whole attack was cancelled out¡­


    ''Just a glimpse into an S tier''s strength and I''m already confused.''


    Alex didn''t get how thews of physics and kic energy just didn''t seem to apply to his attack just now, but he saved his questions forter.


    First, he wanted to hear what the Principal had to say.


    "What ssification are you Alex? Variant ss?"


    The Principal asked Alex a question before he revealed the results of his sudden test.


    "Huh? No sir, I''m a Mutant ss. I haven''t had the time nor the luck to go hunting for any Variant ss beasts these recent times, otherwise I would probably be a Variant ss by now."


    Alex answered the Principal''s question honestly, confused by the fact that he guessed Alex was a Variant ss.


    Besides, he should have already seen Alex''s Details from the Soul contract he signed with the university anyway, so he should have already known that Alex was a Mutant ss.


    "Your punch just now. It had the power of a Variant ss C- rank awakened, which is to say the strength of your punch was not only a whole tier above your own rank, but also a whole ss above." He paused for a second, then continued. "It seems you gained quite the power boost from that mysterious phenomenon you just caused."


    The Principal finally revealed the details of Alex''s punch, and it left Alex utterly shocked.


    ''What the hell? How is my strength so high now¡­ And that''s without the use of any techniques or talents¡­''


    However, Alex was brought out of his shocked state when he noticed Mira had finally awakened from her own shock on the side.


    "Mira! Did you see that!? Do you see how strong I am now!?"


    His excitement got the better of him as he rushed towards her and started asking her all kinds of questions.


    But her face remained flushed the whole time.


    It took Alex a few moments before he noticed this.


    "What''s wrong Mira?"


    She darted her eyes down, looking intensely at something below, which only increased the redness on her face even more.


    Following her gaze, Alex looked down as well.


    ''...''


    ''Fuck.''


    And what he found drained all the blood from his face, leaving him pale.


    He was naked.


    "Please don''t tell me I''ve been like this the whole time¡­" He asked Mira, but she shook her head.


    It seemed she was still too embarrassed, or ''preupied'' to speak, as she kept answering with simple gestures.


    Not to mention the fact that her eyes hadn''t left Alex''s ''thing'' down there since he had rushed up to her¡­


    Slowly moving one hand to his head, facepalming, and the other to cover up his ''thing'', Alex silently made his way out of the living room, towards his bedroom upstairs to find a fresh pair of clothes.


    On the way, he kept beating himself up internally for not realising sooner.


    ''Fuck, are you telling me I just had a small sparring match with the Principal, and the whole time I waspletely naked!? Why didn''t anyone tell me???''


    He was less concerned about the fact that Mira had been staring at him the whole time, and more concerned about the fact that he had just exposed himself to the Principal!


    Forget shameless, a new word needed to be invented specifically for Alex!


    Alex returned a few minutester, this time fully clothed.


    "So what exactly happened to me? I kind of cked out after things got too intense."


    Alex asked the one thing that had been nagging his mind, other than his indecent exposure.


    From his perspective, he 100% thought he was going to die when those mes started raging inside his inventory and even turned his spiritual body to ash at the end.


    But here he was, back in the real world, perfectly fine.


    In fact he was more than perfectly fine, he was like a whole new person!


    "You died." The Principal answered.


    The answer was short and sweet, getting straight to the point.


    But it didn''t quite sit right with Alex.


    "What? I died? How the hell am I still here then?"


    He thought the Principal was just joking at first, but the serious and inquisitive look on his face never changed.


    This just left Alex even more concerned though.


    "Wait, I really died¡­?"


    This time, he asked Mira.


    But the answer he received was the same.


    Essentially, he had died.


    And then been reborn, somehow.


    Throughout his whole life, he had never heard about anyoneing back from death without intervention from an incredibly strong individual like the one Dr Zoric had worked with.


    But then again, his worldview was still quite small even in the present times.


    He guessed that the Principal might have seen something like this before, and promptly asked him about it.


    "Nope. Never. This is a first for me too."


    But the answer he received said otherwise.


    ''It seems he really has no idea what happened to him.'' The Principal thought.


    He was still there, in Alex''s living room, because he wanted to find out exactly what happened to Alex.


    He already had an inkling that it was something to do with the legend of the Phoenix that he had heard of so many years back, but the story in that legend didn''t sound exactly like what Alex had just gone through.


    Not to mention the fact that Alex was a human, through and through.


    ''Maybe it was a special effect of the Heart of the Phoenix technique? I haven''t heard of anything like this happening to others who''ve cultivated it, but it might be a situation where this type of effect will only be caused by someone who is a perfect match for it? I can only specte for now.''


    The Principal had a lot of thoughts himself.


    "It''s about time I leave. I already had to put off some important meetings to be here."


    Since it seemed like he wouldn''t get any answers out of Alex, for the time being, he finally departed.


    Now it was only Alex and Mira left.

 Chapter 210: Changes

    "So what exactly happened? I want to know in detail this time."


    Now that the Principal was gone, Alex decided to ask Mira what happened one to one.


    He was interested in hearing the details of the exact process of how he died, and more importantly the process of how he had somehowe back to life.


    ***


    "So it''s like that¡­"


    After Mira spent thest 5 minutes exining to Alex what had exactly happened, the room returned back to silence.


    Mira had exined to Alex what had happened to himself.


    But she had left a lot of things out. Like how she felt during this whole ordeal.


    He could still see dried tear stains on her cheeks, clearly indicating the emotional distress she was put through.


    Especially when she could only watch helplessly as Alex died¡­


    But things were okay now, as he had reassured her already.


    In fact, other than this, there was something else that he found very interesting from Mira''s exnation.


    She had actually called the Principal over to get his help, to which she wouldn''t exin to Alex how she had somehow gotten his number, no matter how hard he pleaded.


    But even more interesting was the fact that even the Principal was injured slightly when he attempted to help him out of the mes.


    He almost couldn''t believe this when Mira first said it, but she was adamant in telling Alex that she hadn''t lied.


    "So, can you exin to me what happened to you?" This time it was Mira asking Alex.


    She knew Alex had to have some inkling to what was going on.


    He acted oblivious in front of the Principal, but Mira knew Alex too well, he had to have known something about this, and now that she was alone with him, she was curious to find out.


    Alex wanted to speak, but he pulled himself back before any words left his mouth.


    Instead, he grabbed hismunicator, which he had thankfully taken off and ced aside, sparing it from being burned to a crisp like everything else he had on him at that time.


    He typed a few words in themunicator, and showed the screen to Mira.


    ''No privacy.''


    Was all it said.


    He could have said this out loud, but then he would seem suspicious to any prying ears.


    He was sure that there would be many people silently listening in on his conversation with Mira at this time, especially since the Principal had spent so long in his dorm.


    They wouldn''t dare spy on the Principal himself ¡ª that was a death wish.


    But nothing stopped them from spying on the two students he was with.


    Not to mention the fact that the Principal himself was probably keeping a close eye on Alex and Mira after he was witness to that mysterious phenomenon first hand.


    ''Maybe we could use the same method asst time.''


    Mira typed into her ownmunicator.


    ''Oh right!''


    Alex had almost forgotten this was an option.


    He could use another soul contract likest time to bring them back to that private space.


    With this in mind, he asked the system about this.


    [No.]


    Was the answer he received back though.


    "Fucking piece of shit!"


    Alex broke the silence in the room with his curses, unable to hold them in.


    He didn''t know what was wrong with the system recently, but clearly there was something wrong with it.


    First it acted so rigid when it was assimting the two techniques and his me talent together.


    And now, it was denying him even a simple request which should otherwise have been epted.


    This was clearly a case of the system rebelling against him, but the reason for it? Alex had no idea.


    "I''ll tell you about it some other time¡­" Alex spoke to Mira, looking despondent as he did so.


    Without signing a soul contract, he would practically be giving away something that definitely shouldn''t be public to anyone who was listening.


    Mira just nodded, as she could tell something was blocking Alex from being able to tell her.


    Since the whole ordeal was over and things had actually turned out well for Alex, Mira left his house for the first time since everything went to chaos, and headed back to her own dorm.


    She nned to get some much needed sleep after such an exhausting day, both emotionally and physically.


    ***


    ''I guess I should check out what exactly changed for me.'' Alex thought.


    Now that Mira had left, he could finally check what had changed.


    He remembered the system said something when he first reawakened, but he was too preupied with the Principal and Mira at that time to read it.


    He pulled up the messages again, this time paying more attention to what they said.


    [Assimtionplete.]


    [Techniques: Phoenix Fury, Heart of the Phoenix hadbined with Talent: me. For further details, check your talent tab. (P.s. You''re one lucky son of a bitch, Alex.)]


    He read through the message from the system, and was happy to find that there were actual changes to his details.


    He couldn''t usually see any changes regarding techniques in his details, as they weren''t included on there.


    But he guessed that because they had dragged his me talent into the assimtion, it would actually show on his details now.


    And from the fact that it asked him to check his Talents tab for more details, he guessed that they weren''t techniques at all anymore.


    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [18]


    Talents: [Soulforge (Soul+)], Inferior teleportation (E)], [Phoenix mes (S+)]


    Trait: [New year, New me]


    Trait description: [You have inherited a part of the Divine Phoenix''s lineage, remodelling your body and soul and being reborn in the process. You are still the same person, yet different at the same time.]


    Trait effect: [All physical aspects increased by 10%]


    Soul Core: [D- 30%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 22%]


    Alex opened up his details to take a look at what had changed from the assimtion.


    But he didn''t expect to find that his me talent had actually beenpletely reced!

 Chapter 211: Phoenix Flames

    His me talent had beenpletely reced with a new talent.


    This new talent ''Phoenix mes'' took its ce, and Alex couldn''t be happier when he saw the rank next to it.


    ''S+... To think I would have gained such a strong talent from justpleting the first stage of my Heart of the Phoenix technique¡­''


    Alex almost found it hard to believe, but after recalling everything he had just been through, he epted it as fact.


    Focusing on his new talent, Alex opened up further information about it.


    [Phoenix mes (S+): Imbued with the essence of the legendary Divine Phoenix, these mes possess the unique properties that make them far superior to conventional fire. The lethality they possess is enough to harm even the strongest of beings. These mese with many unique properties, befitting of the Divine Phoenix:


    Regenerative heat: These mes have a dual nature. While they can burn with intense, destructive power, they also possess healing properties. When used on oneself, or allies, the mes can heal wounds, mend broken bones, and even regenerate lost limbs. Derived from the Divine Phoenix''s own incredible healing abilities.


    Soul Fire: Unlike regr mes that can only affect the physical ne, these mes can interact with the spiritual. They have the ability to inflict damage on spiritual entities, while at the same time enjoying the same regenerative effect ¡ª able to purify and repair damaged souls.


    Unquenchable ze: Once ignited, Phoenix mes are almost impossible to extinguish by conventional means. They can burn underwater or in the vacuum of space, drawing the ambient energy from around them to sustain their heat. Only a wielder of a sufficiently strong talent, or profound mastery over the fire element can hope to snuff them out.]


    ''...''


    When Alex first opened up the information regarding the new talent, he didn''t expect there to be such a detailed exnation for it.


    As he read through it, his heart beat increased faster and faster as he realised just how powerful this technique was.


    Unlike his previous me talent, where the mes just¡­ burned, this one had a much wider variety of uses.


    The system was even so gracious as toy out a few of these uses for him, rather than hiding most of the information from him like it does with the Soulforge talent.


    ''Regenerative heat, Soul fire, Unquenchable ze¡­ This is simply too powerful!''


    He could already foresee how to use this in battle in the future, and he was already excited to try it out.


    ''''The lethality is enough to harm even the strongest of beings'', that exins why the Principal was injured when he ced his hand in the mes then¡­''


    Alex made this deduction as soon as he read that part of the information.


    Though he guessed that the case with the Principal being injured was just a one off scenario.


    The Phoenix mes surrounding him during the assimtion weren''t his own, they hade from the remnants of the Divine Phoenix itself, so it went without saying how strong they werepared to Alex''s own Divine mes.


    If Alex even wanted to achieve the same amount of damage to the Principal with his own mes, he would need to be a much higher rank than he was now.


    ''I can''t wait to test this out in battle! Plus, my energy capacity has increased now thanks to my breakthrough into the first stage of the Heart of the Phoenix technique! Wait, how does that work now that it''s been assimted into my Phoenix mes talent?''


    Alex inspected his body, specifically his heart, where all of his energy was now umted.


    But when his perception reached his heart, he was left shocked, for like the 50th time that day.


    It seemed like this day would be a new record for how many times Alex could be shocked or surprised in one day¡­


    But it was valid, especially in this case.


    His heart was no longer there¡­


    Yes, he no longer had a heart.


    It was reced with a perfectly spherical, solid crystal ball, which had a raging inferno hidden inside.


    This was an energy core.


    What left Alex so shocked and confused though, was that this was something that should have only happened when he practised the Heart of the Phoenix technique topletion, through all four stages¡­


    Normally, just like everyone else who practised the technique before him, he would have to go through each of the stages one by one, in an excruciatingly slow process that would span multiple years.


    The first stage consisted of just collecting all of the chaotic energy in his body and moving it all to his heart, concentrating it all in one area.


    Stage two was next, and in this stage he had to refine the energy in his heart, removing all impurities and other such unneeded properties.


    Stage three consisted of condensing the refined energy into a liquid, making his energy take on its first physical form.


    Stage four would best, where this liquid energy would be condensed into a solid state, in an energy core just like the one that Alex had.


    This energy core would surround his heart and crystallise it, assimting it into the core.


    So he would essentially have a heart, but he wouldn''t at the same time?


    The concept still confused Alex a little, but this was the gist of it.


    But somehow, he had skipped all of these stages¡­


    He hade up with a theory as to how this had happened after ruminating over it though.


    He remembered that when he first obtained the Phoenix fury technique from the Awakened association, the woman who examined him, K, there was a remark attached to the description.


    It said that it was rumoured to be a lost chapter of a much stronger technique, linked to the lineage of the Divine Phoenix¡­


    This clearly turned out to be true now.


    And the Heart of the Phoenix technique was probably another lost chapter of the same stronger technique.

 Chapter 212: I want what hes eating...

    With these two ''lost chapters'', he was probably only missing onest chapter, which his me talent had filled in the nks for.


    This was what had probably caused him to gain the Phoenix mes talent, but it didn''t exin why he had essentially skipped all the stages of the Energy condensing process which other people would spend years ving away to receive the same results.


    Well, Alex attributed this towards the rebirth process he went through, whichpletely rebuilt his body from the ground up.


    He had realised by now that this was probably the ultimate technique of the Divine Phoenix, so it was pretty powerful.


    Alex wondered whether he would go through another rebirth if he died again, but he wasn''t willing to test that out¡­


    He didn''t feel like dying again for the second time in a day.


    Besides, there was no guarantee that he woulde back to life again.


    There was no mention of him actually having the ability in the description of Phoenix mes, only saying that his regenerative heat was derived from the Divine Phoenix''s ability to infinitely reincarnate.


    It didn''t say anything about Alex having that ability.


    However there was one thing Alex had forgotten to consider.


    His soul orbs.


    The second stage of the technique consisted of refining the condensed energy, but Alex''s energy was already as refined as it could be, because he exclusively absorbs soul orbs.


    So even if he didn''t have this mysterious phenomenon happen to him, he would have still skipped the second stage entirely.


    ***


    A day had passed since Alex''s whole ''ordeal'' and things quickly returned to normal for him and Mira.


    Normal meaning that they were attending lectures, lessons and training 10 hours a day at a minimum.


    When Alex returned to hisbat sses, nobody noticed anything different about him at first.


    His appearance hadn''t changed at all from the rebirth, so that made sense.


    But the moment the usual sparring sessions between students started, each of his sparring partners noticed a change in him almost instantly.


    That was because they all lost the battles instantly¡­


    "What happened to him?"


    "Did he rank up or something?"


    "Is he a C tier now??? What the hell is with that strength¡­"


    "I want what he''s eating...."


    "..."


    The students quickly started discussions around his mysterious overnight increase in strength, but they could only specte.


    It wasn''t like Alex was going to tell them how he had be so much stronger so quickly anyway.


    However, things were different for thebat instructor.


    He was privy to more information than these students, and he had heard from his circle of friends among the professors and lecturers that the Principal had received a call mid meeting the day before, and immediately disappeared.


    Nobody knew where he was from that point, nor did they know what the call was about. Thatwas until some nosy professors spotted himing out of Alex''s dorm, nearly 2 hours after he had left the meeting.


    ''The Principal helped him increase his strength¡­''


    Was what the Combat instructor thought.


    He wasn''t a fan of such nepotism, as the Principal didn''t treat the other freshman the same.


    In fact, he didn''t even bat an eye at most of the 4th year seniors, with some of them even having strength on par with the weakest of professors.


    Thankfully for the other students though, Mira was there to spar with Alex.


    With Alex''s strength increase, he was much stronger than Mira now.


    But she was still able to hold her own against him when she used her Golden Presence talent.


    Naturally after being on the receiving end of Alex''s new strength, Mira was even more curious about what happened to Alex.


    But she knew he wouldn''t be able to tell her until they were somewhere where they could actually get some privacy.


    The only way they could do this was to either partake in another Soul contract, which the system was still denying for some reason, or to leave the entirely so they would be out of range of any prying eyes or ears.


    ***


    The morning sses ended, and Alex and Mira left the ssroom under the watchful eye of others.


    The male students were still unhappy about Alex''s rtionship with Mira, but they knew better than to try and interfere or get on the bad side of either one.


    They had both made their stance clear, and their strength even clearer.


    Alex or Mira would be d to test their strength out on any student who was bold enough to challenge them.


    There were more sses in the afternoon, but the two of them were in different ones.


    Alex had to attend Soul studies, while Mira had her own history sses to attend.


    Since this was the case, the two didn''t spend much time with each other after the Combat ss ended, only getting some lunch together then going their separate ways.


    ''Hopefully I can gain someprehension into souls this time¡­'' Alex thought.


    His goals were still clear.


    He may have deviated from his original n a little, with what happened the previous day, but other than that, everything was still on track.


    Even more important was the fact that now that his strength had increased so much, equalling a Variant ss C- rank ording to the Principal, the freshman evaluationmittee for missions couldn''t dy his request any longer.


    He was already stronger than most, if not all second years now, and probably most third years too, so it would be tant favouritism if they dyed Alex from epting missions any more.


    With this problem basically solved, all Alex had to do now was to gainprehension into the soul, before he went to the mission hall to see what was on offer.


    He didn''t know why, but the more he thought about his ns, the more he had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that urged him to work on his soulprehension before he did anything else.


    It was this that had him anxious and impatient for the next soul studies lecture to start.


    He had to wait a week between each lecture, which was far too long for Alex''s liking, as it only dyed his progression.


    After a short walk, he arrived at the Soul Studies building and followed the droves of second year students in as they took their seats, waiting for Dr Zoric to show up.

 Chapter 213: Red Demon race

    "Where are we at with the investigation?"


    A gruff, middle aged voice spoke out.


    "We have retrieved the ck box from the Pioneer''s ship, and our technicians are working at retrieving all of the data right as we speak. Thankfully, it seems Zorath didn''t know we kept such technology on each ship when he destroyed it, otherwise he wouldn''t have left such important evidence behind."


    A female voice responded to the middle aged man sitting at the head of the table.


    They were currently in a strategic meeting regarding the future of the federation, and humanity itself.


    The middle aged man at the head of the table was actually Admiral Olgierd, the most senior official in charge of the federal Military, and an S+ rank awakened.


    His ssification was unknown, but he was still among the top 3 strongest humans in the federation.


    Unlike other countries in the past, the President was not themander in chief of the military, instead the military officials held all of the power over them.


    Politics and the Military were not interlinked in the federation, for the good of both parties.


    Besides, the President was only an A rank awakened anyway, he didn''t have the experience nor the capacity to lead a billions strong army of awakened and whole fleets of warships.


    Not to mention the fact that most of the officers above the rank of Colonel were stronger than the President. It was a well known fact that awakened didn''t like to be bossed around by those weaker than them, especially in this dog eat dog world.


    There were many other people in this strategic meeting as well, such as Principal Farnes of Capital Prime academy.


    Not many people knew Principal Farnes'' name, and only referred to him as ''The Principal'' etc. But all of the people present around this table were his old friends from years ago, before all of them became the strongest bunch in the entire federation.


    There were 10 people in total, 9 of them being the top 10 strongest awakened in the entire federation.


    The one who wasn''t was an A+ ranked young woman, the same who had replied to the Admiral at the start. She was his personal assistant, while also a Major general in the Federal Military.


    Of course, the one ring question was obvious.


    If 9 of the top 10 strongest humans were sitting around this table, where was thest one?


    Well, not even any of the 9 knew. Not even Principal Farnes.


    If it wasn''t already obvious, the man who upied first ce as the strongest human in the entire federation wasn''t present.


    Nor was he present for any of these meetings in the past.


    It had already be a norm by now to never expect him to show up, as he always did his own thing, never concerning himself with the federation''s affairs.


    Ding!


    Shortly after her reply to Admiral Olgierd, Major General Lyndal received a notification from hermunicator.


    Considering the importance of this meeting, there was only one reason why hermunicator would be going off during it.


    "The technicians have finished analysing the data from the Pioneer''s ship and have sent the data over!" Major General Lyndal eximed.


    Principal Farnes and the others ushered her to show the results on the centre console of the table.


    She obliged and a hologram popped out of the table, presenting itself before all of the strong figures in the room.


    In it was a map.


    A map of everywhere the Pioneer''s ship had travelled over thest 10 years since they left the Milky Way.


    "Show me thest point they reached before they started heading back for the Milky way." Admiral Olgierd asked.


    Immediately, the AI in control of the system heeded hismand and zoomed in on a specific sector of space.


    "So he was telling the truth about this, at least." Principal Farnesmented.


    The ce the AI had zoomed in on was a star system in the Andromeda gxy.


    Zorath had said that he was from a race in the Andromeda gxy, but before confirming this fact, the human race had to assume that this was just another spoof, or a trap.


    Thankfully, it seemed like the Pioneers had already mapped a few hundred star systems in the Andromeda Gxy before Zorath barged his way onto the ship and killed everyone.


    This made the human race''s job much, much easier in determining a defensive strategy.


    But it could more importantly help them determine which targets are vulnerable enough for a counter attack!


    They could now predict which direction the race Zorath mighte from when theyunched their attack on the human race, and they could strengthen the defences of those star systems targeted and station fleets of awakened and warships there.


    Speaking of Zorath''s race, the Pioneers seemed to have done a decent bit of reconnaissance and research during their time in the Andromeda gxy.


    From what the ship''s logs say, they had spent over 2 months there before their ship suddenly did a U-turn and set a direct course back to the Milky Way.


    During these 2 months, the Pioneer''s had done humanity a great service and had gained a good bit of useful information on the race backing Zorath.


    Firstly being what the race called themselves.


    Just like how humans had self-assigned their race the name ''human'', Zorath''s race had naturally done the same.


    And when tranted into the federation''snguage, it came out as ''Red Demon''.


    There were many words and letters that the Red Demon race''snguage had, that were indecipherable to humans due to the differences in anatomy.


    Hence ''Red Demon'' wasn''t the exact name of the Red Demon race, but it was close, ording to Zorath, and that''s what he called his race as well when he discovered the Pioneer''s ship for the first time and started conversing with Captain Ciril.


    "So they''re called the Red Demons¡­ It''s fitting, considering their appearance and how vicious they were towards us right off the bat." Admiral Olgierdmented.

 Chapter 214: Second Soul studies lecture

    The group around the table continued sifting through the data the Pioneers had collected on the Red Demon race after finding out their name.


    And they found out some very interesting things.


    Such as the fact that Zorath had exaggerated the capabilities of his race, probably in an attempt to scare the human race to destroy their morale and motivation before the war between them even begins.


    As it actually turned out, Zorath was very strong amongst his race. Which relieved everyone around the table, considering Zorath had killed Captain Ciril rather easily, even though Captain Ciril was an A+ ranked human.


    This was a very wee piece of information for not only the group of S tiers sitting around the table, but the human race as a whole.


    If they were faced up against an army of Zoraths, then they were practically doomed from the get go.


    But now, things were much more flexible.


    They had also discovered that the Red Demon race wasn''t as advanced technologically as Zorath had imed.


    In fact, this should have been obvious from the fact that the Pioneers had managed to perform reconnaissance on them for 2 whole months before they were discovered.


    In terms of technology, the Red Demon race was around the same level as the human race, with both sides maybe being more advanced than the other in some esoteric areas.


    However, the biggest discovery of them all left even Principal Farnes and Admiral Olgierd shocked.


    The Red Demon race got their strength from the Primordial Expanse as well.


    That''s right, they were also a race of awakened.


    This left the S tiers around the table, and even Major General Lyndal concerned.


    This was because from what the Pioneers had found by spying on a remote of Red Demons, where the highest ranked being was a C+ rank, that the Red Demon race weren''t the only other Alien race that had ess to the Primordial Expanse.


    But, in fact, every single sentient race in the universe had ess to it.


    Thispletely flipped the conventional theories about the Primordial Expanse that humanity''s top schrs hade up with.


    So far, they had only evere across other humans in the Primordial Expanse, native or not.


    But now, it seemed that once the 200 year protection period the system afforded them was over, their sector of the Primordial Expanse would integrate with the Primordial Expanse that the entire rest of the universe had ess to.


    And the human race had just been so gracefully informed by the system that not only was their 200 year protection period cut short because of their own curiosity, but that it had just ended for them as well.


    Things were going to get much moreplicated for the human race in the Primordial Expanse in the near future.


    As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.


    And the human race were praying they didn''t end up like the cat¡­


    ***


    "He''s 10 minuteste already¡­ Is he even going to show up?"


    One of the students sitting in the middle row of the Soul Studies ss asked.


    The entire ss had been waiting 10 minutes for Dr Zoric to show up now, and they were quickly getting impatient.


    To waste 10 minutes of all their time was pure disrespect to them.


    10 minutes may not seem like much, but considering the fact that their schedules were so tightly packed, as well as the fact that they didn''t even know how long the human race had left, they needed all the time they could get.


    They could have spent those 10 minutes training their techniques etc.


    But after another 2 minutes, Dr Zoric actually showed up, looking dishevelled as his suit wasn''t even fitted properly, and his tie looked crooked.


    "Let''s get started then."


    However Dr Zoric didn''t seem to care for the student''s dissatisfaction, nor would he do anything about it.


    That was their concern, his only concern was finishing this damn lecture and getting back to his research.


    ''What''s today''s topic then?'', Alex thought.


    He had been eagerly waiting for Dr Zoric''s arrival, unlike everyone else who was hoping he''d reach past the 15 minute mark of beingte, where the students were allowed to leave the lecture to do their own thing.


    "Today''s topic is the link between energy and the soul." Dr Zoric started.


    Instantly, Alex was intrigued.


    He had been pondering on this topic ever since he had found out the link between hisprehension and his Soulforge talent.


    But he wasn''t able to make any progress in it so far.


    Perhaps today would be different? Dr Zoric might provide some insights into the topic that Alex hadn''t even considered yet.


    "We have always known there was a link between energy and the soul ever since the Primordial Expanse came around. Can someone exin to me why this is?" Dr Zoric started the lecture off with a question to the ss, like his usual style of teaching went.


    He liked to get the ss engaged.


    Even though he hated giving lectures, he hated people who didn''t do their job properly even more.


    If he was going to be forced to give a lecture, he was going to make sure it was a damn good lecture.


    "Is it because the energy we gain from beast cores gets sent to our own Soul core?"


    A student answered him right away.


    Alex recognised this student fromst time.


    It was the big chested girl who answered most of Dr Zoric''s questions from thest lecture.


    "Correct. This is exactly how we know the two are linked." Dr Zoric praised her for her correct answer.


    But then he proposed another question.


    "But, why are they linked? That is the question we really want to know."


    This question left the ss stumped, including Alex.


    How were they supposed to know why energy was linked with their souls??


    That was for the system to know, this seemed way tooplicated for them to figure out.


    "It''s good that none of you answered that question, otherwise I would have questioned your sanity." Dr Zoricughed andmented.


    "That''s because this question is still unanswered today, and will likely remain unanswered for a very, very long time."

 Chapter 215: Enlightenment

    After 30 minutes, the ss was half way done, but many of the students started to get bored.


    ''When will this be over¡­''


    ''Can I just drop out of here pleaseeee¡­''


    ''Why do we need to know all of this?''


    Most of the ss were bored out of their minds, but a select few of them, like Alex and the big chested girl, were still fully focused.


    It was students like Alex and the big chested girl that were the reason why Dr Zoric even epted the job of teaching here.


    The Soul studiesmunity may be small, but it was hugely appreciated by the awakenedmunity, especially the higher life forms among the awakened.


    And without inquisitive and interested students like Alex and the big chested girl, this research topic would very quickly die off when people like Dr Zoric retire or die.


    As for Alex, he was deep in thought at the moment.


    ''Energy¡­ Souls¡­ what do these two have inmon that makes them linked¡­''


    Dr Zoric had exined a little bit about the research that he and a few other elite researchers on the subject had conducted, but he didn''t go into enough depth for Alex to get any sudden epiphanies or anything like that.


    ''Maybe our soul cores are actual, physical entities somewhere inside our bodies like the energy core I created when I perfected the Heart of the Phoenix technique in one go? Maybe-''


    Speaking of epiphanies, it seemed like Alex had just found one.


    His eyes bloomed open as the other students around him looked at him strangely as he looked off into the open air at nothing in particr, with such an enlightened and gleeful look on his face.


    But in reality, Alex was looking at a spew of system messages that were pouring in.


    [Congrattions, you''ve actually learned something from this ss. How smart you are!]


    The first message was the system''s usual sarcastic quip towards Alex.


    It seemed like it had gone back to normal after it suddenly started acting weird the previous day.


    [The thirdyer of your Soulforge talent has been unlocked.]


    ''?''


    Alex was confused.


    Wasn''t he supposed to have learned something more about the secondyer, and how these ''Remnant souls'' are supposed to be useful to him?


    How the hell did he end up skipping that entirely and unlocking the thirdyer?


    None of it made sense to Alex, but then again, a lot of things in life made no sense to him.


    He just went with it and decided to take a look at what had changed about his talent.


    [Soulforge(Soul+): Firstyer - Condenses the energy of any in beast into a more refined energy source called soul orbs ¡ª the most valuable energy resource in the universe, many would sacrifice millions just for the chance to get one.


    Absorbing these soul orbs dramatically enhances your physical abilities beyond what others can do alone with Beast cores, while simultaneously condensing your own energy, enabling any attacks you deliver to be stronger than your peers.]


    [Secondyer - Soul orbs don''t just contain energy, but they can also contain the remnant soul of the defeated foe inside. This is dependent on the strength of the beast''s soul, so higher ssed and higher ranked beasts will have a higher chance of harbouring these remnant souls.


    Through absorbing soul orbs you will gain some remnant memories of the in beast, chosen at random from the beast''s entire lifetime ¡ª Find out the rest for yourself.]


    [Thirdyer - Souls and energy are intrinsically linked. Every soul has a certain amount of higher ss energy in them. Absorbing lower ss soul orbs now affords you two options.


    Option one, you can absorb it like normal, and use it to progress towards the next rank. Or with option two, you can absorb it, and refine the energy gained into its higher ss equivalent.


    However, if you do choose the second option, be aware that the amount of progress you will get towards upgrading your own ss will be substantially lower than absorbing a soul orb made ofplete higher ss energy.


    Remark: Choosing the second option also voids the chance of gaining any remnant souls, as they will also be needed to refine the higher ss energy.]


    ''What the hell??''


    Alex didn''t know what to think.


    He had gained moreprehension into souls, but the same stupid ''Find out the rest for yourself'' was still there on the description of his secondyer¡­


    However, he had a sudden realisation.


    What if the system meant to find out through actually absorbing a beast''s remnant soul, not through gainingprehension¡­


    ''Fuckkkk, I am so stupid!''


    Alex felt like an idiot for not even considering this until AFTER he hade up with the n to systematically learn more about souls through the Soul studies ss.


    But he also realised that it was still a very good decision regardless.


    It led him to unlock the thirdyer of his Soulforge talent, and might even enable him to unlock moreyers, if they existed, further down the line as he attended more lectures.


    Speaking of newyers, Alex inspected the thirdyer and his whole attitude flipped when he read through it.


    ''This is fucking amazing! Maybe I really do have the strongest talent!''


    The fact that he could now refine lower ss energy into higher ss energy was simply unheard of!


    It didn''t matter if the energy he would gain from only gave him decimals towards his progress towards Variant ss.


    With enough Mutant ss soul orbs, those decimals would add up very quickly.


    Not to mention the fact that there were A LOT more Mutant beasts than Variant beasts.


    The only Variant beast he had evere across wasn''t even through natural methods, but from a summoning.


    Meanwhile, he asionally met Mutant ss beasts every few days while hunting in the Primordial Expanse.


    This made it so that even if he didn''t find a single Variant ss beast when he went out on missions to Floodgates, he could still gain some progress towards Variant ss, so it wouldn''t exactly be a waste of time.

 Chapter 216: I was spying on you

    "Alex? Is everything okay?"


    Dr Zoric''s voice brought Alex out of his thoughts.


    ''Huh? Where''s everyone gone?''


    When Alex looked around the lecture hall, he noticed that it was just him and Dr Zoric in there now.


    "Have I really been in thought for that long?" He asked, letting his thoughts slip.


    However Dr Zoric thought he was talking to him, and answered.


    "You''ve had the same despondent look on your face for thest 20 minutes of the lecture. It just ended."


    Dr Zoric left the lecture hall after saying this, as he was only checking in on Alex to see if he was okay.


    And since he was just deep in thought, it was no longer his concern.


    ''It''s about time I get the n started then!''


    Now that he had gotten what he was looking for ¡ª much more than he was looking for actually, it was time to get everything started.


    ***


    Only a few minutester, Alex arrived at his destination.


    sses were over for the day, so he had headed home.


    But he had something to do before he headed into his own home.


    Stepping to the front of the house, Alex knocked on Mira''s front door.


    Soon, Mira popped her head out. When she saw Alex. he eyes lit up.


    "Alex!"


    Alex smiled and let himself in.


    When he walked through the hallway, he noticed that Mira was preparing some supper.


    He hade at the right time! Food time!


    He happily sat at the table, while Mira went back to check on the food.


    Mira rolled her eyes at Alex''s shamelessness, "You must be hungry, should I make some food for you?"


    Alex looked up at her, saliva basically dripping from his lips.


    Due to their schedules, they hardly had the time to eat homemade food like this.


    Most of the time it was just energy jellies or some cafeteria food.


    After a few minutes, food was served.


    It seemed Mira had anticipated Alex''s visit, as she had already prepared enough portions of food for two people.


    She had cooked some homemade fried chicken, with some exotic vegetables on the side.


    Only she had substituted the chicken for an ordinary ss D tier awakened bird, which was much more rich in nutrients and vour.


    "You''ve be somewhat famous around the universitytely. People are saying that if you faced Niks in battle again, you''d win easily now." Mira started chatting with Alex as they started eating their food.


    Normally people said not to speak with your mouth full, or else you''d choke, but was that really a problem for awakened like them?


    Hearing Mira''s remark, Alex couldn''t help butugh.


    "Before yesterday, I''d say it was a 50/50 chance of beating him. But after my strength drastically increased, I''d beat him 100% even with his speed." Alexmented with a chuckle.


    To be honest, his animosity towards Niks had already passed, as he realised how immature he was acting back then.


    Sure, Niks was a prick who deserved to get beat, Alex still believed that for a fact.


    But he didn''t need to be so hung up about losing to him.


    Besides, he achieved first on the freshman rankings even after losing to him, so it wasn''t even needed.


    And it turned out that achieving first ce on the rankings was more like an ego boost for Alex than anything actually useful.


    The rewards given out by it turned out to be useless to him, as he wouldn''t even bother absorbing any beast cores the university gives to him.


    That would only hinder his progress in the long run rather than boost it.


    Why would he settle for less strength when he could obtain much, much more through his own efforts?


    That was Alex''s philosophy regarding this.


    "I thought so, especially after sparring against you earlier this morning¡­ You really are a monster, you know that?" Mira agreed with Alex, as she had experienced Alex''s strength first hand.


    However, as Mira brought up their spar, Alex was reminded of something.


    "Howe you didn''t use your Call of the Void talent during the spar? I would have liked to see how well I fared against you when you used that."


    Mira almost choked on her food when she heard this question.


    She had hoped that Alex wouldn''t have had to exin things to Alex, and hoped that he would just ept things as they were.


    ''Damn your curious mind, Alex!''


    But since Alex asked, she had to answer.


    It would only draw more suspicion to her if she didn''t.


    Besides, she didn''t want to worry him.


    "I learned some things about the Void dimension from the Principal, and I am honestly grateful to him for that."


    Mira exined all the things she had learned regarding the Void dimension to Alex, like the fact that A tier awakened and higher could perceive her presence in the Void, even if they were outside of it.


    As well as the fact that S tier awakened can enter the Void dimension at will, even without a talent like Mira''s.


    However, just as Mira feared, Alex became very concerned for her when she revealed that the Void dimension wasn''t like an actual void like she thought it was previously.


    "Wait, so you''re saying there are many dangerous beasts native to the Void dimension, and you could encounter one of them at any point while in there?"


    Alex was unsettled by this fact, and couldn''t help but exim.


    "Thank god the Principal was there with you when he exined the situation regarding the Void dimension!"


    He was relieved that the Principal was there to help her in the case that something happened to her.


    But, that made him realise something.


    "What were you doing in the void dimension that even the Principal had to intervene before things got too out of hand?"


    Alex noticed this disparity that Mira had failed to mention beforehand straight away.


    Mira looked down, her cheeks red as she was flushed with embarrassment.


    "I was spying on you." She said in a meek voice, barely even a whisper.


    But her voice was as clear as day to Alex''s ears.

 Chapter 217: I have something to tell you

    After Alex spent the next 5 minutes teasing Mira for spying on him, the two of them calmed down for a little bit and ate their food.


    To Mira''s surprise, Alex wasn''t at all concerned about her spying activities.


    She had fully expected him to have a negative reaction towards her when she revealed it to him.


    Mira wouldn''t even me Alex if he felt betrayed by her, as she really was breaking the trust she had promised to him.


    But she was thankful that Alex didn''t react this way.


    "Ahem. I have something to tell you."


    After they finished their food, Alex switched topics and changed to a more serious tone.


    Mira was used to Alex''s switch ups in mood by now, so she wasn''t too surprised by his change.


    She urged him to continue, and Alex continued speaking.


    "I''m nning on epting missions outside of the university soon."


    He decided to tell Mira about his n now rather than keep it from her right up until the moment he had to leave for a mission.


    "Me too."


    But Mira''s reply left Alex surprised.


    "You too? I see you want to rank up as well." Alex spoke.


    It was obvious why Mira wanted to ept some missions, as her reason was the same as Alex''s.


    She felt dissatisfied and weak at her current rank, and wanted to go out, fight beasts and harvest beast cores to rank up.


    "However, I n to go out alone."


    But before Alex could speak, Mira beat him to it.


    ''Wait what? Did she really say that?''


    Alex hadn''t expected this from Mira at all.


    Never would he have guessed that SHE, the clingy girlfriend, would want to ept andplete missions alone.


    In fact, he was about to tell her that he was nning on doing the exact same thing.


    But now that he heard her say the same thing, he was more interested in hearing her reason for it.


    "Why? I mean, I get it, but I just didn''t expect you to say that If I''m beingpletely honest."


    He just wanted to know what led Mira to make this decision.


    "I realised that I rely on you too much, and that isn''t good for my strength and progress. I want to prove to both myself and you that I can build a strong foundation for my future by myself."


    ''Wow¡­''


    ''I didn''t know she felt this way¡­''


    Alex felt guilty for Mira, as he should have noticed that she felt like this earlier.


    "That settles it then. How about we both go to the Mission hall tomorrow and pick the missions we wish to go on." Alex suggested, wanting to brighten the mood back up.


    ***


    The next day came quickly, as Alex and Mira had slept earlyst night in anticipation of the fact that they were finally going to leave the university for missions after months of being cooped up in this ce, seeing the same city over and over again.


    They missed the sense of adventure they felt when they were exploring the Primordial Expanse, or when they were working together to kill beasts, and other students on the entrance exams.


    After showering, and doing their usual morning routines, they both met up outside Mira''s house.


    "Let''s head over to the mission hall!" Alex eximed, his excitement obvious.


    The problem of receiving approval from the university was no longer of concern to either of them, as their requests had been epted instantly when they applied for approval the previous night.


    It seemed strange to them how quickly they were epted, but they had the feeling the Principal had to have something to do with this.


    They made their way through the city streets, taking in the sights of this ce they had already be familiar with over the past few weeks.


    ''I''m kinda going to miss this ce. But it''s not like I''m leaving permanently.''


    ''It''s about time anyway. I don''t get how the university would have expected us to rank up without enabling us to go out and take on missions for a whole year anyway.''


    ''It''s a stupid system. I''m kind of d this whole Alien war started as it meant we were fortunate enough to skip the waiting and directly apply for missions in our first year.''


    ''Otherwise, we would have had to rely on the Primordial expanse, and who knows how that would have went¡­''


    The two decided to walk at a normal pace, setting them apart from the rest of the hustle and bustle on the streets as students moved at incredible speeds left and right.


    After a 30 minute walk to the centre of the city, they arrived at a building they both found familiar.


    "The Capital Building¡­ I remember thest time we came here was to collect our rewards from Professor Will." Alex said, looking up and stretching his neck as he nced at the humongous skyscraper.


    "Yeah. It wasn''t even that long ago, but it feels like it was." Mira reminisced.


    "Here goes nothing then!"


    Alex and Mira both entered the building, making their way to the nearest map.


    The Mission hall was located on the 10th floor, so they had to find the right elevator to get there.


    "It''s this one, let''s go."


    After a short map reading, they found which elevator they needed to get and headed up.


    A few more seconds passed and they were on the 10th floor, and what greeted their eyes was a Mission hall like no other.


    The university used space folding technology on each floor of the Capital building, which was very expensive to install as it was still at the forefront of research and was very expensive to produce the materials needed to achieve it.


    But Alex and Mira could instantly see why it was worth it when they stepped through the elevator doors.


    There were probably tens of thousands of students on this floor alone, all hurrying about, looking for a mission to ept.

 Chapter 218: Mission hunting

    Alex and Mira weaved through the throngs of students, their eyes scanning for an empty terminal.


    The sheer size of the mission hall was overwhelming, practically a ce to show off the university''s immense wealth and humanity''s grasp of technology.


    The floor seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with rows upon rows of terminals, each one upied by a student intently browsing through the mission listings.


    "There," Mira pointed to an empty terminal near the end of the hall.


    They hurried over, which didn''t take long at all with their speed, slipping into the seats and activating the screen.


    The terminal hummed to life, disying a user interface that was simple but efficient.


    "Alright, let''s see what we''ve got." Alex said, his fingers already pping across the keys of the holographic keyboard.


    He quickly applied a filter to only show the missions rted to Floodgates.


    These were high stakes missions, crucial for maintaining the safety of the federation, but Alex was more interested in killing beasts and harvesting Soul orbs, with the whole saving whole poptions of people thing being a side benefit to this.


    Alex and Mira had both experienced a flood gate mission before.


    They were rifts, cracks in space that allowed dangerous beasts from the Primordial Expanse to spill out into inhabited areas, and clearing them was vital work.


    Mira watched as the list popted with avable Floodgate missions.


    The missions varied in difficulty and location, but all promised substantial rewards.


    "Here''s an interesting one, and it''s right next to us as well! It''s in the Proxima Star system, less than 5 light years away from us. A D+ rank floodgate opened up on New Earth, and the military forces there need back up as they don''t have enough fighters to clear the beasts."


    Alex and Mira looked at each other as they both wanted this mission for themselves.


    But they both also wanted to go out on these missions alone¡­


    Since this was the case, there was only one way to settle it.


    "Rock. Paper. Scissors. Shoot!"


    Miranded on paper, while Alexnded on rock.


    That settled that debate, Mira would get this mission.


    They continued looking through the list of Floodgate missions for one that Alex could pick, but they noticed something peculiar.


    "Hey, there''s another Floodgate mission in the Proxima Star system! This one''s on a different to the one I''ve epted."


    Alex opened up the information of the Mission Mira was on about, and inspected the details.


    "It''s a C- ranked Floodgate!" Alex eximed. This excited Alex the most.


    The higher the rank of the Floodgate he went to, the higher the rank of beasts that came out of it.


    This was a given.


    Without any hesitation, Alex epted this mission.


    In the mission introduction, it said that the Floodgate opened up on a with a little over 1 billion humans popting it.


    The highest ranked awakened on this was only a C+ ranked awakened, and Alex didn''t even know if he was Ordinary ss or Mutant ss.


    The highest ranked beast that had been reported to havee through was C+ rank as well, which the C+ ranked human had taken care of.


    ''He''s at least capable of killing beasts of the same rank as him.'' Alex noted.


    ***


    After they were finished in the mission hall, Alex and Mira left the Capital building and made their way over to the Spaceport.


    "We won''t see each other again for months¡­" Mira spoke, a little sad about the fact that she was going to be separated from Alex for so long again.


    It was her decision, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t saddened by it.


    Mira''s flight off the was first, so she departed soon after, leaving Alex to his own devices.


    Besides, they were taking missions in the same star system so it wasn''t like they were going to be that far from each other.


    Alex approached the gate where the captain of the ship, a stern looking man with a military demeanour, was waiting.


    "Mission to Proxima system?" He asked, ncing at hismunicator.


    "Yes, sir." Alex confirmed.


    The captain nodded and adjusted the controls on his panel.


    The gate separating Alex from the ship opened, and he entered the ship and sat down where the Captain prompted.


    ***


    As Mira''s ship disappeared, Alex watched through the viewport as it took off and disappeared into the starry expanse.


    The reality of his separation from Mira settled in, but he knew this was necessary for both him and Mira.


    Alex''s ship hummed with the familiar sounds of engines powering up. He nced around the interior, noting the efficient design and the small cabin.


    The ship soon took off, and Alex looked out of the window at the familiar sight of the city he had just left behind.


    ''I''ll be back soon enough.'' He thought.


    His thoughts weren''t wrong either, as the star system he was going to, Proxima system, was only a few light years away from the Sr system where he had been staying this whole time.


    Only a few seconds after they lifted off, Mars was but a small dot in the distance as the ship''s eleration increased rapidly until they left the Sr system, where the Captain jumped the ship into Warp space.


    It would only be a few hours before they arrived at their destination.


    From that point on, it would be down to Alex toplete the mission.


    Along with any other students or mercenaries that had epted the same mission and made their way over as well, of course.


    Alex settled into his seat, the slight vibration of the ship''s engines aforting reminder that he was about to leave and take on his first mission since he had joined Capital Prime as a student.


    He looked down at hismunicator, and skimmed through the details of his mission.


    The he was headed to, Ceres-9, had reported increasing amounts of beastsing over from the other side of the Floodgate.

 Chapter 219: Ceres-9

    A few hourster, in the dark expanse of space, Alex''s ship came out of the warp tunnel.


    Not far ahead of the spaceship was a huge star system.


    There were three stars situated in the middle, each one emitting a bright, yellow light.


    Alex slowly opened his eyes. His blue pupils appeared deep and mysterious.


    He had spent thest few hours in meditation, deciding to give his body some rest and calm his mind before he arrived at Ceres-9.


    He was going to be arriving at a full of chaos and strife as soon as hended, so this would probably be thest bit of peace and quiet he could get for a while.


    Noticing that Alex had finally opened his eyes, the Pilot spoke. "We''re about to arrive at our destination. I was going to call you if you didn''t wake up sooner."


    Alex smiled, looking out the window. "I was only meditating. Besides, I didn''t miss anything interesting."


    The pilot just nodded at this.


    He was just here for a job, he wasn''t here to argue with some kid.


    "Upon arrival, you should head to the defensive forces. They will tell you where to go from there."


    "Hmm." Alex nodded.


    This was his first mission, so it was better to watch and listen to the more experienced fighters there.


    He was there to kill beasts, but he didn''t want to be responsible for the deaths of any people.


    Soon, the ship reached the space surrounding Ceres-9, and he got a good view of the from above.


    Before humans had colonised this, it used to be tidally locked.


    This meant that it didn''t spin on its axis like Earth did, so one side was always facing the three suns, and one side was always facing away.


    This made for quite a unique climate on the surface of the.


    However, after time and advancements in technology, humanity had terraformed the, and most importantly removed the tidal lock.


    It now spun on its axis just like earth, which enabled the surface temperatures and climates to equalise across the whole.


    However what was once a beautiful, lush green was now in ruins.


    Even from space, Alex could see parts of the chaos going on down on the surface.


    There was smoke rising from millions of points across the whole, with over half of the forestry on the being burned to a crisp.


    The overall scene reminded Alex of the strategy assessment he had to undergo back when he entered Capital Prime.


    "Man,pared to the peace and prosperity the federation keeps boasting about, this is far from anything like peace¡­" Alex thought out loud.


    A look of emptiness shed across his face as he looked at the once beautiful.


    "Yep." The captain agreed.


    This side of the federation was often hidden from the general public to not cause any panic, but ons like this where there were over a billion people affected and at risk of dying thanks to this Floodgate, they couldn''t hide everything.


    The citizens of the federation were already on edge because of the broadcasted announcement of war from the Red Demon race.


    The fact that these Floodgates could open anywhere, at any time didn''t really help to alleviate their anxiety.


    "Preparing fornding on Ceres-9." The Captain spoke, not too concerned about being attacked.


    He wasnding in one of the safer zones of the, where there was almost no risk of getting attacked.


    The ship descended through the atmosphere of Ceres-9, and thendscape came below came into even clearer view.


    Alex could see piles upon piles of beast and human corpses littering the battlefields near the Floodgate.


    His eyesight was very crisp thanks to the fact that he was an awakened, but not even he should be able to see such scenes with the naked eye.


    The only reason he could, was because the piles of bodies were that big.


    As well as the fact that some of the beast bodies were huge, like dozens of metres huge.


    A couple thousand of them piled up against each other was easily noticeable even from hundreds of miles above in the sky.


    The shipnded smoothly, and Alex stepped out into the warm, dusty air of Ceres-9.


    The unfiltered, dirty air hit him immediately as he let out a few coughs before his body became ustomed to it.


    He didn''t really need air to live anymore thanks to the fact that his heart hadbined with his energy core, eliminating the need for an Oxygenated medium to carry energy across his body, with his energy core taking up that role.


    But even this air left him feeling disgusted.


    The captain of the ship that took him here took off not too long after, leaving Alex officially stranded on this until the Floodgate crisis was over.


    Either that, or he could choose to abandon the mission, earning a fine from the university and a bad reputation amongst the Mission hall.


    After a few minutes of walking, Alex neared a small town turned military base, and was approached by a local military officer, who quickly briefed him on the situation.


    "Another mercenary? Great! We can do with every helping hand we can get. The floodgate is located at about 500 kilometres north of this position. We''ve set up a forward operating base nearby, but the beastsing through are just never ending. We are almost overwhelmed."


    Alex nodded. He was prepared to fight at any time.


    He hade to this ce looking for a good fight, but most importantly he was here to farm the beasts!


    "Tell me your name, rank, and affiliation and I''ll add you to the database and issue you a Floodgate emblem. This emblem will be what we use to track your contribution, and will be what your organisation will use to issue you your respective reward."


    The military officer exined the basics to Alex, and Alex obliged.


    "The name''s Alex, I''m a Mutant D- rank from Capital Prime university."


    "..."


    The Military officer looked at Alex like he was stupid.


    ''What the hell is this weakling doing here?'' He thought.

 Chapter 220: Intimidation

    The Military officer looked at Alex like he was stupid.


    Why on earth would any D- rank awakenede to a Floodgate a whole tier above him? It just didn''t make sense to the guy.


    It was just suicide.


    But since Alex''s information checked out, he couldn''t really do anything about it.


    If Alex was here, it meant that the university had agreed to let him take on this mission, which the Military officer didn''t have the authority nor the effort to override.


    If he wanted to go and get himself killed for such a stupid reason, then he wasn''t going to stop him.


    He was just a logistics officer, it wasn''t his job to authorise who could and couldn''t participate in this mission.


    "Well, Alex, your information has been confirmed with the database. If you can just wait here while I go and fetch your Floodgate emblem, then you can be on your way in no time." The Military officer said.


    Alex just nodded his head at the guy and watched him sprint away towards one of the nearby buildings in the military base.


    He could tell the guy thought there was something wrong with Alex foring to this ce,but Alex didn''t need to exin anything to him.


    And just like he said, the Military officer returned in no time with an item in his hands.


    "Here''s your Floodgate emblem. Happy hunting!" The Military officer said with ''enthusiasm'' before he handed the emblem over to Alex.


    He left immediately after, leaving Alex to his own devices, giving him the chance to inspect this thing that would supposedly record all of his kills and contributions in this Floodgate mission.


    It didn''t look particrly striking at all, it was silver in colour, covered in some other little red sparkly specks which he suspected had something to do with the monitoring system installed inside it.


    They were probably just the assortment of different devices installed inside of the emblem that allowed it to track Alex''s data, like cameras, heat sensors etc.


    ''He said the Floodgate is 500 kilometres north of here. I guess I should get moving then.'' Alex thought, after hooking the emblem to his chest.


    As he thought this, Alex took up his position in the clearing, looking like he was ready tounch off the ground at any moment.


    But instead of flying up, like he looked like he was about to do, he shot across the surface at speeds not even a bullet couldpare to.


    ''Man this boost to my physical abilities is huge!''


    He arrived just a few kilometres away from his destination a few dozen secondster, covering almost 500 kilometres of distance in a little over half a minute.


    Alex stretched his legs and arms after that run, feeling more refreshed than he had been in quite a while.


    He unsheathed the Mutant D- rank sword he had obtained from the ruins in the Primordial Expanse.


    This thing had served him well ever since he had first obtained it, but it was starting to lose its use.


    Alex himself was now on par with the sword in terms of rank and ss, and he would very soon surpass it if all went well for him.


    ''I guess having a sword is better than not having one¡­''


    ''I should probably add buying a new sword to my list of things to do, as this thing probably won''t be able to handle the stronger beasts I''m going up against in this uing fight.''


    ''Yeah, I should go looking for a new weapon when I finish this mission. Perhaps the university has some good swords or other ded weapons on offer.''


    Alex made a mental note to revisit this topic after the mission was over, and made his way over to the ongoing battle field.


    ''Wow¡­ This ce reminds me of the beast tide I faced at Valentis city¡­''


    And when Alex arrived, he would have liked to have described the scene as spectacr, if it weren''t for the countless amounts of corpses littered about the ce.


    There were thousands of awakened, all taking part in their own battles, whether as a group or solo.


    But the sad thing was, Alex didn''t spot a single awakened among them as strong as him.


    Not even the C+ rank awakened leading the pack of mercenaries and students had an aura as strong or fierce as Alex''s.


    ''It''s time to put my new abilities to use!'' Alex thought, as he jumped right into the action.


    His first target was a Mutant C rank beast that over a dozen Ordinary C- rank awakened were struggling to deal with.


    ''Phoenix mes!''


    Alex decided to put his newest talent to use first, and a terrifying, deep red fire appeared in his hands.


    The mes the area surrounding Alex, which drew the attention of both the awakened and the Rhinoceros-like beast towards Alex''s location.


    The Rhinoceros was huge, at least 10 metres long and 7 metres tall. Such a thing was noticeable even from kilometres away, that was why Alex chose it as his first target.


    It was just the first beast of decent strength that he had spotted.


    "Who the fu-"


    One of the awakened, a mercenary immediately tried to step up to intimidate Alex, but he was stopped dead in his tracks as he felt the terrifying pressure the mes in Alex''s hands were giving off.


    There might be a divide in opinions on whether or not he was justified to be angry with Alex, as Alex was technicallying in to steal their kill and take their contribution for himself.


    But with how long they were taking to kill this beast, they were putting more and more lives at risk.


    ''This feels amazing!'' Alex eximed inwardly.


    The moment he activated his Phoenix mes talent, he barely even felt a lick of his energy being used up, due to the increased capacity from finishing the Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    But even more amazing to Alex was the fact that unlike his previous normal me talent, the moment the Phoenix mes came out, he didn''t even need to use his energy to keep them sustained.


    Thanks to the unquenchable heat attribute, the mes sustained themselves until Alex willed them to dispel!

 Chapter 221: Mutant C rank beast

    The Phoenix mes flickered in Alex''s hands, casting an eerie, deep red glow around him.


    The Awakened and the massive Rhinoceros beast had their attention wholly focused on Alex by this point, feeling the intensity of the heat emanating from the mes.


    The beast snorted and snarled, pawing at the ground, while the mercenaries and students eyed Alex with a mix of curiosity and irritation.


    "Fuck off-" Another one of the mercenaries, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, ready to confront Alex.


    It was obvious that he was probably the leader of this ragtag group of awakened.


    Alex ignored the mercenary, his eyes locked onto the beast''s.


    "Back off if you don''t want to end up dead," Alexmanded, his voice firm.


    Most of the awakened around himplied, sensing the power radiating from Alex''s body. They had been struggling with the beast for too long, unsure if they would even be able to kill it, and the threat in Alex''s tone was not one to be taken lightly.


    A few, however, stood their ground, ring at Alex with defiance.


    "Why should we listen to a puny D- rank punk like you?" One of them, a tall woman with short-cropped hair and a defiant stance, challenged.


    Instead of answering, Alex unleashed his aura. The force of it washed over the group like a tidal wave, making their hair stand on end.


    The remaining members of the group, including the woman, who stayed behind felt their legs tremble.


    They had never felt such a strong aura from a D tier before. In fact, they had never even felt an aura so strong from a C tier either!


    "Move aside," Alex repeated, his voice low and dangerous.


    The defiant ones quickly moved aside, their defiance crumbling in the face of Alex''s dominating aura.


    The Rhinoceros like beast, sensing a shift in power dynamics, used the small bit of intelligence it had in its disproportionately sized brain to realise that Alex was most likely stronger than these other awakened that had been pestering it for thest 15 minutes.


    But like the beast it was, its instincts took over. It snorted and charged madly at Alex, its massive hooves pounding the ground and shaking the earth beneath it.


    Alex, not scared one bit, took the deep red mes in his hands and enveloped his sword in them.


    He could instantly hear sizzling from the metal making up the de as the heat was too much for the sword to handle, causing it to start melting slowly.


    Alex hurried up his attack, not wanting topletely wreck his only sword after his first skirmish with a beast.


    He had initially nned for the Rhinoceros to charge at him, but not wanting to risk the sword''s integrity any further, he led his own charge towards the beast.


    The two met head-on only a split secondter.


    The air was filled with the sound of metal slicing through flesh, and the heat from the Phoenix mes created a thick cloud of smoke and steam.


    The awakened on the sides were left utterly dumbfounded, their mouths wide open as they looked at the aftermath of the attack.


    The whole fight had started and ended in just a split second.


    Alex hadpletely sliced the 7 metre tall and 10 metre long Rhinoceros in half as he charged right through its body with almost too much ease, looking as if he was slicing butter with a hot knife.


    The heat from the deep red mes was so intense that it charred the meat of the beast instantly wherever it passed through.


    There wasn''t even a speck of blood or organs that poured out when the two halves of the Rhinoceros fell to each side of Alex.


    "Damn, that thing was weaker than I thought," Alex eximed, shaking his head as he examined the remains of his sword.


    The de was almostpletely melted, but it had served its purpose very well for him over thesest few months.


    The other awakened stared at him in shock and awe.


    The mercenary who had challenged him earlier was the first to break the silence.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    "Just someone who likes to get things done," Alex replied, embracing the cringe that was the sentence he just spoke, not bothering to exin further.


    He nced around at the battlefield, assessing the situation.


    Thousands more beasts were still rampaging, and the awakened were struggling to keep them at bay.


    ''Let''s clean up this mess,'' Alex thought.


    The sheer number of corpses littering the whole battlefield was an eyesore, and he had the perfect method to deal with this issue.


    He raised his hands, and the Phoenix mes roared to life once more.


    He first decided to test out his n on the Rhinoceros he had just killed, cing his hand on one half of its carcass.


    ''Ignite.''


    Just as he thought, the mes roared and devoured the corpse of the Rhinoceros like it had a life of its own.


    The whole process was over in a second, showing the insane speed at which the huge corpse had been turned into a pile of ash.


    He repeated the same with the other side of the Rhinoceros, but this time, there was more than just ash left behind when the mes had finished devouring.


    ''A beast core!''


    Alex saw it immediately, and he snatched it up into his hands the moment his eyes met it.


    However, to his shock, somethingpletely unexpected happened.


    ''I can store beast cores in my inventory now!??''


    The moment his hands came into contact with the beast core, it disappeared, leaving Alex confused at first.


    But he was used to this sensation from the countless times he had the same happen with any Soul orbs he found.


    And he checked his inventory, finding the beast core sitting in a corner of it very nicely.


    ''It''s not like I''m going to use it, but it''ll fetch some good money on the market! I can use any beast cores I earn on this mission to fund a new weapon!''


    Alex felt his emotions re up as he found a new use for these beast cores that had been otherwise rotting away in his storage earring.


    ''It''s time to move on to more prey!''


    But he wasn''t going to stop there just yet.


    The fun had just started for him!

 Chapter 222: Gut feeling

    Over the next 4 hours, Alex entered fights all over the battlefield,pletely wiping out any and every beast that he came across.


    There were too many D tier beasts to count, and he had killed over a dozen C tier beasts, with 7 of them being mutants like the first one he had encountered.


    But he wasn''t just going on a killing spree ¡ª every beast corpse he came across sumbed to the same fate.


    They were all burned to ash, and over time the battlefield was looking a lot less littered with beast corpses than it looked before Alex had arrived.


    Of course, Alex left any human corpses he found untouched. He didn''t particrly feel much emotion about seeing so much death ¡ª he had already epted the reality of how things worked in this society.


    Death was everywhere.


    But he wasn''t just going to disrespect their corpses by burning them to ash either. He didn''t know what their wishes were regarding how their bodies were dealt with, so he wasn''t going to involve himself where he didn''t need to be involved.


    But the beast corpses he couldn''t give a shit about.


    He received a few frowns here and there, probably from the awakened that had killed a beast, only for Alex to burn that beast''s corpse to ashes a few minutester.


    But none of them said a thing to him.


    It had already be clear to them that Alex was by far the strongest person on the battlefield.


    Not to mention the fact that the huge piles of beast corpses were bing eyesores to them as well, so he was doing them all a favour.


    As for any beast cores that dropped, Alex collected any from the beasts he had killed himself, as for beast cores that dropped from beasts he had no involvement in other than the disposal of their corpse, he just left the beast core in the pile of ash.


    The original owner coulde over and collect it for themselves whenever they wished to.


    Though it was far more likely they would get snatched up by some other awakened, especially the Mutant ss ones.


    These were far too valuable to be left alone, which was unfortunate for the awakened who killed the beast originally.


    But again, Alex couldn''t care less.


    He was here for himself, and himself alone. What these other mercenaries and students thought, Alex didn''t concern himself with.


    ''Am I not going to find any real action in this mission?''


    Alex was visibly disappointed by the way this mission was progressing.


    He hadn''t expected that his power would be so overwhelming for these beasts.


    His strength wasn''t so unreasonable that each attack he unleashed dealt the equivalent of a Variant C- rank attack, like when the Principal tested him.


    That time was when Alex went all out, with preparation and using the proper stances, techniques etc.


    He still wasn''t experienced enough, nor did he have enough training in how to actually maximise his power output in fights to reach such a level of power.


    Variant C- rank power was only his theoretical limit when he put as much of his power into an attack as he could.


    Of course, that was only taking into ount his physical strength alone.


    He didn''t have a proper opponent to test it against yet, but Alex suspected his Phoenix mes might be even stronger than his theoretical limit¡­


    And when the twobined¡­


    He was like an unstoppable force on this battlefield.


    ''I should work on improving my teleportation talent as well. I''ll add that to the list.''


    Of course, there were still many drawbacks to Alex''s powers.


    Like the fact that the amount of energy his teleportation talent consumed was percentage based.


    So no matter how high his energy capacity was, he would still lose 40% of his energy.


    It was better than the 50% he would have lost when the talent was still F- rank, but Alex would have preferred it wasn''t percentage based at all.


    There was still one good thing about Alex''s increased capacity though.


    Due to the fact that the teleportation would be using a huge amount of his energypared to before, he could now teleport much farther.


    His range with it had matched that of his Spatial perception, reaching hundreds of metres.


    But upgrading talents wasn''t as easy as it seemed.


    It all depended on how high his affinity was with the element attached to that particr talent.


    For example if he had 100% affinity with the space element, then he could theoretically increase the talent to S tier, making it on par with Mira''s spatial talent.


    Though, there were far more things to consider when upgrading a talent to S tier than just affinity alone.


    Such as some very, very rare resources that could barely be found across the entire federation or Primordial Expanse, and that others would be after his head for if they found out he possessed one of them.


    It was either that, or to encounter a special case like Alex did with his Phoenix mes, where certain conditions had to be met before he was able to unlock an entirely new talent, or to upgrade an already existing one.


    ''Anyway, I should think about things like this forter. Right now, I have no need to use my teleportation.''


    Alex would only even consider using it if he were in a desperate situation.


    However while Alex was in thought, a sudden situation had encapsted the battlefield outside the Floodgate in chaos.


    "W-We did it!"


    Shouts and cheers echoed across the battlefield, as thousands of awakened stood, exhausted and some even immobilised by their injuries.


    But they were all celebrating regardless.


    There were no more beasts standing on the battlefield.


    And there were no more beasts filtering through the Floodgate anymore.


    They were finally able to bring some peace to Ceres-9, after the constant onught of beasts had already imed the lives of thousands of awakened, and millions of unawakened, normal civilians who were just going about their daily lives before this unfortunate incident urred.


    ''Something doesn''t feel right.''


    But Alex still had a bad feeling in his gut.

 Chapter 223: White wolf

    More hours passed, and the awakened had already left the battlefield.


    All except for Alex.


    He sat, waiting near the Floodgate in a meditative stance.


    The Military officials had already dered the mission to beplete, but Alex''s bad gut feeling didn''t subside.


    Hence he stayed.


    In truth, he didn''t expect this mission to be so short, but as it turned out, the Floodgate had already been open for 2 weeks and was already near the end of its life cycle before Alex even epted the mission.


    But with the amount of beasts he killed during the four hours he was on the battlefield, he should still get a decent amount of contribution.


    After all, most of the awakened who had been there from the start were working in teams, so even though they had probably racked up hundreds or even thousands of kills over the past two weeks, when the contribution was split between 10 people, they were still below Alex, who worked alone.


    There were a few strong solo awakened like Alex who had been there from early on as well.


    They were the ones who were guaranteed the most contribution of all. They had killed hundreds of beasts solo by the time the mission ended.


    While Alex was sitting there idling in front of the Floodgate, he decided to tally up his loot from the beasts he had killed.


    ''Let''s see here¡­''


    He opened up his inventory, and felt intense satisfaction at seeing the sheer number of beast cores he had obtained.


    In total, he had killed around 60 beasts, give or take a few.


    And from these 60, heted around 43 beast cores in total, 8 of which were Mutant ss.


    This was a very good haul. Over 70% of the beasts he had killed dropped a beast core!


    This was to be expected though.


    The higher ranked a beast is, the more energy capacity it has.


    And it is this remaining energy left over in their bodies that condense to create a beast core when they die.


    So the likelihood of harvesting a beast core from C tier beasts was much more likely than from F tier beasts.


    Of course, Alex only viewed these beast cores as just another source of ie.


    They were essentially money bags in his eyes.


    What he was really interested in were the Soul orbs he had gained from this haul.


    And he was very satisfied.


    10 soul orbs were floating gently in a corner of his inventory, away from the droves of beast cores.


    3 of these soul orbs were Mutant ss, the rest being Ordinary ss.


    Normally Alex would be dissatisfied at how few Mutant ss orbspared to Ordinary ss orbs he had gained.


    But after unlocking the thirdyer of Soulforge, he wasn''t too bothered by this.


    And most importantly, he could finally get to try out something that had been bothering him ever since he had first found out about it.


    Remnant souls.


    The system told him to find out more about them himself, and now that he finally had some more soul orbs to his name, it was time to do just that.


    Taking the highest ranked soul orb he had gained today, a Mutant ss C rank orb, he exited the inventory.


    This happened to be the highest ranked soul orb he was going to absorb from first obtaining the Soulforge talent as well.


    ''Here goes nothing¡­''


    cing the Soul orb in his right hand, he began the process of absorbing the pure energy stored inside of it like he was so used to already.


    But this time, there was a feeling that wasn''t there any previous time he had absorbed a soul orb.


    ''Lucky!''


    The system said that not every Soul orb had a remnant soul inside of it, but Alex was lucky that the first one he picked out happened to have one.


    ''This sensation is so¡­ odd¡­''


    After just a few moments, Alex felt a force fall upon him.


    Like he had just taken some general anaesthesia, his body feltpelled to enter a deep slumber.


    And that was exactly what he did after just a few moments, even though he tried his best to resist the ufortable feeling.


    ***


    On a vast, open in filled with a snowy embrace, a young pup woke up.


    This pup wasn''t like any normal wolf though. This one was a beast.


    It had white, silky fur that blended in with the snowyndscape epassing it from every direction for miles upon miles to no end, with deep silver irises to match.


    Its mother wasying right beside it, still fast asleep. They were nocturnal creatures, so they slept during the day and hunted during night time, when most other creatures on the snowy expanse would be fast asleep themselves.


    The pup nudged its mother gently, eliciting a soft growl from her. She opened her eyes, revealing the same silver irises that the pup had inherited. She rose to her feet, shaking off the snow that had settled on her fur.


    The sun was already setting, so it was almost time for them to go hunting.


    Her presence was imposing, a Mutant ss C+ ranked creature. Her power was evident in the way that she moved.


    As wolves, they usually went around in packs, following the Alpha wolf as their leader.


    But this mother-son duo was different.


    The mother wolf had outgrown the Alpha wolf in terms of strength and the two of them got into a life or death battle as a result.


    The fight was close, with the mother wolf narrowly winning the fight by the skin of her teeth, and the Alpha wolf met its demise.


    However she was seriously injured, and had to run away from the pack before the other wolves killed her.


    She acted as a sole hunter for a while, but after a few weeks, she could feel a little pup growing in her stomach.


    And that was how the unique mother-son wolf duo came to be.


    Tonight was special. It was the night she would teach her pup how to hunt.


    The pup, still young and inexperienced, looked up at her with eager eyes. The mother nudged the pup gently, encouraging it to follow her.


    They moved silently through the snow, their white fur blending seamlessly with their surroundings. The pup tried to mimic its mother''s movements, stepping lightly and keeping its head low. The mother led them to a ridge overlooking a frozen valley.


    Below, a herd of snow deer grazed, their white coats blending with the snow, but their faint glow from their breath and the asional flick of an ear gave them away.


    The mother assessed the herd, searching for a suitable target.


    Her keen eyes locked onto a weaker member of the herd, an E- rank deer thatgged slightly behind the rest.


    It was the perfect target for the pup''s first hunt.


    The mother turned to the pup, her gaze stern but gentle. She nudged it forward, urging it to approach the deer.


    The pup hesitated, looking back at its mother for reassurance.


    She gave a soft growl, and the pup steeled its resolve.


    Creeping forward, the pup mimicked the stalking technique it had seen its mother use many times. It kept low to the ground, moving slowly and deliberately, its eyes locked onto the deer.


    The Mother followed at a distance, ready to intervene if necessary.


    The pup drew closer, its heart pounding in its chest. The deer remained unaware of the impending danger, its focus solely on the grazing of the frozen tundra.


    The mystical ice flowers and other vegetation unique to this snowy climate were the favourites of these deer.


    The pup readied itself, muscles coiled, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    With a sudden burst of speed, the pup lunged forward. The deer''s head snapped up, but it was toote. The pup''s small but sharp teeth sank into its hind leg, and the deer stumbled, letting out a panicked yelp.


    The mother moved swiftly, closing the distance between them in an instant. She mped her powerful jaws around the deer''s throat, ending its struggles in an instant.


    Things had urred so fast that the rest of the pack had yet to notice what had happened to their straggler.


    The mother wolf turned to the pup, a glint of pride in her eyes.

 Chapter 224: Realisation

    Alex awoke from what felt like a weird dream a few momentster.


    The moment the remnant soul activated, his consciousness had been forced out of his body and pulled away to this memory, where he assumed the perspective of the wolf pup.


    ''I see what the system meant by finding out for myself now.'' Alex thought to himself.


    ''From these remnant memories, I can gain first hand experience without actually having to experience it myself.''


    ''I can already tell that my hunting abilities would see an improvement should I go out right now to hunt some animals. Being in that small wolf pup''s body for its first hunt really provided me with some new perspectives.''


    Alex had finally realised why the system had kept this information from him instead of directly exining to him the effects absorbing remnant souls could bring him.


    If he had been told that he could gain experiences from these remnant memories, then sure, he would finally see the value in these remnant souls.


    But experiencing it first hand was much more effective in making him see why they were so valuable.


    Other awakened would spend years honing their craft, their techniques through their own experiences.


    Yet Alex could gain the same amount of experience overnight by absorbing these remnant souls.


    Of course, that was only in the case that the beast he had killed had that level of experience itself.


    ''That makes me wonder, since it works on beasts, I wonder if it would ever work on sentient life forms?''


    Alex hadn''t really considered this before, as the idea of specifically hunting humans for his own benefit hadn''t really been something he was willing to do.


    He had read on the inte already that such a thing like beast cores or soul cores never dropped from humans, but perhaps things could be different for him¡­


    Alex had never received something like beast cores or soul orbs from the small number of humans he had killed, but that could just be because of his shit luck back then.


    There was nothing in the description of his Soulforge talent that indicated Soul orbs were dropped exclusively by beasts¡­


    ''I''m not going to go out and massacre any random awakened Ie across anyway. At worst, I will only kill humans who have iting, or target me first.''


    Alex wasn''t really the psychopathic type, but killing people who were out to harm him or others, he wasn''t opposed to at all.


    ''I can only test this theory out if I evere across such awakened.''


    Opening his eyes, Alex checked his surroundings to check nothing had changed since he had absorbed the remnant soul.


    When he found everything to be normal, he checked the time on hismunicator to see how long he had been in that memory for.


    And he was surprised to see that only a few seconds had passed!


    ''I could''ve sworn I spent hours in that memory¡­''


    Alex couldn''t find an exnation for why these hours were only a few seconds in the real world, but that wasn''t his primary concern at the moment anyway.


    He still had another Mutant ss soul orbs to absorb, so he got right to it.


    ***


    A few hourster, Alex opened his eyes once again, feeling a little disappointed.


    ''There were no more remnant souls in those ones.''


    It seemed like remnant souls were rarer than he originally thought, or he had just gotten unlucky.


    He checked his progress towards D rank, and was even more vexed to find the percentage at 96%.


    He was just a sliver of energy away from reaching D rank¡­


    ''Let''s hope this can push me over the edge!''


    It was finally time for him to test out the thirdyer of Soulforge that he had only recently unlocked.


    He still had 7 Ordinary ss soul orbs remaining in his inventory, which would have just gone to waste if he hadn''t unlocked this thirdyer.


    ''Let''s see how this works then¡­''


    Alex took one of the orbs out, an Ordinary C- ranked orb, and held it in his hand.


    It had been a while since he had absorbed one of these things as he had been a Mutant ss for quite a while now.


    But he followed the same process he was always used to, and started the absorption process just like every other time.


    However the familiarity with the absorption process stopped there, as Alex felt two paths appear within him.


    He knew what these paths were with just a nce.


    ''Absorb it as is, or refine it into Mutant ss energy.''


    Alex wasn''t going to absorb the Ordinary ss energy like an idiot and damage his own progress, so he naturally picked the second path.


    Immediately, he felt the energy from the Soul orb start filtering towards his energy core.


    When it reached the energy core, he could feel his ''heart'' start thumping at a much faster pace, like it was working overtime.


    The effects of the refining process showed immediately, as Alex noticed some ck gooey substance start to escape from the pores on his chest.


    It reeked with a putrid smell, causing even Alex with his enhanced senses to wince when it reached his nose.


    But he had to focus on absorbing the remaining energy from the soul orb, so he couldn''t do anything about the smell for now.


    Since it was only an Ordinary C- ranked orb, the process only took another 20 minutes before the energy from the orb waspletely drained and it dissipated into thin air like always.


    And Alex could finally see the results of this refinement.


    ''96.8% progress towards D rank¡­ So I only gained 0.8% Mutant ss energy from that. It''s honestly better than I thought. With the other 6 soul orbs, I''m basically guaranteed to reach D rank, considering they''re all higher ranked than the orb I just refined.''


    Alex was actually happy with the results from his first refined energy absorption. His expectations were already low, so he wasn''t disappointed in the slightest.


    But when considering the Orb was still a whole tier higher than Alex''s own rank, he would practically gain next to nothing if he absorbed an Ordinary D- rank orb.


    That just meant Alex would have to hunt higher ranked beasts more often though, which was no biggie for him.

 Chapter 225: D rank

    After another 2 hours passed by, Alex was at thest stretch of refining the final Soul orb he had gained from this mission.


    His current progress was at 99.8%, so with thisst orb, he should just barely be pushed over the 100% goal.


    And just a few momentster, it was confirmed for him.


    [Requirements met, soul core upgraded to D rank.]


    In an instant, Alex felt an influx of energy and strength enter his body.


    The feeling of ranking up still felt as mystical as every other time, only this time the effect was more substantial.


    The higher his soul core reached in the ranks, the more substantial each upgrade would be.


    The gap between each rank only widened the higher one went, which was even more notable after one reached B tier.


    But that was something Alex had to consider in the future.


    For now, he was focused on one thing, and one thing only.


    ''The Floodgate''s activating again!''


    He was forced to cut his rank up celebration short.


    ***


    At the nearby military base, the atmosphere was jubnt.


    Mercenaries and university students who hade to Ceres-9 to ept the mission were partaking in celebrations for oveing the Floodgate event.


    The bars were packed to the brim, filled with the sound ofughter and clinking sses filling the air.


    Exaggerated stories of bravery and close calls were exchanged, each one only bing more and more exaggerated with each retelling.


    A group of students sat around a table, their faces flushed with a mixture of excitement and alcohol.


    "Can you believe it?" One of them, a tall,nky guy named Jake eximed.


    "We actually did it! And none of us died this time!"


    It might be concerning to the average unawakened person how unbothered these mercenaries and students seemed by the thousands of deaths urring on the battlefield.


    And while they might have felt sad and grieved by theirrades or friends dying, death was amon urrence in the world of the awakened.


    To the Awakened who couldn''t bear to see their loved ones die right in front of them, it was much easier on them to maintain surface level rtionships with theirrades and friends, so that in the event that one of them died, they wouldn''t be so mentally affected by their death.


    A mercenary at the next table over raised his ss. "Here''s to us! We saved this''s sorry ass!"


    Amid the celebrations, a hushed conversation was taking ce in a corner of the bar. A group of seasoned mercenaries and a few sharp eyed students were discussing the real game changer in this battle.


    "You guys saw that stranger, right?" Said Greg, a burly mercenary with burn marks on his cheek.


    "The one who showed up out of nowhere and started tearing through those C tier beasts like they were nothing?"


    A young woman named Laura, one of the university students, nodded. "Yeah, I saw him. He was incredible. His movements were a little stiff but he made up for them with his incredible speed and strength."


    Another mercenary, Sam, leaned in. "I heard he''s just a D- ranked student. Got that info by slipping a few beast cores to a military officer."


    "No way!" Jake interrupted, shaking his head in disbelief. "A D- rank? You''ve got to be kidding. That guy was taking out C tier beasts with ease. That doesn''t add up."


    "It''s true," Laura confirmed. "I scanned his Floodgate emblem when he first arrived. He''s a student from Capital Prime university. Name''s Alex, but he didn''t stick around to chat."


    Gregughed, a deep, booming sound. "Kid''s got guts, I''ll give him that. But if he''s only D- rank, he''s got a bright future ahead of him. Mark my words, he''s gonna be famous."


    Sam nodded. "We should get on his good side now. Who knows what kind of benefits we can get by bing close with him?"


    "Good idea," Laura agreed. "But where is he now? I haven''t seen him since the mission ended."


    Jake shrugged. "Probably left the already. No point in sticking around after the job''s done for such a talent like him."


    Nearby, Greg frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. "Actually, I saw him just before we came here. He was still at the battlefield, sitting in front of the Floodgate. Looked like he was meditating or something."


    Laura raised an eyebrow. "Still there? What for?"


    Before anyone could answer though, a sudden boom echoed across from the distance.


    Every bar and every tent in the military base went silent, as each mercenary, soldier and student looked in the direction the deafening sound just echoed from.


    It came from the direction of the Floodgate.


    "It can''t be!" Someone eximed.


    All of the students and mercenaries thought the same thing. They realised instantly why Alex was still in front of the Floodgate.


    They were celebrating prematurely.


    Greg was the first to break the silence. "Damn it all! We need to get back there. Now!"


    Laura shook her head, her face pale. "If Alex stayed, he must have known something was wrong. Besides, he''s by far the strongest person in this area. If we went over to help, we''d only be hindering him."


    ***


    Back at the battlefield, Alex stood firm as the Floodgate began to shimmer and pulsate with energy once more. He could feel the surge of power emanating from it, and his instincts screamed at him to prepare for a tough battle.


    ''Variant ss.'' Alex thought, recognising that same pressure leaking from the Floodgate.


    He felt the exact same oppression when he fought against the Variant ss creature summoned by the Count back in the Primordial Expanse.


    Only this aura was much, much stronger.


    ''It''s at least C rank.''


    Alex was unsure if he would even be able to handle it, as his strength could only theoretically reach Variant C- rank level when he went all out, with no disturbances or distractions to ruin his flow.


    However, considering he had just ranked up, as well as the fact he had Phoenix mes at his disposal, he was willing to give it a shot.


    And if he seeded¡­


    Then he would be one huge step closer to reaching Variant ss himself!

 Chapter 226: Making an entrance

    Rumble!


    Rumble!


    The ground beneath Alex''s feet trembled violently, the rumbling intensifying as something enormous stirred on the other side of the Floodgate.


    The air around the portal grew thick with oppressive energy, making it difficult for any weak willed awakened to breathe.


    Alex took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was about toe.


    The shimmering light of the Floodgate warped and twisted, and then, with a deafening roar, the beast emerged.


    A gargantuan, 25 metre tall bipedal beast stepped out of the Floodgate, each footfall causing the earth to quake.


    Its massive form was covered in thick, obsidian ck scales that seemed to absorb the light around it.


    Its eyes, a glowing crimson, locked onto Alex with a fierce intelligence that would have sent shivers down his spine if he were just a little bit more weak willed.


    The beast''s head was adorned with jagged horns, curving backward in a menacing disy, and its maw was filled with razor sharp teeth that glinted dangerously in the dim light.


    Roarrr!


    It let out another roar, the sound reverberating through the air like a thunderp, making every beast, human and insect within 10 kilometres aware of its presence.


    "Oh god¡­ We''re dead¡­" Jake eximed.


    He was a student, so he knew about the ssification system that Awakened and beasts had.


    He had seen many Mutant beasts before, even on the battlefield only a few hours earlier.


    But this beast that had just stepped through the Floodgate was not like any Mutant beast he had ever bared witness to.


    "Variant¡­" He let his thoughts slip, his words catching the ears of the awakened nearby to him.


    When the other awakened near him realised what Jake had just muttered, their faces became pale, and some even keeled up into the fetal position on the spot, hoping this was all just a dream.


    Alex''s crystallised heart pounded in his chest as he sized up his opponent.


    He was right, this was no ordinary beast.


    It was a Variant ss monstrosity, exuding an aura of raw power that dwarfed anything he had faced before.


    The only thing that had evere close was the Variant ss beast he faced back in the Primordial Expanse, but even that couldn''t hold a candle to this 25 metre tall monstrosity.


    ''Focus,'' Alex told himself, forcing his mind to clear.


    He summoned his Phoenix mes, the brilliant crimson fire enveloping his body in a protective, empowering embrace.


    The heat radiated off him in waves, causing the air to shimmer.


    This was something Alex had thought of on the spot, and it seemed to have actually worked as he could feel the aura of mes surrounding him, protecting him from harm.


    The beast seemed to recognise the challenge, its eyes narrowing as it assessed Alex.


    It could tell immediately that he was no ordinary opponent.


    ''It''s time!''


    With a sudden, earth shaking lunge, the beast charged at Alex.


    Its massive ws tore up the ground as it closed the distance in a fraction of a second.


    Alex barely had time to react.


    He dodged to the side, the beast''s ws missing him by a hair''s breadth.


    He countered with a punch to the beast''s scaly arm, the intense heat of his Phoenix mes transferring over as it wrapped around his fist.


    The mes scorched its scales, but to Alex''s dismay, the beast seemedrgely unfazed, shaking off the attack with a growl of annoyance.


    ''It''s scales are much tougher than I thought!'' Alex realised, adjusting his strategy.


    ''If I don''t find its weakness quickly, then this battle will be over in no time. And I won''t be the victor this time¡­''


    Alex could tell right off the bat that he was outmatched in physical strength, but not so much that he waspletely overpowered by the beast.


    The beast roared again, a wave of concussive force emanating from its mouth.


    ''What the fu-''


    Alex,pletely unaware it even had such attacks, braced himself.


    But the sheer power of the attack sent him skidding backward, his feet digging furrows into the ground as he fought to maintain his bnce.


    ''It seems the beast has some sort of sonic attack, using the sheer power of its voice as a physical attack. This makes things trickier¡­'' Alex thought as he brushed off the dust and dirt that had been blown onto his body as a result of the attack.


    However, he had only just realised that some sharp metal, probably a shard from a broken de left behind by the previous battle, had also been sent flying towards him due to the sonic attack.


    And it had prated his shoulder¡­


    ''Fuck¡­''


    ''Thank god for these Phoenix mes, or I''d be dead already!''


    ''It''s good to see that the regenerative heat effect of them works just as well as it described. But the toll it takes on my energy pool¡­''


    Alex felt the regenerative heat aspect of his Phoenix mes kick in immediately after the shard of metal had cut a hole through his shoulder and exited from the other side.


    The description of it said that it could even regenerate lost limbs, so healing this clear cut wound shouldn''t be too much of a problem for it.


    What was a problem though, was the sheer amount of energy it took for it to do so.


    The wound had just finished healing, but it had taken 5% of Alex''s total energy capacity to do so.


    And that was after it had received an eight times increase in capacity from perfecting the Heart of the Phoenix technique¡­


    ''I need something, some way to prate through the beast''s scales¡­''


    It dawned upon Alex that he couldn''t afford to take many hits like that, or else his energy would be dried up before he could even put up a proper fight.


    Right now the biggest problem for Alex was that the beast''s scales were just too tough, and now that he was once again without a weapon, due to his previous one melting, he was out of options in that area.

 Chapter 227: Achilles heel

    Left with no other option, Alex was forced to charge back into the fight with what he had already at his disposal.


    His own abilities.


    He grit his teeth, rolling to the side as he was forced to dodge the beast''s incredibly fast ws once again.


    ''Fuck, that was too close!''


    Alex couldn''t confidently dodge until he was well out of the range of the beast''s attack.


    ''With such tough scales, surely there has to be a weak point somewhere?''


    Alex was reminded of the novels he used to read in his childhood.


    The dragons in those novels that the protagonists used to face all always had one Achilles heel.


    The reverse scale.


    Alex momentarily thought that maybe this could be the case for this beast, but he shook off those childish thoughts instantly.


    This was real life, not some fantasy novel.


    ''The beast''s weakness has to be much more realistic, like its joints or something.''


    ''Wait¡­ what about its joints?''


    Alex felt like he was onto something with this train of thought, as logically, it made sense.


    Creatures like this beast, which were covered from head to toe in tough, thick scales usually had softened areas near their joints so their movements weren''t excessively rigid from the thick, hard scales preventing any flexible movements.


    And considering Alex hadn''t spotted any sort of rigid movements from the beast at all, not even once since it had emerged from the Floodgate, then it surely had to have a simr quality.


    ''Target it''s joints!''


    Considering the size difference between Alex and the beast, the only joints he could realistically aim for were its ankles.


    With his strength, Alex could probably jump a kilometre straight up from the ground if he put his back into it.


    But if he jumped up to try and target a joint like its elbow or shoulder, he would leave himself much more exposed to an attack.


    He couldn''t dodge in mid air, after all.


    Alex didn''t have the ability to fly, yet.


    ''The ankles it is.''


    With a new target set in his mind, Alex switched up his routine.


    This whole time, he was constantly on the defensive against the beast, dodging left and right, all in the attempt to prevent any further injuries from sucking up his energy to heal.


    Now, he was preparing to take the offensive position for the first time since the battle had started.


    He focused, watching the beast''s movements closely, looking for any opening he could exploit.


    The good thing was that due to the beast''srge body, its speed was rtively slow for its rank.


    It was about on par with Alex''s, so his eyes could track the beast''s movements without much difficulty.


    ''There!''


    The beast lifted its massive left foot to stomp down on Alex, leaving a brief gap between its legs.


    Alex seized the moment. He dodged the iing foot from above, by the skin of his teeth no less, and sprinted forward, ducking under the beast''s massive frame.


    His heart pounded as he transferred the Phoenix mes from his entire body, concentrating them all into his right hand.


    The heat was so intense that it even affected Alex, but any slight burns he suffered were regenerated instantly by the very same mes that were injuring him, ironically.


    ''I should learn to regte their destructive properties¡­'' Alex thought, referring to the Phoenix mes.


    That was just another thing added to the long list of things he had to work on in the future.


    His hand straightened out fully, shaped like a de.


    This was the best he could do since he didn''t have a weapon strong enough to withstand his mes yet.


    He lunged forward and struck the beast''s ankle with all his might.


    ROARRR!


    Instantly, the beast let out a new roar, one that Alex was hearing for the first time.


    A roar of pain.


    ''It actually works!''


    Alex thought, surprised and exhrated that his absurd n of aiming for the joints was actually working.


    But even though the beast had finally been dealt some damage by his previous attack, it still hadn''t fully prated through the gargantuan beast''s scales.


    But they were still very clearly deformed.


    ''A few more attacks like that one, and I''ll be able to make it through these absurdly tough scales.''


    ''Then my Phoenix mes can start to deal some real damage to the beast.''


    Alex was a little unlucky with this match up, as the beast''s scales were practically the perfect counter to his newly obtained Phoenix mes.


    Its scales seemed to be oddly resistant to fire and heat, though it couldn''t block everything Alex''s special Phoenix mes threw at them.


    There was still a mark left on its skin where he had attacked previously.


    The beast, now aware of the threat Alex posed, swung its massive tail in retaliation.


    Alex ducked, attempting to dodge the oing school bus sized appendage, but he was too slow.


    The beast''s tail mmed into Alex with a force that felt like being hit with a freight train.


    He was flung across the battlefield, crashing into the ground with a bone-rattling impact.


    Gritting his teeth, Alex forced himself to stand despite the pain that coursed through his body.


    "Cough... Cough..."


    ''That''s gonna take a big chunk of energy to heal.''


    Alex wasn''t sure exactly what had been injured on his body, but he felt pain all over.


    Whole body injuries would surely be much more costly for his Phoenix mes to heal than one small injury to his shoulder.


    And his assumptions were correct.


    A few secondster, he was back in peak form, but he was left with 20% less energy in his tank.


    ''I can''t keep going on like this. I need to pierce through those scales quickly.''


    The longer the battlested, the more urgency Alex felt to end it.


    Time was ticking, and it wasn''t in Alex''s favour.


    The beast was a Variant C rank beast, so it had a hugely higher energy capacity than Alex, even without taking its huge size into ount.


    But even though Alex knew where exactly he should target now, so did the beast.


    It was tightly guarding both of its ankles now, so Alex was much less likely to find an opening as easily as before.

 Chapter 228: A new strategy

    Alex knew he had toe up with a new strategy, something unexpected that would allow him to get past the beast''s defences.


    The huge creature was smart, it was learning, adapting, and Alex''s usual tactics wouldn''t work anymore.


    He took a deep breath, focusing his thoughts. He needed to create a distraction, something to divert the beast''s attention away from its ankles.


    His mind raced as he quickly formted a n.


    ''Time to get creative!'' He thought, a determined glint in his eyes.


    Alex sprinted towards the beast, his body zing with the crimson coloured Phoenix mes.


    He darted from side to side, throwing off the beast''s aim as it tried to swat him away.


    He aimed for the beast''s face, sending a concentrated st of Phoenix mes towards its eyes!


    Since the beast had targeted its defences towards its ankles, its only other weak point was now left unguarded.


    The beast roared, shaking its head violently to dispel the blinding mes.


    But no matter what it did, the mes never dissipated.


    ''That''s Unquenchable ze for you!'' Alex thought, knowing immediately that the mes would never dissipate unless he willed them to, or there was no energy left in the atmosphere to sustain them.


    This was the opening Alex needed. He quickly rolled to the side, positioning himself near one of the beast''s ankles.


    ''Now!''


    With the beast distracted by the mes burning away at its eyes, Alex concentrated the Phoenix mes into his right hand once more.


    The mes intensified, burning hotter and hotter than ever before.


    His hand became a glowing de of pure fire and heat.


    He lunged forward, striking at the weakened joint with all his might.


    Alex replicated the movements he had taken when the Principal had tested his strength right after he had been revived.


    Thankfully, his distraction was far more effective than he could have anticipated, allowing him plenty of time to prepare this all out attack.


    The beast roared in agony once more, this time much louder as the burning hot red mes seared through the deformed scales.


    This time Alex''s attack prated deeper than ever before, reaching the vulnerable flesh underneath.


    The beast staggered, its massive frame trembling. Alex could see the damage he had inflicted was significant.


    It tried to stand up, but no matter how much it tried, it kept falling back down to the ground again.


    Alex''s attack had been strong enough to extend from the ankles to the beast''s Achilles tendon, snapping it in two.


    As a bipedal creature, with only one fully functioning leg, it was practically a sitting duck.


    But the beast was far from defeated. Alex needed to keep up the pressure, to keep striking until the beast could no longer defend.


    The beast, now fully enraged, swung its tail again. Alex dodged, barely escaping the devastating blow. He darted around the beast, aiming for the other ankle.


    However, right as he was about to do so, he felt an incredibly high energy signaturee from the beast, one that he hadn''t seening at all.


    The air around the beast thickened with power, the ground trembling beneath its massive form. Alex stepped back in shock and confusion as he realised what had just happened.


    ''C+ rank!''


    The beast had just gone up a rank.


    Alex had no idea how this was possible, or how the beast had achieved it.


    But that was thest thing he was worried about right now.


    "Shit!"


    Alex immediately realised that the battle had just gotten many times harder, as he could barely keep up with the beast when it was C rank.


    Now that it was C+ rank somehow, he should throw away all thoughts of trying to keep up with it in terms of speed or strength.


    "Just when things were starting to go my way¡­"


    But just as Alex thought the worst of it was over, the ground started rumbling once again.


    "What''s going on?"


    "What''s happening?"


    The onlookers in the military base could only specte and ask each other in confusion, as they were all with Alex on this.


    They thought Alex was about to end this battle once and for all, saving the inhabitants of not only the military base, but the nearby cities too.


    At first, Alex thought that the beast must be preparing another one of those sonic attacks, so he positioned himself well away from its mouth region.


    But after a few seconds, no attack came.


    Instead, something far wilder happened.


    The flesh on the beast''s back started to deform and wriggle, like there were worms under its skin.


    A little creeped out, Alex was unsure whether to go near or not.


    Swoosh!


    But he waspletely shocked when he saw the beast''s back split open in two symmetrical areas, with a newly created pair of wings spreading out far and wide from them, covered in all sorts of blood and goo.


    "What the fuck kind of situation is this!?!"


    Alex realised just how much the battle had changed in just a matter of seconds.


    Things were quickly bing much worse than he could have hoped from this fight.


    Originally he just wanted to test his newfound strength and talent against a worthy opponent.


    But now things were quickly getting out of hand.


    ''If that thing takes off, then this whole is fucked!''


    He realised the severity of the situation in an instant and decided to take immediate action.


    He may have acted indifferent to the deaths of the thousands of awakened on the battlefield earlier that day, but this was different.


    Those awakened knew the risks to their lives bying here to fight the Floodgate, so they knew there was a chance they could die.


    But there were still over a billion innocent civilians on this.


    Alex couldn''t just turn the other cheek while this beast went on a rampage and ughtered everyst one of them.


    His personal morality wouldn''t allow for that.


    And since this was the case, he prepared himself for an intense fight with the beast, even if it meant a serious risk to his life.

 Chapter 229: A daring effort

    Alex jumped off the ground using his incredible strength andnded directly onto the beast''s back, 200 metres in the air.


    The beast tried to shake him off at first, but failed to do so.


    The two of them got entangled in the air as they rapidly rose, then fell over and over again as the beast kept trying to fight back against Alex.


    But it wasn''t flexible enough to reach its back where Alex was located, hence it tried to use momentum to lose him instead.


    In the end, that wasn''t enough to shake him off either.


    Alex was like a bug stuck to its skin with glue.


    There was nothing it could do to shake him off.


    Seeing that it couldn''t get rid of him, it decided to take a new approach.


    Roarrrr!


    It roared as it started to rapidly elerate.


    Upwards¡­


    It started flying directly up, as high as it could.


    "Shit, this thing''s trying to suffocate me!"


    Alex realised what it was trying to do immediately, but the skin of the beast was so much tougher than it was as a C rank.


    It was taking him much longer to prate it, even with his full power.


    If he couldn''t break through the scales in time before they reached the edge of the atmosphere, then he would be in some deep shit.


    However, things continued to not go his way.


    He only made it halfway through the thick scales by the time the beast flew above the clouds, then even higher until the sky eventually started to fade from light blue to ck, as it reached the farthest edges of Ceres-9''s atmosphere.


    Alex could barely breathe at this point, only being able to keep himself alive and conscious this long thanks to the fact that his energy core regted most of the energy in his body.


    Most of his body no longer needed oxygen to survive.


    But things hadn''t changed for his brain. That still needed oxygen to survive.


    The brain was special, just like the heart.


    Even though Alex hadpletely integrated his heart with the energy core, his brain remained unaffected by these changes.


    He wasn''t yet a higher life form, it was only when he evolved to a higher life form that his brain would evolve, so he couldn''t survive in the vacuum of space yet.


    ''I have to end this, now!''


    With a final, desperate effort, Alex decided to activate the one ability he hadn''t made use of in this battle yet.


    Inferior Teleportation.


    In an instant, 40% of his overall energy capacity was emptied, and Alex felt himself transported through the cracks of space off of the beast''s back¡­


    And hended on the beast''s tongue¡­


    This was exactly where he nned onnding, but it was extremely risky.


    For one, he had no idea whether he would actuallynd in the beast''s mouth, or in the middle of the sky as the two of them were in constant motion.


    But it seemed his talent disregarded whether they were in motion or not, and only focused on that specific point in space where Alex had willed himself to teleport to.


    Not to mention the danger of being inside the beast''s mouth in the first ce¡­


    He could only do this because just like Alex, the beast was also starved of oxygen, only it was in a much better position than Alex.


    It was only 1 rank away from being a higher life form, so it could survive a much longer time without oxygen.


    But that didn''t change the fact that it still needed it.


    Its solution was to open its maw wide as it flew up, allowing the small pockets of air to fly directly into its mouth as it passed right through them and continued climbing.


    However, it didn''t expect that Alex would use this tactic to conserve oxygen against it.


    The beast''s mouth was a cavernous, dark expanse, its foul breath a mixture of rotting flesh and acrid fumes.


    Alex stood on its tongue, feeling the beast''s entire body tremble with rage and frustration. He knew he had one shot at this, and he had to make it count.


    "Fuck it," Alex muttered under his breath.


    He concentrated the remainder of his energy into one final, desperate attack.


    The Phoenix mes, already intense, red up around his body, bing a zing inferno.


    With the injection of literally all the energy he had left, they became much, much more intense.


    Their power instantly rose, matching that of the Variant ss C+ rank beast he was currently in the maw of.


    The beast could feel the sheer amount of energy concentrated in its mouth, but it couldn''t do anything about it. It had to keep its mouth open if it wanted to stay conscious, and if it closed it, then Alex would be able to remain conscious by using the air that the beast had left its body.


    The beast was frustrated and anxious; no matter what method it thought of, it always ended up with it being on the losing side.


    And after just a few milliseconds had passed, its worst fears hade true.


    Alex''s body became a blindingly bright beacon of light, as he was covered from head to toe in Phoenix mes.


    Underneath all that light, Alex was in agony. His muscles screamed, his bones felt like they were on fire, and his mind was in a haze of pain. He was barely hanging on to consciousness anymore, and right before he passed out, he issued twostmands to his body.


    His firstmand was to disregard the Regenerative heat aspect of his Phoenix mes, which was why he was in so much agony.


    This enabled the destructive aspect of them to be even more potent as the energy reserved for regeneration was syphoned towards the destruction.


    And hisstmand before he passed out was simple.


    ''Jump!''


    His body listened to him, but Alex was no longer conscious enough to see the results.

 Chapter 230: Becoming famous (1)

    His body listened to him, and with a final, Herculean effort, Alexunched himself upward from the beast''s tongue.


    His body rocketed through the air, a zinget of Phoenix mes.


    The heat and light were so intense that the beast''s flesh began to sizzle and char.


    The beast roared in agony, its body convulsing as the mes tore through its insides.


    It tried to close its mouth, but it was toote.


    The destructive force of Alex''s attack was too difficult to handle.


    His body had charred right through the roof of its mouth, and had shot right up,ing out on the other side.


    He had essentially used his own body as a projectile.


    The beast''s massive form stopped all movements in an instant. Its wings stopped pping, and it started to plummet back to the''s surface.


    The once mighty creature, bringing fear to the people of Ceres-9 the moment it stepped out of the Floodgate, now a burning wreck, crashing down to the ground with a thunderous impact.


    The descentsted a whole 9 minutes as it plummeted from orbit right down to the ground.


    Dust and debris flew in all directions, and the earth shook from the force of the collision.


    ***


    The military base was a flurry of activity, with soldiers, mercenaries and students alike all glued to their screens. The tension was palpable, and the air crackled with anticipation.


    When the fight with the beast first began, a student had seen a potential money making opportunity and started a livestream, capturing the epic battle between Alex and the Variant ss beast on camera, live for any viewers to see.


    The title of the stream, "D Tier Student Takes on C Tier Beast Solo and Holds his own!" had initially drawn in viewers who thought it was a hoax.


    However as the fight progressed and Alex toppled the beast by hacking at its ankle and Achilles tendon, the stream''s viewership skyrocketed.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! I, Commodus, the host of this epic stream bring to you this thrilling and butt-clenching battle between a mere D tier student and this terrifyingly powerful C Tier beast!"


    "I even suspect that this beast isn''t just an Ordinary ss either¡­ Oops, I don''t think I was supposed to mention that!"


    The host of the stream, Commodus, introduced the scene to all the new viewers that wereing in.


    He even purposely revealed his spections that the beast was not an Ordinary ss beast.


    He was on the battlefield earlier, and he was an Ordinary C tier awakened himself, yet he could feel the pressure and auraing from this beast and it was unlike anything he had ever encountered before.


    Tens of millions of viewers tuned in, their chat messages a cacophony of shock and awe.


    It had even gained so much traction that some federal officials had tuned in, and were so shocked and awed by what they were seeing that they decided to air it on the official channels.


    The viewership exploded as the tens of millions of viewers quickly turned into tens of billions!


    The stream was originally limited by location and distance, with only people ands within a few dozen light year radius being able to tune it and watch.


    But now that the federal officials had aired it on the official channels, it spanned across the entire federation!


    A total of 200,000 light years, spanning the entire Milky way, were able to watch the stream now!


    Commodus would never have thought that something like this would ever happen to him in his entire lifetime¡­


    "This young student here is Alex. Most, in fact all of you are probably clueless about him. Most of us here on Ceres-9 were as well. But it turns out he''s a student from Capital Prime University, a first year even! And he is supposedly a D- rank awakened!"


    Commodus started to see manymentse in, from viewers who were iming he was using Alex''s fight as an opportunity to have his owne up, without giving Alex any credit for being the whole reason so many viewers were there in the first ce.


    So he decided to give some background information about Alex that the other students and awakened had learned about earlier.


    ''Alex? Isn''t he the first ranked freshman at Capital Prime! No wonder he''s able to put up such a daring fight against a C tier beast!''


    ''I heard that he''s even Mutant ss already¡­ A mutant ss D tier! I never thought I''d get to see one in action!''


    Thements came flooding in, with some people who were familiar with Alex''s feats, likely being students of Capital Prime university themselves, revealing even more information about Alex.


    Alex quickly started to be a popr name among the viewers of the livestream, and they even started chanting his name in the chat!


    All of this without his knowledge as well¡­


    The base fell silent though, as they watched Alex approach the beast.


    He had just hacked at the thing''s feet and eyes with those unique looking mes of his, and it looked like he was going in to finish the job now.


    However, things quickly started taking a very different turn than everyone expected.


    The beast started to writhe and wriggle around, until it eventually started to transform.


    "C+ rank¡­" A nearby awakened muttered.


    This revtion sent chills down the spines of everyone who was actually on Ceres-9.


    Such a rank was too much for even someone like Alex to deal with, surely?


    This transformation was unlike anything any of them had seen before, as it clearly wasn''t normal by the fact the thing had gone up in rank.


    The appearance of wings only deepened their dread.


    For a moment, despair settled over the military base. Many began to silently sob, fearing the beast would soon dominate and ughter everyone on Ceres-9 with no one strong enough to put a stop to it.


    Only the B tier awakened, in other words higher life forms, could match the beast now.


    Humans only gained the ability to fly when they became higher life forms, with there being a few exceptions who could do this at a lower rank due to a special talent etc.


    But there was no one present on Ceres-9 who could do that.


    And even if they could fly, would they be strong enough to kill the beast?

 Chapter 231: Becoming famous (2)

    The answer was no, so Alex was all that they had to rely on, or else they were all fucked.


    And hope flickered across the viewer''s and the onlooker''s eyes as they witnessed Alex''s bold act.


    He jumped high into the sky,nding onto the beast''s back as it tried to escape.


    Commodus''s voice trembled with a mix of excitement and anxiety as he narrated the events unfolding before him. The viewers, now in the hundreds of billions, hung on his every word, their hearts pounding in unison with his.


    Some of the viewers could only listen over the radio as they were preupied or secretly listening at work, so his narration was very helpful to them.


    "The beast is transforming! This is¡­ this is unbelievable! It''s growing wings, and it''s ascending higher into the atmosphere. Alex is still holding on, folks! He''s not giving up!"


    Commodus adjusted the focus, his hands shaking as he did so. The camera zoomed in on the intense struggle high above Ceres-9''s surface.


    The beast''s massive wings pped with powerful gusts, and Alex''s figure, a small but fiery silhouette, clung to its back with relentless determination.#


    "Alex is trying to break through its scales! He''s using all of his strength, just like before, but it seems to be too much for him! The beast''s skin is thicker and stronger now that it''s at C+ rank. I can''t believe what I''m seeing!"


    The stronger awakened onlookers watched intently, some even taking to their spaceships for a better view.


    For seasoned mercenaries like them, it was wise to purchase their own private spaceship to make travel to missions convenient, as it got rid of the need of any waits for public spaceship transport or the likes of it.


    Some students with rtively well off families, or who had simply gotten lucky with their money, also had their own spaceships.


    Commodus was one of those lucky students.


    Commodus, who started the livestream, had a keen eye and quick reflexes, as he seemed to have noticed the changes before most of the other viewers and awakened.


    When he spotted the wings protruding from the beast''s back, he immediately returned to his spaceship to continue the stream from orbit.


    His efforts ensured that the viewers had the best possible view of the fight that was soon to ensue in the sky.


    And with the incredible zoom technology on the camera he was using, the resulting video feed was crisp.


    As the beast climbed higher, the sky around them began to darken. The camera struggled to keep up with their rapid ascent, but Commodus''smentary filled the gaps.


    "They''re entering the upper atmosphere! Alex must be running out of oxygen. How is he still going? This is insane!"


    Suddenly though, the screen went red as a blinding light erupted from Alex''s location.


    Viewers were doused in confusion when the camera was blocked by the blinding light, obscuring the climactic moments of the battle.


    Commodus instinctively shielded his eyes, his voice raising in pitch.


    "I can''t see anything! The light ¡ª it''s so bright! Alex must have used some ultimate technique or something. This is it folks, this is the final push!"


    Commodus desperately tried to switch the camera''s view to a different wavelength to phase out the bright light, but even when he did, the viewers still couldn''t see anything but the blinding red glow.


    ''Strange¡­'' He thought, but he didn''t make much more of it than that.


    The viewers could only imagine the scene as Commodus continued to describe the blinding spectacle, barely able to even see what was happening with his own C tier eyes.


    His voice carried the weight of the moment, filled with awe and desperation, hoping that Alex was the one to win this gruelling fight.


    "The mes are everywhere! I can feel the heat even from here! It''s like a supernova! Alex has poured everything he has into this attack!"


    Of course, Commodus couldn''t have actually known that Alex had done this, he was only guessing.


    He just turned out to be correct in his guess.


    For what felt like an eternity, the light persisted, obscuring the battle form view. Commodus kept talking, his words a lifeline for the anxious viewers.


    Then, as suddenly as it started, the light began to fade. What seemed like an eternity onlysted a few seconds.


    Commodus squinted, his eyes adjusting to the dimming brightness. The camera''s focus slowly returned, revealing the aftermath of the epic confrontation.


    "Oh my god¡­ The beast ¡ª it''s falling! It''s plummeting back to the surface! There''s a massive hole through its head! Alex did it! He did it!"


    The chat exploded with messages, a torrent of relief, joy and disbelief flooding the screen.


    ''Is this real life!?''


    ''Did a D- rank really just take out a C+ rank, alone!?''


    Commodus''s voice cracked with relief as he continued to describe the scene.


    "The beast is dead. It''s really dead, but¡­ but where''s Alex? I can''t see him! Where did he go?"


    Panic began to seep into his voice as he scanned the area for any sign of the young warrior. The camera panned frantically, capturing the burning corpse of the beast as it fell to the ground. Dust and debris flew in all directions upon impact, creating a massive crater where the beastnded.


    "Everyone, keep looking! We have to find him! He has to be alive!"


    Commodus wasn''t really concerned about Alex in the heartfelt, grateful way.


    No, he was just worried that he wouldn''t get to interview the hero and victor of Ceres-9''s most defining battle in decades.


    That would really boost his numbers, especially the number of zeros in his bank ount¡­


    Down below, the soldiers and mercenaries sprang into action. They raced towards the crash site, their faces grim.


    The soldiers were probably the only people on the ground who really felt the impact of this fight, and Alex''s disappearance.


    As awakened who worked directly under the federation itself, they were privy to information the mercenaries and students were not.


    And they knew that the human race desperately needed extraordinary talents like Alex in the uing war against the Red Demon race¡­


    "Where the fuck is he!?"


    But even themander of the whole base felt frustrated by Alex''s disappearance.

 Chapter 232: Stars?

    "Ughh, I''m still alive I guess¡­"


    Alex''s consciousness swam up from the deep abyss it felt like he had fallen into during the final moments of his fight against the beast, his mind sluggish and heavy.


    A pounding headache greeted him as he slowly awoke, feeling as if his skull was about to split into two.


    He groaned, trying to lift his head, but his muscles felt weak, almost weightless.


    ''Where¡­ where am I?''


    His vision was a blur, only able to make out vague shapes and shadows. For a moment, he felt a panic rise in his chest, but he forced himself to breathe slowly, letting his energy core stabilise in his body.


    Gradually, his vision began to clear. He looked around, expecting to see the battlefield, the soldiers, the mercenaries and even the beast.


    But there was nothing, just darkness.


    Complete, enveloping darkness.


    ''Is this?''


    He tried to move, and his body felt strangely light, almost as if he was floating. A sudden realisation struck him, and he tried to focus his eyes on a few principles of light in the far off distance.


    ''Stars? I''m in space?''


    Alex''s heart raced. How was he alive? How was he breathing?


    But then it hit him.


    He wasn''t breathing at all.


    Alex thought he was taking deep breaths earlier to calm himself, but in reality all that happened was that he opened and closed his mouth, dpressing his lungs.


    Normally this would kill a person outright, if the near absolute zero temperatures of space didn''t kill them already.


    He remembered the fight, the desperation, and his finalmands he issued to his body.


    He had thrown everything he had at the beast, using his body as a projectile, and then¡­ nothing.


    Alex couldn''t remember anything after that, rightfully so as he had practically been in aa from that point onwards.


    But that begged the question, how the hell was he in space?


    Even more urgent was how the hell he was still alive.


    He should have died hours ago from theck of oxygen alone¡­


    ''How did I survive?''


    His energy core hummed softly within him, a beacon of life in the void. It had regted his body''s energy consumption, keeping his body alive despite theck of oxygen. But his brain wasn''t privy to this.


    Realistically, he should be deader than dead right now, instead of alive and confused, floating in the void of space.


    Even stranger though, was that there was nothing in sight around him!


    He was at the edge of Ceres-9''s atmosphere, so if he had propelled himself out of it with hisst attack on the beast, then he should at least be seeing a very, veryrge floating in the void alongside him.


    But there was nothing there.


    Only the distant stars in the perpetual night sky.


    He tried to activate anything, even his Inferior Teleportation, but his energy reserves were still dangerously low.


    The little bits of energy that had regenerated were all sucked away by his energy core to sustain his body''s function.


    He could still feel some faint Phoenix mes, on a scale so small not even he could see them, simmering within him, keeping his body just warm enough to survive this cold void.


    He would have been turned into a popsicle otherwise.


    ''Think, Alex. think.''


    He closed his eyes, trying to think of a solution to hispletely unexpected predicament.


    ''Mymunicator!''


    Thankfully, he remembered that he still had hismunicator strapped to his wrist right before he passed out.


    ''Oh¡­''


    But then he remembered how easily it was melted away by his Phoenix mes.


    He had nned on using themunicator''s locator function to find out where he was, or possibly how he had even got there.


    But that small hope was snuffed out just as quickly as it came.


    His mind was nk, void of any other options.


    Even though his brain hadn''t died yet, somehow, that didn''t mean it wouldn''t die soon.


    He could feel his thoughts slowly bing sluggish as the minutes passed by.


    At the rate his mind was degenerating, he would only have around 2 hours before he was fully toast.


    ''I must have been in some sort of hibernation or stasis for my brain to survive before this¡­''


    That was the only reasonable answer he could think of.


    But then he felt like he had another brainwave.


    ''How about¡­ the Primordial Expanse?''


    Since he was helplessly floating in space, supposedly out of reach of any civilization, this was the best option he could think of.


    ''Yeah, I can just enter the Primordial Expanse and recuperate there!''


    A n slowly started to formte in his mind.


    He would enter the Primordial Expanse, find the nearest human settlement, and find some outsiders to trade with.


    He wanted to buy amunicator from one of them.


    They wouldn''t work in the Primordial Expanse due to the restriction on his universe''s technology there, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t be brought back and forth, so long as it was attached to someone''s body or in a spatial storage device.


    With amunicator in his possession, all he needed to do was turn on the locator function to find out where he was, and turn on the emergency transponder.


    Any nearby ships could pick up his signal ande over to his location after the transponder was activated.


    Though Alex doubted any of the civilian freighters or transporter ships would stop for him ¡ª thepanies running these shipping routes were too stingy to expend a little bit of fuel to go off route and pick him up.


    His only chance of getting saved was if there was a federal ship passing through the transponder''s signal range, as they were obligated byw to stop for any emergency signals.


    ''Alright, here I go then! I wonder if I''ll be transported to apletely different ce again likest time¡­''


    Shortly after, Alex expressed his will to enter the Primordial Expanse, and just like thest time he had entered, the prompt popped up before his eyes.


    [Would you like to enter the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex naturally chose yes, not wasting the little amount of time he had left.

 Chapter 233: Stupid

    [Would you like to enter the Primordial Expanse?]


    ''Yes.''


    Alex closed his eyes and prepared himself for the same feeling of powerlessness as he would be sucked into the mysterious vortex.


    But contrary to his expectations, no such thing happened.


    Instead, when he opened his eyes again, the system prompt was still in front of his eyes.


    Only this time, the text on it was different.


    [Insufficient energy.]


    That was it.


    ''Insufficient energy!? What the fuck??''


    ''Insufficient energy my ass! There was never such a prompt before, what the fuck are you ying at now stupid system!?''


    Alex was rightfully frustrated, as he had just gone through all that preparation and nning, using what little time out of the 2 hours remaining to prepare himself for whatever situation he might find himself in.


    But instead he got blue balled like this!


    He voiced his frustrations to the system.


    Well, not voiced, since the whole no sound in space thing¡­


    But it could understand him somehow.


    [In case you haven''t noticed, those other times you entered were quite different from this attempt, weren''t they?]


    [Insufficient energy means what it means, it doesn''t need further exnation. You simplyck the resources to open the gate to the Primordial Expanse. That''s it.]


    ''But how can this be the case, there was never anything about my energy being required to enter the Primordial Expanse before, nor did I ever feel a drop in energy whenever I entered or left the Primordial Expanse previously, so why now?''


    Alex was full of questions, and he was impatient in receiving an answer.


    He wanted to understand why he couldn''t enter the Primordial Expanse, and quickly.


    He only had so much time left before his iq dropped below room temperature thanks to theck of oxygen.


    [There was never a requirement for YOUR energy, if you read carefully, there is never any mention of YOU in the previous messages. The energy required to open a gatewayes from heavenly bodies likes, releasing their energy into their atmospheres.


    Normally, there should still be enough energy if you were in a star system, with the energy released by the star being enough to fuel the opening of the gate. But you seem to be in apletely empty section of space right now.]


    [Now, let me ask you. Do you see any beneath your feet right now?]


    Alex sucked his teeth when he read thatst message, and sheepishly murmured.


    ''Tsk, you have a point¡­''


    He didn''t like conceding to the system in these little arguments they had, but he had no choice in this situation.


    It was purely his own ignorance that led to not knowing how the formation of the gates worked.


    But then again, he''d never had a reason to research it before this point either.


    The system couldn''t care about any reasoning though.


    It just liked messing with Alex like a sadist.


    ''What now then? Am I supposed to just float here and wait for my death like a good boy?''


    Alex was being half sarcastic in asking this, but he was also quite scared.


    He wasn''t scared of dying, he was just a little creeped out by the concept of death.


    He was already aware that death was the absolute end, with nothinging after it.


    And only now did it really hit him just how depressing such a thing was.


    All it took was for him to have to wait two gruelling hours, slowly counting down to his own death.


    ''The concept of nonexistence is difficult for the mind to grasp, after all, how can an existence begin toprehend nonexistence without experiencing it first?''


    ''But then if it experienced nonexistence, it wouldn''t exist anymore¡­''


    Alex''s mind went in circles as the grim reality became closer and closer to him.


    In his normal form, when he wasn''t so starved of oxygen and injured from his fight with the beast, he would have a much better outlook of death.


    But now, while his brain was actively degenerating as time passed, it only became more and more confusing for him.


    He was like an Alzheimer''s patient.


    Alex floated in the void, still no solution in his mind and his death even more imminent.


    Time passed excruciatingly slowly when you knew you were going to die¡­


    And nearly an hourter, he was still drifting, looking lifelessly into the distance.


    He was about to close his eyes for the final time, but a small glint caught his eye.


    At first, he thought it might just be some sort of supernova in the distance, a small speck of a star disappearing from his view forever¡­


    But the small glint started growing bigger¡­


    And bigger¡­


    Until it came close enough that Alex could make out what it was.


    ''It''s a ship!''


    Hope surged through Alex, and he started waving his arms madly, trying to signal the ship that he was there. The hope that they would even see a small speck like him with the naked eye was slim, but with how advanced technology was in that day and age, even the most basic of ships had sensors that could detect moving ''objects'' like Alex in the vicinity of the ship.


    But the hope that they would even bother picking him up was even slimmer¡­


    Luckily for Alex though, it seemed they might actually do that!


    The ship changed its path and started heading in his direction after a few minutes passed.


    It seemed he had finally entered the range of their sensors.


    ''YESS!!''


    Alex was ecstatic.


    By now his iq was probably at the same level as an unawakened person. Any longer and he''d end up a vegetable.


    He kept waving, hoping to attract more attention, as the ship grew closer and closer.


    ''It looks a bit strange, I guess it must be a new model.''


    His mind was foggy from theck of oxygen, his thoughts a jumble, but the sight of the ship definitely didn''t fill him with any familiarity.


    He could be seeing all kinds of hallucinations at this point, but this ship definitely didn''t look like something produced in the federation.


    However, Alex was too stupid at this point to see the irregrities in this.


    He was just happy that someone had finallye to his rescue.

 Chapter 234: Just who picked me up?

    The ship finally reached Alex, and he saw a hatch opening.


    A robotic arm extended toward him, pulling him inside an airlock.


    As the hatch sealed shut, breathable air started to fill the room and Alex felt the force of artificial gravity nail him down to what seemed to be the floor of the airlock.


    Alex took deep breaths, the first in what felt like days.


    He was relieved, and his brain began to recuperate, courtesy of being an awakened,bined with his Phoenix mes, which aided in regenerating his dead brain cells alongside the rest of his damaged body.


    His energy reserves slowly started to fill back up as well, as the ship seemed to be filled with an abundance of energy that mysteriously didn''t leak out of the confines of its walls.


    Noticing that nobody hade to greet him yet, Alex looked around the airlock, looking for something like a camera where he could indicate his gratitude to the captain of the ship and express his intentions to speak to the.


    However, when he took the first real look around the airlock since he had been picked up, it was unlike any ship he had seen before.


    The room wasrger than necessary for an average person to pass through, and the door separating him from the rest of the ship further exaggerated this fact, being 4 metres in length and width.


    And with his brain back to normal, he noticed how abnormal this was immediately.


    ''Just who picked me up?''


    He tried to think back to his memories, wondering if he had seen a ship like this before, whether on the gctic or in person.


    But nothing came to mind.


    At that moment though, the door separating Alex from the interior of the ship suddenly made a hissing sound as air from the inside started filtering in, fullypressing the airlock Alex was situated in.


    Only enough air to breath with was released by the filtration systems when Alex first entered, but now the air pressure matched that of the rest of the ship.


    Because the door had been opened.


    Alex looked at the door with some vignce, but still maintained a smile on his face.


    No matter how mysterious this ship was, whoever its owner was had graciously picked him up, essentially saving him from suffocating in the depths of space.


    However, when the door fully opened and the figure on the other side of it was revealed, Alex''s smile dropped in an instant.


    They weren''t human!


    ''FUCKING ALIEN!''


    Alex was shocked out of his wits and took a step back out of reflex.


    They weren''t Red Demons either though.


    The being on the other side of the door was from an entirely different race.


    Most importantly it was Alex''s first time ever meeting an alien face to face!


    And he was betting that he was the first to do so outside of the Pioneer exploration group, who were all wiped out!


    So he was probably the only living human to havee into contact with aliens¡­


    The alien stood tall, which exined the need for the tall doors and rooms¡­


    Its skin a shimmering hue of blue, with elongated limbs and eyes that glowed with an inner light.


    "#@###~~##@##~#"


    Its mouth moved, but Alex couldn''t understand a thing that it spoke.


    "Who are you? I don''t understand you!" Alex spoke, hoping his message would get across to the alien.


    He was still fearful, his heart beating faster than usual.


    So far the human race''s track record with Aliens wasn''t so good. Thest time humans had an encounter with an alien race, they were all wiped out and war was even dered on them¡­


    Not to mention the fact that the alien they encountered happened to be extraordinarily strong.


    Alex didn''t want to be the next unlucky victim of such a thing.


    He stood in the awkward silence of the airlock, his thoughts racing.


    Was this alien friendly?


    What were its intentions?


    The alien just stood there though, seemingly expressionless, if it even had the capability to express emotions like humans did.


    The tension was stressful, and Alex''s heart pounded in his chest.


    Thirty agonising seconds passed before the alien spoke again, but this time Alex understood it perfectly.


    Alex''s mind raced.


    ''Are all alien races able to do this?'' he wondered.


    His thoughts referred to the fact that they seemed to have the ability to understand and speak fluently in the humannguage after just one exchange.


    Zorath had done the same thing, so Alex noticed a pattern developing.


    But his curiosity was overshadowed by his confusion and then outrage.


    Because of the words that left the alien''s mouth.


    "Hand over all your valuables, or die."


    These beings had just saved him from imminent death, only to rob him?


    "What was the whole point of saving me if you were just going to kill me anyway?"


    Alex asked, his frustration evident in his tone.


    It was clear that the alien didn''t intend on keeping up with its promise of ''not killing'' him if heplied.


    Why would they do such a mercy to an enemy they had just made?


    It was simple, because they weren''t stupid.


    The alienughed, a cold, unsettling sound.


    "Saving you? Who said anything about that?"


    It drew a strange, menacing de from its back, the weapon glinting ominously under the artificial lights of the airlock.


    ''It''s an awakened!''


    Alex thought, shocked by his own revtion.


    His shock was jolted by the fact that he could clearly feel the aura of the Primordial Expanse from the de, as well as the alien itself.


    The alien had released its aura, so Alex was able to tell immediately how strong it was.


    ''C tier!''


    He wasn''t able to tell its exact rank, or its ss, but this was what he was able to glean from its aura.


    However it left him with more hope though, as it meant he might actually have a fighting chance against these guys!

 Chapter 235: Snap!

    Alex pointed to himself, indicating hisck of any valuables by hisck of any clothing and the absence of any weapons.


    The alien was wearing some sort of clothing, so surely it was getting what Alex''s was implying.


    And just as he thought, the alien''s expression ¡ª orck thereof ¡ª did not change, but its tone grew sharper.


    "Then, die!"


    Alex readied himself for a tough fight, readying himself to block or dodge any iing attacks with his life on the line.


    But he felt a bit anticlimactic and relieved when he noticed how slow the alien was moving before his eyes.


    ''It''s Ordinary ss!''


    Alex felt immensely relieved inwardly, but didn''t let it show.


    Instead, he stepped to the side, dodging the iing de with ease, and grappled onto the alien''s elongated arm with a firm grip.


    The alien did its best to try and escape from his grasp, but it couldn''t no matter how hard it pried and pulled.


    The de it was holding dropped to the ground.


    Its arm was firmly locked into position.


    It seemed like the alien did have the ability to change expressions, as panic started to flood its face.


    With its other arm, it started to speak into some sort of device, probably their own equivalent of amunicator.


    "Emergency in airlock 2! Help me! Captain Yaron, please."


    It shouted for help, but in its ownnguage, so Alex couldn''t understand a word it was saying.


    Alex, realising how bad his situation had be, used his other hand to grab tightly onto the alien''s neck and squeezed tightly.


    Snap!


    A bone-crushing sound echoed through the airlock shortly after, and the alien''s desperate movements came to a stop immediately.


    ''So they have simr physiologies to humans, it seems.''


    Other than the fact that they were taller, had blue skin and weird eyes, they were pretty simr to humans.


    They had two arms and legs, one head, and their organs seemed to be ced in simr locations, which Alex had realised from the fact that it had died instantly when he snapped its neck.


    ''Both of the alien races humans havee across now are simr in physiology and are able to speak ournguage almost fluently after meeting us¡­ Something feels off about this.''


    The patterns started to increase once again in Alex''s mind, but he wasn''t able to make any sense of it yet. Instead, he turned his attention to the door, which was still open.


    He didn''t know if it would stay that way for long since the alien was still able to get a few words of help through themunicator, so Alex didn''t waste any time and made his way out of there.


    Even though the aliens already knew of his presence on the ship, and likely the fact that their alienrade was already dead, Alex still maintained a stealthy approach.


    He retracted his aura and minimised any unnecessary movements, hiding behind a wall right outside of the airlock''s entrance.


    He had no idea how many aliens were on this ship, nor how strong they were.


    So he had to y this out cautiously.


    ''I just need to find an escape pod or something.''


    His goal wasn''t to take over the whole ship, as that would be unreasonable considering how little information he had on it or its upants.


    All he needed to do was get to an escape pod so he could make his way out of this region of space.


    All of the human race''s ships were equipped with at least one escape pod with warp functions, as well as sufficient navigatory abilities.


    The alien''s technology seemed to be near the same level as the human race''s, so Alex was banking on their escape pods being the same too.


    But he had to find out where they were first. And he was going to wait for more aliens to make their way over to the airlock before he made any moves to confirm that.


    Minutes passed in tense silence, and Alex''s presence was rewarded. He heard footsteps rapidly approaching, apanied by the strangenguage that the aliensmunicated in.


    His spatial perception was limited on this ship for some reason, only being able to sense around 20 metres away from himself rather than the usual 200, so he only knew how many there were and where they were when they entered this range.


    Peering his head around the corner, he saw three more aliens entering the airlock.


    They were simrly tall and blue skinned, their glowing eyes scanning the area.


    Alex waited until they were fully inside the airlock, and made his way over to what looked like the control panel to the side of the door.


    ''Thankfully they use symbols on the buttons rather than theirnguage!''


    Alex prayed a silent thankful prayer to any random god out there as he pressed the button that had an image of a door on it.


    The door started to close at the same pace it opened earlier, this time unapanied by the hissing sound.


    The aliens instantly flicked their heads around, and spotted Alex smiling at them from the doorway.


    One of them lifted the weapon in its hand towards Alex, and to Alex''s surprise, fired a beam of sma.


    He dodged out of the way, feeling surprised at the energy packed into that small attack.


    ''That was at least C tier mutant level strength!''


    The sma shot melted through a few walls behind Alex, luckily missing any walls that led to the outside of the ship.


    The other two aliens, who wielded close range weapons, much like the first alien, tried to rush in towards Alex and attack.


    But it was toote.


    By the time they had neared the doorway, it had already fully closed with a Click! to their dismay.


    They knew what wasing next.


    Alex felt a sinister grin creep onto his face as he pressed another button on the panel, this one with a lot more warningbels attached.


    ''Bye bye suckers!''


    And the outside airlock door opened, dpressing the airlock and shooting the three aliens outside into the void of space.

 Chapter 236: Pirates

    Alex moved away from the airlock area after disposing of those three aliens, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.


    His eyes scanned the interior of the ship, to which the size surprised him.


    He wasn''t able to get a good enough judgement of its size earlier, as his brain was too foggy to register such things, but now that he was back to normal, he was able to process these things.


    ''This ship''s probably a freighter ss ship.''


    Now that he was getting a good look of the interior, he had to guess this ship was at least the size of a freighter, especially from the fact that he kept his spatial perception activated at all times, but no matter where he moved through the winding corridors, he never came within 20 metres of the ship''s exterior.


    His suspicions were further confirmed when he came across another section ¡ª a spacious loading bay, a stark contrast to the cramped quarters of the airlock he was crammed into.


    But what confused him though was the fact that instead of the usual packaged goods that one would usually find being shipped on freighters like these, there were all kinds of unusual weapons and other items strewn about the loading bay, haphazardly ced without any care or organisation.


    Alex''s eyes widened in realisation.


    ''Are these guys pirates?''


    ''That would exin why they were so eager to get any valuables I had¡­''


    Alex now realised just how unlucky he had been to end up being saved by pirates.


    He shook his head, feeling a sense of dread creeping in. Being saved by pirates was the worst luck he could have had, and to make matters worse, he was in apletely unknown part of space to him.


    He still had no idea how he even ended up there.


    All he remembered was the intense battle with the Variant beast, then the sensation of being inside its mouth, followed by the endless void of space when he woke up.


    Something must have happened between those moments that had transported him so far away from the Proxima system.


    The thought was unsettling, that something could have so much control over him without him even being aware or conscious of it.


    In fact, he hadn''t even taken it into ount earlier on, but now that he finally had some time alone to think to himself, he realised that he was probably no longer inside the Milky way at all¡­


    And the worst thing was, he didn''t even know how far away he was from the federation either.


    He could just be a thousand light years away from the Milky Way.


    Or he could be billions of light years away¡­


    If it were thetter, then Alex wouldn''t know how he would react.


    He would likely never be able to make it back to the federation again even if he spent his entire lifetime trying.


    And if all the aliens he met in this ce were like these pirates, then he likely wasn''t going to survive for long in this region of space either.


    If that were the case, he was fucked through and through.


    So he could only hope he wasn''t too far from the federation!


    His mind briefly considered the Primordial Expanse.


    But even that posed problems.


    To enter the Primordial Expanse, he needed to reach a or star system first where there was enoughtent energy around to open the gateway to it.


    And there was no guarantee he would even arrive in the human domain once inside.


    He had already confirmed the fact that the Primordial Expanse wasn''t limited to just humans, and he didn''t want to be the test subject finding out if he would arrive at the human domain, or a random alien race''s domain if he tried to enter it in this space.


    Plus, exiting the Primordial Expanse would bring him right back to this region of space when he left anyway.


    It seemed like a dead end no matter how he looked at it.


    Taking a deep breath, Alex shook off those unsettling thoughts..


    He needed to focus on the immediate task: finding an escape pod to get the fuck away from these pirates!


    But first, since he was in the presence of so many weapons, he thought he might as well look for anything useful to him before he set off.


    He scanned the scattered weapons, looking for anything that he could use.


    His Phoenix mes were too conspicuous and dangerous to use in the confined spaces of the ship.


    Alex would only activate that powerful talent as ast resort.


    If he wasn''t careful with them, he could risk melting away the metal making up the hull and being sucked right back into the void of space again.


    Alex didn''t want to experience that terrifying and mind numbing ce again¡­


    He moved cautiously, picking up and examining various types of weapons.


    Many were alien in design, shapes and sizes he had never seen before, most of them impractical for him to use with his smaller body.


    ''Aha!''


    Alex''s eyes lit up though as he found a weapon that caught his interest.


    It was a sword, unassuming at first nce, but on closer inspection, it was a Mutant ss C- rank sword!


    It didn''t have any special features or effects, but its craftsmanship was impable.


    The de was forged from a material he didn''t recognise, much like most of these weapons and the other alien technology on this ship, but felt solid and durable even under the strain of his strength.


    He gave it a few practice swings, feeling the bnce and weight of the sword.


    It was perfect. It could withstand his strength, so long as he didn''t activate his Phoenix mes.


    With this sword, he could defend himself and perform sneak assassinations without drawing too much attention towards his direction.


    Satisfied with his find, Alex continued deeper, past the loading bay.


    It was time to find an escape pod, and kill anyone that gets in his way!


    They were pirates after all, he wouldn''t feel guilty about killing such scum.

 Chapter 237: Tough luck

    Alex moved cautiously through the ship, the C- rank sword a reassuring weight in his hand.


    He actually had something to defend himself with now, other than just having to rely on pure brute force to deal with all his problems.


    The corridors twisted and turned, and despite the ship''s enormous size, it was eerily empty.


    He hadn''t encountered any more aliens since the three he had dispatched near the airlock, and the silence was unsettling.


    ''Where is everyone?'' He wondered.


    On a ship of this size, there should be hundreds, if not thousands of crew members bustling about.


    Yet the only signs of life he found were the four dead alien pirates he had already killed.


    It felt like a ghost ship.


    His first priority was to find an escape pod, but his initial search had been fruitless.


    He had checked the areas where escape pods would typically be located on freighter ss ships, noting that theyout was simr to the human designs of freighters he had seen before.


    Yet, there was nothing.


    The emptiness of the ship gnawed at him as he continued to explore.


    The corridors once full of potential threats, now seemed to stretch endlessly with no purpose.


    He began to piece together a theory.


    ''This ship is probably stolen, considering these guys are pirates. Probably a piece of loot these guys have taken along their travels. That has to be the only exnation.'' Alex mused.


    It made sense.


    The pirates had likely intercepted the freighter on its trade route, killed the original crew, and were now using it as their base.


    But where were the rest of the pirates?


    He had only encountered the four aliens, which was hardly enough to crew a ship of this size.


    After a thorough sweep of the rear end of the ship, Alex came to a frustrating and worrying conclusion.


    There was no escape pod.


    His heart sank.


    The original crew had probably already used it to escape when they were attacked, if there even was one in the first ce.


    It meant Alex was stuck on this ship unless he coulde up with another way out.


    He stopped in a deserted corner, leaning against the cold metal wall as he considered his options.


    His mind raced through the possible scenarios, each more grim than thest.


    Without an escape pod, his only realistic chance of survival was to take over the entire ship.


    The thought was bold, to say the least.


    The ship was enormous, and he had no idea how many pirates could be lurking somewhere.


    Not to mention there were countless spots where he could be easily ambushed.


    20 metres of range on his spatial perception was okay, but if he met an opponent near his own level of strength, this distance would mean jack squat.


    They''d be on him instantly.


    But the upside was that so far, he had encountered far fewer pirates than he had initially feared.


    If this trend continued, it might actually be possible to seize control of the whole ship.


    ''It''s not like I have any other choice anyway. Either I do this, or I''m simply left to rot in this godforsaken stretch of space.''


    Alex gripped his sword tightly as he slowly edged his way through the corridors.


    Only this time, he opened up a door that he had been too cautious of opening up until this point.


    It was a door that led to the front end of the ship.


    The front end of the ship held the most important areas that allowed it to function properly, themand deck and the engine bay ¡ª both critical if he wanted to gain full control.


    If there were more pirates, this was likely where they would be.


    His spatial perception kept him alert and aware of every area within 20 metres of him, as he kept up his moderate pace through the middle section of the ship.


    This was the area where the living quarters were kept, and Alex made sure to sweep each and everyst room for any signs of life.


    Considering the long periods of time it takes to get from A to B with space travel, he wouldn''t be surprised if there were some sleeping aliens in any of these.


    And he was right in thinking this.


    ''Movement!''


    Alex sensed movement that only slipped into his 20 metre range for just a split second, but it was more than enough time for him to get a good visual of the originator of this movement in his head.


    ''There really was an alien in this area!''


    Alex paused to a halt as he turned around and moved closer to the door of the room he sensed the movement in.


    ''It''s¡­ cooking?''


    Alex had no idea what it was cooking, probably some alien slop, but he was even more confused about why it was so calm.


    The other aliens should have known by now that he was roaming about the ship, hunting theirrades, as not only had the first alien he had encountered been killed, and shouted for help across itsmunicator before its neck was snapped.


    But Alex had killed the other three aliens that had been sent after him as well.


    So the message for help had clearly gone through.


    ''Have they just given up on me?''


    ''But why the hell would they do that??''


    Alex didn''t let his confusion get the better of him though, as he focused on observing the alien in the living quarter even further.


    He knew it was part of the alien pirate crew, as it was wearing the same uniform as the others he hade across, obviously being of the same species too.


    Alex crouched low, every muscle tensed as he prepared to ambush the alien.


    It had its back turned towards the door, which was thankfully open, leaving Alex the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack.


    He moved silently, making his way inside with zero noise being produced.


    His spatial perception indicated there were no more life sources nearby, so he didn''t hold back any longer.

 Chapter 238: Interrogation

    Alex was confident that the alien wouldn''t be able to anticipate his attack, nor would it be able to defend against it in time.


    The short distance between the kitchen and the entrance was nothing to Alex.


    Whack!


    Alex delivered his strike the instant he entered the room, not even giving the cooking alien a chance to react before he was sent down to the ground with one swift strike to the back of its neck.


    Alex stood over the unconscious alien, his mind racing with the next steps.


    The alien piratey sprawled on the floor,pletely out cold from the strike Alex had delivered to the back of its neck.


    His original n was to just kill the alien and be done with it, moving on to the next section to continue checking for any rogue aliens like this one.


    But after a short bout of consideration, he decided to keep it alive instead.


    Interrogating and extracting information from it about the other aliens on the ship was a much better idea than just killing it and going in blind.


    He knew he had to act quickly before any other pirates could stumble upon them.


    Looking around, he found some nearby metal piping and ripped it from the walls.


    He knelt down, the metal piping in hand, and proceeded to deform it and securely bound the alien''s wrists and ankles with it.


    With the alien restrained, Alex dragged it away from the middle section with all of the living quarters, back to the loading bay area.


    When he arrived, he gave it a few sharp ps across the face, watching as the alien''s eyes fluttered open.


    The alien groaned, confusing giving way to anger as it realised its predicament.


    "So, what do I call you people then?" Alex began, his tone casual but with an underlying edge of malice.


    The alien''s eyes narrowed, its expression one of defiance.


    "We of the Kree race will not have our dignity tarnished like this! The Blood Night pirates will kill you, I assure you!"


    It answered in fluent humannguage, just as Alex had expected.


    Alex raised an eyebrow.


    ''That''s one way to answer my question¡­ But I''ll take it, I guess?''


    The alien, or Kree to be exact, may not have been intimidated by Alex, but it still gave an answer to his questions in a roundabout way, whether intentionally or not.


    ''So these guys are from a race called the ''Kree'', and their organisation are called the Blood Night pirates.''


    Alex noted this information mentally and carried on with the interrogation.


    "How many of these Blood Night pirates are on this ship?" Alex asked, getting straight to the point.


    He started to get into the nitty gritty details ¡ª the ones he was actually interested in getting an answer to.


    If the answer he received was that there weren''t many at all, then Alex would be delighted.


    It would only make his life easier.


    But if it was something he didn''t like at all, like something in the high double digits, or even triple digits, then he wouldn''t know how to react¡­


    "Curse you and your bloodline, Ptui! I won''t cave in to such a puny ant like you!"


    The Kree spat on the floor, ring up at Alex.


    Alex''s expression hardened. He didn''t have the time to be yed around with like this.


    "You do realise this ''puny ant'' took you down in one hit, and has the capacity to kill you at any time he pleases?"


    He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.


    "Tell me what I want to know, or things are going to get VERY unpleasant for you/"


    The Kree sneered, but Alex could see a flicker of fear in its eyes. They may be a proud race, but that didn''t mean they all acted like emotionless soldiers stripped of their free will.


    "Do your worst. The Blood Night pirates will avenge me. We are many, and you are but one."


    With the Kree being so adamant not toply with any of Alex''s questions, Alex knew he had to resort to more¡­ direct method.


    He was left with little patience.


    He drew the C- rank sword, and pressed it against the top of the Kree pirate''s foot.


    "Answer, in more detail than just ''We are many'', or your foot is getting turned into a kebab," Alex demanded, his voice ice cold.


    "What''s a kebab?" The Kree answered with a sneer and a chuckle.


    Alex wasn''t in the mood for any funny jokes.


    Without hesitation, he impaled the sword right through the Kree''s right foot.


    The Kree screamed, a guttural, animalistic sound that echoed throughout the silent loading bay.


    Alex twisted the de slightly before pulling it out slowly, the metal scraping against the bone, further emphasising the pain.


    "ARGHH!" The Kree''s scream filled the room, its defiant expression reced by one of agony.


    Alex moved the tip of the sword over to the left foot, his eyes boring into the alien''s.


    "Now I''ll ask again. How many of the Blood Night pirates are on this ship?"


    The Kree panted, its chest heaving with each breath. Blue blood pooled around its right foot, staining the floor.


    It looked up at Alex, the pain clearly taking its toll.


    "You¡­ you think this will break me? We are warriors. We do not¡ª"


    Alex didn''t let it finish.


    He drove his sword right into the left foot with the same brutal precision, eliciting another agonised scream from the Kree.


    "Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­ Like I said¡­ We are warriors¡­"


    ''It seems like these Kree are trained for situations like this, or just have really strong mental wills. Either way, this is just getting tricky.''


    Alex wasn''t happy at all. He was getting nowhere with this Kree, and so far the only information he had ascertained was the name of their race, and their pirate crew.


    But that information was given out by the Kree willingly.


    ''It''s time to try another approach.''


    Alex came out of his thoughts, and approached the Kree''s head.


    His eyes looked into the Kree''s from only a few inches away.


    And he activated his Phoenix mes.

 Chapter 239: Information

    The effect was immediate. Although the Kree didn''t outwardly show fear, Alex noticed the slight widening of its eyes, as well as the increased rate of its heartbeat, the minuscule flinches in its muscles etc.


    The alien''s blue blood still stained the floor from the wounds on its feet, but now there was a flicker of something else in its gaze: recognition and rm.


    As a race that had ess to the Primordial Expanse, they naturally knew about the existence of talents.


    Though the Kree just wasn''t expecting for Alex to have such a talent, and one that seemed so ominous and menacing.


    He could feel a deeper, unimaginable power radiating from the mes, but he had no clue what it was, or where it came from.


    What he would never expect was that he was feeling the remnant aura of a Divine ss being, although a very weak version of it.


    In its weakened state, it had about the same potency of Alex''s own aura, but with both of thembined, it was extremely effective.


    However, the fear factor of the mes wasn''t the reason Alex had brought them out though.


    No, it was for apletely different, much more sinister reason.


    Thinking back to the first time he had obtained and inspected the Phoenix mes, Alex was reminded of one particr effect that stood out to him.


    [Soul Fire: Unlike regr mes that can only affect the physical ne, these mes can interact with the spiritual. They have the ability to inflict damage on spiritual entities, while at the same time enjoying the same regenerative effect ¡ª able to purify and repair damaged souls.]


    Soul fire.


    This ability didn''t seem too outstandingpared to the other two when he first checked out Phoenix me''s details, but now Alex had realised just how much potential they had.


    Particrly in the profession of torturing¡­


    Alex could feel the shift in the atmosphere as the Kree''s eyes widened, fear finally breaking through his defiant exterior.


    The recognition and rm were evident, but it was the deeper, more primal fear that Alex was counting on.


    "Do you see these mes?" Alex began, his voice steady.


    "They can be a little tricky to wrap your head around at first, so let me put it in in terms for you."


    He inclined his hand, covered in a smallyer of Phoenix mes, closer to the Kree''s head, but he didn''tmand the mes to attack.


    The Kree''s eyes widened even more, a flicker of terror crossing its features.


    "They can directly ignore your body and go straight for your soul."


    The Kree''s terror was almost radiating off of him in waves by now.


    But Alex didn''t give it the chance to speak.


    With a simple thought, he willed the Phoenix mes to attack, targeting not the Kree''s body, but its soul.


    This was the first time Alex was attempting this, and if he was honest, he was sceptical about how effective it would be.


    But all his scepticism washed away the instant he saw the Kree''s facial expression.


    It was hard to describe, but if it were put into words, it would be the closest to ''Existential dread.''


    The Kree''s eyes rolled back into his skull, revealing the whites of his eyes, its mouth opening in a silent scream, as something held it back from releasing what would quite possibly be the most soul crushing squeal a living being could utter.


    Alex watched for a moment, gauging the effect. The Kree''s body convulsed, but no physical harm came to it.


    The mes danced around its head, the sinister crimson element wreaking havoc on the Kree''s soul.


    Satisfied with the results, Alex willed the attack to stop, and the mes disappeared into thin air.


    The Kree slumped, panting heavily as its eyes gradually rolled back to normal.


    "Willing to talk now?" Alex asked, unsure whether the Kree was even able to answer anymore.


    There was no gauge or test to see how much damage he had caused to the Kree''s soul, so he could only wait to see what kind of reaction the Kree had to his question.


    Though, it shouldn''t have been too damaging, as Alex had only allowed the attack tost for a few seconds, which was much shorter than the time he himself had experienced an attack on his own soul, which he had survived.


    "Guh¡­ Ugh¡­ Please¡­ No more¡­"


    The Kree groaned, its voice a strained whisper.


    ''So he can speak and understand me. Good.''


    Alex was relieved internally. He hadn''tpletely destroyed the Kree''s soul, which meant it could still provide the information he needed.


    He was worried that he may have taken it a slight bit too far.


    But even if the worst case scenario had urred, Alex had a contingency.


    The Soul Fire effect of the Phoenix mes wasn''t just about purely attacking the soul.


    It had a second ability as well ¡ª to purify and repair damaged souls.


    Alex looked down at the Kree, who was taking his sweet time to answer.


    Kick!


    He delivered a swift and heavy kick to its shin, jolting it awake from the pain.


    It looked up at Alex with much more fear in its eyes now.


    "So, my answer? Where is it?" Alex asked, holding his hand out like he was about to summon the Phoenix mes again.


    "NO! Wait¡­ wait¡­ please, I''ll answer!"


    Finally, the Kree caved in.


    "Twenty¡­ There were twenty of us when we first took over this ship¡­"


    "So there are 16 of you left?" Alex mused to himself.


    The Kree looked downtrodden as it finally answered the question, he was experiencing immense guilt, like he had betrayed his family or something.


    But from the way Alex saw it, the Kree probably did just betray its family.


    "Good. As a token of my gratitude, I''ll make it swift and painless," Alex smiled, pulling the sword out once again.


    "What!? NO! Please spare¡ª" The Kree''s plea was cut short.


    Alex severed his head from his shoulders with a single, swift stroke.


    "15 left now."


    He had never nned on leaving any of the pirates on this ship alive after he found out there was no escape pod.


    This Kree was doomed from the start.


    There was no room for mercy on this ship.

 Chapter 240: Yaron

    ''With this haul, we should be able to make quite a hefty profit when we return back to base.''


    Captain Yaron stood gazing out of the wide viewpoint of the freighter''s bridge, the endless ck expanse of space stretching out before him.


    His reflection, a visage of calm authority, stared back at him from the ss.


    The stars, so far yet so ringly bright, provided him a little came and serene peace in this quiet of the moment.


    "Captain, Zorak and the others have yet toe back. Don''t you think we should head back there to check if something hasn''t gone wrong?"


    A stoic-looking Kree pirate approached him, his frown deepening with every step.


    He stopped a few paces back behind the captain, clearly agitated.


    Captain Yaron didn''t immediately respond. His eyes remained fixed on the void outside, his expression neutral and distant. The silence stretched on for several moments, amplifying the tension in the room.


    "It''s only been 30 minutes since they left," Yaron said finally, his voice calm and measured.


    "We''ll give it another 10 minutes before we go and investigate."


    The stoic pirate, clearly dissatisfied, clenched his fists. "Captain, with all due respect, we''ve lost contact with them, no word hase back. They could be in trouble!"


    Yaron slowly turned to face the pirate, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "And rushing into a potential trap without information would solve what, exactly?"


    The pirate hesitated, his resolve wavering under Yaron''s intense scrutiny. "But, Captain, what if they need our help? We''re just sitting here doing nothing."


    Yaron''s lips tightened into a thin line. "Do not mistake patience for inaction, Varrik. We move when we have a clear understanding of the situation. Not before."


    Varrik''s frustration was evident, but he nodded reluctantly, stepping back. "Yes, Captain."


    Captain Yaron was infamous in this region as a merciless, sociopathic killer who cared not for the victims of his selfish plundering.


    His strength was what backed his ego up as well, as so far hundreds of ''worthy'' Kree warriors or investigators etc hade to challenge him, but they all ended up dead in the end.


    Captain Yaron continued to gaze out into the vastness of space, the silence of the bridge amplifying the ticking seconds.


    Varrik, who was too impatient to wait in silence, doing nothing like the captain and the other 13, decided he had enough and left themand deck to guard the door.


    He was too frustrated to be in the same room with the captain right now, and felt like he might do something he would immediately regret if he stayed.


    Ten minutes had passed, and there was still no word from Zorak and the others. The atmosphere on the bridge grew more strained with each passing moment.


    Varrik, clearly uneasy, had ventured to the middle section of the ship to check on Larko, but he returned with disturbing news.


    "Captain," Varrik reported, his voice tight with concern. "Larko is missing. His food was left burning, and there''s no sign of him anywhere."


    A murmur of unease spread through the crew. They hadn''t even seen or heard from their enemy, yet a quarter of their crew were already missing.


    When they first entered within range, they had only seen a vague shape on their scanners. They had assumed it was a derelict ship with potential loot, possibly abandoned or destroyed in a skirmish.


    Dead bodies adrift in space often meant arge haul of valuable goods waiting to be picked up. But they had never expected that Alex was not a dead body at all.


    Captain Yaron''s expression hardened. He turned away from the viewport, his mind now set. Patience had its limits, and they had reached it. "Prepare yourselves," hemanded, his voice cutting through the tension.


    "We''re moving out."


    The crew snapped to attention, their weapons ready. Yaron led them from the bridge, his footsteps echoing down the metal corridors. The silence that had once seemed peaceful was now oppressive, filled with unseen threats.


    As they moved towards the middle section, the flickering lights and eerie quiet only heightened their anxiety. They passed the kitchen, where the smell of burnt food still lingered. Larko''s abandoned post was a stark reminder of the growing danger.


    Yaron''s sharp eyes scanned every shadow, every corner. He knew they were up against a skilled adversary, someone who had taken out his men with precision and stealth. This was no ordinary opponent.


    His only decent information came from Norskt, who had managed to get a few words of help over hismunicator when he was attacked, so he knew that he was dealing with someone rtively powerful here.


    Norskt wasn''t exactly spectacr when it came to being an awakened, but he wasn''t bad either.


    They reached the area where Zorak''s team wasst seen. The sight that greeted them was grim.


    Blood was sprawled across the walls where Larko had been decapitated, and they saw a messy, blue trail stretching from the loading bay all the way to the airlock.


    They knew immediately where their friends andrades were, and their faces took a turn for the worse.


    ''They were ejected from the airlock!''


    Varrik was fuming, to say the least.


    "Spread out," Yaron ordered. "Find the intruder."


    It was ironic, really.


    Since they themselves were intruders on this ship.


    The pirates moved cautiously, their weapons drawn and ready. Yaron himself prowled through the corridors, his senses on high alert.


    He could feel vague the presence of an enemy, a lurking menace in the shadows of the twisting and winding hallways that made up the rear end of the ship.


    The environment back here didn''t help them in any way at all, as an ambush attack coulde from anywhere at any time.


    ''Where are you¡­''


    He headed back into the loading bay, stepping over the blue-blood stained floor and checking the nearby area.


    ''There''s a weapon missing.''


    He noticed immediately that there were less weapons in the loading bay than there were before, as he personally counted and documented them all when he first took over the ship.


    And he wasn''t happy with what the enemy had chosen at all, as it was the strongest weapon they had left back there, with all the stronger weapons being taken up by the pirates currently searching the area.

 Chapter 241: Dwindling numbers

    ''So I only have to take down 15 more of these Kree before the ship will officially be a ghost ship? That seems much more doable than what I was previously afraid of.''


    Alex walked out of the airlock with a new feeling of resolve.


    He had just finished disposing of the Kree''s body by dumping it out of the airlock like he did with the other four.


    But right as he was about to start heading over towards themand area now that he knew how many Kree pirates there were, he felt the presence of many Kree enter within 20 metres of him before he could even move away from the airlock.


    ''Shit! It looks like they got impatient and decided toe looking for me before I could go to them!''


    Alex wasted no time in darting off in the opposite direction down the winding hallways, before hiding in a vent.


    ***


    Alex crouched in the cramped darkness of the venttion shaft, his breathing steady and controlled.


    The metallic walls, slightly wider than his shoulders, made for a tight but manageable fit.


    The original upants of this ship were clearlyrger than humans, which worked to his advantage now. The Kree pirates likely had no idea they were up against a human.


    From his vantage point, he could hear the distant, muffled sounds of the Kree searching the corridors below.


    The environment worked in his favour; the ship''sbyrinthineyout provided numerous hiding spots and ambush points, and the Kree had unknowingly yed into his favour by splitting up and searching each hallway solo.


    ''There''s one nearby!''


    Alex listened intently, picking up the faintest echoes of movement.


    He recalled his encounter with Norskt, the first Kree he had faced.


    Before that, Alex had no knowledge of the Kree''s existence, just as they might not know of humans.


    This ignorance was a double-edged sword, but for now, it was an advantage Alex intended to exploit fully.


    Minutes ticked by in silence, each second stretching for what felt like an eternity.


    Finally, the sound of footsteps echoed up the hallway beneath him.


    Alex held his breath, the adrenaline sharpening his focus.


    The steps grew louder, approaching his position.


    He positioned himself, ready to strike at a moment''s notice.


    The Kree pirate walked directly beneath the vent.


    In a swift, practised motion, Alex kicked the vent cover out in a crashing beginning of events andnded right atop the unsuspecting Kree pirate''s shoulders.


    Before the Kree could even react to the fact that he had been ambushed, Alex mped down a hand over its mouth, muffling any cries for help.


    With his other hand, he brought the sword across the Kree pirate''s throat in a precise and lethal cut.


    Any muffled cries turned into a gargled mess by now.


    The Kree''s eyes widened in shock and horror before the light faded from them.


    Alex gently lowered the body to the ground, ensuring no noise would alert the others.


    He quickly dragged the corpse to a nearby utility closet, hiding it from the immediate view.


    The sight of blue blood seeping from the wound was bing a familiar and grim reminder of his circumstances.


    ''14 left.''


    Alex thought to himself, mentally marking the number of remaining enemies.


    He climbed back into the venttion shaft, his movements fluid and making as little noise as possible.


    Navigating the narrow passages, Alex made his way to another section of the ship.


    ***


    Alex moved through the venttion shafts with lethal precision, his senses attuned to every faint sound and movement and his spatial perception alerting him to any Kree in his immediate presence.


    Each Kree he encountered met the same fate: a swift, silent death followed by a quick disposal of the body.


    One by one, the Kree fell, their numbers dwindling rapidly.


    Contrary to what Alex was expecting, none of these Kree had any strength above Ordinary ss C- rank, which only made things easier for him.


    Finally, after what felt like hours but was likely just minutes, only two remained: Captain Yaron and Varrik.


    Alex knew these two would be much more challenging than the rest.


    They were likely more skilled and wary than the other pirates, and their survival thus far was evidence of that.


    Captain Yaron and Varrik had regrouped early on, realising something had gone terribly wrong.


    "Any news from the others?" Captain Yaron''s voice was a mixture of frustration and slight concern.


    Varrik shook his head, worry etched across his face.


    "No, Captain. This is bad. Things are much worse than we could have imagined!"


    Yaron''s eyes narrowed. He had underestimated their opponent, but he wasn''t just going to give up his life so easily.


    As they turned a corner into a new hallway, they froze.


    ''No¡­''


    Varrik felt his heart tighten when he saw what wasying there.


    In the middle of the hallwayy the body of one of theirrades, unclear whether they were dead or alive.


    Varrik, blinded by rage, started to rush forward, but Yaron''s hand shot out, stopping him.


    "This is a trap," Yaron said, his voice cold and calcting.


    He pointed to the body and then to the ceiling, where a venttion shaft was clearly visible.


    "But ho-"


    Varrik was about to ask how anyone was even supposed to fit up there, but Yaron shushed him, and spoke himself.


    "Our enemy isn''t Kree."


    Varrik''s eyes widened as the realisation dawned upon him. Their adversary was not one of their own, which exined how they had managed to have been so elusive.


    Captain Yaron''s mind raced.


    ''What are you nning¡­''


    This enemy had picked them off one by one, using the ship''s environment to their advantage.


    But this trap was way too easy to spot now that the clues had all clicked in his mind.


    He had no idea whether the enemy intended to ambush them when they went to check the dead Kree''s body, or some other n.


    It seemed too simple, which only made the situation even moreplex.


    "Stay close," Yaron ordered.


    "We''ll force them out of the vents."


    As Alex listened from his vantage point, he had no idea what the Kree duo were speaking about due to thenguage barrier, but he knew they hadn''t fallen for his easy bait.

 Chapter 242: Underestimated

    Alex could see Yaron and Varrik''s frustration and suspicion, and he wasn''t really expecting them to fall for the trap so easily.


    He had underestimated Yaron''s caution and prowess, as Varrik would have most definitely just rushed in as soon as he saw his deadrade on the ground.


    With a new n forming in his mind, Alex knew he had to act fast.


    Waiting for them to flush him out of the vents would only give them the advantage.


    He decided to take the initiative and confront them head-on. He prepared himself, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves.


    Bang!


    With a sudden burst of movement, Alex kicked out the vent cover and dropped down into the hallway,nding with a crash just in front of the dead Kree.


    The noise created by the unexpected entrance of Alex startled Yaron and Varrik, their weapons immediately raised as they saw the figure standing before them.


    Captain Yaron''s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of Alex.


    This was the person who had decimated his crew?


    Alex''s presence was a mystery that demanded answers.


    "What are you?" Yaron demanded, his voice a mixture of curiosity and anger.


    "Where do youe from? Why did you kill my men?"


    Alex met Yaron''s gaze with a cold, unyielding stare.


    He was not about to divulge any information about himself or his origins.


    Revealing the location of the Milky way gxy to yet another alien race would only be the most foolish thing he could do in this situation, especially considering they already had their hands full with the Red Demon race.


    The Human race already had enough to worry about.


    As for thest question? That was just in stupid.


    "They attacked me first." Alex said with a sneer, his voiceced with disdain.


    "I was defending myself, your men left me no choice."


    Yaron''s expression darkened, his frustration mounting.


    He had hoped for answers, but this creature was not going to provide them.


    He tightened his grip on his weapon, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.


    "You think you can take us down so easily?" Yaron spat, his eyes zing with fury. "You have no idea who you''re dealing with."


    Alex''s lips curled into a grim smile. "Were there not twenty of you? I only see two."


    At this point though, Varrik had had enough.


    He had been silently watching from the side, waiting for the signal from Yaron to attack, but when Alex had mentioned how he had killed everyst one of hisrades already, he couldn''t hold back his anger anymore.


    Alex''s words struck a nerve in Varrik.


    With a roar of fury, Varrik charged at Alex.


    Yaron, realising what was happening, reached out to grab Varrik and hold him back, but he was too slow this time.


    Varrik had just slipped past his grasp and was already upon Alex, his weapon raised high for a crushing blow.


    "Varrik, you fool!" Yaron cursed, frustration and anger boiling over.


    "We had the advantage, two against one! Now you''ve gone and ruined it with your anger issues!"


    But Varrik was beyond hearing. His focus was entirely on Alex, all he could see was red.


    ''A C+ rank, even Mutant ss!''


    Alex was surprised by Varrik''s strength when he felt his aura, but that was where it stopped.


    Just some slight surprise.


    ''But it isn''t enough. I just killed a Variant ss of the same rank a few days ago, this is nothing.''


    Yaron watched, cursing under his breath.


    He wanted to join in the fight to make it more sided to their advantage once again, but the narrow hallway prevented him from getting a clear shot.


    If he attempted to join the fray, he would risk hitting Varrik as well, or worse, he could get hit himself. The situation was infuriating.


    Alexpletely overwhelmed Varrik from the get go, his movements a blur before Varrik''s eyes.


    Varrik, despite his range and strength, found himself unable tond a single blow. Alex parried every strike with ease, his calm demeanour contrasting sharply with Varrik''s frenzied attacks.


    Alex might not be as skilled as others who were professionally trained in such close quarters fights, but he made up for hisck of training with his sheer overwhelming amount of strength and speed, not allowing Varrik even a moment of respite.


    "You are a Variant ss!" Varrik shouted with horror, his voice filled with disbelief as he felt the sheer strength radiating from Alex.


    Alex''s lips curled into a cold smile. "You are not right, but you''re also not wrong."


    It was technically true.


    Alex hadn''t upgraded his soul ssification to Variant ss yet, but his strength did match that of one.


    Varrik''s eyes widened further, he didn''t know what Alex meant by that but he realised just how outmatched he was.


    Unfortunately for him though, it was toote to have this realisation.


    Before he could let out any more exaggerated reactions, Alex struck with a powerful blow to his stomach.


    His sword sliced through Varrik''s defences, cutting deep into his abdomen.


    Varrik gasped, stumbling back, blue blood pouring from his wound.


    Yaron, having heard Varrik''s shocked cry, immediately made a decision.


    A Variant ss wasn''t something he could deal with at his strength level.


    He was a C+ rank Mutant like Varrik, only he had a talent while Varrik didn''t, which made him marginally stronger.


    But his talent was only B- rank, and being ''marginally stronger'' than Varrik meant nothing against Alex, who was overwhelmingly stronger than them both.


    Cursing under his breath for his shit luck for picking such a powerful person up, Yaron turned and ran, his mind racing.


    He knew where he needed to go ¡ª themand deck.


    The escape pods were located there, a safety feature that had been overlooked by the Blood Night pirates when they took over the ship.


    Whoever had designed this ship had only cared about themand crew''s escape in a disaster, leaving the rest of the crew to fend for themselves.


    It was also why Alex wasn''t able to find any escape pods and had concluded that there somehow weren''t any on this ship, as such a design wasn''t popr anywhere in the federation.

 Chapter 243: Warp

    Alex watched Yaron flee, a smirk forming on his face.


    He was unaware where Yaron was nning on going, so he wasn''t too worried about Yaron getting very far.


    The Kree captain''s fear was evident, and it amused Alex to see such a ''mighty'' pirate reduced to a panicked mess.


    He knew Yaron was headed for themand deck, but he had no idea why.


    There was no rush; if Yaron wanted to make a stand there, Alex would oblige him.


    With a casual gait, Alex began to make his way toward themand deck, his steps echoing in an eerie manner through the silent corridors.


    He wasn''t in a hurry.


    The ship was practically his now, and one frightened pirate wasn''t going to change that.


    Suddenly though, a loud clunk echoed through the ship, followed by an alert ring from the ship''s inte in anguage he didn''t understand.


    Alex''s casual confidence immediately dwindled.


    He had not heard the inte activate since boarding the ship, meaning that whatever was happening now was pretty serious.


    "What the fuck is happening? What did he do?" Alex muttered, his heart pounding with a sudden rush of rage.


    His rxed approach was instantly reced with urgency.


    He elerated to high speeds, darting towards themand deck with a sense of dread wing at him.


    He didn''t know the exact route there, but his speed ensured he would get there quickly regardless.


    ''I swear, if thisst Kree has done something to the ship¡­''


    Alex was seething with rage and worry. He hadn''t considered the possibility that the Kree might resort to a desperate, kamikaze move.


    The thought of his hard work and nning all going down in a ''If I die, we both die'' gambit was infuriating.


    As he sped through the corridors, Alex''s mind raced and hoped that the worst hadn''t urred.


    He turned corner after corner, each step through the poorly designed interior bringing him closer to themand deck.


    The sound of the rm grew louder, a constant reminder that he was getting closer.


    Finally, he reached the doors of what he assumed was themand deck, as they were the mostvish and important looking doors he had seen so far in his time on the ship.


    He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of Yaron or sabotage.


    The ring rm and shing lights only heightened his urgency.


    But to his confusion, the room was empty.


    There was no sign of Yaron or any tampering with the ship.


    Alex frowned, frustration and bewilderment washing over him.


    "Where the fuck is he?" he muttered under his breath.


    He wasn''t in the range of his spatial perception.


    For a moment, Alex considered the possibility that Yaron might have headed to the engine bay to cause some real damage to the ship. But as he turned to leave, something outside the window in what should have been endless emptiness caught his eye.


    A small ship was moving rapidly away from the freighter. Alex squinted, taking a closer look, and his eyes widened in realisation.


    The ship was of simr design to the freighter, using the same metals and technology.


    "An escape pod!" Alex eximed.


    It all clicked into ce: the loud clunk, the ding rm and Yaron''s sudden disappearance.


    ''So the escape pods were located by themand deck¡­'' Alex thought, cursing his oversight.


    But it wasn''t like he would have made it to them without encountering the Kree anyway, as they were all concentrated at themand deck before they headed towards the loading bay to find him.


    More importantly though, Yaron had managed to escape, and the implications of that were dire.


    ''If he reaches a Kree poption centre, he could spread word of my existence, and that of the human race!''


    While Yaron didn''t know the name or origin of the human race, just the fact that an unknown alien was in Kree territory would set off rms in the upper echelon of the Kree.


    "No! I can''t let him escape!" Alex decided.


    He jumped into the pilot''s seat, his hands flying over the unfamiliar controls.


    He found a joystick-like device, which could only mean one thing.


    Steering.


    He grabbed the joystick and redirected the freighter''s course to follow the escape pod. But then, the pod vanished from view.


    "He entered Warp space!"


    Alex felt a moment of despair before his determination reignited.


    He pressed every button he could find on the pilot''s controls until, finally, one seemed to have activated a countdown sequence.


    Three short secondster, he was pushed back in his seat for an instant as the ship elerated and joined the escape pod in warp space.


    Though Alex wasn''t hopeful that he would be able to catch up with Yaron.


    Those 10 seconds of lead he had gained on Alex amounted to quite a long distance due to the disparity between the two ship''s speed.


    After an agonising few minutes passed though, Alex spotted the escape pod far ahead, slightly increasing in size as the minutes continued to tick by.


    "This ship''s faster in warp than his!" Alex realised with tion.


    He closed the distance over the next 20 minutes, until he was close enough that he could see the grooves on the escape pod''s metal sheen.


    Inside, Yaron was frantically moving about the cockpit, clearly aware that he was being pursued.


    "Fuck, why does this ship have no weapons!" Alex cursed, trying every button that remotely had abel that looked like it had something to do with weapons, but had no luck.


    It made sense since the ship was a freighter, Alex was just frustrated.


    ''Alright, I might be crazy for trying this, but to hell with it!''


    Alex had gotten fed up with his ns alwaysing to a sudden halt or hitting multiple road blocks, so he decided to take things into his own hands.


    Since there was no technological solution to his problem, he could only rely on his own strength.


    He moved to the airlock attached to themand deck and entered it.


    Inside, he pressed a button on the control panel to activate the venttion system, filtering all the breathable air out.


    He held his breath as the systempleted its cycle.


    Click!


    Alex pressed the most prominent button on the panel next, opening thest door separating him from the warp tunnel outside.


    He felt himself be weightless as the gravity stopped holding him down, but he ignored it, grabbing onto an outstretched piece of metal on the exterior piece of the ship to stop himself from floating away.


    He then covered himself in Phoenix mes, protecting him from the freezing temperatures, and then concentrated more Phoenix mes into his palm.


    ''It worked before with normal mes, so it should work again with my Phoenix mes.''


    ''I only hope space won''t affect how it works too differently¡­''


    With that, Alex unleashed a concentrated burst of Phoenix mes, directing them toward Yaron''s escape pod.


    The mes shot forward, a brilliant, fiery streak in resemnce to aet cutting through the empty void separating the two ships.


    As the mes reached the pod, they engulfed it in an intense ze.


    ''It seemed I didn''t need to worry after all¡­''

 Chapter 244: Good news?

    Alex''s Phoenix mes surrounded the escape pod in just seconds.


    Contrary to what Alex was thinking, the vacuum of space actually helped to speed up the mes, rather than hinder them in some way.


    The moment the mes reached the pod, they spread to cover the whole thing in an instant.


    The fact they were in a vacuum didn''t matter, as the Phoenix mes didn''t need other mediums like oxygen to stay alight.


    And the defences of the escape pod didn''t matter much either, as the high temperature resistant metal still sumbed to the intense heat of the mes after just a few seconds.


    When the mes reached thepact engine bay of the escape pod, it suddenly disappeared from its spot, just like it did when Yaron entered warp.


    ''Looks like it worked.''


    Alex dropped the freighter out of warp as well, appearing in the middle of literally nowhere as he turned on the scanners to search for the escape pod.


    He had taken note of what every button did when he frantically pressed every one of them earlier while trying to find the weapons systems, so he knew how to ess the scanner.


    Those few seconds of dy between the escape pod dropping out of warp and him dropping out ounted for quite arge distance umting between them.


    ''Gotcha!''


    It was only a few seconds after the scan was sent out that it picked up the signal from the nearby escape pod.


    Or what was left of it¡­


    When he arrived at the location, what he saw was more like a floating blob of molten metal than an escape pod¡­


    It bore no resemnce whatsoever to its previous form.


    And Yaron was nowhere to be seen.


    Well, actually there were a few ashes floating about amongst the molten metal, which Alex presumed were what remained of Yaron.


    Click!


    Alex flicked his finger and the Phoenix mes that had been lingering around the ''wreckage'' disappeared in an instant.


    He didn''t really need to flick his fingers to do so ¡ª he just thought it was cooler¡­


    ''There''s one problem solved, finally.''


    Alex turned his attention away from the Blood Night pirates now that he had wiped them all out, and instead focused on the new matter at hand.


    ''Where the fuck am I?''


    And that was where he was, and more importantly how he was going to make his way back to the Milky way.


    He moved over to the captain''s seat, and started fiddling with the control panel there until the one thing he was searching for showed up.


    A map.


    He pressed a button, and the entiremand deck darkened to a point where he could barely see his hands even though they were right in front of his face.


    ''This is some peculiar technology¡­''


    Alex was curious about the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, but he focused on the matter at hand.


    It was times like this that Alex wished he could understand Aliennguages just like how they could somehow understand him.


    He would have to research more on this topic another time, if he made it back to the Milky way.


    ''Let''s see here¡­''


    Alex started searching through the huge map of space, hoping he could find something that he might recognise, like a nearby gxy, or even star system.


    ''Wait¡­ Is this?''


    However, almost immediately, Alex recognised where he was.


    ''This is the no man''snd between the Milky way and Andromeda gxies?''


    Alex recognised the familiar spiral gxy in an instant, and with how close the other one was in proximity, it could only be the andromeda gxy.


    ''So we weren''t in Kree territory at all? In fact, we were so close to human territory that I could almost touch it?''


    Alex looked at the map, realising that he was just a few thousand light years away from the boundary of the federation.


    ''What were these Kree pirates doing here?''


    Naturally after finding out how close these Kree were to human territory, Alex started to get a little worried.


    The system had already confirmed that the protective period of the human race had already passed since they had been stupid enough to make contact with another alien race, so the location of the Milky way should have already be known to the rest of the universe.


    But Alex didn''t expect other alien races to act as well, considering the Red Demon race had alreadyid their im over the human race''s territory with their bold deration of war.


    ''Maybe they weren''t here for something like that at all? After all, they were pirates. I''m sure the Kree would have sent a more professional and official scouting crew than just a couple dozen pirates.''


    Though Alex could only specte for now, as all of the data on this ship waspletely alien to him, pun intended.


    It was in a format he didn''t recognise, and an even weirdernguage, so he would leave the deciphering of such data to the experts back in the federation.


    But now that he was finished with his ruminating, Alex finally activated the warp sequence once again.


    ''It''s time to go home.''


    He still didn''t know how he had even ended up floating tens of thousands of light years away from his original location, but he intended to find that out when he returned.


    ***


    A few days prior, on Ceres-9.


    In the aftermath of Alex''s disappearance and the incredible conclusion to such an awe inspiring fight, word spread of Alex''s actions quickly.


    Tens of billions had watched the fight live already, so news of it spread through word of mouth to those who didn''t at the speed of light.


    Soon enough, Alex had be a household name after a day had passed.


    This was one of the first times a fight between two higher powered awakened was aired for the whole federation to see.


    The Federal officials had made the decision to lift the veil of mystery surrounding the world of awakened from the wider public.


    This was in response to the deration of war from the Red Demon race.


    The human race was facing an existential threat, so they needed to do what they could to unite.


    And figures like Alex who could act as idols or figures to look up to were much needed in times of crisis like these.

 Chapter 245: Im Human!

    "Where is he!? Give me some good news, please!"


    It would be an understatement to say that Mira was worried about Alex''s sudden disappearance.


    She had rushed over as soon as she had heard what happened.


    Her mission had already beenplete as well, and it was only after she had returned to a city that news of Alex''s fight with the beast had aired.


    In fact, footage of his fight was ying all over the ce, on the huge holographic videos on the sides of skyscrapers, on the floating billboards in the sky etc.


    Everywhere she looked, she would see Alex''s fight.


    And she was constantly reminded of what happened to him.


    She hadn''t given up hope yet, as there was no body discovered at all.


    And the footage of the final moments of Alex''s fight with the beast had been analysed countless times, and some interesting things had been found.


    The most interesting was the fact that Alex could be seen clearly piercing the head of the beast with his body.


    But while the camera clearly showed his entry point, it never showed him exit the top of the beast''s head, even though there was an exit wound there.


    Another interesting thing that was found was that there was some small amounts of distortion in the camera right as Alexunched his final attack.


    In this day and age, such distortion should be impossible with how far recording technology had advanced over thest hundreds of years.


    But there was one exception that caused such distortion.


    Spatial disturbances.


    Mira had watched these analyses closely, and after finding out thest fact, she used her pull with the Principal of Capital Prime to help in the search, as he was an expert in the field of space.


    It wasn''t like the Principal was doing this entirely as a favour to Mira ¡ª he was very interested and curious in finding out what had happened to Alex as well.


    The way he saw it, Alex was one of the most promising and prospective talents of this generation and should be nurtured into a proper powerhouse.


    And his fight with this beast had only further strengthened his opinion of Alex''s potential.


    "It looks like theizens on the gctic were correct. Alex was transported somewhere, but to where exactly, I do not know."


    The Principal spoke his findings for Mira to hear after he had finished examining the location where the battle had taken ce.


    The body had already been taken away, which had already been checked for a beast core.


    Unfortunately for Alex, there was none.


    Nobody would have even tried to snatch it anyway even if there was one.


    There were just too many watchful eyes on Ceres-9 at the moment.


    "But how could that have happened..? I don''t get it¡­"


    Mira was relieved that Alex could still be alive, but the mystery of his disappearance didn''t help to alleviate her worries.


    "I suspect the beast had been hiding a spatial talent, or had awakened one right at the end, who knows. But the likelihood is that itunched some final attack or countermeasure on Alex, teleporting him away. But it was toote to save itself in the end."


    Mira was only made even more worried after hearing that this could have been some sort of attack.


    ''If he was teleported to somewhere like the vacuum of space¡­''


    She could only assume the worst.


    ***


    "Hmmm, she''s a hot one indeed. NO! What are you doing you stupid man, you should have picked Tracy not Lara!"


    In a space station on the periphery of the Milky Way, near where the border met the no man''snd, Marco, a bored guard sat in his office watching some kind of dating reality show.


    In short, he was skirting his duties.


    The border security on the edge of the federal territory was supposed to have been ramped up in recent times after the Red Demon race had discovered them.


    But Marco was bored out of his mind sitting in his cramped office all day, every day.


    The pay was very good, but his mental health couldn''t take the boredom.


    The area he was assigned to was a quiet one.


    In fact, there had never been any disturbances or transport shipsing through this area.


    So Marco usually spent his time watching these brainrotting reality shows when his superior officer wasn''t around.


    Beep!


    Screee!


    But today wasn''t like any other day.


    rms started going off throughout the space station, jolting Marco up out of his chair as he was almost scared out of his wits by the noise.


    "What is going on? Dammit, I missed it!"


    Marco wasn''t too worried.


    The military usually pulled drills like these once a week to keep the soldiers and workers on this station up to par.


    "Ship detected near the border! I repeat, Ship detected near the border!"


    ''Yesss I know, you say this every time, you brainless Ai.''


    Marco quickly turned off the reality show and hid themunicator he was watching it on, and stood to attention, manning his station.


    The officer should enter his room to ask what was happening in a few seconds.


    "This is not a drill! Alert! This is not a drill!"


    But Marco was startled by another message from the inte, one that he had never heard before.


    ''Not a drill¡­ OH SHIT!''


    It took Marco a second, but he snapped out of his annoyed mood and instantly got to work.


    He may be bored with his job, but that doesn''t mean he was ipetent.


    ''Is it finally starting¡­ Are we really going to war?''


    Marco couldn''t help but feel his nerves tighten as he thought about the prospect that he might be at the forefront of one of the most important points in human history.


    "Ship approaching! Design unrecognised, material unrecognised! Ship is confirmed to be Non-human! I repeat-"


    The inte red off again, this time alerting everyone that the iing ship was approaching the station, as well as confirming their worst fears.


    "Ready the cannons!"


    The soldiers in charge of the weapons division of the space station urgently charged up the sma cannons attached to the station and aimed them at the iing ship.


    "Prepare to fire! In 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Fire-"


    "WAIT!"


    The soldiers were literally milliseconds away from pressing the button that would start an all out gctic war, but a cry came from themunications.


    "DON''T FIRE! I''M HUMAN!"


    It came from the enemy ship.

 Chapter 246: Report

    "Hold your fire!"


    Themanding officer of the station ordered when he heard the voiceing over from the other side.


    "Identify yourself!"


    But they weren''t just going to believe the enemy''s words just because they said they were human.


    They already knew that the Red Demon race could speak theirnguage fluently, so just the fact that they responded in theirnguage meant nothing to them.


    They needed some concrete proof that who they were talking to was human.


    "Sure."


    The voice on the other side of the radioplied, and soon one of the airlock doors opened on the enemy ship, and Alex appeared out of them shortly after, tightly wrapped in a thinyer of Phoenix mes to protect him from the vacuum.


    Alex held onto the handle, keeping himself attached to his ship with one hand, and waved at the space station with his other.


    He repeated this waving action for another 10 seconds or so, until he returned back into the ship.


    "Do you guys believe me now?"


    But Alex didn''t receive an answer right away.


    Unaware to him, the soldiers on the space station were utterly shocked and confused.


    "Is that Alex? That Capital Prime student from Ceres-9?"


    "How did he end up in the middle of nowhere like this, piloting an alien ship no less!?"


    "Something doesn''t seem right about this¡­"


    With how practically nothing went on in this remote region of space, the soldiers kept up with the gctic very closely, so they naturally knew of Alex''s feats on Ceres-9.


    And they had heard about how he had disappeared right after heunched his final attack.


    Which only made his appearance there even more confusing.


    "Your identity has been confirmed. Can you dock the ship here?"


    Themanding officer took charge of themunications after seeing how his men werecking in this ever since they found out Alex''s identity.


    "Uhh¡­ I think you''ll need to send someone well versed in ships to do that¡­ I''m not exactly an expert in piloting ships, especially alien ones¡­"


    Alex responded, a sense of relief spreading through him.


    He had finally made it back to the federation!


    But he had a lot of exining to do¡­


    And a lot of exnations to receive.


    ***


    "I have an urgent report, sir!"


    Major General Lyndal burst into the tense room with an excited look on her face.


    The atmosphere in this ce over thest few weeks only became more and more bleak as time passed.


    But the 9 powerful people looked at Major General Lyndal with interest, as it seemed she was finally going to be bringing them some good news.


    "A report just came in from the remote region bordering the no man''snd! An alien ship made contact with our soldiers!" Major General Lyndal eximed.


    Principal Farnes and the others looked at each other with contemtive and uneasy looks as they took in the news.


    Contrary to the way Major General Lyndal was acting, this would be terrible news.


    So why was she so excited?


    There was clearly more to it.


    Principal Farnes and the others ushered Major General Lyndal to continue.


    "But there was no contact with another foreign race. Instead, that kid from your school, Principal Farnes, popped out of the ship!"


    Principal Farnes wasn''t one to be surprised or shocked with how much of life he had experienced.


    But at this moment, he couldn''t help but furrow his brows and tilt his head at Major General, letting out an instinctive ''What?'' as he couldn''t quite understand what he was hearing.


    In fact, most of the S tier powerhouses in the room had a simr reaction to him.


    As the de facto leaders of humanity, they knew of Alex''s situation quite well, and they had all heard Principal Farnes'' assessment saying that he was most likely teleported away by the beast in some final, desperate attack.


    But to be teleported outside of the Milky Way, into another race''s territory?


    That just seemed too far fetched, more like a fantasy story rather than something that would actually ur.


    "Exin further, Lyndal."


    Principal Farnes asked the Major General to actually exin the whole story to him, rather than feeding it to them in parts just to add further suspense to it.


    ¡­


    After a few minutes, Major General Lyndal had finished exining exactly what Alex had exined to the soldiers on the space station just a few hours earlier.


    "So essentially, what he''s saying is that he woke up, floating in space, with no recollection of how he got there?"


    "Then he just so happened to be rescued before his brain fried from theck of oxygen, only to find out that it was a crew of pirates from a race called the ''Kree'' that had picked him up to loot him, thinking he was dead?"


    "And then he said he took out their entire 20 man crew, alone, before piloting the freighter back to human territory?"


    "Oh, and how could I forget. He also found out that he was located in the no man''s space between us and the Red Demon race, which means we have aliens snooping in our own waters and we didn''t even know it?"


    "Did I get it all?"


    Admiral Olgierd asked, still trying to wrap his head over the report.


    "That''s right sir. We already have our top experts examining the make up of the Kree''s ship, and I''m sure we''ll be able to decode their data with enough time. We''ll know whether he was telling the truth or not when the footage from the onboard cameras is examined."


    "But that doesn''t matter right now. Alex essentially handed us a gold mine with his return!"


    Major General Lyndal was right, and the others in the room knew that as well.


    "What should we do about this then?"


    "The kid deserves some sort of reward for this!"


    "He''s your student, Farnes. You should decide."


    A discussion started between the powerhouses, but there was one thing they all unanimously agreed with.


    Alex deserved some kind of reward for this!


    Not to mention the fact that they would all like to meet him.


    His story on Ceres-9 was already bing something of a legend, and with the addition of this¡­


    They could already see that he would be a major figure in the federation in the near future!

 Chapter 247: Newfound fame

    "Alex!"


    Mira eximed loudly, not caring about the reactions of anyone nearby them on the space station.


    She ran up to Alex at full speed, and jumped at him, engulfing him in a huge hug.


    She wrapped herself so tightly around him, that he thought she might never let go of him again!


    "Did I miss anything?"


    Alex joked with her as he embraced her in the hug as well.


    He knew she was probably worried to death when he first disappeared, and to be frank he was worried as well, not knowing if he would ever get to see her again.


    It had been a few days since he had returned to the federation, and he had just arrived back in the sr system, currently standing on the space station on mars as nted his feet back on a.


    He felt strangely refreshed from the feeling of real gravity keeping him grounded.


    After exining everything to the soldiers on the space station that found him, he had a lot of procedures to go through.


    Such as stuff like testing, decontamination etc.


    He had spent thest few days in an alien spaceship, so who knew what kinds of foreign pathogens he could be carrying with him.


    They wouldn''t be dangerous for awakened like him, but for regr humans, it could be life threatening.


    After those procedures were finished, he hitched a free ride on one of the military''s warships back to the sr system.


    Themander of the station had already informed him that the higher ups wanted to meet him regarding his return, which Alex had expected to hear.


    He had just handed them a gold mine in the form of an alien spaceship.


    It was the first one they had managed to get their hands on, so Alex was honestly expecting a reward for his contribution.


    And if he wasn''t rewarded properly?


    Well, he would just use his newfound fame to his advantage and publicise his criticism of the federation''s handling of this matter.


    In the few days of downtime he had on his trip back to the sr system, he had checked the Gctic, and was shocked to find his face and name stered almost everywhere he looked!


    It was only through further digging that he found out that his fight with the beast was live streamed for the whole federation to see.


    If Alex was honest, he couldn''t really care whether he was famous or not. Though he guessed he''d prefer if he wasn''t.


    It could be a pain if he was recognised and swarmed everywhere he went, especially if he was on a mission like the one to Ceres-9.


    He''d have to set some clear boundaries with his ''fans'' when he had the time.


    ***


    "I see you two found each other." Principal Farnes stated.


    He appeared out of nowhere behind Alex and Mira after he let them have a few moments to themselves.


    He wasn''t so selfish to ruin their reunion right away.


    He gave them 10¡­ no, 12 seconds to catch up before he made his appearance.


    How nice of him!


    "Principal!"


    Both of them coughed and jumped out of the hug as soon as they noticed the Principal behind them.


    Especially Mira, as she still felt eternally grateful to him for personally helping in the search for Alex.


    "I''ve already been briefed about your situation, but I''m more interested in hearing about something quite peculiar, when we''re somewhere more private of course."


    Principal Farnes heavily suggested that there was something about Alex that was interesting to him, and Alex already had a good guess as to what that was.


    ''Phoenix mes.''


    The Principal was present in the room when Alex had awakened it, though neither one of them knew it at the time.


    And after reviewing the footage of Alex''s battle with the beast, as well as his return when he exited the alien freighter, the Principal would have to be stupid or blind to not immediately notice the difference in the mes surrounding Alex''s body.


    Most notable was their colour, which had obviously changed from the normal yellow-orange that normal fire had, to the deep, crimson red that they were now.


    But other than that, the Principal was more interested in another property they had.


    Their ability to continue burning without a medium, like oxygen.


    He was surprised to see that they didn''t dissipate immediately after Alex stepped out of the spaceship into the vacuum of space.


    Thankfully, the soldiers on the space station were recording this interaction, as they were expecting to be at the forefront of some historic event when they first saw an Alien ship approaching.


    But this was a conversation for another time.


    "Before we get into anything though, there are some people who wish to meet you."


    Principal Farnes ced an arm on Alex''s shoulder.


    Mira looked over at him as well, with confused eyes.


    ''Ahh what the hell, he''ll probably tell her about it when we''re finished anyway. I might as well bring her too.''


    He ced his other hand on Mira''s shoulder as well before¡­


    Poof!


    All three of them disappeared from their spots.


    And reappeared in a hallway that looked like it belonged to any normal looking office building.


    "Where are we?"


    Alex asked, as he was confused about what had just happened.


    They had teleported, that was obvious.


    But it was unlike any teleportation he had been through before.


    Whenever he activates his own Inferior teleportation talent, he could clearly feel the energy wrapping around him, and the warping of space.


    But this time, he felt nothing.


    There was only one way Alex could describe it.


    Whenever he uses his own teleportation, he moves through space.


    But this time, it was like space moved through him.


    It was an incredibly weird feeling.


    "This is Earth. Specifically, we are inside the Nexus, outside the round table room."


    Principal Farnes exined to Alex and Mira, to help them better settle.


    ''What?''


    Though that only made them go wide-jawed.


    ''We just travelled hundreds of millions of miles through space, across two differents in an instant!?''


    It was safe to say they were awed at the Principal''s capabilities.


    They had never heard of S tier''s being able to do this!

 Chapter 248: President Price

    After they finished admiring how strong the Principal was, Alex and Mira were ushered to enter the round table room by Principal Farnes.


    When they first entered through the doors, they felt a little underwhelmed, as the room looked rather normalpared to what they were expecting.


    The Nexus building was known to everyone across the entire federation, as that was where all of the important management and administration decisions were made regarding the operation andws of the entire federation.


    The Round table room was even more famous, as that was where people like the president and other important figures met to discuss matters that would affect the quintillions of humans residing in the federation.


    With such a reputation, one would expect the ce to be decked out with all sorts of luxurious decoration.


    But it was just normal.


    However, Alex and Mira''s attention was quickly drawn away by something else.


    Or rather, someone else.


    ''The President!''


    President Price, the current leader of the federation, was sitting down in one of the seats surrounding the round table.


    All of the other seats were filled too, except for one, which Principal Farnes went over at his usual leisurely pace to sit in.


    Normally, there were only 9 people who met in this room at most times.


    But there were 10 now with the addition of the President.


    That 10th seat was technically reserved for the elusive ''Strongest Human'', but since they were never present, it became the norm for any important figures or guests like the President to use that seat.


    ''Do we just stand here?''


    Though Alex felt a little bit awkward as there were no seats prepared for him or Mira.


    In fact, he looked over and saw a woman in military uniform, proudly wearing the badge of a Major General, who was forced to stand as well¡­


    ''I guess I''m not important or strong enough for that yet¡­''


    Alex gave up all ideas of sitting when he realised it was some sort of unspoken privilege in this room.


    He could feel the slight power radiating off of Major General Lyndal, and if someone like her wasn''t qualified to sit, then he definitely wasn''t.


    "Alex."


    Suddenly the silent tension in the room was broken by President Price, as he called out Alex''s name after everyone cough Principal Farnes cough had settled into their seats.


    "First of all, congrattions on returning alive from your unexpected adventure into Alien territory!"


    President Price began.


    His voice was warm, yet it felt oddly powerful for someone who wasn''t that strong as an awakened.


    ''An unexpected adventure is one way to put it.''


    "On behalf of the entire Federation, no, the entire human race, thank you for bringing back such a valuable resource."


    The President''s words would normally fill the recipient of such praise with pride, but Alex felt strangely calm.


    But that was because of his confidence.


    He already knew how important and ground breaking his contribution was.


    He didn''t need the President to validate that.


    But he weed it with a silent nod.


    His opinion on the President wasn''t good, but neither was it bad.


    The presidency in the federation worked a little strangely after the awakened were first introduced to society.


    He was essentially a figurehead, with little power over the decisions regarding the world of the awakened, only having real power over the normal people.


    The real ones in charge of the awakened side of things were the other 9 people sitting around the table.


    But Alex didn''t really know how to feel about President Price.


    He was essentially an ''enabler'' or more fittingly a ''fence sitter''. He rarely ever stuck with one side and tried to y for both sides.


    One such example was very personal to Alex.


    The miningpanies.


    Alex was born on a mining colony where the conditions were horrible and he, along with all of the other miners, were essentially treated as borderline ves earning next to nothing for the benefit of the ones in charge.


    President Price had the authority and power to enact newws surrounding these mining colonies, to put an end to such shitty and greedy practices.


    But he chose to do nothing.


    It wasn''t like he introduced these practices though, as that was the work of a much greedier and irresponsible president from before the Primordial Expanse descended on humanity.


    That President was impeached before he could cause any further damage to society.


    "Thank you, Mr President."


    But Alex didn''t want to act out of order in front of so many powerhouses ¡ª the real leaders of the federation, so he just thanked him and moved on.


    With the President''s clearly political speech finished, the others around the table looked at Alex with interest.


    Admiral Olgierd in particr, and he was the next one to speak.


    "Your contribution on Ceres-9 has saved the lives of over a billion souls. That, you have my respect for, young man. The would likely have been decimated if you hadn''t been there to stop that beast."


    Alex nodded.


    ''He seems pretty chill.''


    Admiral Olgierd probably had the most influence out of all the people in this room, as he literally had the entire federal military at his disposal.


    Finally, when all the introductions and congrattions were over, Principal Farnes took the floor.


    "Alex, the way the Federation¡ªand the human race in general¡ªoperates in a very ''Survival of the fittest'' system. I''m sure you would have noticed that by now. However, we still have to give credit where credit is due, and you will be properly rewarded for your efforts."


    He took out a ring from his pocket, and flicked it in the air shortly after.


    It disappeared, before reappearing in Alex''s hand an instantter.


    ''Just like when we teleported from Mars to Earth.''


    Alex noted.


    "Inside this ring is your reward for bringing the Kree freighter back to us, as well as a special something from myself."


    Alex looked inside the storage ring, and was honestly shocked by what he saw.


    ''A ship!''


    A huge ship was floating in the void within.


    It was at least 100 metres long and looked like nothing he had seen before¡ªnothing that wasmercially avable, at least.


    "This is thetest iteration of our warships that our technical division just recently finished. This is the first ship we produced, so it''s the first of its kind." Admiral Olgierd exined.


    Alex showed his emotions for the first time since entering the room, and even Mira had an excited look on her face behind him.


    This was probably one of the only rewards he was actually very happy to receive.


    He was half expecting something like beast cores again, which he would be massively disappointed with since he wouldn''t even be able to use them.


    But this ship wasn''t something he could get his hands on even if he wanted to.


    He had the money to buy a simr sized ship for sure, but he couldn''t get one like this.


    The way technology worked in these times was simple.


    The military had ess to the cutting edge tech, while the public had ess to slightly, or sometimes drastically less impressive tech.


    Ships were one of the cases where the tech was drastically better from the military, and military-grade ships were one of the only things money couldn''t buy.

 Chapter 249: Prodigy

    "This thing is the top of the line of what our technology can produce, though things might change in the future depending on what we can salvage from the Kree ship."


    Admiral Olgierd spoke.


    "The fastestmercial ships can get from one side of the milky way to the other, a total of over 200,000 light years, in a little over a month."


    "Well, this thing can do it in a week."


    Admiral Olgierd started exining the basic details of Alex''s new ship, and each line of exnation only made Alex even happier.


    To sum it up, it came down to a few things.


    The ship was fast, really fucking fast!


    It had the best defences ¡ª able to block a single King ss attack below A- rank.


    And it had some of the best weapons that could be fitted on a ship of its size, with the strongest weapon having Variant ss B rank firepower, able to st a small moon apart in one shot.


    If he ever found himself in a tricky situation while in the vacuum of space, this ship would be his saving grace.


    "Along with this ship, the 9 of us have decided to give you a bit of prestige ¡ª a title of sorts."


    Admiral Olgierd shifted the conversation along when he finished exining the specifics of his new ship.


    "From this moment forth, you are officially a ''King ss'' prodigy."


    Alex wasn''t expecting this kind of reward at all.


    It wasn''t really useful to him at all in terms ofmercial value, or strength wise, but it did sound like a pretty cool title.


    "After your performance on the battlefield on Ceres-9, and with the looming threat of the Red Demon race, we''ve decided to put more focus on the next generation, like you."


    ''So that''s how it is.''


    Alex knew there had to be some sort of agenda or reason for the decision to give him such a title.


    Of course, he could already tell that it followed the same system as Soul ssifications.


    Alex didn''t even need to ask what his title meant for him, as it was self exnatory.


    ''King ss prodigy'' clearly meant that Admiral Olgierd and the other 8 S tiers around the table thought Alex had the potential to reach King ss at some point in the future.


    And they obviously meant he would be able to reach King ss as an S rank as well.


    They wouldn''t even consider someone who didn''t have the potential to reach S rank as a prodigy.


    And with the new system Admiral Olgierd had just introduced, this naturally meant that there would be other kinds of titles given out to other prodigies across the Federation.


    Alex had no doubt that after this meeting, there would be all kinds of Variant ss, Mutant ss etc prodigies popping up all over the federation in the next few years.


    ''They underestimate me.''


    Though Alex was already aiming higher.


    They had judged his potential based off of what they saw from his performances, but they had no idea just how powerful his talents were.


    Alex wasn''t just aiming for King ss.


    No, his goal was Divine ss!


    ''The Principal said he left a special something from himself in the ring as well, but where is it?''


    Alex quickly moved away from the topic of his new title, as that was just vanity when it came down to it.


    Alex was a very materialistic person, so he much preferred something that would actually be of use to him.


    He looked over at the Principal, and Principal Farnes noticed Alex''s questioning gaze immediately.


    ''I''ll exin things after we leave these old fogies.''


    Alex felt an intrusive energy enter his mind as Principal Farnes spoke to him mentally.


    He hid his surprise from showing on his face, and instead turned to face the others once again.


    "Thank you all for your generosity! I promise I won''t take it for granted!"


    He gave his gratitude to everyone in the room, before he turned to Mira and grabbed her hand as he led her out of the room with him.


    Mira had just been standing behind Alex silently the whole time.


    It wasn''t like she could intervene, so she could only wait.


    As soon as the door closed behind them, Alex exhaled an exasperated breath he had been holding in.


    "Man, being around so many S tiers is scary!"


    Mira frantically nodded as well, enthusiastically agreeing with him.


    The air in the room felt stifling, and every breath they took in felt heavy.


    There was probably enough power in that one room alone to decimate the entire federation if they put their minds to it, which was a scary idea to think about!


    An entire gxy, popted by quintillions of people, and these 9 people alone could probably send the human race into extinction!


    Though, the mysterious 10th figure who upied the highest spot in the federation could probably do it alone¡­


    After a few minutes of waiting outside in the hallway, Principal Farnes appeared in front of them.


    "Do you always have to appear so suddenly like that!?" Alex blurted out.


    Every time the Principal did that he felt creeped out, as he couldn''t even feel his presence in his spatial perception, so he could literally sneak up within millimetres and Alex wouldn''t even notice without seeing him.


    "It''s faster than walking."


    That was all the Principal said before he grabbed both of their shoulders and disappeared once again, this time with Alex and Mira in tow.


    The three of them appeared in Alex''s living room back in his dorm right after.


    ''I still can''t get over it. That distance, in an instant¡­''


    "Now that all the boring stuff is over with, why don''t we get to the fun stuff."


    Alex didn''t know why, but he got a weird feeling that the Principal''s idea of fun and his idea of it were vastly different¡­


    "I''ll start. Why don''t you go ahead and check your ring once again, Alex. This time, check the interior of your brand new ship."


    Alex did as the Principal said, and inspected the inside of his new ship.


    The storage ring was quite convenient, as he didn''t even need to take it out and enter it to inspect it.


    "A sword?"


    Alex eximed in confusion.


    This was probably thest thing he was expecting, even though he had no idea what he was expecting¡­


    "That''s my reward to you."


    Alex didn''t know why the Principal was rewarding him with something like this, as he was already very happy with the ship alone, but he epted it regardless.


    ''He probably sees deeper through me than the others like Admiral Olgierd do.''


    He could only chalk it down to the Principal having a sharper intuition than the others.


    Alex was about to take the sword out of the storage ring to inspect it, but before he could do so, the Principal spoke again, this time with an indecipherable grin on his face.


    "So, why don''t you tell me about this new look your mes have?"


    The atmosphere suddenly took an awkward turn as Alex looked at Mira, who looked back at him with an equally questioning gaze.


    ''I need to be careful around him, I can''t show anything like the soul orbs whenever he''s near!''


    Alex knew the Principal must have been paying close attention to him ever since he witnessed Alex''s ''Rebirth''.


    In fact, he should have known that he couldn''t have hidden his Phoenix mes from him for so long.


    But when the sword appeared in Alex''s hands, and he got a good feel for its details¡­


    He knew he could trust the Principal with his Phoenix mes.

 Chapter 250: Virtues Edge

    [Virtue''s Edge]


    [F- rank (Growth type)]


    [Ordinary ss (Growth type)]


    [A sword like no other. This de was forged by Mikhail, a grandmaster swordsmith as his final work before he disappeared, never to be seen again. Forged in the heart of a volcano, it is particrly fond of the fire element.]


    At first, Alex was surprised.


    This was because for the first time since he had be an awakened, the system had a details panel for an item.


    He hadn''t seen or heard of anything like this before, nor did he even know it was possible.


    When he first checked it, he almost cursed out loud when he saw ''F- rank'', the lowest possible rank a weapon could have before it was essentially a useless, rankless item.


    But he stopped his surging emotions when he saw the ''Growth type''bel right next to the rank.


    He didn''t know what to think when he saw that.


    He wasn''t stupid ¡ª he had read enough novels and yed enough games in his youth to realise what this meant.


    But he didn''t get why the Principal would be giving him something so precious.


    He felt it was only fair that he told the Principal about his Phoenix mes.


    It wasn''t like he was purposely keeping them a secret anyway, people were bound to notice the change in his mes sooner orter, especially now that he was practically a mega celebrity in the federation.


    But although he trusted the Principal with the information, he wasn''t an idiot.


    He would still propose the use of a soul contract if the Principal wanted to find out about any detailed information.


    If he made his girlfriend sign one, then he sure as hell was going to make the Principal sign one.


    "I can tell you about them sir, but only if you agree to a Soul contract. I''m sure you can understand¡­"


    Alex tried to dumb it down, saying this and that about how he trusted him, but using a soul contract would be better for the both of them, h h h¡­


    But Principal Farnes didn''t care in the slightest.


    He had been around long enough to know that Alex was just trying to appease him for his generous gift.


    Besides, he was going to propose a Soul contract anyway if Alex didn''t.


    And since both parties agreed, such a Soul contract appeared before both of them, with the system finally seeming to have gone back to normal now, as it actuallyplied with Alex''s wishes.


    Thest time he had asked for a soul contract, the system had just said no.


    The contract was almost the exact same as the one he used for Mira, although the consequences were much more severe for the Principal, since him losing his strength had much more drastic consequences than if a D tier like Mira did.


    There were a few tweaks though, such as the fact that the Principal had gotten rid of the use of being transported to a private space to have their chat.


    He could set up his own privacy filter, though no one was bold enough to try and spy on him anyway.


    ***


    [Phoenix mes (S+): Imbued with the essence of the legendary Divine Phoenix, these mes possess the unique properties that make them far superior to conventional fire. The lethality they possess is enough to harm even the strongest of beings. These mese with many unique properties, befitting of the Divine Phoenix:


    Regenerative heat: These mes have a dual nature. While they can burn with intense, destructive power, they also possess healing properties. When used on oneself, or allies, the mes can heal wounds, mend broken bones, and even regenerate lost limbs. Derived from the Divine Phoenix''s own incredible healing abilities.


    Soul Fire: Unlike regr mes that can only affect the physical ne, these mes can interact with the spiritual. They have the ability to inflict damage on spiritual entities, while at the same time enjoying the same regenerative effect ¡ª able to purify and repair damaged souls.


    Unquenchable ze: Once ignited, Phoenix mes are almost impossible to extinguish by conventional means. They can burn underwater or in the vacuum of space, drawing the ambient energy from around them to sustain their heat. Only a wielder of a sufficiently strong talent, or profound mastery over the fire element can hope to snuff them out.]


    The familiar description appeared before Alex, and it was the exact same as he had seen it when it first appeared in his details.


    Principal Farnes only looked over it for a split second before he was finished reading.


    It was only a few hundred words, and with his S tier brain power that was nothing for him to take in.


    "So this is what you were hiding from me back when you were mysteriously reborn¡­"


    Principal Farnes held his chin in contemtion as he looked at Alex.


    Alex was unable to read what the Principal was thinking, and he could only feel his body tense.


    "I wasn''t actually hiding it from you, sir¡­ I only found out about these after you had already left¡­"


    Alex exined.


    The Principal listened.


    "I understand." He said, easing the tension in Alex.


    "These Phoenix mes are a remarkable ability. It''s no wonder you were able to achieve so much in such little time."


    ''I was half expecting to see something more though. Maybe Alex isn''t the inheritor of the Divine Phoenix after all¡­''


    Unknown to Alex, Principal Farnes had already guessed the nature of his mes, but he was actually disappointed when he read about them.


    He was expecting Alex to have mutated into some sort of Phoenix human hybrid, or inherited the Phoenix''s legacy with how spectacr and shy his rebirth was.


    But he knew this wasn''t the case, and the description on some of the effects of Phoenix mes basically confirmed it.


    ''Imbued with the essence of the legendary Divine Phoenix''


    ''Derived from the Divine Phoenix''s own healing abilities''


    These clearly indicated that Alex had not received the full effect of the Phoenix''s legacy.


    He would probably have to go through more trials and tribtions if he wanted to receive that¡­

 Chapter 251: Karlax

    Themotion around Alex revealing his Phoenix mes to Principal Farnes was soon over.


    As it turned out, it wasn''t such a big deal in the end.


    "Make sure to put that sword to good use, Alex."


    This was all the Principal said before he disappeared from Alex''s living room.


    Only Alex and Mira were left in there now.


    "What''s so good about this sword then?"


    Mira had to ask, since it was a gift from the Principal himself, and the way Alex reacted made her think it must have been something really special.


    Alex handed her the sword, and her eyes went wide with her jaw hanging low soon after.


    And it turned out it was actually above her expectations¡­


    ***


    A few weeks had passed since the whole Variant beast and Alien pirates incident, and Alex had already settled back into his usual university life.


    Which consisted of just training and attending sses.


    Though of course, there were many more watchful eyes on him throughout the day no matter where he went.


    He was a superstar now, which was bound toe with a lot more attention on him.


    Everywhere he went, staff and students alike would stop and stare, or catch a casual nce at him, whispering amongst themselves.


    Other than that, life was rather mundane for Alex.


    He hadn''t made any further progress in Soul studies, to no surprise to him.


    His training wasn''t too different, every day was almost the same thing as the previous day.


    But he had made some significant progress in one area which he was verycking in.


    His Phoenix mes.


    He was able to turn them on and off, cover his body or parts of his body with them, orunch them as projectiles.


    But that was the extent of how far he could take his control over them.


    He wasn''t able to properly control their bnce between destruction and regeneration.


    From what he could feel when he didn''t try to purposely control them, his mes consisted of an equal ratio of destruction mes and regeneration mes.


    This bnce was what kept his Phoenix mes so stable in battle.


    But when he tried to control this ratio, to something more skewed towards destruction or regeneration, then things quickly went haywire.


    The best he could manage for the time being was a 55:45 ratio on either side, which Alex was very happy with.


    Hard work took time, and Alex knew he couldn''t be impatient.


    Though, things were about to be much more different for Alex.


    He was finally going to receive some actualbat training from some real experts!


    It had been put off for far too long, and it was starting to affect Alex''s results in battle by now.


    The stronger his enemies became, the harder it was for him to control the oue of the battle.


    He was constantly getting unnecessary or avoidable injuries because of hisck of any training, only being able to rely on his instincts to fight, which led to many inefficiencies.


    ''It''s about time I hone my skills, rather than rely on my instincts to fight!''


    ***


    "How long?"


    A stoic, unemotional voice echoed through themand deck.


    "Around four months, sir Kax." Replied the ship''s AI, its tone equally devoid of emotion.


    The Red Demon race didn''t rely on pilots and specialists like the human race did. Instead they had AI running almost all of the systems on their ship''smand decks, only needing extra personnel in the engineering and tech sectors to maintain and repair the ships if need be.


    Thisck of need for anymand personnel opened up more space for the frontline soldiers on the ships, which was exactly what the Red Demon race intended.


    The Red Demon, standing tall and imposing, surveyed the vast fleet arranged before him through themand deck''s panoramic view.


    His crimson scaled skin seemed to absorb the dim light of themand centre, and his eyes glowed with an inner fire, reflecting the cold, calcted bloodlust that defined his species.


    The scene outside was both awe inspiring and terrifying.


    Over a hundred million warships of all shapes and sizes stretched across the voice of space, their formation so extensive that it could span the distance between Earth and Mars, with ships to spare.


    The vast armada was the Red Demon race''s proudest achievement, and a testament to their relentless pursuit of conquest.


    The Red Demonmander, equivalent in rank to Admiral Olgierd in human military terms, clenched his fists in anticipation.


    ''Four months¡­ In four months the human race will be no more, and their gxy will be ripe for our taking.''


    He thought, a savage grin spreading across his face.


    The Red Demons had a very long history of plunder and conquest, starting from their very own home, before their records even began.


    On their home, they fought brutal wars amongst themselves, nearly driving themselves to extinction until one faction emerged supreme.


    Though this temporary peace didn''tst for long.


    More factions emerged over time and more wars ensued as a result.


    The cycle was endless and kept repeating.


    When they reached their own space age, the constant infighting stopped though.


    They united and swiftly dominated the Andromeda gxy, annihting any other sentient species they encountered.


    The Human race was lucky in this regard, as they didn''t have to go through such a brutal war path in their conquest of the Milky Way, as they were the only sentient species that resided there.


    At least the only species that hadn''t driven themselves to extinction.


    The Red Demon race''s thirst for conquest didn''t stop there.


    They had recently concluded a thousand year long war against a neighbouring gxy, eradicating the enemy race entirely before iming their territory for themselves.


    Now, their sights were set on the Milky Way, and the human race stood as their next target.


    "Commander, all preparations for the invasion and proceeding as scheduled. Our forces are ready for the assault."


    As themander contemted the imminent destruction of the human race, he was interrupted by a notification from the AI.

 Chapter 252: A familiar face

    The next morning was the official start of Alex''s training.


    Luckily for him, there were no sses scheduled for the next day, so he would have the whole day to train.


    It was a much more rxing schedulepared to what he was used to, which Alex was honestly quite happy about.


    He would be under less stress, and he would be gaining valuable knowledge at the same time.


    It was a win-win in Alex''s eyes.


    He gobbled up his breakfast with no care for what it was or how it tasted ¡ª he was only interested in getting the nutrients his body needed.


    Thankfully higher ranked beast meat packed a lot more nutrients than normal animals, otherwise awakened would be in big trouble considering they needed vastly more energy than normal people.


    Alex would have to make sure he kept his diet packed until he at least became a higher life form.


    ''Training starts at noon¡­ Guess I''ll do some stretching or something then.''


    With no sses scheduled or practice spars queued up, Alex realised just how boring his life was outside of his usual routine.


    He was essentially a workaholic without any hobbies, which to a normal person might sound like a hellish lifestyle, but Alex was rather content with his situation.


    The thrill of feeling his strength improve was enough to drive him to keep going.


    Noon soon came around and the Professor in charge of Alex''s training should be showing up any time, and Alex was getting bored sitting around in his living room just waiting.


    He tried reading some of the novels he used to read a few years ago, but they didn''t pique his interest anymore.


    Why read about such fantasies when he experienced them every day?


    Knock!


    A sudden knock on his door woke him up from his boredom, and Alex rushed over to open the door for his personal training teacher waiting outside.


    "Good to see you, Alex."


    Though Alex was pleasantly surprised by who greeted him.


    "Professor Will!"


    It was a familiar face, the same teacher who had oversaw his entrance exam and had looked after him since his entry into Capital Prime.


    "It turns out I''m going to be yourbat skills Professor! Though I have to warn you, my training will be tough, which I suspect might not be much of a problem for Mr ''King ss prodigy'' himself."


    Alex felt his cheeks slightly redden when Professor Will uttered his newly appointed title.


    It sounded cool when it came from Admiral Olgierd, but it sounded more cringe and embarrassinging from someone he knew.


    "We''ll be working on a specific area ofbat skills called martial arts, as well as swordsmanship, alongside any further areas that might crop up further down the line."


    Professor Will ignored Alex''s embarrassment and got straight to the point, exining what exactly Alex would be doing in his training.


    Alex, just happy that he was finally going to be receiving some training, let Professor Will in and led him to the training grounds in his garden.


    "You might be confused about what Martial arts are, since some uninformed people might call them outdated in this day and age, but they couldn''t be more wrong."


    "In pursuit of true mastery over one''s own potential, there exists a discipline known as Martial arts."


    Alex listened intently. He was unaware of the technique Professor Will was talking about.


    Martial Arts had bergely unknown ever since the advent of the Primordial Expanse and the awakened.


    "Unlike traditionalbat techniques that rely purely on strength or agility and are generally targeted towards Awakened, Martial Arts is a refined method of controlling one''s own body down to the minutest movement."


    "Martial Arts have been around for thousands of years, yes ¡ª thousands, and are not just limited to Awakened. In fact, it was normal, unawakened people that came up with Martial Arts in the first ce."


    "It is the art of precision, where every action is calcted, every motion deliberate, and every strike maximised for optimal power output."


    Professor Will finished his introduction of the concept of Martial Arts and let Alex take all of the information he had just received in.


    Considering they were both powerful awakened, it didn''t take long at all.


    ''This sounds like exactly what I need! I''ve been relying on instinctual movements, or just what I thought was right at the time. Precision is precisely what I wascking this whole time!''


    "I think I understand, Professor."


    Alex informed Professor Will that he was ready to move on to whatever he had next.


    But Professor Will shook his head, and spoke again.


    "There''s still one more thing I have to exin ¡ª swordsmanship."


    He pulled out a wooden de from presumably a spatial storage and started speaking.


    "Although Martial Arts focuses entirely on your control over your body, it actually ties in quite closely with swordsmanship."


    "Like Martial Arts, the goal of swordsmanship is to achieve perfect precision in every strike you produce, essentially making your attacks almost impossible to dodge. The only difference is that instead of using your body to achieve this, you use an external weapon, in this case a sword."


    The concept of swordsmanship was easier for Alex to understand, since he had already understood the basic concept of Martial arts, and like Professor Will, the two were very simr.


    "Allow me to demonstrate. I''ll limit my strength to around Variant C rank. And then, you attack me."


    Alex felt a sense of Deja vu from this request.


    ''Ahh, I remember!''


    It was because he had practically gone through the same thing with the Principal not that long ago after his rebirth.


    Only instead of testing Alex''s strength, this time Professor Will was demonstrating the effectiveness of Martial Arts and Swordsmanship to him.


    ''Though I don''t get why I have to attack him for this demonstration.''


    Alex didn''t voice his questions and simplyplied.


    Professor Will was the teacher here, not him, so he probably had a good reason for asking Alex to do this.

 Chapter 253: Training

    Just as Professor Will had asked, Alex immediately attacked without any prior notice.


    He stepped to Professor Will''s right side, moving out of the way of the sword, and attempted to deliver a swift punch directly to his abdomen, performing what wasmonly known as a ''kidney punch''.


    But before he could evennd a hit, he felt his hand hit something solid.


    The wooden sword in Professor Will''s right hand had somehow moved to an impossible angle and blocked Alex''s attack from reaching him.


    Puack!


    Alex let out a groan as he was sent flying backwards, his fist aching from the impact.


    ''What the fuck!?''


    But the strange thing was, that the wooden, unranked sword waspletely fine after all that!


    Alex would havepletely shattered even a powerful Mutant D tier sword with a punch like the one he had just delivered, but that unranked, shoddy wooden sword waspletely fine?


    What was all this about?


    Naturally, Alex had to ask about this right away.


    "How is your sword fine!?"


    He ignored any honorifics and respectful tone he had before.


    "Cough, that''s a little perk of being a higher life form. When you reach B tier, you can use your energy externally without any medium like a talent, or an element. I used my energy to cover my sword. Your attack was stronger than I expected, so I had to adjust my strength a little."


    ''I was wrong in my assessment, his strength isn''t Variant C rank, but C+ rank! That attack could even deal some damage to a higher life form like me! It would be a tiny, minor wound, but that''s still impressive regardless.''


    Professor Will hid his shock from Alex, as that would be an unprofessional look considering he was supposed to be teaching him.


    ''When he learns to perfectly hone these two techniques, he could be unstoppable. He might even be able to deliver near B- rank attacks¡­''


    Professor Will felt like his thoughts at the moment were outrageous, but something about Alex made him think it could actually be possible.


    ''And he''s still only D tier¡­''


    He even started to feel a little inferior, as Alex might start nearing his strength when he reached C tier¡­


    And he was still only a first year in university¡­


    Alex was probably going to be the strongest student in history¡­


    "Ahem¡­"


    Professor Will shook off his wild thoughts of the future, and brought his attention back to the lesson at hand.


    "This time, I want you to defend against these two attacks I''m going to deliver."


    Professor Will adjusted his strength to Variant C+ rank and his whole demeanour became serious after a moment passed.


    Alex prepared himself by assuming a blocking position, cing both of his hands in front of his chest and face, as those were his most vulnerable points, in other words, the most likely ce he would be attacked.


    Professor Willunched himself off the ground, using the same method as Alex, and swiped his wooden sword at Alex''s arms.


    His goal wasn''t to injure Alex, only to demonstrate something to him.


    ''Urghh.''


    Alex could feel the pain coursing through his arms the moment the sword hit, but it wasn''t so unbearable that he had to scream out loud.


    ''That wasn''t too bad, especially since the sword is blunt. It didn''t even break my skin!''


    Professor Will took his sword back, and spoke.


    "That was a normal attack without the use of any swordsmanship. The same as if you had performed such an attack."


    "Now, I''ll demonstrate the same attack using swordsmanship."


    Professor Will moved back to his original spot, assuming the same stance and his seriousness.


    ''Hyah!''


    Heunched his body forwards once again, but this time he looked much more flexible and precise, even using his own body''s momentum from hisunch off the ground to add even more power to the attack.


    ''Shit!''


    Alex could tell immediately that this attack was going to hurt much more than the previous one, and tensed up his arms even more.


    His veins were practically bulging outside of his skin by this point with how tense his muscles were.


    Every one of Professor Will''s body movements looked perfect, even as he moved through the air.


    The way he swung the sword utilised every muscle in his arms, shoulders, and waist to their most efficient degree.


    The amount of concentration it probably took to achieve such precise movements would be monumental, even for an awakened mind.


    Fwack!


    But nothing could have prepared him for the world of pain when the attacknded.


    "Arrrrghh!!! Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Professor Will¡­ That was too much¡­"


    He struggled to catch his breath and felt himself stumble backwards, falling onto his back.


    But he was unable to pick himself back up.


    Because both of his hands had been severed from the wrist down¡­


    "That is the difference between a normal sword attack, and one perfected through the use of swordsmanship."


    Professor Will looked proud as he stood over Alex, who was still groaning in pain, and slowly bleeding out from both of his wrists.


    "Now let''s get you to the infir-"


    Professor Will was about to pick Alex up to send him to the medic to fix him up and regrow his hands.


    But before he could even finish his sentence, he watched some deep, crimson red mes emerge from Alex''s two stumps and witnessed his hands regrow in real time.


    In just a span of 10 minutes, Alex''s hands werepletely regrown, leaving no trace whatsoever that indicated they were severed in the first ce.


    All of Professor Will''s pride from that attack had disappeared in an instant.


    ***


    It took another 10 minutes of pestering from Professor Will before Alex was forced to exin that he had gained another talent that allowed him boosted regeneration, without going into further detail about his Phoenix mes of course.


    Though this 10 minute downtime was good for Alex, as it allowed him to regenerate some of the lost energy he had just expended to regrow his hands.


    The regeneration ofpletely new limbs was quite taxing on Alex''s energy supplies, let alone two of them.


    If it weren''t for his perfected Heart of the Phoenix technique, he wouldn''t have had the energy capacity to do this at all.


    And he was going to need his energy for what Professor Will had prepared for him next.

 Chapter 254: Mind-Body Synchronisation

    After Professor Will had gotten over Alex''s insane regeneration speed, he continued with his training session.


    "First, we''re going to start off with the basic principles of Martial Arts." He said, moving back over to the centre of the training area.


    Alex nodded along, his mind already having moved past the fact that his hands had just been dismembered only a few dozen minutes prior.


    "The first principle you will have to learn is Mind-Body synchronisation."


    Professor Will assumed his previous serious attitude, as if he wasn''t just shocked.


    "Martial Arts begins with the alignment of the mind and body."


    "Practitioners must achieve a heightened state of awareness where thoughts trante seamlessly into actions."


    "This synchronisation allows for faster reaction times, enhanced coordination, and fluid movements to appear more effortless."


    Professor Will took a deep breath, centering himself before he began.


    He could sense Alex''s eagerness, but he knew that being too hasty with his training would only do him more harm than good.


    "Alright, Alex. Let''s start then. This is the foundation of everything you will learn in Martial Arts. Without it, nothing else matters."


    Alex nodded, his gaze focused intently on Professor Will.


    "To achieve Mind-Body synchronisation, you must first clear your mind. This is easier said than done, especially with the chaos ofbat. But with practice, you can achieve a state where your thoughts and actions are perfectly aligned."


    Professor Will moved away from the centre of the training area and sat down cross legged on a mat.


    He motioned for Alex to do the same.


    Once Alex was seated, Professor Will continued.


    "Meditation is the key to clearing your mind. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing."


    "Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it for a moment, and then exhale slowly through your mouth."


    Alex mimicked the Professor''s breathing pattern, feeling his mind rx with each exhale.


    "Good. Now, let go of any distractions. Don''t think about what happened earlier, don''t think about what''s going to happenter. Just keep your mind focused on the present moment, on the rhythm of your breath."


    Alex listened to Professor Will''s instructions, doing just as he said.


    He retracted his spatial awareness, closed his eyes, and blocked his other senses from affecting his mind.


    The two of them sat in silence for several minutes, the only sound in the backyard, other than the asional bird chirp, was their synchronised breathing.


    Alex found his mind drifting at first, random thoughts of the past and worries for the future drifting in and out.


    But each time these thoughts drifted in, he recalled what Professor Will said about focusing on the rhythm of his breath, emptying his mind etc.


    And those intrusive thoughts eventually went away on their own.


    "Martial Arts is as much a mental discipline as it is a physical one," Professor Will said softly, breaking the silence.


    "The mind must be sharp and clear, free from distraction. Only then can you achieve true Mind-Body synchronisation."


    After what felt like an eternity, Professor Will opened his eyes and stood up, motioning for Alex to do the same.


    Alex watched Professor Will carefully, eager to see what was next.


    Professor Will smiled slightly, a smug look in his eyes.


    "Let''s see how well you''ve synchronised your mind and body."


    "I want you to perform the same moves you did earlier on me, but this time, focusing on maintaining the mental rity and control you''ve just spent thest 30 minutes developing."


    Alex nodded, stepping back and assuming the samebat ready stance as he did the first time Professor Will asked him to attack.


    He took a deep breath, centering his centre of gravity.


    His mind was clear, at least he thought so.


    "Huah!"


    He began with a simple punch, aiming for Professor Will''s mid section.


    ''Woah!''


    The movement felt different this time.


    ''My movements seem so fluid!''


    He noticed that he wasn''t exerting as much energy as he had before. It was smoother, more fluid.


    Each strike flowed effortlessly from one to the next, his body moving in harmony with his thoughts.


    "Excellent," Professor Will said, stepping back to avoid a punch.


    "Do you feel the difference?"


    Alex nodded, a look of surprise on his face.


    "Yup, I feel like I''m using much less energy with each punch, each one being more efficient than the other!"


    Professor Will smiled, clearly pleased with Alex''s progress.


    "That''s the power of Mind Body synchronisation. By aligning your thoughts and actions, you can perform at a higher level with less effort. Your strikes are more efficient, your movements more controlled."


    Alex was extremely happy that he had gone through with this training.


    If he could implement what he had already learned inbat, he would perform to a much higher standard.


    But he had to reach a good enough point for it to bebat ready.


    "How am Ipared to other students you''ve taught?" Alex asked, clearly interested to see how he didpared to others.


    "You were above average. Normally it takes students around an hour of meditation before they are able to reach a point where they can see a noticeable difference in their power output."


    "But considering your situation and experience, it''s a no brainer that you would start at a higher point than them."


    Professor Will exined.


    ''So I''m above average huh¡­ The fact that he says this means there are people much better at this than me¡­ I guess I can''t be first in everything.''


    "How long before this bes viable in a realbat situation?"


    This question was looming on Alex''s mind the moment he realised just how much it had impacted his strength.


    He wouldn''t be able to actually test it in realbat until he went out on another mission, but it would be helpful to know how far in the future that would be.


    "It depends. What you call bat ready'', I call ''Perfect Harmony'', which can take years, or it could take months. It depends on your talent and self control."


    "In order to achieve perfect harmony, you would need to be able to synchronise your mind and body like *Snap!* that."


    Professor Will exined, clicking his fingers together just to emphasise how quickly Alex would need to enter such a state of mind.

 Chapter 255: Progress

    "Now, let''s add someplexity," Professor Will said, switching the conversation back to training mode.


    "I want you tobine your strikes into a fluid sequence. Think about the transitions between each move, how one movement flows into the next."


    "It won''t help your fight if your movements are rigid because you don''t know how to properly sequence them together."


    Alex took a deep breath and began to execute a series of punches, kicks and blocks.


    He moved with ease he hadn''t felt before, his body responding instinctively to his thoughts.


    But he could still feel some rigidity in his moves, which he expected considering this was still only his first training session.


    Professor Will watched closely, nodding in approval.


    "Pretty good. You''re starting to understand the basic essence of Martial Arts. It''s not just about strength or speed; it''s about control, efficiency and precision."


    They continued to practise for several more hours, with Professor Will offering guidance and corrections along the way.


    The whole time he emphasised the importance of maintaining a clear mind, and he interrupted the training whenever he felt like Alex''s synchronisation was falling behind, and made him enter meditation whenever he did so.


    As they wrapped up for the day, Professor Will pped a hand on Alex''s shoulder.


    "You did well for aplete beginner today."


    "Remember,plete mastery doesn''te overnight. It takes time, patience and dedication. Keep at it even when I''m not here to teach you."


    "Consistency is key."


    "I understand, thank you Professor Will." Alex was very grateful for Professor Will taking the time to teach him today, even if it was a requirement as his teacher.


    "Good. Now get some rest. Tomorrow, we''ll start working on the second core principle of Martial arts."


    With that, Professor Will left Alex to do his own thing.


    ***


    Mira sat cross legged in her house, the dim lighting casting soft shadows on the walls.


    In front of hery a beast core, glowing faintly with the residual energy of the beast she had killed to receive it.


    She took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and anticipation.


    Reaching D rank was a significant milestone, especially for a first year student.


    But it also meant she would catch up to Alex in terms of soul core progress!


    She focused her mind, calming her thoughts as she prepared to absorb the core.


    Her breathing slowed, bing deep and steady.


    [Details]


    Name: [Mira Mistborn]


    Age: [17]


    Talents: [Golden Presence(A-), [Call of the Void(S)]


    Trait: [Golden Child]


    Trait Description: [You are chosen. Awakened like you don''te around very often, and are even rarer for a fledgling race like yours.]


    Trait Effect: [Chance and probability are more likely to end up in your favour.]


    Soul core: [D- 96%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant - 49%]


    Mira opened up her details, proof of her efforts over thest few months, looking at the 96% progress next to her soul core.


    But she pulled up her rank up requirements next.


    [Requirements: Kill an enemy 1 rank higher than you.]


    She had met this already, many times.


    Though it was still an impressive feat since it meant she had to kill a Mutant ss enemy 1 rank higher than her.


    And it was well known that the disparity between each rank grew wider the higher up the ssifications one grew.


    The difference in strength, regardless of any outside elements like talents or affinities, between a Variant ss C- rank and a Variant ss C rank was much higher than, say, a Mutant ss C- rank and a Mutant ss C rank.


    She nodded, satisfied with her progress.


    Unlike many others at D tier, she had met all the requirements necessary already.


    She had probably met the requirements to rank up to D+ rank as well, but she had to reach D rank to find out whether that was true or not.


    Mira closed her eyes and started drawing in energy from the beast core as she began the absorption process.


    She was going to hit D rank today, catching up with Alex.


    But she was going to keep it as a surprise from him for as long as she could.


    ***


    "Now that your mind is clear, we''ll move on to the next step: understanding your body. This is where we begin to see the alignment of mind and body in action."


    Professor Will spoke to Alex.


    "Your mind and body can be as synchronised in perfect harmony as you want, but you won''t be as effective in battle as you could be if your mind doesn''t even know the correct stances or actions that your body should take."


    "This is what I''ll be teaching you today."


    It had only been a day since Alex''s previous session with him, but they had already moved on to the next step of the training process.


    Alex had spent the morning before Professor Will arrived practising his meditation.


    He had noticed that he had made a little bit of progresspared to the previous day.


    But it was negligible.


    He was 10 seconds quicker at reaching the harmonic state he needed to be in for his mind and body to be synchronised.


    "Watch closely."


    Professor Will moved into a stance, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms rxed at his sides.


    "This is a basic stance, the foundation of all movements in Martial Arts. Your body must be bnced, your weight evenly distributed. This stance allows for your body to make quick movements in any direction, allowing you to react to an attack in anybat situation."


    Alex mirrored Professor Will''s stance to the best of his ability, feeling a bit awkward as he was so used to just assuming the position he feltfortable in whenever he entered a fight.


    But with slight adjustments by the Professor, he soon felt more stable.


    "Good, now let''s focus on movement. The goal is to move with precision and efficiency, to minimise wasted effort. Each movement should be deliberate, purposeful. If your movements have no purpose, then you shouldn''t be performing them at all."


    Professor Will demonstrated a series of slow, controlled movements, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his arms moving in smooth, fluid arcs.

 Chapter 256: Core Principles

    Alex followed along, mimicking the Professor''s movements as closely as possible.


    "At first, this will feel unnatural," Professor Will said.


    "Your body isn''t used to moving this way. But with practice, these movements will be second nature. The key is repetition."


    For the next several hours, Professor Will guided Alex through a series of basic movements, correcting his form, and emphasising the importance of precision.


    Alex could feel the strain on his body, but he pushed through.


    "It''s harder than I thought."


    Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead, taking a swig of his water.


    "But I can feel it starting to click."


    "By doing this, you''re building up your muscle memory." Professor Will spoke, giving Alex guidance even while he was taking a short break.


    "By practising the same movements over and over, your body learns to perform them instinctively, allowing you to react quickly and effectively inbat, without needing to think."


    "These instincts built up by practice and muscle memory are different from the instincts you are used to using; those were crude, untrained and inexperienced. They are the most basic instincts that every living thing is born with and they will only hold you back in a real fight."


    The two of them spent the day drilling basic techniques and movements, repeating them until Alex''s muscles ached.


    But he could feel the difference it made.


    Even though the differences at the moment were too miniscule to have a real effect in battle.


    ***


    Over the next few days, Alex and Professor Will worked on the many different basic principles that made up Martial Arts.


    Overall, there were six core principles that Professor Will had practically drilled into Alex''s brain.


    The first, was Mind-Body synchronisation which Alex had already gotten a hang of any only needed to work on his meditation daily to strengthen his mind and his ability to enter a state of focus and awareness so that he could achieve perfect harmony between his body and mind.


    The second core principle was Precision and Efficiency, which Professor Will summarised as ''Movement with purpose''.


    Over time Alex would learn to minimise wasteful motions and focus on efficiency, understanding the mechanics of his own body to deliver strikes with pinpoint uracy.


    The third principle only really applied to lower lifeforms, aka awakened below B tier.


    And since Alex was still a while away from bing a higher life form, Professor Will had to teach him it.


    It is Breath Control.


    While being a lower life form, breathing is essential in everything, even for Alex, who had a much more enhanced respiratory system thanks to his perfected Heart of the Phoenix technique.


    Controlled breathing enhances focus, maintains stamina, and can significantly increase the force behind each movement.


    Alex had to learn this principle, though it would be essentially useless when he bes a higher life form.


    The fourth principle Alex was also familiar with.


    Muscle memory and reflexes.


    This needs no exnation, other than the fact that it ties in with all of the other principlesbined.


    The fifth principle was bnce and stability.


    Maintaining bnce is crucial in a fight. Awakened who had learned this would ground themselves, distributing their weight evenly and maintaining a stable centre of gravity.


    Though this only applied to fights that stayed grounded.


    If it involved fighting mid air, then Alex would have to rely on the next, andst principle.


    Adaptability and flow.


    Martial Arts at its core teaches adaptability. Alex was taught by Professor Will to be encouraged to flow with the dynamics ofbat rather than resist them.


    Unable to keep your grip on the ground steady? Use it to your advantage and sweep the opponent off their feet.


    Your opponent keeps up a strong offence, not letting you get an attack in yourself? Switch up your technique, be unpredictable in your approach.


    The fluid approach of adaptability is all in the effort to respond to changes in the opponent''s movements, turning potential disadvantages into opportunities.


    These were the six core principles that Professor Will taught Alex, though it would take him months or years to master each one of them.


    That was if he could master them at all.


    Most practitioners of the Martial Arts technique fail to progress past a certain point, whether it was due to ack of effort on their part, they weren''t talented enough, or they were simply killed before they could do so.


    To help Alex learn all of these, Professor Will made him a training regimen that would enable him to practise all of these principles.


    Meditation and focus drills, Basic movement and stances, Breath control exercises, Strength and flexibility training, Repetitive drills, and sparring.


    Each one of these epassed one or many of the principles Alex had to learn if he wanted to actually be a true powerhouse in the world of the awakened.


    ***


    "Now that you''ve learned all of the basics of Martial Arts, it''s time I taught you some real swordsmanship."


    Alex and Professor Will stood in the open grounds of Alex''s garden/training arena, with Professor Will finally breaking some good news that Alex was waiting to hear ever since his demonstration.


    He couldn''t get that memory of Professor Willpletely overwhelming him with his wooden sword even though just moments before he had blocked an attack with the exact same power.


    Alex was interested in Martial Arts and he could tell it would be immensely helpful to him to make him a much better fighter.


    But the real thing he was interested in was swordsmanship.


    He hadn''t had the time to test out Virtue''s Edge, the new sword the Principle had gifted to him, but he had no doubt that if hebined that with the swordsmanship he was about to learn, he would be unstoppable.


    But of course, he still had a few hurdles to cross first.


    Like bing good enough with the swordsmanship for it to actually be effective in battle.


    As well as having to level up Virtue''s Edge, since it was still currently F- rank¡­

 Chapter 257: Swordsmanship

    Alex stood in the centre of his garden training area, gripping Virtue''s Edge with both hands.


    The sword felt lighter than he expected, but considering it was currently only F- rank, he didn''t question it.


    Professor Will didn''t bat an eye at the low ranked sword Alex was using to train with.


    He just assumed Alex had purchased a cheap sword to train with, which he thought was wise.


    But luckily for Alex, the details panel of his sword could only be essed by him, and others could only see it if he allowed them to.


    It wasn''t that Alex didn''t trust Professor Will with the knowledge of his new sword, he just wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, excluding Mira who already knew about it, and the Principle who had gifted it to him.


    Professor Will stood opposite Alex, his demeanour calm and focused.


    He held the simple wooden training sword he had used to sever Alex''s hands previously.


    Alex knew not to underestimate his enemy''s weapon now.


    Professor Will''s skill made any weapon deadly in his hands.


    "Before we begin, remember that swordsmanship is an extension of the Martial Arts principles I''ve taught you," Professor Will said.


    "Your movements must be fluid, your strikes precise. Efficiency, bnce and adaptability are even more important with a sword as they are with your bare hands."


    Alex nodded, adjusting his grip on Virtue''s Edge.


    He felt a sudden surge of anticipatione from within.


    "Let''s start with the basic stances." Professor Will instructed.


    "The foundation of swordsmanship is how you position yourself. Each stance has a purpose, whether it''s for attack, defence or maneuvrability."


    Professor Will demonstrated his first stance ¡ª focused on attacking.


    His movements were smooth and deliberate; the exact thing Alex was striving to achieve with his own efforts.


    Alex mimicked the stance, feeling the strain in his legs as he tried to maintain bnce.


    Professor Will walked around him, adjusting his posture and correcting his grip.


    "Good, now move to the next stance."


    Professor Will said, demonstrating a transition.


    He seamlessly transitioned from his attacking stance to one of defence, with Alex failing miserably to mirror such a transition.


    His stance was¡­ decent at best, but Professor Will couldn''t help but chastise him for his transition.


    "Remember to breathe," Professor Will reminded him.


    After a few hours, Professor Will felt satisfied with Alex''s defensive and offensive stances ¡ª well, as satisfied as one could get for his first time.


    "Now, it''s time for the final and hardest stance to master." Professor Will said as he demonstrated once again.


    But this time, instead of just showing the stance to Alex, he suddenly broke out into a serious attitude and attacked Alex out of nowhere.


    "Profe-!" Alex couldn''t get a word in as Professor Will was relentlessly hammering down on him with his simple wooden sword.


    ''What-''


    Alex couldn''t even think straight as he had to focus purely on defence.


    ''Wait, I get it!''


    But when he had just a little moment of respite, he understood what Professor Will was doing by suddenly attacking him out of nowhere.


    He was putting the two stances that Alex had learned into practice.


    This whole time, Alex hadn''t been defending the way Professor Will had just spent thest few hours teaching him, courtesy of months of experience in relying purely on instinct to defend.


    But after he realised Professor Will''s intentions behind this, he switched up his approach instantly.


    Alex assumed the defensive stance that he had gotten down to an eptable degree, and instantly he could tell that his body was feeling less stress from each attack Professor Will sent at him.


    The moment Alex switched up, a small smile creeped up on Professor Will''s face.


    But he didn''t speak, nor did he stop his assault.


    Instead, he switched up his approach, going on the defensive this time.


    He was essentially allowing Alex to take the advantage.


    He wanted to see how Alex put the offensive stances into action.


    And he wasn''t disappointed.


    After a few minutes of constant switching between offence and defence, and countless beads of sweat covering Alex, Professor Will suddenly upped his power and disarmed Alex, sending Virtue''s Edge flying until it pierced the ground a few metres away.


    ''That wasn''t C+ rank power.''


    Alex thought, surprised by the sudden power surge by Professor Will.


    "That''s it for our little spar."


    Professor Will spoke.


    "Now, can you tell me if you noticed anything different about our spar just now?" He asked Alex.


    ''Anything different? Didn''t he just show me how to apply the offensive and defensive stances in battle? I don''t get what he means.''


    Alex shook his head.


    He didn''t see anything different.


    "Well, I would be surprised if you did."


    Professor Will chuckled.


    "From beginning to end, I had used thest stance, Maneuverability, all throughout the fight." Professor Will revealed.


    ''Wait, I didn''t even notice!''


    Alex was shocked that he waspletely oblivious to this fact.


    It wasn''t like Professor Will was going to explicitly tell him that he was going to be demonstrating the Maneuverability stance before the fight, but surely he should have noticed something off when he adjusted his confused mind when it began.


    But no.


    "That''s the point of Maneuverability. Your movements are supposed to be so smooth and fluid that your opponent doesn''t even realise you are making them."


    "Though a mix of subtlety and years of experience, my movements werepletely blind to your eyes even though you were watching me closely this whole time."


    "It''s not as if you are an expert in fighting, but you are not a bad fighter either."


    Professor Will noticed Alex''s confusion and smiled.


    This was exactly how he wanted Alex to feel and react after he realised what had happened.


    The same thing happened with every new student he taught.


    And he enjoyed it every time.


    "Please teach me, sir!"


    Alex,pletely enraptured by how Professor Will hadpletely outyed him, ignored any pride or ego he had about his own skills, and eagerly requested Professor Will to teach him.


    He would get down on his knees and beg if that was what it took.


    But Alex wouldn''t need to do any of that, as Professor Will was going to teach him the stance after their short sparring session anyway.

 Chapter 258: Why did I sign up for this...

    A few hours passed, and Alex had just barely gotten a grasp on the three different stances that swordsmanship taught.


    What Alex was expecting actually wasn''t the case at all.


    He was expecting the swordsmanship Professor Will was talking about to be like the novels he had read in his youth, where they all have their own shy styles with all different kinds of styles and forms.


    But it was much simpler than that.


    It was just these three stances that he had to learn.


    That was it.


    His Martial Arts training already taught him most of the other basics, like where to strike, how to strike etc.


    Those three stances allowed him to apply his Martial Arts training while using a sword.


    Now that Alex had learned basically all of the basics of Martial Arts and Swordsmanship, Professor Will would be visiting him and training him a lot less often.


    Alex had all of the knowledge he needed to practise on his own, and he would only need Professor Will''s personal guidance if there was anything he didn''t understand, or if he became stuck at some point.


    And with that, Alex returned back to his usual mundane life.


    ***


    Kax, themander of the Red Demon fleet, stood on themand deck of his gship.


    It was a massive vessel bristling with weaponry and advanced technology.


    But it was even more packed with simple Red Demon foot soldiers.


    The Red Demon race''s fleet consisted mostly of people carriers after all.


    The weaponry attached to the exterior of each ship was only there for the AI to operate to provide cover fire while the Red Demons themselves descended down ontos, or boarded enemy ships out in the void of space.


    Kax''s red eyes glowed with anticipation as he observed the vast stretch of space before him.


    It had been a long and enduring journey, but their destination was finally in sight.


    For nearly four months, Kax and his fleet of a hundred million ships had traversed the vast no man''s space between the Andromeda and Milky Way gxies.


    The journey had been uneventful, with the fleet moving in perfect synchronisation through the deste void.


    The Red Demon race had mastered the art of Warp travel, and their AI controlled shipsmunicated wlessly, ensuring a smooth and efficient voyage.


    As the final hours of the journey ticked away, Kax felt a surge of bloodlust and excitement course through his veins.


    ''The time hase for us to unleash our wrath upon the human race!''


    He paced the deck, his long, wed fingers tapping rhythmically against his scales.


    "How much longer until we reach the human border?" Kax asked, his voice a low, menacing growl.


    "Just a few more hours, sir." The ship''s AI responded in a calm, mechanical tone.


    Kax nodded, his bloodlust growing with each passing moment.


    He had spent thest millennium conquering and annihting other races, and now it was humanity''s turn to face extinction.


    He relished the thought of the chaos and destruction that awaited.


    When the appointed time arrived, Kax issued the order to exit warp space.


    Instantly, the fleet responded, dropping out of warp in perfect unison.


    Millions of kilometres from the human border, the sheer number of ships in the fleet created an awe inspiring sight.


    A sea of darkness filled with the gleaming hulls of warships.


    "We''re finally here¡­"


    "Attack!"


    Kax eximed, his voice echoing across themand deck.


    The AI ryed hismand to each and every other ship within his fleet, and hismanders and generals all gave out their own war cries and prepared the Red Demon ships for assault.


    ***


    ''Just another boring day at work.''


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the human border, a familiar face was settling into another routine day.


    The soldier who had encountered Alex months earlier was once again sitting in his office, watching his favourite reality TV shows.


    The excitement from the previous incident had long since faded, and things had returned to normal.


    He was beginning to think that him, along with all the other soldiers on the space station, being there was useless and a waste of taxpayers money.


    But he wasn''t going to voice hisints out loud.


    Who wouldin about getting paid to do nothing but watch TV all day?


    An idiot. That''s who.


    "Ship detected near the border! I repeat, ship detected near the border!"


    However, his peaceful TV watching time was once again interrupted.


    Suddenly, the ring rm shattered the monotony.


    The soldier''s heart skipped a beat as he instinctively leaped to his feat.


    Ever since the incident involving Alex and the Kree ship, he had taken his role seriously, participating in every drill with utmost diligence.


    But this time, the drill seemed a little different.


    "This is NOT a drill! I repeat, this is NOT a drill!"


    The voice over the rm system sent a chill down his spine.


    ''Not again!'' He thought, but reality couldn''t be any different.


    His eyes widened as he read the results of the scan the space station had sent out.


    "M-Millions of ships¡­ None of them are human¡­" he stammered, his voice trembling with fear.


    The realisation of the impending threat struck him like a lightning bolt.


    Without wasting a second more, he mmed his hand onto the emergencymunication button.


    A message was instantly transmitted to the federal headquarters back on Earth in the Sr system.


    The special methods developed by the military ensured the immediate delivery despite the vast distance of tens of thousands of light years between them.


    "We are under attack! The human race¡­ is under attack. There are tens, no, hundreds of millions of enemy warships¡­ God save us¡­"


    His desperate plea was immediately cut off as the Red Demon fleet came within close enough range to jammunications, severing the connection between him and the headquarters.


    Panic surged through him, but he knew the first half of his message had been sent.


    But he couldn''t be relieved in the slightest.


    No matter how fast help came, they wouldn''t be able to get there before the Red Demon fleet reached the station.


    Besides, the federation would need to amass a fleet of simr size to stop the Red Demon''s advance, which would take weeks to arrange, not a few minutes¡­


    ''Why did I sign up for this shit¡­''

 Chapter 259: Emergency

    Back on Earth, the emergencymunication was received at the Nexus, in the round table room where Admiral Olgierd was sitting in wait.


    rms red, and chaos erupted as military personnel scrambled all around the Nexus, confusing the visitors and normal employees who didn''t have ess to themunication that had just been sent.


    The Round table room was the only quiet ce in the Nexus building at the moment, but that was just because Admiral Olgierd was waiting for the other eight to arrive, while Major General Lyndal was standing in the corner, too scared to say anything.


    She had nothing good to say anyway.


    She was just afraid, for both herself and the human race, as thest few words the soldier spoke before he was cut off were still ringing through her mind.


    ''Hundreds of millions of warships¡­''


    The human race probably only had two or three hundred million warships in operation, but that was all spread out across the federation.


    After a few minutes, the other 8 seats around the table were soon filled, except for the one that almost always remained vacant.


    The doors to the room remaining locked shut the whole time, with each of the new arrivals all teleporting in, directly into their seats.


    Each bearing expressions that ranged from stern resolve to barely concealed anxiety.


    They hadn''t heard of the news yet, but just them being summoned with immediate action showed that it wasn''t anything good.


    Their presence was a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation.


    Principal Farnes was thest to arrive, his aura of calm and authority, as well as the fact that he was stronger than almost all of the others in the roombined, bringing a slight relief to the room.


    The only seat left unupied was the one that remained vacant for years, apart from the asional visitor taking a seat there.


    Admiral Olgierd stood as soon as Farnes settled into his chair.


    "Thank you all foring on such short notice," he began, his voice steady despide the underlying tension.


    "We received an emergencymunication from one of our border stations just a few minutes ago."


    "The war has officially started."


    A few gasps and sighs sounded across the table when Admiral Olgierd revealed the reason for their meeting.


    Principal Farnes, sitting next to the empty seat, spoke first.


    "How bad is it?"


    Admiral Olgierd looked at him with as serious an expression as he could muster.


    "The soldier who reported this information''sst words before hismunication was cut off were ''Hundreds of millions of warships¡­''"


    The room fell into heavy silence, the reality of the situation sinking in.


    Farnes leaned forward, his fingers interlocked in front of him.


    "So it''s the worst case scenario then."


    "Do we have any additional intel on the nature of this fleet?" Principal Markus, the headmaster of the second ranked University in the federation, the Federal Military Academy, spoke next.


    Major General Lyndal, her voice trembling slightly, answered.


    "From the briefmunication we received, it''s clear these ships are not human. Based on thest analysis of the data we received before we were cut off, it''s the Red Demons. Their technology and ship designs match the data we have on them from the Pioneer''s ship."


    Murmurs spread through the room.


    They knew a little about the Red Demon race from the data they had scoured from the Pioneer ship.


    They didn''t have any information of real importance to their ns with the human race, but from the stories that the Pioneers had recorded, it didn''t look good for them.


    The federation knew that the Red Demon race woulde one day ¡ª they just didn''t expect for them toe so soon.


    "We need to mobilise all avable forces immediately." Admiral Olgierd said, cutting through the murmurs.


    "Our warships are spread thin, but we must concentrate our defences at key points. We cannot afford to lose any ground on them."


    With there being over a hundred million ships, they knew that the space station on the border, along with many of the nearby star systems as well, were probably already doomed.


    The only thing the human race could do for now was to strengthen the areas not affected by this invasion.


    The Red Demon fleet would only have so much time to cover as much space of the human territory before the federation is able toe up with a proper defensive method to stop their advance.


    And they intended to make full use of this time.


    One of the S tier awakened, a woman with short, silver hair named Commander ra, spoke up.


    "We also need to prepare our awakened forces. This is not just a battle of ships, from what I''ve seen, the Red Demon race is most likely physically superior to us. If they breach our lines, we''ll face ground invasions as well."


    "We need to be ready to counter them on all fronts."


    Principal Farnes nodded in agreement, "Our priority should be to protect civilian poptions and infrastructure. Evacuation protocols should be initiated in the border systems immediately."


    Admiral Olgierd looked around the table, his eyes locking onto each member.


    "We need a coordinated response. Each one of us, along with the other S tiers around the federation will be in charge ofmanding the weaker forces, and only step in if a major conflict urs, where you need tobat an enemy S tier."


    Farnes nodded.


    "We should recruit awakened still in university to the battlefields as well. We need all the manpower we can get, and these young awakened will be a valuable resource to us on the smaller battlefields, which will enable us to focus on therger scale battles out in space."


    Principal Farnes made this suggestion, which many of the others epted, considering he was the person in charge of the strongest students of the bunch.


    If someone else made this suggestion and he rejected it, then there was nothing they could do.


    "Consider it done." Admiral Olgierd also agreed.


    "Let''s get to work then. We should help with the evacuations first."


    The group of 9 disbanded immediately after that, all disappearing from their seats in unison.


    Major General Lyndal was left alone, finally able to ease the tension in her body.

 Chapter 260: Four months

    Four months had passed for Alex, and his progress was steady.


    Ever since Professor Will had taught him the basic concepts of Martial Arts and Swordsmanship, he had been going hard at the training every day, without breaks.


    He was determined to reach a point where he could incorporate these two techniques into his actualbat, and today he had finally achieved that goal.


    His Martial Arts had reached what Professor Will had called ''Intermediate Mastery'', with Alex being able to reach the deep, focused state of mind he needed to be in, in just 10 seconds.


    It was still a huge distance away from being able to enter such a state instantly, but he was slowly reaching towards that goal.


    ''Let''s go see what Mira''s been up to, I haven''t spent enough time with her over thest few months.''


    Because of his fervent training schedule, Alex had regrettably neglected a lot of the time he should have spent with Mira.


    It was the one thing he wasn''t happy about with his new training, but he knew Mira wasn''t too upset by it either.


    They both had their own goals and training regimes to achieve them, only Alex''s was a lot more extreme.


    Mira had also revealed to him a few months ago that she had finally caught up to him in terms of Soul core rank, which he was certainly surprised by.


    But although he was happy for her, it also made him realise how much his progress had stagnated.


    He really needed to do something about his slowed progress soon.


    But he just wanted to spend some time with Mira for the time being.


    Alex headed over to Mira''s dorm, eager to spend more time with her after months of intense training.


    Knock!


    Knock!


    Knock!


    He knocked on the door, but no matter how long he waited, no response came.


    Curious, he activated his spatial perception to scan the inside.


    But the ce was empty.


    ''That''s weird.''


    Mira was usually home around this time, as she hadn''t mentioned any changes to her training schedule.


    Puzzled but not overly concerned, Alex pulled out hismunicator and called her.


    Ring!


    Ring!


    It rang for what felt like an eternity, with multiple failed attempts, before she finally picked up.


    "Alex? Aren''t you usually training around this time? I''m kinda busy right now¡­"


    Alex noted the exhaustion in her voice, mixed with a hint of irritation.


    "Where are you? I thought we could spend some time together since I have a little bit of free time right now, and you usually have this time free as well."


    "I''m at the training centre. A few of the students from my ss challenged me to a spar, so I thought why not ept."


    Alex smiled, relieved to hear that she was safe or that she hadn''t gone and taken a mission without telling him.


    "I''ll be right there." He said, then hung up the call.


    He made his way over to the training centre, with the journey only taking a few minutes.


    Alex arrived after a few minutes passed and immediately noticed themotion around the main arena.


    A sizable crowd had gathered, their excitement creating somewhat of a joyous atmosphere.


    Curious, he walked over to join the crowd, pushing his way to the front to get a better view.


    In the middle of the sparring ring, he saw Mira, in an Offensive stance that clearly indicated she had learned some Martial Arts herself.


    On the other side of the arena though, Alex was very surprised by who he saw.


    Her opponent was none other than Nicks Stein himself, the former rival who once defeated Alex in a spar when they first entered Capital Prime.


    It had been ages since Alex had even thought about Nicks, as he had long gotten over his loss and surpassed him in terms of power.


    With his new skills in Martial Arts and Swordsmanship, Alex was confident he could easily beat Nicks now.


    The match between Nicks and Mira was intense ¡ª well at least the atmosphere was.


    In reality, Nicks was getting pummelled and overwhelmed by Mira.


    Mira''s movements were precise, indicating she clearly had the core principles of Martial Arts in mind even during this fight.


    Nicks on the other hand, still tried to rely on his speed with his Light elemental talent.


    His strikes were fast, but theycked the finesse that Mira disyed.


    Alex watched intently as Mira dodged a heavy blow from Nics, countering with a swift kick to his midsection that sent him stumbling back.


    The crowd roared in approval, clearly awed by Mira''s skill.


    Nicks recovered quickly, a scowl on his face as he charged at Mira again.


    This time, he attempted a feint, but Mira saw through such a basic attempt to trick her.


    Shended a clean punch on his jaw.


    The uppercut sent Nicks sprawling to the ground, unconscious.


    The crowd erupted in apuse, many from whom were just entertained by the fight, but the majority of the most enthusiastic cheers and apuse came from those who had experienced Nicks''s brutish behaviour personally.


    So they were very happy to see him handed defeat so one sidedly.


    As the crowd began to disperse, Alex made his way to Mira.


    "That was quite a show you put on." He said, his toneced with sarcasm and admiration.


    "Thanks, hehe."


    Mira replied with a chuckle.


    She hadn''t taken that fight seriously from the very beginning.


    She found joy in tormenting Nicks, but she didn''t even need to fight seriously to beat him.


    This was how far ahead Alex and Mira were from the rest of the freshmen.


    They had a fat chance of ever catching up to them, even people of the likes of Nicks Stein would fall far behind.


    Mira smiled, her exhaustion giving way to relief. "I''m so happy to see you Alex! I''ve missed hanging out like we used to."


    "I''m sorry for sounding so irritated when you called me earlier. You caught me at the time when Nicks came over and challenged me, so my mood was a little low."


    She embraced Alex in a light hug, and held the position for longer than usual as she hadn''t had the chance to do this for a long while.


    "How about we go get somet-"


    Alex was about to ask her something, but he was quickly cut off.


    Because rms started ring all across the university.

 Chapter 261: Federation Under Attack

    The famous Certi restaurant in Capital Prime city was abuzz with the chatter of students from all years, enjoying their food and engaging in lively discussions.


    It was one of those rare days off from training and sses, and everyone there was taking full advantage of it.


    The aroma of delicious food wafted through the air, mingling with the sounds ofughter and clinking sses.


    On arge holographic screen mounted on the wall, a popr TV show yed, captivating the audience.


    The scene was just about to reach its climax, the moment everyone had been waiting to discover the identity of the real killer.


    But suddenly, the screen flickered, and the show was interrupted by an urgent broadcast.


    The restaurant''s atmosphere quickly shifted from excitement to annoyance.


    "We''reing to you live with breaking news!"


    The anxious looking news anchor on the broadcast started speaking.


    "Fuck off bitch! Put the show back on!"


    "Yeah!"


    The disgruntled murmurs grew louder as students expressed their frustration.


    The restaurant staff were a little flustered, speaking before things got to out of hand.


    "The TV broadcaster itself did this! We can''t even change the channel for some reason!"


    Some students even stood up, ready to leave the restaurant in protest of the interruption.


    "The Federation has just been attacked!"


    The words froze everyone in their tracks.


    Conversations stopped mid sentence, forks and sses were set down, and all eyes turned to the screen in shock.


    The news anchor, aposed woman trying to hide her anxiety continued with a grave expression.


    "Reports areing from the border. Our defences have been overwhelmed by a fleet numbering over a hundred million ships strong. The casualties are immeasurable right now, and the destruction they have caused since the dawn of their attack is catastrophic."


    Images began to sh on the screen, each more harrowing than thest.


    Bordersy in ruins, their cities reduced to rubble.


    Federation ships, once symbols of strength and security, now floated lifelessly in space, torn apart by the relentless assault.


    The anchor''s voice carried over the grim visuals.


    "The Red Demon race first dered war on us just less than half a year ago with their daring broadcast of the Pioneer expedition group''s ughter."


    "And now, after just over 5 months, they haveunched a full scale invasion."


    "Our forces are struggling to mount a defence because of how spread out they are across the federation. The situation is dire."


    "Civilian evacuations are underway for the systems near the border, but the sheer scale of the attack is making it difficult to ensure everyone''s safety."


    A video clip of a Red Demon ship, colossal and menacing, unleashing a devastating barrage on a Federation cruiser.


    The cruiser exploded in a blinding sh of light, sending debris and bodies spiralling through the void.


    Another clip depicted refugees being herded into emergency shuttles, their faces etched with fear and despair.


    "The federation highmand has issued a state of emergency. All avable military personnel are required to report to their nearest base."


    "Citizens in the inner systems are advised to carry on your lives as normal and await further instructions. If you are watching this from a within 1000 light years of the border, please head to your nearest evacuation point."


    "This is a dark day for our Federation, for the human race. But we must remain strong and united."


    The screen shifted to a map of the gxy, highlighting the points of attack and the advancing Red Demon fleet.


    The scale of the invasion was staggering, with red markers indicating enemy ships pushing past every barricade the human race set up.


    ***


    Back at the university, rms red throughout the halls, buildings and everywhere else that could be considered university grounds.


    Students and staff alike froze, their previous activities forgotten in the face of this sudden rm.


    Most of the students, including Alex and Mira, were left confused as they didn''t know what this rm meant, nor did they see the broadcast.


    The staff though, were a little more informed, and their faces were grave.


    rms like this one only went off all throughout the university when something very, very serious had urred.


    Alex nced at Mira, confusion etched across his face. "Do you have any idea what''s going on?"


    Mira was more in the loop with university activities so he thought that she might know something about this rm.


    But it seemed not.


    Mira shook her head, her eyes wide with confusion. "No, but it sounds serious. We should head outside and see if we can get some answers."


    They joined the stream of students flooding out of the training centre, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity.


    The usually vibrant and bustling campus was now filled with the sound of rms and the anxious murmurs of students.


    As Alex and Mira made their way through the throng of confused and worried students, they noticed one student standing apart from the rest, his expression much more grave than those around him.


    He was fixated on hismunicator, his face pale and tense.


    Alex nudged Mira and gestured toward the student.


    "Let''s ask him if he knows what''s going on."


    They approached the student, who didn''t even look up as they drew near.


    Alex cleared his throat to get his attention.


    "Hey, do you know what this ruckus is about?"


    The student finally looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and disbelief.


    He didn''t answer their question, but instead moved hismunicator so that Alex and Mira could see the screen.


    "Just watch¡­"


    On the screen, the broadcast continued to y.


    The images and videos of the destruction caused by the invasion were now the main focus.


    Footage of devastated cities,s, and fallen ships filled the screen, each scene more horrific than thest.


    The news anchor''s voice was sombre as she recapped the grim details.


    "The Red Demon race''s fleet, numbering over a hundred million warships, has breached our defences and is wreaking havoc across our border systems."


    "Casualties are staggering ¡ª currently standing at over 10 billion in thest 30 minutes, and the numbers keep climbing every second."


    "The federation''s forces are spread too thin to mount an effective defence."


    Alex and Mira stared at the screen, their hearts sinking as the gravity of the situation became clear.


    The headline scrolling across the bottom read: "Federation Under Attack: Red Demon Invasion."

 Chapter 262: Bad news

    The moment Alex read the headline on the screen, he couldn''t help but feel dread.


    He had been afraid that the war between the Red Demon race and the Human race would start prematurely, but this was even earlier than he could have ever predicted.


    He at least thought they''d start the war a few years after Zorath''s deration of war, but it had only been 6 months or so!?


    Just what was the Red Demon race up to¡­


    Not only this, but Alex couldn''t help but feel a little bit of fear when he saw the number of ships that had alle to attack the federation at once.


    Over a hundred million¡­


    It seemed like such a far fetched number, yet it was real, and it was encroaching onto the human territory faster than they could defend it.


    If the higher ups didn''t sort out the defences quickly, then things could look really bad for the human race.


    ''Perhaps this is the springboard I needed to regain my old levelling speed¡­''


    But Alex also felt a little bit of anticipation.


    This was because of one fact.


    It was a few weeks ago.


    In a lonely corner of his inventory, sat two soul orbs.


    Neither of which came from any beasts¡­


    Alex was shocked and confused at first when he saw them in there.


    Alex had originally nned on checking his inventory to check how many beast cores he had left.


    They were his main source of currency.


    Even though he still had a lot of credits to his name, there were many transactions he couldn''t make with credits alone.


    Many people only epted trade through barter or beast cores rather than through credits.


    Credits were more themon man''s currency, while beast cores were the Awakened currency.


    But back to the topic at hand, Alex was shocked when he picked up one of those beast cores.


    Because it belonged to a Kree¡­


    Specifically, the one he picked up belonged to none other than Yaron, the captain of the Blood Night pirates.


    The other one belonged to a random unnamed Kree, one of the other 20 he had killed on that ship.


    Of course, Alex was very happy with gaining two extra soul orbs, especially since they were both Mutant ss, and he absorbed them both, bringing his progress towards D+ rank another 12% closer.


    But he was still left with endless questions.


    Firstly, he could gain beast cores from sentient life forms??


    But he had never gained one from any human he had killed.


    And he had killed a lot more humans than he did Kree, and the fact that he had gained soul orbs from the Kree must have meant that he must not be able to gain them from humans for some reason.


    Alex didn''t like this fact at all.


    He didn''t know if he could gain the Soul cores of the Kree if he dug through their bodies to find them, but since he had gained some of their soul orbs, he assumed that might be the case.


    And if it was the case, then it basically meant that the human race, and every other race in the universe could never be friends or allies with one another.


    The System behind the Primordial Expanse was essentially pitting each and every sentient race in the universe against one another by having this barbaric system in ce.


    It also exined why the Red Demon race were so bloodthirsty and eager to attack and wipe out the human race.


    Around 10% of all humans were awakened, so assuming there was a poption of 10 quintillion humans in the milky way gxy, this left 1 quintillion awakened that could possibly give a soul core each to the Red Demon race, when they were killed and their corpses desecrated.


    It was essentially a quick way to progress their race as a whole,pared to the slow method of entering the Primordial Expanse of their own ord and killing the beasts in there to gain their beast cores.


    It was fucked up, and it made Alex realise why there was a 200 year protection period in ce for newly awakened civilisations.


    ''We really might have royally fucked up with this one¡­''


    Alex almost cursed humanity''s greed for more power and resources, as that was what led Captain Ciril and the Pioneer expedition group to venture out of the Milky way to explore what was outside.


    It was because of them that the human race''s protection period ended 100 years early, and it was because of them that the human race faced the very real threat of extinction right now.


    But Alex couldn''t do anything about it other thanin.


    Looking around, all of the students eventually had the same expression as the news quickly spread between each and every one of them.


    Many of them were even experiencing panic attacks in real time, as the reality of this threat dawned upon them.


    Many of them burst into tears on the spot, as their home was among those that the Red Demon race had already rained destruction on and wiped all life out.


    ''Why do you have to be so fucked up, System!?''


    Alex asked, but all he received was radio silence.


    The System liked to tease him whenever he directed his anger towards it.


    But not this time.


    "Alex. Alex!"


    Coming out of his thoughts, Alex turned to his left and looked at Mira, who had been calling out to him.


    "I was calling your name for 10 seconds, jeez!"


    Mira eximed and sighed.


    "The Principal just sent out an announcement to everyone''smunicator, you should check yours."


    Alex did as Mira said, his mind still lingering on the existential threat they were facing.


    [This is an announcement to all students.


    Regardless of whether you are on a mission, in ss or just rxing at home, you are all required to attend an emergency meeting, the same asst time with Zorath''s deration of war.


    Everyone, from 1st to 4th year, must attend this meeting.


    Anyone who doesn''t show up will be expelled, no exceptions. It doesn''t matter if you are first ce on the overall rankings, or if you are about to graduate in a few days.


    All students are required to attend.]


    ''We''re going to get conscripted¡­''


    Alex could tell immediately what this meeting was going to be about.

 Chapter 263: Plight of the Human race

    Alex, Mira, along with all the other students outside the training arena all made their way over to the same clearing they were all familiar with by now.


    Normally, students only went there four times over their entire time at the university. Once each year for the opening ceremony.


    So it was very unusual and a bad omen that the freshmen had been there three times and they hadn''t even finished their first year yet.


    When they arrived, there were already millions of students standing, waiting for the Principal to show up on the stage.


    Alex felt a sense of Deja vuing to this ce.


    It was almost the exact same scenario as 6 months ago when Zorath first dered war on the human race.


    Only this situation was much more serious.


    The previous meeting was about preparing the human race for war.


    But this one was about defending themselves from an impending, existential threat that had already killed billions of their own people.


    And most of the students had already realised what this meeting was most likely about.


    But there was nothing they could do about it.


    They''d get expelled, or probably even worse, if they tried running away or skirting their duties.


    Soon enough, the rest of the students arrived, all with faces of dread and fear.


    And as if on purpose, the Principal appeared on stage right after.


    Alex gave him a questioning look, to which the Principle only gave him a curt smile back.


    ''Yup. Looks like I''m going to the frontlines¡­''


    Alex knew what that smile was for.


    But after finding out that he could get soul orbs from other sentient races, he actually wasn''t too upset about that fact.


    It wasn''t like the federation would send the first years to the most intense battlefields anyway.


    "I''m sure you are all aware by now that we are at war."


    Principal Farnes started off his speech in the same neutral tone he always wore.


    It was like not even this existential threat could bother him.


    But Alex knew the Principal was only putting on such an expression to calm the emotions of the students below.


    He had seen Principal Farnes get confused, flustered, and other such emotions before in private.


    So he knew that even Principal Farnes must be feeling some sort of nervousness about this war.


    He might be the de facto strongest human in existence, but he was the same as everyone else in that he was still inexperienced in the awakened world.


    He had the same 100 years of growth that everyone did, and he received the same information at the same time as everyone else.


    His strength only made him special to the humans, but to the system and other, older races in the universe, he was just a stronger bugpared to the rest of humanity.


    For all he knew, the Red Demon race could be hiding an Ancient ss, or maybe even Divine ss awakened among their ranks¡­


    In fact, Principal Farnes already knew about what kinds of Red Demons would being.


    If that were the case, then there was nothing the human race could do even if they tried to fight back.


    "Forget ALERT levels, all we need to focus on now is that we have an enemy, and they havee to invade us and wipe us out."


    "War was dered on us not even 6 months ago, and not even I could have expected them toe so soon after."


    A sombre tone was set by Principal Farnes as he spoke to the students below.


    "But, we have much more information than we did 6 months ago."


    "When the Red Demon Zorath first issued his deration, before disappearing from our radarspletely, we knew nothing about them, while they knew quite a lot about us, courtesy of the Pioneer crew."


    Principal Farne''s words started to fill some of the students with hope, as the way he was speaking seemed like they might actually have a chance at winning this war.


    "I can share with you now that Zorath missed something before he left. Something that will be very crucial to how we fight this war."


    As he spoke, a holographic screen showed up behind him,rge enough for all the millions of students to see.


    On the screen, many details about the Red Demon race were carefully documented, also courtesy of the Pioneer crew.


    They may have inadvertently led the Red Demon race right to their front door, but they at least managed to salvage their reputation post mortem by hiding away this information.


    They had spent 2 months surveying and documenting the Red Demon race before Zorath noticed them and sent them on their merry way to hell.


    And some of the details they had noted were going to be key in this war.


    One of them being the fact that themander of this enormous fleet that came to attack them was a King ss S+ rank, just like Principal Farnes.


    When the students saw this fact on the board, they all felt a sense of relief.


    "I know how all of you must be feeling at this moment, probably thanking the gods for the fact that you have me on your side."


    But Principal Farnes''s continued speech was bound to fill them with dread once again.


    "Don''t take this information for granted, as we have also learned an even more disturbing fact about their race."


    The screen behind him shed once again, this time revealing a different set of information, one much more disturbing.


    "The King and Queen of the Red Demon race are both Ancient ss existences, both at S tier as well."


    "As for their children, the three princes and one princess, they are all King ss existences, on the precipice of reaching S tier. With their power, only the strongest of our S tiers, at a minimum of Mutant ss, could take them on."


    "Not to mention the fact that the Red Demon race has over 3 times our number of S tiers."


    "..."


    "..."


    Silence pervaded the millions strong crowd of students.


    Even if they somehow managed to defeat the hundred million strong fleet, along with theirmander and other strong awakened, the enemy could just send an even stronger force to overwhelm them, or the King and Queen could juste and end this war themselves.

 Chapter 264: Hope

    "Don''t give up hope just yet."


    While all the students were wallowing in their own misery and dread, Principal Farnes continued speaking in the same tone he had maintained throughout the speech.


    It was like this information didn''t even phase him.


    "Those two Ancient ss powerhouses at the top wouldn''t leave their nest so easily, even if their hundred million strong fleet is wiped out by us."


    Many of the students were confused by this.


    Didn''t the principal just say that they would?


    Or were they mistaken?


    But regardless of their opinions and confusion, Principal Farnes continued.


    "You are all taking something for granted."


    "We already know that we are no longer alone in this universe. Which the Red Demon race have made quite clear."


    "But this also goes for the Red Demon race as well. With how ruthless and bloodthirsty they are, they are bound to have made quite a few enemies over the thousands of years since their own protection period finished."


    "And we know of one such enemy race that is also in another neighbouring gxy to the Red Demon race."


    "They are called the Kree, and we only found this information out very recently."


    ''Wait, they found this out because of me?''


    When Alex heard thatst deration by Principal Farnes, he was bewildered but also excited.


    The only way the top brass could have found out about the Kree being an enemy of the Red Demon race as well was through his capture of one of their freighters, which had passed through quite a few hands before it ended up in the federation''s.


    It first belonged to a Kree merchantpany, then the Blood Night pirates took it over after ughtering the previous crew.


    Then Alex took it over from the pirates, and finally the federation took it from him, for the very lucrative reward of his own ship and the growth type sword from Principal Farnes.


    ''If what the Principal is saying is true, then that means we might actually have a chance to survive this war!''


    Alex was not wrong, and Principal Farnes soon exined why to the rest of the audience watching.


    "The Kree are just as strong as the Red Demon race, we have learned."


    "If the King and Queen of the Red Demon race choose to leave their post in the Andromeda gxy toe and attack us, then the Kree leaders would immediately initiate an attack on the Red Demon race."


    This news came as a massive relief to everyone involved, and even Principal Farnes, Admiral Olgierd etc. were relieved to bits when they pulled this information from the data banks on the Kree ship.


    "However, we still have this war to win before we can celebrate."


    But they were all quickly faced with a reality check as they were reminded that although they may be safe from the Ancient ss powerhouses, they still had the hundreds of millions of warships and awakened Red Demons that had already started attacking human territory.


    "That is where all of youe in."


    ''Here ites.''


    Alex knew where the direction of the speech was going to go next.


    Conscription.


    "We need all the manpower we can get to win this war, and with our military and other awakened stretched so thin across the gxy, your help in this war is required."


    Many of the students sighed as they had expected this sort of conscription from the day Zorath had shown his face and dered war on the human race.


    But for those who weren''t expecting this, particrly the weaker lot of the first years, second years etc, they immediately disyed their dissatisfaction.


    "We didn''t sign up for this!"


    "You can''t make us fight!"


    "You''re just sending us to our deaths!"


    Many shouts and cries came from below the stage, but none of them irked Principal Farnes''s ears.


    "Everybody will be required to contribute. There are no exceptions."


    "You didn''t sign up for this? Go tell the Red Demon race that. Do you think they will care whether you signed up for this or not?"


    "No, they wouldn''t even give you a second look."


    "All they see is another human to ughter."


    "Now tell me, did your mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters etc. sign up to be ughtered mercilessly at their hands? No."


    "That is why we must fight."


    "That is why you WILL fight, whether you like it or not."


    "For the sake of the human race, every one of you matters."


    It seemed Principal Farnes was irked by those students'' refusal to join the war, as he pressed down even harder on them, making them feel even more guilt for their selfish choice.


    There were many students below whose whole families had already been ughtered by the Red Demon fleet, and they weren''tining.


    In fact they were the ones most willing and ready to join the war effort.


    These students looked down on those other cowards with disdain.


    They were the types that would only care when it affected them directly.


    But by that time, it would be toote to care.


    If the Red Demons reached the core regions of the federation, then the human race would be over already.


    "Anybody who still refuses to fight after knowing that, will be sent to the firing squads."


    It was this final message by Principal Farnes that pushed the nail in the coffin for them though.


    If the war hadn''t affected them directly yet, then Principal Farnes would change that.


    The threat of death if they didn''t fight was as real as it got.


    They all shut up when this was thrown in the mix.


    "Moving on."


    "You will all have the rest of today and the night to prepare yourselves, call your family members. Do whatever you want for all I care."


    "Because tomorrow, you will all find out where your posting will be, and will all set off immediately."


    "The Red Demons are encroaching further and further into our systems as we speak, so you are lucky we are even giving you the rest of the day to sort out your affairs with how time sensitive this whole war is."


    With that, Principal Farnes ended his speech.


    He had gotten his point across to the students.


    Though he knew there might still be a few bold ones who think they can trick their way out of this war.


    And they would be made an example of.


    Just as Principal Farnes was about to disappear from the stage.


    He felt someone trying to get his attention.


    He looked off into the audience, and recognised immediately who it was.


    ''Alex.''


    ''What does he want that''s so important right now¡­''


    Principal Farnes questioned Alex internally, but he gave Alex the attention he wanted in the end.


    After a few seconds, Alex and Mira found themselves teleported to a rtively normal looking office, with the only not normal thing being the view outside the window.


    It was quite breath taking, to say the least.


    Outside, they could see the whole of Capital Prime city!


    From orbit¡­


    This was Principal Farnes'' personal office, away from the chaos of the university down below, and sitting constantly above Capital Prime city at all times.


    While they were admiring the view, Principal Farnes appeared behind them.

 Chapter 265: Game changing information

    "What''s so important that you had to pull me away at such a dire time as this."


    Principal Farnes got to the point immediately.


    Normally he would be happy to entertain these two interesting kids for a bit, but with how time sensitive this war was, he wasn''t in the mood for any funny business right now.


    "I have a piece of information that I''m sure you''d like to hear, Principal."


    Alex spoke, his voice calm and firm.


    He spoke with conviction, which spiked Principal Farne''s curiosity.


    For Alex''s tone to be so serious, the information he held had to be even more serious.


    "Spit it out then."


    With his approval to go ahead, Alex didn''t hold back any longer.


    "I believe I''m the only one in the entire federation who knows this, with you and Mira about to be the second and third."


    Alex paused as he turned to his side, giving Mira a nce before he turned back to Principal Farnes.


    Mira was just as curious as the Principal at this point.


    "We can harvest and use other sentient race''s soul cores and use them to progress, just like we do with beast cores from the Primordial Expanse and the various Floodgates across the federation."


    "..."


    "..."


    This news came like a bombshell to both Principal Farnes and Mira.


    The implication of such a thing, if true, was monumental.


    Not only for this war, but for the indefinite future as a whole.


    The Principal recognised immediately that this basically meant that every race in the universe was basically enemies with each other.


    Which was why he was so serious when he questioned Alex.


    "How do you know this? If it''s even true."


    Of course, this was where Alex was put in a bit of a tricky situation.


    The Principal didn''t know about his Soulforge talent, so he couldn''t just show the soul orbs he had gained.


    Not to mention he had absorbed them already¡­


    So the next best thing he could do was tell a half truth.


    "I''ve been keeping it to myself for now, because if this information reached the masses, I''m sure there would be those mad or desperate enough to seek out other alien races for their soul cores."


    "Back when I was on the Kree ship, there was a moment when something dropped to the floor when I decapitated one of the Kree pirates."


    "I was in the middle of battle, so I couldn''t really check what it was at first."


    "But afterwards when I was done with them, I was shocked when I picked up the item that dropped and found that it was the Kree''s soul core."


    Principal Farnes had already got the gist of Alex''s story now.


    But he was still a little sceptical.


    "I know this isn''t enough to believe me yet, so I only ask one thing of you."


    ''?''


    Mira and Principal Farnes were a little confused when Alex proposed this.


    But their confusion changed to realisation when Alex spoke the next few words.


    "Ask the system."


    "Ask it if what I am saying about using these foreign race''s soul cores is true."


    Principal Farnes didn''t show much of a change in his expression, until a few secondster when his eyebrows furrowed and he turned to look outside the window in deep thought.


    The fact that he hadn''t called Alex out for lying yet was already a telling sign that the system had given him the answer he wanted.


    Mira was the same, but there was also a mixture of excitement and anticipation mixed in with her myriad of emotions.


    The fact that the Red Demon race would have the potential to drop their soul cores when they were killed would change the wholendscape of this war, not only for her, but for every other student, soldier or mercenary who fought.


    It gave them a chance, other than the Floodgates, to advance and progress their own soul cores.


    There was now an actual incentive for all of these people to fight.


    "So that''s why the Red Demon race was so quick to attack us then¡­" Principal Farnes muttered.


    He caught on quickly, just like Alex did when he found out.


    "What do you think we should do then, sir? We can''t just keep this information to ourselves. The public would find out very soon anyway when the first reports of people looting and absorbing the Red Demon''s soul cores hit the gctic."


    "By that point, we wouldn''t be able to control the flow of information like we would if we released it ourselves."


    Alex spoke to Principal Farnes.


    ''He raises a good point. This kid could have a future in politics¡­''


    Principal Farnes wasn''t one for politics himself, so he hadn''t really considered this side of things.


    ''He''s right. We should be the ones to release this information first.''


    ''In fact, we could use it to our advantage, to motivate more and more awakened to join the war.''


    ''During peace times, this information could be very harmful to the human race.''


    ''But since we''re already at war¡­ Fuck it!''


    "I agree. We should be the ones to release this information."


    Alex sighed a heavy sigh of relief when Principal Farnes agreed with him.


    Things would get very chaotic and hectic if people discovered it on their own.


    "But I should inform the old fogeys about it first."


    ''Ahh yeah¡­ I almost forgot to consider them.''


    The old fogeys Principal Farnes referred to obviously meant Admiral Olgierd and the others of the round table.


    The information about the soul cores would seem much more credible if it came from the likes of Admiral Olgierd''s mouth than Principal Farnes''s.


    Alex and Mira were soon teleported away from the office, finding themselves in Alex''s living room once again.


    While Principal Farnes teleported himself acrosss in an instant and called for yet another emergency meeting between those S tier powerhouses of the round table.


    ***


    "Damn it Farnes, what is it this time!"


    "It better be good, I was just about to depart towards the frontlines, and now you''ve dyed me." Admiral Olgierd said.


    The other eight of the round table were quite disgruntled when they were suddenly called for another emergency meeting so soon after the previous one had ended.


    But Principal Farnes didn''t care how they felt.


    He was the strongest one there, so he had the strongest say.


    "I just received a very¡­ interesting piece of information that could potentially turn the tides of this war in our favour."


    The other''s snide remarks and disgruntled expressions were washed away immediately after Principal Farnes said this.


    Admiral Olgierd in particr was very interested to hear what this information could be, since he was the one most invested in the logistical side of the war.


    "So it turns out that¡­."


    Principal Farnes repeated what Alex had said to him and what the system had confirmed back to the other eight S tiers in the room.


    They essentially had the same reaction as Principal Farnes did when he first heard it.


    With Admiral Olgierd making the same suggestion as Alex of releasing this information themselves.


    "I''m sure you all can guess where this information came from, considering it can only be one person who could have learned of this."


    Principal Farnes was right.


    The others had already immediately deduced that Alex was the one who had reported this, which only increased their interest in him even more.


    Some of them like Admiral Olgierd only became more and more confident that Alex would be joining them at the round table as an equal sooner orter.

 Chapter 266: Special announcement

    "This just in, the top officials of the Federation have a special announcement to make!"


    The same news anchor, who had been the first to report about the attack on the federation to the wider public, spoke.


    She had be quite famous due to the fact that as the first to report it, basically the entire federation had flocked to her channel alone to see the news.


    She had even received a promotion from her broadcaster.


    But her face was only shown on screen for a few moments, as she wasn''t going to be the one making the announcement.


    Admiral Olgierd appeared on the screen soon after.


    To the general, unawakened public, his face may seem unfamiliar.


    But the awakened knew his face just as well as Principal Farnes''s.


    He was the third strongest awakened in the entire federation after all.


    "This is a message for the entire federation to hear. But if you are an awakened, then you especially should listen closely to what I am about to say."


    Admiral Olgierd started his speech, with the entire broadcasting room filled with silence.


    "I have just received a piece of information that could potentially overturn this whole war with the Red Demon race on its back, giving us a chance to actually win against this seemingly unbeatable opponent."


    Over 50% of the entire federation were watching Admiral Olgierd''s speech, whether at work, home, or in the shower.


    And every single one of them held their breaths with hope as they heard the encouraging words he was speaking.


    "With credible information and first hand ounts confirmed by the System itself, I can ry this to you all, right here, right now."


    "We can harvest foreign ''sentient'' race''s soul cores and absorb them, just as we do with the beast cores obtained from the Primordial Expanse."


    "For nearly a hundred years now, it has been a mystery but also a blessing that we weren''t able to harvest other human''s soul cores, and while we still may not know the reason for this, we do know that it is not the case for foreign races."


    As with Admiral Olgierd''s odd way of doing things, his speech cut off there.


    Not even a goodbye or some words of reassurance.


    He just did his job of informing the public, and left all the other political stuff to the actual politicians.


    But this only made the information he had shared even more effective.


    ***


    In bars across many different civilised, and some unciviliseds, mercenaries, pirates and all sorts of other renegade awakened all essentially had money bags for eyes at this moment.


    The broadcast by Admiral Olgierd had just ended, but the effect it had on the people was stillsting, and would probably stick for a long time afterwards as well.


    "Did you hear that boys! It seems we have some hunting to do!"


    Pirates and mercenaries were all celebrating with joy.


    They no longer saw the Red Demons as an existential threat to their very civilisation.


    They saw them as money bags.


    And considering there were over a hundred million warships, each with probably thousands of awakened Red Demons inside, that was a lot of soul cores that could be harvested, if the human race won of course.


    But that was till ALOT more than they could have made in their entire lifetimes in the Primordial Expanse, or having to share a lot of just a thousand or so beasts, that weren''t even guaranteed to drop their beast cores.


    It was the opportunity of a lifetime for these types of people.


    As for the solo awakened, or the average awakened who still had some ambitions for their future, this was an opportunity to further increase their strength.


    They didn''t know if using soul cores would be any different than beast cores, but just the fact that they contributed to their own soul core''s progress when absorbed was good enough reason for them to participate in this war.


    Admiral Olgierd and Alex were wise to suggest sharing this information with the public as soon as possible.


    Just that one simple and short broadcast had probably increased the number of human awakened participating in the war and defending the federation by two, or perhaps even three times the normal amount.


    The prospect of something to gain from this war other than ''Not dying a miserable death'' if they lost the war was a major motivational factor.


    ***


    "We might actually have a shot at winning now¡­"


    Alex was still sceptical about this whole thing though.


    The Red Demon race had over a thousand years of development, while the human race only had just over a hundred.


    Not to mention that the average Red Demon awakened was probably stronger and more experienced than the average Human awakened.


    Oh, and the fact that the Red Demons had much more S tiers than the human race as well.


    Sure, the students, mercenaries and other normal awakened all were probably only concerned with the minor, low ranked battles that they were going to participate in.


    But what about those battles involving higher life forms from both sides?


    So what if the human race was able to win against the Red Demons in the lower ranked battles?


    If the Red Demons overwhelmed the humans in war between higher lifeforms, then that victory over the lower life forms would mean jack shit, because the higher ranked Red Demons could just steamroll over the rest of humanity once they were done dealing with humanity''s higher life forms.


    In the short term, the lower ranked Awakened would be humanity''s saviour as there were much, much more of them that could be spread out and stop the destruction that Kax''s hundred million strong fleet were causing.


    But in the long term, humanity would have to solely rely on the S, A and B tiers to save them from the real threat.


    This was what Alex was mainly worried about.


    As a D tier himself, he was practically a nobody in this war, even if he could defeat droves of C tiers by himself.


    He wasn''t a higher life form yet, and likely wouldn''t be one by the time the real powerhouses joined the war.

 Chapter 267: Drafted

    But that was only a what if scenario.


    Alex still had a n in mind, and if he executed it perfectly, then he might actually have a chance of bing a higher life form before the war really took it up a notch.


    He estimated there to be at least 1 or 2 years before the higher life forms started dominating every battlefield, so he set himself a maximum of 1 year to go from D rank to at least B- rank.


    Normally, this would be impossible without visiting the Primordial Expanse.


    But now that he knew he could obtain soul orbs from the Red Demons, it was a real possibility.


    Something interesting, and very beneficial not only to Alex, but to every other human as well, was the fact that there was a higher probability of soul orbs dropping from them because they were sentient races.


    This wasn''t something Alex was specting, those were the System''s words.


    But that was just solely beneficial to him.


    The best thing of all in general, was the fact that there was a 90% chance of being able to harvest a foreign/alien race''s soul core after their death.


    This percentage dropped to 70% for higher life forms, but that was still an astonishing figurepared to the abysmal chance of getting beast cores.


    The percentage chance was strangely opposite to how it was with beast cores though.


    The chance of beast cores dropping was higher, the higher the rank of the beast.


    But the chance of soul cores dropping decreased the higher the ranks went.


    The System refused to borate on this, but it wasn''t of absolute concern anyway.


    What was of concern to Alex though, was how things were going to work the following day.


    The Principal had already confirmed that the entire student popce was going to be sent to the battlefields, but where they were ced was based on two factors.


    The strength of the student, and luck.


    Alex was hoping that he would be stationed on the same as Mira, but since luck was also a factor, he wasn''t hopeful.


    There were probably thousands of D tier battlefields at the minimum, all spread out across the frontlines.


    The only way they could realistically be stationed together was if they pulled some strings with the Principal to make that happen.


    Alex was very willing to do that, but Mira had declined.


    She didn''t want to strain their rtionship with the Principal by constantly asking for favours, and besides, she preferred fighting alone anyway.


    Alex also preferred going solo, but he was just worried that something might happen to Mira and he wouldn''t be there to help her.


    ''Might as well enjoy the time I have left with her before we are sent to the front lines for god knows how long¡­''


    Hence, he decided to make the best of the remaining few hours of his peaceful life by spending it with Mira.


    ***


    The remainder of the day and night passed by like a blur.


    Neither Alex nor Mira had gotten any sleep.


    It wasn''t out of nervousness or anxiety or anything like that.


    They just felt like it would be a waste spending 8 hours of their remaining 15 hours or so unconscious.


    They were awakened anyway, so they could go for weeks without rest.


    One night made little to no difference.


    Right then, there was a knock on his door.


    Alex was slightly surprised that they were even going door to door, then hopped out of bed and opened it to see who it was.


    Standing at the door was Mira.


    Alex rxed himself a little.


    He had nearly forgotten that she had gone to her dorm not too long ago to get her essentials packed before it was time to depart.


    "How is it? Are you all prepared?"


    After he saw her, Alex smiled.


    But his smile quickly faded into a look of seriousness when he saw a university staff member approaching from down the street.


    ''It seems they really are going door to door¡­''


    He had originally thought he was mistaken when he saw Mira at the door.


    But it seemed the university was taking this situation very seriously.


    In order to prevent any mishaps involving attempted runaways, each student was going to get personally escorted from their dorms to the ships.


    And with millions of students to consider¡­ It was going to be quite a logistical nightmare.


    But thankfully for everyone involved, and considering that time was tight, there was an equal number of staff members for each student.


    "Oh good, you both being here saves me some time. Follow me, I''ll take you to your designated ships."


    The staff member, an ordinary looking man, spoke.


    ''Wait, we won''t even find out where we''re headed beforehand!?''


    Alex was a little disgruntled by this fact, as it meant he was probably going to be leaving Mira earlier than he had expected.


    "This is the first stop, Mira Mistborn, you will be taking this ship to the Telorn system. Good luck."


    And just as he had expected, Mira was separated from him already.


    But he was at least happy that he knew where she was headed.


    ''Oh shit, wait! Don''t I have a ship of my own!?''


    Alex palmed his face as he had almostpletely forgotten about the reward he had gotten from Principal Farnes and the others.


    "Errr¡­ you can just tell me where I''m stationed at. I have my own mode of transport to get there¡­"


    He wanted to ask the staff member to turn back around so he could collect Mira, but it was toote.


    She had already entered her ship, and it had already left the.


    It seemed Mira was thest person that needed to board that ship before it could depart.


    ''So unlucky¡­''


    But the staff member gave Alex a strange look.


    ''What nonsense is this guy speaking? What first year student has their own method of transport? Puha, what a joke.''


    Although Alex was rather famous, the staff member still found it ridiculous that he had a better mode of transport than the top of the line people carriers the university had prepared all across the city.


    "I have my own ship. It''s already registered with the federation, so I can''t run away even if I wanted to."


    Alex tried convincing the guy, but he just scoffed and carried on leading Alex to wherever he was originally supposed to go.


    Alex frowned when he saw this.


    "How about contacting your superiors before dismissing my request."


    His tone made it quite clear that he wasn''t happy at all.

 Chapter 268: Departure

    It was at this moment that the staff member started to feel like he had made a mistake.


    Of course he knew who Alex was, he wasn''t living under a rock for the past year.


    But he just thought it basically impossible for a first year student to amass such a huge amount of wealth to be able to buy a ship better than what the University themselves had to offer.


    He would need to somehow gain the privilege to buy military ships for that, which almost nobody had.


    He wanted to apologise right on the spot, but it was toote.


    Alex was already pissed at him for wasting his time, and if he suddenly decided to pull a full 180 on his previous tone, that would only make Alex even more dissatisfied.


    The only thing he could do now was wait for his superior to arrive, and hope that he doesn''t lose his job.


    And it didn''t take long for his boss to arrive either.


    Only 30 secondster, a lecturer came over to see what all the fuss was about.


    It turned out the man''s boss was a lecturer at the university.


    Alex exined the situation to him, and immediately he was on Alex''s side.


    In fact, Alex found his response to the staff member quite funny.


    "Are you mad!? You dare not give the King ss prodigy the respect he deserves!?"


    The whole thing was resolved within the minute, and Alex left the rude staff member''s punishment down to his boss''s discretion.


    ''I haven''t even left the yet and I''ve already run into trouble¡­''


    The lecturer from earlier had already informed him of the location Alex was stationed at, after hearing about the situation.


    It was a star system called the ''Shen wu star system'', and it happened to be located on the exact opposite side of the frontlines to the Telorn system, where Mira was stationed.


    He didn''t know if it was just because of bad luck, or if someone had actively gone out of their way to make it happen.


    Alex couldn''t help but heave a sigh as he neared an empty spot in the spaceport.


    He needed somewhere empty to take his ship out of the storage ring Principal Farnes had given him.


    Luckily, many of the transporter ships, like Mira''s, had already departed so there were many empty spaces for him to use.


    ''This is the first time I''m going to test it out!''


    Alex was rather excited with the idea of trying out his ship for the first time.


    It had just been sitting in storage for months, since he had no need for it, considering he hadn''t left the at all during that time.


    ''Let''s see if it lives up to all the hype Admiral Olgierd spouted about it.''


    He boarded the ship with the same enthusiasm he had for it when he first received it.


    It was his first time physically being in it after all.


    ''Let''s see what this bad boy''s got then!''


    Alex had already received approval from the federation to use this thing to travel to his station, so he didn''t waste any time in firing it up.


    Whoosh!


    Almost immediately, he could tell the difference between this thing and the other ships he had taken to depart from Mars.


    All of the other rides he had taken, whether when he went out on his mission, or when he first arrived there upon his admission, the ride was generally smooth and rather rxed.


    Whereas, almost immediately, he could feel how violent his exit from the atmosphere of Mars was only seconds after take off.


    It was like the normal ships he had taken before were gently plucked from the, but his new, personal ship violently and forcefully ripped itself away.


    If he wasn''t an awakened, the G forces would have turned him to mush.


    The speeds were just that incredible, with the eleration fromplete stop, to already on his way out of the sr system was astonishing.


    ''Admiral Olgierd wasn''t boasting when he talked about this thing, he was stating facts!''


    Alex had to hand it to the military.


    It sure had to take some self restraint to not use these ships to their full potential like he was, it was really just that thrilling.


    If he was a military pilot, he would be out of the job before the day was over if they let him in the seat of one of these bad boys.


    Thankfully though, he had his own personal ship, so he didn''t have to worry about anything like that.


    ***


    "Hey, did you see that ship''s take off!? It was so fast I almost thought it teleported!"


    The staff down below on Mars were also fervently talking about Alex''s exit.


    But one particr staff member wasn''t as enthusiastic as the others.


    Because he realised that ship belonged to the very student he had been tantly rude to.


    ''He wasn''t kidding about having a better ship¡­''


    He wasn''t fired, but he did have his month''s pay docked.


    It was safe to say he wouldn''t be rude or underestimate any student ever again¡­


    ***


    "Are all the preparations underway?"


    Admiral Olgierd stood at the helm of a gargantuan ship the size of the moon.


    This was the capital ship.


    It was a one of one, and cost roughly 10% of the entire federal military''s budget to build when it was firstmissioned.


    Bearing in mind, this was the budget of a military that spanned an entire gxy¡­


    It also took almost an entire star system''s worth of mined minerals to gather all the materials needed to construct it.


    It was the pride and joy of the federation, and had only recently finished construction, after a long 15 year wait for it to bepleted.


    "Yes, sir. Thest few universities have just finished sending off their batches of conscripted students."


    "We will be able to stop the Red Demon fleet''s advance as soon as they arrive at the frontlines."


    The war had alreadymenced between the federation and the Red Demon fleet.


    There were far less innocent civilians ands being attacked, with the military already arriving at almost all the strategic points, slowing the Red Demon fleet''s advance to a snail''s pace.


    But they were still outnumbered, and needed additional back up.


    Thankfully, Admiral Olgierd''s special announcement to the federation just a day prior had already guaranteed reinforcements.


    The addition of the students was already all they needed to stop the Red Demon''s advancepletely, but the additional support from the mercenaries, lone awakened etc was enough to actually push back!

 Chapter 269: King

    ''Only 2 days¡­''


    Alex thought to himself, quite shocked.


    It had only been 2 days since he departed from Mars, but now he was already about to arrive at the Shen Wu system.


    It was apletely unthinkable distance to cover in such a short time if it were not for the fact that he was in a top grade military ship.


    Mira and all the other students wouldn''t arrive at their destinations for another 6 days, meaning he took a quarter of the time to arrive than they would.


    It was only a few hourster that he came out of the warp tunnel, still slightly astonished at the speed of his ship.


    Not far ahead of the ship, he could already see the battle raging on in real time.


    This star system was a rtively small one, with only 1 dwarf star, and 2s with no moons, upying the entire region.


    One of theses, the only one suitable for life, was the scene of this intense battle.


    Alex didn''t know how long this battle had been raging on for, but considering the Red Demon fleet had only arrived and started attacking a few days ago, it must have been very recent.


    ''Huh, I expected to see more fights in space than this¡­''


    Alex was most surprised about the fact that there were only a dozen or so ships currently locked in dog fights, across the entire star system.


    It was strange, considering the fact that he thought most wars in this day and age would be fought in the depths of space, rather than onnd.


    But he forgot to take into ount the fact that the Red Demon race''s ships were mostly people carriers without any actual fighting capacity.


    ***


    On the human station, not far ahead of Alex, the officers in charge of watching over the detection mechanisms of the system were a little confused.


    "Hey, didn''t the higher ups say that the students from Capital Prime would be arriving for another 6 days?"


    One officer asked another.


    "Yeah they did, so what?"


    The other officer wasn''t too thrilled to be disturbed while on his personal break.


    Due to the current situation with the war, things were quite stressful in the military, and the soldiers and officers were given less and less break time as the days went on.


    So every minute counted for these men and women.


    "Well, the radar just picked up a ship exiting warp in the star system, with its designator saying that it''s from Capital Prime?"


    ''Not to mention its designator is a little weird, ''King'' seems a little bit unusual to name a ship¡­''


    The first officer was still a little confused and sceptical about this unusual scenario.


    What if this was an attempt by the Red Demons to trick them, and end up attacking from their nk?


    "Hail the ship if you''re so unsure."


    The second officer didn''t want to be bothered anymore, so he left the room until his break would finish.


    But following his suggestion, the first officer opened up amunications channel and contacted the suspected ship.


    "Designated ship, ''King'', this system has been dered a war zone, any unauthorised ships will be shot down if you do notply with our requests. Please state the intentions for your visit."


    He spouted out the usual response he had to give to every ship that even passed by the star system.


    ***


    ''Huh? Didn''t the university tell them I wasing? Why am I getting questioned?''


    Alex was perplexed.


    Not only because the name of his ship was supposedly ''King'', which he had no idea about.


    But also because the military stationed in this ce should have already known about himing.


    He epted the hail from the station, and replied.


    "I know this is a war zone, I''m a student from Capital Prime. This is the battle that I''ve been stationed at."


    ***


    ''Wait, so it was a student, but how did he get here so quickly then?''


    The officer was a little confused.


    But then he saw the face of the student who replied.


    ''King ss prodigy Alex!''


    He threw away all previous suspicion he had when he recognised Alex.


    In fact, he was actually happy and excited that Alex had been stationed to this system.


    Just his presence alone would increase morale on the battlefield, and his sheer power meant that they would have a much higher chance of winning, with lower casualties.


    That was the kind of effect real prodigies had in wars like this one.


    ***


    After his chat with the officer, Alex was quickly let through the blockade prepared at the border of the star system.


    He entered within, and immediately he was hit with multiple notifications from hismunicator.


    The most important of which, were the ones that told him who to report to.


    ''Colonel Margit.''


    He had received orders to report to a Colonel Margit, who was in charge of the military stationed in the Shen Wu system.


    Colonel Margit''s strength alone was nearing that of a higher ss being, with him only 1 step away from ranking up.


    The only reason he withheld that process was because this war had started out of nowhere.


    If it weren''t for the fact that these war zones strictly regted the rank of the people who could fight, he would have done so already.


    He could break through any time he wanted, but that would just cause the battle in this ce to escte even further.


    The Red Demon race would send their own B tier awakened in response, along with many more reinforcements from their main fleet, which would put much more pressure on the soldiers stationed in this star system than they could handle.


    But there was a way that either side could technically skirt these unwritten rules ofbat.


    And it was by sending in prodigies, like Alex.


    He was rtively low ranked,pared to the rest of the soldiers and awakened on the battlefield, who were mostly C tier.


    But his strength was above most of the awakened at his level, across the entire federation, let alone this small war zone.


    If he reached C tier , he could possibly have strength breaching into the higher ss side of things, which couldpletely change the outlook of this ce''s future.

 Chapter 270: Colonel Margit

    As Alex docked his ship with the space station, he couldn''t help but feel a mix of anticipation and unease.


    His sleek, state of the art military vessel hummed with the power of its advanced technology, a stark contrast to the battered and weathered ships surrounding the base.


    Clearly they had already taken quite the beating.


    He quickly disembarked, clutching hismunicator that contained his orders.


    He needed to find Colonel Margit.


    The base was a hive of activity, with soldiers and officers rushing about, preparing for the ongoing battle on the not too far away.


    If it weren''t for the fact that sound couldn''t travel through a vacuum, this ce wouldn''t be able to find peace with how many explosions and battles were going on nearby.


    Alex navigated through the maze of corridors, his eyes scanning for any signs that might lead him to the Colonel''s office.


    Eventually, he found a directory screen and tapped in Colonel Margit''s name.


    The screen disyed a route, and Alex followed it to arge, reinforced door marked Command Centre.


    He took a deep breath and entered.


    Inside, the room was filled with holographic disys showing real time data of the battlefield, tactical maps, andmunications feeds.


    At the centre of the chaos, stood a tall, stern-faced man with greying hair and a rigid posture.


    His uniform was adorned with numerous medals and insignia, reflecting his long service and high rank.


    ''Colonel Margit.''


    Alex recognised him immediately from his name tag.


    Alex approached, trying to project confidence despite the intense scrutiny he felt from the room''s upants.


    He wasn''t a direct subordinate in the military, so he didn''t bother to salute.


    "Recruit Alex reporting for duty, sir."


    The students and any outside awakened were regarded as ''Recruits'' by the military officials.


    Colonel Margit turned, his piercing eyes evaluating Alex with a critical gaze.


    He didn''t respond yet, instead letting the silence hang in the air.


    Finally, he spoke, his voice gruff and authoritative.


    "So you''re the prodigy they sent to help us win this skirmish. Do you have any idea what you''re stepping into, boy?"


    Alex wasn''t surprised that a boomer like Colonel Margit was against the involvement of inexperienced students.


    He was old, and it was hard to change the mindsets of people like him who''ve held a position of power for so long.


    But Alex wasn''t any ordinary student, and he was far from inexperienced by this point.


    He stood his ground.


    "I''m not here by choice, I''m here as a citizen of the federation to do my duty, whether you like it or not, sir."


    Margit snorted, a hint of disdain in his expression.


    "You want to help, huh? These damn higher ups think sending kids like you will turn the tide. What do you know about realbat? About the sacrifices these men and women make every day? Your little fights with beasts in the Primordial Expanse are nothingpared to what we soldiers go through every day."


    Alex didn''t flinch.


    "I don''t have to prove myself to you. I don''t need your validation. I''m only following orders, just like you."


    Colonel Margit''s eyes narrowed.


    "Don''t have to prove yourself, you say? We''ll see about that."


    He turned to a nearby officer.


    "Get me the details of the lowest tier battles happening on the surface."


    The officer quickly pulled up a holographic map, highlighting a region on the once vibrant where D tier skirmishes were taking ce at almost all times.


    "This area, sir. Mostly low tier engagements, minimal strategic importance."


    Margit nodded and turned back to Alex.


    "You''ll be deployed here. These skirmishes are just right for a D tier like you."


    For some reason, Alex felt like the emphasis on the ''D tier'' was meant to ridicule him.


    "If you want to be a part of this war, you''ll start there. Earn your ce, just like everyone else."


    Alex felt a surge of frustration, but kept it in check.


    The officer next to Margit leaned in to Alex and whispered.


    "Don''t take it too personally. The Colonel''s old school. He''s seen a lot of young talente and go. The best thing you can do is prove him wrong."


    Alex nodded in thanks.


    Margit ignored his officer''sment, but he still wasn''t done with Alex.


    Colonel Margit leaned in, his expression severe.


    "And understand this: I don''t care what the higher ups think of you. Out there, you''re just another soldier. You follow orders, you stay alive, and you don''t make trouble. Got it?"


    Alex thanked the officer next to Colonel Margit for the details of the location he was being deployed to, and left.


    He didn''t even give a response to Margit, because he felt he didn''t deserve one.


    And he also knew that Colonel Margit couldn''t do anything about his disrespect since he wasn''t officially a part of the military either.


    This part really got under Colonel Margit''s skin.


    ''It''s people like him that ruin society.''


    Alex thought to himself as he made his way back through the corridors.


    The officer may have asked him to not take it personally, but Margit made it about as personal as it got by belittling him.


    He had worked hard to get to where he was, and he wasn''t about to let some snobbish low rank Colonel stomp down his achievements just because he had to report to him in this war.


    Alex soon returned back to his own ship, even though he was supposed to board a deployment ship which would send troops down in batches.


    But he was making good use of the fact that he wasn''t a soldier, and followed his own rules.


    His only obligation to this war was that he had to participate in it, anything else was up to his own discretion.


    ''It''s time toy waste to some of these Red Demon scum!''


    Alex was excited to finally get his hands dirty for the first time in months.


    But he was especially more excited for the loot that he might gain from them when he kills them.

 Chapter 271: Orders? What are those?

    As Alex climbed back into the helm of his ship, he couldn''t shake the anger that simmered within him.


    Colonel Margit''s dismissive attitude had lit a fire within him.


    He had no intention of being side lined in some minor skirmish; he was there to make a real difference, not to be just another statistic.


    He quickly ran a scan of the''s surface with his eyes, looking for the hottest spot for conflicts.


    His eyes were drawn to arge chaotic region, which he quickly learned was called ''Any Man''snd'' when he nced at the map provided to him.


    ''Perfect.'' He thought.


    Any Man''snd was infamous already after just a few days since the war had begun.


    It was a ce where the rules of engagement were blurred, and survival often depended on willpower and strength alone.


    It was exactly where Alex wanted to be.


    Somewhere he wouldn''t be disturbed by the bureaucracy of the federation.


    He powered his ship, and set a course for the coordinates.


    As his vessel descended through the atmosphere, the visuals from his scanners painted a grim picture.


    Thend below was scarred with craters and burning wreckage, with shes of light and explosions lighting up the sky.


    The closer he got, the more intense the sounds of battle became.


    His ship''s systems registered multiplebatants, both Red Demons and Federation forces, locked in a deadly battle.


    Hended his ship in a rtively secure location on the outskirts of the battlefield, and stored it away in his storage ring right away.


    As he disembarked, he was immediately met with the acrid smell of smoke and the deafening noise of warfare.


    ''It''s finally time to put you to use!'' Alex thought, as he pulled out Virtue''s Edge.


    This thing had been stuck at F- rank ever since he first received it, since he didn''t really have the chance to use it in a real fight yet.


    ''This was the best opportunity I could have asked for in terms of my growth.''


    Alex was ecstatic that the Red Demons had taken the initiative to start the war so early, not considering the fact that they had ughtered billions of innocent humans already.


    This only made him more motivated to return the favour back to them tenfold.


    Just as Alex was admiring Virtue''s edge though, an energy beam was headed straight for him.


    Alex streaked across thendscape like a line and barely avoided being dismembered by the energy beam.


    The raging and violent energy swept in every direction when the beam struck a mountain a few kilometres behind where Alex was.


    Four figures swept over towards Alex''s location at lightning speed as soon as they saw that he had dodged that deadly attack.


    Alex looked at their four appearances, and could tell immediately who they were.


    ''Red Demons.''


    It hadn''t even been 10 seconds since Alex had joined the fight, and he was already being ganged up on.


    They were all wearing some sort of armour and emitted very violent and strong temperaments.


    Each one of them was C tier, with their ss yet to be revealed.


    "Another weak and pitiful human, I call dibs on his soul core!"


    One of the figures spoke first, making sure that Alex could understand what he was saying.


    "Tsk. Brothers, let''s pummel this weakling and move on to the next. I don''t want to waste my time with a D tier."


    Alex listened to the Red Demons''s conversation, and was a little confused.


    ''These guys think they''reing out of this alive?''


    "He looks quite delicious, I can''t wait to taste him."


    ''So they''re like that, too? They deserve to die even more.''


    They weren''t of the same race, but they were both sentient beings.


    Alex found the idea of eating another sentient being weird and disgusting, no matter if they were of different races or not.


    Watching the four Red Demons discuss how to divide his meat between them, Alex was almost dumbfounded.


    He clenched his fist around Virtue''s edge and struck directly towards the first Red Demon who spoke and imed ownership of his soul core.


    Rumble!


    The sound barrier broke immediately as Alex''s strike reached far past supersonic speeds the instant he sliced forwards.


    Using just his strength alone, Alex''s sword swept across the distance between them and immediately appeared in front of the Red Demon.


    St!


    And turned his head to mush!


    The air became unimaginably silent.


    The band of brothers would never have expected Alex''s attack to be so terrifying.


    Only with Alex''s aura unleashed did they realise the kind of foe they were up against.


    ''A prodigy!''


    "Damn it, this dumb human actually concealed his aura. He''s a prodigy!"


    One of them spoke their realisation out loud.


    But rather than cowardice like Alex expected them to reveal when hepletely obliterated their brother''s head, they only looked even more bloodthirsty instead.


    ''Are they really that cold hearted of a race? Ignoring the fact I killed one of their brothers just like that¡­''


    Alex didn''t feel guilty at all.


    A faint grey light lit up around one of the Red Demon''s fists, as he charged up another energy beam.


    And he swung his fists towards Alex,unching another beam of energy, only more concentrated this time.


    Booom!


    The energy beam and sword collided, and after a moment of silence, a loud collision resounded.


    Following that, an energy shockwave swept over the nearby vicinity.


    Everyone, not excluding Alex or the three remaining brothers, was swept away by this shockwave.


    Alex spat out a heap of blood as hended back on his feet hundreds of metres away.


    ''They''re stronger than I thought!''


    He was surprised by the power of that energy beam attack.


    It clearly reached the level of a Variant ss attack, which only made Alex more excited for when he killed the three remaining!


    He hadn''t received a soul orb from the first guy he killed, but there were still three chances left!


    Alex disappeared on the spot and appeared back in front of the three Red Demons, this time with his Phoenix mes surrounding Virtue''s edge.


    He could feel an external feeling in his hands, one of deep, desperate hunger.


    It came from Virtue''s edge.


    It wanted more.


    It wanted to grow.

 Chapter 272: Growth

    The moment Virtue''s edge came into contact with the remaining three Red Demon brothers, Alex felt a powerful force erupt from it, as it was practically swinging him by this point, instead of him swinging it.


    The sword''s new power took Alex by surprise, and as he looked down at the de, he could almost feel its satisfaction.


    Virtue''s Edge pulsed with a faint glow, like it was finally satiated after a long drought.


    [F- rank sword ''Virtue''s Edge'' has grown]


    Alex received a short notification from the system, confirming his suspicions of where this sudden surge of power hade from in his sword.


    Having finished the three Red Demons off with one swift swipe of his sword, with a little bit of help from his Phoenix mes, Alex opened up his inventory to check for any spoils.


    ''Yess!''


    Sitting in a corner of his inventory were two new soul orbs.


    A grin stretched across Alex''s face.


    "Two out of four, not bad." Alex muttered to himself.


    "But there''s still a lot more work to do."


    He scanned the horizon, assessing the battlefield.


    He hadn''t just joined this ce for the chance of better loot, he was determined to do as much damage as he possibly could to the Red Demon side.


    Pockets of intense fighting dotted thendscape, and the sounds of distant shes and explosions filled the air.


    ''Where can I do the most damage?'' he thought, his eyes darting over the tactical disy on hismunicator.


    His gaze settled on a hot spot on the map, where fighting seemed the most intense.


    It was near the centre of any man''snd, a strategic position that both sides were vying for.


    It was directly above a mineral deposit that contained an ore both sides needed to keep up the maintenance of their ships, so it was a very coveted area.


    If he could make a difference there, it could be a significant blow to the Red Demon forces.


    "Alright, time to get to work." he said, steeling himself for the next confrontation.


    With Virtue''s Edge in hand, Alex sprinted his way across the battlefield. His enhanced speed allowed him to cover ground at paces far faster than the speed of sound, and he deftly avoided the worst of the debris and hazards.


    As Alex sprinted across the battlefield, he moved like a phantom, a blur among the chaos.


    The sounds of battle filled his ears: the sh of steel, the roar of explosions, the screams of the dead and wounded.


    It was a symphony of destruction, and Alex''s goal was to be its conductor.


    As he approached the centre, the fighting grew more ferocious like he had suspected.


    Federation soldiers were entrenched, holding the line against wave after wave of Red Demon attacks.


    One of the most interesting things about Awakened was how they almost always seemed to use cold weaponry, with most of them being close range melee weapons.


    With how technology didn''t work in the Primordial Expanse, awakened had gotten too used to using them to suddenly switch it up when theye back to the real universe.


    So wars, just like what Alex was witnessing right in front of him, often resembled that of the ancient medieval sieges.


    Only with superpowered humans who could tear apart mountains with a single punch¡­


    Alex arrived at the Federation''s front lines, where the soldiers and awakened alike were hunkered down in makeshift barricades and shield generators.


    They were a motley crew of battle hardened veterans and fresh faced recruits, all united by their determination to hold this critical position.


    "Who''s in charge here?" Alex asked, his voice cutting through the dim atmosphere.


    "The Federation." One of the nearby soldiers replied.


    Alex just facepalmed at his reply, borating his question further.


    "Not who''s in charge of the mine right now, but which officer is in charge here!?"


    Alex demanded.


    A grizzled sergeant, his face smeared with dirt and blood, turned to him.


    "I am. Sergeant Harris. Who the hell are you?"


    "Recruit Alex," Alex replied.


    "I''m here to help you turn the tide."


    Harried eyed him sceptically, but didn''t have the time to argue.


    "We could use all the help we can get. They''re hitting us harder and harder each time, and our reinforcements are still an hour out."


    "Not a problem." Alex said, gripping Virtue''s Edge tighter.


    "You won''t have a need for those reinforcements."


    Without waiting for a response, Alex vaulted over a barricade and charged into the thick of the fighting.


    The Red Demons were taken aback by his sudden appearance, but their surprise quickly changed to rage.


    "There''s another one of them!" One of the Red Demons shouted, pointing at Alex.


    "Kill him!" another snarled.


    Alex met their fury with his own.


    Virtue''s Edge, now pulsing with even more power, cut through the air with deadly precision.


    The Red Demons he was targeting weren''t nearly as strong as the four Red Demon brothers who had attempted to ambush him, so he didn''t even need to use his Phoenix mes.


    His first target was a hulking Red Demon wielding a massive battle axe.


    The Demon swung it at him with brutal force, but Alex ducked under the blow and retaliated with a sh to the mid section.


    The de of Virtue''s Edge cut straight through flesh and bone like it was butter, then the hulking Red Demon was split in two.


    The Demon roared in pain and fury, but Alex didn''t give it the chance to recover, if it was even possible that he could.


    He followed up with a quick thrust, driving the de through the demon''s heart.


    The hulking demon staggered with his arms, his eyes wide in shock, before they rolled back into his head, and his breaths stoppedpletely.


    This time, it seemed the Red Demons weren''t as heartless as the brothers who ambushed him.


    The other Red Demons hesitated, clearly unnerved by the speed and ferocity of Alex''s attack.


    Seizing the moment, Alex pressed his advantage.


    He became a whirlwind of destruction, his movements a blur as he cut through the enemy ranks.


    He could really feel the effect of his Swordsmanship training over thest few months kicking in at times like this.


    But the Red Demons were not so easily defeated.


    Alex had only dealt with one Red Demon so far, and the sky and ground in this region was quite literally littered with them.


    Just as Alex was considering his next move, his senses picked up the sounds of a cry for help nearby.


    He turned to see two awakened, not affiliated with the military much like himself, fighting for their lives against five Mutant ss C+ rank Red Demons.


    The duo were fairly skilled for their ranks, with them both being Mutant ss C+ ranks themselves and still holding out quite well against 5 Red Demons of equal level.


    But they were being pushed to their limits.


    One wielded a pair of short, curved des, moving with incredible speed and agility, while the other fought with a massive hammer.


    But the Mutant Red Demons were relentless.


    Individually, they were weaker than the duo, but the moment one of the Red Demons was too exhausted and started to look like they were losing, another Red Demon stepped in to take their ce while the other recuperated.


    The duo were losing their energy rapidly, trying to win this fight was unsustainable.


    Alex decided to help.


    With Virtue''s Edge pulsing with Energy, he dashed towards the troubled awakened.


    His speed was a blur, and he covered the distance in a fraction of a second, leaping into the fray with a powerful downward sh aimed at the nearest demon.


    The demon saw himing and tried to block, but Alex''s de cut through his defence with ease.


    Virtue''s Edge, fuelled by the constant upsurges of power, sliced down through the demon''s arm, severing it in a single stroke.


    "ARGGH!"


    The demon howled in pain, his body unable to withstand the impact of Alex''s de.


    The awakened with the hammer took advantage of the distraction, delivering a crushing blow to the demon''s head, which exploded in a shower of blood and gore.


    The other awakened, with the curved des, nodded in gratitude to Alex before turning back to the fight.


    With Alex''s arrival, they had quickly taken the advantage away from the Red Demons.


    But sensing the danger Alex posed, the remaining three Red Demons turned their focus towards him.


    But Alex was ready.


    He parried a vicious swipe from one of the demons, countering with a quick sh that opened up a deep gash in its chest.


    The demon staggered back, clutching at the wound.


    Another demon lunged at him from the side, its ws aimed at his throat.


    Alex spun, using the momentum to bring Virtue''s Edge around in a wide arc.


    The de caught the demon in mid air, cutting through his neck and sending it tumbling to the ground.


    There was only one Red Demon left out of the fray at this point, but he looked terrified.


    He tried to turn tail and run, but the duo of awakened had already caught up to him and dealt with him with theirbined might.

 Chapter 273: Red Demon Prodigy

    The battlefield was a cacophony of chaos as Alex, now drenched in the deep red blood and sweat, stood amidst the remains of the Red Demons he had just helped vanquish.


    The two awakened fighters, their breaths heavy but spirits lifted, nodded their thanks once more before regrouping with the nearby Federation soldiers.


    Alex''s eyes scanned the horizon, constantly alert for the next threat.


    He could feel the weight of Virtue''s Edge in his hand.


    It felt lighter than before, but it contained much more power than it previously did before it justy dormant, waiting to see blood for months.


    He pulled up its details to see what had changed now that he had a moment to breathe.


    [Virtue''s Edge]


    [F+ rank (Growth type)]


    [A sword like no other. This de was forged by Mikhail, a grandmaster swordsmith as his final work before he disappeared, never to be seen again. Forged in the heart of a volcano, it is particrly fond of the fire element.]


    [F tier effect - Whenbined with the fire element, the power produced with each sh will be doubled.]


    Alex did a double take when he read through the details of his sword.


    Not much had changed, but there was a new addition at the end of the details, and it had grown two ranks.


    But the new addition at the end was what he was most interested in.


    ''Double the power whenbined with the fire element¡­'' Alex mused.


    ''No wonder it felt so easy cutting apart those Red Demons!''


    Alex realised instantly why each of his swings felt so buttery smooth during the battle earlier, and he couldn''t help but be ecstatic with this change.


    It onlyplemented his fighting style even more, and it had no drawbacks for him whatsoever.


    And judging from the fact it had the title ''F tier effect'' before it, he had a good guess that more and more effects would join in as the sword grew in rank.


    And if the first effect was so good already, he couldn''t wait until he unlocked the others.


    As Alex considered his next move, a faint sound, almost imperceptible amidst the din of battle, reached his ears ¡ª a sound that sent a chill down his spine.


    A low, grumbling growl.


    Alex turned towards the source, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a group of figures emerging from smoke and debris.


    They moved with a predatory grace, their forms imposing and menacing.


    ''Elites.''


    Alex could tell immediately that they were not the typical Red Demon soldiers he had been cutting down; these were elite warriors, their auras already reaching him even though he was miles away from them.


    He imagined that this was how he looked and felt to the opposing Red Demons before he cut them down.


    Leading them was a figure that immediately caught Alex''s attention.


    Taller and more imposing than the others, this Red Demon exuded an air ofmand.


    His skin was a dark crimson, almost ck, and his eyes glowed with an eerie, predatory light.


    He carried a massive, jagged sword that seemed to hum with unknown power.


    ''A Red Demon prodigy!''


    Alex was surprised, but more angry.


    He gritted his teeth, as he realised that the Red Demons had the same n as the humans.


    He had already found out that the federation sent him there as a sure fire way to win this system back, as he was already considered one of the top prodigies in the federation.


    But it seemed the Red Demon race had the same idea.


    This Red Demon leading the group of elites was 100% a prodigy just like him.


    He could feel it in his aura alone.


    "Human!" the prodigy leader bellowed, his voice dominating the air around him.


    "You have in many of my brethren. I am Varkoth. Remember that name, because I will be your end!"


    Alex felt Varkoth''s aura and immediately felt that he might have finally met a match on this battlefield.


    Varkoth was C- rank, two ranks higher than Alex himself, also a Mutant ss.


    But there was no mistaking Varkoth for themon soldiers on this battlefield.


    He possessed C+ rank variant ss strength too.


    Alex''s strength came from his two main talents, Phoenix mes and Soulforge, so he could only guess that Varkoth had at least one S+ rank talent backing him up to have such raw power at his rank.


    Behind Varkoth, the four other elite Red Demons stood nearby. Each of them radiated a terrifying strength.


    Alex tightened his grip on Virtue''s Edge, feeling the de pulse in response to the approaching danger.


    "Bring it on," Alex muttered, his voice steady and unwavering.


    Varkoth''s lips curled into a sinister smile.


    "With pleasure."


    The battle began with a sudden, explosive sh.


    Gormak, the biggest of the four elite, a massive brute wielding dual war hammers, charged forward.


    His war hammers swung with devastating force.


    Alex dodged the first swing, but just as he was about to dodge the second, he was hit with a surprise he was not expecting to see at all.


    Gormak''s second war hammer started to be more flexible, more malleable, and twisted mid air, elongating itself in the process.


    ''He has a metal type talent!''


    Alex could tell what had caused this change, Gormak had to have some kind of talent that could manipte the metal that made up his war hammers.


    But he was toote to dodge, so he could only protect his body with his arms.


    He felt a massive and sudden bone breaking blow impact his arms.


    He didn''t dare to use Virtue''s Edge to try and block, in fear that it might be too damaged if he did so.


    In turn, his wrist on his right arm was shattered from the impact, and he was sent flying backwards until he hit a small mound, digging further into the dirt and rock until his momentum was finally stopped.


    ''Even his four henchmen are stronger than most of the Red Demon soldiers on this battlefield¡­''


    Alex was in for the fight of his life this time around, and the odds were against him 5 to 1.

 Chapter 274: Selithia

    Alex''s vision was blurred for a few seconds.


    Pain radiated from his shattered wrist, but he pushed it aside and let the Phoenix mes do their thing.


    He couldn''t afford to be distracted at this moment.


    With a groan, he forced himself out the shallow hole he had created in the mound, clutching Virtue''s Edge tightly in his left hand.


    The sword remained intact and unharmed from the impact, to Alex''s relief.


    Gormak lumbered forward, his war hammers twisting back into their original form, a smug grin on his face.


    "Looks like this little human isn''t so strong after all."


    The other three elites fanned out, creating a perimeter around Alex.


    Selithia, an elite assassin, moved with the grace of a feline, her daggers at the ready.


    She was nked by Rakul, an archer who nocked an arrow and took aim, and finally, a massive figure stepped forward.


    This was Gormak, who''s muscles rippled under his skin, his eyes glowing with animalistic intensity.


    Varkoth hadn''t even entered the fray, and he stood silently in the distance, watching the showdown with a neutral expression.


    Alex couldn''t allow himself to be belittled like this.


    His mind raced, these four were strong, he was sure he could deal with them given enough time and effort.


    But Varkoth could enter the fight at any time, making him lose the advantage immediately.


    Even if he didn''t and let the four elites fall at Alex''s hands, Alex would still have to face him in an exhausted state after finishing his fight with the four elites.


    But it wasn''t like there were any other options for him in this situation.


    He had to fight.


    With a burst of speed, and his wrist fully healed already, Alex darted towards Rakul, hoping to take out the archer first.


    Rakul''s eyes widened, but he wasn''t taken by surprise.


    It was amon tactic to target ranged or supportive enemies when outnumbered, so he was expecting Alex to make this move.


    And seeing Alex just metres away from him, about to pierce his sword into with just a few milliseconds passing, Rakul snapped his fingers andpletely disappeared from the spot.


    Alex felt his thrust hit nothing but air, and looked around the area with his spatial perception to find out where Rakul disappeared to.


    But even with his extended, 500 metre range, he couldn''t feel him in the area.


    ''Shit, first this brute with the hammers, and now this archer. Don''t tell me all of them have talents like this¡­''


    Alex hadn''t met many opponents with talents so far, as they were still quite rare in the world of the awakened.


    He had only met so many humans with them because he was literally on a most of the time where such people congregated.


    So it was tricky for him now that he was up against five of such enemies all at once.


    ''He has a teleportation talent, clearly much better than mine. How do I deal with him¡­''


    Alex''s mind raced as he reassessed the situation.


    Rakul''s teleportation was clearly superior to his own, making him a dangerous opponent to deal with.


    But he didn''t have the time toe up with any ideas.


    Gormak and Selithia were closing in fast, and he needed a new strategy.


    "Focus, Alex¡­" he muttered, tightening his grip on Virtue''s Edge.


    He pivoted, shifting his attention to Selithia.


    He decided to focus on the weakest link of the group, the assassin.


    Alex had already noticed that she seemed to be the weakest out of the four elites, so he deemed it better to focus on taking her down at first to make it a three versus one, easing the tension on him a little.


    The assassin moved with the grace of a predator, her daggers gleaming menacingly.


    She was fast, but Alex was faster.


    With a burst of speed, the gap was closed between them, his sword shing in a wide arc.


    Selithia attempted to stab and sh at Alex''s body, not aiming for any particr ce.


    But she missed.


    ''Shit!'' She thought, dodging Alex''s own sword by a hair''s breadth.


    She, like the others, also had an A- rank talent backing up her skills.


    It was a form of blood maniption, allowing her to significantly weaken an opponent''s strength with just a drop of their blood.


    But her talent had a major w to it.


    She needed a way to obtain their blood first.


    The easiest method was the one she used the most, through wounding them with her daggers, usually in a sneak attack, hence why she took upon the role of an assassin during missions like these.


    But when her opponent knew of her presence, and even worse, was faster than her, then things only became much trickier.


    Even worse, Xulthar, the fourth elite, seemedpletely uninterested in helping her out.


    Gormak and Rakul attempted to try and free her from Alex''s grasp, but they were too conscious of their attacks.


    They were afraid that they might miss, or Alex might dodge and use Selithia as a meat shield, so they were hesitant in their attacks.


    Meanwhile, Xulthar just stood on the sidelines, watching.


    Selithia danced around Alex, her dexterity and agility impressively on disy.


    Her daggers sliced and diced through the air, attempting to just draw a single drop of blood from Alex, but each attempt was as unsessful as thest.


    Alex parried each and every one of her strikes, the difference in strength between them bing ringly obvious for both to see.


    Without being able to put her blood maniption to use, she was just like every other Red Demon soldier walking this battlefield.


    He pressed his attacks, driving Selithia back step by step.


    Her agility and skill were formidable, but Alex''s speed and strength were greater.


    With a swift, unexpected feint, he managed to slip past her guard, the edge of his de grazing her side.


    Selithia hissed in pain, staggering backwards.


    But that was just the start of it all.


    Alex took Virtue''s Edge, and dug it even deeper into her wound, causing her to cry out loud.


    The double power buff from his Phoenix mes causing her even more pain.


    ''Gotcha.''


    Alex thought Selithia''s struggle would be over after that.


    But instead of sumbing to the pain, Selithia bared her teeth in a feral grin.


    She raised her dagger, and a small, dark orb of her own blood hovered over its tip.


    Using her own blood was ast resort, and it was incredibly likely she could die from it.


    But she had no other options.


    She would die in a few seconds at Alex''s sword if she didn''t.

 Chapter 275: 60:40

    Selithia''s feral grin faded as she felt the searing pain from her wound, yet determination burned in her eyes.


    She hurled the dark orb of her own blood towards Alex, hoping to weaken him with herst ditch effort.


    Alex, seeing the blood orb hurling towards him, raised Virtue''s Edge and summoned a surge of Phoenix mes.


    The mes roared to life, and surrounded the blood orb as its momentum was slowed to a near halt by forcing Virtue''s Edge to block it.


    "HAAH!"


    Alex let out a deep groan as he felt his muscles tense and he stood his feet digging into the ground, putting his absolute utmost into stopping the blood orb from making contact with him.


    But it was like the orb was driven by a mysterious force to keep its momentum moving through the air, like thews of physics didn''t apply to it in that moment of time.


    ''Fuck!''


    Alex felt his mind bing strained this time, as the closer the blood orb came to his body, the weaker he started to be.


    The effect of blood maniption, especially when using the maniptor''s own blood, didn''t even need toe in direct contact for its effects to show.


    It only needed toe in close contact, which would have a weaker effect than direct. But it was still a very noticeable change when in the midst of battle.


    However, right as Alex felt himself be weaker and weaker by the second, to the point where he could only exert 50% of his normal strength, he felt something change within him.


    More specifically, he felt something change within his Phoenix mes, that were attached to Virtue''s Edge and surrounding the blood orb in all its glory.


    His Phoenix mes always contained a mixture between destruction and healing, with the ratio being 50:50 both ways if he didn''t put any conscious effort into skewing that ratio to one side.


    But when he did put conscious effort, the best he could manage was 55:45 either way.


    However, this time, he felt himself breach past that limit as the ratio soared to 60:40, with destruction energy being the one receiving the 60%.


    This increase in destruction energy made a huge differencepared to what Alex would have thought previously.


    It was almost to the point where it wouldn''t be wrong to say that he had reached a threshold, and in reaching this, the effectiveness had increased more than it usually would.


    His Phoenix mes, with their new, much more destructive aspect to them, started to push back at the blood orb.


    For the first time, the blood orb''s momentum waspletely stopped, and it slowly started to get pushed back through the same arc it had been thrown at him.


    "HARRRGH!"


    Alex let out a triumphant groan as he pushed all of his strength that had returned to him into his sword, whichpletely finished the job.


    The blood orb was sent flying back in the direction it came from, in such a perfect arc that it seemed like time was reversingpletely rather than the orb actually moving through the air.


    Selithia''s face conveyed her deep shock and horror.


    The moment the blood orb came within direct contact of her, shepletely withered up to a dried out corpse.


    It was amon fact that the human body was made up of 70% water.


    Alex didn''t know if this ratio was the same for the Red Demons, but he was certain that Selithia''s ratio had just hit 0% water.


    Her body had beenpletely drained of any blood whatsoever in an unexpected and mysterious turn of events.


    It was obviously from some sort of bacsh of using her blood maniption on herself, which just highlighted how terrifying and powerful the System was, since these talents were granted by it.


    It was clear that the System could go against the veryws of the universe if it liked, as shown through the blood orb''s strange actions after it wasunched and sent back.


    Selithia had died instantly when the blood orb hit her, which was probably a merciful deathpared to what Alex would have done.


    If anything, she should be grateful that she got to finish the job herself, rather than let Alex do so.


    ''Three more elites to go, but then I still have to worry about Varkoth afterwards¡­''


    Alex reigned in the momentary happiness and relief of defeating one of his opponents, but he quickly regained focus as he shifted his gaze back to the battlefield.


    Gormak, Rakul, Xulthar and finally Varkoth behind them all.


    They were all still waiting, watching him.


    Gormak and Rakul looked enraged, with bloodlust thicker than air surrounding them in every step they took.


    Xulthar and Varkoth didn''t seem too bothered by her death though, which formed a sort of rift between the two pairs left in the Red Demon fray.


    And Alex intended to make full use of this rift, if possible.


    It was clear that Xulthar just didn''t seem concerned with anyone but himself, which Gormak and Rakul exhibited signs of, but it was clear that they were friends of many years.


    They would have each other''s backs.


    Seeing this, and knowing how both Gormak''s and Rakul''s talents worked, Alex decided to target Xulthar next.


    He, other than Varkoth, was the only elite that he had no clue about so far.


    Xulthar hadn''t shown any talents, nor had he even participated in any fights with Alex yet, so Alex was clueless regarding him.


    But since he was most likely going to be able to force a one on one with him, he decided to go with his gut and target him first.


    With a burst of speed, Alex dashed towards Xulthar, who stood apart from Gormak and Rakul.


    Xulthar''s eyes widened slightly in surprise, as he didn''t think he would even need to join in this battle, but it quickly shifted back to a smug smirk.


    Alex tightened his grip on Virtue''s Edge, his Phoenix mes still roaring like they had a life of their own.


    He hadn''t deactivated them at all since killing Selithia, in fear that if he did so, he might not be able to regain that 60:40 ratio of destruction to healing energy, and lose this power boost.

 Chapter 276: Ensnared

    As Alex closed the distance, Xulthar finally made his move.


    He extended out his hand, and the ground beneath Alex began to tremble.


    Suddenly, thick, thorny vines erupted from the earth, aiming to ensnare him.


    ''Some sort of nature maniption!''


    Alex was shocked at seeing a talent like this for the first time.


    The Red Demons truly had some diverse talentspared to the human race.


    Alex leaped in the air in an attempt to dodge their entrapment, but he was unsessful, as it seemed these vines had no limit to their range.


    Whether he was on the ground, or 50 metres in the air, he was going to be ensnared and tangled up by them as they moved at immeasurable speeds to catch up to him.


    They started to coil around his legs, slowly slithering up his body like snakes.


    The thorns were ripping into his skin, and with how they were constantly extending up his body, it was like they were trying to deglove his legs entirely.


    That wasn''t the worst part though.


    Alex was somehow unable to break his legs free from their grasp, even though he could feel that the strength in his legs was more than enough to do so.


    Like pythons, they started to tighten around his legs, further digging into his skin and constricting his blood and energy flow.


    ''I can''t keep this up¡­''


    Alex was dragged rapidly back down to the ground as Xultharmanded his vines to retract, bringing Alex''s feet back in contact with the earth, but he wasn''t able to feel them at all.


    Since his legs couldn''t break free themselves, Alex took Virtue''s Edge and sliced at the vines surrounding his legs.


    Katcha!


    He hacked away at one of them, and he actually received some positive results!


    The sword had cut about halfway through one of the vines, and he could see them constantly trying to heal and regenerate, trying to fill up the gap that Alex had just made.


    But his Phoenix mes were raging intensely against them, stopping them from being able to regenerate.


    ''I need more power!''


    Alex gave them another, even more powerful hack, andbined with the 2x power multiplier from Virtue''s Edge''s F tier effect, he finally cut clean through the vines surrounding his left leg.


    ''Yes!''


    But his moment of happiness was quickly turned on its head.


    Fwoosh!


    An arrow came flying over to him in a terrifying arc, moving so fast past the speed of sound that it was literally ripping the air molecules apart as it flew through the air.


    Alex could sense all of Rakul''s actions the entire time, but his right leg was still tangled up with vines, so he couldn''t dodge even if he wanted to.


    He felt his senses heightened as he registered the iing threat.


    With his right leg still ensnared by the vines and the arrow speeding towards him, he only had milliseconds to react.


    Summoning all of his strength, Alex swung Virtue''s Edge with a precise, downward arc.


    The Phoenix mes surged along the de, and with an explosive burst, a sword light made of mes shot out and intercepted the arrow mid flight.


    Or so Alex thought.


    He thought he put enough energy and strength behind that counter attack, but it seemed like it still wasn''t enough.


    The mes cleared, and the arrow soared past them, slowed quite a lot, but it was still moving towards Alex at an incredible pace.


    Alex''s heart pounded as he realised his counterattack had been ineffective.


    With basically no time left to react, he raised Virtue''s Edge, and in the exact same moment the arrow had arrived.


    ng!


    The arrow struck the t side of his de, the impact sending a shockwave through Alex''s arm.


    "Argghhh!"


    But the deflection wasn''t perfect.


    The arrow had grazed his shoulder, tearing through flesh and drawing blood.


    Pain surged through his body, but so did a sudden weakness.


    ''Poison! Shit!''


    He realised in that instant that Rakul hadced his arrow with some sort of poison, and since it had still sessfully grazed him, the poison could still take effect.


    Alex''s pounding heart slowed involuntarily as he felt the poison seeping through his veins.


    The weakness was spreading quickly.


    Rakul, Gormak and Xulthar stood with smug and triumphant looks on their faces as they witnessed the arrow graze Alex.


    That was one of the deadliest poisons in existence for lower lifeforms, and it led to death in less than a minute for even the strongest C+ rank awakened.


    For a D tier like Alex? He had around 30 seconds or so before he was dead meat.


    And this wasrgely thanks to how strengthened his body had been by his constant use of Soul orbs and his rebirth.


    ''Fuck¡­ fuck¡­ fuck¡­ fuck¡­ fuck¡­ fuck!''


    Alex hurriedly retracted his Phoenix mes back into his body and activated the one effect he hadn''t made us of yet.


    Purification.


    The actual effect described in its details was that it could ''purify damaged souls'', but Alex was hoping that if hebined this effect with the regenerative aspect of them, then he might be able to save himself before his insidespletely melted from the poison.


    ''Please work!''


    Thankfully the elites, and even Varkoth, were stood on the side, unmoving as they thought they had already won the battle.


    If they even came in and decided to deliver the finishing blow themselves rather than let the poison do all the work, then Alex really would be dead.


    He was praying that they didn''t decide to do this.


    But he was praying even more that his purification worked.


    The moment he activated the Soul fire effect, his Phoenix mes changed from a deep crimson topletely invisible.


    Well, they were invisible to any outsiders, but with Alex¡­


    He was seeing the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, in his entire lifetime¡­


    It was like the mes changed into some sort of higher dimensional construct, as a myriad of colours shed through them millions of times per second, and they no longer took on a three dimensional shape.


    But instead of admiring the beauty like he would have liked to, he immediately pushed the soul fire into his body.


    He summoned another set of Phoenix mes, pushed the regenerative aspect of them as far as they would go, reaching a 43:57 split.


    It seemed his previous 60:40 split was just a fluke, or perhaps pushing past his limits.


    But he has still increased his limit from 45:55 to 43:57, which was an improvement he would wee any day.


    This second me was then pushed into his body.


    ''Now, I can only pray¡­''

 Chapter 277: Soul fire

    The invisible soul fire and the regenerative Phoenix mes surged through Alex''s body, creating a strange yet powerful synergy.


    He could feel the purification effect making its way throughout his veins, and spreading throughout the rest of his body within seconds.


    But he couldn''t feel the soul fire at all once it entered his body.


    It was like it passed through some sort of veil when it entered his skin, and when it was fully absorbed, it became undetectable.


    For a few agonising moments, it was like a war raging inside his body.


    The poison was relentless, burning through his organs, veins, and bloodstream. It didn''t stop for anything.


    28¡­


    29¡­


    30¡­


    31¡­


    32¡­


    But the 30 seconds that Alex had remaining had already passed, but he was still alive.


    The seconds continued ticking by, but the poison hadn''t killed him yet.


    Thebined efforts of the soul fire and regenerative mes were pushing back with equal intensity.


    Alex didn''t know it, but hisbination of fires was actually perfect forbatting this type of poison.


    He had no clue what type of poison it was, but the Red Demons who were arrogantly standing nearby did.


    It was a poison that attacked both the mind and the body, at the same time.


    While Alex''s organs were getting rapidly melted from the inside out, his soul was also undergoing a simr process, albeit slower because of how strengthened his soul was.


    That was why it was considered the strongest poison against lower life forms.


    Because basically nobody at those ranks had a soul as strong as Alex, or the proper defences to defend against such an attack.


    Alex''s vision blurred, and he could barely keep his bnce as the battle waged within him.


    His muscles tensed and spasmed, the pain almost unbearable, but he clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay upright.


    His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but he focused on one thing only: survival.


    Slowly, the weakness started to recede. The purification was working.


    The soul fire was neutralising the spiritual aspect of the poison, while the regenerative mes were healing the damage it caused to his body.


    Bit by bit, he felt his strength returning.


    The elite, still watching from the sidelines, began to notice the change.


    Rakul''s smug expression faded as he saw Alex standing stronger, the colour returning to his face.


    "Impossible¡­" Xulthar muttered, his eyes widening.


    Even Vorkath hadn''t seen thising, and his face was scrunched up in a frown.


    Not even he could survive an attack from such a poison, which was why he was so apprehensive about standing next to Rakul.


    Gormak snarled, his bloodlust intensifying. "We need to finish him right now!"


    But Alex wasn''t going to give them the chance.


    With a final push, he expelled the remnants of the poison from his body.


    The pain and weakness were gone.


    His Phoenix mes red up around him, stronger and more vibrant than ever before.


    "You underestimated me. Should have finished me off while you had the chance."


    Vorkath just carried on his spectator mindset, while the three elite''s faces hardened.


    They became serious.


    Before, they were just ying around.


    But now, they were actually going to act like the team they were.


    Selithia''s death was the wake up call they needed to tell them that Alex wasn''t just somebody they could toy around with.


    And now, with Alex somehow surviving an attack from the strongest lower lifeform poison, things had gotten madly out of hand.


    Instead of going at him one by one, they had to go at him together, if they didn''t want to end up as the next Selithia.


    Rakul nocked another arrow, this one looking just as deadly as his first.


    Xulthar summoned a new wave of thorny vines, and Gormak charged forward, his two hammers gleaming with a menacing light.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed as he saw theming in for the attack. His mes burned with the intensity of a sun, and Virtue''s Edge glowed hot with an intense light.


    ''Time to end this.'' he thought.


    Rakul released his arrow, aiming for Alex''s heart.


    Xulthar''s vines surged forward, seeking to entangle him, and Gormak leaped through the air, ready to strike with his hammers.


    With a swift, fluid motion, he dodged Rakul''s arrow, the poison basically sizzling away as it passed by him.


    He swung Virtue''s Edge, the de cutting through the vines with ease.


    The Phoenix mes surrounding his de erupted, incinerating the vines before they could reach him.


    Gormak''s hammers came down, their lengths and flexibility being an unknown factor, as they could change at any time thanks to his talent.


    But Alex did the unthinkable to these elites andpletely disappeared from their vision, only Vorkath noticing what he had done, as he could see Alex appear behind Gormak from his vantage point on the rear of the battle.


    Gormak couldn''t react in time, and his hammers were too long and he had made them too rigid, so he couldn''t swing them around in time either.


    Virtue''s Edge sliced through Gormak''s chest, mes searing through the wound.


    Gormak howled in pain, stumbling backwards.


    But Alex had done something far more sinister than just burned him.


    He had coated Virtue''s Edge with a mixture of both Soul fire and his normal destructive mes, the Crimson mes masking the invisible mes hiding within.


    Gormak didn''t even realise it yet, but he was practically dead already.


    Alex could control the target of his soul mes at will.


    If he wanted them to purify, they would purify. If he wanted them to destroy, they would destroy.


    And he had ordered them to cause havoc on Gormak''s soul.


    Gormak staggered and fell to the ground, dropping his hammers, and clutching his chest as the agony from Alex''s sinister attack started to kick in.


    The invisible mes wreaked havoc on his soul, like Alex had nned, leaving him vulnerable and disoriented.


    His menacing roars turned into cries of torment as he struggled toprehend what was going on.


    He had never experienced an attack to his soul before, so this was apletely new, terrifying experience to him.

 Chapter 278: Comeback

    Seeing Gormak''s plight, Rakul and Xulthar exchanged wary nces.


    They had no clue what was wrong with theirrade, but they knew for certain that he was out of this fight.


    If he dared to drop his weapons and leave himselfpletely defenceless right beneath his enemy, then he was beyond saving already.


    Raukl and Xulthar found themselves in a moment of indecision. Seeing Gormak writhing on the ground, incapacitated and beyond saving, their confidence faltered.


    They looked back to the leader of their squad, Vorkath, with uncertainty.


    They wanted to ask him to join the fight now, but Vorkath''s expression already told them that he wouldn''t no matter what.


    Red Demon prodigies were very prideful and arrogant people.


    They believed in honour and respect, and they wouldn''t do anything to tarnish their own honour by doing something like intervening in a fight and defeating an enemy when they have already been weakened.


    So Vorkath either wouldn''t enter the fight at all if the two somehow managed to kill Alex, or he would only face Alex when they died.


    There was no third option where he joined the duo to fight back against him.


    In Alex''s eyes, this was a stupid decision, as he would have a much easier time in a 2 vs 1 and then a 1 vs 1, rather than a 3 vs 1.


    But every race and culture had their own customs.


    Seeing Vorkath''sck of reaction to their visual plea, Rakul nocked another arrow.


    Alex''s eyes flicked between his opponents, somewhat wary.


    He was assessing whether Vorkath was going to enter the fray yet, but after seeing Xulthar and Rakul''s reactions, the answer was obvious.


    Rakul, epting the harsh reality, drew back his bow and released a flurry of arrows.


    Quantity over quality ¡ª he hoped that the sheer volume might overwhelm Alex.


    Arrow after arrow whizzed through the air, each one less powerful than the initial poisoned arrows but dangerous in their multitude.


    In the span of a few seconds, he had already nocked and released dozens of arrows.


    He didn''t have any poison left, so they were just normal arrows.


    Not only this, but he had exchanged power for speed so each arrow was no longer as powerful as his first two.


    But the sheer number of arrows he kept letting loose made up for that.


    As for Xulthar, he could only rely on his vines.


    He didn''t even have a weapon in hand, only his fists curled up into balls.


    He had realised the disadvantage he put himself at by not using one.


    If he managed to survive this battle, then he would definitely do his best to rectify this mistake and finally take up arms.


    But from the way things looked, he wouldn''t be returning from this battle.


    Alex stretched his legs a little, and like a spring that was about to explode,unched himself of the ground where Gormaky in agony.


    The soul fire would still take another 10 minutes or so topletely destroy his soul, and Alex had to focus on killing the other two, so he had no choice but to leave Gormak lying in agony, getting constantly tortured until death finally took him in.


    Alex assessed the situation quickly.


    The arrows were numerous, but not as deadly as before.


    He needed to neutralise Xulthar first to reduce the number of threats.


    Alex leapt into the air, flipping over a vine andnding directly in Xulthar''s proximity.


    Things were much easier for him to anticipate now that he knew how they fought.


    They couldn''t sneak attack him with their arrows or vines anymore, now that Alex knew about their strategies.


    Xulthar didn''t have the same strength or power that Alex had, so even if he tried to run, Alex would catch up to him.


    Hence he decided to fight back.


    Xulthar, weaponless and desperate, summoned more of his thorny vines.


    In a fluid motion, Alex flipped over a particrly thick vine andnded close enough to Xulthar that he could even see the pores through his scaly skin.


    The Red Demon swung his fists, but Alex easily dodged the strikes.


    The disparity in strength between them was ringly obvious.


    "Not so strong without your talent, are you."


    Alex taunted him a little.


    He swung Virtue''s Edge as hard as he could, intending to cut Xulthar''s entire body in half in one fell swoop.


    The de cut through the flesh and bone almost effortlessly until it came to a stop.


    Unfortunately, he still wasn''t strong enough to do that, but he did cut a deep crevasse stretching from his shoulder to his torso.


    The mes covering the de transferred to Xulthar''s wounds, starting a whole rampage of their own.


    He had already used Soul fire twice, and the Soul fire effect was too taxing on his energy to use multiple times in session, so he opted to save that energy for now.


    It didn''t seem like he needed it either.


    Xulthar screamed in agony, falling to his knees and crying as the mes consumed him from within.


    The vines he had summoned wilted and disintegrated, leaving nothing but motes of energy that reentered the atmosphere.


    Xulthar was already half a corpse at this point.


    Alex didn''t waste any time. He turned his attention to Rakul, who was stillunching arrows in a desperate attempt to drag him down.


    His uracy and strength was drastically reduced, which allowed Alex to dodge any close calls during his fight with Xulthar, and he even watched one whizz by him and strike Xulthar, who was writhing on the ground surrounded by mes, and ended up hitting him in the throat.


    It put him out of his misery a few secondster.


    ''I hope that didn''t effect whether I get a soul orb from him or not¡­''


    Rakul was the one who had technically dealt the finishing blow to Xulthar, so Alex had no idea whether that effected his chances of getting one.


    But he put his mind past it.


    Rakul''s barrage continued, with Alex weaving through the onught, but the closer he got the tighter the gaps he had to squeeze to dodge.


    And he didn''t get so lucky as he neared within 20 metres of Rakul.


    An arrow struck his shoulder, and then another in his foot a few momentster.


    Rakul''s eyes lit up while Alex''s shed with bloodlust and pain.

 Chapter 279: Rakul

    Alex gritted his teeth, yanking the arrow out of his shoulder with a swift, painful motion.


    Blood trickled down his arm, but he ignored it, focusing instead on closing the gap between him and Rakul.


    The arrow in his foot was preventing him from making any hasty movements however.


    With how little time he had, Alex had to choose between one or the other, and chose to heal the wound to his foot rather than the one to his shoulder.


    Without his foot, he would basically be crippled in this fight, which was basically a death sentence when considering how fights between awakened went.


    But Alex could still continue the fight with one arm incapacitated.


    Virtue''s Edge was only a one handed sword, so his movements with his sword wouldn''t be impeded too much.


    With the sword stances Professor Will had taught him, he could adapt very quickly to certain scenarios like this.


    He sent a regenerative me down to his foot, with it starting a regeneration process that would take a few seconds toplete.


    But Alex didn''t have a few seconds.


    It healed enough to a point where he could still walk and run on it, and he sent himself right back into the action.


    The healing process would still continue, but Alex would long be enthralled in battle with Rakul before that couldplete.


    Rakul, sensing an opportunity, continued to rain arrows down on Alex, but his movements were bing more and more frantic.


    With how close Alex had be to him, he started teleporting rapidly, his form blinking in and out of existence across the now empty battlefield.


    Each teleportation seemed almost instantaneous, with barely a dy between Rakul activating the talent, and a significantly higher range than Alex''s own teleportation abilities.


    Not to mention the fact that his energy usage was much, much lower than Alex''s was.


    Alex grunted as he pushed through the pain baring through his shoulder and foot, dodging arrows as best as he could.


    Every few moments, an arrow would graze him, adding more wounds to his already battered body.


    Thankfully these arrows only grazed him, leaving shallow wounds rather than deep prations like the first two did.


    His regenerative mes worked tirelessly on his foot, butpared to the speed of the battle, his healing speed was slow.


    He could feel the wound knitting together, but it wasn''t fast enough topletely negate the pain and limp in his every step.


    Each step sent sharp stabs of pain through his body, but he couldn''t afford to stop.


    If he stopped, even for a split second, he would be impaled by countless arrows.


    Rakul''s teleportation made it nearly impossible to predict his movements.


    One moment he was on the left, the next he was behind,unching arrows with not so deadly precision.


    Alex had to rely on his spatial perception to even have a chance at keeping up.


    But although it was nearly impossible to predict Rakul''s moves, there was still a minute chance.


    Desperation and determination fuelled Alex as he analysed Rakul''s pattern.


    Each teleportation, while almost instantaneous, had a slight but perceptible dy before Rakul rematerialised andunched another volley of arrows.


    Alex needed to anticipate his moves, not just react to them after they had already happened.


    Drawing from his training with Professor Will, Alex shifted his stance, preparing to make a move.


    He watched Rakul closely, all the while still dodging.


    He noted the subtle signs of where he might appear next.


    If his teleportation was anything like Alex''s, he could only teleport somewhere within his perception.


    Alex didn''t know if Rakul had spatial perception like he did, so he focused on his eyes.


    ''Now!''


    Alex waited until the veryst moment before Rakul teleported once again, but he finally noticed something this time!


    Whether consciously or subconsciously, Rakul would shift his eyes away from Alex and look at something else for a split second before they returned back to Alex.


    Alex had a feeling that he wasn''t just looking anywhere random.


    And when he saw Rakul appear, he knew he was correct in his assumption.


    ''Okay, so he needs to be looking at the ce he wants to teleport to¡­ I can make use of this.''


    Without being too obvious, Alex waited for Rakul to teleport once again, this time he was focusing his entire attention on his eyes.


    So far, Rakul hadn''t teleported within 20 metres of Alex, even though he had teleported dozens of times by this point.


    It was clear that he was worried that Alex, with his speed alone, might be able to reach him before the short cooldown between each teleportation was over.


    This was also something Alex could make use of.


    With this in mind, all Alex had to do was wait for him to teleport.


    And sure as hell, a few more dozen or so milliseconds had passed, and Rakul began exhibiting the signs that he was about to teleport once again.


    Alex waited for his eyes to shift, until¡­


    Whoosh!


    Rakul''s eyes shifted and he disappeared from his spot.


    Whoosh!


    But so did Alex!


    Rakul teleported about 22 metres away from where Alex was previously standing, but Alex pushed his teleportation talent to the max, and managed to push his range to 10 metres.


    Now that 22 metres hade down to just 10.


    And this was enough for him to reach Rakul!


    Rakul''s eyes widened in shock as he materialised and saw Alex already closing in on him.


    ''Impossible¡­ How did he predict where I would end up!?''


    For a split second, the archer''sposure broke, and Alex seized the opportunity with ferocious speed.


    Heunched forward, his foot nearly fully healed by this point due to the confrontation taking longer than he expected.


    His body was a blur, closing the remaining distance in an instant.


    Rakul hastily tried to knock another arrow, but Alex was upon him before he could release it.


    He threw away his bow, taking an emergency use dagger out from his belt, and attempted to deliver a strike to Alex instead.


    But with a swift, decisive strike, Virtue''s Edge came in faster.


    The sword swung forwards, splitting Rakul''s shabby dagger in half.


    The weapon snapped in Rakul''s hands, and the pieces fell to the ground, harmlessly.


    Things had be very dicey for Rakul.

 Chapter 280: What!?

    Alex didn''t stop at that.


    He followed through with a powerful kick, with his leg that hadn''t been injured, aimed at Rakul''s midsection.


    The Red Demon staggered backwards, gasping for breath.


    The gap was closing, and Alex could see the panic in Rakul''s eyes.


    Desperately, Rakul tried to teleport again, but Alex anticipated this move.


    He reached out, grabbing Rakul''s arm just as he began to disappear.


    The sudden contact between them caused Rakul to bring Alex with him.


    "Not so fast!" Alex growled, a sinister smile on his face.


    He tightened his grip on Rakul''s arm and pulled him closer.


    He swung Virtue''s Edge, not having enough energy to produce and sustain Phoenix mes after his two uses of teleportation during this battle.


    He had used it at the start against Gormak, and now against Rakul.


    The de sliced through Rakul''s side.


    "ARGHHHH!"


    He screamed in agony.


    Alex didn''t give him the chance to recover.


    He pressed his advantage, striking again and again, each blow weakening Rakul further and causing him to lose more and more blood.


    Not to mentionpletely decimate his internal organs.


    The Red Demon''s teleportation talent was useless in such close quarters, hence why he opted to be a long range supporter.


    Finally, with onest, powerful strike, Alex drove Virtue''s Edge through Rakul''s chest.


    His body convulsed violently, his eyes wide in terror.


    Rakul left ast scream across the battlefield before the light of life left his eyes.


    Alex stood over his lifeless body, his breathing heavy andboured.


    His body ached from the numerous wounds, and the pain in his foot and shoulder was almost unbearable.


    But he had done it.


    All four elites were dead now.


    He took a moment to catch his breath, letting his energy slowly rejuvenate and the regenerative mes in his foot do its work.


    The battlefield was eerily quiet, the only sound being the crackling of residual mes and the distant, anguished groans of soldiers on other parts of the battlefield.


    p


    p


    p


    Alex turned his attention to Vorkath, the leader of the elite squad.


    If it weren''t for him suddenly starting to p, Alex had almost forgotten that he was there.


    Vorkath had watched the entire battle from beginning to end with an inscrutable expression, his stance unchanging.


    Now, as Alex stood, heaving and eyes locked on him, Vorkath''s gaze was surprisingly in a wide smile.


    "Congrattions, human," Vorkath started speaking, his voice dripping with condescension.


    "You''ve managed to defeat my men. That''s no small feat."


    Alex tightened his grip on Virtue''s Edge, readying himself for another fight.


    He wasn''t in much of a state for a fight anymore, but what other choice did he have?


    "They weren''t much of a challenge," he retorted, though the pain in his voice betrayed his obvious exaggeration.


    Vorkath''s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement.


    "Ah, the bravado of youth," he mused. "But I must admit, you have my respect. Few Red Demons could have done what you just did, not to mention an inferior species like you humans."


    Alex didn''t lower his sword, his eyes never leaving Vokath''s.


    "Respect or not, you''re next."


    Alex''s tone was ice cold.


    Vorkath chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound.


    "You''re in no condition to fight me, boy. Look at you. Barely standing, bleeding from multiple wounds. Do you really think you can back up your previous statement?"


    Alex''s body screaming in protest, but he forced himself to stand tall.


    "I don''t need your pity," he spat. "Juste at me."


    Vorkath''s smile softened into something almost resembling genuine pity.


    He sheathed his massive de with a slow, deliberate emotion.


    "You misunderstand me, human," he said calmly.


    "I do not pity you. I simply refuse to sully my honour by fighting someone who is already half a corpse."


    Alex''s eyes widened in confusion, his grip on Virtue''s Edge faltering for a moment.


    "What?" he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.


    "In the Red Demon race, it is dishonourable for Prodigies like myself to fight an opponent in a state such like yourself," Vorkath exined.


    "Especially for someone of my stature. Top ss Prodigies like myself cannot tarnish our reputation by engaging in such cowardly acts. Or else I''d risk losing my position as a Prodigy."


    Vorkath looked down and rubbed his de, cleaning a little bit of dust off of it, before turning back to look at Alex.


    "And that¡­ is not something that can happen."


    Alex''s mind raced, trying toprehend Vorkath''s word.


    "So, you have the perfect opportunity to finish me off, yet you''re just going to let me go?" he asked, disbeliefcing his tone.


    If someone suggested such a thing back in the federation, they would getughed off by the entire awakened world.


    There was no such thing as ''Honour'' in the world of awakened.


    Everyone cared about their own strength and survival, that was it.


    Such things like public image, reputation etc was not on their list of priorities, and they''d dly take an opportunity to finish off a strong opponent like Vorkath had right now.


    Vorkath nodded slowly.


    "Correct. But do not consider it an act of pity. Should we meet again, I will not hesitate to kill you."


    Before Alex could respond, Vorkath''s body tensed, and with a powerful leap, he ascended to the sky.


    Alex watched in stunned silence as Vokath soared higher and higher, disappearing into the clouds.


    A momentter, a sleek, dark ship materialised out of nowhere, its form shimmering as it emerged from what appeared to be some sort of spatial storage.


    The ship''s engines roared to life, and with a blinding sh of light, it vanished into the ck expanse outside of the atmosphere, leaving Alex alone on the battlefield.


    The silence that followed was deafening, the distant groans of injured and almost dead soldiers and Red Demons being the only sounds disturbing this silence.


    Alex fell to his knees, his breathing in ragged gasps.


    "What the fuck just happened!?"


    He fell unconscious just a momentter.

 Chapter 281: Alliance Fleet

    When Alex woke up, he felt¡­ nothing.


    He expected to feel a splitting headache and pain all over his body like every other time he passed out in such situations, but this time seemed to be different.


    ''Ahhh, well I can''tin really¡­''


    It was way better than any of the previous experiences he had like this anyway, so he was in fact rather delighted to be free from the pain this time.


    ''Where the hell am I then?''


    But this was the most concerning thing on Alex''s mind at the moment, as he clearly remembered passing out amidst the battlefield, and he clearly wasn''t anywhere near that anymore.


    Instead, he was lying in apletely clean room, in an extremelyfortable bed with even a few windows to the side.


    Outside the windows was the vast expanse of space.


    He was obviously on some sort of ship, but who brought him there, or how he even got there was aplete mystery to him.


    Alex sat up, his movements smooth and painless, and nced around the room.


    There was a sleek and metallic sheen to everything, from the walls to the furniture.


    Advanced technology everywhere.


    A small console to the side of his bed hummed softly, its screen disying his vital signs.


    Before he could ponder further, the door to the room slid open with a soft hiss.


    A tall, slender woman stepped in, dressed in a form fitting uniform with intricate patterns that seemed to glow faintly.


    The woman had an air of calm authority, and her eyes, a striking shade of violet, met Alex''s with an unreadable expression.


    "You''re awake," the woman said, her voice smooth and melodic.


    "That''s good. How are you feeling?"


    "Confused." Alex admitted, his gaze never leaving the woman.


    "Where am I? And who are you?"


    The figure smiled faintly.


    "You are onboard the Arden Dawn, a vessel of the Alliance fleet. My name is ra, and I am the ship''s chief medical officer."


    "We found you on the battlefield, severely injured but still alive. It seems your body is quite tough and resilient to hold out for so long."


    "The Alliance Fleet?" Alex repeated, trying to piece together some information.


    "I''ve never heard of it."


    ra nodded, her violet eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and understanding.


    "That''s not surprising. The Alliance Fleet operates outside of the Federation''s jurisdiction."


    "We are, in essence, a private armyposed of awakened individuals from variouss, united by amon cause."


    Alex raised an eyebrow. "A private army? What''s your cause?"


    "To protect and preserve life across the gxy," ra exined. "We intervene in conflicts where the Federation is unable or unwilling to act. We''ve been monitoring the activities of the Red Demons for some time."


    "Your Federation''s stupid ambition has sparked this war and ended the human race''s protection period early, so we were forced to involve ourselves."


    Alex processed this information, his mind racing. "So, you''re like¡­ gctic vigntes?"


    ra smiled at that.


    "Calling us vigntes implies we are going against the Federation''sws and rules, when in reality the Federation can''t touch us."


    Alex''s eyebrow perked up after hearing such a bold statement, especially after he had met the top brass of the Federation himself, so he knew just how powerful they were.


    "And how exactly would that be the case?" He asked.


    ra just chuckled mysteriously, not revealing too much.


    "Because of our leader."


    Alex leaned back against the bed''s headrest, trying to absorb everything ra was saying.


    ''Because of their leader? How could one person be strong enough for the Federation to fear them? Just what kind of person is this leader?''


    Alex had a multitude of questions he wanted to ask, but from ra''s previous response he could tell that he wouldn''t get much more information out of her regarding this topic.


    "So, you found me on the battlefield. Why did you save me?"


    "Simply because we could. Do we need much more of a reason to save someone on the battlefield?"


    ''Ahh..''


    Alex wasn''t expecting such a simple response.


    Considering the way ra had been presenting herself and this Alliance Fleet, he was expecting something more along the lines of ''Your determination and courage in the face of overwhelming odds caught our attention h h h'', but instead, it seemed things were much more simple than that.


    Alex rxed a bit, the unexpected simplicity of ra''s response giving him a strange sense offort, or maybe it was the soft bed sheets beneath him?


    He nodded slowly, epting her exnation.


    "So, what happens now?" he asked, looking at her.


    ra''s smile widened slightly.


    "Now, you have a choice."


    "You can either rest and recover here on the Ardent Dawn, or you can join us. We could use someone with your skills."


    ''Ahh, there it is. I should have expected such a recruitment tactic right from the beginning.''


    Alex thought about it, but not for long.


    ra didn''t really have much to offer to him, at least he thought so.


    "And if I decide to go back?"


    "We''ll ensure your safe return and provide some aid to this system to bolster the human race''s defences against the Red Demons."


    "We''re not here to force anyone to join us. Our cause is voluntary, and we respect the choices of those we help." ra exined.


    "I''ll take that option then. I''m ratherfortable with my current situation, thanks. I''m not looking for any change." Alex replied.


    ra, somewhat disappointed with his response, nodded.


    She was about to tell Alex that it would still take another few days before he fully recovered, but as she took a nce at his vital signs on the small panel next to his bed, she couldn''t help but do a double take.


    "You''re already fully recovered?" She blurted out, unable to hold her curiosity in.


    Alex, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, replied.


    "How would I know? I had only just awoken before you stepped into the room and started bbering on about your recruitment scheme¡­"


    "..."


    "..."

 Chapter 282: Returning to the battlefield

    Not more than an hour passed since Alex had awoken, and he was already out and about, exploring the inner confines of the Alliance Fleet''s ship.


    ra had thought that something must be wrong with the monitoring equipment when she saw Alex''s vitals, but then she remembered that she designed them herself, so that was impossible,


    Which only meant that Alex had actually fully recovered!


    She wasn''t so shocked that she didn''t know what to do, as there were many other times where Awakened had increased regenerative speeds, or a talent rted to health, regeneration etc.


    It''s just that none of them were as absurd as Alex''s.


    Alex wasn''t aware of it until ra told him, but between Alex passing out and waking up on the ship, only 4 hours had passed.


    So he had gone from severely injured, to fully recovered somewhere in those four hours, and that was without the aid of his Phoenix mes or any medicines, as ra had yet to administer any, as that was the exact reason she had entered Alex''s room in the first ce.


    "Where are we, in terms of location in space?" Alex asked, turning to ra, who was to his side.


    They were standing on the main deck of the Alliance ship, and Alex couldn''t see any ships,s or even space debris anywhere outside of the huge window adorning the entire front of the deck.


    So they must be pretty far away from any battlefields.


    "We''re just outside of the Shen Wu system."


    Alex''s eyebrows shot up in surprise.


    "Outside of the system? How did you get me out of there so fast?"


    ra smiled, but refrained from answering.


    It seemed she liked this mysterious sort of persona she had built up for Alex.


    ra inclined her head slightly. "Now, would you like us to take you back to the battlefield? We can transport you there safely."


    Alex shook his head.


    "No, that won''t be necessary. I have my own ship. It would be a waste of a gift if I still hitched rides everywhere rather than using my own."


    ra nodded in understanding.


    She guided Alex to the nearest airlock.


    "Well, it seems this is thest of our short meeting." ra said, a smile still perched on her face.


    "Yeah, I doubt we''ll ever see each other again. Thanks for saving me though, I''ll be sure to repay the favour some way or another someday."


    Alex turned around, locking the door behind him, separating him and ra by the thick metal door, with only a small window allowing them to see each other.


    Holding his breath, Alex pressed the next button to unlock the outer door, and the airlock was depressurised instantly, before the door finally opened with the intense cold of the vast vacuum hitting him.


    Alex waved at the interior door to ra without looking back, and propelled himself out of the ship''s confines with his feet, and when he was far enough away from the Alliance''s ship, he took his own ship out of his storage.


    The hundred metre long military ss ship once again graced the physical world, and Alex entered it without any hitches, other than trying to control the angle of his body in zero gravity¡­


    Once inside, Alex quickly reactivated the ship''s systems.


    The familiar hum of the engines and the soft glow of the control panels brought a sense of normalcy.


    He set himself down in the pilot''s seat and plotted a course back to the same battlefield in the Shen Wu system.


    The ship''s AI confirmed the coordinates and engaged the warp drive.


    As the stars stretched into long streaks of light and the ship hurled through space, he took a little bit of time to reflect on the strange series of events that took ce in thest day alone.


    He encountered a group of elite Red Demons, most likely the strongest Red Demons in this system as well, and ended up killing all of them.


    Then just as he thought he might be dead meat, Varkoth starts to bber on about pride and a bunch of other irrelevant stuff to Alex, only to let him live.


    Then he wakes up in an unfamiliar ship of a strange force he had never heard of before¡­


    Too many strange things have been happening to him in recent times¡­


    Speaking of the Alliance Fleet, ra said something about them being untouchable in the Federation because of their leader.


    ''How can that even be possible though? Like, wouldn''t their leader have to be the strongest person in the federation for that to be possible!?''


    ''Wait¡­''


    The puzzle pieces suddenly fit together in his mind, and Alex felt like a whirlpool of emotions had just flooded into him.


    There was only one person that fit the bill to be the leader of the Alliance Fleet, and he also remembered hearing about how that one final seat in the Round table room was almost always left empty by its rightful upier¡­


    It was most likely that these two people were the same person!


    Previously, Alex had no intention whatsoever of joining the Alliance Fleet, but after finding out that they were backed up by the literal strongest person in the entire federation, his thoughts were changing little by little.


    It would still take a lot more convincing for him to actually join them, but he wouldn''tpletely dismiss the idea entirely like he did back on the Alliance''s ship.


    Besides, he already had Principal Farnes, the second strongest in the federation backing him up, so he doubted there wouldn''t be much of a difference in what they could offer him.


    After a short warp, the ship exited near the outer rim of the battlefield.


    The Federation''s military identification system quickly recognised his ship, allowing him to bypass the usual security checks unhindered this time.


    The ship glided smoothly through the vastness of space, navigating back to the where all of the main battles were taking ce.


    He wasn''t going to leave this ce until everyst Red Demon was dead.

 Chapter 283: Sticky situation...

    As Alex stood on the deck of ''King'', his admittedly cringe-named ship, he held Virtue''s Edge in his hand, as he opened its details.


    [Virtue''s Edge]


    [E rank (Growth type)]


    [Ordinary ss (Growth type)]


    [A sword like no other. This de was forged by Mikhail, a grandmaster swordsmith as his final work before he disappeared, never to be seen again. Forged in the heart of a volcano, it is particrly fond of the fire element.]


    [F tier effect - Whenbined with the fire element, the power produced with each sh will be doubled.]


    He read through the details, proud of its growth already as its rank would soon catch up to his own with enough time spent on the battlefield.


    But he was a little disappointed at the fact that its ss hadn''t grown yet, as well as the fact that no E tier effect had appeared.


    But he had a pretty good guess why a second effect hadn''t appeared yet, and the answer was a rather simple on.


    The F tier effect only appeared when the sword reached F+ rank, although he didn''t know this at the time because itpletely skipped F rank, jumping from F- to F+ with its first kill imed.


    But now, after hitting E rank, Alex began to understand more of how its functions worked.


    It seemed he would only gain a new E tier effect when its growth reached the peak of such tier, so he would only receive his next upgrade when it reached E+ rank.


    And judging by the fact that this would have repeated from F to E tier, there was no doubt in his mind that it would also apply to the higher tiers as well.


    It was a little disappointing, because it meant he still had some more upgrading to do, but he was going to be doing that regardless, so it really made no difference to his current ns.


    ***


    A week had passed since Alex had returned to the main battlefield.


    And a lot had happened during this week.


    For one, with the chance to finally have a break, thanks to his unnned visit to the Alliance Fleet, he had the chance to check his inventory.


    And he was very pleased with what he found inside.


    Not only were there over 10 soul orbs sitting there from the fights with the Red Demons he had since he had joined the war, but there were also two very striking Soul orbs that stood out from that bunch.


    In total, he had received 12 soul orbs from his first day on the battlefield, and a further 25 in the 7 days following.


    He was unluckier in thetter 7 dayspared to the first, as he encountered far less Red Demons, and often times when he did, they would just flee at the sight of him, only if they had the capability to run away from him though.


    It seemed word had spread about the newly arrived Human prodigy''s ferocity on the battlefield, though Alex couldn''t have cared less about that.


    He had more important things on his mind.


    Like the fact that he was about to reach D+ rank.


    Yes, those 37 soul orbs in total did be very handy to him, though he only needed to absorb 3 of the highest ranked ones to reach D+ rank, 2 of those being the very striking soul orbs he had received from killing Varkoth''s four elites.


    And he was actually very lucky with the final one of them, as he was actually able to activate an effect of his Soulforge talent that he had only experienced once before.


    The harvesting of a remnant soul.


    Just like his time with the wolf soul orb, he immediately fell into what felt like a deep sleep as soon as he absorbed one of the two elite''s soul orbs.


    And he was surprised by who exactly he had upied.


    ***


    "Selithia, you, Gormak, Rakul, and finally Xulthar will being with me to the battlefield in the Shen Wu system."


    When Alex awoke, he found himself inhabiting the body of Selithia, the only female among the elites and also the first Red Demon elite he had killed.


    He was unable to enjoy the sensations of inhabiting a female body though, as he found himself thrust into quite a¡­ ''sticky'' scenario.


    She, or rather he, was lying down in a bed, without a single piece of clothing in sight, and rather ufortably for Alex, so was Varkoth¡­


    Luckily for him though, it seemed the¡­ session Varkoth and Selithia were having with each other had just ''finished'' before he inhabited her body in the remnant memory.


    Though, he was still feeling some odd sensations coursing through his, or rather, her body.


    But there was nothing he could do about that, as he was in absolutely zero control of anything when he inhabited these remnant memories.


    Rather than being thrust into a world created around a memory fragment, it was more like he was sent into a full dive VR movie where he got to experience everything from the protagonist''s pov.


    He had his own thoughts, and the Selithia in the memory had her own too.


    After a few minutes passed and the odd sensations Alex was feeling settled down, the scene with Selithia and Varkoth finally advanced to something more than just them lying on the bed and panting, trying to catch their breath.


    "Ugh, why do I have to join those brutes? Don''t you know Gormak and Rakul have been lusting over my body ever since they firstid eyes on these luscious curves? I can''t stand the sight of those horny dogs constantly staring me down."


    Selithia''s reply was filled with disgust, though some questions were answered for Alex, who was spectating this scene from within Selithia''s mind.


    Such as why Gormak and Rakul were so enraged when Alex dealt the killing blow to her.


    ''So they were in love with her? Or maybe it''s better to say they were lusting over her, considering Selithia''s words just now¡­''

 Chapter 284: An even stickier situation

    Varkoth listened to Selithia''sint with a neutral expression, not looking at her once during the conversation even though she was stillying down,pletely naked beside him.


    Just like how Gormak and Rakul were lusting over her, Selithia was lusting over Varkoth, so it was rather hypocritical of her to speak so ill of the duo considering she wasn''t that unlike them.


    The only difference was that she had her advances toward Varkoth reciprocated, even if it was just so he could release his own urges.


    Varkoth didn''t see Selithia in the same way as Gormak and Rakul did, while they saw her as a fresh piece of meat they could barely take their minds off of, Varkoth saw her as a pawn ¡ª a means to an end.


    "You''ll do as you''re told. My orders are final."


    Varkoth responded to Selithia, but he wasn''t done just yet.


    "I''ve heard news that a human prodigy has shown up on the battlefield in the Shen Wu system, so I want you guys to go check it out. I will be assessing your abilities from the sidelines, who knows, maybe you''ll have the chance to be promoted to a prodigy yourself if you manage to deal the killing blow to him."


    Varkoth exined his reasons for assigning Selithia with those other three, and it seemed like Selithia finally understood, as she gave up herints in that instant.


    For the Red Demon race, their status in society was of utmost importance to them, even more than their own power, though the two almost always went hand in hand with each other.


    Elites were better than the average Red Demon awakened, while Prodigies were above even elites.


    Above prodigies, you only had more prodigies, as this section was split into tiers.


    And these tiers were determined by how high an awakened could fight above their own rank.


    Elites could fight two ranks above themselves, and be able to fight on par with someone one ss higher and the same rank as them for 5 minutes.


    As for Varkoth, he was a top tier prodigy, the highest status one could achieve below the high noble ranks of the Red Demon race''s empire.


    In fact, top tier prodigies had statuses on par with Dukes in the Red Demon empire, which just showed how valuable the ability to attain one is.


    In total, there are 4 tiers of prodigies that the Red Demons use to differentiate.


    The lowest, called Bottom tier prodigies, is self exnatory.


    It is the status one would attain when they went from Elites to Prodigies.


    To qualify for this upgrade in status, one must be able to fight three ranks ahead of themselves, andst for 30 minutes against someone of a higher ss than them, at the same rank.


    This was the status upgrade that Selithia, Gormak, Rakul and Xulthar were all gunning for, as they were all rather close to qualifying for this.


    They had already met the first criteria, but the second one ofsting for 30 minutes against a person of a higher ss than them was a rather tricky one to manage.


    Since they were all mutant ss, so they would have to find a Variant ss who was willing to help them in this.


    And although the Red Demons had over 2000 years of history from their first encounter with the Primordial expanse, Variant sses were still rather rare.


    Above bottom tier, there were lower tier prodigies.


    In order to qualify for this, they''d have to defeatst for 2 hours against someone of a higher ss, and 1 rank higher than them.


    Then, there were Higher tier prodigies, where they would have to outright defeat someone of a higher ss, and the same rank as them.


    As for top tier, the requirements were much more vague as each top tier prodigy was appointed by the King of the Red Demon race himself.


    But considering the fact that Higher tier prodigies had to defeat an opponent of a higher ss, one could expect the requirements for top tier to be 2 or perhaps 3 times more stringent.


    Each tier of status came with a huge amount of benefits that would further boost their development, many of them never even being heard of in the Human race.


    "We''ll be setting off in a few days, so make sure you are ready for departure by that time."


    "As for the base we''ll be staying at when we arrive there, make sure to keep your lips sealed about it the whole time we''re there."


    "The higher ups in the army have been building a Buster in the deepest depths of the ocean on the where the main battlefield is taking ce, and they''ve managed to keep it secret even when right under the human''s noses. We''ll be staying at the base where they are constructing this Buster."


    "If you somehow manage to let this information slip into the enemy hands, as I know you have a loose tongue, then you will face dire consequences, mark my words."


    Varkoth finished exining the information of his mission to Selithia, and conveniently, the remnant memory ended right after the two of them finished conversing.


    Alex was sent back to the real world right away.


    ***


    ''What. The. Fuck¡­''


    Alex was still shell shocked, and still a little weirded out by the whole experience of being in a naked woman''s body.


    But he was even more shocked by the information he had just obtained.


    Buster!?''


    He had no clue what this name entailed, but it was clear that it was some sort of weapon to be used from the way Varkoth threatened Selithia to keep it top secret.


    And from the name alone, Alex didn''t like what he had heard one bit.


    A Buster? It was clear what the purpose of such a weapon was.


    And while Alex thought it might be cool to see a explode in person one day, it wasn''t cool to do it with millions of human awakened currently fighting on, and even more uncool to do it to a that could actually support life.


    But most importantly, Alex would have died not knowing what had happened to him if he hadn''t received this information.


    He had no idea how long it would take for this  Buster'' to bepleted, but he doubted the humans would ever find out about it before it was.


    He felt fortunate to absorb Selithia''s soul orb during the short break he was taking, rather than waiting to rank up after he had finished his business in the Shen Wu star system¡­


    As he would have missed out on learning about this information if he did go that route¡­


    ''It looks like my ns will have to change¡­''


    Alex''s goal previously was to slowly wipe out each and every Red Demon in the Shen Wu star system over theing months, fighting a slow and calcted war against them, rather than going in guns zing like he usually did.


    But not that he knew about the Red Demon''s ns for this system, he had no choice but to push his timeline forward.


    He had to find where the oceans were the deepest, and destroy this base, along with the Buster.

 Chapter 285: Scanning the entire planet

    Alex didn''t even have time to check how much stronger he had be from reaching D+ rank.


    No, he headed straight back down to the''s surface the moment he awoke from the Remnant memory.


    He was so quick to act, that his ship elerated instantly from orbit down into the atmosphere.


    The speeds were so great that huge sonic booms could be heard for miles upon miles, ringing across the three times over until the effect of his reentry faded.


    In reality, most modern conventional ships could also do this, but nobody was bold enough to attempt such a speedy reentry, for fear of crashing right into the surface at near iprehensible speeds.


    That wouldn''t be good for either the pilot, or the¡­


    At first he tried using his spatial perception to scan for any deep crevices in the earth while flying over the oceans.


    His range had even increased to a spectacr 750 metres from his rank up to D+ rank, but that was of no interest to him at the moment.


    He quickly gave up that idea, as he realised not too long in that not only were the normal ocean depths well past 1000 metres, but the deepest parts would exceed far beyond that.


    If he was stronger, maybe C+ rank, he might have had the range, but at his current level? Impossible.


    This left him with only one choice.


    "King, scan the entire for any deep pits, creeks, or holes in the oceans. Don''t just scan the oceans though, scan thendmasses just in case."


    He ordered the AI on his ship, also aptly named ''King'' just like the ship itself, to initiate the scan for him.


    He wasn''t just piloting a top of the line ship for no reason, it had its uses other than to just get him from ce to ce.


    And right now, it was serving such a purpose.


    Within seconds, a pulse was sent out by his ship, undetectable to any other ships nearby, that encircled the entire in seconds.


    A hologram gradually started to appear in the middle of themand deck of King, with a full, 3D reproduction of the slowly appearing in the images in real time.


    "Full scan of the specified has beenpleted."


    After around 30 seconds, the entire hologram of the waspleted and disyed fully, in unimaginable detail for Alex to see.


    But he waved away all of the unnecessary information and instead switched the entire thing to heightmap mode, much like the video game designers of the 21st century used to create terrain in their inferior video games.


    He asked the AI to highlight the deepest areas in red, and in the end, 3 spots on the were highlighted a deep red.


    Two of them were on opposite sides of the, in twopletely different oceans, while the third was somewhere in a piece of uninhabitednd.


    He ignored the one that was onnd for now, and instead locked his full attention on the two areas in the oceans.


    ''Eeny meeny miney¡­''


    He picked one of them at random.


    ''You!''


    His choice happened to be the ocean farthest away from where all of the conflicts were taking ce.


    In reality, this seemed like the most likely ce for the Red Demons to be building some kind of mega weapon, since the less popted it was, the less likely they were of being discovered, which had clearly worked until aplete cheat like Alex was introduced to the ying field.


    Alex set the ship''s autopilot to the coordinates of the chosen deep sea trench.


    The engines roared to life as the ship shot through the atmosphere once more, though at much more manageable speeds this time, leaving behind the sight of the Shen Wu system''s vast, sprawling conflict zones.


    As the ship hurled towards the ocean, Alex reviewed the data King had gathered.


    The chosen trench was an abyssal canyon, deeper than anything natural on Earth or Mars.


    The scan suggested the trench''s depth exceeded 12,000 metres ¡ª well beyond the limits of which the human body, even a typical D rank awakened''s body, could handle without some sort of supporting equipment or vehicle.


    "King, keep the senses on high alert. We don''t want any surprises." Alexmanded.


    He doubted that his ship would be able to spot and alert him to something quicker than his own spatial perception could, but it was better to be safe than sorry in Alex''s eyes.


    "Affirmative, Captain. Sensors engaged at maximum capacity." The AI responded.


    As the ship neared the coordinates, Alex switched to manual control.


    The spaceship turned aircraft glided across the ocean''s surface before descending into the depths, turning it into a submarine by this point¡­


    The external lights activated, piercing into the inky ckness of the deep sea.


    The pressure increased as they delved deeper, but even the pressure at 1000 kilometres deep into the''s mantle couldn''t crack the ship''s hull, let alone a measly 12 kilometres.


    The only indication that he was even moving at all came from the real time blip of his own ship on the erged map of the Abyssal Canyon on the hologram.


    Alex, represented by a blue blip, was descending rapidly into the trench at dozens of metres a second, which would put him near the bottom of the trench in around 20 minutes.


    He was in a race against time, but he didn''t want to risk disturbing the waters enough to alert the enemy to his presence, if they really were hiding down in this trench.


    "Scanning for any anomalous structures." King, the AI, reported.


    Minutes passed, and Alex''s patience was running thin.


    He was halfway down the trench by now, and still, there was no sign of any activity at all.


    Which only begged the question, how did the Red Demons move in and out of this so called base and leave little to no trace of their presence there?


    Alex was beginning to suspect that his random choice may have been wrong.

 Chapter 286: Abyssal Trench

    Alex''s mind raced as he continued his descent into the abyssal trench.


    The deeper he went, the more he questioned whether his random choice had been a mistake.


    He kept his senses, along with the ship''s senses, on high alert, straining for any hint of an enemy presence.


    "King, any signs of life, or unnatural activity yet?" Alex asked, his voiceced with impatience and dissatisfaction.


    "Negative, Captain. No signs of life or technological activity detected so far," the AI responded.


    Alex gritted his teeth. He was more than halfway down the trench now, and still, there was nothing. If the Red Demons weren''t here, then they had to be at the other location. He couldn''t afford to waste more time.


    "King, prepare for an emergency ascent. If we don''t find anything within the next five minutes, we''ll head to the other site," Alex ordered.


    "Understood, Captain. Emergency ascent protocols initiated," King replied.


    ''Surely they can''t be at the absolute bottom of the trench, right?'' Alex thought to himself.


    "Scratch that previous order. Only leave when we''ve descended as far as we can go."


    Realising his mistake, Alex changed his orders.


    The minutes ticked by with excruciating slowness. Alex''s ship continued to descend, the pressure and darkness growing more intense.


    ''I guess it''s time to pack it u-''


    Ping!


    Then, just as he was about to give themand to ascend, something flickered on the ship''s sensors.


    "Captain, I''m detecting a faint energy signature approximately 200 metres ahead and 50 metres below our current position," King reported.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed. "Finally. Let''s move in closer."


    He adjusted the ship''s trajectory, guiding it toward the source of the energy signature. The darkness seemed to press in on all sides, but the ship''s powerful lights cut through, revealing more of the trench''s jaggedndscape.


    As they approached, the energy signature grew stronger.


    "King, keep the sensors focused on that energy source. I want to know the moment we''re close enough to identify it," Alex said.


    "Affirmative, Captain," King responded.


    Another few minutes passed, and then the outline of a massive structure came into view. It was nestled into the side of the trench, camouged by the surrounding rock. The structure was enormous, easily spanning a kilometre in length. Strange symbols and patterns glowed faintly along its surface, marking it as unmistakably alien.


    "Target identified. It appears to be a heavily fortified base, Captain," King confirmed.


    Alex''s pulse quickened. "Alright, let''s get a closer look."


    He guided the ship to a position just outside the base''s perimeter. The structure was made of a dark, metallic material that seemed to absorb light, making it difficult to see details. But the faint glow from the symbols provided just enough illumination to navigate.


    "King, scan for any entry points or weaknesses in the structure''s defences," Alex ordered.


    "Scanning... Entry point detected. There appears to be a docking bay approximately 100 metres to our starboard side. No external defences detected in the immediate vicinity," King reported.


    ''Perhaps I can destroy the base without even having to do any of the work myself¡­'' Alex considered.


    He remembered Admiral Olgierd''s words when he first handed this ship over to Alex.


    It had the potential to unleash Variant ss B rank attacks, if need be.


    Using his ship topletely obliterate the enemy base seemed like a much better idea than going in himself.


    He asked the AI for its opinion, but it poured cold water on his idea.


    "I strongly advise against using the ship''s weapons. The energy signature I am sensing indicates an enormous gathering of energy at the epicentre of the base. If such a thing is struck by the ship''s cannons, the resulting explosion would tear the in half."


    The AI''s tone was so neutral and calm, it would be hard to believe that it had spoken such unbelievable words.


    But they only threw a spanner in Alex''s n.


    ''Dammit! That''spletely not an option. Going in myself it is then, I guess.''


    Alex grimaced. "Time to park this thing and hop out then."


    He maneuvered the ship toward an area a few hundred metres away from the base, careful to avoid making any sudden movements that might alert the base''s upants.


    He hopped out of the pilot''s seat and headed to the airlock, only to be met with massive pressure forcing down on him from all sides, and a great outpouring of water into the small airlock on his ship.


    He could only be thankful that he had a strong ship, easily capable of withstanding the pressure.


    When outside, he stored away the ship in his storage, like always.


    The void left behind by the ship was filled instantly, barely disturbing the uneasy harmony of the surrounding pitch ck environment.


    It was times like this that Alex was thankful he had his Spatial perception, as he would not be able to tell up from down and left from right in this ce if it weren''t for it.


    Making sure to check his surroundings thoroughly, he neared what looked like an entry point, an airlock hidden in amongst some outgoing rocks.


    ''Might as well try my luck¡­''


    He wasn''t expecting much, but he pressed the handle on the sturdy, reinforced metal door regardless.


    Click!


    nk!


    Grind!


    Butpletely unexpected to him, the mechanism behind the door had started!


    ''Don''t tell me they don''t even need a key card or something like that to ess a so called ''top secret'' base¡­''


    What Alex didn''t know though, was that he had just entered through a door that was normally just used as an emergency EXIT, where the use of things like key cards or passcodes would be inconvenient to use in the event of an emergency.


    When inside, he quickly discovered that the Red Demons did in fact use key cards to get in and out of ces.


    As he confirmed by the guard, who, locking eyes with Alex as he stepped through the interior door of the airlock, used his key card to open a utilities cupboard.


    ''Shit¡­''


    Alex didn''t expect to meet anyone inside so soon, to his dismay.

 Chapter 287: Control Room

    Alex''s instincts kicked in the moment he saw the guard''s eyes widen in shock.


    In a sh, he drew Virtue''s Edge and lunged forward, aiming to silence the Red Demon before he could react and alert others to his presence.


    The guard fumbled for an rm button on his wrist, but Alex was quicker.


    With a single, swift strike, he sliced through the guard''s arm, severing it cleanly.


    The Red Demon let out a guttural cry of pain, but Alex didn''t give him the chance to recover.


    He followed up with a prating strike to the guard''s throat, cutting off any further sounds.


    The guard slumped to the floor, lifeless, as Alex quickly scanned the area for any other immediate threats.


    Since he had already stored his ship away, he couldn''t perform any further scans and only had himself to rely on.


    Alex''s spatial perception spread out, mapping the immediate area around him.


    The corridor was empty for now, but he knew it might not stay that way for long.


    He dragged the guard''s body away to a shadowed corner, making sure it was hidden from casual view.


    Making sure to pluck the key card off his waist before abandoning him.


    With the key card now in his possession, it would be much easier for him to make his way through the base.


    Alex tucked the card away into a secure pocket and moved cautiously down the corridor, using his spatial perception to avoid any patrols or security cameras.


    The base was abyrinth of narrow hallways and reinforced doors, each marked with alien symbols.


    Alex paused at each intersection, ensuring the path was clear before proceeding.


    The only trouble was, he didn''t know where the Buster was, nor what it looked like.


    So he really had no idea what he was looking for, or where he was going.


    His spatial perception picked up a cluster of activity a few corridors away.


    Since he had nothing to go off, he decided to head in that direction, hoping it might lead him to something important.


    Moving silently, he advanced, each of his senses on high alert.


    As he rounded a corner, he came upon arge, reinforced door guarded by two Red Demons.


    Unlike the first guard, these two were heavily armed and looked much more serious.


    Alex knew he probably wouldn''t be able to take them out before raising any rms.


    Instead, he waited, observing their patterns.


    After a few minutes, one of the guards left, presumably to switch shifts with another or report in.


    Alex took this opportunity to strike.


    He activated his Phoenix mes, covering Virtue''s Edge with them.


    The remaining guard noticed the strange red light that had just appeared around the corner and went to go over and check the situation out.


    But he had no idea that Alex was waiting for him, ready to strike at a moment''s notice.


    As the guard rounded the corner to check out the strange red light, Alex sprang into action.


    With Virtue''s Edge zing with Phoenix mes, he lunged at the guard, striking with precision.


    The guard barely had time to register the attack before the ming de pierced through his chest, incinerating the guard and making sure no sound escaped.


    Before the guard''s body could even fall to the ground, it waspletely burned away by the intense heat of Alex''s mes.


    Not even a speck of ash was left behind as the guard''s body was gonepletely.


    With the second guard reduced to nothing with his Phoenix mes, Alex knew he had only moments before the other guard returned.


    He approached the reinforced door and swiped the key card, hoping and praying that it would grant him ess inside.


    ''Yes!!''


    To his luck, it did.


    The door slid open with a low hiss, revealing a control room filled with all sorts of Red Demon technology and several Red Demons working at various stations.


    Alex quickly assessed the situation.


    The room wasrge and well lit, with a central console that seemed to control a massive, pulsating device in the middle ¡ª it had to be the Buster.


    Alex''s nerves tensed a little as he realised how close he was to this killing weapon.


    If this thing went off with him so close to it, he wouldn''t have the chance to escape even with his insane reaction speeds.


    Alex steeled himself.


    The way these Red Demons were acting so rxed and joyous with each other could only indicate one thing.


    It was nearpletion, or perhaps it was already finished¡­


    Alex had to act quickly and decisively.


    The Red Demons in the room were clearly engineers and scientists, but Alex wasn''t going to let his guard down just because of this one simple fact.


    They could also be incredibly strong awakened for all he knew.


    He did his best to blend in to the surroundings, and moved silently towards the nearest Red Demon.


    Thankfully, the pulsating device in the centre was giving out a simr red light to his Phoenix mes, so none of the Red Demons would have noticed anything abnormal.


    With Virtue''s Edge still zing with Phoenix mes, he struck swiftly, slicing through the first Red Demon''s neck.


    The alien barely even had a chance to think before copsing silently to the ground.


    ''One down, four to go.'' Alex kept count of them in his head.


    He darted towards the second target. This one noticed a sh of light but had no time to sound an rm before Alex''s de cleaved through him. The body disintegrated into ash instantly.


    Two down.


    The third and fourth Red Demons were closer together, working side by side. Alex decided to use a different approach. He summoned a small, controlled burst of Phoenix mes,unching it between the two. The mes expanded rapidly, engulfing both Red Demons before they could react. They screamed briefly before turning to ash.


    Four down.


    The fifth Red Demon finally noticed themotion and turned, eyes wide in horror as he saw hisrades'' remains. He fumbled for a weapon, but Alex was already upon him. A swift, ming strike from Virtue''s Edge ended his life before he could even raise an rm.


    With thest Red Demon disintegrated, Alex found himself alone in the control room, the pulsating Buster looming ominously in the center. He knew he had to act quickly, but without a clear idea of how to disable the device, he felt a rare moment of uncertainty.


    His mind raced through his options. He didn''t like the idea, but contacting Colonel Margit seemed like the best course of action. Margit was an abrasive and arrogant man, but he had the necessary clearance and resources that Alexcked. Alex activated hism device, connecting to the secure line back to HQ.


    "Margit, it''s Alex. I need your help," Alex said, his voice steady despite the tension.


    "What the hell are you doing, Alex? You''re not supposed to contact me directly," Margit''s voice crackled through them.


    "I found something. Something big. The Red Demons have a Buster, and I''m standing in front of it right now. I need to know how to disable it," Alex exined, keeping his voice low but urgent.


    There was a moment of silence before Margit scoffed. "A Buster? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?"


    Alex sighed, expecting this reaction. He activated his video feed, directing it towards the pulsating device in the center of the room. "See for yourself."


    The feed transmitted the image back to HQ. Margit''s face appeared on the screen, and his initial skepticism was quickly reced by a look of shock. His face went pale, and he swallowed hard.


    "By the stars... You weren''t kidding," Margit muttered, his voice now serious. "If that thing goes off, we''re all finished."


    "Exactly. So, how do I disable it?" Alex pressed.


    Margit took a deep breath, his eyes darting off-screen as he presumably pulled up ssified information. "Alright, listen carefully. The Buster will have a central core, likely in that console you''re standing near. You need to ess the mainframe and initiate a shutdown sequence. It''splex, but I can guide you through it."


    Alex moved to the console, his fingers hovering over the alien symbols. "Alright, I''m ready."


    Margit began issuing detailed instructions, and Alex followed them meticulously. Each step required precision and understanding of the Red Demons'' technology, which Alex adapted to quickly. As they worked, the base''s rms grew louder, indicating more Red Demons were converging on his location.


    "Hurry, Margit. I don''t have much time," Alex urged, his spatial perception picking up the approaching enemies.


    "Just one more step," Margit replied. "You need to overload the containment field. It will cause a controlled implosion, rendering the Buster inert."


    Alex input the finalmands, his hands moving swiftly over the console. The device''s pulsating grew erratic, and a low hum filled the room. "It''s done. Now what?"


    "Get out of there, Alex. The implosion will happen in thirty seconds," Margit said, urgency in his voice.

 Chapter 288: Escape

    Margit may have disliked Alex from the very moment he met him, and the feeling was mutual, but that didn''t mean he wanted to see him die.


    Alex had already proved himself to be the most valuable asset they had on the battlefield over thest week, even more so now that he had discovered and eliminated this secret base all on his own.


    If it weren''t for Alex, the war in the Shen Wu system would have been lost the moment that Buster went off¡­


    ''Shit, I only have 30 seconds!''


    Alex didn''t need to be told twice.


    He didn''t have nearly enough time to escape from the base entirely, which left him with very few options.


    He scanned the room with his eyes and Spatial Perception, with his senses locking in on a maintenance hatch in the corner of the room.


    Alex forced the thing open with his strength alone, rendering any locks on it useless, and dove down it into the tunnels below.


    He made it just in the nick of time, as the implosion sequence had just initiated.


    The base shook violently, a wave of energy pulsed through the structure, but Alex kept moving.


    His instincts told him that this base wouldn''tst much longer after that explosion had taken ce.


    It was over 12 kilometres under sea level, and with the amount of pressure bearing down on it, Alex doubted it wouldn''t be long before that pressure crushed itpletely.


    Alex sprinted through the narrow maintenance tunnels, his every sense heightened to the max.


    The walls around him trembled and cracked as the implosion sequence progressed, sending reverberations echoing through the structure.


    It wasn''t just Alex that was feeling this though.


    He had barely even covered 10% of the base with his spatial perception, as most of it was outside of his range.


    With him killing all of the Red Demons that were in the range of his perception, the other sectors of the base had absolutely no idea what was going on.


    There were over 10,000 Red Demons upying this base in total, with many of them being elites like the four he had killed not too long ago.


    They could all feel the intense creaking, caused by the pressure of the ocean outside, ready to crush the base at any moment.


    The implosion from the Buster had shattered whatever structural integrity was holding the base together.


    The elites and even the few prodigies in the base were the quickest to act, as they could sense immediately that something terribly wrong had happened to the base.


    Varkoth was amongst those who were the first to act.


    ''What the fuck just happened!?''


    ''An explosion just came from the direction of the Buster!? Did they identally set it off early!?''


    ''No¡­ We would all be dead, turned to dust already if that were the case¡­''


    ''That means¡­''


    Varkoth had deduced what had happened, realising that something, or someone had caused the Buster to fail, inadvertently bringing the entire base down with it.


    He scrambled in his private quarters, collecting everything of value as quickly as he could before he started darting through the annals of the base himself.


    Alex navigated through thebyrinthine tunnels with his Spatial Perception, avoiding dead ends and finding the most direct path out of this doomed base.


    The creaking and groaning of the base only grew more frequent and louder as time passed, every second counted.


    The ceiling above him had even begun to buckle, water seeping through the cracks in thin streams.


    He rounded a final corner and prayed to whatever heavens were above as he found an escape hatch that led to the outside of the base.


    Without hesitation, he forced it to open, using his incredible strength to wrench the hatch free despite the locks keeping it in, and the ocean pressure on the outside.


    The moment the hatch opened though, a wall of water surged in, the mountainous pressure of the ocean assaulting his body all at once.


    Alex groaned, his muscles straining against the overwhelming force.


    He gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain, and will his ship King out of his storage.


    It appeared right in front of him, forcing the water in the area to spread out and make room for it, despite the intense pressure.


    It was clear whatever materials were used to construct the base were far inferior to that of King, Alex''s ship, as his ship remained spotless and intact despite causing such a ruckus with its appearance.


    With just a few seconds to spare before the entire base imploded and all of the air came rushing out, forced out of the confines of the base by the pressure, Alex fought through the rushing water and boarded his ship.


    The moment he was inside, the ship''s automatic systems activated, sealing the hatch and stabilising the pressure.


    Alex quickly moved to the cockpit and initiated theunch sequence.


    His ship surged upward, cutting through the water with ease.


    Alex watched in the rear cameras as the base copsed behind him, the pressure finally overwhelming the weakened structure.


    It was quite the spectacle to witness, as the whole thing literally imploded in an instant, like crushing a can of soda until all of the air inside of it was forced out, and all that was left was a ball of aluminium.


    Alex pushed his ship''s engines to their limits, racing upwards through the abyssal trench.


    He didn''t want to spend any more time in this area, as the Red Demons in the surrounding area, and on their main space base were surely alerted to the problems of their secret Buster base.


    Alex didn''t want to be around when all of them came converging on this area to investigate what had happened.


    Soon enough, King broke through the surface of the ocean, the night sky a wee sight after the ustrophobic darkness of the underwater base.


    Alex allowed himself a moment of relief, but it onlysted that moment as he climbed even higher, until he was eventually out of the''s atmosphere, and made his way over to the Federal Military''s main base.


    ''I actually did it¡­''


    It was only now that Alex realised what he had done,pletely solo.

 Chapter 289: Investigation

    Inside the ship, Alex established a secure line to Colonel Margit.


    The Colonel''s face appeared on the screen almost immediately after, like he was waiting for some sort ofmunication.


    "It''s done. The base is destroyed, and the Buster along with it." Alex reported.


    Margit nodded, a rare smile touching his lips.


    "You did good, Alex. The Shen Wu system owes you a great debt. Get back to HQ for some well deserved rest. That''s an order."


    For once, Alex acknowledged Colonel Margit''s order, cutting the connection shortly after.


    He leaned back in his seat, feeling the immense weight lift off his shoulder slightly.


    The war was still raging on in this system, but he had just earned the human race a major victory nheless.


    ***


    "Fucking shit, how could the n have failed so spectacrly!"


    Varkoth broke the surface of the water in a tiny, sphere shaped escape pod.


    The pod could only carry one person at a time, and he had to kill quite a few of his own people to secure it before the entire base imploded.


    Each person was fighting for their own survival, and as the strongest of the bunch, Varkoth obviously came out on top and imed the escape pod for himself.


    He immediately activated hismunicator, contacting his superiors.


    The screen flickered to life, revealing the stern face of themanding officer presiding over the Red Demon side of the war in the Shen Wu system.


    "Our primary mission is a failure. The Buster, along with the rest of the base, has been destroyed." Varkoth reported, his voice a mixture of rage and annoyance despite reporting to his so called superior.


    The superior''s eyes narrowed, ignoring Varkoth''s tone. "What caused the explosion?"


    "It is unknown at this time," Varkoth replied. "But rest assured, we will not stop until we find out what, or who, caused this monumental fuck up."


    The superior''s expression hardened.


    "How many survived? More specifically, how many of our prodigies made it out?"


    Varkoth was about to answer one, assuming he was the only one who made it out alive.


    But as he was about to speak, more and more escape pods began to surface from the ocean, each bobbing up and down on the water''s surface.


    He eyed them all quickly, counting each and every one that appeared.


    "Thirty two survivors." Varkoth reported, a hint of relief in his voice.


    The majority of the Red Demon prodigies in the Shen Wu system were upying that base.


    If all of them died in the implosion, then that might have had even more devastating effects on the war than the failure of the Buster.


    "Affirmative. A ship is on its way to collect you and the thirty one other prodigies that survived. Hold your position."


    The superior''s eyes widened slightly before he regained hisposure.


    Varkoth acknowledged the order and ended the call.


    He looked out at the escape pods scattered across the water.


    Despite the failure of the Buster mission, their survival meant that the fight in the Shen Wu system was far from over.


    A ship soon approached from over the horizon, along with dozens of others.


    All of them were Red Demon ships, with all of them but the first one arriving to investigate the cause of this huge disaster.


    The transport ship picked Varkoth and the other prodigies up, taking them to the centralmand base out in the depths of space, to report what exactly had happened and to collect every one of their testimonies.


    ***


    A few hourster, Varkoth stood in themand room of the centralmand base, deep in the depths of space.


    The sterile, metallic environment bussed with activity as Red Demon officers were rushing all over the ce, trying to bring order back.


    Themanding officer, a tall and imposing figure, wasted no time on pleasantries.


    "What did you call me here for?" Varkoth asked, his impatience barely masked.


    Themanding officer met his gaze, his expression grim.


    "One of our spy satellites picked this up, just a few moments before the base imploded."


    He turned to a holographic screen on the side and unpaused a video.


    On the screen, the normal ocean waves appeared, with nothing of immediate interest in sight.


    But Varkoth recognised the Area immediately.


    It was the ocean surface right above the abyssal trench, where he had emerged in his escape pod.


    The calm of the ocean surface was disrupted a few momentster as a shadow appeared beneath the water.


    It shot out of the ocean at speeds only a spacecraft could achieve.


    The vessel slowed for a brief moment, allowing the satellite to get a good picture of it, before it rapidly ascended out of the''s atmosphere, eventually leaving the range of the spy satellite.


    "As you can see, that was not a Red Demon ship." Themanding officer stated, looking pointedly at Varkoth.


    "It''s human." Varkoth stated, gritting his teeth.


    "Yes," themander affirmed. "But our intelligence department recognised this ship at a nce when we sent it to them to investigate. It has be rather infamous on the battlefield over thest week."


    Themander took a heavy sigh, before he continued.


    "It belongs to the human race''s prodigy, Alex."


    Varkoth''s eyes narrowed.


    If he weren''t on themand base, he would have sought something out to destroy, and vent his rage out on.


    "Alex¡­ so he''s responsible."


    "Indeed," Themanding officer replied.


    "Our intelligence reports indicate that Alex has be a critical asset for the humans. His presence in the Shen Wu system has turned the tide in several key battles."


    Themander took an awkward look at Varkoth, knowing that Varkoth could have taken Alex out if he had chosen to face him instead of turning away due to his own pride.


    Varkoth had even begun to question his own decision to let Alex live for a moment, before he shook his head and removed such thoughts from his head.


    ''No, my pride wouldn''t have allowed me to kill him in that state. It would be too much of a stain on my reputation.''

 Chapter 290: Roadblock

    Alex was due to return to the battlefield in a few hours time.


    But his feat of taking out the Red Demon''s Buster solo hadn''t gone unnoticed.


    Colonel Margit had already reported Alex''s incredible act further up the military food chain, reaching all the way to the ears of Admiral Olgierd.


    When Admiral Olgierd first heard the news, a small smile blossomed on his face as he recognised Alex''s name instantly from the report.


    ''I knew there was something incredible about this boy¡­''


    While he couldn''t quite put a finger on what made Alex so special, his gut instincts told him so.


    And Alex only proved that he was special as more and more time passed and he aplished nearly impossible feats over and over again, each timeing out alive, where others would almost 100% die.


    But while Admiral Olgierd was d to have Alex supporting the war in the Shen Wu system, his actions had also alerted to something critical.


    The Red Demon''s cunning drive to do what it takes toe out on top.


    It was clear through their secret scheme that they weren''t exactly going to y nice, and thanks to Alex, Admiral Olgierd alerted all of the othermanders in each and every star system where wars were taking ce to look out for any suspicious Red Demon movement, as they would likely be trying something simr with more Busters.


    Especially in systems where most of the battles took ceside like they do in the Shen Wu system.


    But of course, Alex''s feats weren''t just spread amongst the military.


    News of his acts in the Shen Wu system were also used as a propaganda tool by the federation, spreading word of how he had taken down an entire Red Demon base solo amongst the popce of the human race who were currently terrified for their own lives, not knowing whether they would wake up the next morning to their in ruins.


    But all of this was just background noise to Alex.


    He had far more important things on his mind than his own fame increasing once again.


    ***


    ''I''m still too slow¡­''


    Alex thought to himself, as he sat in the pilot''s seat of his ship, orbiting above the main battlefield.


    Colonel Margit had basically given him permission to do what he wanted in this war, as long as he participated in it.


    It would be stupid not to, considering Alex had only discovered the scheme with the Buster thanks to him disobeying Colonel Margit''s orders.


    But Alex wasn''t satisfied with his results in the battle so far.


    It had been just over 9 days since he had joined the battle in the Shen Wu system, and he felt like he had barely even made a dent in this war.


    He had killed hundreds of Red Demons during his ughters at random out on the battlefield, and tens of thousands more indirectly through his destruction of the secret base in the abyssal trench.


    Unfortunately for him, it seemed the system didn''t count those tens of thousands of deaths as his, as no extra soul orbs appeared in his inventory after he checked it back at the main human base.


    It seemed he had to kill them directly, rather than have them be killed as a result of a man made disaster like the one he had caused.


    But he didn''t fret over it.


    He wouldn''t be able to rank up to C tier even if he absorbed tens of thousands of Soul orbs anyway.


    [Requirements to reach C tier: Basic control over at least 1 element, kill over 1000 enemies of a higher rank than yourself, solo. (403/1000)]


    There were two requirements that he had to meet before he could progress to C tier.


    And he had met neither of them so far.


    The requirement to kill 1000 enemies above his own level, he wasn''t too worried about, as he could probably achieve that within the next week alone, considering he was in a war where there were still tens of thousands of C tier Red Demons running amok.


    But the first requirement worried him quite a bit.


    He needs to achieve basic control over at least 1 element¡­


    While he was still in the lower ranks, his worry of achieving this requirement had waned as time went on.


    When he first heard about it, he was clueless on how he would have achieved it.


    But when he acquired talents like his previous mes, which had upgraded to Phoenix mes, and his Inferior Teleportation, which was of the space element, he thought that he would have satisfied the requirement by the time he could have ranked up.


    But he couldn''t have been more wrong.


    It seemed he hadn''t even achieved basic control over any of them yet¡­


    ''Just what the fuck do I need to do to satisfy this requirement!??''


    ''It says ''Basic control'' as well¡­ Surely I''ve achieved basic control over my Phoenix mes at least, with how much I use them??''


    Alex was truly stuck with what to do at this point.


    He was at the point where he could have a major breakthrough, but this one requirement was stopping him.


    His only route of progress without it was to upgrade his ss to Variant ss, but his progress in that was also slow.


    Even when he absorbed the C tier Variant ss orbs dropped by Selithia, he had only gained around 13% progress towards Variant ss.


    This left him at a measly 61% progress towards Variant ss.


    He would need to kill many more Elite Red Demons if he wanted to upgrade his ss.


    And there wasn''t even a guarantee that they would drop Soul orbs.


    ''What exactly entails Basic control?''


    Hence, while he sat in his pilot seat, watching over the green and blue below, he began to ruminate.


    [Hint: You are much closer to achieving it with your space element than your Phoenix mes element.]


    But when he proposed the question, he wasn''t expecting an answer from the system.


    Although, it wasn''t really a proper answer either.


    It had only given him a hint.

 Chapter 291: What is basic control?

    ''I''m closer to achieving basic control over my space element than my Phoenix mes? What?''


    Alex was confused by the system''s sudden interruption to give him a hint.


    ''But I use my Phoenix mes far more often than I do my teleportation?''


    ''Is it because my Phoenix mes are of a higher ss than the space element?''


    But he quickly caught on.


    It clicked in his mind that his Phoenix mes were obviously abnormal, considering they originated from a Divine ss lifeform, whereas even an Ordinary ss lifeform could wield his Inferior Teleportation.


    Though, it probably also factored in his Affinities as well.


    Alex''s affinity for the Space element was abysmal, at best.


    While his affinity for the Fire element was actually quite high.


    But of course, that begged the question, why was his progress higher with the Space element then?


    ''So I''m guessing my Phoenix mes are ssed as an entirely different element to the me element then? And it''s not just another category of it?''


    This was only one half of the answer though.


    Another factor to consider was the rank of the talents involved with the element.


    His Phoenix mes were S+ ranked, while his Inferior Teleportation had been stagnated at C- rank for a long while now.


    He suspected that without some sort of external push or stimulus, it wouldn''t rise in rank ever again.


    ''But doesn''t my Inferior teleportation talent alsoe from a Divine ss being?''


    This was what stumped Alex.


    Why was his Phoenix mes talent of a higher ss when his Inferior teleportation also came from a Divine ss beast.


    He received no answer from the system on this, so he would just have to sit on the question for now.


    It would make sense, with how the system does things, that the higher ranked something is, the harder it will be to master it, but would also be more rewarding if the higher ranked thing was mastered.


    Alex gradually put the pieces together, which led him down another path.


    ''...wait, does my Spatial Perception count as usage of the Space element?''


    [Bingo.]


    This time, he received another answer from the system.


    Alex had no clue whether other awakened received such personal help from the system whenever they were stuck or confused, but he had already epted it as normal, for himself at least.


    The system had been ying tricks on him ever since he had first be an awakened.


    Alex understood from that moment why he was close to the so called ''basic control'' over the space element.


    His almost constant use of his Spatial Perception, in all different scenarios.


    While he may not have put his Inferior Teleportation to as much use as he''d have liked, he had put the added bonus of his Spatial Perception to extremely good use ever since he had obtained it.


    ''So what does control over my Spatial Perception entail then?''


    Pushing all of his previous thoughts aside, Alex decided to focus on the one thing that was actually useful to him at that moment.


    And that was making use of the hint that the System had given him.


    He activated his Spatial Perception at that moment, with his range now extending all the way to a 800 metre radius.


    ''Do I have to keep increasing the range of it until it reaches a threshold or something?''


    His first idea was that his range wasn''t big enough yet, but that wouldn''t make sense when talking about ''control''.


    Since, he wouldn''t really have more control over his spatial perception with a further increase in its range.


    It wasn''t like anything about his control over it had changed ever since his pitiful 3 metre radius that he started with at F- rank.


    ''What if I try to condense perception then?''


    A wild idea sprung into Alex''s mind, after discarding any attempts to increase his radius even further.


    It would extend naturally anyway, like it had been doing already, so he wouldn''t really be losing anything by diverting his attention away from it.


    ''Yeah¡­ maybe that''s a step in the right direction!''


    Alex thought it over, and it seemed like a reasonable assumption to him.


    He was able to perceive nearly everything within the range of his perception, but to what degree?


    Was he able to perceive even microscopic entities?


    What about things at the atomic level?


    What about even further beyond that?


    More and more wild ideas kept on popping into his head, and he decided to try it out.


    Instead of spreading his attention out across his entire range of perception, like he usually does, he focused it all at one spot in his ship.


    It took a lot of brain power to take in all that information of every movement, every crease and edge of every object within his perception, but what if he took his attention away from that, freeing up arge amount of his brain power, and instead redirected it all at one point?


    Would that make any difference?


    ''I guess I''ll see¡­''


    The spot he chose to focus on in his ship was the flight controls in front of him.


    They were only about the size of his hands, which was much, much smaller than his entire 800 metre radius that he was used to.


    ''Let''s see here¡­''


    He willed his focus to zoom in on the joystick.


    He could see it in much more detail now.


    But it wasn''t enough.


    He willed his focus to zoom in even more.


    Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead and across his back.


    But he could just start to make out the minute textures of the joystick.


    If his normal, every day perception was a 1x magnification, he was currently mentally viewing the joystick at a 25x magnification.


    It wasn''t anywhere near microscopic, but it was still far beyond anything he could have achieved before.


    ''But nothing''s happened¡­''


    Alex took a deep breath as he released his spatial perception, relieving the tension his brain was under with all that processing power focused on such a small point.


    ''Was I too hasty?''


    ''Is this not the route to go?''


    ''Perhaps this is the route I should explore, but not at the moment¡­''


    ''Maybe I was getting too ahead of myself, this stuff might still be too advanced for me to focus on right now¡­''


    ''Spatial perception¡­ teleportation¡­ space element¡­ how am I supposed to achieve basic control then?''


    ''Wait¡­ have I ever tried tobine my spatial perception and my teleportation?''


    A new idea popped into Alex''s head.


    One that seemed much more simple than his previous one.

 Chapter 292: Success

    Alex leaned back in his seat, his mind racing in contemtion.


    His ship sat quietly in orbit.


    Every time Alex had previously used his inferior teleportation, he had teleported to wherever was in his direct line of sight.


    But the thought of using spatial perception to teleport had never crossed his mind.


    If he did that, then he wouldn''t just be limited to the 120 degrees of vision to teleport within, but he could teleport in any direction, regardless of where he was looking.


    That would be far more useful than just using his vision.


    Not to mention, it would allow him to jump the gun on some of his enemies as well.


    They might think they would have the advantage of being able to sneak attack Alex if his back was turned towards them.


    But they would be in for a nice surprise when he appears behind them, without even having to look at them once.


    ''Perhaps that''s the real reason I gained Spatial Perception alongside my inferior teleportation¡­'' he mused. ''Maybe that''s the way I should have been using it this whole time¡­''


    Alex thought hard about it, and he couldn''t help butugh at his former self.


    How had he not thought of doing this before this point?


    Eager to test his theory, Alex initiated a series of practice jumps inside his ship.


    He focused on different points of the main deck, using his spatial perception to pinpoint his targets, rather than his eyesight.


    In fact, to resist the temptation of looking where he nned on teleporting, and inadvertently interfering with his test, he closed his eyes,pletely relying on his spatial perception to see.


    ''Time to test it out then¡­''


    With his heart beating slightly faster than normal, Alex activated his inferior teleportation.


    Whoosh!


    It was over in almost an instant, and Alex opened his eyes.


    ''It worked!''


    And he was exhrated.


    He found himself 10 metres away from where he was originally standing.


    But he hadn''t opened his eyes once during the procedure.


    So that meant only one thing.


    He had actually achieved his goal!


    His n had worked and his theory had turned out to be right.


    ''Sobining my spatial perception with my inferior teleportation does work after all¡­''


    ''That''ll be very useful for me in future battles, but I''m much more interested in seeing if that satisfies the requirements of basic control over an element yet!''


    Excited, Alex pulled up his details, ignoring all of the normal jargon that hadn''t changed.


    And he focused solely on the requirements to reach C tier.


    [Requirements to reach C tier: Basic control over at least 1 element (Complete), kill over 1000 enemies of a higher rank than yourself, solo. (403/1000)]


    ''Complete¡­''


    For a second, Alex''s heart skipped a beat.


    He almost couldn''t believe that he had already achieved basic control with just that one test.


    At first, he thought that he might not have seeded in that endeavour yet, as he was half expecting there to be some fanfare from the system, or some sort of congrattory message or the like, considering how much emphasis it had put on elemental control.


    But it seemed he had over thought it.


    ''Now I only need to kill another 600 or so enemies higher ranked than myself, then I can just absorb some more of the soul orbs I have stocked up, and I''ll officially be a C- rank!''


    ''I wonder how my strength would feel when I reach that point¡­''


    Alex felt excited just thinking about the possibilities of his future.


    But he refocused his mind on the present after a short moment of celebration.


    ''I''ll set my goal to beat this second requirement within the next 7 days¡­ no, I''ll make it 6.''


    Alex was confident in his ability to kill so many enemies in such a short amount of time, but that was only because he was literally in the middle of a war at the moment.


    If the Red Demon''s invasion wasn''t so well timed for him, he would have had to spend months, or perhaps over a year, hunting in the Primordial Expanse just looking for 1000 beasts of a higher rank than himself.


    Plus, there was no certainty or guarantee that he would be sent back to the same ce he left when he came back from the Primordial Expanse most recently.


    He had been switched after his first endeavour in there, so there was no telling if he would be switched again when he makes his third journey there.


    ''I see why the Red Demons are so bloodthirsty and eager to start wars with every new race they find¡­''


    ''The temptation of so many readily avable soul cores to level up, not to mention hundreds of billions of enemies of all different ranks no matter where you look¡­''


    ''It''s just too good of an opportunity to pass up.''


    Alex had cursed the System for having such a barbaric system in ce, but he couldn''t deny how useful it was to him personally.


    It did save him a lot of time and effort in hunting for so many enemies to satisfy his requirements.


    While he disagreed with the System''s way of doing things, that didn''t mean he wouldn''t take advantage of it either.


    The Red Demons had attacked the human race first, not the other way around.


    So they were only acting in self defence for the time being.


    But Alex, knowing how greedy humans can be, had no doubt that if the federation knew about the ability to harvest soul cores of other sentient races, they would probably have sought out an intergctic war themselves.


    In fact, depending on the oue of the current war, it was probably only a matter of time before they did so.


    If they won this one, their confidence would only surge, and in their greed for more resources when the soul cores harvested from the Red Demon race eventually run out, they would venture out into the cosmic wilderness in search of more.


    They already knew that there were more out there, thanks to Alex''s capture of the Kree ship.

 Chapter 293: Power scaling

    Mira''s POV, right after the war started.


    "We will be arriving at the Telorn system in approximately 2 hours, all Students need to make sure that their belongings are packed, and that you yourselves are prepared for battle."


    A loud and obnoxious voice red over the speakers on the transport ship Mira was assigned to.


    ''Ugh, not that annoying voice again.''


    It had been 6 days since Mira''s ship departed for the front lines in Telorn system.


    And that voice that had red over the speakers just now was the same one that woke her up for morning roll call at 6 am every day.


    It was the voice of Jeane, the Lieutenant in charge of Mira''s batch of students.


    They were all drafted to the war efforts, so the federation had taken the liberty to assign an officer to help each and every draftee get used to the military life during their 6 day journey.


    However, this n had backfired for the ships carrying the students from the top universities, as some of the students themselves were stronger than the officers assigned to them.


    The power imbnce and the hormones involved with youth meant that there were many conflicts between the two parties, in particr on Mira''s ship, as she was unfortunately ced on the same ship, on the same assignment as Zack Harborn, the second ranked student on the overall rankings of Capital Prime university.


    He was a C+ rank, nearly Variant ss student in his third year.


    His strength was already near that of a B rank Mutant ss though, which was an incredible feat.


    The jump from C tier to B tier was humongous, as that was also what separated awakened from being lower and higher life forms.


    Bing a higher life form wasn''t just a fancy title one obtained when they reached B tier.


    It came with all sorts of benefits that many awakened would die to obtain.


    Such as a drastically increased life span.


    The human race had only been in their awakened era for 100 years, so they didn''t really have a good grasp on just how much longer awakened livedpared to normal people.


    That was the case at least, until the data obtained by the Pioneer expedition group had been analysed, which included the Red Demon''s details on the awakened.


    The Red Demons had contact with many, many races in the universe, some who they would not even dare to attack due to the sheer disparity in strength between the two races.


    Others they couldn''t even touch or converse with as the gap between them was so far apart.


    But other than these mind blowing pieces of information, the federation, in particr the higher life forms were interested in one thing.


    The average lifespan of each rank of awakened.


    And this is what they found out:


    F tier awakened lived twice as long as a normal person, so around 200 years.


    E tier is 400 years.


    D tier is 800 years.


    C tier is 1600 years.


    It is fairly obvious that up until C tier, the jump in lifespan increased by double between each tier.


    But B tier is where it starts to get really interesting.


    B tier is 10,000 years.


    A tier is 20,000 years.


    S tier is unknown, due to there being insufficient data on the subject that not even the Red Demons were privy to.


    But that just made the awakened''s desire to be a higher life form even stronger.


    Who wouldn''t want to live for 10,000 years after all?


    But a longer life span wasn''t the only benefit of being a higher life form.


    Other abilities, such as flight, the ability to survive out in the void of space infinitely, without the need for something like a spacesuit.


    Oh, and the fact that one''s strength bes so incalcble, that instead of being measured in terms of scale inparison to cities, B tier and above is measured in terms of continental or evenary strength at a certain point.


    For example, an Ordinary ss B- ranked awakened, the lowest and weakest a higher life form could be, would be able to smash apart a city in one sweep of their hand.


    Or, if they used their full force, they could obliterate an entire small country, the size of something like Japan of the old Earth age.


    The scale increases even further when higher ssifications are taken into ount.


    Mutant ss B- ranked awakened would be able to obliterate arge country, the size of something like India of the old Earth age.


    Variant B- ranked would be able to obliterate an entire continent.


    As for King ss, or even higher than that?


    There are no recorded cases of any awakened reaching anything above Variant ss at B tier.


    So the scale was impossible to calcte.


    The disparity in strength goes even higher when considering A and S tiers.


    It is impossible for an awakened to reach A tier at Ordinary rank, so that was out of consideration.


    But Mutant ss A tiers could obliterate small heavenly bodies, the size of the Moon or Pluto.


    Variant ss A tiers could obliterate something the size of Earth entirely.


    Once again though, there were no recorded King ss or higher A tiers, so that wasn''t recorded.


    At S tier though, it was unknown just how far their strength went.


    But it was rumoured that Principal Farnes had once destroyed a star!


    A whole sun!


    The scale and strength to achieve such a thing was nearly unimaginable, which was why it was still only a rumour.


    Principal Farnes himself coulde out and verify if it were true or not, but he decided to stay silent on the subject.


    Something about keeping his strength hidden in case of any unruly enemies or something like that.


    As for the mysterious man ranked in first, who was also likely the leader of the Alliance fleet?


    Who knows how far his strength went, but he could probably destroy arge star if he wanted to.


    This was all information that Mira had also learned during her 6 day journey to the Telorn system, which just blew her away.


    The fact that people, not huge constructs or machines the result of thousands of years of innovation, could achieve this level of destruction, was mind boggling.


    It only made her more amped up for her arrival on the battlefield.


    She couldn''t wait to rank up to C tier, and even B tier in the future!


    Instead of listening to such stories of strength, she would one day be telling stories of her own!

 Chapter 294: Miras arrival

    "We''ll be arriving in 10 minutes, make sure all of your shit is packed and ready to go!"


    That same, annoying voice of Lieutenant Jeane called out again, irking Mira''s ears.


    But she kept quiet about her annoyances. She wasn''t anything like that arrogant Zack Harborn, who made it his mission to dismiss any sort of authority Lieutenant Jeane had, trying to make a point of his superior power to her.


    If anything, Mira just thought of his antics as pathetic.


    She may not be as strong as him for the time being, but she didn''t doubt for a second that she would be in the near future.


    Zack had reached his incredible level of power in his third year, while Mira had the goal of reaching that same level before her first year was over.


    It was a tough goal to meet, nearly impossible if any of the other students had thought of such a bold thing, but for Mira, she viewed it as achievable.


    Especially with the Red Demons dering war on the Human race.


    The steady influx of enemies to kill and in turn, soul cores to harvest, would mean that she would have a much easier time at ranking up, not to mention a much faster time as well.


    She was honestly pumped to join this war.


    Unlike Alex, she had epted the fact that sentient beings of different races were destined to go against each other as an already predetermined fact that not even the strongest people imaginable could go up against.


    After all, it was already a universalw.


    What single person alone had the level of power of a universalw at their disposal?


    None, as far as Mira knew.


    And she doubted such a person existed either.


    If there was a god, then the System was probably that god.


    As an All knowing, All seeing, All powerful system, how the heck were they, mere mortal weaklings ¡ª specks of dust in the eyes of the system, meant to beat it?


    It was just impossible, which Mira had epted.


    Bump!


    Mira was forced out of her thoughts by a jumpy arrival in the Telorn system.


    Her transport shit wasn''t exactly¡­ quality, at all.


    Especially seeing as she had nearly just been jolted off her feet from the sudden exit from warp.


    But it did its job of getting from point A to point B.


    "This is where we part ways, you''ll be dropped off at the main space base, where your assignments will be handed out to each and every one of you ordingly. Good luck, and don''t let the Human race down!"


    Lieutenant Jeane let out her final announcement to the students before they departed, this time though, none of the students were annoyed or dissatisfied with her voice.


    ''Don''t let the Human race down¡­''


    Her words resonated with each of the students, as it reminded them of what they were fighting for.


    They were fighting for their very existence, to keep their rightful ce in the universe, that those bastard Red Demons were trying to take away from them!


    Some even thought of their rtives, who might not even be awakened individuals, who were relying on them and every other soldier, volunteer, mercenary etc who was willing to fight for them.


    After what felt like forever for these students, the final 10 minutes of their journey passed and their transport ship docked with the main space base, where all of the most important military operations in the Telorn system were all monitored.


    The thousands of Capital Prime students disembarked the transport ship in the orderly lines they had been instructed to form during their 6 day journey.


    Well, most of the students formed orderly lines¡­


    Those arrogant students who ranked near the top, like Zack Harborn, all swaggered their way onto the main base like they owned the ce.


    But unfortunately for them, the ongoing war in the Telorn system was a more major battlefieldpared to the Shen Wu system Alex was stationed at.


    While the Shen Wu system only had one where all the battles took ce, along with an absence of any higher life forms, the Telorn system was different.


    Themanders of both the Red Demon and the Human sides were higher life forms.


    Specifically, they were B+ rank Mutant ss life forms.


    Not even the student who was ranked first on the overall rankings couldpete against them, let alone Zack Harborn, who had yet to realise this fact.


    In the Telorn system, there were a total of fours where all the ground battles took ce on.


    And considering the Red Demon fleet consisted of 99% people carriers, almost the entirety of the war between the Human race and the Red Demon race was fought on the ground, in close quarters.


    In charge of each of these battlefields, there were four B- ranked Mutant ss higher life forms on either side of the conflicts.


    So in total, there were 10 higher life forms in this system alone.


    Which was a lot!


    Alex would consider himself unlucky if he found out the type of ce Mira was assigned to, since he would have loved to be sent to a ce like that.


    It offered much more opportunity to fight against stronger opponents, and in turn earn more Soul orbs.


    But what he didn''t realise was one huge factor involving his deployment.


    Mira was sent to this ce, along with dozens of other prodigies, who were the essential keys to winning the wars in each of these systems.


    It was these dozens of prodigies, with strength far exceeding their own ranks, that would determine which side won the war.


    The higher ups, more specifically the round table council, all thought it appropriate to send dozens to the Telorn system to make sure of the human race''s victory there.


    But the Shen Wu system was different.


    Alex was a special case, as he was the only King ss prodigy in the federation for the time being.


    He was the lone, single prodigy that the federation had sent to the Shen Wu system to clean that ce up and obtain victory for the human race.


    The federation felt that he alone was enough to win that war.


    Which spoke volumes of how they valued him.

 Chapter 295: Commander Kines

    Mira made her way through the myriad hallways on the base, following the directions she was given on hermunicator.


    As one of the dozens of prodigies sent to this system, out of the tens of thousands of students packed into her transport ship, she was assigned to go meet themander directly, along with the other prodigies.


    She was the only first year among her bunch though, so she felt rather left out as all of the other prodigies seemed to already know each other, or are at least familiar with one another.


    Meanwhile, they only knew Mira as the girlfriend of the only King ss prodigy in the federation.


    It wasn''t like she was bothered about making idle chatter with them.


    She would be fighting alone on the battlefield anyway, so there wasn''t really a need to cosy up to any of the other prodigies present.


    Besides, she really didn''t want to share any of her loot with them, as that would only slow down her own progress.


    After a few minutes of walking, Mira walked into a huge room filled to the brim with all sorts of monitoring equipment, military officers, and the like.


    To put it into perspective, it probably looked like a major stock exchange during peak hours¡­


    The main base itself was huge, around the size of a capital city on 21st century Earth.


    An ordinary human wouldn''t be able to cope with the size of this thing, and trying to navigate it.


    One needed to be an awakened at least of at least E+ rank to be able to efficiently navigate this ce all day without tiring themselves out.


    "You must be Commander Kines, I won''t be needing your assistance in assigning me to a battlefield, I''ll just fight where I please¨C"


    "Quiet."


    Zack Harborn was the first to speak, walking up to Commander Kines'' desk and sitting down, putting his feet up, all the while without even ncing at themander in question.


    But before he could continue his ignorant act of arrogance, Commander Kines shut him up by just releasing her aura and bringing the full force of it down onto Zack.


    Zack''s face hardened into a grimace as he felt embarrassed and insulted by this pressure, but he was too weak to do anything about it.


    He walked in like he owned the ce, and now he was experiencing the consequences of his actions.


    At least Alex had been subtle in his insubordination with Colonel Margit, and he had the strength to back it up as well.


    Zack Harborn was just too ignorant and full of pride to do even the slightest bit of research on the battle in the Telorn system during his 6 day journey.


    Any other student who had actually done their research, which was basically all of them, could have just informed him of just what kind of ce they were going to.


    But none of them did.


    Because all of them wanted the same thing.


    To see Zack embarrass himself in front of everyone, like he had just done.


    ''Serves you right.''


    The other prodigies who were present silently snickered to themselves.


    "This is a war, not a yground where snotty little brats like you think you reign supreme."


    "Real, honourable humans are fighting real battles and dying every day on the battlefields so that people like you, and your rich, entitled parents can enjoy their luxurious lives at home."


    "Don''t think I don''t know about you, or your antics, Zack Harborn."


    Commander Kines spoke in a tone that properly conveyed his distaste for Zack.


    She stood up from her seat, slowly walking over to Zack.


    Her 5''2 frame made it so her eye line barely reached his shoulders, but she had a fix for that.


    She slowly started to lift from the ground, hovering in mid air.


    She lifted her hand up to Zack''s face, and flicked gently.


    m!


    And Zack was sent flying backwards into the crown of prodigies who were still snickering behind him.


    "I''m d you all found that enjoyable, but show time is over. Now you''ll all get your assignments. Don''t forget that the forty of you were selected as prodigies ¡ª the federation is expecting exceptional performances from each and every one of you."


    "Without prodigies like you giving it your all, the human race will probably lose this war."


    Commander Kines'' tone was sombre as she spoke.


    "I''m not talking about the war in the Telorn system, but the whole war between the Red Demon race and the human race as a whole."


    It was this exnation that she added on top that made the rest of the prodigies, and many of the officers who were listening nearby, grimace and join her in her sombre state.


    "We are lucky, as it seems we have a higher ratio of prodigies and awakened with talents than the Red Demons do."


    "But don''t take this fact for granted. While we may have the advantage in the number of prodigies we have, the strength of the average Red Demon awakened is higher than our average awakened."


    The weight of their importance to this was hit the prodigies who stood in front of Commander Kines hard.


    Even Mira was affected, and she was more interested in her own personal growth than optimising her performance on the battlefield to ensure as many lives as possible could be saved.


    Ding!


    But it seemed Commander Kines had finished her monologue, as dozens of pings rang out at once from the prodigies''municators.


    "You''ve all just received your assignments. Follow the instructions that have been sent to you, and head over to the dorm that you have been allocated."


    "These dorms are where you will eat, sleep and rest whenever you''re not on the battlefield."


    Mira and the others nodded, while Zack had an absent look on his face, like his mind had drifted elsewhere, somewhere more malevolent perhaps.


    They were even privileged somewhat, as they had their own individual dorms with en suites attached, while the tens of thousands of other students all had to share a dorm with one or two other students or soldiers.


    "After your personal effects have been unpacked in your dorms, follow the guidance on yourmunicator to head over to your drop point."


    Commander Kines dismissed the forty prodigies after thatst bit of guidance, and Mira, along with the others, all headed in their own directions, following the maps theirmunicators were directing them with.

 Chapter 296: Four planets

    Unlike Alex, who had his own ship and could therefore leave and enter the battlefields as he pleased, Mira and all of the other Prodigies in the Telorn system had to follow the same system as the military officials.


    Mira didn''t spend long in her dormitory, only unpacking all of her spare clothes and other essential stuff like toiletries, before leaving.


    She wasn''t in the mood for getting any rest.


    That was what the past 6 days of travel were for after all.


    Instead, Mira headed over to the drop station, on the outskirts of the main base.


    This was where the majority of Awakened on this station were located at the moment, as there was a constant influx of Soldiers, mercenaries and now students alike, alling and going.


    It was here where every soldier would be transported to their assigned battlefield in batches.


    Speaking of the battlefields, there were four main battlefields in the system, one for each, with hundreds of other minor conflicts littered across thes.


    These were the four habitables out of the twelve total in the entire Telorn system.


    The first of the fours was Eldaris, a lush world covered in dense, ancient forests that stretched across the whole.


    Unlike Earth, where there werepletely different ecosystems depending on where one looked, Eldaris wasprised of that one, huge forest.


    Instead of oceans, there were millions ofkes up to 10 kilometres across scattered throughout the whole.


    Overall, it consisted of about 90%ndmass, and 10%kes.


    The lush jungle like environments everywhere one looked, as well as the fact this was one of the few untouched by Human civilisation yet, allowed for quite some unique battles to take ce.


    Rather than the brutal open ended battles that took ce out in the open like in most other ces in this war, Eldaris''s environment allowed for a more tactical, methodical approach.


    The forest provided great cover, and allowed for both sides to take a more Predator vs prey approach.


    In that environment, it was more like a hunting ground more than an actual war.


    The second was Gorath, a much more harsh desert where the sun beat down relentlessly, baking the sand dunes that stretched across the horizon.


    The climate on Gorath was unforgiving, but it was also rich in valuable minerals that both sides desperately needed, like fuel for their ships etc.


    On one side of the, the Red Demons had dug deep into the sands, creating fortified underground bunkers to protect their mining operations.


    The human forces, who had only arrived a few days after the Red Demons had taken over this system,cked the same infrastructure and were on the losing side on this particr battlefield.


    The Federation were hoping that the Prodigies from Capital Prime and the other universities could change this.


    The third was Aetheria, a world of towering mountains and deep, winding valleys.


    This was the one where the warrgely took ce in the sky rather than the ground, as the rocky and mountainous environment didn''t provide an advantage to either side,


    It was only in the valleys where the ground assaults took ce on each other, but due to how widely mapped the geography of the was, it was easy for both sides to predict when there might be an attack, ambush etc.


    Finally, there was Nerathis, a covered in vast oceans, much like Earth with around a 70% ocean and 30%nd coverage.


    It was also the most simr to Earth climate wise as well.


    If it weren''t for the fact that thend was almost all connected into one supercontinent, as well as the fact that it was around 2x the size of Earth, one might even mistake it as a second Earth.


    Mira''s destination was Eldaris, the that was mostly lush green forests.


    She was actually quite happy with her assigned, which was quite the contrary to others who had also been assigned to Eldaris.


    ''Fuuuuck¡­''


    ''Why did it have to be this one¡­ I''m going to die in this war¡­''


    ''Not this shitty ce again!''


    The other soldiers and students who had been assigned to Eldaris were all downtrodden, save for the 9 other prodigies assigned to it, who all had the same reaction as Mira.


    This was because of one fact¡­


    Eldaris happened to be the only in the system where a Floodgate had opened¡­


    So not only did they have to worry about fighting back against the Red Demons, but also any beasts that came through from the Primordial Expanse and decided that they wanted to make a meal out of anything and anyone they saw.


    The only upside was the these beasts didn''t discriminate, so the Red Demons would also be under the same pressure.


    But the fact that this Floodgate happened to be a B- rank Floodgate only made everyone much more stressful.


    The B- ranked higher life forms of both sides had to stay stationed near this floodgate at nearly all times.


    But the situation was tricky.


    The couldn''t show themselves if it was an emergency, like a B tier beasting through the floodgate, as if either one of them decides to even show a wisp of their existence, the other wouldn''t hesitate to ambush them in attempt to take them out.


    This meant that everything below B- rank that came out the Floodgate was fair game.


    The lower ranked soldiers and students would have to worry about those.


    The air buzzed with tension at the drop point as Mira waited to be loaded into the drop ship with 99 other soldiers and students.


    ''The beasts will probably be much more of a problempared to the Red Demons, as they are practically at home in a natural forest environment like the one on Eldaris, but that''s no problem for me¡­'' Mira mused.


    Her time finally came and she boarded the shuttle, walking over to one of the 100 individual pods.

 Chapter 297: Eldaris

    These pods were just barely human sized, enough to fit one person in and that''s it.


    These were the drop pods the awakened used to enter the actuals themselves.


    The shuttle never actually entered the atmosphere of any of thes.


    They would position themselves over 200 kilometres above the chosen drop point on the, and then release the 100 pods at once, where the 100 awakened would fall rapidly through Eldaris''s atmosphere until they reached the surface.


    It was the quickest and most efficient method to send reinforcements, as well as to drop awakened into battle.


    Those pods would then return back to their original shuttle using their own self propulsion systems.


    It was all very cost and time efficient, which was important to the federation in a war like this.


    The trip from the main base to Eldaris only took 30 minutes, and Mira, along with the rest of the awakened in her batch, soon found themselves hovering above the location where they would soon be dropped into.


    The shuttle''s interior was dim, the only lighting from the dull glow of the status panels next to each drop pod.


    Mira stood inside her assigned pod, its narrow confines barelyrger than herself.


    There was no room forfort, only efficiency.


    Besides, the journey from space to surface only took a maximum of 45 seconds anyway, so the awakened would just have to endure 45 seconds of difort before they would be released.


    Mira could feel the subtle vibrations of the shuttle as it hovered high above Eldaris.


    A soft chime echoed throughout the shuttle just a few secondster, followed by a stern voice.


    "Dropmencing in 60 seconds."


    The officer piloting the shuttle started a countdown over thems, causing the first timer''s nerves to tense up, as this was going to be apletely new experience for them.


    Mira did a final check of herself and her gear, making sure that everything was strapped in tightly.


    She might be strong as an Awakened, but a 200 kilometre drop from space would still severely injure her if she wasn''t secured properly.


    Her breathing was steady, her mind was focused, but she could feel the rush of adrenaline that apanied her first experience literally falling from space.


    "Ten seconds to release." The pilot''s voice rang again, this time counting down each second that passed.


    Until.


    "...3 ¡­2 ¡­1¡­ Dropmencing!"


    Mira felt a sudden lurch as her pod was ejected from the shuttle, thetches holding her on being released and a door opening beneath her, sending her plummeting out of the shuttle and down onto the below.


    The pod''s internal disy lit up, showing the rapidly approaching surface of Eldaris, the dense forest canopy appearing as just a dark green spec.


    The world outside became a blur of motion as she plummeted through the''s atmosphere.


    The pod''s shell heated up, the friction of entry causing mes to develop on the edges of the small window in front of her.


    The pod''s advanced systems kept her steady, stabilising the descent and keeping her on course.


    She could see the surface of Eldaris rushing into her vision, the forest spreading out as far as the eye could see.


    ''The description didn''t lie¡­ this ce looks breathtaking¡­''


    But Mira could only take the sight in for just a moment before everything went ck.


    Booooom!


    And her pod collided with the ground, not slowing down for a stop at all.


    As awakened, they didn''t need to slow down the descent, as the pod itself would shield them from any harm from the fall.


    They could handle the impact with their bodies when the pod did all the heavy lifting for them.


    Hisss!


    The door hissed open, and Mira unstrapped herself.


    Light started to filter through the gaps of the pod as the doors opened onmand.


    A little disoriented, Mira pushed the door away, as it was opening too slowly, and stepped out of the now grounded pod.


    Her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light in an instant, and she looked around herself to examine her situation and the environment surrounding her.


    The moment she felt her feet hit the soft grass below, she was on high alert, her senses keeping a keen watch on the environment around her.


    Any sign of movement, and Mira would notice.


    Her Spatial perception was much stronger and better than Alex''s, with her Space elemental talent being of S+ rank after all.


    Her range extended for as far as 2 kilometres, until it started to put a strain on her mind.


    Constant sonic booms echoed across the sky as the other pods from the other students all crashed through the atmosphere andnded in their own spots, dozens or possibly hundreds of kilometres away.


    They may have dropped at the same time, but their pods all navigated towards different areas to each other.


    On this, it was much better to hunt alone rather than as a group, as groups of people were much more noticeable in this forest environment.


    Mira took a deep breath, feeling the cool, earthy air of Eldaris fill her lungs.


    The dense forest around her was noticeablycking in any sounds.


    Not the rustle of leaves, the distant calls of alien animals native to this, or the asional creak of the towering trees.


    Mira was immediately rmed at this situation, as something like this was not natural at all.


    But she had scanned the ce thoroughly with her spatial perception, and there was nothing within 2 kilometres of her, not a single living thing.


    ''Wait, not a single living thing in range? That doesn''t sound right?''


    But then Mira was led further astray by her own abilities.


    Considering how dense this forest was, and how lush the greenery was, it was almost impossible for there to be NOTHING living around her.


    Not even any insects, small animals burrowed in the ground, or anything flying in the sky.


    ''Something isn''t right about this ce¡­ Just where have I been dropped into?''


    Mira had no clue just how dangerous of a ce she was dropped into right now.


    Her instincts were only further put on edge when she noticed her drop pod wasn''t returning to the shuttle like it was supposed to.


    In fact, all of the electricals inside it had all stopped working!

 Chapter 298: Red Demon scheme

    "What the hell is going on!?"


    Mira was quite obviously confused about the situation surrounding her arrival on Eldaris.


    The officials in the military didn''t mention anything about this type of thing happening, in fact they said that the only time there were reports of failures in the drop pods were when the Red Demons directly interfered with them, whether it be with their electronics, or by shooting them down directly.


    But Mira looked around herself, and even scanned with her Spatial perception, and forget Red Demons, there was literally nothing living within her range!


    She looked around herself, but all she could see was the endless forest that she saw from orbit when she was dropping.


    Unfortunately she couldn''t tell exactly where she was on Eldaris since the geography literally looked the same no matter where one went.


    And she couldn''t connect to the gctic web or the inner militarywork because, for some reason, hermunicator had stopped working as well.


    ''If even mymunicator isn''t working, then something has definitely gone very wrong¡­''


    Mira couldn''t quite wrap her head around it, so she decided to venture further into the forestry nearby.


    ***


    A few minutes prior, on Eldaris.


    "Did you do what I asked?"


    A Red Demon draped in a green, camo uniform hiding in the canopy above the forest spoke.


    His eyes were glued to the sky, as if he was expecting something toe falling down at any second.


    "Yes, the Gate disruptors have been installed, and it looks like the humans didn''t notice because of Commander Bakrat''s distraction for their B- rank by the Floodgate!"


    Another Red Demon, also covered from head to toe in camo, responded.


    They both kept their voices low so that they weren''t found, and they spoke in hushed tones.


    "Good, I''ve just been informed that the Humans have sent some more recruits to join the battles on this, and they have even sent 10 prodigies!"


    The first Red Demon, who seemed to be the one in charge out of the two, eximed.


    "I''m hoping we can at least get 5 of these prodigies with our Gate disruptors. I wonder how the Humans would react when they find out 5 of their prodigies are missing right on arrival¡­ I''m sure there would be a huge ruckus."


    The Red Demon in charge continued his exnations, not hiding his excitement from the other Red Demon, who shared his excitement.


    The duo remained perched high in the canopy, as they watched the sky intensely for the next few minutes, not even blinking once in fear that they would miss something.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Booooom!


    Suddenly, all kinds of loud explosion like sounds echoed across the atmosphere in session as a hundred drop pods entered Eldaris''s atmosphere all at once and started to make their rapid descent down to the ground.


    "Now! Do it now Makarot!"


    The Red Demon inmand spoke, agitated and a little bit rushed.


    Makarot, the other Red Demon, listened to his superior and tapped on the terminal on his wrist.


    Then¡­


    There was no then, as literally nothing happened after he pressed the button.


    Well¡­ it wasn''t like nothing happened, but more that nothing noticeable had happened.


    Unknowingly though, far away next to the B- rank Floodgate, an invisible field had enveloped the area surrounding it, which would have some unimaginable and unexinable effects for anyone who entered the area.


    "Damn! I only saw one drop pod enter the range of the Gate disruptors! I can only hope that pod carried a prodigy¡­ Makarot, report the mission as a failure. We''re done here."


    ***


    Mira continued to move cautiously through the forest.


    She made sure to stay within a 2 Kilometre radius of where shended, so the drop ship never left her senses.


    It would be one thing if she was dropped into this mysterious and uncertain environment without any idea what was going on.


    But it would only be much worse if she added getting lost onto the list of things that went wrong for her today¡­


    "What the hell am I meant to do here then¡­ I came to this ce expecting to find a good harvest of soul cores, but instead I got dropped into this deserted environment?"


    Mira was starting to get downtrodden as she started to make her way back to the Drop pod.


    She trudged back through the dense undergrowth, her steps curiously being very quiet despite the fact that she was crushing leaves and twigs with every step she took.


    The oppressive silence of the forest around her only added to her frustration.


    ''At least have some wind god damnit! I''d at least like to hear the rustling of the leaves and trees!''


    But her frustrations remained unanswered.


    The whole situation was surreal and odd ¡ª like she was dropped into some sort of simtion of Eldaris rather than the actual ce.


    Her thoughts churned with disappointment and confusion.


    Her assignment was supposed to be straightforward.


    Land, located any enemies, whether they were beasts or Red Demons, kill them, and repeat until she was to report back to HQ 7 dayster for pickup, where she would get a 2 day break before she would be sent back to the battlefield again.


    But instead, she found herself in this dead zone, cut off from contacting anybody, and without any proper transport off.


    She couldn''t leave now even if she wanted to, which she did quite a lot.


    As she neared the small clearing her drop pod made when itnded, she let out a long, frustrated sigh.


    "Fuck, it would have been better for me to just go to the Primordial Expanse instead¡­"


    But as the drop pod came into view, something caught her attention ¡ª something that made her freeze mid step.


    She nced away, shaking her head.


    ''It must be my imagination.'' she thought, but the nagging sensation wouldn''t leave her.


    She stopped, and turned her gaze back to the drop pod, her senses sharpening.


    ''What was that?''


    Mira narrowed her eyes, straining to see.


    ''A beast!''


    But when she moved closer, everything became clear.


    And she could see a beast right next to her drop pod, sniffing it out of curiosity!

 Chapter 299 : A beast?

    But her excitement at finally finding something living within her range dwindled instantly.


    ''Why isn''t my spatial perception picking it up?''


    There was one, very big problem that she noticed immediately.


    She could see it ¡ª its form was clearly there, moving with slow but deliberate movements.


    It was arge creature, its green fur blending seamlessly with the foliage, like it was a part of the forest itself.


    But despite its size, Mira couldn''t detect it at all with her spatial perception.


    Mira didn''t know it, but if Alex were there, he would recognise that beast instantly.


    It was the very first type of beast he had ever encountered when he first made contact with the Primordial Expanse.


    A Galephant.


    Only this one was a little smaller than the one Alex had encountered.


    ''I can feel its strength all the way over here, it''s at least C rank, and a Variant ss at that!''


    Her lips curled into a slight, confident smile.


    She had faced worse before.


    Her mind, however, was still on high alert.


    The forest had been eerily quiet since her arrival, and the sudden appearance of a C rank beast right next to her drop pod did indeed seem too convenient to be a coincidence, she knew this.


    But she wouldn''t find out much about what was going on just by standing back and watching from afar.


    She had to do something proactive.


    She couldn''t let her scepticism and doubts cloud her judgement.


    ''Focus.'' shemanded herself, lightly tapping her cheeks to wake her up from her constantly self questioning state of mind.


    If there were other threats in the vicinity, then she would deal with them as they came.


    For now, the Galephant was her priority concern.


    Mira moved silently, circling around the back of the beast, using the dense foliage as cover.


    She had deactivated her spatial perception, as she realised at this point that it was just a waste of energy in this ce.


    And she was hoping that the Galephant would have a simr debuff on it as well where it''s own extrasensory perception would be useless at sensing her, just like hers was with sensing it.


    She wanted to get a better angle, one that would give her the advantage of a surprise attack.


    After finding out about the dangers of the Void dimension, she was much more careful in her use of it, only entering it in times of real desperation and need rather than just whenever she felt like it like she previously used to do, before Principal Farnes had warned her.


    But she still had other strengths to back her up.


    Such as her other talent, Golden Presence.


    It had been a while since she hadst made use of this talent, with thest time being during herst journey into the Primordial Expanse.


    She would have used it much more often if it weren''t for the one drawback it had, which brought its rank down from being an A+ rank, perhaps even an S- rank talent.


    The 10 minute time limit she had with it, until a cooldown period would start where she was noticeably weakened for a short period of time afterwards.


    There weren''t many scenarios she was in where she could use Golden presence reliably without having to worry about what she would do when the cooldown started.


    But this time, against the Galephant, she decided that there wouldn''t be a better opportunity for her to use it.


    She effectively had no other options anyway.


    ''I need to find the best opportunity to use it¡­''


    She continued hovering around the periphery of the clearing her drop pod had created, waiting for the Galephant to turn its back to her.


    ''Now!''


    Only a few moments passed before it did just that, as it seemed to have not noticed Mira yet and was still very focused on the drop pod itself.


    It could probably smell Mira''s scent in the surroundings and was investigating that.


    Mira activated Golden Presence, feeling every of her physical attributes triple.


    Her strength tripled.


    Her speed tripled.


    Her reaction time tripled.


    Everything that could be considered ''physical'' about her, had its strength tripled.


    Her Golden Presence talent had be much stronger than it previously was when she had first obtained it.


    Her proficiency in using it had increased its effectiveness.


    Though it was still an A- rank talent.


    With her golden hair creating a noticeable light source in the dark, shadowed forest floor, the Galephant had noticed the change and was ready to react.


    But it was toote, as Mira was already right behind it.


    It seemed her hopes that its own extrasensory perceptions were useless here as well hade to fruition.


    With her Mutant ss C rank sword in hand, Miraunched herself at the rear of the Galephant.


    Her body had be a finely tuned weapon of destruction.


    The forest around her seemed to slow down as her thoughts sped up and her perception of time slowed.


    In a blur of motion, she reached the Galephant in mere milliseconds, and she was on top of it only a momentter.


    The Galephant, massive and lumbering, had barely begun to react.


    Its keen eyesight might have alerted it to the sudden new light source behind it, but that didn''t mean it had time to turn around to inspect what had caused this change.


    Mira''s sword felt weightless in her hands, and she aimed it at a spot near to where she guessed the Galephant''s spine would be.


    Whoosh!


    She drove it forward with as much strength as she could muster.


    The de struck true.


    She wasn''t like Alex, where he had some shy moves with his Phoenix mes like some special effects.


    Her attacks looked simple, but they were anything but simple in reality.


    There was a brief moment of resistance as the sword met the Galephant''s dense hide.


    ''Yeah, this fight would have been much tougher if I went out without Golden Presence.''


    Mira was sure that her decision to use Golden presence from the start was correct when her sword made contact with the Galephant for the first time.


    Unlike Alex, with his soul orbs and Phoenix mes, Mira didn''t have a super powerful offensive talent backing her up, so fighting against a beast that was not only a whole tier higher than her, but also a higher ss than her, was not something that she could take on without activating Golden Presence.

 Chapter 300 : Stupid or smart?

    Mira could feel the immense power thrumming through her body as her sword prated the Galephant''s hide.


    The beast let out a deafening roar, its body shuddering from the pain, but she didn''t let up.


    With a sharp twist of her wrist, she drove the de even deeper.


    The Galephant thrashed violently, its trunk whipping around in an attempt to dislodge her, but Mira was too fast, too precise.


    She moved with such grace that the Galephant couldn''t even touch her.


    Miranded on the ground though, as the wild thrashing from the Galephant was too much for her to keep holding on.


    But now that she was on the ground, she had to act quickly.


    Her strength may have been increased by three times her normal values, but that didn''t mean she was invincible.


    Without hesitation, she took her sword and mmed it into a tree, prating through it easily.


    She started climbing as she kept an eye on the Galephant, which was heading directly for her, running wild between the trees.


    It was charging right at the tree Mira was climbing.


    THUNK


    It mmed trunk first into the tree, making it shake excessively.


    The impact nearly made Mira lose her grip on her sword, but she managed to hang on by mping her fist down on it even harder and avoiding falling directly into the grasp of the clearly enraged Galephant.


    Mira stabilised herself, finding a branch to keep her bnce on without having to rely on using her weapon as the only thing keeping her up.


    The Galephant, in its enraged state, kept mming its head into the tree while loudly screeching with its trunk.


    ''Shit, this isn''t good¡­''


    But while Mira was making herselffortable, waiting for the Galephant to tire itself out or even better, injure itself from hitting its head on the tree so much, the tree started to shake more and more violently.


    The Galephant was stupid, without a doubt, considering it took to hurting itself by attacking the tree with its head, rather than taking a more methodical approach.


    But its strength seemed to be in its favour, as the tree started to slowly be more and more unstable as the seconds ticked by and with each knock on the tree, it started to nt.


    ''If this keeps up, it''llpletely bring the entire tree down before I can do anything!''


    Mira was short on options, and decided to do something very bold.


    Using the branch she was standing on as a springboard, she jumped directly from the tree, with the tip of her sword pointing down.


    She had timed her exit from the tree perfectly, as the Galephant had just gone in for another charge.


    Considering Mira''s good timing, the Galephant would arrive right before the tree at the same moment she would near the ground.


    m!


    Just as expected, Mira''s fall came to a stop when her feet met that of the Galephant''s head, causing it to m into the ground below, sending an intense shock to the Galephant''s brain unlike what it had been giving itself by mming into the tree itself.


    But that was the least of its worries.


    Mira''s sword, carried by the momentum of her fall, had prated the Galephant''s skull, just narrowly missing its brain by mere millimetres.


    The Galephant was immensely lucky to have not been killed then and there, but for Mira, she was terribly unlucky.


    She had just barely missed the perfect opportunity to take the Galephant out, and now she had to face its wrath.


    And there was no tree for her to climb anymore.


    With a fast swipe of its head, it smashed its tusks into Mira sending her flying back into the tree with a loud thud.


    Still leaving her sword stuck in the back of its skull.


    Mira had barely felt the stars around her dissipate before the Galephant came charging in once again.


    This time, it had some strange green particles of energy converging in between its tusks, at the tip of its trunk.


    ''Shit!''


    Mira didn''t recognise what kind of attack it was preparing, but she knew one thing for sure.


    That it would kill her if she let it hit!


    ''That was the wind element!''


    Mira hadpletely ignored whether the beast would even have something like a talent or an ability like this of its own, as from the start of the fight up until that point, she had been in control.


    Much like the Galephant that had attacked Alex and the caravan when he first entered the Primordial Expanse, this one was about tounch a devastating attack.


    However, there was one upside that Mira had realised quickly.


    Although it was of the wind element, it seemed that the attack it was creating wasn''t ranged.


    The wind energy was converging at the tip of its trunk, but it sat there the whole time, with no intention of moving.


    ''So that''s why it''s charging at me!''


    But Mira didn''t have time to dodge regardless.


    She had only just regained her bearings from the previous attack that hadunched her into the tree.


    ''Shit, do I really have to use it!?''


    And she was forced to do something she was very hesitant about, something that she would rather not use unless it was an emergency.


    And this situation seemed like an emergency.


    Poof!


    Right as the Galephant''s trunk, covered in Wind energy by this point, made contact with the tree Mira was sat in front, a huge explosion sent a powerful shockwave into the surroundings.


    But the Galephant''s enraged eyes were filled with confusion the split second before it hit the tree.


    Because Mira hadpletely disappeared.


    She was gone, just like that.


    Unbeknownst to it, Mira had entered the Void dimension, making full use of her most powerful talent.


    It was her only means of escaping that terrifying attack the Galephant had justunched at her.


    And when she saw the aftermath it had caused with that shockwave sending all of the nearby trees uprooted and out of the ground in a 50 metre radius, she knew she made the right decision.

 Chapter 301: Into the dragons den

    Mira watched from the Void dimension, her breath caught in her throat as the Galephant''s attack obliterated the surrounding forest.


    The shockwave had torn through trees like they were twigs, and the ground itself was scarred from the force.


    She had only seconds to analyse the destruction though.


    A sudden, bone chilling sensation washed over her, that forced her to reconsider any thoughts of further checking out the scene in the real world.


    An aura.


    A presence so powerful that it made her earlier confrontation with the Galephant seem insignificant byparison.


    Mira froze in ce,pletely unable to even move a muscle.


    Her body hadpletely separated from her thoughts, even if she wanted to move at this point, her body wouldn''t listen to hermands.


    Her heart pounded in her chest, as a power that she had never felt before flooded the area surrounding her ¡ª a level of power that dwarfed even the mightiest of C tier beasts.


    The aura was the most powerful that she had ever felt in her life, not even Principal Farne''s aurapared¡­


    It wasn''t just her body that held her in ce though; it was like the very fabric of space itself around her had been altered, binding her to the spot.


    Her mind raced, trying to process what was happening, but the sheer magnitude of the forces present wasn''t something she couldprehend.


    She couldn''t think clearly.


    ''W-what is this?''


    Her thoughts were jumbled, struggling to make sense of the situation.


    This was far beyond anything she had encountered before.


    The aura wasn''t just powerful, it was ancient, vast, and filled with a primal malice that made her skin crawl.


    It felt like an ocean, deep and dark, with unfathomable depths that could swallow her whole without a trace.


    And it was close.


    Too close.


    ''I knew this wasn''t a good idea¡­''


    Mira''s earlier confidence evaporated like mist in the sun.


    She had been so focused on the Galephant, that she had failed to consider whether her luck in the Void dimension would continue.


    Well, it hadn''t.


    Now, she was facing something far beyond her current capabilities.


    In fact, she doubted anyone in the entire human race had the capabilities to face whatever it was that had her locked in ce.


    She escaped the tiger''s grasp, but in the process she had thrown herself into the dragons den.


    She went form one bad situation to perhaps the worst situation imaginable in a heartbeat.


    Thud.


    But then she heard something off into the distance.


    It sounded like a footstep, but from something so big it dwarfed even mountains.


    Thud.


    The footsteps grew closer to her, slow in their pace, but considering the size of whatever it was that was causing these footsteps, the distance covered with each one was probably extremely vast.


    Thud.


    After the third one though, something came into Mira''s view.


    Something utterly gargantuan.


    But she couldn''t move her head, not even her eyes.


    The only thing she could see was a single long appendage, probably over 10 kilometres long alone, maybe even longer since she couldn''t even see the full thing.


    ''A tentacle¡­''


    The first thing that came to Mira''s mind when she saw this appendage enter her vision was that it looked like a tentacle.


    Which only further increased her tension.


    ''Fuck Fuck Fuck FUCK I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!''


    Mira had never felt so scared before, not once in her life had she ever felt so terrified.


    She was d that she currently had no control over her body, otherwise many embarrassing things would have happened¡­


    ''Leave, LEAVE PLEASE GOD DAMMIT I WANT TO LEAVE!''


    Mira tried teleporting back to the real world, but whatever spatial lock had been ced on her didn''t allow it.


    Her despair only increased more and more.


    Thud.


    The huge tentacle moved closer again, this time revealing even more of its length.


    It was at least 20 kilometres long at this point.


    ''CALL OF THE VOID! ACTIVATE GOD DAMMIT!''


    However, after she uttered the name of her talent itself, somethingpletely unexpected happened.


    She disappeared from her spot.


    Thud.


    And just in the nick of time, it seemed.


    As the tentacle moved once again, this time mming down directly on top of where Mira was previously locked in ce.


    Back in the real world, Mira appeared back in the same ce she had disappeared, only this time the area was barren and the tree she was leaning against was gone.


    Because of the tree''s absence, and the fact that Mira was leaning on it when she disappeared, she fall onto her back immediately as she appeared in that same spot again.


    But that wasn''t her main concern at the moment.


    She was still frozen in ce, still in shock from her previous encounter.


    It took her 10 seconds to snap out of it, and she looked around herself with concern, as she realised that the Galephant was still very much a threat to her in this ce.


    But when she looked just 20 metres to her right, the Galephant stood perfectly still.


    Mira would have investigated this confusing turn of events, if it weren''t for the fact that she was in a simr state herself.


    They were both frozen in shock.


    The only question was, who would wake up from this shock first.


    Mira''s thoughts were churning, too busy trying to figure out how she had somehow made it out of that spatial lock, rather than trying to free herself from her frozen state.


    ''How, just how did that work!?''


    She could only ask herself, speechless.


    [Nothing is above the System. The fact the #@;#$ tried to lock you down in space, trying to overwrite even the System''s own power actually saved her. A severe punishment will be dished out to it shortly¡­]


    The system responded to her, but the whole thing was weird to Mira.


    It was like the System''s response was more like the inner musings of a person rather than the System actually acknowledging her question and answering her.


    But whatever the case was, Mira had to put it aside.


    Because she was waking up from her shock.


    And it seemed she bad beaten the Galephant to it.

 Chapter 302: Locked in

    Mira''s body snapped into action the moment she broke free from her frozen state.


    The sheer terror of what she had just encountered still lingered on her mind, but she pushed through it with gritted teeth.


    The Galephant was still a threat, and it was right in front of her practically served up on a tter.


    She was given a rare opportunity ¡ª one which she couldn''t afford to waste.


    Sheunched herself forward with a burst of speed, her Golden Presence thankfully still active as only half of the allotted time had passed so far.


    Her increased strength propelled her across the distance between her and the massive beast in a matter of milliseconds.


    The Galephant, still locked in its own state of shock, remained motionless, its eyes wide and vacant.


    It clearly had a weaker will than Mira despite its clearly superior rank and ss.


    It seemed being a higher rank wasn''t all so good after all.


    Mira kept in mind the fact that she should continue to strengthen her own mind in the future in case another situation like this one crops up.


    Mira could see her sword, still embedded deep in the Galephant''s skull, just where she had left it when she was flung from the beast.


    She was lucky the beast was incapacitated, or she would have an incredibly hard time trying to fight it without a weapon at her disposal.


    Her feet barely touched the ground as she closed in on the beast.


    The Galephant''s body waspletely still, not even a sign of breathing, but Mira wouldn''t make the mistake of assuming it was dead just from that.


    It was a C tier Variant ss beast, it could probably go for many hours without breathing at all.


    ''So that presence in the Void dimension was even able to extend its aura into the real dimension¡­ I wonder just how powerful it really was.''


    Just as Mira reached the Galephant''s side though, she saw a flicker of movement in its eyes.


    The beast was beginning to reawaken, its muscles tensing as it started to shake off its paralysis.


    Time was quickly ticking down until the Galephant fully reawakened like Mira, and at that point her chance to strike while the iron was hot would be missed.


    Mira leaped up and grabbed the hilt of her sword, pulling it out of the beast''s thick hide.


    The familiar feeling of a weapon in her hand made her much more confident, and to make the most of the time she had before the Galephant was able to move again, she struck.


    Mira didn''t hesitate for even a second, because she couldn''t afford to.


    She wasted no time, her body moving in synchronisation with her thoughts as she drove the de back down into the beast''s flesh, targeting the point where the skull met the spine.


    She had already tried going directly for the brain, but that part of its skull was too thick for her to prate even with her enhanced strength.


    So instead, she aimed for its nerves, the vital spot where a clean strike could bring even a creature of its size to its knees.


    Katcha!


    Her sword prated deep, just as she intended, sinking into the thick hide and muscle with as much force as she could muster.


    ROARR!


    At this moment, the Galephant fully reawakened from its frozen state.


    The jolt of pain Mira''s strike had sent through its body had probably been enough to give it enough will power to snap out of it.


    The sound of its roar shook the ground beneath her feet and echoed through the remains of the forest.


    It was a roar of pain, anger, desperation, the kind that sent shivers down the spine of the person listening to it.


    But Mira wasn''t phased.


    She pressed down harder, twisting the de to do as much damage as possible.


    The beast thrashed, its massive body convulsing as it tried to shake her off, but Mira clung as hard as she could this time, not making the same mistake asst time and getting thrown off.


    She was fully aware that the beast had regained its strength, the paralysis from the earlier shock wearing off quickly.


    But it seemed her strike to its spine wasn''t enough to bring back this paralysis, at least do its lower body.


    Mira felt the muscles of the Galephant tighten around her de, the beast''s body preparing tounch a counter attack.


    She was close enough to its head that its trunk could reach her if she gave it the chance.


    "No you don''t!" she eximed, her grip tightening around the hilt.


    With a feral snarl, Mira ripped the sword free again and brought it down in a flurry of strikes, each one aimed at the same vulnerable spot she had struck before.


    Her de cut through flesh, muscle and bone with dangerous efficiency.


    But the Galephant just wasn''t dropping.


    And now its trunk was closing in on her.


    With more wind elemental energy converging in front of it.


    It seemed the Galephant had reached an impasse.


    It knew it wouldn''t be able to survive this encounter if it allowed Mira to continue.


    So it decided on taking them both out in a suicide attack.


    Mira''s eyes darted to the Galephant''s trunk as she sensed the surge of wind elemental energy gathering at the tip of it.


    The beast''s massive appendage was snaking towards her rapidly, preparing to unleash a devastating attack that would most likely kill them both.


    There was no time to hesitate.


    Without missing a beat, Mira switched her focus from the vulnerable spot at the base of the Galephant''s skull to its trunk.


    She knew that if she didn''t stop the Galephant from releasing that energy, it would take them both out.


    She swung her sword in a wide arc, aiming for the muscr trunk before it reached her.


    Katcha!


    Her sword bit deep into the trunk, but that wasn''t enough.


    "RAHHH!"


    Mira pushed her body past its limits to put even more force behind the attack.


    Shing!


    The trunk was severed, separated from the beast''s head.

 Chapter 303: Hard fought

    Blood sprayed out in a crimson arc as the trunk was cut clean off.


    But that only created more problems for Mira.


    The wind elemental energy at its tip didn''t dissipate like she expected it would when she cut off its source of power.


    Instead, it grew even more chaotic now that it had nothing controlling it.


    For a brief moment, everything seemed to slow down.


    Mira could see the trunk falling from the beast''s head, eventually hitting the ground.


    Then, when the wind energy came into contact with the ground, it detonated, in a wild, unfocused st.


    Mira instinctively grabbed onto the Galephant''s back and clung on for dear life, pressing herself against the beast''s massive body as the explosion rippled outwards.


    The force of the st was immense, but nowhere near as catastrophic as the level of the first that she had faced earlier.


    Still, it was powerful enough to send both her and the Galephant tumbling through the air.


    The world spun around Mira in a blur of colours and sounds.


    She could feel the Galephant''s body absorbing the brunt of the explosion, its thick hide shielding her from the worst of the st.


    Mira wanted to hold on with everything she had, but then she realised something.


    What if the thingnded on top of her when they eventually stopped?


    Miraunched herself off the Galephant with every ounce of strength she could muster, her legs kicking against the beast''s thick hide as they both hurtled through the air.


    The force of the explosion had thrown them with such violence that the ground beneath them was a blur, and for a split second, Mira was weightless, suspended in the air like a leaf caught in a gale.


    She twisted her body mid air, angling herself away from the Galephant.


    Gravity dragged her back down very quickly.


    The ground rushed up to meet her, and Mira braced herself.


    Oof!


    She hit the earth hard, rolling for dozens of metres.


    But the damage was minimal, considering her body had faced much worse falls multiple times before.


    She skidded to a stop soon after.


    She shook off the dizziness from the constant spinning while in the air, her senses sharpening as she scanned the area for the Galephant.


    It wasn''t hard to spot.


    The beast hadnded roughly a hundred metres away from her, skidding another hundred which was clear from the long indent on the ground where the beast had left a trail with its huge body.


    Its form was half buried in the cracked earth.


    Dust and debris still hung in the air, the aftermath of the explosion lingering around the area.


    The Galephant''s once mighty presence now seemed diminished, its movements sluggish and disoriented as it struggled to regain its bearings.


    Mira''s eyes shed.


    The beast was dazed, vulnerable.


    This was her chance to finally end the fight.


    But she knew better than to let her guard down.


    The Galephant was still much stronger than her, even in its weakened state.


    She tightened her grip on her sword.


    Mira moved swiftly, approaching the Galephant without hiding her intentions.


    The beast''s head was still swaying, its eyes unfocused and blood still oozing out from what remained of its trunk.


    The Galephant let out a low, pained groan, its body shifting slightly as it tried to push itself up.


    But the st had taken too much out of it.


    Its legs wobbled, unable to support its massive weight, and it copsed back down with a heavy thud.


    Mira didn''t waste any time.


    With a burst of speed, she closed the distance between them, her eyes locked on the deep injury she had caused to the beast''s neck.


    As she approached, the Galephant''s ear twitched, and its head began to turn slowly, as if sensing her presence.


    But it was toote.


    Mira leaped onto its back, driving her sword deep into the beast''s neck, right at the base where the injury she had previously been working at was located.


    This time, the de sank in with a sickening crunch, hitting bone directly.


    If her attack didn''t paralyse it this time, then something was really wrong with this beast.


    But it seemed the Galephant''s attempts to fight back were over.


    The beast roared in agony, its body convulsing as the pain shot through it.


    But Mira didn''t relent.


    She struck again, using every ounce of strength she had left.


    Her time of using Golden presence was quickly running out, and she only had about 30 seconds left.


    She was cutting it too close forfort.


    Finally though, with ast, desperate shudder, the beast went still.


    Mira remained on its back for a moment, breathing heavily as she kept her grip on the sword.


    She could feel the life draining out of the Galephant beneath her, its massive body going limp.


    She had done it.


    The beast was dead.


    This was her first time killing a Variant ss beast, without making use of her Call of the Void talent.


    Well, she did try to make use of it, but it only backfired on her in the end.


    Though it did give her a good chance to strike back at the beast since it was still frozen when she broke free of her own paralysis.


    Mira pulled her sword out with a grunt, and at the same time, her golden hair gradually receded to its usual size and ck colour.


    Immediately after, she felt her strength be marginally weaker.


    She didn''t even have the strength to keep standing anymore.


    But she wasn''t quite at the point of passing out.


    Which let her ruminate over some thoughts she had suppressed due to the urgency of her battle.


    ''This ce isn''t on Eldaris¡­''


    She thought, thinking back to how odd this whole situation was when she firstnded.


    ''This is the Primordial Expanse.''


    The revtion left her shocked, confused at how she could have even ended up there.


    As far as she knew, the only way she could enter the Primordial Expanse was through her own will to do so.


    And while there was a Floodgate on the, those only worked one way¡­

 Chapter 304: Ahead of schedule

    Back in the Shen Wu system.


    ***


    [Requirements to reach C tier: Basic control over at least 1 element (Complete), kill over 1000 enemies of a higher rank than yourself, solo. (945/1000)]


    ''Nearly there.''


    Alex had put in his rounds on the battlefield over thest week.


    His initial estimate of being able to beat the second requirement of killing 1000 enemies in 6 days turned out to be an overestimation on Alex''s behalf.


    Instead, he had spent over 20 hours each day on the battlefield, constantly killing any Red Demon he came across, regardless if they were higher or lower ranked than himself.


    And only 4 days had passed.


    He was ahead of his own schedule by 2 days.


    His 20 hours on the battlefield were up for the day though, so he would have toplete the rest of his mission on the 5th day.


    He could have easily ignored this time limit and went out to kill another 55 Red Demons toplete hisst requirement to rank up, but he wouldn''t do that.


    His time limit was self imposed, it didn''te from any orders from the army or anything like that.


    20 hours was as long as he could go fighting before he started to feel fatigued, and he didn''t want to risk fighting on the battlefield any longer than that, in case hees across another group of elites, or worse, a prodigy like Varkoth.


    ***


    King, Alex''s personal ship, streaked across the night sky as he left the and all the battlefields behind for the day.


    He was heading towards the human territory in the Shen Wu system, where he would park his ship somewhere and take a 4 hour nap, before heading back.


    But just as he was leaving the vicinity of the¡­


    Ding!


    "Enemy attack warning! Detection systems suggest that there are four military ss ships targeting us. As the captain is currently unable to pilot, Autonomous dodging will begin!"


    The spaceship''s rm resounded, with the AI announcing an enemy attack on Alex''s ship!


    Right after the announcement was made, King made a sharp series of turns to dodge the bombardment of energy beamsing its way.


    Some missed, but a few still managed to hit their target.


    Bang!


    The violent energy from the beams crashed out in every direction as they hit the defensive barrier surrounding King, sending ripples across space.


    But that wasn''t the end of the energy beams.


    Another bombardment was sent, and more energy beams were shot at King.


    Ding!


    "The ship''s defensive barrier''s durability reduced by 10%! Defensive durability at 90%!"


    The AI came on the announcements again.


    Alex''s eyebrows rose upon hearing the alert.


    He assumed that his ship would be able to just ignore the enemy attack entirely, considering Admiral Olgierd said that it was able to block a single B tier King ss attack, so Alex assumed that meant the defensive barrier''s durability would be depleted by 100% from that one attack.


    This meant that whoever was attacking him had some heavy firepower to be able to enact 5% of the amount of damage a B tier King ss attack could cause, with each of their shots.


    If 18 more of those energy beams hit his ship, then his defensive barrier wouldpletely go down.


    Alex wasn''t happy to say the least.


    This was his personal ship!


    He had barely even gotten to use it for 2 weeks, and someone was already hell bent on destroying it!?


    Not on his watch!


    Alex had a frown on his face as he looked towards the direction of the.


    The energy beams wereing from there.


    More specifically, from the four ships that were trailing behind him.


    The four ships were all different, with the smallest being just 50 metres long, half the size of Alex''s own ship. It was covered in dark red paint, made to resemble blood. It looked like a floating red shark in space.


    It was quite menacing.


    While thergest was 500 metres long, five times as long as Alex''s ship. This one looked even more menacing.


    It was covered in all types of spikes, traps and the sort.


    It was clearly designed to make sure that no one would be able to cling on to the sides of it and try to board it.


    This one looked like a warship of sorts, but from where, Alex had no clue.


    It didn''t resemble a ship from either the Federation nor the Red Demon race.


    As for the other two ships, they were simr in the fact that their origin was unknown, with their sleek, ck paint making thesest two look like the most advanced ships of the bunch.


    At 100 metres long each, they probably had a simr use as Alex''s own ship.


    At this moment, Alex''s originally confused face looked back at the three ships.


    ''Who are they?'' There was a coldness in the way he thought.


    At this moment, the energy beams stopped, and some sort of tractor beams came out of the four ships, putting a halt to any attempt Alex might have made to escape from their grasp.


    Alex was a little startled at this.


    The ships stopped applying direct fire? Why?


    Right as he tried to understand this irrational action, four figures left the ships, one from each ship, and traversed the hundreds of kilometres separating Alex and them at lightning speed.


    Alex took a good look at their appearances.


    The four figures were all different. Not a single one of them was from the same race.


    They weren''t human, but they also weren''t Red Demons either.


    They were apletely different third party.


    Some of them looked simr to humans, with a few distinctions, some simr to the Red Demons, while others lookedpletely different entirely, with four arms, scales, or hair covering their whole body.


    But considering their actions, it was clear they weren''t here for a friendly interaction.


    And the fact that they would intervene in a war between two races, could only mean one thing.


    ''Space pirates.''

 Chapter 305 : Its just me!

    But there was one thing that all four of these figures shared.


    The level of strength they were giving off.


    ''Variant ss, C+ rank. All four of them.''


    Right at this time though, the figure who looked most simr to a human opened his mouth and revealed a snake like tongue, speaking in a hoarse voice, with the odd hiss here and there.


    "Human upants of this ship! You have been surrounded! If you do not wish to die, surrender yourself and all of your possessions, and we might just let you live!"


    The human like being spoke in the federalnguage, and the fact that he mentioned the human race as well¡­


    These pirates clearly knew a thing or two about the human race.


    ''How has word about our existence spread so quickly across space?''


    Alex grew more and more concerned for the human race as more time passed from their protection period''s end.


    But when he heard the human like figure''s words, Alex looked awkwardly at them through the window.


    ''Do they not know it''s just me in here?''


    Not to mention he was actually being robbed, in in sight no less.


    He was literally just a few minutes'' travel away from the Federal military''s territory, yet these pirates so brazenly decided to rob him!?


    How bold!


    Alex thought about it for a moment.


    The energy beams from before could easily destroy his ship''s barrier now that he was locked in ce by their tractor beams.


    He couldn''t let that happen!


    And he was surrounded, so it wasn''t like he had much choice in what to do either.


    Since that was the case, Alex decided to ply'' with their wishes.


    Alex smiled.


    "Let''s see what happens."


    At this time, outside the ship, the human like being noticed that there was no movement from the ship so far, and started to be annoyed.


    "Stupid humans! If you don''t exit your ship now, we''ll blow it all to bits!"


    Those humans inside this ship dared to make the Violet Pirates wait?


    With how close they were to the human territory, they were anxious to stick around for long.


    And with howx the humans inside this ship seemed, they had already made the decision to kill them after they had taken everything.


    Spare their lives?


    Hah, as if they would do that when they made them wait so long!


    (Only 30 seconds had passed¡­)


    Behind him, the other three pirates in different shapes and sizes all looked at each other, bloodthirst clearly in their eyes.


    They all started menacinglyughing with each other, deciding how to share the valuables of the humans inside, though they were especially interested in the ship itself.


    Although it couldn''tpare to the highest ss ships of their own races, before they were exiled from their own races that was, it was still a very good ship on the universal scale of things.


    The human race had done well to develop this thing, considering theirck of trade with any other races yet.


    While the universe was essentially an untamed jungle, with different races killing each other wantonly over their soul cores, that didn''t mean that trade didn''t take ce.


    The four alien figures had clearly disregarded the upants of the ship though.


    They treated it as if they had already won over them, having confidence in their own strength.


    Right on cue, the doors of King opened as Alex slowly flew out.


    He turned to look at the four space pirates who were stillughing with disdain.


    "It took you long enough, human! Now, tell the rest of your crew to exit, or we''ll make an example out of you!"


    One of the other four beings, one covered in hair, resembling a beast more than an actual sentient being, spoke this time.


    "It''s just me on this ship."


    Alex spoke, his cold tone not hidden at all.


    The four beings seemed a little disappointed at this revtion, but they just took it as it was.


    Less humans meant less loot, after all.


    They would find out whether his words were true or not when they entered his ship themselves, after they had killed him of course.


    After seeing Alex appear, their gazes all locked onto him.


    His clothes didn''t reveal any sort of extravagant wealth, like they were hoping, but the fact that he was piloting such a decent ship still gave them hope.


    "All your belongings are ours now! Strip yourself, and turn over any spatial storage items you have on you. If you don''tply, we''ll simply pry them from your body after we kill you!"


    If Alex dared to rebel against them, anything valuable he might have on him might be damaged in the fight.


    They were here for whatever valuable goods he had, so they hoped it didn''te to such a thing.


    But thankfully for them, it seemed Alex wouldn''t go to such lengths.


    "Come and take them from me! I''m afraid a weak D tier like me can''t traverse space as well as you C tiers!"


    Alex presented himself with open arms to the four pirates, showing that he wasn''t going to try anything drastic.


    He even started shaking, showing how scared he was.


    "Hahah, you''re pretty smart for a human!"


    The beast like alien spoke, and started floating over to Alex.


    When he neared within just a couple metres, Alex spoke.


    "I have a spatial storage earring. I don''t want to die!"


    He shook even more as the alien approached, and told him where his spatial storage was.


    The beast like alien just smirked, knowing what they were going to do to this human regardless of whether he cooperated or not.


    He came close enough to Alex that he could see the deep fatigue on his face, barely half a metre separating the two of them, as the beast like being stretched out his arm to take the earring off of Alex''s ear.


    Shing!


    But right as he did so, he was left a little confused.


    ''I could have sworn I just saw him move?''


    He looked at Alex, then realised that he was no longer shaking, and had a cold look on his face.


    He looked down, only to see a sword buried deep in his chest, slicing his heart to bits.


    ''He was putting on an act?''


    His thoughts didn''tst much longer, as the life force inside him dissipated quickly.

 Chapter 306 : Are you really that stupid?

    "Brother Kurdis, stop ying around and finish it up quickly, we can''t spend too much time this close to the human territory!"


    The human like alien spoke out, presumably to the beast like alien that had just been stabbed and killed by Alex.


    It seemed the other three hadn''t noticed what had happened quite yet, which humoured Alex a little.


    His acting was so good that their guard waspletely down, and like the fools they were, they didn''t even consider the fact that he might have done such a thing.


    They could feel Alex''s aura, as he was purposely exposing it for them.


    In their eyes, a mere D tier Mutant ss couldn''t do anything to C+ rank Variant sses like them.


    Seeing that the other three hadn''t noticed anything yet, Alex decided to y it to his advantage.


    He reassumed his previous act of being terrified, but put on a ''brave face'' and decided to throw a weak punch at Kurdis''s corpse, acting like he was putting his all into the punch, but having it do absolutely nothing to Kurdis.


    "..."


    "..."


    Seeing what Alex did, there was a momentary silence, but that onlysted for a second.


    The other three aliens burst outughing uncontrobly.


    "I take it back, this human is as stupid as the rest of them. He can''t even tell the gap between himself and his enemies!"


    The human like alien spoke, pointing at Alex while he held his stomach inughter.


    "Kurdis, I think you should show him what happens when people fight back against us."


    He pointed at Kurdis, and made a suggestion.


    The facade of them letting Alex live was finally starting to slip.


    They weren''t even trying to hide it anymore.


    "Kurdis?"


    But theirughter slowly died down and their faces gradually grew concerned and confused when they noticed that theirrade hadn''t made a single movement at all since the start of this amusing situation.


    "W-What!? He''s dead!"


    Eventually though, one of them had the brains to extend their senses to Kurdis, and when they felt no pulse from him, they knew something had gone wrong somewhere along the line.


    "What did you do to him!? You bastard human, you''re dead!"


    As he spoke, the human like alien bared his teeth at Alex, speaking in as sinister tone as it could get.


    "I''ll rip you to pieces and leave the remains right at the door of your human base to find!"


    He clenched his fist into a ball and threw a punch directly towards Alex.


    Rumble!


    Energy swelled around his fist and a wave of silver energy was swept across the vacuum and immediately appeared in front of Alex.


    The mood had quickly be sour.


    "See you in hell, little shit!"


    No attack was thrown other than that silver fist, as they expected the disparity in their strength was too much for Alex to even defend himself.


    Crash!


    Bang!


    But against their expectations, the fist didn''t even reach Alex at all.


    It hit the barrier of his ship!


    This whole time, Alex wasn''t nning to move away from the vicinity of his ship for that exact reason!


    He was already weak from the 20 hours of constant battle against the Red Demons on the battlefield, and he had no time to rest before this motley crew of pirates came along and tried to rob him.


    So nned to use his ship to his advantage right from the start.


    He had to rely on such sneaky tactics if he didn''t want to lose his life to such ame reason like fatigue!


    "Damn it! He''s still in range of his ship''s shield!"


    The human like Alien spoke to the other two.


    "Keep pummelling it, it''s sure to be low on durability! We can break through it and directly him!"


    The n seemed sound, if only Alex''s ship''s defences weren''t so strong.


    The durability was at 90%, regenerating to 92% after Alex had stalled the four of them for a few minutes.


    And that silver fist attack just now had only done a total of 3% of damage to it!


    Considering the amount of power the pirate put behind that attack, Alex doubted that they could throw out another 30 of them between all three of them to break through the entire shield.


    Seeing that they had preupied themselves with breaking his shield, Alex leisurely returned back to his ship, and moved over to the main deck.


    He may be locked in ce thanks to their ship''s tractor beams, but all his other systems were working just fine.


    Like the weapons systems!


    President Price said that it had the capability to produce a single Variant ss B tier shot, capable of even blowing a small moon apart, but that would require every ounce of energy his ship had to offer.


    Alex wasn''t going to do something silly like use such a system at this moment.


    Besides, he didn''t need to go so overkill against those three idiots outside.


    He adjusted the output of his weapons to just C+ rank Variant ss, which drastically reduced the energy usage.


    Unlike the four pirate crafts that had his ship locked in ce, Alex''s weapons were omnidirectional.


    "AI, lock onto the three idiots currently attacking our shield outside."


    Alex spoke to the AI assistant in a casual tone, as if he wasn''t even being attacked right now and instead was having a rxing spa.


    "Targets locked, sir."


    It only took a moment for it to reply.


    "Fire the weapons, two shots for each just to make sure."


    At that moment, six sma cannons appeared from the confines of Alex''s ship exterior.


    Previously hidden, their 10 metre long barrels revealed themselves in all their glory, bringing quite a scary look to his ship now that they were out.


    The three pirates looked at them with shock and horror when they saw them appear.


    In their own arrogance and stupidity, they had failed to consider the fact that they were in the middle of a warzone!


    Practically every ship in this system was fitted with weapons, though most were not as high calibre as Alex''s.

 Chapter 307: Good riddance

    The appearance of the three sma cannons on Alex''s ship caused the atmosphere to shift from one of arrogance and bravado to sheer terror among the remaining three pirates.


    They had severely underestimated Alex from the start, continuing their stupid arrogance even after finding out that he had killed one of them right under their noses without them even realising it.


    Any normal person with a brain would be able to realise that he wasn''t to be underestimated from that, but no, these three seemed to just be that stupid.


    ''It truly wonders me how they made it so far in life¡­ especially as pirates!''


    Even Alex himself was astounded by theirck of brains!


    He admittedly wasn''t that smart when it came to his first timeing into contact with the world of the awakened, but he had adapted and grown ustomed to the way of the world.


    "Retreat! We need to get out of here¨C" one of the aliens shouted, panic evident in his voice as he became aware of how much danger he was in.


    But it was toote.


    Alex''s AI had already locked onto them, and the sma cannons were already charged.


    Boooom!


    The first shot was fired with mesmerising speed, and it hit its target almost immediately.


    The distance between them and Alex''s ship was only a few dozen or so metres, so the time it took between the cannons firing and them hitting was practically instantaneous.


    "Fuc-"


    The first to be hit was the one covered from head to toe in scales, much like the Red Demons, only he was much uglier.


    But his ugliness was no more the moment the cannon hit him, because he himself was simply no more!


    He waspletely disintegrated, not even his soul core being spared from the massacre.


    If Alex were any normal awakened, he would be devastated at the loss of something as valuable as a Variant ss C+ rank soul core, but he was indifferent.


    Though he was a little sad that he wouldn''t be getting any soul orbs from it though.


    It was the same type of situation with the time he blew up the Red Demon Buster base and killed over ten thousand Red Demons indirectly as a result.


    It wasn''t his power that killed them, so he didn''t get the rewards.


    The explosion from the first sma cannon shit reverberated through the vacuum, shaking even the fabric of space a tiny bit!


    The other two pirates barely had time to register the loss of yet anotherrade, with this one being reduced to nothing more than a faint memory.


    Because the second shot was fired right after.


    Boom!


    The second shot struck the pirate who had first called for retreat.


    He was subjected to the same treatment as the first to be hit, being disintegrated instantly.


    Only one pirate remained now, and it was the human like pirate who had acted as the de facto leader of the ''Violet Pirates'' from the beginning.


    By this point, he had already realised that he wouldn''t be able to outrun the sma cannons, with hundreds of kilometres of distance between him and his ship.


    So he resorted to turning around and begging for mercy, hoping that Alex might take pity on him.


    "Please! P-please, I have a family, kids. Don''t kill m-"


    But his plea was cut off, by another shot from the sma cannon.


    Alex wasn''t about to let someone like him live just because he realised he had made a mistake.


    Would he have let Alex live if the roles were reversed?


    Ha, absolutely not!


    So there was a fat chance that Alex would do him that favour.


    Just like the first two, the sma cannon hit its target instantaneously.


    And like a fart in the wind, he was gone instantaneously.


    ''What a joke for a pirate crew.''


    Alex thought to himself, amused at those four idiot''s pitiful attempts at robbing and killing him.


    If anything, Alex was doing the universe a favour by ridding it of those guys.


    The average IQ of all sentient lifeforms had probably gone up with the removal of those four from the statistic.


    ''Now what do I do with these¡­''


    Now that the minor problem had been dealt with, Alex was faced with yet another issue.


    It wasn''t quite a problem like those pirates were, more like an inconvenience to him, because he really just wanted to get some sleep before he was back on the battlefield in another 4 hours!


    Naturally, the problem was the pirate''s ships.


    They were still holding his own ship still with their tractor beams, but that wasn''t much of a problem anymore.


    Alex sat down in the captain''s seat on the main deck, once again ordering his AI to recharge the cannons.


    He had no idea whether there were more pirates hiding inside of them, or if they would be empty ghost ships now that their masters were wiped out.


    But there was only one way to find out!


    By brute forcing his way in.


    Since it only took one shot to kill them, rather than the six he had prepared, Alex still had plenty of energy left to deal with the four ship''s shields.


    Boom!


    The first shot was fired, and the effect on the ship''s shields was much more drastic than any of the pirate''s attacks on Alex''s own shield.


    Just from seeing the shock waves and ripples sent across the shield, the AI in Alex''s ship estimated that a single shot had taken out 50% of the shield''s durability already!


    "Send another one their way."


    Alex ordered his AI, then made his way to the outer airlock on his ship.


    He exited it at the same time the cannon was fired, and got to watch with his own eyes how the shield waspletely destroyed when it hit.


    Next, using his Phoenix mes as a sort of propulsion method, Alex made his way across the hundreds of kilometres of distance between him and the ship he had targeted.


    The one whose shield had been destroyed was the biggest of them all, the 500 metre long ship.


    It took him nearly 30 minutes to arrive, thanks to his slow speed and shoddy transportation method, which left him a little annoyed.


    That would leave him with even less rest time for this night.


    He was hoping that whatever he was going to find on board their ships would make up for the lost time.

 Chapter 308: 10 seconds

    When Alex arrived at the ship, everything seemed calm.


    There were no indications of any activity inside the ship itself, and although the defensive shields had been overwhelmed, there were no rms ring at all.


    It was like the whole thing was a ghost ship.


    ''Surely it wasn''t just 1 pirate per ship, right¡­?''


    Alex wasn''t convinced.


    These ships didn''t look like the same type as Alex''s, where he alone could operate it without the need for any crew members.


    Especially for a ship over 500 metres long, this had to have at least some crew members to maintain the core areas.


    But there was one easy method for him to find out.


    ''Spatial Perception.''


    Alex activated his spatial perception, which enveloped the entire ship all at once.


    ''There you are!''


    And just as he had expected, this ship wasn''t empty.


    He counted over 40 other figures, from all different kinds of races, hiding away in the most inconspicuous confines of the ship.


    Just from the terrified expressions of the people hiding away, it was clear that they were either weaker than the four pirates who had gone out to meet Alex, or were nonbatant pirates entirely.


    Some of them did seem to fit the boot of being maintenance crew members, as they wore uniforms that matched such professions, and they looked the most terrified out of the bunch.


    There were around 10 of such figures, with the remaining 30 most likely being the original captain of this ship''s underlings.


    "I know you''re all hiding here, all 40 of you. If you don''te out in the next 10 seconds to meet me on the flight deck, then you''ll all meet the same fate as your leader."


    Imbuing some energy into his voice, Alex made an announcement to the remaining members of this ship.


    "10."


    "9."


    Though it was only when Alex started counting down that the figures all hiding on the ship took him seriously.


    They all scarpered out from whatever corner they were hiding in and rushed towards the flight deck at the front of the ship.


    Considering there were weak maintenance workers on board who would be the slowest to reach the flight deck, Alex decided to give them some leniency.


    The 10 second countdown wouldn''t actually count for them.


    For all he knew, they might not have willingly joined this pirate crew to work as a maintenance member, so he wouldn''t be so hard on them until he got the full picture.


    As for the awakened members on board who were clearly the real pirates¡­


    Alex wouldn''t be so lenient with them.


    He wasn''t joking when he said they''d join their leader in death if they didn''t arrive in 10 seconds.


    "2."


    "1."


    "Time''s up."


    And when the 10 seconds finally passed, there were two awakened that hadgged behind, whether on purpose or due to their own weakness, Alex didn''t care.


    He had been watching all of them from the beginning.


    While they had all been hiding at different parts of the ship, some even hiding right at the rear, which was unfortunate for them since they were the furthest from the flight deck.


    But he had already calcted that they would all be able to reach the flight deck in less than the time he had allotted them with their strength.


    As for the two that didn''t make it on time, he already knew they had purposely dyed their arrival.


    They seemed to be the next two inmand after their captain was killed, and they were snickering and whispering to each other while they were making their way over, and while Alex couldn''t understand them, he could understand visual cues.


    They wanted to call his bluff.


    Well, unfortunately for them, he wasn''t bluffing.


    "I know you all understand what I''m saying, so I want you to all watch something."


    Alex spoke to the crowd of 40, with the final maintenance members arriving covered from head to toe in sweat, with terrified expressions on their faces because they hadn''t made it before the deadline.


    "There were some of you that took my words for granted and didn''t make it here before the 10 second countdown ended."


    He looked around the crowd, ncing at each and every crew member present.


    The ones who were guilty all gulped and started shaking, while those who knew they made it on time sighed heavily in relief.


    As for the two awakened who had purposely dyed their arrival, they stood at the back with arms crossed and smug smiles on their face while they waited for Alex to continue.


    "For you 10," Alex said, as he pointed at the 10 maintenance crew who were obviously not awakened.


    The tension in the atmosphere between the two parties was so intense that one of them even went into shock.


    "You''ll be let off, considering your circumstances."


    But after Alex''s next words left his mouth, there was a collective sigh from the 9 who were still conscious.


    "Haha, I knew he was bluffing."


    "Yeah, you called it."


    Though there were some whispers from the two at the back.


    "As for you two."


    And this time, Alex pointed at them.


    The entire crowd of 37, minus the 1 guy who had passed out in shock, all looked back at the two who were whispering to each other.


    They recognised these two as the next strongest after their captain.


    "You aren''t so lucky."


    Alex wasn''t going to entertain them any longer, and directly shot over to them, Virtue''s Edge in hand, and severed their heads from their bodies in an instant.


    There was a look of shock on both of their faces, as they seemed to be strong enough to see Alex''s movements, but they weren''t fast enough to react to them in time.


    Their heads were separated before they could even form a thought.


    "Now that the trash has been dealt with, why don''t you guys plead your own case to me. Exin why I shouldn''t just kill you like I did with these two."


    Moving on, Alex directed his query at the rest of the crowd of aliens.


    This time, not even the maintenance members were spared from his pressure.

 Chapter 309: Misunderstanding

    Just outside the Human race''s territory in the Shen Wu system, Alex dragged four ships of varying sizes behind his own back into the Human side of things.


    He had reversed the target of the four ship''s tractor beams, using them to lock themselves on to Alex''s ship, rather than holding Alex''s ship in ce.


    With this, Alex was essentially towing the four ships back with him.


    30 minutes had passed since Alex had interrogated the crew of the biggest ship.


    This left him with only 3 hours of rest before he headed back out to the battlefield.


    He wasn''t happy about this one bit.


    But one thing he was happy about, was the information he had gathered from the pirate crews of the four ships that he had interrogated.


    Spread across the four ships, there were 100 additional crew members in total, with all of them hiding whenever Alex moved on to their ship to inspect.


    Of course, the first and most important question Alex had asked them ¡ª why he shouldn''t kill them ¡ª gave him quite some unique answers.


    As expected, the maintenance workers had been forced to work on the ships against their will, with their family''s lives being on the line if they declined the four leader''s ''offer''.


    Alex let them live.


    They could have lied, but he had corroborated their stories with the other, actual pirate crew members and it seemed to be true.


    But even if it wasn''t, Alex doubted they''d ever get to see their families again anyway when he handed the ships over to the federation.


    Since the federation would likely be less lenient on them regardless of their stories, just because of the fact that they were aliens.


    They wouldn''t be killed in some sort of scheme for their soul cores, as they didn''t have any due to being unawakened, but they would likely be prisoners for the rest of their lives.


    There were 25 maintenance members in total, all had been spared.


    As for the remaining 75 pirates?


    Alex had killed the lower ranking grunt members who likely knew very little information and were only good for ughtering innocent people.


    This left him with a little over 15 awakened pirates left, all who were higher up the food chain than the rest of them.


    They were more likely to know useful information.


    Unfortunately for Alex, it seemed that the four captains stored all of their loot and treasure at a secret location only they four knew about, so there was a fat chance he would ever get to see that.


    But that didn''t mean he gained nothing from this.


    No, he had gained the four ships themselves.


    Stay connected via m-v l|e-NovelBin


    Thest time he handed over an alien ship to the federation, the resulting rewards were quite bountiful to say the least.


    And now that he had another four, all four of which were very unique, he was sure to ask for more rewards.


    ***


    "Warning! Unknown ships approaching. Warning! Unknown ships approaching!"


    On the other side of the system, where the Human domain was located and where the main bases of the human race in the Shen Wu system were based, rms started ring out of nowhere.


    The rm red across the entire base, leaving the soldiers on board stunned.


    "Who is stupid enough to approach the main base of this system? Do they have a death wish?"


    The region was controlledpletely by the human race, even the Red Demons should have known that they would suffer a great loss if they tried attacking this ce so brazenly.


    And there were only five ships approaching as well.


    Themander of this region, Colonel Margit had strength equalling that of a B rank higher life form!


    And he was still only a lower life form! A C+ rank Variant ss with power equalling that of a B rank at the same ss!


    Unless the enemy Red Demonmander hade over to attack, whoever it was that was approaching was basically signing them up for death.


    "Are they lost?"


    "Should we go see what''s up?"


    "Let''s go! There might be some rewards for us if we take out this small fleet ourselves!"


    "Yeah, there''s practically no danger anyway!"


    Many ambitious soldiers and mercenaries hopped into their own ships to try their own luck with the approaching ships.


    In this region of space, rarely any conflict happened, as nearly all of the battles in this war took ceside, so this was quite an entertaining spectacle for those spectating.


    Meanwhile, Alex sat in his ship, towing the four pirate ships closer to the human domain.


    He waspletely unaware of the ruckus he had caused in the human ranks with the presence of the four ships behind him.


    To make sure that none of the pirates tried anything drastic, he had moved them all to his own ship to watch over until he reached the federation.


    "Master, arge number of Human ships are closing in on us."


    But Alex was brought out of his leisurely attitude by the robotic voice of his AI assistant.


    Alex was surprised by what he was hearing, and looked out the front window of the main deck to see what was going on.


    And just as the AI had stated, there were many Human ships approaching, and over 70% of them were military ships from the federation.


    There were thousands of them¡­


    "???"


    Alex was utterly confused.


    ''Did they know I wasing?''


    But at that moment, Alex received amunication request, while at the same time on the other side, a simr air of confusion went through those at the forefront of the makeshift fleet.


    "Isn''t that the King ss prodigy Alex''s personal ship?"


    Then, he looked at the four ships behind it, with their tractor beams locked on to Alex''s.


    "Has something happened to Alex!?"


    He pressed themunication button almost immediately.


    He contacted Alex''s ship.


    "Amunication request hase from Colonel Margit."


    The AI announced for Alex.


    As soon as Alex answered, the man appeared on the main deck in holographic form.


    "Alex, what are you doing? Who are these guys? I don''t recognise a single one of their races¡­ Are they another interfering third party!?"


    It seemed this wasn''t the first time Colonel Margit had encountered such a situation.

 Chapter 310: So close

    Alex had caught onto Colonel Margit''s use of words right away.


    "Did you just say there''s ''another'' interfering third party? So these guys weren''t the only ones?"


    He ignored Colonel Margit''s first few questions and immediately addressed thest one.


    Seeing Alex respond so casually, disregarding his very serious counterquestion, Colonel Margit internally sighed in relief.


    His original assumption upon seeing Alex''s ship attached to four other foreign ships via tractor beam was that he had been captured or something like that.


    "These guys turned out to be pirates,ing to this system to leech off of any weakened victims. Unfortunately for them, they chose me as their final victim."


    Since Colonel Margit didn''t respond right away, Alex decided to follow up with some more information to ease the tension a little bit.


    After all, he was faced with thousands of Human ships a few hundred kilometres ahead of him¡­


    If any one of those didn''t get the memo that this wasn''t an enemy attack, then Alex would be subjected to a barrage of fire that he didn''t believe his ship could take.


    Sure, it could defend against 1 King ss A- rank attack, which was far, far above what any of those ships could produce.


    But when thousands of ships all shot at once?


    That was probably just as deadly.


    "Well, you''re indeed the King ss prodigy. You captured a crew of space pirates who had intended to do the same to you."


    Colonel Margit spoke, a little envy underlying his tone.


    But he continued shortly after.


    "But those four ships aren''t like yours. You remember the first time you came to this system right? Well, just like you were when you first came here, those are unregistered. Not to mention the fact that they are alien ships. If you want to bring them back without causing a ruckus like this, then you need to contact us first, or it would be mistaken as an invasion just like this very moment!"


    Rather than his usual disobedient tone against the military officials like Colonel Margit, Alex decided to stay silent this time around.


    He realised this waspletely his fault, with no one else to me.


    Well, he did me the fact that he had gone through over 21 hours of battle with no rest though, as his mind was a little sheepish.


    But he wasn''t going to go around throwing excuses.


    He was lucky that Colonel Margit had sent amunication request to him before the entire fleet straight up fired upon him.


    "Alright, I''ll take note next time¡­ I won''t make such a mistake again."


    Colonel Margit nodded and smiled. "In that case, allow us to send some people over to inspect the four ships. For security reasons, we can''t let them dock with the main station yet, so you can just leave them here for us to deal with."


    Alex nodded, relieved that they would do him this favour. "Sure, go ahead."


    If Margit didn''t ask for this first, Alex would have brought it up himself.


    Colonel Margit cut themunication shortly after thanking Alex. "Send people over to take the four ships."


    The officers listening in on hismunication with Alexplied. But they were also shocked.


    Alex had taken out an entire small fleet of pirates alone?


    They almost wouldn''t believe it if it weren''t for the fact that they, along with thousands of others, had witnessed him bringing them back first hand.


    He knew what level of power prodigies had, as he was once proud to be one of them in his youth.


    But this was a kind of strength beyond even that.


    ''No wonder he''s the only King ss prodigy¡­ The others simply can''tpare to him at all!''


    The officer quickly passed on Colonel Margit''s orders, and the other soldiers were shocked when they heard about the situation.


    They came here thinking that some dumb aliens were trying to invade, but it turned out a single student who was barely an adult had taken out all of the aliens himself, and was simply returning to base with his spoils?


    But despite being shocked, they were well trained and followed the orders to a tee.


    Multiple ships left the thousand strong fleet and made their way over to the four ships behind Alex.


    Although Alex told Margit that he had every remaining pirate on his ship with him, the soldiers had a job to do, and went in to search for potential threats regardless.


    Obviously, they found nothing.


    Meanwhile, Alex transferred the pirates from his ship to a military ship.


    Alex didn''t have to worry about what to do with the ships anymore, so he could finally get the rest he felt he deserved.


    And with as little time he had left before he would have to go back out again, he didn''t waste any effort in getting back to the main base as fast as he could safely do, before entering his personal cabin andpletely passing out onto his bed.


    ***


    4 hourster.


    Alex woke up feeling refreshed.


    In the end, he decided to sleep in on this day.


    His original 2.5 hours of sleep had turned into 4, which left him nearly 2 hours behind schedule.


    But he had already considered this.


    With his progress towardspleting the second, and final requirement to reach C tier nearingpletion, he realised that he wouldn''t need the full day to achieve this.


    With the deaths of the four pirate captains, Alex''s total was ticked up to 949.


    And after Alex had killed off over 60 of the pirate crew members, he was surprised to see it go up another 21 points.


    It turned out 21 of those ordinary pirate crew members were C tiers themselves.


    Leaving him at 970/1000.


    With only 30 numbers left to fill, Alex was confident that he couldplete this in 10 hours, rather than the 20 he had allotted.


    Hence, he decided to extend his sleep until he was fully energised.


    It was better to make sure that he was fully prepared for battle, rather than going in on not enough sleep and getting sloppy because of it.

 Chapter 311: A familiar face

    Everything to do with Alex''s sudden return with four new pirate ships had already been sorted.


    There were tens of thousands of witnesses to the spectacle, so it was impossible for someone to im that Alex hadn''t done what he had imed to do.


    Colonel Margit had already reported Alex''s sudden surprise to the main HQ back in the Sr System.


    So Alex was expecting another bout of rewards some time in the near future.


    He wasn''t too bothered about whether he got them in a few days, or a few weeks, since the war was already stressful for the federation to deal with, so he would understand if they couldn''t prepare anything for him just yet.


    But Alex had more important things to worry about that day.


    Reaching C tier!


    He was determined to finish his requirements within the next 10 hours, and he first started with getting out of the human base.


    Which only took him a few minutes, considering he could leave from any airlock near him and take out his ship from his spatial storage.


    Others who didn''t have the luxury of such arge spatial storage had to park their ships in designated stations, and it could take them 30 minutes up to a full hour to traverse their way across the station and deal with all the bureaucratic jargon before they were actually on the ship.


    Meanwhile, Alex had specifically requested that his private dorm be one near to an emergency exit, so it only took him 2 minutes maximum to leave the base.


    ***


    After a short 10 minute journey across the Shen Wu system, Alex was already in orbit of the main battlefield.


    He went through all of the usual procedures he was used to by now, scanning for the biggest hot spots on the, and identifying where the strongest Red Demons were battling.


    And after just a few seconds he had gotten his answer.


    And he couldn''t help but have a smile creep up on his face when he saw one of the Red Demon''s faces in the results.


    ''Varkoth!''


    The Red Demon prodigy who had probably the easiest chance to kill him that anyone would ever get, but spared him due to ''honour''.


    Alex was wondering when he would encounter this guy again, and he was very happy that it would be this day of all days.


    ''I''ll be sure to let him know he''s contributing to my ascension to C tier.''


    ***


    Varkoth stood atop a jagged cliff, his sinister eyes surveying the chaotic battlefield below him.


    Over the past week, the Shen Wu system had be more of a hunting ground for the Humans to prey upon the Red Demons, which was a stark contrast to the way it was just a week prior.


    And it was all thanks to one individual.


    ''Alex.''


    Varktoth hadn''t been able to take his mind off of Alex ever since he blew up that Buster base andpletely overturned the Red Demon''s ns in the Shen Wu system.


    His blood boiled whenever he thought about how he had let Alex go that day.


    What honour? What respect?


    He had spared Alex in an effort to not stain his own reputation by killing him while he was severely injured and weakened.


    But in the end, after the higher ups had learned about his previous encounter with Alex, his reputation was tarnished anyway.


    The respect he previously upheld was diminished, and his honours were demoted.


    The Red Demons knew Alex was the main culprit behind the attack on their base, causing the destruction of the Buster and the deaths of tens of thousands of Red Demons along with it.


    And it didn''t take a genius to realise that if Varkoth just did his job and finished Alex that day, then such an event would never have happened, and their ns would have seeded.


    The Buster would have beenpleted,pletely undetected, allowing them to withdraw all of their important forces stealthily andpletely obliterate the, taking out the millions of human lives with it.


    If this were to have urred, the Human race would have had absolutely zero chance of fighting over the Shen Wu system anymore, and the remaining forces out in space would be forced to withdraw in a rush.


    This was the n in many other simr star systems around the border of the milky way as well, but thanks to Alex''s ry of the information he had learned about the base, the Human race was much more alert of the Red Demon movements and many attempts to set up a Buster were thwarted.


    Varkoth was a prodigy that had earned his reputation through countless battles with other alien prodigies, and alwaysing out on top.


    His strength was unmatched among his peers. He was practically a warrier bred for war.


    But all of that was taken away in just a moment because of Alex.


    So it was safe to say that Varkoth held quite some strong hatred for him.


    And today, the monotonous atmosphere of the battlefield felt different.


    ''Something feels off¡­''


    But Varkoth couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    He felt his heart slowly speeding up in anticipation of something, but he had no idea what he was anticipating.


    Until just a moment ago.


    Varkoth''s instincts, honed from years ofbat, sensed a shift in the air.


    It wasn''t just the usual air of battle, nor was it the arrival of reinforcements from either side.


    No, this was something else.


    His eyes narrowed as he focused his senses, reaching out beyond the immediate battlefield.


    ''It''s him!''


    He sensed what had caused his weird feeling.


    Up in the sky above the battlefield, a ship was rapidly descending.


    And it was a ship that Varkoth would never forget.


    "Alex¡­"


    Varkoth muttered, his voice a low growl.


    He could tell immediately that Alex wasn''t headed for the battlefield below the cliff.


    No, he was headed for Varkoth directly.


    And when the ship was just a few dozen metres above the cliff, Alex appeared in the airlock door way.


    "Surprised to see me?" He asked, with a wide smirk on his face.


    Varkoth couldn''t help his rage from boiling over from this provocation.

 Chapter 312: A battle of taunts

    Varkoth''s crimson eyes zed with fury as he locked onto Alex''s smirking face.


    The memory of nearly being crushed under the weight of the entire base copsing on him was a bitter reminder of theirst encounter.


    It was because of this man that his honour had been tarnished, and his reputation absolutely ruined.


    If anything, his downfall only served to boost Alex''s infamy among the Red Demon race.


    And now, here he was, standing before him.


    The very embodiment of the mistake that had cost him everything.


    "You dare return, human?" Varkoth''s voice rumbled with barely contained rage.


    His ws digging into the rocky ground of the cliff below his feet.


    The sheer force of his anger caused the ground to tremble, sending cracks spider webbing out from where he stood.


    "You should have stayed hidden, buried in the dirt like the worm you are!"


    Alex remained calm, his smirk widening as he stepped out of the airlock onto the cliff''s edge, joining Varkoth.


    He wasn''t phased one bit by Varkoth''s provocations, instead it was clear that his own provocations had worked wonderfully.


    His ship disappeared into his spatial storage immediately after.


    "Come on, Varkoth. We both knew this day woulde. You spared me once, but now¡­ now I''m here. You said the next time we met would be myst, well? Why don''t we test that out?"


    The Red Demon''s muscles tensed, his scales flickering in a disy of power.


    He had indeed made such a promise.


    But one thing worried him a little.


    Alex was stronger now, and he could feel it.


    He could sense it in the way the human carried himself, his confidence, the energy radiating off of him.


    But it didn''t matter.


    Varkoth was a prodigy, a warrior unmatched in skill and ferocity.


    He would crush Alex this time, no matter if it went against his code of honour or not.


    He had already lost that, so he really had nothing to lose anymore.


    Other than his life¡­


    With a deafening roar, Varkothunched himself at Alex.


    The sheer force of his takeoff sent the tip of the cliff barrelling downwards on the battlefield below, which only served as an announcement of the fight that had begun above them.


    When the rocks reached the ground, nearly everyone on the battlefield was startled and immediately looked up to where they had fallen from, only to see Varkoth and Alex engaging inbat.


    The Red Demons were excited. Varkoth was perhaps the strongest prodigy they had sent out to the Shen Wu system, and Alex was by far the strongest Prodigy the Humans had sent out.


    In fact, Alex was the strongest Prodigy the Humans had in general!


    In their eyes, other than themander in charge of the entire invasion of the Shen Wu system, only Varkoth had the capabilities to take Alex out.


    The fights on the battlefield almost came to a halt as the Red Demons stopped attacking and instead diverted their attention to the fight above.


    The humans facing them were so bbergasted by this sudden turn of events that they joined them in spectating, wanting to know what all the fuss was about.


    Unlike the Red Demons, they only recognised one party in the fight, Alex.


    As for Varkoth, he was mostly unknown to the humans.


    ***


    ''Let''s see what the hype about this guy was all about then.''


    Alex was ready to receive attacks from Varkoth the moment he stepped into the airlock of his ship.


    From the way the Elites he had faced before were so obedient to him, he was interested in seeing just how much stronger he was than them, considering he was technically the same rank.


    Varkothunched himself at him, and the battlefield below seemed to hold its breath.


    The sound of the earth splitting apart beneath Varkoth''s feat was like a thunderous drum announcing the start of the well anticipated battle.


    Alex barely flinched as Varkoth''s massive frame hurtled towards him, ws outstretched, aiming to tear him apart.


    In that split second, Alex summoned his Phoenix mes, the air around him shimmering with a sudden, intense heat.


    His body became enveloped in a clock of crimson fire.


    Varkoth''s ws met the Phoenix mes, but instead of cutting through flesh like he had expected, they were met with the searing heat of the Divine Phoenix''s wrath.,


    The Red Demon recoiled, a snarl of pain and surprise escaping his lips as the mes licked at his scales, leaving slightly charred marks in their wake.


    "So this is how you were able to so easily take on four of my elites at once!" Varkoth shouted, as if he hade to a realisation.


    But Alex met him with a nk face, not willing to spare a few words for him in the midst of their fight.


    To be truthful, Alex was still rather wary.


    What made the four elites so unique were their talents.


    And so far, Varkoth hadn''t shown any indication that he had such a talent yet.


    But it would be almost impossible to reach the level of a top prodigy like him without the use of a talent, so he was sure to just be hiding it for now.


    Varkoth''s realisation did little to quell the anger boiling inside of him.


    The sight of his ws failing to pierce through Alex''s defences only fueled his rage further.


    The Red Demon had previously underestimated him once before by sending in his four elites to deal with him, and he had once again underestimated him.


    "ROARR!"


    With a guttural growl, Varkoth adjusted his stance, muscles coiling like a spring ready to release.


    He wed at Alex once more, this time with a more calcted approach.


    His ws, now glowing with a dark silver, cut through the air with a terrifying speed, aiming for any exposed part of Alex''s body.


    The force behind each swipe was enough to shatter an entire mountain top.


    And Alex would have to tank each of those with his body!


    But it wasn''t the force behind the swipes Alex was worried about¡­

 Chapter 313: Dark silver energy

    Varkoth''s ws, not wreathed in that sinister dark silver aura, cut through the air with a speed that was almost imperceptible, even to Alex.


    The energy around them cracked ominously, even the atmosphere seemed to recoil from it''s presence.


    As Varkothunched his next attack, the humans below wereughing at him, expecting it to bounce off just like his first attempt had done.


    But the Red Demons knew better.


    They knew of the stories surrounding Varkoth, and they held smirks on their faces as they watched his ws near in on Alex.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed as he observed the change in Varkoth''s ws.


    The dark silver energy was unlike anything he had encountered before.


    It was more than just raw power.


    But he couldn''t quite put a pin on what exactly the power was.


    Silver energy usually indicated the presence of the spatial element, but this time, Alex didn''t feel a lick of space element in Varkoth''s attack.


    But Alex wasn''t one to be so easily rattled.


    Varkoth''s ws came down, and Alex braced himself with his Phoenix mes at the forefront just like the first time Varkoth came in to attack.


    He expected his mes to shield him as they had before, but this time, something was different.


    The moment Varkoth''s ws made contact with the mes, they sliced through them effortlessly, as if they weren''t even there.


    His ws were so potent that they bypassed the Phoenix mes entirely, cutting straight towards Alex''s exposed skin.


    Alex had no time to react before he felt a searing pain in his thigh.


    He gasped as he staggered back, his eyes wide in confusion.


    He looked down to see three deep gashes in his thigh, the wound so clean and precise that his body had barely even registered that it was injured yet.


    It was only when blood started pouring out that his body''s natural defences kicked in.


    ''What the hell was that!?''


    The pain was intense, but what rmed Alex more was how easily Varkoth''s attack had prated his defences.


    His mind raced trying to figure out what had just happened.


    It was clear that that dark silver energy had something to do with it, but Alex had absolutely no idea what that energy was.


    Varkoth, seeing the blood staining Alex''s clothes, allowed a wicked grin to surface on his face.


    "So the mighty Alex finally bleeds," he taunted with his voice dripping with malice.


    "How does it feel human? To know that your precious mes couldn''t even stop me?"


    Alex furrowed his brows, fighting past the pain.


    ''That energy around his ws¡­ it''s not just enhancing his strength or speed. Its¡­ something more.''


    Alex could tell that there was a special aspect about Varkoth''s ws.


    "Wanna know what''s so special about that attack?" Varkoth spoke, his tone clearly indicating he was taunting Alex.


    But Alex didn''t respond and simply kept his distance, not wanting to be caught off guard like previously.


    "Well that''s too bad. You''ll have to find that out for yourself." Varkoth chuckled as he could tell Alex was frustrated by this taunt.


    He could see in Alex''s eyes the confusion surrounding how he could possibly have be so much more dangerous with that little change.


    But why would he throw away his advantage by telling Alex the secret of his talent?


    That would just be too cliche and stupid, like every movie viin ever exining their main attack right beforeunching it.


    But unbeknownst to Alex, Varkoth had quite a unique talent, something that Alex would definitely never have encountered before due to its rarity.


    It was called ''Pration.''


    Quite the interesting name, yes.


    But disregarding that, it was actually quite powerful.


    As an S+ rank talent, it was as strong as it could be, in terms of the known scaling for abilities.


    And the key aspect of what made it special was the fact that it allowed him to manipte the pration power of his attacks.


    Inyman''s terms, he could manipte how ''sharp'' his attacks were.


    Which was exactly what that dark silver energy was that surrounded his ws.


    His talents was special, as it scaled alongside his own rank.


    It was an S+ rank talent in principle, but it acted more like a growth type talent.


    As Varkoth was currently C+ rank, its own power equalled that of C+ rank.


    At this rank he could adjust his sharpness to slice apart the air in the atmosphere, allowing him to achieve a speed of attacks that not even people at the same level as him could perceive.


    There was no air resistance at all, like he was attacking in a vacuum.


    The ''sharpness'' of his ws literally created a microcosm vacuum wherever they sliced through, which was filled almost instantaneously.


    It was unknown what the ceiling of Pration was, but by the time he himself reached S+ rank, he suspected that he may even be able to splice apart atoms themselves.


    As Alex regained hisposure, Varkoth began to circle him, his ws once again glowing with that eerie dark silver energy.


    "Come now, Alex." Varkoth spoke. "Surely you didn''t think you were the only one who could wield such devastating power? This world is filled with talents far beyond your ownprehension. Mine is such a talent."


    Alex listened to Varkoth''s narcissistic rant, and he couldn''t help but feel a little weird inside.


    If anything, he should be the one to be saying this, considering even the System itself had confirmed his talent was truly unique, a one of one in the entire universe¡­


    Alex tried to think, keeping an eye on Varkoth the entire time.


    Varkoth''s talent was unlike anything he had ever faced.


    Varkoth lunged again, prompting Alex to narrowly avoid the attack, since he had anticipated it this time.


    "Running already?" Varkoth sneered, his voiceced with disdain.


    Battling Varkoth was like fighting both physically and mentally at once.


    The verbal spats between the two in an attempt to get in each other''s heads was perhaps just as effective as the physical side of the fight.


    Alex didn''t respond, he was too busy trying to figure out the gimmick that was Varkoth''s talent.

 Chapter 314: Varkoth vs Alex

    Varkoth sensed Alex''s silence as a sign of frustration and pressed his advantage even further.


    The sinister dark silver aura around his ws pulsated with energy, making Alex too apprehensive to even approach to try and get his own attack in.


    "You''re awfully quiet, Alex." Varkoth taunted in a very condescending way.


    "Has it finally sunk in? That you''re outmatched, that these will be your final moments?"


    Alex remained silent.


    He had faced countless opponents before, many with their own unique abilities, but none of them were like Varkoth.


    The more he observed him, the more he realised that brute force alone wouldn''t allow him to win this fight.


    However, after the deafening silence persisted for a while, Alex finally spoke.


    "Your talent is sharpness."


    Alex felt like he had finally figured it out.


    And while he hadn''t exactly gotten the name of his talent right, he had essentially figured out its use.


    Alex''s senses were just as attuned as Varkoth''s, if not maybe even a little more.


    So he could sense everything that Varkoth could sense.


    And it only just clicked for Alex.


    Varkoth''s talent wasn''t just about raw power; it was about precision, maniption, and control.


    The vacuum created wherever the dark silver aura passed through was hard to spot at first, but Alex caught on to it after observing so closely.


    The way Varkoth''s ws sliced through the air like it didn''t exist pointed to one thing in Alex''s mind.


    It all pointed to a level of sharpness that defied the veryws of physics.


    Varkoth lunged in again, before Alex could do any further analysis.


    The more Alex figured out, the less his advantage would be worth.


    Alex was ready this time.


    Instead of attempting to block, since that would be useless clearly, Alex did something unexpected.


    He left himself wide open.


    He allowed the ws toe within inches of his skin¡­


    Before sidestepping at thest possible moment, feeling the faint tug of the vacuum effect as the ws narrowly missed him.


    Varkoth''s eyes widened for a split moment before returning to normal, clearly surprised by Alex''s sudden agility.


    "You''re quick. I''ll give you that." Varkoth admitted.


    Alex didn''t waste any time responding.


    Instead he focused on analysing the further patterns of Varkoth''s attacks.


    He could see the subtle shifts in Varkoth''s stance whenever he moved, the paths his ws followed in perfect harmony with the dark silver energy.


    It was almost like a dance, each step perfectly orchestrated to maximise the impact of his strikes.


    In fact, it was strikingly simr to something Alex knew quite well himself¡­


    His own sword and martial arts stances¡­


    ''So he''s learned something like a w fighting technique, simr to my sword fighting stances¡­ Maybe I can use this to my advantage.''


    Alex already had somewhat of a n formting in his mind.


    If he could read how Varkoth was going to attack before he evenunched it, then he wouldn''t have to worry about his ws effortlessly slicing him apart, since they would never have the chance to hit him in the first ce.


    All Alex had to do was wait for Varkoth to make the first move to put his theory into practice.


    After all, his n would only work if Varkoth was the one doing all the attacking.


    Meanwhile, Varkoth''s frustration was growing with each failed attempt tond a killing blow on Alex.


    So far, his only sess had been the first attack he hadnded when he first activated his pration talent.


    Any attempts at slicing Alex after that had been met with empty air.


    And now that Alex had figured out what the actual effect of his talent was, things became increasingly moreplicated.


    Alex hadpletely switched from being defensive to a total evasive stance.


    Every time he went in for an attack, he couldn''t help but shake off the feeling that Alex was gradually beginning to learn his moves.


    Even though the two had never even fought before this point, any outsider who was watching would have thought they were long time sparring partners with how quickly they reacted to each other.


    Thankfully for Varkoth though, he was just as quick as Alex, so he was able to dodge any counter attack that Alex had prepared for him.


    And finally, after 5 minutes of a whole lot of nothing going on, the first switch up happened.


    Varkoth realised that this couldn''t keep going on forever, so he decided to make a change.


    And it was quite a big change at that.


    The dark silver aura surrounding his ws gradually started to stretch and weave past his wrists.


    Alex was immediately on alert and kept his distance, since he was not able to read what Varkoth was up to this time around.


    After a few short seconds, Varkoth''s entire body was now covered in this dark silver pration energy.


    The change from the small amount that covered his ws to his whole body now being enveloped was massive.


    Varkoth now looked like a scaly, reptillian version of a certain popr anime character from the early 21st century, only his aura was silver.


    "I didn''t expect I''d have to go this far against you. But you have exceeded my expectations, human. You should be proud to have pushed me so far."


    Varkoth spoke to Alex like the oue of the battle was already determined from this point onwards.


    Alex could practically see the arrogance and confidence overflowing out of Varkoth.


    Perhaps that was really what the silver aura was¡­


    But Alex just kept up his apprehension and kept an eye on Varkoth the whole time.


    The best thing he could do in this scenario was keep up the same mentality he had while facing Varkoth before his transformation.


    Observe, analyse, and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself.


    With this in mind, he watched Varkoth closely, waiting for him to move.


    He didn''t really have much of an insight into Varkoth''s talent, but he didn''t doubt that keeping up this transformation of sorts was a lot more taxing on his energy than any of his other abilities.


    So he was betting that Varkoth wouldn''t try to waste any time.


    And he was right.

 Chapter 315: Two dominating auras

    The moment Varkoth''s ''transformation'' was fullyplete, he made his move.


    ''He''s using the same stances as he did before.''


    Alex noticed immediately that Varkoth hadn''t really changed anything too drastic about his methods, so he was wondering just how useful this new method would really be for him.


    But he got his answer soon enough.


    Varkoth''s feet dug into the ground, with his back slightly bending like he was about tounch off the ground like a spring.


    Alex was ready to dodge the moment he saw hime near.


    But that''s where the problemy.


    He never saw him¡­


    The moment Varkoth''s foot even slightly left the ground, hepletely disappeared.


    Like he was never even there.


    ''Impossible!''


    But Alex could sense something with his spatial perception.


    Varkoth had just broken the spatial barrier.


    He realised just what Varkoth had been preparing for in that moment.


    It seemed Varkoth had covered himself fully in his pration energy to be able to prate through something that some still believed was just a concept.


    Space.


    He had prated through space directly, slipping through the cracks he had created to find himself in between dimensions.


    Or more specifically, in the Void dimension.


    But unlike Mira who had a talent to go back and forth when she liked, Varkoth wasn''t as blessed.


    His body couldn''t withstand the forces of that ce for more than a few seconds, as only A- ranks or higher, or unique characters like Mira, could do that.


    But a few seconds was enough for him to achieve his goal.


    Alex looked around himself frantically, desperately trying to figure out where Varkoth had disappeared to.


    But he hadpletely vanished.


    He was not in his range of perception at all.


    It didn''t take a genius to realise that Varkoth had teleported to a different ne entirely, but what could Alex do about that?


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    Nothing was the answer.


    He could only protect himself.


    But the trouble was that he had no idea where Varkoth would attack from.


    There was nothing he could read.


    Alex knew he was in big trouble.


    And right at that moment, the source of that trouble had just returned back into the physical world¡­


    Right in front of Alex¡­


    His arm was outstretched, and Alex looked down to find Varkoth''s entire hand up until his wrist submerged in his chest.


    The pain hadn''t settled in yet, but Alex felt a sense of dread settle in immediately.


    Varkoth''s ws were just millimetres away from his most vital organs.


    If he even moved a tiny bit, Alex would be even more severely injured than he already was, if not fatally injured.


    ''Fuck!''


    Alex jumped back, causing himself incredible pain as Varkoth''s hand was forcibly removed from his chest, revealing the gruesome wound to the world.


    He ducked and rolled, leaping back up to his feet.


    At this moment, it was like his mind had turned off in rage.


    Just like Varkoth had done, Alex unleashed his Phoenix mes at their full might, allowing them to envelop his body entirely.


    His eyes had even started glowing a crimson red along with the aura of crimson mes surrounding his body.


    The air between the two of them was thick with energy of conflicting attributes.


    Alex''s Phoenix fire wanted nothing more than to tear at Varkoth and burn him to atoms, while Varkoth''s Silver pration energy wanted nothing more than topletely slice Alex apart.


    Alex''s chest burned with pain, but the agony only further fuelled the inferno surrounding him.


    Varkoth grinned wickedly as he licked the blood from his ws, sending a terrifying image through the minds of the other humans on the battlefield below.


    By now this fight had be so spectacr that they had forgotten they were watching two lower life forms fight.


    They almost thought they were watching a battle between two higher life forms for a second!


    But with Alex''s mind practically on the back burner, with his body''s own instincts taking over control, his attacks were about to get much more wild.


    And the first thing he did was use something that Alex had been meaning to keep as a trump card for times like this.


    Soul fire.


    It was an unpredictable force that Alex had hardly used in battle before, tied directly to his own spirit, his very existence.


    But Varkoth had pushed him to his limits, so Alex felt like he had no choice.


    With a deep, guttural growl, Alex''s mes shifted.


    The crimson hue of the Phoenix mes darkened, deepening into blood red, then ck, until there was literally no colour to them at all.


    Varkoth sensed the change in Alex and narrowed his eyes.


    But instead of feeling intimidated, it only spurred him on.


    "Finally, you show me what you''re really made of." Varkoth sneered.


    "But it won''t save you."


    Alex didn''t answer as he literally wasn''t able to.


    With that, Varkothunched himself forward, his form disappearing once more into the void dimension.


    Alex closed his eyes, focusing not on the physical world, but on the energy around him.


    He could feel the disturbance in space Varkoth had made.


    And knowing that Varkoth would attempt the same move he had made previously, Alex spread out his own energy into his general surroundings.


    His soul fire expanded outwards, covering a 10 metre radius around him.


    And with its invisible nature, Varkoth hadn''t even noticed.


    A few secondster, he reappeared in the physical world once again, aiming to slice through Alex''s heart from his back this time.


    But the moment he stepped into the physical realm and entered the radius around Alex, his mind went nk for a split second.


    "GARGHHH!"


    Until he screamed.


    Alex''s soul fire allpressed on Varkoth the moment he reappeared, with all of thetent energy in the 10 metres radius converging on Varkoth at once.


    The pain was so unbearable for Varkoth that he was forced into his own soul space, where he was confronted by all sorts of horrors that were attacking his soul.

 Chapter 316: Showdown

    Varkoth''s scream echoed through the battlefield, a sound that pierced through the air like a banshee''s wail.


    For the first time in this fight, the Red Demon prodigy was caught off guard instead of Alex being the one.


    Inside his soul space, Varkoth found himself surrounded by a nightmarish void.


    The space, once a sanctuary that housed his soul, had turned into a prison of unimaginable torment.


    Shadows formed around him and wed at his very soul with their intangible hands, tearing his soul to pieces bit by bit.


    Varkoth tried to summon his strength, to push back against the onught of horrors that assaulted him.


    His ws were once again readied forbat, but no matter what Varkoth did, he couldn''t summon his pration talent in the soul space.


    Every swipe he took at the shadows, only seemed to pass through them with ease, as if they were made of smoke.


    Yet each touch, each whisper of darkness, sapped his strength and dragged him even deeper into despair.


    The pain alone was beyond anything Varkoth had ever experienced.


    It wasn''t just physical pain like he was normally used to, it was spiritual and it targeted his soul directly.


    Alex''s soul fire had invaded his mind, his soul space, and was now fully unleashed, burning away at his arrogance and exposing the raw fear beneath.


    But outside, Alex knew that he was strapped for time to get as much damage in as possible.


    He had used the same ability on Gormak when he fought the elites, which had ended up killing him after 10 minutes or so had passed.


    But Alex instinctively knew the moment Varkoth made contact with his soul fire that the effect would onlyst 30 seconds or so on him.


    The disparity in strength between Gormak and Varkoth was great it seemed, as Varkoth had a much tougher mental will than him.


    To be able to shorten the effect of Alex''s soul fire down to 30 seconds was a great feat for Varkoth, it proved that he deserved the title of a top tier prodigy.


    His only downfall was that he had met Alex, who was a prodigy unlike any other.


    30 seconds may not seem like a lot of time for Alex to do anything to the average person, but to people at the level of Alex and Varkoth, it was practically an eternity.


    This whole time, Varkoth''s body would bepletely defenceless, as he would be too preupied with fighting off the pain of the soul fire in his soul space to be able to deal with Alex.


    Which gave Alex the perfect opportunity to finally strike back.


    Without hesitation, Alex surged forward, his body moving with the precision of a finely tuned machine.


    The crimson mes of his Phoenix fire riled up as he prepared to deliver his strike.


    He didn''t need his soul fire to be active anymore, as they had already dealt their damage to Varkoth, and their presence would only suck Alex of what energy he had to spare.


    As Alex reached Varkoth, he didn''t attack immediately. Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    Instad, he let the momentum of his energy build, focusing all of his power on a single point.


    Varkoth was still covered from head to toe in his pration energy so Alex had decided to be cautious.


    If he was going to strike, he was going to make sure it was as powerful as he could manage!


    Since Alex knew that the moment his sword neared Varkoth''s scales, the pration energy would instinctively attack him even though its master was currently unable to defend himself.


    He focused, channelling all the Phoenix Fire around him into the de, intensifying its crimson glow.


    The mes danced along the edge of the sword, growing hotter and more intense as if they took on a life of their own.


    Alex could feel Virtue''s Edge vibrating with energy.


    In fact, the sword was vibrating too much.


    Alex knew that it wouldn''t be able to take such stress for much longer.


    The power surging through Virtue''s Edge was nearly all of the Phoenix mes that Alex could summon at once.


    The tip of the de glowed with an intense crimson heat, seeming ready to explode any second.


    He took a deep breath, steadying himself, calming himself.


    The battlefield around him was eerily still, except for the Red Demons at the bottom of the cliff who were all roaring and shouting for Varkoth to wake up, as they watched Alex practically walk all over him, while Varkoth did nothing about it.


    They wanted to intervene in the fight, but with the Humans also on the battlefield keeping an extremely close eye on them, it would be impossible for them to without reigniting the war between them.


    Finally, the energy in Alex''s sword reaches its peak, with it practically roaring at him that it couldn''t take anymore.


    It was said that Virtue''s Edge was indestructible, but that didn''t mean it couldn''t still take damage.


    The sword knew that too, which was why it was so adamant that Alex stop pumping it full of energy after a certain point.


    And finally, with a swift, fluid motion of the sword, Alex moved from his spot.


    The de cut through the air with a speed that made it invisible to the naked eye.


    The force of the swing was intense, carrying all of Alex''s strength behind it like a tidal wave, concentrated in a single, devastating strike.


    The moment the de connected with Varkoth''s scaled skin, the battlefield erupted in a blinding sh of crimson light.


    It was like a supernova had just graced the battlefield, with every soldier, no matter if they were human or Red Demon, in a 50 mile radius all closed their eyes and shielded themselves from the light.


    Alex''s Phoenix fire was unleashed in its full fury, and it collided with Varkoth''s own Pration energy.


    The two forces shed in a spectacr explosion of power.


    Varkoth''s pration energy red in response.

 Chapter 317: Clarity

    But it was toote.


    The concentrated force of Alex''s strike was overwhelming, far beyond what Varkoth''s defences could handle in their vulnerable state.


    The armour that had once seemed imprable to crack, and the energy surrounding it flickered and faded as the Phoenix fire bore down on it.


    CRACK!


    And then, with a deafening crack, the armour shattered.


    Virtue''s Edge, still vibrating with the remnants of power it had just unleashed, cleaved through Varkoth''s defences, slicing into his flesh with a precision that was almost surgical.


    The de dug deep, cutting through bone, muscle and any other organic matter as if they were nothing.


    The searing heat of the mes cauterised the wound even as it was inflicted.


    Varkoth''s body jerked violently, the force of his strike sending shockwaves through him.


    His eyes, which had been clouded with pain, fear, and horror suddenly mmed open in shock.


    For a brief moment, the Red Demon prodigy was confused, aware of nothing that had happened in the real world.


    But then the pain hit him, and he looked down only to see a sword deeply embedded in his chest, with mes so hot that even the air around him was turning into sma.


    ''I¡­ I- what happened¡­?''


    Varkoth looked around himself, looking lost.


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    "I told you Varkoth, I wouldn''t be so sure this battle would be myst."


    Alex spoke from the side, taunting Varkoth even while he was down, just like he had done to Alex.


    "This is what happens when you get overconfident; when you underestimate just who you''re up against."


    Varkoth''s thoughts spiralled into chaos as the reality of his situation began to sink in.


    His body was now just a crumbling ruin.


    He stared at the de lodged in his chest, at the mes that crackles and hissed, and a profound sense of disbelief settled over him.


    This wasn''t how it was supposed to go¡­


    He was the Red Demon prodigy, feared and revered in multiple races!


    Yet here he was, brought low by someone he considered an inferior being from an inferior species, one that had only been an awakened race for a little over 100 years.


    The thought was unbearable.


    Varkoth''s gaze shifted to Alex, who stood a few paces away, his hand still attached to the grip of the sword.


    Alex''s expression was one of grim satisfaction.


    The taunt still echoed through Varkoth''s ears, a cruel reminder that even his own mind didn''t want him to forget.


    He wanted tosh out, to make Alex pay for this humiliation, but his body betrayed him.


    His limbs felt heavy, unresponsive, as if they no longer belonged to him.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through Varkoth''s chest as the mes reached his upper vital organs, namely his lungs, heart etc.


    Varkoth gasped, his breath ragged like he had been smoking 10 packs a day for thest 50 years.


    The mes were spreading, searing his insides, and with each passing second, he could feel his life slipping away.


    He had mere moments left, a minute at most, and the realisation struck him like a cold, merciless rity.


    "How did ite to this¡­?"


    Alex listened to his rambles, somewhat surprised.


    He had expected Varkoth to be much more rage-like and furious even in death, but it seemed like he had gained a moment of rity in his final moments of life.


    Even Alex had to respect him for that.


    A few dozen more seconds passed and Varkoth''s vision blurred, dark spots dancing at the edges of his sight.


    His heart was consumed by Alex''s mes, so there was no more method for the blood to reach his brain anymore.


    Varkoth''s remaining strength rapidly waned, each second dragging him closer to his inevitable end.


    His body was a burning wreck.


    His eyes looked back over to Alex onest time.


    "So this is it¡­ This is how I die?" His voice was barely a whisper, but Alex could hear it clear as day.


    Alex stood silently, his hand still tightly gripping the hilt of Virtue''s Edge.


    He watched Varkoth with a sombre expression, recognising the finality of the moment for him.


    Despite everything, there was a strange respect in Alex''s eyes.


    "I guess it is," Alex replied quietly.


    There was no gloating, no further taunts.


    The battle was over, and Alex had no further desire to add further suffering on top.


    Finally, thest light of Varkoth''s life faded away in the dead silence of the battlefield, his eyes tightly locked onto Alex the whole time, until they closed for the final time.


    In his final moments, there was no more fear, no more anger.


    Only a deep, profound sadness that his life had ended so early.


    He had so much potential to fulfil, with dreams of bing an S tier one day, and perhaps even bing the next Red Demon king.


    But such dreams would nevere to pass now.


    ***


    Far from the battlefield, deep within the heart of the Shen Wu system''s military base, Colonel Margit was reviewing thetest reports from his subordinates.


    The situation on the battlefield was finally starting to look up thanks to Alex''s involvement.


    Ever since Alex had spent thest week going on rampage after rampage for over 20 hours each day, the battles in the Shen Wu system were finally going in the Human side''s favour!


    Bleep!


    But before a rare smile could form on Colonel Margit''s face, a sudden rm red from hismunicator, cutting through the rtive quiet of his private study.


    Margit''s eyes narrowed as he nced at the device.


    The alert was one that rarely appeared, and it was one that he dreaded to see appear every day he spent in this war.


    "An attack surpassing the level of lower life forms has been detected on the main battlefield. I repeat!..."


    "What the hell¡­?" Margit muttered, his brow furrowing in anger.


    There was only one individual in the Shen Wu system who could unleash an attack at the level of a higher life form other than himself.


    And that was the Red Demonmander!


    "Damn it!" Margit growled, his fist mming onto the console.


    "How dare that fucker enter the battlefield!"

 Chapter 318: C tier

    The thought of the Red Demonmander, being as powerful as he was, going out on a rampage on the battlefield against all the weak, lower ranked humans filled Margit with fury.


    This was a direct vition of the unspoken rules of engagement.


    Themanders of both sides were supposed to remain out of directbat unless something urgent came up, allowing the lower ranks to fight their battles and earn their glory.


    But if the Red Demonmander was on the move, then Margit had no choice but to respond in kind.


    His own power was equal to that of the Red Demonmander, and he would not let this challenge go unanswered.


    "Prepare my ship," Margit barked an order to his direct assistant who worked outside his office.


    "I''m heading to the battlefield."


    ***


    Deep within the Red Demonmand ship, themander of the Red Demons was monitoring the battle with a mixture of boredom and disdain.


    The humans had proven to be more resilient than he''d expected, but it was nothing his forces couldn''t handle.


    Then, without warning, an alert shed across hismand screen.


    A powerful surge of energy, exceeding the C tier, had been detected on the battlefield.


    Themander''s eyes narrowed as he studied the readings.


    "That power¡­" He muttered.


    Only themander of the human side of the war in the Shen Wu system could produce such an attack.


    "So the Humanmander has decided to interfere directly¡­" the Red Demonmander mused, his lips curling up in a predatory smile.


    "How interesting."


    The idea that Margit would step onto the battlefield was not one that he had expected from the Humans.


    But in opposition to Margit''s reaction to this attack that had been detected, the Red Demonmander was quite excited for the battle that would result between the two of them from this.


    He could already feel his blood pumping faster as he was finally going to see some action for the first time since the war started!


    "Get my ship ready, it''s about time I saw some action!"


    Themander ordered the soldier closest to him.


    However bothmanders were unaware of the truth of the attack, misunderstanding it as a direct provocation from either side.


    Now, because of this, they were on a direct collision course with each other.


    And the real culprit of the attack had no idea about it at all¡­


    ***


    Back on the battlefield, Alex was far too preupied with something to consider the level of attack he had just unleashed. Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    [Calcting¡­. Calcting¡­]


    The moment Varkoth''s life slipped away from him, this line of text appeared in front of Alex, with the system clearing doing something in the background.


    If it weren''t for this mysterious message popping up, Alex would have had the time to evaluate the battle that had just taken ce, and he would have realised how powerful of an attack he had just unleashed.


    But that would have to wait.


    [Calctions finished. Results are as follows.]


    [As you have defeated and killed an enemy with strength just barely breaching into the weakest of B- ranks, the requirements have changed.]


    [The requirement of killing 1000 enemies above your own rank has been fulfilled early as a direct result.]


    As the system notifications shed before Alex''s eyes, he felt a strange, tingling sensation wash over his entire body.


    The air around him seemed toe alive with energy, even more than he had pumped into Virtue''s Edge to deliver that attack.


    He could feel the raw power beginning to well within him, threatening to overflow.


    [Ding!]


    [You havepleted all requirements to rank up to C- rank. Beginning process now.]


    Alex barely had the time to process the system messages before his body was overwhelmed by the evolution.


    His muscles tightened, his bones resonated with a deep, almost melodic hum.


    But his soul seemed to be the most affected by this sudden rank up.


    His very essence began to be reshaped by the surge of energy coursing through him.


    It was as if every fibre of his being was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.


    Strangely though, Alex felt no pain from the process.


    His senses sharpened even further, giving him even more rity of his surroundings.


    The world around him became clearer, more vibrant, and even the faintest sound or movement from a mile away caught his attention.


    He could feel the energy pumping through his veins, like liquid fire.


    Out of nowhere, the crimson fire of his Phoenix mes flickered to life around him, burning hotter and more intense than ever before.


    But they didn''t just surround him ¡ª they became like an extension of his will, moving with his thoughts as naturally as breathing.


    ''Holy shit!''


    Alex''s mind raced, trying to grasp the scope of what was happening.


    This was more than just a simple power boost like most other rank ups he had experienced.


    It was as though he had been fundamentally transformed, his abilities elevated to an entirely new level.


    But Alex could feel why it was so important that he had achieved basic control over an element before reaching C tier almost immediately.


    His body assimted his Spatial energy, and even more so his Phoenix fire energy.


    Although he hadn''t achieved basic control over his Phoenix Fire yet, it seemed it had still somehow forced itself into this process, which Alex wouldn''tin about as it only benefited him.


    Now, he could feel any slight bit of spatial energy or fire energy in his surroundings, and he could draw them into his body as easily as breathing.


    In fact, he ACTUALLY had to breathe in order to take this energy in¡­


    This wasn''t like some eastern fantasy cultivation novel, where Alex would be able to ascend through the realms by naturally umting energy.


    No, it was more like Alex could even more rapidly recover his lost energy now with this new ''ability'' that wasn''t really an ability.


    But that wasn''t the end of it¡­

 Chapter 319: Mixup

    The final wave of evolution came next, and Alex let out a groan involuntarily, a groan that echoed deeply across the battlefield for allbatants nearby to hear.


    The ground beneath him cracked, and the air around him shimmered with heat.


    He could feel the new power settling within him, coalescing into something that now permanently belonged to Alex.


    And just as the transformation waspleted, Alex opened his eyes, his gaze now sharper, and he took in the newly upgraded senses.


    ''If this is what ranking up to C tier is like, I can''t wait to reach B tier¡­''


    Alex was already shocked with his improvements from his rank up to C tier, but he wasn''t the only one shocked.


    The soldiers on the battlefield below, whether they be Red Demons or Humans, had all gone through that same evolutionary process in their lives before, as they were all also C tiers.


    But none of them, not a single one, had been as eventful as Alex''s rank up to C tier.


    In fact, their rank ups were usually just as tame as their previous rank ups.


    To them, Alex''s rank up felt more like an evolution of being rather than simply going up another tier.


    To those more experienced among the crowd, they couldn''t help but think of the times they had seen a C tier rank up to B tier, bing a higher life form¡­


    Alex''s ''evolution'' looked just like that, if not a little bit more spectacr¡­


    Bang!


    But before they, or Alex, could even assess his new situation, a dull bang was heard in the distance.


    Bang!


    More specifically, there were two bangs, and they both came from the sky.


    It was clear at that moment that something, or someone, was entering the''s atmosphere and making their way down towards the surface at quite the rapid pace it seemed since they had created two sonic booms.


    But while the soldiers on the battlefield were rather calm, well the humans were, Alex was a little bit unsettled.


    He sensed it the moment they came within 20 kilometres of his location, as his Spatial perception''s range had increased as far as this after reaching C tier.


    Two distinct presences closing in on his location with terrifying speed.


    His sharpened senses immediately picked up that one of the ships was of Human origin, but the other one was what concerned him.


    It was of Red Demon origin.


    The Red Demons were scared and worried for their lives after seeing Varkoth fall to Alex, with some of them even slowly backing away from the battlefield the moment they saw Alex''s sword pierce Varkoth''s body through the blinding crimson light.


    But when the Red Demon ship came into sight, they regained their confidence and ferocity almost in an instant.


    There was only one ship of that kind among the fleet in the Shen Wu system, and it belonged to only one Red Demon.


    Theirmander!


    As for the humans, the ship that wasing in was only a normal small people carrier, so they had no clue who was piloting it.


    ***


    Colonel Margit''s ship descended through the atmosphere and onto the battlefield with blinding speed.


    He wanted to arrive as quickly as possible so that he could prevent any more bloodshed, so he didn''t bother slowing down.


    The moment itnded, Margit leaped out and stepped foot on the ground.


    He hadnded a little bit further down from the peak of the cliff, as it wouldn''t be able to handle the weight of his ship if hended it any further up.


    His eyes scanned the battlefield with aser focus.


    His senses, honed from countless battles in the Primordial Expanse and against any unruly awakened during his time as a soldier, locked on to the source of the B tier energy immediately.


    "What the¡­?" Margit muttered under his breath as he saw the lone figure standing atop the cliff amidst the destruction.


    His eyes widened as he recognised that figure immediately ¡ª it wasn''t the Red Demonmander he had expected. It was a human, and one that he knew well ever since the war had started.


    "Alex?"


    The disbelief in Margit''s voice was obvious.


    He could hardly believe it.


    Someone like Alex, who had only recently been a rising prodigy, had already reached a point where he could unleash power on par with himself?


    It was almost too ridiculous to believe.


    But the evidence was undeniable.


    The energy radiating from Alex was intense, much like his own, and much like the Red Demonmander''s who he had one encounter with before, right at the start of the war.


    For a moment, Margit was at a loss for words.


    This was no ordinary event.


    He himself was a C+ rank Variant ss, and his power only just barely matched that of a B rank Mutant ss.


    This was already extraordinary as the gap widened immensely between lower and higher life forms.


    But Alex had only just stepped into C- rank, and still a Mutant ss at that, yet his power was equal to his own?


    This was a level that few humans had ever reached¡­


    But there was no time for idle contemtion.


    Another powerful presence was approaching fast, and this time Margit''s face really soured.


    He knew exactly who it was.


    Just a few moments after Margit''s arrival, the Red Demonmander''s shipnded with a thunderous crash, the force of the impact sending shockwaves in all directions.


    Themander emerged from the ship with a predatory grin on his face, eager to confront the humanmander.


    But as he stepped onto the battlefield, his grin faltered.


    The energy signature he had been tracking¡­ it wasn''t Margit.


    His eyes narrowed as theynded on Alex, a human who radiated a power beyond even what he felt from Margit when he first encountered him¡­


    "What is this?" The Red Demonmander snarled, his voiceced with both anger and confusion.


    This was not the confrontation he had expected.


    But it was clear that while he was angry about this mix up, he was also concerned.


    The fact that he stopped his confident advance the moment he spotted Margit nearby to Alex was evidence enough of this.


    And it was clear that Margit understood this too.


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    "Alex."


    He called out to Alex, who looked back at him with curious eyes.


    "We could end the war in the Shen Wu system right here, right now."


    And Alex understood the intentions behind this remark immediately.


    The Red Demonmander was right in front of them, and it was currently 2 vs 1.

 Chapter 320: 2v1

    Alex knew at that moment that his goal of winning the war in the Shen Wu system was well within reach.


    He''d only just ranked up to C- rank so he didn''t know exactly how strong he was, but when he felt the aura of the Red Demonmander facing him and Margit, he wasn''t intimidated.


    The aura felt overwhelmingly strong for someone who was also in C tier, but to Alex, it barely even affected him.


    If Alex had to guess, his strength was probably somewhere in B tier mutant ss, but he didn''t know the exact rank yet.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he was currently preupied with facing down the Red Demonmander, Alex would have been shocked at his own level of strength now.


    He was nearing levels even some weak professors of Capital Prime were at!


    And he was still only in his first year¡­


    But Alex stood tall at the moment, his confidence surging.


    The aura of the Red Demonmander, which was once intimidating, now seemed manageable.


    It was strong, certainly, but the strength Alex felt coursing through him made themander''s presence seem¡­ normal.


    It was at this moment that he knew he was no longer just a rising prodigy ¡ª he was a force to be reckoned with.


    Colonel Margit could see the change in Alex as well.


    The young warrior''s posture was different, more assured, almost as if he had already epted his ce among the elite.


    Margit had initially been shocked by the sheer power Alex disyed, but now, standing next to him, he felt a strange sense of reassurance.


    This wasn''t just a one-off burst of energy ¡ª Alex had truly reached a level no human had ever reached before.


    The Red Demonmander however, was not one to be easily dismissed.


    He hade to the battlefield expecting a fight with Margit, someone he understood well and had nned strategies against.


    Margit''s voice broke the silence, once again repeating what he had said.


    "This is our chance Alex. We can take him down together."


    It seemed he wanted to make sure Alex was really up for it.


    But Alex didn''t respond and just brandished Virtue''s Edge once again, which had taken on a new sheen after the defeat of Varkoth.


    It seemed his sword had grown once again, but Alex would have to check that after he was finished here.


    The Red Demonmander, sensing the shift in the battlefield''s dynamic, prepared himself.


    He wasn''t going to back down, and he couldn''t even if he wanted to.


    He had damaged his ship uponnding in his rush to get to the battlefield as quickly as possible, but now that had juste back to bite him.


    There was no escape with a broken ship.


    The doubt in his mind grew each second.


    Two against one, with one of them being an unknown but clearly powerful human ¡ª it wasn''t an ideal situation.


    He had heard of Alex before, but facing him after his rank up was like facing apletely new person.


    But before themander could make a move, Alex charged.


    The ground beneath him cracked with the force of his leap, sending the peak of the cliff he was standing on hurtling down towards the crowd of Red Demons and humans standing below.


    Sensing the sudden shift in the battlefield, they all scarpered in various directions, all running for their lives as they realised that the most powerful figures in the Shen Wu system were about to enter a conflict with each other, and they were standing right in their way.


    In an instant, Alex was upon the Red Demonmander, with Colonel Margit following shortly after.


    There was no hesitation, no holding back.


    Virtue''s Edge, now infused with the power of Alex''s and its own evolution, cut through the air with terrifying speed.


    But that wasn''t the scariest part for the enemymander.


    Alex''s upgrade had created a perfect synergy between him and his two elements, which allowed him to control them freely.


    Phoenix mes covered not only Virtue''s Edge, but his entire body in an instant as he was bathed in the glorious crimson light.


    But then, even more shockingly, it was joined by a mysterious light silver energy.


    Spatial energy!


    Alex covered Virtue''s Edge with spatial energy on top of his Phoenix mes, and the speed of his attack exponentially increased.


    The effect of the spatial energy had literally shortened the distance in space between Alex''s sword and the Red Demonmander, in turn shortening the time it would take for Alex to strike.


    This was not something Alex had tried before, nor something that had even crossed his mind, but he followed his instincts with the spatial energy and this was what resulted from it.


    Margit, on the side, was just as shocked as the Red Demonmander when he saw this.


    Two elements at once!


    Alex had assimted two whole elements into his body right after reaching C tier!


    Not even they had two elements assimted yet¡­


    This was usually only something C tiers on the precipice of reaching B tier could achieve.


    But Alex didn''t know that and continued to disy his two intertwined energies freely.


    The Red Demonmander barely had time to react.


    He parried Alex''s first strike, but the force behind it sent him skidding backward for hundreds of metres.


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    He realised from the double elements that Alex was a dangerous opponent, but having experienced that attack himself, he was even more sure of it now.


    Margit followed up, not wanting to let themander recover.


    His attacks were precise,ced with what looked like lightning energy, which made Margit a speed focused awakened.


    The Red Demonmander was on the defensive instantly, forced to split his attention between the two powerful opponents.


    He was strong, even confident ofpeting with Margit in a one on one fight, but his wariness towards Alex was growing with each passing second.


    He had a feeling that Alex hadn''t even gone all out in that attack¡­

 Chapter 321: Grand Scheme

    The battle between Alex, Margit and the Red Demonmander intensified quickly.


    Alex''s new strength was evident in every strike he made, each one pushing themander further and further back.


    Margit stayed close, his lightning infused attacksplementing Alex''s ferocity.


    Together, they quickly overwhelmed themander, leaving him with little to no room to counter attack.


    Themander was in trouble.


    He had never faced anything like this before ¡ª two strong opponents, one of whom had just reached a new level of power he couldn''t fullyprehend.


    He was of a lower rank, and ss than himself, yet he was still stronger? What kind of bullshit was this!?


    In any previous wars and encounters he had with strong enemies, if he was faced with 2 or more strong enemies at once, much like he was currently, he would retreat.


    But that wasn''t an option now, and he only wished and hoped that it was the more the fight dragged on.


    Alex''s dual element control was a key factor.


    His Phoenix mes and spatial energy worked together seamlessly, making his attacks faster and more powerful than themander anticipated.


    Margit''s lightning based speed attacks didn''t give themander any chance to catch his breath or regain control of the situation either.


    Every time the Red Demonmander tried to focus on either one of them, the other wouldnd a critical blow.


    It became clear that the Red Demonmander couldn''t win this fight.


    He was strong, but not strong enough to handle both Alex and Margit at the same time, especially with Alex''s unpredictable and rapidly changing abilities.


    How was he supposed to predict Alex''s next move, when Alex didn''t even know it himself¡­?


    Despite his best efforts, themander was gradually worn down.


    Each sh of swords and every exchange of energy drained him further, while Alex seemed to only grow more confident and powerful.


    Margit, too, fought with a sense of urgency, knowing that this was their chance topletely win back the Shen Wu system for the human race.


    If he and Alex could just kill the Red Demonmander here and now, then they could move on to wiping out the rest of the Red Demon troops in the Shen Wu system with their strength far outssing them.


    They would be the first system liberated from the Red Demon control if they could achieve this!


    Alex wasn''t too bothered about the kind of merits that coulde from this, but to Margit this was a chance of a lifetime.


    The honour he''d receive for being the first would be priceless.


    He would probably be given the prestige of being promoted to a general the moment he reaches B tier in the future, which not many other officers of his status had the privilege.


    The battle continued with Alex and Margit pressing their advantage.


    The Red Demonmander, despite his experience and power, was struggling.


    His frustration grew.


    He was a seasoned warrior, used to dominating the battlefield, but now he was being pushed to the brink.


    He couldn''t understand how Alex, a recently ranked up human, could be this strong.


    It didn''t make sense, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    He just had to focus on surviving.


    He knew he couldn''t win, and his thoughts had shifted from victory to survival.


    If he couldn''t defeat them, then the next best thing he could do was to make sure they couldn''t kill him.


    But in the end, it was an empty endeavour.


    Alex didn''t let up, and neither did Margit.


    They were focused, determined to win this battle.


    And eventually, they could taste the victory in their mouths.


    In the final moments, the Red Demonmander made a desperate attempt to implode his own core when he realised there was no escaping the onught of the two humans.


    But it was futile.


    Alex emted the attack he had dealt to Varkoth in his final attack, only this time neither he nor Virtue''s Edge feltpletely overwhelmed by the attack he had generated.


    He delivered the finishing strike straight to themander''s chest, striking straight through his soul core before he could finish detonating it, cancelling the processpletely.


    Unlike Varkoth, in his final moments the Commander looked afraid, but also enraged and disgusted that he had been bested by two humans.


    The Red Demonmander fell silent, his thoughts clouded by the reality of his defeat, and inevitable death.


    The battle was over, and he knew it.


    In fact, it was probably over the moment hended on the battlefield, expecting to meet only Margit.


    There was no grand finale, no dramatic end, just the cold truth of mortality.


    Alex''s sword had pierced through him, ending the fight with a bang, but with the certainty that his time had run out.


    Themander''s eyes, once filled with the fire of battle and the arrogance of amander in the great Red Demon army, now stared nkly into the distance, reflecting only the inevitability and the terrifying reality of his death.


    Alex and Margit stood over the fallenmander, neither celebrating.


    Margit was too shocked that they had managed to do it, they had managed to take out themander.


    While Alex was just disillusioned from the effect thismander''s death would have on the billions of humans inhabiting the Shen Wu system.


    To Margit, this was a great victory worth celebrating for a month straight over, but Alex''s mind was focused on farther horizons.


    Sure, they had won the battle for Shen Wu system, but what about the war as a whole?


    There were still tens, if not hundreds of thousands of star systems scattered across the border of the milky way going through the same situation as theirs.


    What difference did one victory out of hundreds of thousands of battles make in the grand scheme of things?


    Alex couldn''t answer that question, because he wasn''t a military strategist, but in his mind the effect wouldn''t be much.


    He gave onest look at themander''s corpse, before turning around and walking away, taking his ship out of his storage and entering it, making ns to leave this godforsaken.

 Chapter 322: Mira (1)

    Margit wanted to congratte Alex on his rank up to C tier, but by the time he had shifted his focus away from themander''s corpse to talk to him, he was already gone.


    "Where did he go?" He asked one of the soldiers on the battlefield.


    "He left as soon as the Red Demonmander was killed, sir." The soldier answered promptly, still with an excited and triumphant look on his face.


    It wasn''t just Alex and Margit that realised the war in Shen Wu system was practically over with themander''s death, but the soldiers on the battlefield below as well.


    In fact, they had already taken to ughtering the other Red Demon soldiers who were bold enough to still be present.


    ''I wonder where Alex could have gone¡­''


    Margit was a little confused by Alex''s sudden departure, but he just passed it off as he could talk about it with himter.


    But he also saw Alex''s departure as him giving Margit free reign over the loot from themander''s corpse, which he was very, very thankful for.


    While Margit had already long reached 100% progress through C+ rank, it still didn''t hurt to add another soul core to his name.


    They were very valuable, especially ones at the rank of the Red Demonmander''s, and he could trade it for something equally as precious in the federationter on.


    Something that could actually benefit him.


    But while he thought he would be able to ask Alex his questions after the celebrations were over and they all returned to base, he would realiseter on that he never would have gotten that chance.


    Now that the war in the Shen Wu system was practically guaranteed to be over, Alex didn''t n on sticking around much longer.


    His presence there was no longer required, and other star systems that weren''t faring as well as the Shen Wu system would benefit from his presence much more.


    In fact, Alex was already in his ship, on the way out of the Shen Wu system before Margit had even begun looting the soul core from the Red Demonmander''s body.


    ***


    ''How the hell did I end up in the Primordial Expanse??''


    Mira was having her own sort of tricky situation in her own part of the war.


    It had been a few days since she realised she had somehow been transported to the Primordial Expanse, but she still had no clue how that could have happened at all.


    The worst thing was, she would only be able to leave it when she ranked up, and considering she was at D+ rank, that meant she had to go up a whole tier to C tier just to achieve that!


    This left her in quite a tricky spot, as her rank up requirements weren''t very forgiving for her situation¡­


    She had already achieved the requirement of having basic control over an element, thanks to her superior spatial affinity, making it much easier for her to control her space element.


    But the second requirement was what left her a little stumped about what to do.


    [Requirements to reach C tier: Basic control over at least 1 element (Complete), Kill 10 Variant ss beings of the same rank as you, or 5 Variant ss beings above your own rank. (1/10) or (1/5) ]


    ''How the fuck am I supposed to find so many Variant ss beasts in this barren ce!?''


    If she wanted to even leave the Primordial Expanse, she needed to fulfil these requirements and rank up.


    The major problem though was the fact that the ce she was dropped into was just so empty¡­


    Over the past week, she had only encountered one beast, which she was lucky enough to survive against.


    Though, she was happy that the one beast she had encountered was a Variant ss beast that met her requirements, but that luck had very quickly died down.


    The reality hit her quickly, that she would have to go through such tricky and dangerous fights at least 4 more times if she wanted to leave this ce.


    The only upside was the Variant ss soul core that she had luckily obtained from the beast she had killed.


    With that soul core, she was brought up to 95% progress towards Variant ss. If she just obtained one more soul core of the same ss and rank, then she would reach Variant ss before she even reaches C tier!


    That was a feat almost nobody in the entire federation can say they had achieved, which made her proud just thinking about it.


    But that didn''t really matter if she couldn''t find a way out of this ce.


    ''Since I was thrown in here against my will, surely there is some way to get out without having to fulfil those stingy requirements?''


    Thinking logically, Mira had guessed that there must be some way out of this ce, probably the same way she came in.


    But the problem was that she didn''t know where, or how she had even entered.


    The window to her jump pod had gonepletely ck the split second before she touched down, so she couldn''t even see what was happening outside before she was thrust into this ce.


    And since this was the Primordial Expanse, where all technology from the real world doesn''t work, she couldn''t even check the logs on her jump pod.


    It was all just so fucked up for her.


    ''There was that one Floodgate on Eldaris that we were warned about, could I have entered through there?''


    ''But how would I have done that though, it''s very well documented that all Floodgates are only one way, so the beasts on the other side can only enter our world but we can''t use it to enter the Primordial Expanse.''


    ''Unless the Red Demons have something to do with this¡­''


    Regardless of what she thought, Mira had to make a n.


    ''Even if it was something to do with the Floodgate, that helps with nothing at all. The best I could do is hope that the entrance to the Floodgate in the Primordial Expanse is nearby, maybe that way I could leave.''


    ''But I bet there''s a fat chance of that being the case.''

 Chapter 323: Mira (2)

    "Where should I go now¡­?"


    Alex stood on the deck of his ship, thinking out loud.


    He was floating just outside the Shen Wu system, ready to enter warp at any time, but he just had to set a destination before doing anything.


    There were hundreds of thousands of star systems currently under attack across the whole gxy, so he had quite a lot to choose from.


    But that also gave him the dilemma of who to prioritise.


    He had tried asking his ship''s AI for advice on which system to go to, but it just replied to him with a bunch of random star systems with no rhyme or reason as to why they should be picked over the others.


    His AI didn''t have ess to the monitoring data the federation had about the situations of all the battlefields in all the systems, so it really couldn''t make a good choice based off of any information, and could only choose some at random.


    Hence, Alex ignored anything his AI suggested after that.


    ''What''s this?''


    But then Alex saw something interesting, or rather rming, on hismunicator while scrolling through the news feeds.


    ''Mystery in the Telorn system! Sudden disappearances of jump pods on the Eldaris has sparked interest in the higher ups in charge of this system. Investigations are currently under way, but there has currently been no reported sightings of these jump pods the moment they touched the surface, like they disappeared into thin air!''


    Alex read the headline and his focus intensified when he read that it came from the Telorn system.


    ''That''s where Mira was stationed¡­''


    He had a bad feeling about this.


    So he continued reading on, hoping that his fears would not be realised.


    ''There were many notable names among the list of personnel reported missing from these mysterious jump pod disappearances.''


    ''Most notable being ''Mira Mistborn'', the current 2nd ranked first year at Capital Prime university.''


    "FUCK."


    When Alex scrolled down and read Mira''s name among the missing, he couldn''t help but curse out loud.


    Why did something always have to happen?


    Why couldn''t they just have a normal day for once goddammit!


    Dropping all his previous ideas of going to star systems where his help was needed the most, Alex inputted the coordinates of the Telorn system immediately.


    Those battlefields could wait until he found out what had happened to Mira!


    A few seconds passed before he entered warp, with his ship informing him that he would arrive in a little over 20 hours.


    ***


    "Did you say Mira was among those reported to be missing?"


    Admiral Olgierd asked, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.


    He had just been handed a report by one of his subordinates, and seeing Mira''s name on the list of missing caught his attention immediately.


    She wasn''t as notable in his mind as Alex was, but her talent was among the best in the federation.


    The fact that she had gone missing right after entering the battlefield practically screamed that something fishy was going on, and he didn''t like it one bit.


    He already knew that the Red Demons yed dirty after Alex found their ns to build Busters across hundreds of thousands ofs across the entire war.


    And now he suspected that they had something to do with these student''s disappearances.


    There were many, many more reported disappearances across the entire war front, but this one in particr stood out.


    For one reason only.


    There were prodigies among those missing in the Telorn system.


    Prodigies didn''t just ''go missing'' just like that.


    If they died in battle, then there would be hundreds, or thousands of witnesses to corroborate that fact.


    "I''ve just received another report sir! The King ss prodigy Alex has reportedly entered warp with his destination being the Telorn system!"


    The same subordinate came back in just a few momentster to give Admiral Olgierd another report.


    ''That''s right, this little missy Mira was that kid Alex''s girlfriend¡­ If he''s going over to investigate, then that makes me much more reassured.''


    Admiral Olgierd felt a light bit of pressure lifted off of his shoulders when he heard Alex was on his way.


    He didn''t know what kind of luck that kid had, but wherever he went, he somehow unintentionally uncovered some sort of plot.


    And after hearing about what Alex had done in the Shen Wu system, especially after ranking up to C tier, his confidence in Alex couldn''t have reached a higher point.


    He was practically a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    Nobody would suspect a newly ranked up C- rank to possess strength equalling a higher life form.


    ''I knew I made the right decision sending that kid to the Shen Wu system as the sole prodigy.''


    ***


    "We will be arriving at the Telorn system in 5 minutes."


    The AI announced loudly throughout the whole ship.


    It didn''t need to do so, since Alex hadn''t moved an inch from his seat on the deck.


    His face was still as serious as it was the moment he read the news article about Mira and the other''s disappearance.


    ''The report said all of these disappearances are localised to only one, Eldaris. I should start my search there.''


    Alex passed through the outer edge of the Telorn systempletely unhindered, with not even a single federation ship stopping and asking him for clearance this time.


    The higher ups in the Telorn system had already been informed of Alex''s ns of heading over here, so they had also naturally been warned not to hinder him like he had been when first entering the Shen Wu system.


    "Set new destination: Eldaris."


    Alex ordered his AI to change course when he passed through all of the federation''s defences.


    He came to this system for one reason, and one reason only.


    He wasn''t going to waste any time when Mira''s life could possibly be in danger, or maybe even worse¡­


    After a short minute, Alex was already orbiting the huge green, but he wasn''t in the mood to go sightseeing.


    He descended through the atmosphere immediately, heading towards Mira''sst known location.


    It wasn''t exact, as it was only an approximate 500 kilometre radius rather than her exactnding spot, but it was better than having to scour the whole.

 Chapter 324: Where is she?

    Alexnded on Eldaris without dy.


    As soon as his ship touched down, he didn''t waste any time. The moment thending gear settled down on the soft terrain, he exited the craft, taking in his surroundings with a quick nce.


    There was no time for unnecessary caution or overthinking ¡ª Mira was missing, and that was his only focus.


    After stepping out, he immediately stored his ship in his spatial storage, a process that had be second nature to him now. The ship shimmered briefly before disappearing entirely, leaving no trace that it had ever been there.


    But it also provided him with some cover for his tracks, the Red Demons, or whichever enemy was hiding by had most definitely noticed his entrance into this area, as Alex wasn''t trying to hide it at all, but with his ship disappearing it would be hard to track where Alex was exactly.


    Now, he was alone on the''s surface, ready to begin his search.


    Thendscape around him was dense with foliage, the thick green of Eldaris''s forests stretching out in every direction.


    Alex didn''t pay much attention to the scenery.


    The coordinates he had received covered arge area, but that didn''t discourage him.


    With his newly upgraded strength, he could cover the entire 500 kilometre radius in less than 10 seconds.


    And with his spatial perception now stretching to over 20 kilometres, that would be a huge help to him as well.


    He started moving immediately. Although the forest was dense, it wasn''t an obstacle for him; he navigated through it with ease, his senses on high alert at all times and his Spatial perception scanning every nook and cranny of the surrounding area.


    However, he hadn''t spotted anything significant as of yet.


    And this trend of finding nothing continued on, with not even a single beast or Red Demon in the area.


    It was quite troubling for Alex, who wasn''t in the mood for patience.


    Every minute passed was another minute Mira was missing, and that thought drove him forward with even more motivation.


    ***


    ''This is just getting eerie now¡­''


    Mira walked her way through the forest at a leisurely pace, as if she was not concerned by the idea that she may not be able to find a way out for a long, long time.


    But whether she walked faster or slower mattered not to her, as she would still encounter the same environment, with the samepleteck of any life forms whatsoever.


    It only made her wonder just where that Galephant came from, as it had to havee from somewhere where there were other beasts around.


    The silence surrounding this ce wasn''t the calm, peaceful kind of silence, but the oppressive, heavy kind that made her feel like she was being watched from every direction.


    The worst thing was the fact that her Spatial Perception didn''t work in this ce, so she couldn''t even tell whether she was being watched or not¡­


    But even if her sixth sense didn''t work, her other five were still working just fine, and she had sense not a single thing with those either, so despite the eerie feeling that had been bugging her the whole time, she ignored it.


    She didn''t waste time panicking, instead just carrying her leisurely walk on.


    Her idea was that if she walked for long and far enough, then surely she shoulde across some ce new, right?


    After all, they say that the Primordial Expanse is all one infinitelyrge world that is all interconnected, so no matter if two people entered and arrived millions of miles away from each other, they would still be able to meet up eventually if they walked towards the same direction the whole time.


    Considering this factor, Mira had decided that even if she had to walk tens, if not hundreds of thousands of miles, she would make it out of this ce.


    Though, she was hoping it didn''t have toe to that, as surely she woulde across 9 more Variant ss beasts, or 4 Variant sses higher ranked than her, right?


    Well, that was her hope at least.


    And her walk continued on for another five hours, quite boringly for Mira.


    She was beginning to think about whether to call it a night yet, but before she reached that point, she encountered something she was never expecting.


    An edge¡­


    A cliff edge where there was a steep drop off.


    But even more rming was the fact that Mira could see what was at the bottom, and she didn''t like what she was seeing.


    She turned her attention further past the expansive drop and looked all around her, only to have her suspicions confirmed.


    ''I''m on a floating ind¡­''


    The reason she came to this conclusion was simple.


    There were at least a dozen other floating inds dotted across the skyline, and those were just the ones she could see.


    Below her, perhaps thousands of kilometres below, was the vastndscape of what Mira assumed was the surface of the Primordial Expanse.


    ''So I''m stuck here then!?''


    But Mira''s highest concern was how she would ever n on getting down¡­


    If she tried jumping off the edge andnding on the surface below, well¡­ there wouldn''t be much of anding and more of an explosion of blood and meat if she attempted it.


    There was no such thing as terminal velocity in the Primordial Expanse, so if Mira jumped from this height thousands of kilometres above, she would just keep elerating and elerating until she hit the ground hard enough that probably even higher life forms might be severely injured by.


    With this major obstacle blocking her from being able to explore further, she had no idea what to do next.


    Turn around and walk in the other direction?


    What if she just meets the other edge of the ind without encountering another beast?


    What if that Galephant was the only beast to inhabit this entire floating ind¡­


    ''I''m really fucked if that''s the case¡­''


    ***


    ''Where could she have gone? What the hell happened to make her simply disappear into thin air!?''


    Alex was utterly confused by theck of any results from his search at all.


    The information he had read from the reports of the missing jump pods stated in full confidence that this 500 kilometre radius area was where they should havended.


    But Alex had explored the whole thing from top to bottom, and found nothing at all.


    This only made things much moreplicated.


    Either the information on the reports was wrong, or those jump pods really had disappeared into thin air.


    But if they did disappear from this cepletely, that only begged the question.


    Where to?


    ''Wait¡­''


    Alex paused.


    Perhaps the absence of any signs or clues of Mira''s whereabouts was a clue itself.


    He knew Mira''s talent, Call of the Void allowed her to teleport to the Void dimension whenever she liked.


    But he doubted this was the cause of her disappearance.


    For one, she had already told him how dangerous it is for her to use it for extended periods of time, and secondly, she would have alreadye back by this point if she had done so.


    This only left one option in Alex''s mind.


    The Primordial Expanse.


    He didn''t know why Mira would be there, but right now that was his best guess.


    But the fact that there were over a dozen other jump pods missing threw him off a little.


    Unless they all collectively decided to go off the grid and enter the Primordial Expanse at the same time, something fishy was going on.


    Alex considered the possibilities.


    If Mira and the others were in the Primordial Expanse, it wasn''t by choice ¡ª it had to be some kind of external force or anomaly.


    But how? And why?


    He didn''t dwell on these questions for long.


    The priority was finding out how to get her back.


    He had no idea what kinds of conditions Mira or the others had been thrown into.


    The sooner he found out, the better.


    With this focus in mind, Alex shifted his attention.


    This whole time, he had only been searching the 500 kilometre radius that had been mentioned in the reports.


    However, now Alex had decided to follow his own n.


    Rather than scanning just this area, he was going to search the whole.


    But before he did that, he needed to do a little bit of research.


    He was in such a haste to make it over to this system and start searching for Mira that he had neglected to do any research about the environment or even what kind of ce he was entering beforehand.


    He knew this was unique as the tactics both sides of the war used were different, but he hadn''t even gotten to experience that yet, as he literally found zero other sentient beings in the vicinity of this area.


    In fact, now that he thought about it, that seemed a little suspicious¡­

 Chapter 325: Closer to the answers

    ''Why are there no other sentient beings in this entire area? Surely I would havee across a Red Demon or Human or two by now, but nothing? Really?''


    It didn''t add up for Alex.


    All he had encountered so far were some random unawakened animals just grazing thend.


    Nothing sentient, or awakened like beasts, had ever crossed into his range.


    It was like this area was purposely rid of all things like that.


    ''Perhaps this area was set up to lure people into investigating here, thinking that this was the real area where those drop pods had disappeared, when in reality it could be somewhere on theplete opposite side of the¡­''


    Alex began piecing things together bit by bit, and he felt like he was getting closer to the truth of things.


    His main theory which he was 80% sure was true, was that this 500 kilometre radius was purposely set up to show absolutely zero clues whatsoever, so that when investigators came, or lone awakened like Alex, they would find nothing and give up on this investigation.


    It would be the perfect n to throw a spanner in the works of this search for the missing drop pods, except for the fact that the ce was so barren of any other sentient life.


    It had clearly been cleared beforehand, which only worked against whoever had set it up.


    Alex wouldn''t have questioned the validity of this area being the right location if it weren''t for the fact that the scenario was weird as soon as hended.


    And if Alex could notice it, then surely any official investigators the federation sent would notice it much easier as well.


    Either this ce was set up to only work as a decoy for so long, or the people behind this were just ipetent.


    Either way, Alex didn''t care.


    He knew he was looking in the wrong ce, so all that mattered was that he extended his search.


    Standing at the periphery of the 500 kilometre radius, Alex could already see the difference between the environment inside and outside of the range.


    Around 18 kilometres away from his location, a battle was going on between 5 human awakened and a group of Red Demons.


    This was the first sign of sentient life he had met on this, despite it being one of the hottest spots for war in this entire star system.


    His theory was practically confirmed the moment he scanned and sensed that battle.


    Though he didn''t n on going over to help or anything like that, as he had much more important things to tend to. Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    The life of five awakened he didn''t even know wasn''t worth nearly as much as Mira''s to him.


    Besides, from what he saw, they looked to be doing just fine on their own anyway.


    He couldn''t remember the guy''s name, because he simply didn''t care enough to, but he recognised the face of the leader of the five humans to be the Student ranked second on the overall rankings at Capital Prime.


    He was probably in a simr realm of strength as Alex.


    ''Time to move on from this ce then.''


    Ignoring the battle, Alex readied himself, positioning himself so he could betterunch off the ground.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, Alex sped up far, far past the speed of sound as he started running full sprint across the terrain!


    It didn''t matter what obstacles came in his way, he simply went around or over them.


    He didn''t trust the scanners of his ship to give him any urate information on the situations across the, so this way was much simpler.


    Alex was moving at approximately 10 times the speed of sound, so every second that passed, his spatial perception covered a different area than the previous second.


    It wasn''t the most efficient method of scanning that he could do, but it was the most urate.


    His perception not only covered the surface, but also the skies above and the ground below.


    If there was some secret base or cavern within 20 kilometres of the surface, Alex would discover it.


    But he was already 100% certain that Mira was in the Primordial Expanse, so he didn''t particrly focus on finding any secret Red Demon bases or the such.


    He''d only stop his search if he came across something as serious as the Buster again.


    Like this, Alex continued running at top speed across the whole, providing quite a spectacle for those who were close enough to see him go speeding by.


    ***


    Around 10 hourster, Alex was still running at top speed.


    He hadn''t taken any breaks, what so ever, but he had covered arge part of the so far.


    During those 10 hours, he hadn''t found any valuable break throughs with his spatial perception, but he had done a little bit of research on hismunicator while on the move.


    And just a few minutes ago, he had learned one bit of information that greatly intrigued him, and led him to change his trajectory to a specific destination.


    The fact that there were some strange reports nearby to the Floodgate on this, which also happened to be the only Floodgate in the Telorn system.


    Almost immediately after reading this bit of information Alex put two and two together.


    Firstly, there were only reports of missing drop pods on Eldaris alone ¡ª there was no such reports of faulty or missing drop pods from any of the other threes in this system.


    Secondly, Eldaris just so happened to be housing the only Floodgate in this system.


    Coincidence? Maybe.


    But the circumstances led Alex to believe that this wasn''t a coincidence.


    The Floodgate had to be involved with Mira and the others being transported to the Primordial Expanse, Alex just had no idea how they were connected.


    That was what he intended to find out.


    Although, the fact that this was a warzone between the Human race and the Red Demon race led Alex to believe that the Red Demons were somehow involved.


    He might not have made that connection if this had happened at the start of the war, but after learning more about them as a race, it almost made too much sense.


    They were crafty, and they liked ying tricks, all to do what it takes to win the war.


    After he had discovered the ns for the buster, Alex knew that the Red Demons couldn''t be trusted no matter what.


    If some day they surrendered, Alex wouldn''t believe that for a second.


    Them surrendering would certainly be some sort of setup for a trojan horse attack like the Greeks did to the Trojans back in the ancient days of Earth.


    A few minutester, Alex zeroed in on the location where the Floodgate was.


    He could spot the huge portal floating ominously in the forest almost immediately after his arrival.


    The trees on this were big, like 500 metres tall type big.


    But this Floodgate was even bigger.


    It had to be at least 4 times taller than even the tallest trees nearby, with it being wider than an entire patch of the forest.


    Clearly there were some big beasts that wereing out of this Floodgate, which Alex wasn''t so surprised about considering it was a B tier Floodgate.


    But there was a certain stillness in the air that was barely detectable, which Alex only caught because he was in a constantly heightened state of awareness the whole time.


    His finely attuned spatial element which had be much easier to spot and control after reaching C tier was sending him warning signs.


    ''This space was locked not too long ago¡­''


    If he were still a lowly D+ rank, Alex wouldn''t have spotted this, so it was good timing that he ranked up beforeing to this system to investigate.


    ''Unless Admiral Olgierd and the other big shots have been hiding some sort of technology from us, this has to be the work of the Red Demons.''


    Other than a very strong talent wielded by a very strong user, this could only be the work of some sort of advanced technology.


    And considering the Red Demons had thousands of years of more time to develop in the space age than the human race, Alex ced his bets on this technology being used by the Red Demons.


    It almost sounded clich¨¦ for him to me the clear enemy of the human race for every negative clue he found, but it was just that obvious to him.


    The federation didn''t have the capabilities to unleash such a spatial lock, as far as he was aware, which only really left one culprit.


    It was just that simple.


    The effects of the spatial lock were still slightly lingering in the area as well, as Alex felt his spatial perception be restricted the moment he entered the vicinity of the Floodgate.


    His range shrunk drastically, falling to just 200 metres, a massive drop considering his normal range was 20 kilometres¡­


    And just as he neared the Floodgate, a spear flew in and struck the ground in front of him, preventing him from moving any further.


    "I wouldn''t try that if I were you, human."


    The voice at the other end of the spear wasn''t human.


    "Bold of you toe into this area, and so arrogantly waltz up to a B tier Floodgate like that. You must either have a death wish, or have confidence in your own ability."


    The Red Demonmander of this System paused.


    "Which one is it?"

 Chapter 326: Neat trick

    "I guess that''s for you to decide, though I''d say it''s pretty stupid to throw your weapon to your enemy like that."


    Alex retorted instantly, not hesitating to bite back at the Red Demonmander.


    However, without the need to respond, the Red Demonmander just clicked his fingers together, and the spear hummed and suddenly forced itself out of the ground, like it was being pulled by some sort of telekic force.


    Itnded in the Red Demonmander''s hands, like it had never left them to begin with.


    "Neat trick."


    Alex wasn''t too impressed, in the world of awakened where all sorts of magical things can happen, a self returning weapon wasn''t too revolutionary.


    "Karosh, you know what happened thest time you left your hiding spot. Are you really willing to start another battle over a kid like this?"


    Suddenly, another voice joined the fray, this timeing from Alex''s rear.


    Alex himself was a little startled, as his 200 metre range didn''t really help perceiving B tiers.


    But when he looked to see that the voice he heard was from a Human, he calmed down.


    "So what Liran, ourst match came to a stalemate, don''t act like you did something big thatst time we fought."


    But Karosh wouldn''t back down so easily.


    "So, is this a meeting between powerhouses I''ve stumbled upon, or something like that?"


    Seeing the pressure both of the B tiers were pushing on each other, and in turn Alex as well since he was in the middle of both of them, Alex felt like he was in some sort of third wheeling scenario.


    But he wasn''t too worried, he had confidence in his own strength now that he was a C tier.


    And his confidence was whatpelled him.


    "You guys had something to do with the disappearance of our drop pods, don''t you?"


    He asked Karosh, the Red Demonmander straight up, surprising even Liran.


    Karosh narrowed his eyes at Alex''s direct usation.


    The tension between the two B tier powerhouses didn''t waver, but now it was infused with a sharp edge of curiosity.


    "Bold of you to assume, human."


    Karosh replied, his voice dripping with condescension.


    He didn''t deny it, but he didn''t confirm it either, which was basically an admission of guilt to Alex.


    The spear in Karosh''s hand hummed withtent power, a clear sign that he was ready to act if necessary.


    Liran, the human B tiermander, raised an eyebrow at the young C tier''s audacity while speaking to someone who was not only a whole tier above him, but with a difference in status of higher and lower life forms.


    It seemed he must have been preupied over thest year, as he didn''t seem to be recognising Alex as the human race''s top prodigy.


    But he didn''t intervene though.


    It seemed he was more interested in seeing how this would y out than saving Alex from a potential misstep.


    "You''re not denying it." Alex pushed further. He wasn''t in the mood for games, not with Mira''s whereabouts still a mystery.


    The stakes were too high for subtlety.


    Karosh curled his lips into a sneer. "Whether we had a hand in it or not is irrelevant."


    "What matters is that you''re in over your head, boy. You think just because you''ve reached C tier, you can challenge me? You''re out of your depth."


    Alex just smiled.


    "Am I?"


    And released his full aura.


    This was the first time he was doing this after reaching C tier.


    ''What!?''


    And both Liran and Karosh reeled back in shock.


    They felt the pressure exuded by Alex, and it rivalled their own.


    "Impossible!"


    Karosh was the first to speak out in disbelief.


    He knew that even in his own race, where they had thousands of years of history, there was nearly nobody who could achieve what Alex had achieved in terms of strength above his own rank.


    Like he said, it should have been impossible in his eyes.


    Even the S+ rank talent holders that he knew of back in the Red Demon domain couldn''t match up to Alex in terms of potential.


    "You hid your real strength!"


    And because of this, Karosh didn''t believe that Alex was a C- rank one bit.


    It just didn''t make sense to him.


    Feeling the huge surge of power from Alex, Karosh knew he was in trouble.


    The young human had somehow reached a level of strength that defied all known logic, and with Liran present, the odds were not in his favour.


    Karosh''s mind raced.


    If he engaged now, he was almost certainly walking into a death trap of his own making.


    Liran had no reason to stand on the sidelines if he decided to attack, and if the two humans joined forces against him, the battle would most likely end in his death.


    Experience more tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    He couldn''t afford to be reckless, not when the Telorn system would hang under a tight bnce if he was subdued.


    If he died, the Humans would be able to take over Eldaris for themselves quicker than they could send reinforcements, which would far strain their efforts in the Telorn system.


    Without a word, Karosh made his decision.


    He wouldn''t waste time on a fight he wasn''t sure he could win.


    The stakes were too high.


    The Red Demons were already facing pressure, not expecting the Human race to be able to fight back as well as they had.


    If Karosh knew of the news of their defeat in the Shen Wu system, he would have realised just how smart this decision was.


    "Consider yourself lucky, human." Karosh spat, masking his retreat with a sneer.


    "This isn''t over, but I''ve got more important matters to tend to."


    Karosh''s form blurred, and in an instant, he was gone, disappearing into the dense foliage of the first.


    His retreat was swift, his aura vanishing as he put distance between himself and the humans.


    Liran watched him go, a slight smirk ying on his lips. "Smart move." He muttered, more to himself than Alex.


    "He knows when he''s outmatched, I''ll give him that."


    Alex remained tense for a moment longer, his aura still ring, ready for a fight.


    His range of perception was still 200 metres, and as he had learned from Liran''s arrival, a B tier like them could arrive in front of him before he was able to pick them up with his senses.


    But as the seconds ticked by, and it became clear that Karosh wasn''ting back for the time being, Alex finally allowed himself to rx, letting his aura recede.


    The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, but he knew the immediate danger had passed.


    Liran turned to him, a look of genuine curiosity on his face.


    "I have to admit, I didn''t expect that from you. When I first saw you, I thought you were just some scrawny kid getting too big for his boots, but here we are¡­"


    Liran''s demeanour contrasted sharply with Karosh''s reaction.


    He studied Alex with a mix of curiosity and newfound respect, though there was a hint of wariness in his eyes.


    Anyone that could scare off Karosh like that practicallymanded his respect.


    "So, what brings you to this part of the forest?" Liran asked, his tone casual but probing.


    They were, after all, barely a few metres away from the entrance of the Floodgate.


    Alex didn''t hesitate in his answer.


    He knew he didn''t have time for any games.


    "My investigations into the drop pod disappearances brought me here. They vanished without a trace afternding in this area, and I''ve been tracking them down ever since. Which led me to this ce."


    Liran nodded, absorbing the information.


    "I''ve heard about that. The sudden loss ofmunication, and the fact that they were never found, not even the location theynded. I knew something was weird about it, but unfortunately I''m too preupied here watching over this Floodgate and Karosh to do some digging of my own. But it seems there''s more to it than I thought."


    "There is." Alex confirmed.


    "The Red Demons are definitely involved, but it''s not as simple as a sabotage or an ambush. Tell me, have you seen or experienced anything strange around here recently, particrly around the time those drop pods disappeared?"


    Liran pondered for a moment, before shaking his head and turning back to Alex.


    "No, why?"


    "The space around this area, particrly around the Floodgate, was under a spatial lock recently."


    This time, Liran looked really interested in what Alex had to say.


    He was half treating Alex''s investigation as unnecessary, and half just interested in having a normal conversation with another person after so long.


    He was wondering why Alex was so interested in finding out the truth, but he raised an eyebrow when he heard that this ce was under a spatial lock.


    Not even he could have guessed that had happened, as he had no spatial affinity to speak of, so he couldn''t sense anything like that.


    "A spatial lock? That''s¡­ unusual."

 Chapter 327: Back, again

    Liran seemed to be considering the implications, but Alex could tell this was news to him.


    Alex continued speaking.


    "I don''t know exactly how they did it, but I could feel it when I entered this area. It was like the space itself was sealed off until recently, preventing anything from entering or leaving through anything to do with the spatial element. The lock must have just been lifted, or we probably wouldn''t even be having this conversation either."


    Liran frowned, clearly troubled by the revtion.


    "If they have the ability or technology to create a spatial lock that strong, they could be nning something big. With enough time and nning, maybe they could even lock down the entire star system!"


    It seemed Liran had thought bigger than Alex had considering this situation.


    If the Red Demons locked down the star system, any reinforcements or simply supply ships wouldn''t be able to enter warp, not to mention they would be slowed down drastically even while using their regr engines.


    This would essentially cripple the entire infrastructure of the Federation''s entire military might in the Telorn system.


    "I don''t know about all that. I''m just here to get someone back. If my suspicions are correct, then this spatial lock also affected the Floodgate, allowing it to have two way teleportations, rather than one way, only allowing beasts toe over from the other side."


    Liran''s frown deepened as he absorbed the information Alex was rying to him.


    The implications of a spatial lock were far too severe for him to just leave alone.


    If the Red Demons even had a remote chance of affecting something on the level of the star system, he had to report it. The entire bnce of power in the Telorn system would shift dramatically if this were the case.


    "They could cripple our entire operation¡­" Liran muttered. "If they manage to lock down even a single, we''d be cut off from reinforcements, supplies, everything. We''d be sitting ducks."


    Other than that though, Liran''s curiosity was piqued.


    He couldn''t help but wonder who this ''someone'' was that Alex was so determined to find. The young awakened was risking his life in a potentially hostile territory, facing down B tiers like Karosh, all for this person.


    But Liran decided no to press the issue, recognising Alex''s mission was personal, and pressing for more details would be inappropriate at this moment.


    "I see, this mission is personal to you. That exins your determination." Liran said, nodding.


    Alex didn''t respond, and Liran chose not to pry further.


    "If what you''re saying is true, then this situation is more serious than I anticipated."


    Liran continued, his tone now all business. "We need to reinforce this area immediately. I''ll have to report this back tomand and request some B tier awakened with a focus on the spatial element toe over. If the Red Demons are nning something on arger scale, we can''t afford to be caught off guard."


    He paused, considering whether he should continue, but decided to hold off in the end.


    He was going to ask if Alex was willing to help with this, considering he was the one who discovered the spatial lock, so he was clearly qualified.


    But he understood that Alex had his own mission to focus on, and he didn''t want to interfere with that.


    "Just know that your information might have just saved countless lives."


    Alex appreciated Liran''s understanding, though he could sense the underlying tension in the older awakened''s voice.


    The stakes were indeed high, and Alex''s own investigation had suddenly be a critical piece of a muchrger puzzle.


    With that, Liran turned away, pulling out amunicator to ry the critical information back to the federation''s headquarters on Earth.


    He needed to ensure that this information reached their ears, and that reinforcements were on their way, and fast.


    Alex watched him for a moment until hepletely disappeared from his view.


    But while Liran had gained some potentially incredibly valuable information, Alex was stuck at a roadblock.


    He had potentially located the exact point where Mira and the other''s drop pods had gone missing, but that left him in somewhat of a dilemma.


    How was he supposed to pass through the Floodgate?


    The spatial lock had already been lifted, so the Floodgate was no longer a two way portal and had resumed its previous one way door status.


    Without the ability to enter through the Floodgate, Alex had no way to find Mira in the Primordial Expanse.


    There was one thought that kept on repeating in his mind every few minutes, but Alex couldn''t quite bring himself to believe it.


    ''What if I entered the Primordial Expanse myself, the usual way?''


    This kept on ringing throughout his mind, not letting him get a moment of peace to properly examine any other possible methods.


    Entering the Primordial Expanse of his own will to enter was a huge gamble, as he was betting that he would just be thrown into another random location again, just like he had been the second time he entered.


    Well, it wasn''t really random, as he had swapped locations with Mira¡­


    ''Wait!''


    Suddenly, Alex felt like he had a massive brainwave, sending a wild theory throughout his mind.


    He had never heard of anyone else exchanging locations with each other in the Primordial Expanse, which meant that there was some sort of special link between Alex and Mira.


    What if, hypothetically, this link between him and Mira still existed?


    Thest time they entered the Primordial Expanse, they did so at the same time, and while he didn''t know the exact mechanisms behind why they were switched, he suspected it might not be the same this time around.


    There seemed to be some sort of pattern going on between them whenever they entered the Primordial Expanse.


    First, they enteredpletely different locations, not even aware of each other''s existence as they had only met after both of them had already finished their first experience in the Primordial Expanse.


    Then, their second time, they had inexplicably switched locations, which they had only found out had taken ce afterwards after convening with each other.


    What if this third time, something different might happen?


    Alex had no clue, but just the fact it was the only idea he could think of that could possibly allow him to find Mira was enough to spur him on.


    ''Let''s do it!''


    He steeled his resolve, then had an interesting thought.


    ''What if I enter the Primordial Expanse while in direct vicinity of the Floodgate?''


    The idea was an interesting one, to say the least.


    Alex couldn''t recall if anyone had ever tried this, but after bing much more attuned with the space element following his rank up to C- rank, he could instinctively feel that something interesting might happen if he did so.


    Perhaps, with both portals so close to each other, Alex''s destination may be directly altered to be near that of the Floodgate?


    Who knows, but now he had two theories to go off of, and the good thing was that he could experiment with them simultaneously.


    The only thing was that if he did happen tond somewhere close to the destination of the Floodgate and find Mira, then he wouldn''t know whether it was the first or second theory that was the reason for it.


    Either way, he didn''t care. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    All that mattered was that he was presented with even the slightest chance to find Mira again.


    With his mind made up, Alex was presented with that same looming question so many awakened across the universe both feared and treasured.


    [Would you like to enter the Primordial Expanse?]


    Alex naturally said ''yes'' in a heartbeat.


    ***


    The swirling vortex of energy closed behind Alex as he stumbled slightly out of the portal.


    The transition from the dizzying portal to solid ground caught him off guard every time.


    No matter what, entering a portal to the Primordial Expanse was a sensation he would never get used to, it got no less disorienting with time and even as he grew stronger, it still remained.


    But he quickly regained his bnce and took in his surroundings, his heart pounding with anticipation.


    He was in a forest.


    The air was cool, crisp and filled with the scent of leaves and earth.


    The trees towered above him, the underbrush was dense, and the entire ce was eerily quiet.


    For a moment, Alex''s heart sank.


    ''Did something go wrong?''


    The forest looked identical to the ones on Eldaris.


    Had he somehow ended back where he started? Did he even enter the Primordial Expanse at all?


    But as he looked closer, he began to notice subtle differences.


    The most notable being thepleteck of any ambient sound whatsoever, no rustling of the leaves in the wind, no birds chirping. Nothing.


    It was almostplete silence, save for Alex''s own footsteps.


    But the most startling thing came next.


    He activated his spatial perception, and found that there was not a single living being within 20 kilometres!


    Not sentient, but living!


    There was nothing at all¡­

 Chapter 328: Mystery Woman (1)

    Alex kept looking around, on full alert.


    But no matter what he saw, smelt or sensed, there wasn''t a single living thing within his vicinity.


    This ce was clearly not Eldaris anymore.


    Alex took it all in with no amount of satisfaction.


    He had clearly spawned in another different location of the Primordial Expanse, but this time, the circumstances were even weirder than his first two dives into this odd dimension.


    He looked at himself, and was d to see that everything he had been wearing previously was still attached to his body.


    It wasn''t like his first entry into this ce where he was ced in apletely unknown and weird scenario, where he had assumed some sort of role as a refugee.


    ording to his theories, he should either be spawned in a location near to Mira, or a location near to the Floodgate''s entry point.


    Whichever the case was, Mira should still theoretically be within his capabilities to find.


    However, Alex started to move. He wanted to get a bettery of thend.


    He was looking for anything to make note of ¡ª animal prints, signs of fires, feces, w marks.


    Whatever he could think of that wouldn''t be possible to find without the presence of another living being, Alex was hoping to see.


    But no matter how hard he looked, he found nothing.


    He picked up the pace, and he ran and ran until he couldn''t take it anymore.


    Yet still, there was nothing in sight.


    ''What the fuck is this kind of scenario!?''


    Alex was baffled, frankly.


    There had to be some sort of mistake or something for him to be pulled into this odd ce.


    Was he even in the Primordial Expanse at all?


    This question kept ringing through his mind, but it would remain unanswered no matter what.


    It seemed like the System wasn''t fond of ying any tricks on him for the time being, with it staying silent for quite a while now, other than to do its usual duties of telling him that he had ranked up to C- rank etc.


    Usually, Alex would be very happy about this.


    But in this scenario, he was actually hoping that the System would pull its usual tomfoolery on him, as he would at least gain some clues.


    It seemed he only had himself to rely on though.


    With this pushed to the back of his mind, Alex simply changed directions, and resumed his constant run.


    ***


    A few hourster, Alex came to a stop.


    It wasn''t because he had finally found some living things nearby.


    But because his ears finally caught a whiff of noise that wasn''t created by himself!


    ''Running water! A river!'' Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    Alex was very happy with this development, as it at least meant that this ce wasn''tpletely silent.


    If this running water could be heard, then any beasts or animals, or perhaps even people, could be heard too.


    Nevertheless, since Alex''s ears had picked up this source of sound, he immediately began running in that direction.


    It was better than nothing, which was all Alex had to show for previously.


    Not even 5 seconds after running, he came to a stop near a clearing ¡ª a rare sight in a hugely dense forest like this.


    He crouched down behind some bushes while he scanned the river around 500 metres ahead with his spatial perception.


    Water rich areas like rivers, streams orkes were usually hot spots for beasts or animals to congregate, so Alex knew that he would have as good a chance as ever to find something living within this area.


    However, there were no creatures in his spatial perception.


    ''Tsk. Just how shitty can this ce get.''


    Alex was getting quite frustrated at this point.


    He had been running for however many hours since he had arrived at this ce, and so far it had all been for jack shit.


    He had nothing to show for his efforts, and the more time he wasted, the less likely he was to find Mira.


    To take his mind off these constant setbacks and frustrations, he decided to take a quick swim in the river to cleanse any dirt or grime that had umted on him.


    He walked around 300 metres or so, constantly thinking about how he could improve his ns of searching, but finding nothing useful every time.


    However, when he arrived just 200 metres away from the river, his attitude took aplete 180.


    His spatial perception found nothing at all within 20 kilometres, but what Alex was seeing with his eyes at the momentpletely contradicted that.


    ''A¡­ woman?''


    He looked over at the river, only to see what looked like a woman swimming in it, quite happily at that.


    His first instinct was to run over and check if it was Mira, but he stopped that thought instantly.


    Mira wasn''t known to act so joyously like this woman was, particrly in a situation where she was thrown into this ce against her will.


    Not to mention, Mira wasn''t an exhibitionist, as this woman was clearly naked¡­


    Alex felt a little awkward for staring, but he could care less for her privacy at the moment.


    She was the first living person he had met since arriving in this freaky ce, and he was very interested in asking her a few questions.


    Especially on why he couldn''t sense her at all, except for the ability to see her.


    "Err, excuse me, miss. You don''t happen to know where exactly I am, do you?"


    He called out to her, somewhat awkwardly.


    But he didn''t receive an answer.


    In fact, it was like the woman didn''t even hear him at all.


    She just kept swimming like she was having the time of her life.


    ''Maybe she''s not that strong and can''t hear or see me from this distance?''


    This was Alex''s first thought, since he was 200 metres away from the River, and blended in quite well with the scenery surrounding him.


    He also knew she wouldn''t be able to hear anything at all when she dove underwater, so maybe those were the reasons she didn''t acknowledge his question?


    Who knows, Alex just moved closer to the river, 10 metres away this time, to try and ask the same question again.


    "Hey! D-"


    But before he could even get his second word out, the woman''s head snapped right around and stared him down.

 Chapter 329: Mystery Woman (2)

    "Haha, I see that I might have startled you there. My apologies, but at least you know I''m here now."


    Alex spoke, trying to ease the tension that had suddenly risen with the woman''s reaction.


    Considering she was naked and swimming alone in the river, he couldn''t me her for being apprehensive after seeing an unknown man approach her and call out to her.


    There were many cases in history where this happened to women, who were never heard from again¡­


    Alex had to be careful with his words, to not scare herpletely into attacking him off the bat.


    "I''m not trying to perv on you or anything like that, I promise! You see, I''m kind of lost¡­ I''m looking for someone, but I don''t even know where we are. Could you tell me where we are?"


    Alex rposed his previous question to make him seem more friendly, but like he was talking to a brick wall, the woman just kept on staring at him with the same deadpan expression.


    ''Does she not understand me?''


    It clicked in Alex''s mind that this woman might be a native inhabitant of the Primordial Expanse, so she might not understand the universal federalnguage he was speaking.


    ''How am I supposed to approach this?''


    Alex sighed, trying to figure out an approach to this situation.


    The woman''s deadpan, unblinking stare was unnerving, and the silence only made it even worse.


    He decided to try again, speaking slowly and using hand gestures this time, hoping to bridge the possiblenguage barrier between them.


    "Where¡­ are¡­ we?"


    Alex asked, pointing to the ground and then making a wide circr motion to indicate the area around them, shrugging at the end to indicate hisck of knowledge.


    He forced a smile the whole time, hoping to ease the tension.


    But before he could finish his question, the woman''s lips parted.


    Alex felt a short bout of happiness, thinking he had finally gotten his question through to her, but what happened next, was thest thing he would have expected.


    It was nothing short of terrifying.


    A scream ¡ª high pitched, ear shattering, and filled with energy so dense it startled Alex ¡ª exploded from her mouth.


    It wasn''t just a sound; it was a sonic wave of raw energy that mmed into Alex with such intensity that he staggered backward, his hands flying to his ears in a desperate attempt to block out the noise.


    But it had little to no effect at all.


    There was no difference between having his hands cover his ears, and having nothing to cover them at all.


    The scream still reverberated through his skull regardless, sending sharp painsncing through his head.


    Alex was shocked.


    Even with his B tier strength, the sheer power behind the sound overwhelmed him, bringing him practically on his knees as he groaned in agony.


    ''What the absolute fuck was that!?''


    His mind raced as he struggled to regain hisposure.


    He looked up at the woman in the river, but the sight that greeted him sent a jolt down his spine.


    The delicate, fairy like figure was gone, reced by something far uglier and far more sinister.


    Her skin, once smooth and pce, now took on a sickly sheen, like the scales of a fish.


    Her eyes, which had been human the whole time, were now pitch ck, reflecting no light.


    Her once beautiful face had twisted into a grotesque mask of rage, her mouth filled with razor sharp teeth.


    Her hands had followed the same shift, morphing into long, wicked ws that seemed to even rival Varkoth in sharpness¡­


    ''A siren!''


    The realisation hit Alex like a bolt of lightning.


    He had heard of these creatures, once a part of the ancient Human civilisation''s mythology, but turned out to be a real thing in the Primordial Expanse.


    But out of all the things he had heard about them, none were positive.


    The most terrifying of which was that Sirens strength ranged from low B tier all the way up to even S tier!


    These were literally beasts near the top of the food chain, and he just had to encounter one¡­


    His only hope was that this one was on the lower end of strength for Sirens.


    The siren''s scream subsided, leaving an intense ringing in Alex''s ears.


    But she didn''t wait for him to recover.


    With a sudden leap out of the water, she lunged at him, her ws shing through the air with precision, aiming directly for his vitals.


    Alex barely had time to roll away, forced to take his hands off his still pained, ringing ears in order to properly defend himself and fight back.


    He summoned Virtue''s Edge out of his spatial storage, giving him just that bit more confidence when facing this monster.


    The siren hissed, her ck eyes narrowing as she circled him.


    She moved exactly like apex predators do when toying with their prey ¡ª it was clear that she wasn''t taking Alex seriously yet.


    But inside, Alex was immensely relieved.


    This Siren was clearly on the weaker end of her species, but she still had strength that rivalled the Red Demonmander who he needed to team up with Colonel Margit to take out.


    While he was rtively equal in strength, he was now alone, and the Siren had already gotten the upper hand on him with her first, sudden sonic attack.


    Alex knew he was in a serious pickle right now, but there was no escape for him.


    The Siren slowly rose out of the water, using her abilities as a higher life form to fly, but she absolutely terrified Alex whilst doing so.


    Because she was ascending the whole river with her¡­!


    It was like the river was suddenly enraptured in zero gravity, as it started to float upwards at the same speed as the Siren.


    But this was only the start of things.


    The Siren lifted her arm and pointed it at Alex, and the river moved like it was one with her.


    It enveloped Alex in an instant, and he was dragged into her domain.


    They were both in her natural domain now.


    The originally neutral fight had just drastically moved in the Siren''s advantage.

 Chapter 330: Siren (1)

    Now that Alex waspletely engulfed underwater, things had be much harder for him.


    Not only was he against a beast as strong as this siren, but now he was fighting on her home turf.


    The tides were literally turned against him.


    Alex''s heart gradually started to pound faster and faster as he realised just how much trouble he was in.


    But it wasn''t just out of fear, no¡­ he was also full of adrenaline and excitement!


    That''s right, Alex was actually excited to be in such a dangerous battle.


    The siren rose in the water, her entire form now suspended in mid air, or rather mid water?


    By now, the whole river itself was suspended in the air, not a single droplet of water touching the ground, defying gravity as it followed hermand.


    ''Well this wasn''t what I was expecting¡­''


    When he first noticed a beautiful, nakeddy swimming in the river, Alex didn''t think much of it.


    But now, it was quite clear that it was bait for someone like him toe over.


    She was probably waiting and baiting pervy men toe over and spy on her, and when they came close, she''d strike just as she did with Alex.


    The cold grip of the water was like a vise on Alex, pulling him and enveloping himpletely.


    He struggled against the current, but it was like trying to fight back against a tidal wave.


    The water pressed in from all sides, crushing and trying to suffocate him.


    Thankfully Alex''s extensive experience of surviving out in the void of space for prolonged periods of time had helped in this situation.


    Combined with his rank up to C tier, he could hold his breath for over 18 hours before needing to refill his lungs.


    He called on his Phoenix mes, feeling the familiar warmth surge within him, but the water around him barely reacted other than producingrge amounts of steam.


    ''Shit, how could I forget, it''s water versus fire!''


    Alex realised a big problem as soon as his Phoenix mes were unleashed.


    The mes, which normally erupted with fierce intensity, were dampened, reduced to a faint glow around his body.


    Water was the natural counter element to fire, as most fantasy stories will say.


    This much wouldn''t have been enough for Alex''s Phoenix mes to be affected though.


    If normal water came into Alex''s mes, they would be vaporised in an instant, with not even a slight bit of an effect on the mes themself.


    But the siren''s water wasn''t normal.


    It was propelled by her talent, her natural elemental affinity, which in its intensity was nearing A- rank.


    While that didn''t quitepare to Alex''s S+ rank Phoenix mes, it was enough to dampen their effect!


    But while his Phoenix mes were now a mere flicker in the water, they weren''tpletely neutralised.


    They still worked just fine when confined solely to Alex''s body. Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Internally, he used them to strengthen himself, while if he tried to use them externally, they wouldn''t amount to much damage.


    It was the best he could do with the current situation he was in.


    The siren, sensing his struggle, let out a hauntingugh that echoed through the water, distorted but still menacing.


    She knew she had the upper hand, and she was enjoying every moment of it.


    She hadn''t even gone all out or anything like that yet!


    All she had done was unleash her control over the water, and Alex was already in a desperate situation.


    But Alex wasn''t done yet.


    His Phoenix mes gradually calmed down as he forcibly stopped them from trying to fight an uphill battle against the water, and he concentrated, channelling them inward, letting their heat spread through his body.


    His entire body started glowing a faint crimson red, which only grew in intensity as the seconds ticked by.


    This was an old trick that Alex was utilising, one that he hadn''t made use of since before he had even acquired his Phoenix mes!


    He was letting the mes enhance his entire body, which extended outwards towards Virtue''s Edge, not excluding it from this transformation that was taking ce.


    Ever since he had acquired his Phoenix mes, this neat trick he had taught himself had taken a little bit of a back burner, as it wasn''t as useful in most scenarios anymore.


    But this wasn''t just most scenarios ¡ª it happened to be a time where it was actually more useful than anything else!


    The siren''s smile faded as she watched Alex begin to glow with an intense crimson light, his entire form radiating a dangerous energy that even her water struggled to suppress.


    This was noughing matter anymore.


    She actually felt a dangerous threat from Alex now, which was a stark contrast to the previous feeling she had of him, which was that he was just a puny C- rank who she could squash in mere seconds.


    But it seemed she had underestimated him.


    This human was far stronger than she had initially thought.


    A low growl rumbled through the water as the siren''s eyes narrowed, her yful demeanour reced by a cold, calcted malice.


    She would not let this human toy with her.


    If this human wanted a fight, she would give him one that would be hisst.


    With a swift motion of her arms, the water around her churned violently in response.


    The entire river, still suspended in the air, began to twist and spiral, forming massive vortexes that spun with terrifying speed and intensity.


    The water roared with the fury of a storm, and even outside, in the skies above, dark clouds began to develop and huge droplets of rain began to fall.


    Alex felt the pull immediately, the force of the water dragging him toward the nearest vortex.


    The pressure was immense, the currents were relentless, trying to tear him apart from every direction.


    But he wasn''t about to let himself be swept away.


    He gripped Virtue''s Edge with every fibre of his being, not letting it slip from his hands and be swept away by the powerful currents.

 Chapter 331: Siren (2)

    The siren wasted no time.


    As the vortexes spun wildly around Alex, she ramped up her assault.


    The water swirled with increasing intensity, as she pushed more and more of her energy and power into the mix.


    The worst thing for Alex though, was that he couldn''t even get a counter attack in.


    He was practically stranded in the midst of all these water vortexes trying to tear him apart, and even if he escaped their grasp, the siren could just manipte the water around him so that he could never reach her even if he swam with the might of a mountain.


    And considering he couldn''t really use any long range attacks at the moment, this only made things more tricky.


    He could try and send some waves of Phoenix mes over to her, but he doubted they would make it past the vortexes without being thrown off course.


    His best bet would be to try and rely on his teleportation talent.


    After his rank up to C- rank, the energy costs of each teleportation were drastically reduced as his body became attuned with the space element.


    Now, he could perform multiple dozen teleportations in a row before breaking a sweat, which was a major improvement from when he first obtained the talent.


    Not to mention the fact that his range of teleportation had now increased to match his spatial perception''s range.


    Meaning he could teleport to anywhere he saw within 20 kilometres of himself!


    However, there was still one small catch.


    ''I can''t even see outside of this water¡­''


    The siren''s water, whether intentional or not, blocked his vision from being able to see anything outside.


    Hence, if he wanted to teleport, it would have to be within the confines of the water, which wouldn''t really help him much.


    He would still be affected by the currents and strong pressure just as much, and with the siren''s reaction speeds, he doubted he could get the jump on her with his teleportation either.


    She could probably move as freely in this water as Alex could onnd, so she could dodge his attacks effortlessly, especially considering how constricted he was by the waterpared to her.


    ''But there''s still one thing I can try¡­''


    Not all hope was lost for him just yet though.


    He hadn''t triedbining the two abilities together after his first attempt, but now that he had reached C- rank, it was worth a shot at least.


    Just like the first time, Alex closed his eyes, eliminating the possibility that they might affect the results of his teleportation, and activated his spatial perception to full effect.


    Instantly, he could feel and see everything within 20 kilometres of himself, like he was an omniscient being within this short 20 kilometre radius.


    But regardless, there were still no living beings that he could sense.


    Not even the siren right in front of him popped up on his radar.


    Disregarding his curiosity towards this phenomenon, Alex knew he had to act fast.


    The siren''s water vortexes were relentless, and Alex knew that staying defensive wasn''t an option any longer.


    The raging water around him was quite a big distraction in his spatial perception, but he did his best to block it out.


    ''This n is risky, but it''s my only chance¡­''


    Hebined his teleportation with his spatial perception, which hadpletely taken too much of a toll on him thest time he attempted it.


    And very shortly, he would learn whether it would work or not.


    His deep crimson body started to gain a strange mix of silver to the crimson glow.


    The water around him hissed and boiled, as if it sensed what he was trying to do.


    But in that instant, it wasn''t able to stop him.


    Alex teleported.


    The world shifted around him as he moved through space, reappearing back shortly after.


    But he felt the ground beneath his feet¡­


    ''It.. It worked!''


    He had seeded!


    He opened his eyes as quickly as hended, and he noticed that while he hadn''t quite managed to teleport as far as he was wishing to ¡ª the full 20 kilometres his range allowed him to ¡ª he still managed to put some distance between him and the siren.


    He was just over 2 kilometres away, and he could see the river ascending even further into the sky, with the siren raging madly inside of it as it tried to find Alex''s location.


    It was clear that she hadn''t expected him to be able to escape her grasp so easily, and now that he had, she looked like she was about to go on a rampage.


    And it only took a few seconds before she spotted Alex once again.


    He wasn''t very hidden, so it wasn''t that hard for her to find him.


    ''I can''t let her engulf me in that river again!''


    This time, Alex was ready to fight back against her.


    She had gained the upper hand on him from the start of the fight due to her surprise attack, but now that Alex knew what was up, he wouldn''t be so easily taken advantage of.


    Not to mention, his Phoenix mes were no longer hindered by any water!


    The siren started flying over from the distance, but she was slowed down massively by the fact that she had to take the whole river with her.


    Otherwise, she could have been upon him in a heartbeat.


    Alex nned to use her slow speed to his advantage.


    He ced both hands on Virtue''s Edge, and started funnelling the Phoenix mes that were raging all over and in his body, all into the de of Virtue''s Edge.


    Instantly, it gained an extremely bright crimson glow, nearly rivalling that of the attack Alex had used to finish Varkoth off.


    He continued waiting and pouring as much energy into his de as he could before the siren arrived.


    And just as she and the river she was carrying neared within 100 metres of him, he stopped charging up, his sword nearly as bright as the sun now.


    And he shed forwards, aiming for the siren in the midst of the river¡­

 Chapter 332: Devastating damage

    Alex''s sh cleaved forwards, elerating instantly in an arc so bright, it was like a second sun was rising in the sky.


    If it weren''t for the fact that both Alex''s and the siren''s eyes were so enhanced and attuned to their strengths, they both would have went blind from such intense light breaching their eyes.


    But that was the only thing Alex had to worry about.


    The siren had much, much bigger things to worry about!


    Such as the fact that this arc moved towards her, and with such speed that even she, as a B tier, couldn''t even react in time.


    Instantly, the arc of mes so hot one might mistake them for a light elemental attack reached the floating river that housed the siren inside.


    The effect of Alex''s attack was visible immediately.


    Any and every drop of water, no matter how much, was vaporised instantly uponing into contact with the arc of mes.


    There wasn''t even any steam that rose off, as the extremely hot temperatures made it so that it skipped that stage entirely, and was converted straight to sma.


    Funnily enough, this sma actually added further to the power of Alex''s attack.


    This was something he hadn''t nned, nor did he even know what was happening inside that huge water bubble created by what used to be a river.


    But unfortunately for the siren, Alex''s attack also struck her shoulder.


    Her right arm was torn from the rest of her body, and also vaporised in an instant.


    Just like the very water surrounding her, her right arm was quickly consumed and converted to sma to only further fuel Alex''s attack.


    It didn''t just stop there though, the attack carried on going even after it had fully cleaved through the siren''s river bubble, and it even sliced the heavy rain clouds above in half.


    Eventually, the attack stopped after it hit a mountain range, far, far off into the distance that even Alex could barely see them.


    But from what he could see, the elevation of this mountain range was halved after his attack had sliced off each and every mountain peak¡­


    ''Maybe that was a little bit overkill¡­''


    Alex himself was shocked by the power of the attack he had just unleashed.


    Not only did it clear the skies above him, freeing him from the constant onught of huge rain droplets thanks to the siren''s summoning of the storm.


    But it also dealt a huge amount of damage to the environment itself ¡ª though it was thankfully confined far off into the distance where it wouldn''t affect him much.


    In fact, Alex didn''t doubt that most of the power of his attack had missed his target.


    It had only been concentrated on the siren for a split second before it moved past her.


    ''Next time I should unleash such an attack from a height.''


    Alex already made adjustments in his mind for the next time he would use such strength.


    If he sent such a cleave downwards towards the ground, rather than having it travel hundreds of miles, then it would surely have a muchrger and more effective impact on the target he was actually aiming for.


    If an attack like this hit the siren, instead of an arm being vaporised, he might have just killed her in one hit¡­


    ''Am I really that strong now?''


    It was a little hard to believe, but the facts were right in front of him.


    But rather than ruminating on what could have been, he shook off his distracting thoughts and focused on what really mattered.


    Actually dealing with the siren this time.


    The dust and smoke from the rising winds had cleared, and Alex could see the damage he had caused with clear eyes this time.


    There was a long line of debris carved in the ground that looked like it carried on endlessly.


    It seemed part of the arc of his attack had actually struck the ground as its momentum carried forwards ¡ª the whole thing from above probably looked like a sky reaching giant had cleaved the entirendmass in half.


    But other than that, he saw the ground sttered and covered in water.


    Most prominently, there was no floating river anymore.


    Instead, the sireny on the ground, screaming and groaning as she held the stump where her right arm used to be.


    ''I see¡­''


    ''So her arms were actually important pieces she needed to control the water, and since I justpletely removed one of them from existence, she couldn''t maintain her control over such arge quantity of water anymore.''


    He analysed the situation on the ground, and he acted.


    He burst forwards, adrenaline still pumping through his body as he clung onto Virtue''s Edge.


    The moment he came within a few metres, the siren looked up at him from the ground, her eyes not any different in malice than the first time she revealed her true colours.


    Even so, while the siren was of a higher rank, Alex was uninjured.


    He lifted his leg and stomped down as hard as he could, crushing the siren''s femur under his foot, and sending shockwaves hurtling across the clearing that had been created.


    A crater nearly 10 metres deep was created with that one stomp, but Alex wasn''t finished yet.


    He took Virtue''s Edge in his hand, and cleaved forwards, this time without the aid of an incredible build up of Phoenix mes.


    But still, even without his Phoenix mes, his sword dealt the damage he meant to cause.


    It cleaved right through her other leg, which was unharmed by his stomp.


    From the knee down, a deep cut was made, nearly severing the leg entirely with that one slice.


    ''Man, higher life form''s bodies are really tough! I put my all into that slice and I still didn''t cut all the way through¡­''


    Alex was honestly a little jealous.


    He might be as strong as the siren and other B tiers like her, but his body wasn''t at the same level.


    ''Perhaps that''s something I should work on¡­ After I find Mira of course.''


    Just like that, a new goal was made in his mind.

 Chapter 333: Clue

    Alex stood over the siren with his grip wrapped tightly around Virtue''s Edge.


    Just moments ago, he hadpletely deprived her of herst chance to counter attack.


    He had sliced herst remaining arm off, leaving her as just a shadow of her former self.


    The only remaining limb she had left was her leg, but it was debatable on whether that could be called ''intact'' after Alex''s fierce stomp¡­


    Now though, his de hovered just millimetres away from her chest, ready to pierce her heart at any time.


    Her army just a few feet away from her, cruelly ced so it was constantly in her peripheral vision no matter how much she wanted to look away.


    Alex didn''t know if such psychological tactics would work on a beast like her, but it was a negligible amount of effort he put in anyway.


    She was no longer a threat, unable to manipte the water anymore or even defend herself.


    "Goodbye."


    But just as Alex was about to drive his sword through her chest, putting an end to the fight and her life for good, the siren''s body shimmered.


    Before his eyes, her grotesque and monstrous form began to fade, reced by the ethereal, almost delicate figure he had first encountered by the river.


    The transformation was so sudden, so unexpected, that Alex hesitated.


    "WAIT! PLEASE!"


    But he was almost startled when he heard a soft, delicate voice eek out with desperation and fear.


    He essentially froze.


    ''The siren could speak!? Since when!?''


    Alex was quite literally befuddled.


    He hadn''t expected the siren to have that high of an iq or be able to speak, since well, she was a beast after all.


    The only other beast he knew of that could speak was the white tiger, but that was a Divine beast!


    This siren was only a B tier Mutant, nothing like the divine tiger that briefly evenmunicated with him.


    But that was through telepathy, this was the first time he had actually heard one verbally speak, let alone plead for mercy.


    Did beasts even know what mercy was?


    But there she was, looking up with wide, terrified eyes, her entire demeanour transformed form a malicious predator to vulnerable prey.


    "Why should I spare you? You clearly wouldn''t have offered the same mercy to me."


    But Alex wasn''t going to be swayed from her vulnerable appearance and terrified expression.


    He was tricked by almost the same thing upon their first meeting, in fact he knew that the siren''s entire method was to trick lecherous men and kill them.


    The same trick wouldn''t work twice on him.


    The siren didn''t answer right away, instead she seemed to struggle to find the words, as if speaking was somewhat difficult for her.


    "I¡­ I didn''t want this." She finally whispered, her voice trembling.


    "I was¡­ forced to attack you. None of us want to attack you humans, but if we don''t, we''ll be severely punished!"


    The answer Alex received though was confusing.


    "What do you mean by ''us''? Or that you were forced to attack me? Speak up quickly or I won''t be so merciful."


    This was the first time Alex was hearing about anything like this.


    He could only further press her for more answers to sate his curiosity.


    "Yes¡­ us beasts are forced to attack any human we sense, no matter if we want to or not. There is this voice¡­ inside my head that sways and coerces us to attack, taking over our own minds and filling us with rage we would otherwise not feel unless we were in peril¡­"


    ''Wait what?''


    While he had gained more answers like he wanted, it only filled him with more questions.


    ''That would exin why beasts always attack on site, no matter what¡­ But something still doesn''t add up?''


    Alex''s eyes narrowed as he listened to the siren''s trembling words.


    He didn''t trust her words yet, if anything he was about 50% of the way there.


    "What do you mean a voice? Who''s controlling you?"


    He pressed her to answer even more, even pushing his sword into her skin, slightly drawing blood.


    "I- I don''t know! The voice never revealed its identity to me, and my mind is manipted to not question anything it says!"


    Alex listened intently, carefully considering every bit of information she was giving him.


    ''Could it be the System? Only the System would have the kind of power to coerce every single beast in existence¡­''


    But his own spections scared him a little.


    The idea that perhaps the strongest entity in existence was behind this maniption was a terrifying thought that he would rather not have to consider.


    If that were the case, then it was clear that it was pinning the beasts against all the other sentient races.


    In fact, now that Alex thought about it, he couldn''t believe how he didn''t consider such a thing earlier.


    He already knew that the System was pinning the different sentient races against each other, so it made perfect sense that it would be the one behind the beast''s irrational actions!


    ''She might actually be telling me the truth¡­''


    It was only about now that Alex actually started trusting her words.


    Alex considered her words, while carefully observing her.


    He could see the terror in her eyes, and while he still held his doubts, he chose to believe her¡­ for now.


    As there were still more pressing matters at hand.


    "Where am I?"


    Alex asked, practically demanding an answer from her.


    While his tension had eased a little, he wasn''t stupid enough to remove his sword from the chest of a person who had just tried to kill him barely 5 minutes ago.


    "And have you seen another human woman around here?"


    The siren''s eyes lit up when she realised Alex had changed the topic.


    She knew he ced even a tiny amount of trust in her words for him to start asking about his real reason for being there.


    "We are in the sknds. This ce we are on right now is just one floating ind out of countless others." She answered his first question.


    Then she hesitated, frowning a little as if she was trying to recall any relevant details.


    "I don''t know about this ind, but thest time Imunicated with my friend, a siren from another floating ind, she mentioned an encounter with a human woman¡­"


    You could hear a pin drop it was so silent after the siren said this.


    Alex almost wanted to threaten her even further to determine if she was telling the truth or not.


    If it were true, this was the first time since he had started searching that Alex had obtained any information at all about Mira''s whereabouts!

 Chapter 334: The edge

    "Which ind is this friend of yours on?"


    Alex continued his questions, practically demanding more information out of the siren.


    But by this point, the siren was used to it.


    She just pointed in a direction behind Alex, and spoke.


    "In that direction. But I don''t know how far, I''ve never visited."


    Alex was a little confused for a moment.


    ''Never visited, how do you never visit-''


    But mid thought he realised that she probablymunicated long distance through telepathy or something like that.


    Alex slowly withdrew his sword from the siren''s chest, to her relief.


    He felt some aches and bruises across his body, thanks to the fight the two of them had just had, but it was already healing.


    His Phoenix mes really did work wonders.


    "You''re lucky. You get to live another day."


    He spoke to the siren onest time, before he started walking away, heading in the direction the siren had pointed out where the floating ind her friend lived on was.


    It was only after he widened the distance between himself and the siren so much that neither of them could sense each other, that he picked up the pace and began running as fast and hard as he could in a straight line to his destination.


    Alex ran with relentless determination, his feet pounding against the ground as he sprinted across the vast expanse of the floating ind.


    Thendscape blurred past him, a mix of dense forests, rolling hills and open ins all filtering past his eyes, but he made no note of them.


    His mind was focused solely on reaching the edge of the ind, where the siren had pointed him towards.


    The aches and bruises from his earlier fight had already fully healed.


    Hours turned into an entire day, with 24 hours passing since he had started running, and still, the edge of the ind remained out of sight.


    Keeping in mind that Alex was running at his full B tier strength capacity, so this ind alone was well over thousands of kilometres long at least!...


    It was wayrger than he anticipated ¡ª an endless stretch ofnd that seemed to go on forever.


    The endless pursuit of the edge but still being out of reach only fuelled his frustration, but he pushed on, not going to give up.


    As the sun began to dip below the horizon for the second time, Alex finally noticed a change in the terrain further ahead.


    The ground sloped downward, and the trees began to thin out, revealing a distant line where thend seemed to drop offpletely.


    ''Nearly there!''


    With a renewed burst of energy, he elerated even faster, his heart pounding not just from the constant exertion over thest day, but from the anticipation of finallying closer to his goal of finding Mira.


    Two more hours passed before he reached the edge.


    When he finally did, Alex skidded to a halt, his breath heavy but controlled.


    He stood at the precipice of the floating ind, gazing out into the vast open sky before him.


    The wind whipped around him, carrying with it a sense of istion that was unlike anything he had ever felt before.


    He realised that this was probably what the t earthers of the old used to think the earth looked like.


    Apletely t stretch ofnd and seas for thousands of kilometres, until suddenly reaching an edge.


    But what truly caught his attention was the sight of another ind ¡ª floating in the distance, far beyond what he had expected.


    It was massive, just like the one he stood on, but it was separated by a seemingly impossible distance to cover.


    Tens of thousands of kilometres, if not more.


    The sheer scale of it left him stunned.


    "Are you kidding me¡­?"


    Alex muttered under his breath, his frustration bubbling to the surface.


    He had spent over a whole day running, only to find that his destination was seemingly impossible to reach.


    He nced downward, hoping to find some alternative route, but what he saw only added to his dismay.


    The ground beneath him dropped into nothingness, with the surface of the Primordial expanse thousands of kilometres below.


    The sheer height made him dizzy for a moment, and he quickly pulled back from the edge, cursing under his breath.


    "How the fuck am I supposed to get down from here, let alone make my way up to that ind?"


    He grumbled, running a hand through his hair in frustration.


    The siren had mentioned her friend lived on that distant ind, but now it made sense why she never visited in person.


    The distance was simply too vast, even for someone who had some ability to fly like her.


    Alex sat down on the edge, trying to gather his thoughts.


    He hade this far, but now he was faced with an entirely new problem.


    He needed to figure a way out to cross the gap, but nothing came to mind.


    Even with all his abilities, he couldn''t simply fly across tens of thousands of kilometres.


    The idea of using his Phoenix mes as propulsion crossed his mind, but he quickly ruled that out.


    That method of propulsion only worked for him out in the depths of space where there was zero gravity.


    It would be too weak to work in an environment where there was gravity, probably only able to slow his descent a tiny bit.


    But from a height of thousands of kilometres, he would still probably build enough momentum to turn him into a bloody mist when he hit the ground.


    "Great¡­ just great."


    He muttered, leaning back and staring up at the sky.


    The sun had fully set by now, and the deep ck night was lit up by the stars.


    ''Does space even exist in this dimension? Are those stars just an illusion or is there actually more to explore out there?''


    Some misceneous thoughts crossed his mind as he tried toe up with any idea on what to do, as he currently felt like he was at the biggest roadblock he had ever encountered.


    ''Wait¡­''

 Chapter 335: A daring idea

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    But a thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    ''Teleportation¡­''


    What if he teleported to the ground?


    Of course, his range was currently only 20 kilometres at best, so he couldn''t do anything extravagant like teleporting straight to the ground from his current position, but that wasn''t the idea that he had anyway.


    In fact, the idea that he did juste up with was even wilder, and way riskier.


    It could potentially end up with his death if he timed things wrong¡­


    ''What if I jump off, and teleport as soon as Ie within 20 kilometres of the surface¡­?''


    This wild idea came to mind, and while it did sound like he was just trying to kill himself, it did have some merit with it.


    He had already found out a while ago that when he teleports, no momentum is carried with it.


    So all that speed and eleration he would build up whilst falling would be cancelled out if he sessfully teleported, essentially making it so that he couldnd without a single injury ormotion taking ce.


    The only thing that was holding him back was the fact that there was no terminal velocity in the Primordial Expanse.


    So when he jumped, he would just keep speeding up and up the whole way down, making his descent faster the closer he was to the ground.


    After falling for thousands of kilometres, by the time he was 20 kilometres from the ground he would only have a window of a few milliseconds to teleport before he became a piece of abstract art on the ground¡­


    A few milliseconds to decide whether he lived or survived¡­


    It sounded crazy, because it definitely was.


    But a crazy solution was better than no solution at all in Alex''s mind.


    Alex had to take some time to properly think about this.


    He wouldn''t just be risking injury if his n failed or he missed that few millisecond window, it was certain death.


    There was no doubt in his mind that he would die if he hit the ground from that height.


    ''No terminal velocity¡­'' he thought, his mind racing through the calctions.


    By the time he reached 20 kilometres from the ground, he''d be moving at a speed that made his previous feats seem like childs y.


    And in a fraction of time, he''d have to activate his teleportation.


    It was madness, but madness was sometimes the only option.


    Standing up, Alex took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.


    The wind whipped around him, and the vast emptiness below him almost called out to him, daring him to take the plunge.


    ''Alright, no more thinking. If I keep analysing it, I''ll just talk myself out of it.''


    With onest nce at the distant ind ahead, Alex made up his mind.


    He was doing this.


    He was going to jump and trust in his own abilities to teleport in that crucial moment.


    If he seeded, he''d find himself safely on the ground.


    If he failed¡­ well, he didn''t intend to fail.


    "Here goes nothing¡­"


    Alex muttered to himself, and without another moment''s hesitation, heunched himself off the edge.


    The initial drop felt almost peaceful, the wind rushing past him as the ground below remained a distant blur.


    But as the seconds ticked by, Alex could feel the eleration.


    The air began to thin, and the world around him seemed to stretch and warp as his speed increased.


    He kept his mind and focus sharp, his senses heightened as they all needed to be in perfect condition for him to make that millisecond window.


    The distance between him and the ground was shrinking rapidly, his heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging through his veins.


    The ground wasing up fast ¡ª too fast.


    30 kilometres.


    His eyes narrowed, his body tensed.


    He was moving at an insane speed now, the ground rushing up to meet him like a tidal wave.


    The window for teleportation was closing fast.


    25 kilometres.


    21 kilometres.


    He could feel the pressure building, the point of no return approaching.


    20 kilometres.


    ''Now!''


    Alex didn''t think ¡ª he acted.


    With a surge of willpower, he activated his teleportation talent.


    In an instant, everything started to shift.


    The sensation of falling, the wind roaring in his ears, the blur of the ground all of it began to fade.


    But the process was taking too long!


    While his teleportation might seem instant, it still needs a few milliseconds to work!


    This worked against him, as his window onlysted a few seconds as well¡­


    9 kilometres.


    5 kilometres.


    1 kilometre.


    He could practically smell the ground at this point, and panic had already started to settle inside of him.


    ''Will I make it¡­?''


    His teleportation was still taking ce, barely a couple milliseconds even passing since he started.


    500 metres.


    100 metres.


    It was now or never!


    50 metres.


    Fhwip!


    Alex felt all of his sensations vanish.


    His eyes were practically glued shut, and all he could see was nothingness around him.


    ''Did I make it? Or am I dead and in some sort of purgatory now?''


    Doubts naturally came to mind.


    But as he opened his eyes, the world came back into focus.


    He was standing on solid ground.


    He looked around himself.


    There was no crash, no impact, no sudden death.


    Just the quiet and stillness of the empty in around him.


    The ground, which had just been a distant speck, was now under his feet.


    He had done it.


    He survived!


    For a moment, Alex just stood there, stunned by the fact that he was still alive.


    He was just 50 metres away from death, with not even milliseconds, but microseconds of time being the decider of whether he lived or died.


    He couldn''t have cut it closer¡­


    His heart was still racing, faster than it ever had before, but a growing sense of triumph had begun to take over his thoughts.


    He had pulled off the impossible and survived.


    "Holy crap¡­"


    He muttered to himself, a childish grin spreading across his face.


    By far that was the most daring and dangerous thing he had ever done.

 Chapter 336: Nicholas (1)

    But while Alex had seeded at his goal of surviving the fall, that was only the first step in his n to get off the floating ind.


    Now, he had to find some way to traverse the thousands of kilometres height between the surface and the other floating ind he was trying to get to¡­


    He had managed toe up with an idea of how to get down from then by sheer dumb luck and relying on incredibly dangerous tactics, but he had absolutely zero idea whatsoever on how he was nning on getting back up¡­


    That was the next problem he had to figure out.


    But he pushed that to the back of his mind for the time being, as he had to focus on simply making it there first.


    There were still tens of thousands of kilometres between him and the next floating ind he was trying to get to, so he started moving immediately.


    ***


    Piercing attack!


    Mira was shocked by the strength of her own attacks as she thrashed and shed at the beast in front of her.


    Her de drew a brilliant arc, piercing towards the wolf beast that was opposing her.


    sh!


    She was using the techniques that had been taught to her in university, the attack, defend and evade stances alling into good use.


    The next moment, she used her waist to exert even more power, using the power of her whole body rather than just the strength of her arms.


    The de in her hands whistled as it pierced through the air towards the wolf.


    sh!


    Mira felt the de pierce through its flesh, and it seemed as if the de in her hands was firmly stuck in the wolf.


    But that was only an illusion from when she was weaker.


    "Haa!" Mira yanked her hands backwards, and the de was pulled violently, causing fresh crimson blood to spurt out wildly!


    Yelp!


    The wolf, now severely wounded, screamed miserably.


    It turned out that Mira''s piercing attack earlier had jammed into the wolf''s spine, and when she forcefully pulled the de back out, it severed the spinepletely in half!


    The wolf could no longer move its body past its forelegs, only able to crawl miserably as it tried to make a pitiful retreat.


    But with only two already damaged legs to support itself, it was far too slow to escape Mira''s grasp.


    Seeing the wolf trying to escape, Mira''s eyes shed as she delivered one final, fatal blow to its skull.


    ''Another Variant ss beast killed. Only 8 more to go before I can leave this godforsaken ce¡­ Though it''s unfortunate that it was just a D+ rank beast like me, otherwise I would only be 3 away frompleting the requirements.''


    "Nice kill!" A voice shouted over to Mira from nearby, praising her loudly.


    At that moment, another human figure walked over to her, also covered in traces of blood like Mira.


    "Thanks."


    Mira replied to Nichs, who was enthusiastically smiling at her from a few dozen metres away.


    This other human figure was Nichs Stein, another prodigy who had been caught up in this unexpected summoning to the Primordial Expanse.


    Mira had been lucky to encounter him on the floating ind, as she had originally thought that she was the only unfortunate soul who had been caught up in this, but when she encountered Nichs, it was like a bright ray of sunshine was zing down on her.


    She wasn''t alone in this ce anymore!


    Still, she was unable to sense Nichs with her spatial perception either, but she was used to that by this point.


    But unbeknownst to her, it seemed she didn''t recognise Nichs, as he was actually someone that both she and Alex knew¡­


    "You go and finish the rest of them off, I need a break before we continue."


    Mira sat down on a nearby rock as she caught her breath, speaking casually to Nichs as she redirected her gaze to the wolfpack over a kilometre ahead of them.


    Other than the Variant ss beast Mira had just felled, there was still a pack of D tier Mutant ss wolves that needed to be taken care of.


    Mira had just in their Alpha, so they were already in an incredibly wary state, looking as if they would try and escape any moment.


    The fighting between man and wolf continued for another half an hour as Nichs took down the rest of the wolves while Mira rested and watched from behind.


    The sun slowly set, and darkness descended on the floating ind as night took over.


    "That''s the first time I''vee across so many beasts at once since I was forced into this ce."


    Nichsmented, trying to make small talk with Mira.


    It was clear that he was trying to be closer with her, whether to be friends or something more, was yet to be determined¡­


    "Those are the first beasts I''ve seen in days ¡ª I''ve only encountered one other before this, and it was a strong one that nearly killed me. This ce must be cursed or something. There are hardly any beasts whatsoever, and for some reason some of my powers don''t work properly here¡­"


    After taking down that pack of wolves, Mira felt her depression surrounding this scenario lighten up a little, as it wasn''t so hopeless after all.


    But that didn''t change the fact that she had spent over a week in this ce now, yet she had only killed two variant ss beasts, and both of those she found by sheer luck.


    Things might look good in the short term, but in the long term things still looked bleak.


    ''What luck I have to be stranded with Mira! I don''t know who did this to us, but they unexpectedly gave me a blessing in disguise!''


    Meanwhile, Nichs was feeling jubnt aftering across Mira.


    The two of them had only been apanying each other for a day now, and at first he was apprehensive.


    But when he realised Mira didn''t seem to recognise him, an opportunity like no other sprung to his mind.


    "Aowuuuuuu!"


    However, a sudden howl from afar stunned the duo out of their silence.

 Chapter 337: Nicholas (2)

    This howl sounded different from those of the wolves they had killed earlier.


    It sounded deeper¡­ more powerful.


    "Aowuuuu!"


    More wolf calls sounded, each one carrying a more sinister and malicious tone than the previous.


    All of a sudden, deep yellow eyes appeared all around the duo, surrounding them from all sides.


    "More wolves!"


    Mira and Nichs realised in that moment that they were being ambushed by yet another wolf pack.


    But something about this new wolf pack seemed different from the one they had fought previously¡­


    "Dire wolves!"


    A shout came from Nichs who sounded both surprised and afraid at the same time.


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    He had heard of dire wolves before, though this was his first time ever encountering them himself.


    But everything he had heard about them only served to make him even more nervous and afraid.


    Mira didn''t quite have the same knowledge of different beast archetypes as Nichs, but from his reaction, she could tell that something wasn''t good about this new pack.


    Just the name ''Dire wolves'' alone had a more menacing touch to it.


    ''These wolves before us seem to be three times bigger than the previous ones we encountered a few earlier in the day!''


    Mira was startled when the dire wolves came out of the shadows and revealed their full forms.


    Each one of them were 10 metre tall behemoths, and there were 5 of them.


    Even more terrifying to Mira was the fact that each of their aura''s were unleashed at full force, and she could feel that all five of them were Variant ss beasts!


    ''Fuck¡­''


    At that moment, Mira began to feel the same as Nichs.


    Now she realised why he had reacted so scared when he first recognised them.


    The entire campground the duo had set up had an eerie feel to it as both sides continued to stand still and stare at each other.


    They were clearly waiting to see who would make the first move.


    Fwooom!


    But not wanting to create some sort of disadvantage for themselves, Mira activated her Golden Presence talent right off the bat!


    She knew she wouldn''t be able to properly put up a good fight if she didn''t use all of her cards from the beginning.


    She couldn''t afford to try and be sneaky and hide this trump card from Nichs or anything like that.


    Besides, they were both in the same boat, Nichs would also have to reveal any sort of hidden cards like Mira did!


    Mira''s de once again was forced into action, as she utilised her full potential to draw out as much power from her body as she could.


    Her de pierced towards the closest dire wolf to her, and the air pressure caused by her exertion of power was enough to send a small air st forwards before the de even reached the beast itself.


    This air st hit the dire wolf right on the nose, stunning it a little bit as such a thing was unexpected, even on Mira''s side.


    But sensing an opportunity, Mira took this chance to slice forwards at the dire wolf, aiming to strike the same spot near the spine as she did with thest Variant ss wolf she had killed.


    However, she wasn''t up against an ordinary wolf anymore¡­


    This wolf was much more fierce and powerful than the Alpha she had killed, and it woke up from its stunned state nearly immediately, and managed to side step just moments before Mira''s de would have pierced its spine.


    Yelp!


    But while it had saved itself from meeting the same fate as the Alpha wolf from before, it still took significant damage as Mira''s de struck its hind leg, sending it limping backwards.


    Her attack only left a flesh wound around an inch deep though, so the dire wolf was still very much able to fight!


    And there were four others who were still in perfect condition able to back it up¡­


    Yelp!


    "..."


    Three others who were in perfect condition to back the now two injured wolves up.


    Nichs had taken the opportunity, using Mira''s attack as a distraction to the wolves whole he conjured up a lightning bolt from his lightning elemental talent, and struck one of the dire wolves who seemed most unaware of his iing attack.


    His bolt of lightning struck its tail, searing the hair right off and leaving a charred piece of meat left behind.


    But the tail was the worst possible ce he could have struck, as the dire wolf still had its four limbs, not to mention the clearly very sharp fangs in its mouth to work with.


    If anything, his attack had only made the dire wolf angrier, while Mira''s had actually dealt useful damage.


    ''Most of the pressure is being bore by Mira, as she is clearly stronger than me, especially with this new Super something something transformation. If I go and try to bite off more than I can chew against these wolves, it would be suicide.''


    ''Anyways, the dire wolf Mira just injured will be the easiest target for now. We should focus on killing that first.''


    Nichs had his own thoughts on this sudden ambush, but after seeing Mira''s sudden hidden card being revealed, his confidence in being able to survive grew.


    "Let''s aim to kill that injured one first!"


    He shouted to Mira, garnering her attention as he ryed his n in one short sentence to her.


    Basically, they should kill the injured one as quickly as possible so the number of attackers would be brought down to four.


    Ideally, they should do this while exerting as little energy as possible, as they didn''t want to be too worn out to fight and kill the other four!


    The de in Mira''s hands hacked downwards, aiming for the dire wolf with the injured hind leg, taking a silver arc with it.


    As it shed towards the ground, Mira''s body twisted, and strength was exerted from her entire body, reinforcing the powerful attack she was delivering.


    With the momentum she had built up, the injured dire wolf would surely not be able to dodge her attack in time, especially with only three working legs to deal with!

 Chapter 338: 5v1

    "Hah¡­ hah¡­" Nichs gasped for air.


    Instead of the mild blood stains on his clothes, he now looked as if he had been bathing in an ocean of blood.


    He was covered in it from head to toe.


    Even with Mira backing him up, he still felt heavily drained from the effort they had to exert.


    ''If this is the kind of trouble we''re having, there''s no telling how the other prodigies are faring¡­ Only the top prodigies like us have the energy and strength to deal with these types of beasts, but even we probably won''tst much longer. Just what is with these dire wolves?''


    He nced over at Mira, and her eyes had a glint of gold to them as she was fighting madly with a dire wolf.


    After the first few wolves, she had let gopletely.


    In every stroke of her de, she vented out every piece of anger and rage she had built up over her time on these damned floating inds.


    She brought her de down on a dire wolf, shing towards the ground.


    Her body twisted in such a way that she exerted more and more strength from her waist, and used centrifugal force to make multiple shes.


    Her de itself even seemed to be releasing a dim golden light, as if it had even undergone the same effects as Mira herself from Golden Presence.


    "Now!"


    Nichs shouted, making use of the opening Mira had made for them.


    Advance!


    Attack!


    Lightning crackled between his fingers as he singed and electrocuted any dire wolf that came within attacking distance of him.


    The amount of time they were shocked for was enough for Mira toe in and deliver a devastating, killing blow to them.


    It was thisbination of strengths that the duo were utilising that kept them afloat.


    After killing one more dire wolf, they were now only down to two in total.


    But even though the challenges they were facing were lesser than at the beginning, they were thoroughly exhausted at this point.


    Not to mention that Golden Presence''s effect would run out in a few minutes!


    "Hahhh¡­ I''m already drained, deal with them while I retreat and try and recuperate what little energy as I can!"


    Nichs spoke to Mira and was already on the move behind her before she could get a word of her own in.


    She wasn''t particrly happy with having to deal with the two remaining dire wolves by herself, but she was the stronger one of the two, so she kept silent about it.


    But she would be left in way too vulnerable a state when her Golden Presence ran out, and that was something Nichs didn''t know.


    "My transformation will run out in 3 minutes, so hurry up!"


    She warned Nichs as he sat down on the ground and caught his breath.


    However,pletely out of Mira''s expectations, Nichs took some sort of drink out of his spatial storage and started chugging it without care on whether a drop or two spilled.


    She thought it was a little odd that he decided to quench his thirst in this kind of situation, but didn''t really have any chance to question it.


    However, her eyes went wide when she saw Nichs''s injuries healing incredibly fast, visible by the second!


    Even more breath taking though was the fact that even his fatigue seemed to be going away as more seconds passed.


    "What did you just d-"


    Mira wanted to find out immediately what the hell that was, but Nichs was already up jumping back into the action before her sentence could even bepleted.


    "Aowuuuu!"


    The non stop howling from the dire wolves only made them more aggressive, as the remaining two dire wolves recognised Nichs''s recovery as a mockery of their ability as predators.


    "It''s about time we end this."


    Nichs started gathering energy in his hands as lightning formed and crackled, with much more intensity than before.


    Soon, two spears made of pure lightning formed in Nichs''s hands and he aimed them at the dire wolves, one for each.


    "Mira, hold it down!"


    He shouted to Mira for her to grab onto the smaller of the two to restrict its movements, while he moved his right hand with the lightning spear in and and assumed a stance like he was ready to throw.


    The whole time he remained stationary, as the ability he was using couldn''t show its full effectiveness if he was constantly moving about.


    This was why he needed Mira to hold the dire wolf down.


    But there was also a factor of luck at y, as he was also relying on the other wolf targeting Mira and saving itspanion rather than going straight for Nichs who was in quite a vulnerable state at the moment.


    Thankfully, it seemed luck yed in his favour.


    Zzapp!


    The lightning spear left his hand and almost instantlyter, like there was no distance at all between the two parties, it struck the dire wolf under Mira''s grasp.


    Yelp!


    "AOWUUUUU!"


    The dire wolf it struck let loose an ear screeching howl as the volts coursed through its body, paralysing it deep down to the core, charring and burning its insides.


    Mira mped her arms down around its neck shortly after this, using the advantage of the poor beast''s stiffness to grab and pull as hard as she could on its neck!


    Crrackkk!


    With enough force, she seeded in snapping the dire wolf''s neck in two, putting the beast out of its misery instantly.


    Whimper!


    It was only after seeing itsstrade sumb to death that thest dire wolf seemed to snap out of whatever frenzy it was in, and it yelped, whimpered and whined as it made its pitiful escape.


    Mira and Nichs were too exhausted to give chase, so luckily it was the only dire wolf out of the ambushing pack that luckily got to survive another day.


    "Haha! We did it! Those were all Variant ss beasts and we just beat them in a 5v1!"


    Nichs let out his excitement immediately.


    Yet almost poetically, Mira''s hair returned to normal and she slumped back down to the ground moments after Nichs celebrated.


    "Your transformation ran out?"


    Nichs asked, looking at Mira as shey on the ground unable to move.


    "Yea-"


    But as she answered him, she received a boot straight to the face, and she was knocked out cold.


    Nichs silently walked up to her and grabbed her hair, and started dragging her away from the site of carnage in silence.

 Chapter 339: Bound

    Whoosh!


    The wind whistled and hissed as it rushed past Alex''s face.


    A few hours had passed since he had made his way to the surface ''safely'', and he already noticed quite a few changedpared to when he was back on the floating ind.


    First was the fact that this ce waspletely barren.


    Like not even a single piece of vegetation barren¡­


    The entire piece ofnd for as far as the eye could see was just a deep, t piece of exposed rock.


    There weren''t even any mountains in sight or anything!


    It was just one massive, open in of rock that seemed to continue on endlessly.


    And after hours of constantly running, a theory had made its way into Alex''s head about this ce.


    "The surface that I''m on right now isn''t really the surface, but the crust¡­"


    "Those floating inds weren''t always ''floating'', and perhaps they were once thends that covered this ce, but for some mysterious reason they separated themselves from the surface and made their way up to the sky one day¡­"


    As strange as it sounded, his theory actually made sense.


    ''It wasn''t like the floating inds just popped out of nowhere in the sky one day¡­ I think?''


    Alex really was unsure about this whole thing.


    The System worked in mysterious and odd ways, and rarely did it like to exin the reasons behind its actions.


    From the way things looked, he just chose to believe that the floating inds were literally just ripped from the surface and used some sort of mysterious force to stay afloat.


    Only a power like the System''s could achieve something like that.


    Or maybe something like a Divine ss S+ rank beast¡­


    Either way, Alex was incredibly bored.


    Ever since he set foot in this ce, it was like he was forced into some sort of purgatory.


    It reminded him of the area he firstnded in when he came to the Primordial Expanse.


    It waspletely silent.


    There was not a single beast within the 1000 kilometres he had run so far, and even when he jumped from the ground with all his force, he couldn''t spot any specks on the ground that would indicate something was there from over 10 kilometres up in the sky.


    It was all just one big, boring ce.


    ''I wonder how Mira''s doing¡­''


    His mind once again brought him back to Mira, who he assumed was probably having a much better time up on whatever floating ind she was on, assuming she was the female human the siren was talking about.


    If only he knew¡­


    ***


    "Ugh¡­"


    Mira slowly regained consciousness, her head throbbing in pain as she awoke from what felt like aa.


    ''Wha- Where am I?''


    Immediately though, her head cleared up as she tried to move, but found herself unable to.


    She looked down, only to see that both her arms and legs were bound.


    Normally this wouldn''t be a problem, but she was unable to break these bonds¡­


    Something that could bind even her, who could contend with C tier Variant ss beasts, wasn''t normal¡­


    Thest thing she remembered was seeing thatst dire wolf escape in fear, and then copsing to the ground as fatigue took over and Golden Presence ran out.


    But she suddenly recalled something hitting her in the face really hard, and then¡­


    She woke up here.


    She looked around herself, and realised she was in a dimly lit cave.


    Her gaze swept around the ce, taking in the surroundings.


    It was small and enclosed, a little ustrophobic, the kind that barely allowed room for 10 people.


    The air was damp and smelled faintly of stale air and moss.


    Her eyes darted around herself, spotting Nichs.


    He was sitting on a t rock, calmly sharpening his weapon.


    The metallic sound of metal grinding against stone was the only thing that broke the heavy silence.


    "What did you do to me!?"


    Mira''s voice was sharp and using, her eyes narrowing as she red at him.


    It didn''t take a smartass to figure out what was going on.


    Thest thing she saw was Nichs, and now she woke up in apletely unfamiliar ce, arms and legs bound!?


    No beast could have done this.


    If a beast saw her lying down so vulnerable in the dirt, it would have just eaten her right then and there.


    A beast wouldn''t go through all the trouble of tying her up and dragging her over to this ce.


    Only a human could have done that.


    And there was only one human Mira knew of within thousands of kilometres.


    Nichs.


    The fact that he was just sitting there while she was in this state was already an admission of guilt.


    Nichs looked up, his expression unreadable.


    He paused in sharpening Mira''s sword, his eyes meeting hers.


    "Rx, I didn''t do anything to you while you were asleep."


    He said this calmly, as if to reassure her.


    But it wasn''t.


    In fact, it only made her more suspicious and angry.


    She tugged at her restraints again.


    "You expect me to believe that!? I wake up bound and unable to move in a cave and tell me to rx!?"


    Her voice wasced with anger and disbelief.


    "Nobody binds someone like this with good intentions, what are you nning. Nichs?"


    She sounded a little fearful as different kinds of scenarios came to her mind.


    But contrary to her thoughts, Nichs didn''t move from his spot.


    He sighed, setting the de down and leaning back against the wall of the cave.


    "Do you really not remember me? Not even a little?" Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin


    His sudden question stunned Mira a little.


    Was she supposed to remember him?


    She looked closely at his face.


    "Nope, nothing pops to mind. As far as I''m concerned, the first time we met was two days ago, when I encountered you."


    "Tsk. So your little boyfriend Alex humiliates me, and you don''t even bother to remember my name, or even what I look like?"


    He stood up, clearly a little butthurt.


    "I''m done with that little farce I was putting on over thest two days. I was hoping it wouldn''te to this, but it has."

 Chapter 340: Shame

    "As the sessor to my family''s house, the shame that Alex brought upon me was humiliating. For that, I''m going to take my revenge."


    Nichs smiled maliciously as he looked at Mira.


    It was clear from the fact that he bound her with some sort of super strong rope that he had bad intentions, but this just hit the nail in the coffin.


    "What do I have to do with this!? Your grudge is with Alex, not me!"


    Mira was naturally angry and befuddled by how she was roped into this mess.


    How the hell did she be the target of his revenge instead of Alex??


    Things seemed too strange and twisted, it all made no such sense to her.


    "You don''t get it do you? What''s the one thing other than himself that Alex actually cares about in this world?"


    Nichs seemed to be taking his time with whatever he had nned, as he didn''t seem opposed to having this long discussion with Mira.


    Many things came to mind for Mira after Nichs asked that question.


    But she realised what he was on about after a few seconds.


    ''Me.''


    The ''thing'' Nichs was talking about that was the most precious thing to Alex, was in fact herself.


    Now she understood why Nichs had chosen to do this to her.


    But although she understood it, that didn''t mean she was any less angry about it!


    All of this was happening because of Nichs'' stupid pride ¡ª the fact that he couldn''t ept a loss to someone who was clearly more talented to him. It clearly struck a chord within him.


    "You don''t have to do this, you know. If you untie me right now, I''ll consider us even. We can part ways and act like this never happened."


    Mira tried to reason with him, but it was as if her words didn''t even reach Nichs''s ears.


    He had no reaction at all to her proposition.


    ''This isn''t good. He has to be in some sort of self imposed delusion or something¡­''


    Naturally, Mira knew things looked bleak for her.


    The worst thing was the fact that she couldn''t use her Golden Presence talent yet, as it was still only a few hours since shest used it.


    She couldn''t use it twice in such short session, or else the cooldown period wouldn''t just be her bing fatigued, but bing a dried up corpse!


    The bonds were too strong to break either.


    Realistically, she only saw one option for her to find an escape, but it was an option she really didn''t like.


    Call of the Void.


    It would allow her to enter the Void dimension and escape her bindings, but this was a very, veryst resort for her.


    She would only use it if Nichs intended on killing her, or defiling her body¡­


    She still really wouldn''t like using it though.


    The memory of thest time she did against the Galephant was still fresh in her mind, and she wouldn''t like to relive something like that again.


    She would much rather face Nichs''s sinister revenge than face that entity in the Void dimension again¡­


    After Mira had finished her thoughts, Nichs stood up and slowly started walking over to her.


    de still in hand.


    His expression twisted with a malicious smile.


    His movements were slow, deliberate as he walked towards her.


    Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    It was like he was doing his best to try and make her scared, but Mira had faced far more terrifying things than Nichs''s pitiful attempt to scare her.


    She strained against her bindings, but they held strong, unbroken despite her best efforts.


    The tension in the air was thick, suffocating even, as Nichs finally reached her.


    He knelt beside her, his face inches from hers, the cruel smile never leaving his lips.


    "I''ve waited for this moment," he murmured, his voice low.


    "All that humiliation, the shame¡­ it alles down to this. I''ll make sure Alex knows exactly what it feels like to lose something he cares about."


    Mira''s eyes narrowed, anger and rage warring within her.


    "You''re pathetic, Nichs. You think this will make you stronger? This only shows how weak you really are."


    Nichs chuckled darkly, his breath hot against her ear.


    "Say whatever you want. It won''t change anything. In fact, I think I''ll enjoy watching you die a slow, painful death. I only wish Alex were here to witness it."


    With that, he pressed Mira''s own cold, freshly sharpened de against her arm, slowly dragging it across her skin.


    The sharp edge bit against her skin, but it barely even brought a flinch out of Mira.


    Blood welled up from the wound, trickling down in crimson streams.


    Nichs watched with sick satisfaction, as if he were admiring his handiwork.


    "I''ll make sure to make it extra slow and painful." He whispered, his voice almost gentle, as if he were speaking to a lover instead of someone he intended to kill.


    It was quite creepy indeed, but Mira wasn''t phased by it.


    She knew she could get out at any time, she was just biding her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.


    She just hoped that when she used Call of the Void this time, she didn''t encounter another being like that entity.


    Or at least, if she did so, she was given the chance to leave the ce before she was locked in ce again.


    The best case scenario for her would be that she didn''t encounter anything at all, and she could carefully n a stealthy revenge attack against Nichs.


    The only annoying thing was that he currently had her de, so she''d have to deliver her attack with brute force, which would take away a lot of her power.


    With her de, she could probably kill him in one go if aimed at the right spot, but with only her hands and legs to work with, she could only deliver a strike to him that would at most break a few bones.


    ''Now!''


    But all of that deliberation would have to wait, as Mira had just spotted a perfect opportunity to escape her binds!

 Chapter 341: Frustrated and desperate

    ''Call of the Void''


    Mira used her talent the moment she saw Nichs turn his back to her, even if it was just for a second.


    Poof!


    She disappeared from the physical world instantly, leaving behind an empty b of rock with the bindings still attached very deeply to it.


    No noise was made by her disappearance at all, and Nichs didn''t even suspect a thing.


    Whether he was too busy in a world of his own, thinking about what he would do to Mira next, or something else entirely, it didn''t matter.


    What really mattered, was that Mira had sessfully escaped!


    ***


    ''Finally made it!''


    Alex panted heavily as he stopped running andpletely copsed to the ground in exhaustion.


    He had been running for over 2 days straight now, and he had finally traversed over ten thousand kilometres of distance.


    Hey on the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.


    Every muscle in his body ached from the relentless two day run across the endless ins.


    His legs felt like lead, and his lungs burned with every inhale.


    The exhaustion was overwhelming, but it was also worth it.


    He had made it to this location in record time, he was expecting it to take at least another half a day longer, but he had arrived quicker than anticipated.


    He took around 30 minutes to recuperate and catch his breath.


    His body still ached, but it wasn''t so bad that he couldn''t keep up with his regr activities.


    But his face immediately became serious.


    ''Now, time to figure out how I''ll make it up there¡­''


    He entered an investigative state almost immediately after springing back to his feet.


    He had to find some way to get back up to the floating ind after all.


    And considering it was thousands of kilometres up in the sky, he couldn''t really jump back up there.


    Even if he used all his might and strength in the jump, he''d barely reach 50 kilometres in the sky, let alone the thousands of kilometres needed to reach the floating ind.


    ''Perhaps there''s some other way to get up?''


    But after a few minutes of deliberation, a thought sprung to his mind.


    There had to be some way to get up and down, otherwise how would the beasts he had encountered up there make their way to and from the floating inds?


    It wasn''t like they spawned there.


    It was already an established fact that the beasts didn''t spawn out of nowhere, but in fact bred and were birthed just like every other normal animal and being.


    Since this was the case, there had to be some sort of method they used to get up to the floating inds and back down.


    He hadn''t found a single beast nest while up there, and while he could have just missed them, it was more likely that they didn''t originate from there, but had made their way up there at some point.


    But considering this, Alex was a little peeved.


    ''I should have asked the siren about this before I departed¡­ Oh well, it''s toote for regrets now.''


    Disregarding the fact that he should have asked better questions to the siren, he at least had a workable theory to go off of now.


    It wasn''t a solid theory in the slightest bit, but it was the only usible theory he had.


    He just had to find this method the beasts used.


    Unfortunately, there was apleteck of beasts on the surface, even within the tens of thousands of kilometres he had just spent thest few days traversing, there wasn''t a single beast that he spotted.


    So he couldn''t even hope toe across another sentient beast and interrogate them for the information.


    ''Sigh, in the end it looks like I''ll have to rely on myself again¡­''


    ''Time to get back to running I guess¡­''


    Alex despondently started moving once again.


    ***


    "Fucking nothing!"


    A few more hours had passed since Alex had started searching for something, anything even that looked slightly off.


    If thendscape even changed a little bit, Alex would immediately head over to investigate.


    But no matter where or what Alex searched, he still ended up with absolutely nothing to go off of.


    ''Is there really no method to get up there?... But how do the beasts do it then? There has to be some sort of way!''


    Alex walked in circles, trying to ease his anger and frustration.


    But nothing he could do or think of alleviated the tension within him.


    ''Fuck. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING!''


    His frustration even got the better of him and he smashed his foot down on the ground in anger, sending a shockwave and ripples across thendscape.


    Booom!


    Rumble!


    It even sent a massively loud sound echoing across the ins.


    ''Wha-''


    But confusion started to well within him as he noticed something strange.


    The sound he had made with his stomp hadn''t dissipated at all.


    In fact, it was gradually growing, and bing louder and louder!


    ''What is going on!?''


    In a confused state, Alex looked up, and witnessed something a little shocking and odd.


    A bright pir of light was rapidly descending from the sky, and at a pace that in only a few seconds, it would make contact with the ground!


    Rumble!


    Just as expected, it met the ground and a greatmotion was caused by this.


    The ground beneath his very feat shook intensely as he was near the pir of light as itnded.


    Alex was even nearly knocked off his feet with how intense the shaking was.


    If he were topare it to anything, it was like a magnitude 10 earthquake was rippling through the ground!


    ''What the heck is that?''


    Alex was as confused as he would ever be about this sudden situation.


    He just stomped on the ground in frustration, and the next thing he knew this giant pir of light came out of nowhere and stole the show from him¡­


    [Step into it.]


    The cherry on top came from the system though.

 Chapter 342: Pillar of Light

    Seeing the system''s prompt sh in front of his face was a big surprise for Alex.


    That was perhaps thest thing he was expecting to see in a moment like this, but since it asked, or rather told, him to step into the pir of light, he must have somehow identally activated something good.


    ''Is this a way up to the ind?''


    His thoughts instantly drew towards his goal of making it up to the floating ind thousands of kilometres above him.


    And while he didn''t know exactly where he was located, he knew that he was underneath it at least.


    But what he failed to realise was that he was right underneath the centre of the floating ind¡­


    And with his stomp out of frustration, he had inadvertently activated a mechanism to bring forth this pir of light!


    With his frustration almostpletely reced with curiosity and confusion, Alex did just as the system told him to and made his way over to the pir of light.


    ''What''s so special about this?''


    But before listeningpletely to the system''s words, he wanted to test it out for a bit.


    He ced his hand in the pir of light, yet he felt nothing special going on from it.


    In fact, he didn''t even feel a thing at all. Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    It was like he had just waved his hand in the empty air in front of him.


    If he did it with his eyes closed, he wouldn''t be able to tell the difference between his hand in the pir of light and out.


    ''Seems like whatever the system wants to happen will only start once I enter the pir of light with my whole body.''


    Alex was naturally drawn to this conclusion with the small test he had just conducted.


    And since there wasn''t much else he could do, he decided that it was time to step inside.


    Step.


    Step.


    With just two steps forward, his whole body entered the pir of light.


    "..."


    But contrary to his expectations, nothing particrly special happened for Alex.


    It was just like when he ced only his hand inside the pir of light.


    He literally felt nothing change.


    Confused, he took a step back outside of it.


    But when he stepped back out and opened his eyes, squinting because the change from an environment so bright to one with much less light, he was extremely surprised.


    The environment around him hadpletely changed!


    It now looked exactly like the first floating ind he had been transported to when he entered the Primordial Expanse!


    "I''m on the ind!"


    Just like he had hoped, he had somehow been transported to the floating ind, thousands of kilometres above him, in mere moments.


    But there was one gimmick to it that made him very curious.


    It was almost the exact same as when Principal Farnes had transported him and Mira back and forth between Mars and Earth!


    The teleportation felt the exact same, as he felt no changes at all on both asions.


    Alex suspected that the mechanism used to transport him up, and presumably back down from the floating ind, was made by someone at or near the same level as Principal Farnes!


    This just added a whole newyer of mystery to this whole area of the Primordial Expanse he was in, but he had to push such thoughts to the back of his mind for now.


    Because something very rming caught his attention.


    While he couldn''t sense it with his spatial perception, which he was used to by now, he could sense Mira''s aura nearby!


    And it wasn''t just a faint aura, it was the aura of a powerful awakened going in for a killing blow!


    ''Is she in some kind of trouble!?''


    Alex started darting in the direction he felt the auraing from, practically gliding across the environment as he ignored each and every obstacle that hindered his path.


    In just 10 seconds, he arrived at the location he felt Mira''s auraing from.


    But when he looked around, he didn''t see a single sign of a living person in the area, let alone any sign of Mira.


    Closing his eyes, Alex focused even harder on the aura, trying to determine the exact location.


    ''She''s below!''


    With some more concentration, Alex found that the aura was actuallying from this location, it was just that Mira wasn''t on the surface of the ind like him.


    She was somewhere underground!


    With no time to go searching for a cave entrance nearby to try and find Mira, Alex decided to take a much more brute force-like approach.


    Taking Virtue''s Edge out of his spatial storage, he assumed a shing stance.


    "Hyahh!"


    He hacked directly downwards, aiming for the ground beneath his feet.


    Rumble!


    Crack!


    The ground started to rumble as it was cleaved apart by Alex''s strike, sending a crack over 50 metres long shattering across thendscape.


    But more importantly, it was over 100 metres deep.


    Mira''s aura came from around 110 metres below him, so he was getting closer and closer to finding her!


    He jumped down into the chasm he had created, and at the same moment, he felt another aura re up, one that wasbating against Mira''s own aura.


    ''Another human!''


    It was an aura he didn''t recognise, but it was clear that it came from another awakened.


    It didn''t take a fool to tell that it was from another prodigy who had been sucked into this circumstance as well.


    But Alex was confused and concerned by the fact that this aura seemed to contain some malice towards Mira!


    This only increased the intensity with which he wanted to reach her.


    With a much weaker cleave, he shed at the ground once again, bridging the final gap of 10 metres between him and Mira.


    Thud!


    The moment he broke through the ceiling of the cave, he jumped right in,nding on the ground with great intensity as he made his entrance.


    His arrivalpletely disrupted the battle that was going on inside, startling both parties that were about to engage each other in a life and death fight!


    "Alex!?"


    Both parties simultaneously called out his name in shock, jaws hanging wide as they never in a million years expected to see him popping out from the ceiling!

 Chapter 343: An unexpected entrance

    Alex knew he hade to the right ce when he heard his name called.


    He just didn''t recognise one of the two people who had shouted his name in shock.


    A frown was sent across his face instead of the relief and happiness he was expecting to feel when he found Mira.


    The moment hended, he scanned the cave''s vicinity and didn''t like what he saw one bit.


    There was a t b of stone with some sort of rope bindings attached to it, and the cave was barely big enough to house 10 people all standing side by side, let alone big enough for two people to have a fight!


    But worst of all, he saw the rope bindings around Mira''s wrists and ankles, and his frown turned into a sort of rage.


    It was clear to him what was going on in here.


    "I don''t know who you are, but don''t expect to make it out of this cave alive!"


    He called out to the unknown third person in the cave, his voiceced with a predatory tone.


    The tense atmosphere in the cave tightened as Alex''s voice echoed off the stone walls.


    The dim light from the small hole Alex had made in the ceiling only made the situation all the more awkward.


    Mira, clearly confused, looked at Alex with a mix of confusion and relief, as well as an odd sort of happiness and joy welling up even deeper inside.


    "So you really don''t recognise me!"


    Nichs sneered, though there was a flicker of fear in his eyes.


    "The mighty Alex shows up out of nowhere, I have to say I wasn''t expecting this!"


    Alex''s rage only grew as he stepped closer, his hands crackling with barely contained Phoenix mes.


    The heat in the cave instantly rose, and it only made Nichs hesitate with the lightning he was conjuring between his fingers, hidden behind his back.


    "I don''t know who you think you are, nor do I care for whatever motives you have for doing this. You''ve already gone past the point of no return."


    Alex couldn''t garner a care in the world for anything Nichs had to say.


    It was true, he didn''t recognise him, and that only fuelled Nichs''s hatred.


    But what was he supposed to do?


    Alex was clearly way stronger than him, even Mira was stronger than him!


    He had only gotten the one up on Mira because he had timed the opportunity perfectly, as well as the fact that Mira had trusted him with too much information.


    Telling him that she would be in a weakened state after her Golden Presence transformation only made him cook up the perfect n in his mind to capture her.


    However, things had taken quite a seriously bad turn for him, as he didn''t expect Mira to still have some sort of ace up her sleeve.


    One second he turned away to throw her de to the side and fetch a new tool from his spatial storage, wanting to use the tension of his back being turned to her to increase the fear she would feel.


    But when he turned back around, she was gone! Explore new worlds at mvl


    At first, he thought he was hallucinating due to theck of oxygen in the cave, but then he remembered he was a D rank awakened!


    He could go for hours without air!


    This only left one conclusion for him, one that was too serious to make light of.


    Mira really had somehow escaped.


    Which he found out was true very quickly, as she reappeared behind him with her fist mming into his back with full force.


    Mira had been aiming to shock his organs with that hit, particrly his heart, but Nichs turned out to be even more thick skinned than she thought.


    Her punch did leave him rattled, but it didn''t seriously injure him like she had hoped.


    It seemed she was still somewhat weakened from her usage of Golden Presence.


    This left them at a stalemate ¡ª Nichs instantly entered a defensive mode as he pulled out another bottle of that same liquid he used before to recover, and downed it immediately.


    His aura also red up,bating Mira''s own.


    That was when Alex came bursting through the ceiling, bringing both of them out of their tense state, shocking them both.


    ''I need to find a way out of this¡­''


    Nichs knew he was in quite a tricky situation now that Alex had shown up out of nowhere.


    But luckily, he had the perfect escape method prepared for this kind of situation.


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    The prompt from the system shed before his eyes, practically calling for him to ept it.


    Unlike Mira, who had quite some stringent requirements to rank up, Nichs only had to defeat 5 Mutant ss beasts higher ranked than himself.


    He hadn''t told Mira at the time, as he saw no benefit in doing so, but he had finished his rank up requirements right then and there.


    He only needed to absorb enough energy from the beast cores he had looted to push his progress up to 100%.


    This was easy to do, especially since he had some beast cores still in storage as well.


    He finished ranking up to D+ rank while Mira was unconscious and bound to the b of stone.


    On the other side of the cave, which in reality was only a few metres in front of Nichs, Alex slowly made his way over to Mira''s side.


    He didn''t want Nichs to try something sneaky and despicable by attacking Mira.


    She could handle herself just fine, he knew that.


    But it was obvious she was in a weak and vulnerable state at the moment.


    "You stay back, I''ll deal with this fucker."


    He whispered to Mira as he positioned himself in front of her.


    But Nichs heard him just as clearly.


    "No, I don''t think you will."


    He spoke with confidence and a cheeky smile on his face, like he was about to checkmate him in a game of chess or something.


    He flicked his fingers, and immediately a portal started opening behind him.


    ''He''s trying to leave the Primordial Expanse!''


    Alex was startled a little and was about to go in for a desperate attack in an attempt to kill him before he was sucked in.


    "No you don''t!"


    But before he could react, Mira spoke behind him.


    Fwooom!


    And Alex felt the space around him tighten.


    ''A spatial lock!?''


    ''Mira could do that!?''

 Chapter 344: No mercy

    Alex was quite literally bbergasted at Mira''s unexpected move!


    Not even he could do something like lock down a small region of space yet, and he was a C tier who had recently assimted with the Space element!


    Mira was still only a D+ rank, he knew that from observing her aura.


    The fact that she could wield this ability while at her rank only spoke volumes of her talent for the Space element!


    Meanwhile, Nichs was really sweating now.


    ''Why the fuck can''t I leave the Primordial Expanse!?''


    The moment he tried to open up a portal, he expected everything to go his way, like most things in life for a spoiled brat like him.


    But it seemed the system had other ns.


    [Failed to exit the Primordial Expanse.]


    That was all it said to him.


    But it was enough to stun him to the core, leaving him with absolutely no clue about what to do next. Read exclusive chapters at mvl


    His entire n hinged on being able to leave, and now even that avenue was blocked.


    ''Perhaps I could beg¡­? No! That is too low for someone of the Stein family like me!''


    While his thoughts were going haywire, Alex had his own ideas on what to do with this situation.


    "Haha, it seems your little n has failed!"


    He mocked Nichs as soon as the chance came up.


    Not only that, but he slowly enveloped Virtue''s Edge in Phoenix mes, signifying he wasn''t done with Nichs yet.


    He wanted to drill in Nichs''s mind just how pathetic he was for someone who imed to be from a ''superior bloodline''.


    But regardless of what he wanted, his and Mira''s needs took precedence.


    "I''m afraid this is where this little skirmish ends. I don''t even know your name, nor do I wish to. Goodbye."


    Alex went in for a dash, so fast that Nichs could barely react.


    They were both C tiers, but Alex was iparably stronger.


    "No! Wa-"


    Nichs''s previous reservations about begging all folded in the instant he saw Alex move.


    But he was too slow to speak.


    Virtue''s Edge was already pierced through his chest.


    It wasn''t like much would have changed if he could have gotten a few words out anyway.


    Alex was dead set on killing him after what he tried to do to Mira.


    He had only arrived after Mira had already escaped from her bonds, but he had seen enough to warrant his rage.


    "Puh!"


    Nichs spat out a puddle of blood as he looked down at the sword impaling his chest.


    Specifically, his heart.


    He was delusional, which was clear from the way he cared so much about how Alex had somehow humiliated him.


    But in this moment it was like rity came back to him all at once.


    Along with dread and fear.


    ''I¡­ I don''t want to die!''


    "Please¡­ please save me¡­"


    He could barely whisper out a few words, this time aiming for Mira''s sympathy rather than Alex''s.


    Begging Alex was clearly already a lost cause.


    But if there was even a slightest bit of a chance that he could tug on the strings of Mira''s emotions, he knew she would sway Alex into letting him live.


    "You reap what you sow."


    However, Mira just looked at him deadpan, with as cold a look as it gets.


    ''Does he really think I''ll show sympathy or mercy to someone who tried to kill me, probably even do worse to my body? Ha! What a joke.''


    Mira wasn''t like her previous over emotional self.


    She had learned to ept reality for what it was.


    Death had long be something she had epted and was used to, after seeing and witnessing so much death and destruction during her times in the Primordial Expanse, but especially with the ongoing war with the Red Demons.


    "Finish him off. I hate the sorry look he''s giving me."


    Mira asked, which caused a subtle smile to form on Alex''s face.


    ''I like this new Mira¡­''


    But his subtle smile vanished just as quickly when he turned back to face Nichs.


    He tightened his grip on Virtue''s Edge, feeling the mes still surging into Nichs''s heart.


    ''For someone so arrogant and delusional, he does live up to some of his boasts.''


    Alex was actually surprised that he wasn''t dead yet with Phoenix mes still rampaging inside of his chest, assaulting his heart.


    But he was a prodigy after all.


    Nichs, on his knees and pinned to the stone b, since Virtue''s Edge had gone straight through and stuck in the rock behind, looked up at Alex with a mix of terror and despair.


    Tears and snot were streaming down his face.


    But that wouldn''t make Alex feel any pity.


    His arrogant demeanour had crumbled entirely, leaving behind a broken shell of a man.


    ''A typical tyrant. Arrogant and unbearable when dealing with someone weaker or more vulnerable, but a coward when faced with someone stronger.''


    Blood pooled around the wound in his chest.


    Realistically, Alex didn''t even need to deal another blow to finish him off, as he was clearly on the verge of dying already.


    "Please¡­ I''ll do anything¡­ Just¡­ spare me¡­"


    Nichs''s voice was barely audible, each word a struggle as he desperately clung to thest threads of life.


    But Alex was unmoved.


    The images of seeing Mira bound and helpless shed across his mind.


    There was no mistaking that Nichs deserved what he was getting.


    His plea fell on deaf ears.


    The man before Alex was a coward, a bully who had sought to exploit and harm the one person Alex cared about more than anything else in the world.


    "You made your choice the moment you decided to hurt Mira."


    With those final words, Alex twisted Virtue''s Edge inside Nichs''s chest, his Phoenix mes ring up violently.


    Nichs''s eyes widened in shock and pain, a choked gasp exiting his lips as the mes consumed him from the inside out.


    The fire spread quickly, burning through his veins, turning his flesh to ash, and erasing his existence in a ze of fury.


    Nichs was gone in seconds.

 Chapter 345: Lovers Embrace

    "I finally found you!"


    Alex turned around and let his emotions flood out all at once, embracing Mira in a tight hug like he had never felt the touch of another human before.


    Nichs was only a side mission, Mira was his real reason for being there!


    Mira naturally returned the hug, tears slowly falling from her eyes as she realised there really was someone out there who cared about her enough to go to the ends of the world to find her.


    ***


    "So what do we do now¡­?"


    When the two were finished with their reunion, they were both a little confused.


    He had found her, so¡­ what now?


    They were still in the Primordial Expanse, with only one way to make it out.


    It¡¯s just that neither of them were alone now, which was infinitely better than the previous situations they were in.


    "We get out of this shit hole of course!"


    Mira enthusiastically spoke as she oddly felt relieved.


    She was relieved at the fact that they were able to make it out, even though they hadn¡¯t even met the requirements yet¡­


    ¡¯Women¡­¡¯


    Alex wasn¡¯t able to understand, and perhaps never would.


    He was happy enough seeing her do her little dances of joy.


    If she was happy, then he was happy.


    "Ahem¡­ Don¡¯t you think we should get out of this cramped ce now?"


    But eventually someone had to speak up.


    Alex gestured to the cave around them, as well as the fact that they themselves were covered in dirt and sweat.


    "You have a good point, hehe."


    Mira chuckled as she realised they had yet to even leave this ce.


    Considering her requirements to level up required her to kill another 3 Variant ss beasts, or 2 Variant beasts of a higher rank than her, it was doubtful they¡¯d be able to achieve this without exiting the small cave.


    ***


    ¡¯Phew, it feels good to finally smell some fresh air again!¡¯


    Mira took in a deep breath as soon as she reached the surface of the floating ind again.


    Although she was only awake in the cave for a few hours, it felt like days since shest saw sunlight and smelled the fresh air.


    "Let¡¯s go wash ourselves off, I can sense a river nearby."


    Alex suggested that they go and clean themselves, which made sense considering the state they were both in.


    Alex personally hadn¡¯t had a shower since he had entered the Primordial Expanse, while Mira was a little bit more sensible than him and took a swim in a river orke at any chance she got, though not over thest few days since she was with Nichs the whole time.


    Although she didn¡¯t know of his ulterior motives at that point, she still wasn¡¯t going to be na?ve enough to bathe in a river when she was alone with another guy she didn¡¯t know.


    She was stronger than him, but as it was already proven, being stronger wasn¡¯t an excuse to drop her guard.


    Very soon, both of them arrived beside a river over 10 metres wide, and Mira almost instantly went to jump in.


    "Wait!"


    Alex was more cautious though.


    After his previous encounter with the siren on that other floating ind, he wasn¡¯t so trusting of these rivers and streams anymore.


    He scanned the area with his five senses, leaving his spatial perception untouched since it seemed to be useless for sensing living beings in the Primordial Expanse.


    "The coast is clear."


    After checking the surrounding 500 metres for 10 minutes, Alex was finally confident that there wasn¡¯t another siren or beast like it lurking around.


    "Lets-"


    He turned to Mira to suggest they take turns, but he was stunned when he did so.


    ¡¯Hehe.¡¯


    Mira looked at him with a mischievous, but also mysterious smile as she slowly took of her clothes.


    One piece at a time.


    Until she was fully naked.


    Her whole, bare body in full view for Alex to see.


    "Come here."


    Shemanded Alex toe closer, but Alex was in a world of his own.


    He had no idea how to react to a situation like this.


    But Mira took the initiative after seeing Alex¡¯sck of response and decided to walk closer to him instead.


    Step.


    Step.


    She moved to less than a metre in front of him, looking up at his face to meet his eyes.


    That same, mischievous smile mixed with something¡­ extra greeted him.


    Mira lifted her hands up to Alex¡¯s chest, and her fingers slowly moved to his top button.


    Unhook.


    Unhook.


    She undid all of the buttons on Alex¡¯s shirt until his bare chest was on show, and she removed his shirt entirely.


    Her hands slowly caressed his chest, moving down his body until¡­


    They reached his pants!


    ¡¯What is happening¡­¡¯


    Alex had finally snapped back to reality at this moment, but when he saw what Mira was doing, his mind ran wild.


    After only a few moments passed, they were both naked ¡ª Mira having undressed Alex herself.


    "Kiss me."


    Miramanded Alex again.


    This time he listened.


    But things quickly derailed from just a kiss¡­


    ***


    The gentle sound of a river¡¯s flow filled the air, a calming backdrop to the warmth andfort Mira felt as shey in Alex¡¯s arms.


    The water had washed away the dirt and grime from their bodies, which was especially needed after the first experience the two of them had just shared with each other¡­


    Mira rested her head on Alex¡¯s chest, her damp hair syed out.


    For a long time, neither of them spoke, both just taking in the beautiful scenery.


    "You know, when you take out all the death, danger and misery of this ce, the Primordial Expanse really is breathtakingly beautiful sometimes."


    Alex was the first to break the silence.


    "But we should get back to that death, danger and misery part now. Unfortunately we can¡¯t stay in this ce forever."


    He wished just as much as Mira did that the two of them could stay there without worrying about time passing, but he knew they couldn¡¯t.


    When he stood up, his face was beet red as he looked at Mira¡¯s bare body, reminding himself of thest few hours.


    Mira chuckled when she saw his red face.


    "This is only the start, there¡¯s more where that came from."


    Alex¡¯s face turned even more red from her statement.


    After an hour of freshening up though, the two of them were back on the move.

 Chapter 346: Alexs requirements

    Alex¡¯s and Mira¡¯s footsteps echoed across the surface of the Primordial Expanse.


    As soon as they were finished with their ¡¯business¡¯, they wasted no time in getting the heck away from those damned floating inds.


    Thankfully, there was no need for them to jump off the edge and hope they could teleport down to the ground in time before they went *St!*


    Alex simply found the same location he had arrived at when he was teleported up to this ind and replicated the stomp he performed back in his fit of rage on the surface.


    And vo!


    The pir of light once again revealed itself to the duo, shocking Mira and leaving Alex with a proud smile like he was the one who had done something magical.


    The pir up on the floating ind was different though, it had an end.


    More specifically, it extended for about 10 metres into the air before ending abruptly.


    It was clear that it was intended to take them downwards instead of upwards.


    And after stepping into it, Mira finally stepped foot on the surface of the Primordial Expanse for the first time since she was whisked away to this ce against her will!


    It was a milestone moment for them both, but it was short lived.


    The ce was empty, it was much more underwhelming than Mira had expected.


    It was only after Alex told her his theory that the floating inds were once on the surface, and what they were seeing now was what was left behind after they were somehow ripped away, did Mira understand why this ce was so barren.


    Since this was the case, they just picked a direction and started running at full speed.


    Well, Mira¡¯s full speed ¡ª since Alex would leave her in the dust if he travelled at his full speed.


    ***


    14 dayster, the surface of the Primordial Expanse.


    "Finally some fucking green!"


    Alex couldn¡¯t help but exim out loud in joy when he saw the far off imagery that was a lush forest.


    He and Mira had been running nearly non stop for the past two weeks, and it was both exhausting and boring for the two of them.


    If they didn¡¯t have each other to apany them, it would have been a real mental challenge to traverse such an empty world alone.


    There were times where they even doubted whether they¡¯d ever find an end to the infinite grey stoned surface.


    But their thoughts were quelled when they reminded themselves and each other that the Primordial Expanse was all one massive piece ofnd in the realm, so considering they had already experienced the different areas it had to offer in their two previous adventures there, it had to have an end.


    "Let¡¯s head over there, maybe we can finally find some beasts to make out way out of here!"


    Mira was also just as excited as Alex after seeing the forest far ahead.


    They had both yet to meet their requirements to rank up, which in turn is also their requirements to leave the Primordial Expanse, since one can only leave after they have ranked up at least once.


    It was due to this reason that most awakened never head back to the Primordial Expanse after their first one or two adventures over there.


    Ranking up became harder and harder the higher the ranks got, and unless an unforeseen situation like Mira¡¯s happened, where she was unwillingly thrown into the Primordial Expanse, most awakened would never enter the Primordial expanse when they were at a breakthrough point through tiers.


    Entering the Primordial Expanse when you were at E+ rank, D+ rank, C+ rank etc was generally seen as a one way ticket, since arge majority never end up making it back.


    Either they would never meet their requirements to rank up, hence not being able to leave, or they would die somewhere along the way.


    Speaking of requirements, Alex had yet to fully check his.


    He was too busy trying to find Mira before, and he didn¡¯t need to check them to know he hadn¡¯t met them, since he had only just reached C- rank.


    Since they were about to reach new, unexplored territory for the both of them, Alex decided now would be the time he would check his rank up requirements.


    [Requirements to reach C rank: Kill 1 B+ rank, Variant ss foe.]


    "..."


    "..."


    Alex was left speechless, while Mira looked shell shocked when he repeated his requirements back to her.


    ¡¯What the fuck!¡¯


    His first reaction was to curse the world and everything in it.


    What kind of luck was this?


    Why him?


    Why now, while he was stuck in the Primordial Expanse!


    It all made him want to scream, shout andmit all sorts of other violent atrocities.


    Even Mira felt the same for him.


    Her requirements were much more tamepared to his.


    While at first hers might seem on the same level of difficulty, they were truly iparable.


    Yes, she had to kill 10 Variant ss beings at the same rank as herself, so D+ rank.


    Or she had to kill 5 Variant ss beings above her own rank, so anything from C- rank upwards.


    But while 5 Variant ss beings of a higher tier might seem harder than killing one such being of a higher tier might seem more unfair, it was actually the opposite.


    The jump in strength between C tier and B tier was like scaling a pebblepared to a mountain.


    This was all because of the breakthrough to bing a higher tier being.


    Not to mention that Alex would have to kill something at the peak of this tier, which also happened to be Variant ss as well¡­


    It all seemed too far fetched for him, who was only a C- rank Mutant ss.


    ¡¯Well, the first thing is that I¡¯ll have to reach Variant ss before considering anything else¡­¡¯


    But since he was already dealt the bad news, he had to deal with it.


    A new goal was already set in his mind.


    Variant ss!

 Chapter 347: The road

    After another 12 hours of running non stop, Alex and Mira finally reached the new territory.


    It was a lush rainforest with the floor covered in all sorts of flora and fauna of all weird and mysterious kinds, many of which the duo had never seen before.


    The ce was different to the forests on Eldaris and the floating inds, as the climate also seemed to have changed the moment they stepped into this new territory.


    It was an odd feeling, but it was also something they had prepared for.


    Their experiences in the assessment back when they were trying to enter Capital Prime university came to mind, where they were sent to the with all those different kinds of unique environments and climates.


    It seemed this experience woulde in handy now.


    Or maybe it wouldn¡¯t¡­


    The first thing their eyes were drawn to when they stepped foot in the forest was a long, thin stretch of dirt and gravel untouched by the flora and fauna surrounding it on both sides.


    "A road!"


    Mira eximed as soon as she saw it.


    It was clear as day that this piece of road was man made, not something that naturally developed with the forest.


    This got both of their blood pumping, as the presence of a road meant the presence of humans!


    And the presence of humans meant the presence of a much higher poption of beasts!


    It was a win-win for the two of them.


    They would no longer have to suffer alone in this ce, and instead could find the town, vige or city at the end of wherever this road led to, and finally get a nice night¡¯s sleep in afortable bed and a hot shower!


    Forget looking for beasts right away!


    They were going to follow this road for as far as it took them until they reached its destination!


    Waiting another day before going out to hunt wouldn¡¯t hurt one bit. Besides, they would be in better shape after they got a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Not to mention there was probably some very valuable information on the beasts in the human settlement about the beasts in this area.


    Obtaining this information would also be of great use to them, considering they wouldn¡¯t be looking for ordinary beasts like the average joe.


    ***


    "Today¡¯s harvest was good! We managed to get around nearly 20 tonnes of farm this year!"


    A voice belted out from inside the carriage, speaking to the driver on the outside.


    "Maybe we can finally rx a little over the next few months¡­ We should celebrate when we reach Tenebrus!"


    The driver replied just as enthusiastically.


    "Cheers to that!"


    "Agreed!"


    And the people in the other two carriages, including the man sitting in the driver¡¯s carriage all shouted happily.


    Overall, the mood was joyous and one of celebration among this small group of people.


    They were only weak, F tier awakened, with the main driver leading the group being the strongest as a D+ rank awakened.


    He was only an Ordinary ss though.


    They were farmers, so there was little need for them to hone their strengths as awakened.


    If the need arose where they needed strength, they would just put out a notice for an adventurer toe out and help.


    ¡¯Huh¡­?¡¯


    ¡¯Which fool left this tree in the middle of the road?¡¯


    But while the others were all still celebrating happily amongst each other, the driver at the front noticed something odd.


    A tree was felled around 400 metres up front, blocking the road and their path forwards towards Tenebrus city.


    It wasn¡¯t just a small few branches or small tree that was knocked over either.


    It was the sturdiest, tallest and widest kind of tree that was knocked down.


    It¡¯s width alone matched the height of the carriage the driver was sitting on, and it was down on its side, so from afar it looked like a huge wooden wall was erected in the middle of the road!


    He was the only one who had noticed it so far, but he would have to notify the others about it soon enough.


    The tree was way too big and way too huge to move, even for him as a D+ rank, so there was a clear problem thaty ahead for them.


    ¡¯Fuck, always something that has to ruin the festive atmosphere for us.¡¯


    He was annoyed that he had to cut their celebrations short, but considering the situation, it had to be done.


    "Boys! We have a problem up ahead!"


    He shouted to the other two drivers of the carriages behind him, and the shouting and cheering came to a slow stop when they heard the word ¡¯problem¡¯.


    "A tree blocking the road, and it¡¯s a big one!"


    He announced.


    "Fuck!"


    "..."


    "Whyyyy!"


    Murmurs and curses began to spread immediately after the front driver mentioned the tree.


    They were still nearly 100 km out from Tenebrus city ¡ª they wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it if they didn¡¯t find some way to move the tree blocking the road.


    And they had to do it quickly.


    If they arrived toote, they would miss their chance to sell their produce at the best prices, and be forced to take a loss.


    This was uneptable for the group of men.


    It was a whole year of their collective hard work!


    They couldn¡¯t just let it all go to waste because of one tree!


    Soon enough, they approached the felled tree and the problem only revealed itself to be much worse than they had expected.


    The width of the tree turned out to be bigger than the carriages!


    "The only way is to cut it¡­"


    "But considering the size, it could take days before we make it through!"


    Luckily, they had the tools to cut out enough of the tree for their carriages to pass through, but time was still a major problem for them.


    Rustle!


    Click!


    But they were about to face even bigger problems.


    "Hands up. All of you."


    A group of heavily armed men appeared from the bushes and trees nearby.


    A total of 12 awakened surrounded this small group of 5.


    And they all looked incredibly strong.


    There was no way they could resist with their pitiful strength¡­

 Chapter 348: Robbery in progress

    "Hands up. All of you."


    The group of humble farmers couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly when they heard the gruff voicee from their side.


    They knew what was going on instantly.


    A robbery.


    The huge tree was probably purposely ced in the middle of the road to block them, so that they could thene out and ambush them like this while they were away from the carriages that carried their several dozen tonnes of produce.


    Food wasn¡¯t that expensive in the primordial Expanse.


    But 20 tonnes of it was.


    Especially in a ce as lush as the evergreen rainforest they were currently passing through.


    While it may seem like fertilend, which it definitely was, it was also extremely hard to farm.


    Due to the simple fact that it was so damn dense!


    The trees were huge, even the average ones could grow over 200 metres tall, not to mention their width and weight.


    Take the tree blocking the road for example.


    It was only an average tree in this rainforest, but it was more than enough to put aplete halt to the farmer¡¯s passage, even the D+ ranked lead driver was unable to do anything about the blockage.


    Now try to imagine felling enough trees andpletely rooting them entirely from the ground to create enough space for farnd.


    The problem would be clear just from this.


    The vast majority of farmers weren¡¯t strong enough to do this, and it was extremely expensive to do so.


    This group of 5 farmers had inherited their farnd from their family, it had been in the family for many generations before them.


    For these 20 tonnes of various different types of food produce, they could easily earn enough beast cores to push their strongest, the D+ rank lead driver to C- rank.


    He had already fulfilled his requirements, so all he needed was his progress to reach 100%!


    You see, the natives of the Primordial Expanse actually had the opposite problem to the outsiders from the outside universe.


    While the outsiders like Alex had to struggle more with fulfilling their requirements, the natives struggled more to procure the beast cores needed to reach 100% progress.


    This was because the vast majority of natives chose to stay at Ordinary ss.


    They didn¡¯t have the same drive for power as the outsiders did, and hence not many of them chose to form parties to go out and hunt beasts above their own ss.


    Only those with ambition did.


    And since they chose to stay at Ordinary ss, the requirements for ranking up were much lower than they would be for someone of Mutant or Variant ss like Alex and Mira.


    It was quite ironic really.


    They lived in the Primordial Expanse, the source of all beasts in existence, with the realm practically teeming with them at every corner, and yet they struggled more with procuring beast cores than fulfilling their requirements¡­


    Of course, they still met the same roadblocks when they came up to the barrier that was bing a higher life form.


    It was just as hard for the natives as it was for the outsiders.


    "Check the carriages."


    The lead bandit spoke to three of his subordinates, his sword still drawn and aiming at the five farmers the whole time.


    The other eight bandits also stood in their ce, unmoving.


    Their eyes were trained on the farmers the whole time.


    If even one of them tried to lift a muscle, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to strike.


    They were already doing the farmers a mercy by not killing them right off the bat and just making off with the goods themselves.


    It would be quicker and more efficient in the short term, but they had learned from their past mistakes.


    If they killed these farmers now, who would be left to farm theirnd so that they could rob them again during the next harvest?


    "Boss Kang, we hit the jackpot! All three of these carriages are filled to the brim with food, probably over 20 tonnes of it!"


    The three subordinates couldn¡¯t control their nerves when they opened up the covers over the top of the food produce, all sorts of exotic vegetables and fruits were piled on top of each other by the thousands, food that one wouldn¡¯t be able to find in the outside universe.


    They understood instantly, just as much as the farmers did, how much this haul was worth.


    "Hmm. Let mee and take a look."


    Boss Kang, the leader of this misfit group of bandits, seemed keen to verify the details himself.


    ***


    "I hope this ce leads to a huge city!"


    Alex shouted to Mira as the two of them sped their way down the long and winding road through the rainforest.


    Although he would be fine with a town or vige, Alex would much prefer to find a city on the other side.


    A city would offer much higher quality services, but most importantly the quality of their information on the beasts in the area would also be much better since the higher poption would ount for more adventurers to bring back said information.


    But oh well, Alex would take whatever he could get at this point.


    It had been nearly three weeks since he had entered the Primordial Expanse now, even longer for Mira, and this was the first time they hade across signs of human civilisation.


    They couldn¡¯t not be overjoyed!


    "By the way, you said you-"


    Alex was about to ask about Mira¡¯s encounter with her first beast in the Primordial Expanse when she arrived on the floating ind, which sounded eerily simr to his own, but he was forced to stop speaking mid way¡­


    ¡­ because he crashed into a tree mid sentence¡­


    "Who the fuck left this on the road!?"


    Mira was beside herself withughter.


    How could she not be!


    Alex had just mmed right into a tree because he was too focused on talking to her rather than looking at the road ahead.


    But she would keep silent about the fact that she also didn¡¯t notice the tree¡­


    She was lucky Alex mmed into it first, or she would be the one in his situation¡­


    "Haha, I can¡¯t believe you just did-"


    "..."


    "..."


    But after Mira opened her eyes, she noticed the confused and wary looks she was getting.


    There were other people there¡­

 Chapter 349: Crash

    "..."


    ¡¯...¡¯


    Silence pervaded the area surrounding the felled tree.


    Even Mira¡¯s thoughts went silent for a moment.


    "*Cough* *Cough*"


    "Doesn¡¯t this ce have a city council to deal with roadblocks like this? I can¡¯t believe of all things that take me down, it¡¯s a damn stationary tree!"


    Alex spoke aloud, letting his thoughts loose.


    "Hey Mir-"


    But it was clear he thought it was still just him and Mira there.


    After taking a quick nce around, it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    "Haha¡­ My bad, don¡¯t mind us!... Just passing through is all."


    Alex embarrassingly apologised to the crowd of 17 people, all stood around the three carriages that also happened to be stopped.


    The horses seemed to be a little unsettled from Alex and Mira¡¯s sudden supersonic entrance into the tree, as one of them even tried to break loose from its reins.


    "Sorry about the horses as well¡­ as I¡¯m sure you can tell, it wasn¡¯t intentional."


    Alex apologised once again when he saw the state the horses were in.


    But even though his crash into the tree wasn¡¯t intentional, it had actually done everyone a favour!


    With the speed he was travelling, the tree was left as nothing more than splinters and sawdust after his crash.


    The road was mostly unblocked now, aside from the odd bit of debris scattered around, as well as the two sides of the tree sitting on either side of the road.


    But while Alex was too busy trying to avoid any more embarrassments, Mira paid a closer eye to the situation in front of her.


    And things seemed¡­ awkward.


    ¡¯Why do they seem so tense?¡¯


    She noticed the atmosphere wasn¡¯t letting up no matter how much of a fool Alex made of himself.


    The group of natives in front of her seemed to be split into two different sets of people.


    She could tell just from their clothes.


    The five people in the middle seemed to be a standard bunch of farmers, nothing special about them.


    Other than them, there were 12 males all dressed in some sort of leather armour, looking much more sophisticated than the farmers.


    But they were also doing their best to subtly keep their right arms out of sight.


    Like they were hiding something they didn¡¯t want Mira or Alex to see.


    But unlike Alex in the current moment, Mira had a keen eye.


    She picked up on this immediately.


    Tug!


    Over on the other side, one of the weaker F ranked farmers, tugged at the sleeve of the D+ rank lead driver in fear.


    He was clearly trying to signal something to him, or at least get his attention for something.


    But it would be difficult tomunicate with so much surveince on them.


    However, the lead driver knew what he was trying to get his attention for anyway.


    He was his uncle, and he had known the kid since birth.


    They couldmunicate without the need for words using gestures and facial expressions alone.


    And he could tell he wanted him to alert Mira and Alex to what was going on.


    Just from the speed they entered into the scene, they could tell that this new and unknown duo were terrifyingly powerful.


    The fact that Alexpletely destroyed the middle section of the tree with almost little effort, and came out of it unscathed was just the icing on the cake.


    His nephew¡¯s thoughts were obvious.


    If Alex could do such a powerful show of power with ease, then perhaps he could do something to save them from these 12 bandits?


    But the risk would be great if he was wrong.


    They didn¡¯t know the strength of the bandits, and if they were wrong in thinking that Alex was stronger, then not only would they most likely secure a much tougher time for themselves, but they would also implicate apletely innocent bystander.


    It was a tough decision to make.


    On the other side, Mira started slowly walking over to Alex, making sure not to seem odd in any way.


    It was clear that something suspicious was going on here, and she didn¡¯t want to give away that she knew.


    "Hold up, is there some sort of problem here? There¡¯s no need to keep your hands wrapped around your weapons so tightly. Like I said, it was an ident."


    But her cover waspletely blown by Alex, who had shown no intention to keep things on the downlow the moment he noticed something was wrong.


    "Friend! I¡¯m sorry about that, we¡¯re just a little vignt as you can see! This ce is known for having its fair share of bandits after all!"


    Boss Kang hollered back to Alex in somewhat of a jovial tone.


    It was the first time since the start of this encounter that Alex or Mira wasn¡¯t the one doing the speaking.


    "I can see that."


    But Alex sniffed out his ruse instantly.


    His face dropped, no longer looking embarrassed or joyful as he red directly at Boss Kang.


    "Bandits have no ce in this world. Don¡¯t you agree?"


    He snidely remarked to Boss Kang.


    "Attack!"


    Boss Kang shouted to his other 11 men instantly after Alex¡¯s remark left his mouth.


    But without even waiting for his men to go in an attack Alex, he turned tail and started running off into the forest in the other direction¡­


    He knew it wasn¡¯t a fair fight from the start.


    He had personally felled the tree himself, and he knew how many hours of effort it took him just to saw through the base.


    To watch Alexpletely dwarf his hours of effort in just a moment after he zed through the tree with ease and came out unscathed was enough of a reality check for him to realise he wasn¡¯t a match.


    He looked back behind him for just a moment to see if anyone was giving chase.


    ¡¯Phew! What fucking master did I cross paths with!?¡¯


    The coast was clear.


    Thump!


    But as he looked back ahead, he was stopped dead in his tracks as he bounced onto the ground, his chest aching.


    Mira stood in front of him,pletely unscathed, with her hand stretched out.


    She didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger herself.


    The guy just ran straight into her hand, and like a very weak force meeting an immovable object, he bounced right off of her!

 Chapter 350: Bandit

    "Well I think that settles it."


    Alex wasn¡¯t indirect in his approach anymore.


    "Puah!"


    "Hurrr!"


    A single punch per bandit was all it took for Alex topletely incapacitate them.


    It wasn¡¯t hard for him to identify them either.


    He had eyes and a brain, so it was obvious that those who were dressed in leather armour with swords or other weapons on them were the bandits.


    And the five wearing the farmer¡¯s clothing were clearly not.


    But the strikes Alex delivered to the bandits weren¡¯t just to incapacitate them.


    He wanted to make sure they would never wake up again¡­


    What good was it taking out these bandits if he wasn¡¯t going to kill them?


    If he let them live, they¡¯d juste right back to robbing poor, innocent people on the roads again the next day.


    They¡¯d just be more wary of who they rob, and how they do it.


    The best way to root out the problem was to solve it at its core.


    Just get rid of it entirely!


    Though, Alex had no doubt in his mind that another bandit gang would move into this area soon enough after realising this current one had been taken care of.


    There wasn¡¯t much he could do about that, since he and Mira weren¡¯t nning on sticking around this ce, but removing 12 bandits permanently from the system was better than doing nothing.


    Very quickly, as in only a few seconds quick, nearly all of the bandits were dealt with by a single, lethal blow to the back of the head.


    The only one left standing¡­ *cough*... alive, was Boss Kang.


    And that was only because Mira held him down instead of killing him right away.


    If it were Alex in her position, he would have just killed the guy, but Mira had something different in mind.


    When Alex walked over to her, ready to deal with thest bandit, she started talking.


    "Are there any more of you? Don¡¯t lie. I can tell easily if you¡¯re lying."


    Mira lied.


    She couldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    The best she could do was listen to his heartbeat, but any awakened worth their weight could do the same.


    She was just bluffing to get the guy to talk.


    And it worked.


    "Okay! Okay! Just promise me you¡¯ll let me live!"


    Boss Kang had lost any and every intimidating persona to him the moment he realised Alex and Mira were clearly leagues stronger than himself.


    "Sure, start speaking."


    Once again Mira lied.


    There was no way she, or Alex, were going to let this sorry excuse for an awakened live a second longer than he needed to.


    But telling him that would just spoil the whole reason she let him live in the first ce.


    Alex just stood back and watched as he observed Mira perform her little ruse.


    So did the five farmers who had only just woken up from the shock that all of the bandits had been dealt with just click! the click of a finger.


    They had a vague feeling that Alex and Mira might be able to do something about these pests, but they didn¡¯t think it would be this much of a massacre¡­


    And now, they got to watch as the very leader of the gang who had just tried to rob them practically pissed himself in fear while trying to answer Mira¡¯s questions.


    "They look so young for such strong awakened masters¡­"


    "I know, maybe it¡¯s just an effect of being so highly ranked. Or maybe they are the legendary Higher life forms we¡¯ve only heard stories about¡­"


    The five farmers quietly discussed among themselves as they watched Alex and Mira do their thing, vastly overexaggerating Alex and Mira¡¯s abilities.


    Well, not exaggerating Alex¡¯s, since he was on par with a lower ranked Higher life form with his current strength.


    But Mira still had a bit of a push to reach such a position herself.


    She wasn¡¯t that far off though.


    "You already killed the lot of us! I¡¯m the only one remaining!"


    Boss Kang spoke like his life depended on it.


    Because it really did.


    At least in his mind.


    "Our gang of bandits was only a small one! There were around 15 of us at the beginning, but over time some of us died some way or another¡­ Now it¡¯s just me¡­"


    The reality of his situation seemed to finally be settling in for Boss Kang.


    Everything he had spent thest few years building up¡­


    All the trust he had gained with his subordinates¡­


    Those years he had spent carving out this territory for himself¡­


    It was all for nothing.


    Alex and Mira brought it all crumbling down the moment they made their entrance onto this scene.


    "Hmm. I believe you."


    Boss Kang let out a heavy sigh of relief the moment he heard those words slip out of Mira¡¯s mouth.


    "Thank you!"


    He attempted to get up and make his exit, but Mira¡¯s hand was still tightly holding his body down on the ground.


    He struggled, while looking at her in confusion.


    "I gave you what you wanted, now you should let me go! You promised!"


    He anxiously argued for her to release him, bringing up the promise she made to let him live.


    But Mira just kept up her demeaning smile, while Alex kept the same deadpan stare at him the whole time.


    "I lied."


    Miraid it out in and simple.


    With her hand still firmly pressed up against his chest, she didn¡¯t lift it off.


    Instead, she applied even more pressure.


    "Arggghh!"


    Enough pressure to crack Boss Kang¡¯s ribs.


    "Huff¡­ Please¡­ Don¡¯t¡­"


    He tried his utmost to give out a final plea, but if his previous countless attempts to beg for his life didn¡¯t work, why would this one?


    It obviously made no difference in Mira¡¯s pressure.


    She pushed even harder.


    Until finally.


    Crunch!


    Squelch!


    Boss Kang met his breaking point.


    Literally¡­


    Mira¡¯s hand had applied enough pressure topletely break his ribs off from the rib cage, with many of them splintering off into his internal organs.


    With the main ones being his heart and lungs.


    He was a dead man already by this point.


    She didn¡¯t keep her hand on him any longer, letting the internal bleeding finish him off.

 Chapter 351: Tenebrus

    With Boss Kang and the rest of the bandits dealt with, Alex and Mira turned their attention to the five farmers who still stood there bewildered at what they were seeing.


    "Are you guys alright?" asked Alex, with a gentle smile on his face.


    He probably seemed more like a psychopath to the five farmers though.


    The quick switch up from deadpan, cold hearted to friendly and approachable was far too fast for his mindset to be normal.


    But that was how most awakened were in this day and age.


    The concept of psychopaths had long been lost to time after the advent of the Primordial Expanse.


    "Yes! They were just in the process of stealing our produce before you¡­ um¡­ cleared the roadblock with your head¡­"


    "..."


    "..."


    It was almost like an old cartoon scene, with nothing but the wind and an old bush rolling along the ground to signify the awkwardness of the atmosphere after the youngest of the five spoke out first.


    "Well, we''re happy to have helped."


    Mira entered the conversation from the side, ending the somewhat tense silence between them.


    "By the way, you wouldn''t happen to know where we are right now?"


    She continued to speak, breaking the ice between them by asking something that they would most definitely be able to answer.


    "Sure! We''re in the Evergreen forest right now, and we''re headed to Tenebrus city right now. If you follow the same direction you were already going before you nted your face in the tree, you''d reach it in about 100 kilometres."


    The oldest and strongest of the five answered this time.


    Though, the way he mentioned Alex''s entrance once again sounded off to him.


    Alex couldn''t help but feel his eye twitch.


    ''I feel like they''re doing it on purpose at this point¡­''


    But he held it together.


    They weren''t doing anything wrong. Readtest stories on mvl


    "Wait, did you say ''city''?"


    But then Alex recalled what he said before mentioning his crash.


    ''Tenebrus city, surely that means what I think it means right!?''


    Alex was almost praying at this point that his feeling was correct.


    "That''s right! Tenebrus city is actually thergest city throughout the whole of the Evergreen forest. It''s said you can find anything and everything there, as long as you know where to look."


    "YES!"


    This was exactly what Alex was wanting to hear.


    He wanted somewhere where he could find information on the beasts in this ce.


    Hearing that Tenebrus city was somewhere you could find ''anything and everything'' was just the icing on top.


    Such a ce had to be a treasure trove of information that he and Mira could take advantage of.


    He doubted he''d be able to find a B+ rank Variant ss beast on his own any time soon, so this was a huge help.


    "By the way, where are you folks from, if you don''t mind me asking? This is the first time I''ve met such strong adventurers since I started trading this route 10 years ago."


    The D+ rank lead driver spoke up, wanting to answer some of his own curiosity this time.


    Alex wasn''t sure whether to answer that.


    While Mira just threw aside any sort of caution and answered directly.


    "We''re outsiders, we just made it to this forest after spending weeks in that barren wastnd¡­"


    She told them the truth, since there was really no harm in doing so.


    "You guys came from the forbiddennds¡­"


    But it seemed the five of them were more shocked and horrified by the fact that they hade from the floating inds rather than the fact that they were outsiders.


    "What''s so forbidden about that ce? It seemed more like an empty, boring ass ce to me."


    Alex was genuinely confused by their shock and fear.


    Nothing about the previous three weeks he had spent trying to find Mira had indicated that those inds, or even the surface below, were ''forbidden'' in some way.


    ''Perhaps they are mistaking the ce we were in for somewhere else?''


    This was the only reasonable exnation he coulde up with.


    Either that, or he must have just been paying zero attention during his time over thest 3 weeks.


    "You don''t know about the forbiddennds?... Just where did you guyse from?"


    This question confused both Alex and Mira a lot.


    Didn''t they just tell them where they came from?


    "We''re outsiders, like we already said?"


    They tried reminding them, but this basically got them nowhere.


    "Outsiders?"


    "Like from beyond the forbiddennds?"


    ''...''


    ''...''


    Alex and Mira just looked at each other in astonishment.


    ''These guys don''t know about outsiders? Just how backwater is this ce!?''


    ''Perhaps this Tenebrus city won''t be as good as I was hoping after all¡­''


    Their minds turned to different things, but the conclusion was basically the same.


    These guys somehow didn''t know about outsiders like them, from the outside universe.


    How that was the case, the duo had no clue.


    But they thought it better not to ask at this point.


    It might bring them unnecessary trouble, which quite frankly they were not in the mood to face since their whole thing of being in the Primordial Expanse at the moment was trouble in and of itself.


    "We''ll be on our way then. Thanks for the help."


    They made their exit soon after this.


    It was better to leave them earlier after finding out they were clueless about people like them.


    And with their speed, it barely even took them a few minutes before they reached Tenebrus city.


    "That farmer wasn''t exaggerating¡­ This ce really is massive¡­"


    The farmer kid said that Tenebrus city was the biggest in the entirety of the Evergreen forest.


    Alex didn''t know the overall size of this ce, but he knew that since it was the Primordial Expanse, it had to be pretty fucking huge.


    He was only looking at the front gate of the city, but he could tell that it lived up to the reputation the farmers had spewed about it.


    The walls were easily nearly 500 metres tall, and they wrapped around the entire city!


    They were taller than arge majority of the trees in the Evergreen forest!


    It was clear that this ce took their security very seriously.


    But Alex was also more excited after seeing the extreme security surrounding the city.


    For them to invest so much in their security, there had to exist something capable of posing such a threat to the ce!

 Chapter 352: Augustine family

    Alex looked at the long line of people queueing up outside the city gates, and couldn''t help but click his teeth in dissatisfaction.


    If he and Mira joined that queue, it would be over a dozen hours before they were even allowed entry into the city!


    ''Surely there''s some other way we can get it and skip this atrocious wait¡­''


    Alex bit his lips.


    He thought hard and long on it, but his thoughts drew a nk.


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    He didn''t know much about this region, if anything at all, so he really couldn''t know what sort of methods other people used to skip the queues.


    He noticed even a few wealthy looking merchants queuing up with their long lines of carriages, which clearly meant that the city didn''t even make an exception for those who could afford to pay a little extra to obtain a fast pass, if they even existed.


    "Should we just sneak in¡­?"


    Alex lowered his voice and asked Mira.


    Thud! Thud!


    Right after Alex spoke though, the continuous thuds from horse hooves sounded out.


    Alex, Mira and a bunch of other spectators waiting in line all looked over at the cause of the sudden heavy sounds.


    The approaching party was a group of men sitting on top of some clearly very well looked after steeds.


    But oddly, they wore armour that looked like it came straight out of a ssic knights and magic fantasy.


    Their armour was pristine, not a single speck of dust or dirt on them, with some sorts of insignias adorning the chest area where their hearts were.


    The insignia looked quite eye catching, especially for something originating from the Primordial Expanse.


    Because it looked quite simr to a form of spaceship!


    In particr, federation ships!


    But they looked like some older variants of the federation ships, from over a hundred years ago.


    All of the ''knights'' wore the same insignia, and followed behind a carriage.


    The carriage alone looked more luxurious than anything else Alex had ever seen in the Primordial Expanse.


    For a moment, he forgot he was in the Primordial Expanse and thought he had stepped into the past.


    But contrary to his and Mira''s odd looks, all of the other people waiting in line didn''t bat an eye at the sight of these oddly dressed people.


    Well, the normal people didn''t bat an eye at the knights passing right by them.


    They probably never even considered themselves on the same level as the people riding atop the horses, so theypletely threw away any ideas of sucking up to them.


    But the merchants had apletely different reaction.


    "It''s the insignia of the Augustine family!"


    "That well known family headed by a Marquis!"


    "That is their ''Silver Knight'' adventurer squadron. Could it be they are escorting some important member of the Augustine family back from a journey?"


    The merchants fervently discussed among themselves, with Alex putting on aplex expression.


    ''So they''re a noble family?''


    His impression of the nobles of the Primordial Expanse was bad, to put it lightly.


    Thest time he had an encounter with a noble, it didn''t end up very well.


    In fact, it led to the deaths of thousands of people, all because of one noble''s greed.


    Not to mention, the Mayor of Valentis city, a Count, abandoned the city and its people when they were in a desperate time and needed strong people like him to protect them.


    In Alex''s mind, every time nobles were involved, things could only go wrong.


    But regardless, his eyes continued to remain trained on the morously dressed adventurer squadron and the carriage they were escorting.


    They clearly had no intention of queueing up with the rest of the onlookers, so Alex was interested to see how, and where, they would enter the city from.


    Very soon, the carriage and the adventurers reached the front, stopping right in front of an empty section of the gate, right next to the section where everyone was queuing up from.


    "VIP entrance only, please present your VIP pass or scram!"


    But it seemed the city guards manning the gate couldn''t care less for the reactions of the merchants.


    It didn''t matter to them whether the person who was trying to enter was a peasant or a noble of the highest rank ¡ª they had to provide proof that they could use this entrance regardless.


    That was the rule set out by the Mayor of Tenebrus city, a Duke.


    "Such insolence! Why I should-"


    Hearing the clearly nonchnt and dismissive tone of the guard, one of the adventurer knights ced his hand on his sword and shouted angrily at the guards for being so disrespectful.


    "It''s fine Marcus. Just do as they say and show the pass. They''re just doing their job and enforcing their city''s rules. We''re in their territory now, so we must show our respect and follow their customs."


    An elegant andmanding voice came out from the inside of the carriage and stopped the knight from doing something he would regret.


    Just from the tone of voice, it was clear that it wasn''t some ordinary, stuck up 7th son of the Augustine family who was being escorted.


    Instead, it was clearly someone who had real power and prestige in the family.


    "Yes, my lord!"


    With word from his master, the knight shut up instantly.


    Attacking the guards for disrespecting his lord was one thing, but going against his lord''s wishes was a line he didn''t want to cross!


    ''This noble seems to have at least a shadow of self respect from the way he''s acting. But just like Count Desmond back in the day, it could all be an act!''


    Alex listened intently to the conversation between the guards and the noble escort squad, interested in finding out whatever information he could about this city.


    But other than the fact that the noble seemed more like a pacifist than some he had met, he was far more interested in another piece of information he had picked up from their conversation.


    ''A VIP pass?''

 Chapter 353: VIP pass

    "Seems like we''d be able to skip this queue if we had some sort of VIP pass."


    Alex ryed the information he had gathered to Mira.


    But Mira had also been listening to the conversation of the noble carriage at the front, so she knew about the VIP pass already as well.


    "Yeah, but how do we even get one? We''re not nobles, we''re just nobodies in this ce."


    Mira brought up a very valid fact to Alex, but before they could even consider their situation a bit more, another voice loudly made their presence known from the side.


    Ptui!


    "You got that right!"


    A bulky looking man standing in the queue not too far away from them had heard Mira and Alex''s conversation about getting a VIP pass, and he couldn''t help but spit in disdain andugh at them.


    "You think you two would be qualified to get a VIP pass from the city? Haha, don''t make meugh!"


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    He spat on the floor once again for some reason¡­


    "Though, perhaps if your little girlfriend were to do me some ''favours'', I''d let here in with me, haha!"


    His tone of voice immediately disgusted Mira, especially when she heard his lecherous suggestion based on the fact that he was only 30 mins away from reaching the front and having his turne.


    But even suggesting Mira do something so disgusting just so they could skip a 10 hour wait was a joke!


    "Oh? Is that the case? Since you know so much, why don''t you tell me what the requirement for a VIP pass is then, Mr Smartass!"


    Mira clearly had enough of this guy right from the first moment he opened his mouth, and simply wanted him to embarrass himself in front of the onlookers who were facing them and listening in with interest.


    The guy spoke as if he had a VIP pass himself.


    "Well that''s simple, even a baby would know this! You must really be stupid or new around here! All you have to do is have strength, like everything else in this world! Haha¡­"


    Hisughter trailed on, and Mira could only feel her rage nearly hit her boiling point the longer she listened to his bulbousugh.


    But Alex grabbed her arm and started pulling her with him as he made his way to the front, towards the same gate the noble had just used to enter.


    "There''s no use in arguing with the locals before we''ve even made it in. Come on, let''s go try out luck."


    Alex wasn''t just doing this to pull Mira away and calm her down though.


    That was only half of the reason.


    The other half was because of the words that the bulky man had just spoken about VIP passes.


    ''All you need is strength¡­ I should have known it was as simple as that, especially in a ce like this.''


    Alex had strength, that was for sure.


    The only question was whether he would be able to obtain a VIP pass with his strength or not?


    ''There''s only one way to find out.''


    So he led Mira towards the front.


    The whole time he and Mira walked down the path to the empty VIP gate, they received nces and heckles from all sorts of people lined up in the normal queue.


    People like the bulky man from before who wanted to pick fights for the sake of picking a fight seemed to be amon urrence in this ce, as many peopleughed at them and shouted all kinds of obscenities at Mira.


    But Alex just held firmly onto her hand and led the two of them forwards with not a single change in his expression the whole time.


    Mira naturally knew what he was doing, since she had deduced the same thing from the Bulky man''s words as well, but she didn''t have the same confidence as Alex.


    She was still only a D+ rank, would such strength be enough to pass through?


    But Alex wasn''t banking on their ranks.


    He was banking on their strength.


    Going off strength alone, he was equivalent to a higher life form, and Mira was equivalent to a C+ rank Variant ss.


    If that wasn''t enough to let them pass through, then who knew what was¡­


    Soon enough, after a few minutes of a slow walk to the front, they stopped as they reached as close as they could get before the guards would attack them for trying to skip the queue.


    "VIP entrance only, please present your VIP pass or scram!"


    The same guard shouted the same sentence at them as he did with the noble entourage.


    ''It seems they really don''t discriminate against who goes where so long as they have the right credentials¡­''


    This was a pleasant surprise to Alex, as the bulky man and the majority of the normal queue were clearly the opposite, judging them and everything about them the whole time they made their way to the front.


    "I don''t have a VIP pass."


    Alex just spoke it out inly.


    There was no point in trying to beat around the bush or try to feign ignorance or anything.


    "Then scram to the back of the line!"


    The guard, doing his job, told them to effectively fuck off when he heard what Alex said.


    But instead of leaving, Alex stood his ground.


    "But I''d like to get one."


    This time, the guard and other guards around the area raised their eyebrows at Alex''s request.


    Even some of the travellers who were receiving their own entry permits at the normal gate not too far away from them looked at Alex like he was dumb.


    "Don''t you understand what VIP means!? It means this gate isn''t for you, scram!"


    "I take it back, they definitely discriminate."


    Alex didn''t keep his thoughts to himself this time, instead voicing them out to Mira, whilst making it loud enough for anybody nearby to hear.


    "A ''friend'' back there told me there are some requirements to obtain a VIP pass, would you care to inform me of those?"


    Alex wasn''t fully trusting of the bulky man''s words about strength being the only requirement, so he wanted to hear it straight from the guards themselves.

 Chapter 354: Insignia

    "Your friend would be right. But that doesn''t mean we just give out VIP passes to anyone whoes and asks for them! You have to earn them by passing our requirements, or hailing from a noble family of at least Count rank!"


    Seeing Alex''s unrelenting attitude, the guard on duty decided to y along.


    Besides, since Alex knew that there were some requirements to acquire a VIP pass, he should at least oblige him.


    Alex was right, and the Bulky man hadn''t lied about there being requirements to obtain one.


    But the bulky man was being quite vague when he mentioned needing the ''strength'' to possess one.


    Obviously, strength could only mean one thing, but it was better to actually say ''power'' than strength.


    Power referred not only to one''s own physical/magical capabilities, but also referred to influence, political power etc.


    Meanwhile strength only referred to physical/magical capabilities.


    "If you want to obtain a VIP pass, you have to pass this one simple test. First, you have to prove that you have to either be C tier or higher, or a Variant ss awakened."


    The guard exined to Alex and Mira calmly and slowly.


    ''I doubt either of you satisfy those requirements though, being C tier is one thing, but only the elite in this city are able to im Variant ss strength¡­''


    But inside, he had other thoughts about Alex and Mira.


    However, he wasn''t going to let his bias cloud his judgement.


    He himself was from a working ss family, so he knew that there could be a diamond in the rough every now and then.


    "You said ''First'' we have to satisfy one of them, so what else do we have to do?"


    Alex questioned the guard even further, pressing for more information.


    It was obvious that it wouldn''t be that easy to obtain a VIP pass ¡ª if it was, they could get one right then and there.


    "Thest requirement you need is a rmendation from a notable force."


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    And there it was.


    Of course, in a ce like this, being strong wasn''t enough to get by, unless you were strong enough to outmatch all other opposition.


    One also needed influence, it seemed.


    This was a major problem for Alex and Mira though, as neither of them had any connections in the Primordial Expanse.


    And even if they counted the meagre connections they made with people during their first two runs in this ce, they were what? Millions of kilometres away at least?


    What use would those connections be?


    In their current situation, absolutely zero.


    ''Fuck, back to the end of the line it is then¡­''


    Mira felt a little bit disheartened about their failure to secure a VIP pass and wasting a few hours of their time, but she just viewed it as a valuable learning experience.


    At least they knew how to obtain a VIP passter on then, if they ever needed it.


    But as she turned around and started walking away, Alex lightly grabbed her hand and spoke.


    "Wait."


    She was confused, but decided to listen to him.


    Mira knew Alex always had some sort of trick up his sleeve, so perhaps he had one this time?


    Well, she was about to find out.


    "Will this do as a rmendation?"


    Alex suddenly opened his hand and an insignia appeared in it.


    The guard was surprised, but only because Alex had just pulled the item out of thin air!


    ''A rich man! But he dresses so¡­ modestly, is he trying to be lowkey or something?''


    "Are you going to check it or not?"


    Over 10 seconds had passed before Alex had taken out the insignia, and nothing had happened.


    Because the guard had yet to even acknowledge Alex¡­


    He just stood there in a world of his own, and he only snapped out of it when Alex spoke up.


    "Ah, yeah!"


    He awkwardly moved closer to Alex to inspect the insignia that he held in his hand.


    But when he inspected it closely, and read the aura radiating from it, he was even more speechless.


    ''A count¡­''


    Thest thing he was expecting was for this duo who suddenly pulled up to the VIP gates, clueless about any sort of etiquette or customs of this ce to be nobles¡­


    In fact, Alex wasn''t a count at all¡­ officially.


    The insignia he had suddenly pulled out of nowhere was actually all too familiar to him.


    It was Count Desmond''s!


    Among the huge amount of Beast cores he had looted when Count Desmond was killed, this insignia was among them.


    At first, Alex thought it was just a useless piece of metal, but he kept it in his storage anyway, as a sort of memento or something like that.


    Who would have thought that it woulde in handy one day!?


    "You''ve satisfied the second requirement¡­ But you still have the first one to satisfy."


    Still a little surprised, the guard moved past his bewilderment at Alex''s supposed status, and instead pointed out one major exponent that he had yet to verify.


    It was all well and good that Alex had shown proper rmendation, but he still hadn''t proven his strength ¡ª arguably the more important factor of the two.


    "Oh, that''s easy."


    But contrary to what the guard thought, Alex looked just as rxed as he always did.


    He looked back to Mira and gave her a cheeky smile, and she returned it, knowing they were about to cause somewhat of a spectacle.


    Fwoom!


    Instantly, they both let their aura''s loose at the same time, pressuring everyone within radius of them, including the city guards!


    Alex toned down the effect of his aura a little bit, to make it not seem so ridiculous, and to also not bring too much attention to them, but Mira didn''t adjust hers one bit.


    Alex presented himself with C+ rank Mutant ss strength, while Mira loosened her D+ rank Variant ss aura with full force.


    In the end, the effect was instant.


    Everyone around them, including the guard who was dealing with them, looked shell shocked.


    Seeing C tiers and D tiers was amon urrence in Tenebrus city.


    But seeing ones above Ordinary ss was a rare sight.


    The onlookers were actually infinitely more interested in Mira, as she was Variant ss!

 Chapter 355: Overboard

    The two of them suppressed their auras after a few seconds passed, as they could tell it was putting a lot of stress on the weaker people nearby.


    The guards themselves even had cold sweat trickling down their faces, as they themselves were shocked at what they were feeling.


    They were thankful that Alex and Mira dropped them after only a few seconds, as they were bing stressed themselves!


    If one of their superiors happened to be in the area and felt those two powerful auras suppressing everyone at the city gates, not only might they mistake it as an attack, but the guards would also lose their jobs for not reporting it up the chain ofmand!


    If Alex and Mira had kept their aura up a little bit longer, they would have probably attracted quite some trouble to themselves!


    "So, does that fit your requirements?"


    Alex nonchntly asked the guard, who was still recovering from his shellshock.


    "... You didn''t have to release your aura to prove your strength¡­ We have much simpler methods of doing so¡­"


    "..."


    "..."


    Both Alex and Mira were speechless upon hearing the guard''s remark.


    ''Perhaps I did jump the gun on that¡­''


    He recalled the fact that he unleashed his aura before the guard could exin any further information to him, and understood that perhaps he had been a little bit too quick to jump the gun¡­


    ''Oh well, what''s done is done. My method was probably quicker anyway.''


    Alex didn''t bother fretting over it though.


    His whole reason for being at the VIP gate was so that he could get into the city quicker and not have to wait in that stupidly long queue, so if he had just saved himself even more time, then he was fine with going a little overboard.


    "Here."


    However out of nowhere, a third party voice suddenly spoke out to them from the sky.


    Alex, Mira, the guards and everyone else who was remotely paying attention looked up toy their eyes on the person who had just spoken.


    Above the city wall, there was a burly middle aged man floating in mid air.


    That''s right, floating.


    "A higher life form!"


    "My god¡­"


    "I''ve never seen one in my life¡­"


    Murmurs of shock and awe spread out among the crowd almost immediately as some of them recognised him as a higher life form, while others recognised him for who he was.


    "Commander Murdock!"


    The guards saluted Murdock, themander of the city guards in charge of protecting the outer walls and gates.


    He wasn''t themander of the entire city guard, only those that protected the city from external threats.


    Commander Murdock was a well known and respected B ranked higher life form among the outer city, and his ssification was unknown, but he was rumoured to be Mutant ss.


    But even he, with his strength, wasn''t qualified tomand the entire city guard.


    That position belonged only to A tier individuals.


    But regardless of that, Alex had his mind on other things.


    Because Commander Murdock had spoken directly to him and Mira.


    When he said ''here'', he had actually directed it towards the duo and thrown two objects at them.


    When theynded in Alex and Mira''s hands, they knew what they were without even having to inspect them closely.


    ''VIP passes''


    Alex didn''t know who this person was, but he assumed he had just saved him from going through all sorts of bureaucratic processes.


    Afterall, while they had just passed the requirements to obtain a VIP pass, the city would still want to collect information about them before actually dishing out the pass to them.


    But this mysterious higher life form had just saved them from going through that process.


    In fact, Alex doubted going through the VIP gates on his first time would be slower than actually waiting in the 12 hour long queue¡­


    Obviously it would be quicker for them every time after their first time registering.


    While Alex was in thought, Commander Murdock gradually made his descent from the sky tond outside the city, in front of Alex and Mira.


    "I haven''t seen such potential in a long time. Perhaps you''d consider joining our city guard?"


    But Alex was left feeling a littleplicated.


    Commander Murdock walked right past him without even giving him a second nce, and instead focused all of his attention on Mira¡­


    ''It''s because she''s Variant ss and I''m not¡­''


    Alex figured out why immediately, but that didn''t make him feel any less awkward.


    Meanwhile, Mira found the whole thing hrious.


    She was so used to being in Alex''s shadow by this point that this whole experience of her receiving all the attention and Alex being left on the side lines was new and amusing to her.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m not looking at joining any organisations for the time being!"


    But she politely apologised to Commander Murdock, since she knew that never in a million years would she do something like join the city guard of this ce.


    She made sure to purposely leave her answer ambiguous by saying ''for the time being'' though, as it might leave a bad impression on Commander Murdock if she just straight up said ''not interested'' and left it at that.


    She didn''t know of Commander Murdock''s influence in the city, and didn''t want to risk making things difficult for her and Alex if she said the wrong thing to him.


    Mira wasn''t afraid of him, she could tell that Alex was stronger.


    It''s just that both of them were still nobodies in this city regardless of if they held VIP passes or not. Continue your journey on §Þ??


    And from the way Commander Murdock could just dish out VIP passes like that, she didn''t doubt that his authority was quite high up the food chain, which was expected for a higher life form.


    "I see. Well, my offer still stands, don''t hesitate toe back to me if you ever reconsider the offer."


    Commander Murdock didn''t seem phased by Mira''s rejection at all, and only left the offer out in the open for whenever Mira felt like epting it.


    Other than that, he didn''t stay any longer and directly took to the sky once again, disappearing off into the skyline of the city.


    ''Well, that was an interesting experience.''


    Alex brushed it off as just another odd encounter, more joyful about the fact that they were finally able to enter the city!

 Chapter 356: Tenebrus city

    The guard who was dealing with Alex was still shellshocked from the whole experience, more so from the fact that Commander Murdock had shown up to personally offer to recruit Mira than anything else.


    But he was still able to function enough to allow Alex and Mira to pass through now that they both had VIP passes.


    Very soon, they made their way through the city gates. Alex inwardly wanted to shed a tear, as they were finally able to get some proper rest and shower!


    Tenebrus City was huge ¡ª that they could already tell just from seeing the portion of it that was in their view from the outside, but they could only get a real judge for its size when they entered.


    The architecture of the buildings and even the roads here were a little different than what he could remember in Valentis, before it was destroyed.


    Tenebrus seemed more focused on defence. If the outer walls were no indication, it was clear just from casually walking along the bustling streets that this ce was practically a huge fortress!


    Instead of a mixture of wood, y and stone and other such materials, every building theyid eyes on was made of brick and mortar.


    The roads were much more clean and smoothed out as well, seeming to use a material simr to concrete or asphalt rather than have them made of crudely ced stones like Valentis was.


    Mira noticed the same differences as well, as it seemed the cities and towns she had visited during her second visit to the Primordial Expanse were much like Valentis as well.


    "It seems this city takes a much more serious stance on defence than all of the other''s I''ve visited¡­"


    She quietly muttered to Alex as the two of them walked down the streets, taking in each and every sight the city had to offer.


    "Hmm, it''s a good thing though. A situation like what happened with Valentis is much less likely to happen here."


    Mira was inclined to agree with Alex, but she was also a little worried that this ce may be more dangerous than it seemed.


    Something drastic must have happened some time in the past for the city officials to focus so much of their budget on defence.


    And considering the size of the city, as well as the fact that a B rank higher life form was only themander of the outer city guard, this ce clearly had a much more powerful hierarchy than Valentis.


    ''The Mayor is probably somewhere in A tier¡­''


    If even A tiers felt threatened, then Mira was worried that the two of them mighte across something they wouldn''t be able to face in their search for beasts to kill¡­


    But that was something for the future Alex and Mira to worry about.


    They had to go out in search of beasts regardless, so they couldn''t just give up out of cowardice of what ''could'' happen.


    "What''s the first n of action then?"


    Mira asked Alex.


    Their reason foring to this ce was already deeply rooted in both of their minds, however there were some things they had to tend to first.


    Discover more content at §Þ??


    "First of all, find some ce to stay and take a shower!"


    Alex looked at the bustling crowd and smiled.


    "After all, who knows how long we''ll stay in this ce? It might be better to just rent a ce rather than staying at inns the whole time. Lodging probably isn''t cheap in a city as big as this, and you saw that line of people waiting to enter¡­ the inns are probably even more expensive!"


    Mira wasn''t in the proper frame of mind to express her feelings, but she knew that Alex was probably right.


    However, she did have some thoughts of her own.


    "Renting a ce? Wouldn''t we be hunting outside of the city most of the time? Would staying in an inn for the few nights we''re actually here really be more expensive than renting?"


    Alex went into deep thought after hearing Mira''s take on things, as she made a good point.


    "Well, it was just a thought."


    They decided to drop the topic for the time being and instead found a passer by to ask for directions to a decent inn.


    They were led to a ce near the middle section of the city, which on a normal carriage for the average unawakened person would have taken over four hours to travel to!


    It was over a hundred kilometres of travel!


    A hundred kilometres from the outer section to the mid section¡­


    This city was probably the biggest the two of them had ever heard of in the Primordial Expanse!


    Luckily for the two of them, the trip only took a few dozen minutes with their speed.


    It could have taken even less time if they didn''t have to slow down at times and manage their speed to make sure they didn''t run into anybody and turn them into a bloody mist¡­


    The inn they decided to stay at was called ''The Rosemary'', and from the outside it seemed quite rustic and weing.


    But as they entered, the seemingly endless loud chattering of the bustling street outside disappeared into silence and was reced by the charming sound of rxing music.


    ''That''s a neat trick.''


    It was clear to the two of them that this ce didn''t fall behind the expectations they had for it from the way the passer by exined it to them.


    Alex and Mira were only two of what seemed like a little under a dozen customers in the whole reception area, which seemed small for an inn in a city of this size ¡ª in the mid section no less!


    But they had noints about that, because only a few minutes passed before their turn came, and they approached thedy at the front desk.


    "We''d like a single bedroom please."


    Mira jumped in before Alex could say anything, giving him a cheeky grin.


    The two of them were used to sleeping separately from their time in University before the war broke out, but after their rather ''active'' night before, it looked like that would no longer be the case¡­

 Chapter 357: Not eligible!

    The next morning, Mira woke up feeling like a million dors, while Alex looked like he had juste back from war!


    The reason for this would long be lost in the annals of history¡­


    In the end, their room came down to 1 E+ rank Ordinary beast core per night.


    It sounded like one huge scam to Alex at first, but his mindpletely flipped when he got a look at their room.


    Only one word could properly describe it.


    ''Extravagant!''


    For the price they paid, they were actually happy with what they got.


    Besides, Alex was still getting used to being rich¡­


    He had the literal entire worth of a Count sitting in storage, not being put to use at all, so they wouldn''t have to worry about money at all during their entire stay in the Primordial Expanse.


    Other than that, Mira had to remind him that he was basically a Pseudo-Higher life form now, so he could go out and kill an E+ rank beast effortlessly, even if it was King ss¡­


    Maybe if it was King ss?


    He would have to face a King ss beast first before making that assumption.


    Anyway, the point was that he could literally earn droves of money at any time he wanted.


    ***


    An hourter, the two of them had showered, freshened up and left their room at the inn.


    Today was the day they got shit done!


    After spending so long in a slump, the two of them could wait no longer to go out and hunt some beasts, fill their requirements and leave this damned realm!


    But although this was their n, they had to take it step by step.


    Their information about this region was non-existent at all, so they had to fill in that huge gaping hole before they took the risk of venturing out and doing any hunting.


    Mira had filled Alex in on her concerns about this ce and how there might even be beasts in the region that even they might not be able to face, so they should be more careful.


    Alex knew she was right, as they had gotten quite careless over the past week since travelling across that boring ins.


    As for Tenebrus city, it definitely had many ces where they could find information about the Evermoor forest.


    Even a random passer by on the street could give them more information than they already knew!


    Not long after, Alex and Mira made their way even further into the city, reaching the inner district.


    It was another few dozen minutes of travel, with this ce being another hundred kilometres away from the mid section.


    With the core of the city being a further 50 kilometres from there, they finally realised that Tenebrus city was at least 500 kilometres in diameter!


    Such a huge city was bigger than even some small countries back in the ancient Earth times!


    But their purpose was not to reach the core, but to find a particr gathering spot of awakened in the inner district.


    Namely, the adventurer''s association!


    This ce was practically perfect for their needs, as it had everything they could want when looking for information.


    But it also had missions that they could take on, only they wouldn''t bother about any rewards for them.


    These missions would be an excellent ce to start searching for beasts that matched their criteria.


    Only they had to find the ce first.


    "That damned peddler only told us it''s in the inner district, but the inner district is massive!"


    When they were asking around for directions to the ce back in the mid section, people quickly realised that they were awakened or perhaps adventurers, and their attitude quickly flipped from being happy to provide directions to some country bumpkins, to a target to make a quick buck from.


    Adventurers had a reputation of having a lot of money, and nobody would tell them where the association was without a little mary incentive¡­


    "Maybe it''s that."


    Mira said as she pointed in a direction to the north.


    At the end of her hand, there was one distinctive building that stood out from the rest.


    Because it was at least twice as tall as any buildings surrounding it!


    "Might as well go check it out, it''s better than giving another beast core to one of these greedy fuckers!"


    Alex was still a little mad about being peddled for money.


    He could have gotten another night''s stay in The Rosemary with the price he paid for that information!


    But he toned his anger down while he was with Mira.


    The two of them made their way through the streets, looking rather out of ce, as they made their way over to the building that stood out.


    Everybody around them was either wearing clean, smart business clothes, or armour.


    It was clear that only wealthy people or adventurers could afford to be in a ce like this.


    There were very few people who wore something different, with Alex and Mira being two of them.


    They received many looks because of this, but they didn''t bat an eye at any of them.


    All those looks turned away from them the moment they saw the speed they were running at anyway.


    "You were right!"


    When they arrived, Alex couldn''t help butugh in joy as Mira''s assumption turned out to be correct about the tall building.


    It was the adventurer''s association.


    There was no sign that indicated it was so, but it was the only building for kilometres that adventurers were going in and out of in droves.


    Only one ce could be like this in the inner district.


    "Let''s head in and start looking for any suitable beasts."


    They didn''t waste any more time and headed right in.


    Luckily, Alex still had his adventurer licence from thest time he signed up in Valentis city, and from what he knew, they were universal and worked as identification no matter where you were in the Primordial Expanse, as long as there was an adventurer''s association there.


    "I''m sorry, but your rank is too low to ept these missions!"


    But of course, they hit a roadblock when they found two missions they liked¡­


    ''The fuck do they mean my rank is too low! It''s a D+ rank mission for god sake!?''


    The problem turned out to be that Alex''s adventurer licence was long outdated, as he had only registered it when he was an F tier!

 Chapter 358: Looking for information

    "Are you saying I can''t take these missions because I''m not a high enough rank?"


    Alex asked the receptionist just to confirm what he was hearing.


    "Yes. Please apply for a rank assessment if you wish to upgrade your licence!"


    The receptionist was very professional, maintaining her positive attitude the whole time through the process.


    "How long would that take?"


    Naturally, as always, the first thing Alex was concerned about when it came to this was time.


    He and Mira didn''t want to spend more time in the Primordial Expanse than they had to.


    "The current wait time is 7 days, is there anything else I can help you with sir?"


    Alex was clearly taking up some of the receptionist''s precious time as their conversation continued though, as she tried to usher him along to finish the conversation so she could move on to the next customer.


    Her performance review wasing up and she would naturally be gged for review if people like Alex dragged down her numbers because they held up the line!


    "One more question, I can''t ept these missions obviously, but I can still freely browse them?"


    Alex wasn''t bothered about what sort of inconveniences he was causing for the receptionist, all he cared about was this onest question getting answered.


    "Yes. Next please!"


    She answered his question quickly and ushered the next adventurer standing in line over before she gave Alex the chance to ask anything else.


    "What do we do?"


    Mira asked Alex, at a bit of a loss.


    They couldn''t ept missions because of Alex''s low rank, and herck of any rank at all since she wasn''t an adventurer.


    But worst of all, it would be at least 7 days before they would have the chance to upgrade their ranks!


    Mira could do it right then and there, but that would mean nothing if Alex would still be stuck as an F tier adventurer!


    "Nothing''s changed, we still follow the n!"


    Alex replied to Mira with his spirits still high.


    "Did you hear her answer to myst question? We can still browse the missions, so we can still get all the information we need from reading them! We just won''t be able to im any rewards from the adventurer association for them."


    It was only after Alex exined to her his thoughts that Mira understood.


    ''So it''s like this!''


    Mira wasn''t familiar with the way the adventurer association worked, so she didn''t know if they would still be able to find useful information from the missions or not, but since Alex was confident, she had confidence in him.


    "Let''s see here¡­"


    Soon enough, they found themselves back at the mission boards.


    "We should focus onpleting your requirements first. A few D or C tier Variant ss beasts will be much easier to find than a B+ rank Variant ss beast¡­"


    Alex still felt somewhat speechless and a little distraught at how outrageous his requirements were, but he couldn''t do anything butin.


    "Try and look for missions that mention areas which might be a hotspot for these types of beasts. That way we can maybeplete your requirements in one mission and shorten our stay in the Primordial Expanse."


    Alex gave Mira a bit of advice, while he continued to scan the thousands of mission postings on the board himself.


    ***


    "Found one!"


    It was only after 5 minutes of scanning the board that Mira called out to Alex a little excitedly.


    Alex dropped what he was doing and moved over to her side to read the mission she had picked out.


    "1000 kilometres north west of the city, a hotspot for C tier Leopard type beasts. Beast strength can vary from Ordinary to Variant ss! Rmended rank, B- Mutant ss or C+ Variant ss, a party of three or more. Danger level: Extreme!"


    The mission seemed promising from what he was reading.


    Although it wasn''t quite an area where Variant ss beasts were guaranteed to be found, it was better than any of the other missions they had scanned.


    Most of the other missions involving Variant ss beasts were those that rallied together a group of Mutant ss adventurers to take on the beast together, which would be useless to Mira since her requirement was to kill them alone.


    Other Variant ss missions were either 50,000 kilometres away with only one beast being guaranteed, or one that didn''t fit her requirements.


    So far, this mission only 1000 kilometres away from the city was their best bet.


    ***


    "Puha, did you see those kids looking at the Extreme danger level section of Variant ss missions!"


    A voice drilled through the air, its tone clearly condescending and the masculine edge to it clearly belonging to a man.


    "Looks like we got some more suicidal adventurers!"


    "Yeah haha!"


    "What idiots!"


    More voices joined in the ridicule and sarcasm from all around the mission hall, all wanting to witness the massacre that would happen in the north west forest.


    But s, none of them were strong enough to even dare step foot in that area, let alone challenged the beasts that roamed there.


    ***


    "Looks like we''re nearly there!"


    Mira called from the side, her voice carrying across her eagerness for battle quite clearly.


    It took them nearly an hour to clear the city streets and exit through the city gate on the north west side of the city.


    The dense traffic and bustling streets made it so they had to move at a drastically slower speed than they were used to.


    But they made it through the gates quite easily because of their VIP passes.


    And when they were finally outside, they could let loose all they liked without worrying about injuring some random passer by!


    Compared to traversing across 300 kilometres of the city in an hour to exit it, they made it to the designated area 1000 kilometres away in less than 20 minutes thanks to their increased speed.


    Although it wasn''t any record breaking speeds for Alex, it was for Mira!

 Chapter 359: On the hunt

    As they approached the area designated by the mission, thendscape changed drastically.


    Compared to the city, where thend was mostly t terrain to make for easier transportation through the huge ce, the jungle outside gave way for rolling hills and dense, untamed forestry.


    "Yeah, this is the kind of ce you''d expect to find Leopard type beasts in. It looks like we got the right ce!"


    Mira eximed, looking all around them.


    Alex surveyed the surroundings with a more critical eye.


    The mission had warned them about the extreme danger level, and while it had stated that the beasts here could only go up to C+ rank Variant ss, he had no intention of underestimating the situation.


    He would only make a judgement on if this ce was safe to hunt after checking the validity of that information himself, rather than blindly trusting the word of the anonymous mission poster.


    The forest was eerily quiet, save for the asional rustling of leaves.


    It was the kind of silence that set one''s nerves on edge.


    Even Mira had quickly adapted to the situation and had dropped her excitement after a short few moments of surveying the area.


    "Stay alert," Alex advised Mira.


    "Even though the beasts are supposed to be in this area, they might not make themselves known right away. They''re smart and territorial."


    Mira nodded, her expression just as serious as Alex''s.


    "Not to mention our Spatial perception doesn''t work in this realm, so we have to be even more alert!"


    They moved cautiously through the forest, Alex leading the way with experienced ease.


    Mira followed closely, her senses trained on the environment around them at all times.


    After a few dozen minutes of navigating through the dense foliage, they reached a clearing with a raised vantage point.


    Alex crouched down alongside Mira and they both kept watch with keen eyes, scanning the surroundings of any movement.


    "There''s something moving over there!"


    Mira was the first to spot something and pointed to a section of the forest where the trees seemed to shift slightly.


    Alex focused his gaze on the area Mira pointed to.


    His eyesight was much more focused and better than Mira''s, so he would be able to get a better idea of what was going on over there.


    "It looks like a leopard beast just attacked another bird type beast, and that''s why we saw the trees shaking, because it was hiding and stalking from the canopy!"


    Alex was surprised to see a leopard beast already in their sights, as it hadn''t even been an hour since they had been searching yet.


    But he was happy nevertheless.


    ''If it''s a Variant ss beast that would just be the best!''


    Of course, it would only really matter if the beast matched Mira''s requirements though, as that was what they were really after.


    "Let''s get a closer look. It seems like their fight has already concluded, with the leopard beasting out as the victor."


    They moved from their vantage point, making sure to keep a close eye on their surroundings.


    They didn''t want to be sneak attacked by another beast because they were so focused on this other beast they were tracking.


    That would just be embarrassing.


    Alex and Mira approached the area where the leopard beast had been observed, moving with stealth.


    Their movements and footsteps barely made any sound at all.


    The dense foliage made for ample cover, and they carefully navigated their way through the underbrush to avoid making any noise that could alert the beast.


    If they were too slow or alerted the leopard beast of their presence, they could scare it into escaping.


    While Alex wouldn''t have any trouble catching it if it was Variant ss, Mira would.


    That was why they were being so cautious though, if Alex even interfered in the slightest bit, even blocking the leopard''s path of escape without attacking or defending at all, it would count as interference and Mira wouldn''t get credit for it as a solo kill.


    But of course, this all only mattered if it was a Mutant ss beast.


    As they approached the bit of underbrush where the battle had taken ce, Alex signalled Mira to stay low and move quietly.


    His and Mira''s sharp eyes scanned the area, noting the faint trails of disrupted foliage and the asional bloodstains on the ground.


    It was clear that a struggle had taken ce here, but the leopard beast had won, as evidenced by the half eaten bird beast corpse nearby¡­


    Alex took a position behind a tree, using it as cover while Mira crept forward, her focus entirely on finding the leopard.


    The leopard beast, now resting in a shaded patch of the clearing, appeared to be in a moment of repose.


    Its sleek, spotted fur gleamed in the dim sunlight. There was a rxing air around it, like it had just enjoyed a grand feast and entered a fooda shortly after.


    "Be ready," Alex whispered to Mira. "It''s sleeping, but could still prove dangerous."


    Mira nodded, her expression serious.


    She drew her weapon, and moved in with precision and agility that came as second nature thanks to all her training.


    Alex watched closely, ready to provide assistance if the worst case scenario happened, though he hoped Mira could handle it alone.


    Mira approached the leopard beast as silently as she could possibly manage, even making sure to not breathe at all.


    The beast remainedpletely unaware of her presence, resting with its head lowered.


    Mira took advantage of this moment of vulnerability.


    Taking up an attack stance, she closed the distance and struck with her de, aiming for the vital spot underneath the leopard''s jaw.


    This area was nearly unhindered by bone and striking it with enough force and upward motion would allow her to directly pierce through the gaps and right into the beast''s brain.


    The de cut through the air with a precision strike,nding exactly where Mira was aiming.


    The beast''s eyes opened wide with pain and surprise for a split second.


    But within moments, it was subdued, and any struggle that may have happened ceased within the instant.


    Alex, rushing out of his cover, shouted towards Mira in anticipation.


    "Well? Was it a Variant ss!?"

 Chapter 360: Hunting (1)

    Alex was excited, anticipating an answer from Mira, almost too impatient to wait and go inspect the beast corpse itself.


    "Mutant ss."


    However Mira had to be the bearer of bad news. She let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping as the excitement drained from her.


    Unfortunately, the beast was only a Mutant ss leopard, rather than a Variant ss.


    Both Mira and Alex''s faces sank in disappointment, as they had just spent thest few hours searching and stalking this thing, only for it to turn out to be a waste of time.


    "All that effort¡­ for nothing." Mira muttered, wiping her de clean of the beast''s blood before sheathing it.


    Alex walked over, giving the fallen beast a quick nce.


    He understood the frustration ¡ª he himself was just as frustrated, but it wasn''t the end of the world.


    "It''s not a total waste. We''ve learned that these beasts are quitezy, sleeping out in the open after eating a snack, not to mention we''ve learned more about how they hunt now, so we can track them down easier. Plus, even if it was a Variant ss beast, we wouldn''t be done yet."


    Mira crossed her arms and shot Alex a sceptical look. "You always try to make things sound better than they are."


    Alex shrugged, a slight smile on his face.


    "It''s called optimism!"


    Mira chuckled, but her frustration still lingered.


    "Well, let''s hope the next one is actually worth the effort. I''m not sure how many more of these false rms I can take."


    Alex could tell that Mira was a little disheartened at the moment, so he decided to try and divert some of the negativity to himself to ease Mira''s own mind.


    "How do you think I feel, I have to kill a B+ rank Variant ss beast! Where the hell are we gonna find one of those!"


    "..."


    ***


    The two of them stood in the clearing for a moment, catching their breath as they surveyed the area.


    The air was thick with the smell of fresh blood and crushed foliage, obvious signs of the recent struggle that took ce.


    "I have an idea."


    Alex came out of thought and looked at Mira with a smirk.


    "Well, out with it then!"


    Mira yfully smacked his arm when she saw how he was holding back from revealing his idea yet and just stared at her cheekily.


    "We can use this corpse as bait! Leave it out in the open for the smell to linger and spread throughout the area! Any beasts nearby will surelye over to investigate, and if we''re lucky maybe even a Variant ss beast will!"


    Alex''s idea was rather simple and didn''t take much processing power to think of, but it was also a gamble.


    Their normal strategy would be to continuously stay on the move to cover as much area as they could, and by using the leopard corpse as bait, they were giving up any opportunity of finding beasts if they were to cover ground instead.


    There was no guarantee that any nearby beasts woulde over to investigate the smell of fresh meat if they just left it out in the open, so this could all be for nothing and an even bigger waste of time.


    Mira considered Alex''s n, her brow furrowed in thought.


    "It''s risky." She spoke, ncing down at the leopard corpse.


    "But it could work. The smell will spread far, and if a stronger predator is nearby, we might just get lucky. Heck, we might even lure multiple beasts in, increasing our chances!"


    Alex gave her a reassuring nod. "Exactly. We can''t keep roaming aimlessly, hoping to find a beast without the help of our spatial perceptions. This way, we will bring the fight to us, on our terms!"


    Mira sighed, still unsure but willing to take the chance.


    "Alright, let''s do it. But if nothing shows up, you owe me another night like thest one, hehe!"


    She gave him a teasing grin, and refused to borate further¡­


    Though there was also a serious undertone to her words.


    The two quickly set to work, dragging the leopard''s corpse out into the centre of the clearing.


    They made sure to leave it in an open area, where any passing predator would easily see it.


    The scent of blood was already thick in the air, and Alex made sure to slice the leopard up a bit to let even more blood flow out.


    The scent was carried by the faint breeze that swept through the trees.


    "We''ll set up a perimeter here," Alex said, scanning the surrounding area.


    "We need to find a ce to hide while we wait."


    They moved quickly, finding a pair of sturdy trees with enough cover to keep them concealed.


    Mira climbed onto the branches of one and perched her back and feet up against the main trunk.


    This position would allow her to springboard off the tree and pounce extraordinarily fast at any beast that showed up in the clearing.


    Meanwhile, Alex took a more passive stance but made sure to keep Virtue''s Edge at the ready and his senses on full alert at any time.


    Time stretched thin as Alex and Mira waited in their respective positions, the jungle bing eerily silent around them.


    The scent of blood continued to waft through the air, even filling up both of their noses now.


    Their n of letting the wind carry the smell was clearly working.


    If even they could smell it like it was right in front of them, then the beasts would be able to smell it just as clearly from much farther away with their superior smell.


    Mira shifted lightly on her branch, her eyes scanning the tree line.


    "How long do you think it''ll take for something to show up?"


    She whispered to Alex, her voice barely audible.


    "Patience," Alex murmured back, eyes still fixed on the clearing.


    "Predators are cautious, especially if they sense something stronger nearby. They won''t just rush in."


    Mira considered Alex''s words, and while they did sound trustworthy, there was just one thing she had to ask.

 Chapter 361: Hunting (2)

    "But don''t beasts attack indiscriminately? They aren''t just normal predators."


    Alex looked over to her at this point, making sure she could hear him clearly.


    "They will attack us since we are human, regardless of strength ¡ª because they arepelled to by a higher force, but when ites to other beasts it is different. It''s just like any predator-prey rtionship in nature."


    "The stronger one is the predator, the weaker one is prey."


    Mira listened to Alex''s exnation intently, but she had almost entirely nked out everything he said about predator-prey h h h¡­


    Because there was one thing that stuck in her mind since she heard it.


    "Compelled by a higher force to attack us!??"


    Alex could only look at her helplessly and redirect her focus back onto the actual task at hand.


    "I''ll tell you about it in more detailter, right now we need to focus!"


    Minutes turned into hours as the tension grew heavier.


    Alex''s mind raced, considering if they should keep this up.


    Even his optimism was starting to waver at this point, with no indication of any beasts yet toe nearby whatsoever.


    Just one Variant ss beast, that was all they were asking for to show up, then they could move forward to another area and try a simr method again.


    If not, they might be stuck in this dense jungle ¡ª in the Primordial Expanse itself for even longer.


    The wait wasn''t ideal, but it was necessary.


    Suddenly though, Mira''s body tensed.


    "Movement."


    Without using her words, she signalled to Alex with her hands to signify that she spotted movement near the periphery, where the dense jungle met the clearing.


    Alex immediately refocused his attention, his grip tightening around Virtue''s Edge.


    He was ready to strike, but only in the event that Mira couldn''t handle what wasing.


    Sure enough, something was stirring in the underbrush.


    He could see faint shes of movement as somethingrge moved stealthily toward the bait.


    But while it was moving stealthily, itsrge body was actually working against it.


    Out from the dense forest emerged a massive creature.


    Its sleek, spotted coat shimmered faintly in the dim light as it prowled into the clearing.


    This leopard wasrger, muchrger than the one they had killed earlier, and was almost all ck in colour, except for the odd brown patches that showed up when faced directly under sunlight.


    Its muscles rippled with every step, eyes glowing a faint yellow, locked onto the carcass of the fallen leopard, and it moved to it with a calcted grace that emanated an aura practically announcing itself like it was the king of this jungle.


    ''A ck leopard!''


    Alex didn''t know whether the different shading on the coat meant anything, but the beast sure looked damn cool!


    ''That thing has to be a Variant ss beast! I''ll eat my fist if even something as menacing looking as that is only a Mutant ss!''


    Alex breathed rapidly, easing his surging emotions.


    He had almost just run in to fight the beast himself and had to hold himself back from doing so.


    Mira had to be the one to kill this beast single handedly, not him! Regardless of how much he wanted to fight it¡­


    Mira''s eyes narrowed as she observed the ck leopard circling the carcass, while making constant checks of its surroundings to make sure no other beasts were nearby oring in to steal its meal.


    Alex remained stationary, watching her from the corner of his eye, ready to jump in if needed.


    The leopard cautiously approached the bait, sniffing the air, its senses sharp and alert.


    Mira wanted to wait a bit longer to let the perfect opportunity to strike to present itself, but it seemed things had gone a little sideways.


    The huge ck leopard just continued to sniff the air, without even taking notice of the beast carcass right below it.


    ''Shit, it smelled our scent!''


    Alex realised what was wrong right away.


    They had intended for the smell of blood to spread as far and wide as possible, but they had clearly achieved something they hadn''t taken into consideration.


    Mira''s scent must have still lingered on the beast''s corpse, and the metallic scent left behind by her de in the wound was a clear signal that whatever killed this leopard beast wasn''t another beast!


    "Mira, attack it now!"


    Alex knew there wasn''t any time left to waste, and the element of surprise was no longer an option now that the ck leopard had picked up on their scent.


    With a powerful burst of speed, Miraunched herself from the branch, descending silently like a shadow.


    Her de gleamed in the faint light as she aimed directly for the ck leopard''s neck.


    But the beast, already on high alert from detecting their scent, reacted swiftly.


    It shifted its body just in time, and instead of slicing through its neck, Mira''s de struck a powerful blow to its shoulder, embedding itself deeply into the dense muscle.


    "Roarrrr!"


    The ck leopard''s eyes burned with fury as it spun around to face Mira.


    Blood sprayed from the deep gash on its shoulder, but it was not a fatal wound ¡ª far from it.


    Miranded lightly on her feet, eyes wide with frustration.


    She had missed the kill shot, but there was no time to dwell on it now.


    The ck leopard lunged at her will incredible speed, ws extended, aiming to swipe her down. There was a trace of energy at the tips of the ws, something that clearly belonged to an element.


    Mira narrowly dodged to the side, her reflexes razor sharp and on edge, but the sheer force of the beast''s attack grazed her arm, tearing her sleeve and drawing blood.


    "Arrghh!"


    Mira let out a pained groan but she didn''t let it affect her judgement.


    "Mira!"


    Alex shouted from his position, watching the scene unfold.


    He could tell that the beast was stronger and faster than anticipated.


    His instincts screamed at him to jump in, but he knew better than to do that just yet.


    The ck leopard circled her, its movements still fluid despite the injury to its shoulder.


    It growled low with its throat, its yellow eyes glowing with a primal rage.


    "Roarrr!"


    It pounced again!


    This time Mira couldn''t dodge!

 Chapter 362: Black leopard

    The ck leopard pounced with terrifying speed, its massive form bearing down on Mira.


    She braced herself, knowing she couldn''t dodge in time.


    "Hyahh!"


    With a grunt, she raised her de to intercept the beast''s ws, but the force of the impact nearly knocked her off her feet.


    CLANG!


    The ws, shimmering with elemental energy of unknown origin, collided with her de, sending a jarring shockwave up her arms.


    The power behind the strike was immense, and she could feel the energy coursing through her de, threatening to tear it from her grasp.


    Gritting her teeth, she pushed back against the leopard''s weight, but the beast''s overwhelming strength made it a losing battle


    "Mira!"


    Alex shouted again, his voice edged with concern.


    Mira''s muscles screamed in protest as she held the beast off, her feet digging into the dirt for leverage.


    The leopard snarled, its bloodied shoulder only adding to its rage, and with a sudden twist of its body, it forced Mira into the ground, pinning her beneath its weight.


    ''This thing is definitely a Variant ss beast!''


    But while the situation was quite anxiety inducing to Alex as he watched from afar, Mira was high in spirits!


    It was naturally because this beast fit her requirements, and it was higher ranked than her too!


    She would only have to kill two more beasts like this one and then she would be able to leave the Primordial Expanse whenever she liked!


    The sharp burning sensation of the elemental energy continued to ripple across Mira''s skin as the ck leopard''s ws pressed down on her de, pushing it dangerously close to her chest.


    Mira''s heart continued to race, whether it be due to adrenaline or fear ¡ª she could feel the heat radiating from the beast''s ws, just inches from her body.


    With such a close up look and feel for the elemental energy wafting from the beast''s ws, Mira could finally guess what element it was that it manipted.


    ''It feels like a mix of lightning and fire¡­?''


    But she couldn''t quite get an exact grasp on it.


    She summoned all the strength she could muster and shifted her weight, rolling to the side.


    The movement dislodged the leopard''s bnce just enough to give her a sliver of space to escape.


    She twisted her body and, with a fierce grunt, kicked the beast off her, sending it stumbling backward for a moment.


    Breathing heavily, Mira scrambled to her feet, her arm throbbing from the earlier wound.


    Blood dripped from her sleeve, but she pushed the pain aside, focusing entirely on the ck leopard.


    The beast recovered quickly, its eyes never leaving Mira ¡ª those yellow orbs glowing with uncertain intelligence.


    It bared its teeth, preparing for another attack. Mira''s heart pounded in her chest, but her gaze remained sharp.


    She couldn''t afford another mistake like that.


    Alex, still watching from the edge of the clearing, felt his instincts re up again.


    He could see the exhaustion beginning to creep into Mira''s movements once again.


    She had taken a brutal hit, and the ck leopard showed no signs of backing down.


    His grip tightened around Virtue''s Edge, but he held back.


    This was Mira''s fight ¡ª if he interfered too soon, this whole thing could all be for nothing.


    The leopard roared once more, its elemental energy surging through its body, manifesting as glowing lines across its ws.


    With terrifying speed, it leaped at her again, but this time Mira was ready.


    She sidestepped at thest possible second, her movements uncharacteristically fluid.


    As the beast sailed past her, she spun on her heel and brought her de down in a clean arc, aiming for the wounded shoulder once again.


    "ROARRR!"


    Her de sliced deep into the muscle, and this time the ck leopard let out a howl of agony, its body twisting in mid air as it crashed to the ground.


    The beast was injured now ¡ª seriously.


    Blood poured from its wounds, staining the grass beneath it.


    It tried to rise, its legs shaking from the effort, but the damage was too great.


    The ck leopard''s body sagged, its breathing ragged and uneven.


    Mira stood over it, panting heavily, her de still at the ready in case the beast made another move.


    But the ck leopard was finished.


    It let out onest, pained growl before copsing to the ground, its glowing yellow eyes dimming as the life drained from its massive form.


    For a moment, silence filled the clearing, broken only by the sound of Mira''sboured breathing.


    Alex rushed over at this moment, his eyes wide with concern and admiration.


    "You did it!" he spoke, his voice filled with relief. "That was¡ª"


    Mira cut him off with a weak smile, still catching her breath.


    "Close¡­ too close."


    Alex nced down at the ck leopard''s corpse, then back at her.


    "But you won, and you didn''t even have to use Golden Presence this time! That''s what really matters!"


    Mira nodded, her legs wobbled slightly from the strain.


    Alex moved quickly, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder.


    She shot him a grateful look as she sheathed her de, wincing slightly as her injured arm protested.


    "I''m fine."


    She said, though her voice was softer than usual.


    Alex eyed the blood staining her sleeve but didn''t push further.


    He knew she wouldn''t admit if she was hurting anyway.


    Instead, he turned to the massive beast lying motionless before them.


    "This thing was strong, definitely a Variant ss."


    Mira nodded in agreement, still catching her breath.


    "We should be more careful, I wasn''t expecting a fight like that."


    Alex smiled wryly.


    "Well, we know now to mask our scents for next time. But right now, let''s deal with this thing and get out of here."


    Mira chuckled lightly, shaking off thest of the tension.


    "Yeah, no more surprises. Let''s get out before something else shows up."


    "Come on." Alex said, while supporting her so she could remain on her two feet.


    "Next time, let''s make sure the beast doesn''t get so close to wing your face off."


    Mira rolled her eyes at him but smiled back.

 Chapter 363: Newbies

    The mission hall in Tenebrus city was alive with its usual buzz of activity.


    Adventurers of all kinds of ranks and status filled the space, some seated at wooden tables in groups, others crowding the mission boards, eyeing potential missions with interest.


    The air smelled of sweat, old leather, and cheap ale, and the dim lighting only added to the gritty atmosphere.


    In one corner of the hall, arge group of adventurers had gathered,ughing boisterously as they exchanged jabs and stories.


    Their attention wasn''t on their own aplishments, however, but on two ''newbie'' adventurers who had taken on a job that not even any sane expert adventurer would.


    "I''ll give it a day, tops." A grizzled man with a deep scar running across his cheek said, leaning back in his chair, feet kicked up on the table.


    "No way they survive in the northwest forest. That ce is crawling with Mutant ss beasts, even a rare Variant ss shows up every now and then! That ce is way above their pay grade."


    A chorus ofughter erupted from the group.


    "And you say they''re heading out there?" another adventurer asked incredulously, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    "Those two kids? Ha! They''ll be lucky if they make it past the first night."


    A tall woman with short cropped hair smirked and tossed a coin onto the table.


    "One D+ rank beast core says they''re already beast food."


    The grizzly man with the scar looked at her with a smirk.


    "A Mutant ss beast core? You sure must be confident in your bet."


    The others followed suit, clinking beast cores and coins together as they ced their bets.


    Each one seemed more confident in thest that they would never see the two newbies, Alex and Mira, again.


    "They probably pissed themselves and ran the moment they saw a beast!"


    Someone else chimed in, drawing moreughter from the group.


    "One Variant ss beast core on theming back alive, evenpleting the mission!"


    Another, quieter voice chimed in from the side.


    It came from an unassuming woman who had gonergely unnoticed this entire time.


    The banter continued, and the adventurers relished in their mockery, already counting their winnings in their heads.


    But as they settled into their jeers, amotion stirred near the entrance of the mission hall.


    The heavy wooden doors swung open with a loud creak, causing several heads to turn in that direction.


    "What''s all the ruckus about?"


    The scarred man grumbled, leaning forward in his seat to get a better view.


    The group''s chatter died down as curiosity spread among them.


    Expecting nothing more than another group of weary adventurers returning from a routine mission, they turned their attentionzily toward the entrance.


    But what they saw stopped the room cold.


    Alex and Mira.


    The ''newbie'' adventurers everyone had written off as dead.


    Dragging behind them the massive, lifeless corpse of a ck leopard.


    For a moment, silence filled the hall as everyone''s gaze locked onto the two figures.


    Alex, looking like a million dors, stood tall, his sword sheathed but carrying the weight of victory.


    Mira, blood staining her sleeve, walked beside him, her eyes sharp despite the exhaustion that was clearly etched into her features.


    And behind them, the hulking body of the beast they had brought back ¡ª a beast that was far from ordinary.


    The ck leopard''s sleek, spotted cloak shimmered even in death, its muscr form unmistakably that of a Variant ss predator.


    Blood still dripped from the deep gashes across its body, and its yellow eyes, now dim and lifeless, seemed to stare out at the stunned crowd.


    Therge group of adventurers at the corner table exchanged looks of disbelief, theirughter now a distant memory.


    All except for thest, unassuming woman, who wasughing her heart out at the moment.


    She had ced thergest bet there in what the others called a foolish move, but now look at them!


    All of their money was going into her pockets now!


    The scarred man leaned forward, mouth slightly agape.


    "That¡­ that''s a ck leopard from the northwest forest¡­"


    One of the younger adventurers, his face pale, shook his head in disbelief.


    "That can''t be. They''re just rookies. How could they¡ª"


    "Rookies?" Another interrupted, eyes glued to the scene unfolding before their very eyes.


    "They just killed a Variant ss beast!"


    The rest of the hall began to murmur in shock and awe as Alex and Mira, dragging the beast with them, walked unassumingly towards the mission desk.


    ***


    As they reached the desk, Alex noticed that the mission clerk was the same cheerful, professional woman as before.


    But this time she was too shocked to express any sort of cheerful demeanour or even act in a professional manner.


    "I''d love to turn this in as a mission sess, but unfortunately I''m not qualified since I''m such a low rank! Damn, I guess I''ll just take this corpse elsewhere then, I''m sure many people would be willing to buy it!"


    Alex started speaking, and it was evident immediately that he was ridiculing the receptionist''s earlier refusal to give them the mission.


    But while it was spoke for the receptionist, It was also directed towards everyone else in the mission hall who had ridiculed them and evenughed at them simply because they had underestimated the two of them.


    Why would they have dragged the beast corpse over if it weren''t for this sole purpose?


    They could have just put it in either one of their storages.


    But it was much more fun to see all the reactions of the shocked adventurers and mission clerks this way.


    The mission clerk cked rapidly, her eyes darting between Alex, Mira, and the enormous ck leopard corpse lying at their feet.


    Her usual professionalism had all but vanished, reced by a ck jawed expression of disbelief.


    Her hands trembled slightly as she fumbled with the quill and ledger in front of her, trying to regain herposure.


    "So what is it? Going to give us the mission rewards or not?"


    Alex pressed her further.

 Chapter 364: Insignia

    The mission clerk, still flustered, snapped back to reality with Alex''s words. Her face flushed as she quickly gathered herself, fumbling with the ledger as if searching for the right protocol.


    "Yes, yes! Of course, I-I''ll handle it right away," she stammered, her eyes flicking nervously from Alex to the massive ck leopard sprawled across the floor. She motioned to a pair of assistants standing nearby, who looked just as dumbfounded as everyone else in the hall.


    The assistants hurried forward to inspect the beast, still casting stunned nces at Alex and Mira. As they moved closer, the scent of blood and the raw size of the ck leopard made them hesitate, but they knelt down, examining the corpse carefully. One of them ran his hand over the beast''s coat, marvelling at the lethal ws and the sheer power its form suggested.


    "It''s definitely a Variant ss¡­" one of the assistants muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "They actually took this thing down."


    The murmurs in the hall grew louder. Alex could hear the whispers of disbelief and awe swirling around him, but he paid them no mind. His focus remained on the mission clerk, who was now scribbling hastily in the ledger, her quill scratching across the parchment.


    Mira leaned against the desk, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at the scene unfolding around them. Her exhaustion was visible, but there was a clear satisfaction in her expression. They had done what no one thought possible¡ªand they had done it spectacrly.


    Finally, the clerk finished her notes, ncing up at them with a forced smile, though her hands still trembled as she reached into a drawer beneath the counter. She pulled out a heavy pouch of coins and slid it across the desk toward Alex.


    "Here is your reward," she said, her voice shaky but trying to maintain some semnce of professionalism. "It''s¡­ the full amount, plus a bonus for the Variant ss beast. You''ve¡ªwell, you''ve exceeded expectations."


    Alex picked up the item the clerk handed him.


    It was the first time in a while he was actually intrigued by an item he had earned or received.


    Most of the time, the reward for anything was beast cores, which were obviously useless to Alex, while Mira had her own methods of obtaining them.


    Alex wished he could erase Mira''s need for beast cores by providing her with soul orbs as well, but it just simply wasn''t a viable option with how low the drop rate of them was.


    He would only be able to consider doing this when they both reached B tier.


    The reason for that was still unknown to him though, in fact he didn''t even know where he got that idea from. It was just a nagging and almost obsessive feeling in his gut that told him this was the right time to start farming soul orbs not only for himself, but also for Mira.


    But his mind quickly returned back to reality after a few moments of consideration.


    This was because the item in his hand was different than any other reward he had received, aside from his ship King, which was obviously the only other exception.


    It was a piece of metal.


    More specifically, an insignia, just like the one Alex had proimed his own from Count Desmond''s possessions, as well as the insignias he saw on the noble carriage back before they entered Tenebrus city.


    On it, there was just a few words.


    ''Rothwind Smithy''


    It was obviously the name of some sort of cksmith shop, but just the fact that this small token of sorts was enough to bepensation forpleting a Variant ss C tier mission was intriguing to Alex.


    He turned back to the clerk, his smirk widening. "Exceeding expectations is kind of our thing."


    Mira chuckled softly beside him, and Alex gave her a quick nod before he turned to leave. As they walked toward the exit, dragging the leopard''s corpse behind them for a final dramatic flourish, the crowd parted once again, their stunned faces following the pair''s every movement.


    Just before reaching the door, Alex paused and cast onest look over his shoulder at the adventurers who had bet against them. The scarred man, who had been so confident they wouldn''t return, was ring at the ground, his pride clearly shattered.


    "Till next time," Alex said, his voice carrying through the now-silent hall, "sucks to be wrong, doesn''t it?."


    With that, he and Mira stepped through the door, letting it creak shut behind them, leaving the mission hall in stunned silence.


    The unassuming woman who had ced her bet on Alex and Mira''s sess let out a long, triumphantugh, her hands filled with coins and beast cores as she collected her winnings from the others at the table.


    "Well, well," she said with a wide grin, pocketing her earnings. "Looks like those rookies aren''t quite what you thought, huh?"


    The scarred man grumbled something under his breath, but there was no hiding the humiliation on his face. The hall slowly began to stir back to life, though the energy hadpletely shifted. Alex and Mira were no longer the rookies everyone could mock. They had earned the respect¡ªbegrudging or not¡ªof the entire room.


    Whether they actually cared about this respect or not remained to be seen.


    Alex was just doing that whole thing to amuse himself, and Mira went along with it because she thought it was quite funny to watch.


    Outside the hall, Alex and Mira walked down the street, their feelings still fresh. Mira gave him a sidelong nce, smirking slightly.


    "You think we''ll ever stop being the ''newbies'' around here?" she asked, wiping a bit of dirt from her sleeve.


    Alexughed softly. "Not until we do something even crazier. But honestly, I''m fine with that. Keeps things interesting."


    Mira snorted. "You and your love for drama."


    Alex shrugged. "It works, doesn''t it?"


    They continued down the road, Alex leading the duo.


    They were originally going to go find a butcher to turn the ck leopard into a tasty meal, but after receiving the insignia, Alex decided on a different destination.

 Chapter 365: Rothwind

    Alex and Mira continued down the busy streets of Tenebrus, the ck leopard''s corpse already moved from being dragged along the streets into Mira''s spatial storage.


    As they weaved through the throngs of people, Alex nced again at the insignia in his hand ¡ª Rothwind Smithy.


    The name sounded unfamiliar, which wasn''t anything to note about at all since the two of them were stillplete neers to this ce.


    But the fact that it was used as payment for such a difficult mission only piqued his curiosity further.


    "So, where to now?" Mira asked, noticing the shift in Alex''s focus.


    Alex turned the small piece of metal over in his hand before slipping it into his pocket.


    "We should go and find this ''Rothwind Smithy''. Something about it just seems to have piqued my interest. Who knows, we might just find something to actually surprise us while we''re there."


    Mira raised an eyebrow.


    "A cksmith shop? Kind of an odd reward, don''t you think?"


    "Maybe. That''s part of the reason I want to go and find it anyhow. But since they gave it to us instead of the usual beast cores, it''s worth checking out." Alex replied.


    They stopped at a market stall where an old man was selling dried herbs.


    "Hey," Alex called out to him, holding up the insignia. "You know where I can find this ce? Rothwind Smithy?"


    The old man squinted at the insignia before nodding slowly.


    "Aye, I know it. You won''t find it anywhere near here, though.


    It''s on the outskirts, right near the city wall, next to an old watchtower. Not many folks go that way ¡ª it''s kind of out of the way for most."


    Alex exchanged a look with Mira.


    "Thanks," he said, tossing the old man a beast core for the information.


    The old man just gave them an incredulous look as they walked away, off in the direction of the city outskirts.


    ''A Mutant ss beast core¡­''


    What was a piece of junk to Alex turned out to be an absolute treasure to the old man though, but the old man made sure to keep quiet about it, since who knew what kind of stuff people were willing to do to get their hands on a beast core like that¡­


    ***


    The duo made their way through the streets of the city, which only grew quieter as they ventured farther from the centre.


    The grand buildings and vibrant market stalls gave way for smaller homes and dpidated structures, and soon they reached the outer district, where the looming city walls stood as a silent sentinel against whatever threatsy beyond.


    The area near the wall was sparse, with only a few rundown buildings scattered around.


    It was nothing like the vibrant aura the city gates gave off, this part of the city seemed almost forgotten, as if time had left it behind.


    The asional stray cat darted between the shadows, and the asphalt/cocrete roads were reced by cracked cobblestone.


    "Charming ce for a smithy," Mira remarked dryly.


    Alex chuckled.


    "It just makes me even more interested."


    Finally, they spotted a small, unassuming building nestled against the towering city wall.


    A weathered sign hung above the door, barely visible in the fading light of the afternoon.


    It read: Rothwind Smithy.


    "Looks like we found it." Alex said, stepping toward the door.


    The exterior of the shop was rough, much like the rest of this neighbourhood, with soot stains covering the stone walls a thickyer of dust coating the window.


    It looked like the kind of ce people would pass without a second nce.


    "Not exactly what I was expecting," Miramented, eyeing the shabby exterior.


    Contrary to Alex, she still wasn''t fully convinced there was something special about this ce.


    Alex pushed open the door, and they stepped inside.


    The first thing that hit them was the heat ¡ª a st of warmth that immediately told them the ce was definitely still in business.


    The second thing they noticed were the rows upon rows of different armour pieces, each covered in ayer of dust like they hadn''t been touched for a long, long time.


    Alex took a few steps inside, the heat from the forge wrapped around him like a thick nket, almost producing a suffocating atmosphere.


    But for someone like him who was so in tune with the fire element, not to mention having an S+ rank Fire elemental talent himself, it was nothing.


    The air smelled of metal and ash, with faint hints of leather and oil from the neglected armour pieces.


    Mira wrinkled her nose at the stuffy atmosphere, clearly not amused by all the different types of smells that were assaulting her nostrils.


    "Is this ce even still open?" Mira muttered, her eyes scanning the dusty disy.


    Alex shrugged, stepping further in.


    "Seems like it. Heat''s still on, at least."


    He raised his voice.


    "Hello? Anyone home?"


    For a moment, there was nothing but the low crackle of embers from somewhere in the back.


    Then, just as Alex was about to call out again, a door swung open with a sharp creek, and a short, stout man waddled out from the back room, wiping his hands on a soot-covered apron.


    Chapter Experience:


    His face was a mix of wrinkles and permanent scowl lines, his grey beard flecked with ash.


    His thick, muscr arms seemed mismatched with his short stature, but they carried the strength of someone who had spent a lifetime working the forge.


    "What d''ya want?"


    The man grunted, his voice gravelly and full of irritation, as if their mere presence was a bother.


    He looked at Alex and Mira, his gaze sharp, but a hint of surprise.


    "We''re looking for Rothwind," Alex replied, holding up the insignia.


    "We got this from a mission reward at the adventurer association. It led us here."


    The short man nced at the insignia without much interest, then huffed.


    "I''m Rothwind, and you got some nerve waltzing in here unannounced, waving that thing around." He pointed at the insignia like it was a nuisance.


    "You expectin'' a parade or somethin''?"


    Mira raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly the wee we were expecting."


    "Wee, eh?"


    Rothwind scowled.


    "This ain''t some fancy noble''s shop where I kiss yer feet. This is a smithy, and a damn fine one at that."

 Chapter 366: Mikhail

    Rothwind red at them, wiping the sweat and soot from his hands as he huffed, clearly not impressed with Alex or Mira''s presence. His irritation was obvious, but Alex remained unfazed, and Mira crossed her arms, watching Rothwind with mild disinterest.


    "Ya think this is some kinda'' tourist stop, huh?" Rothwind grumbled, turning his back to them as he shuffled toward a cluttered workbench.


    "Peoplee in here, untin'' their fancy tokens, thinkin'' they deserve somethin'' special. Well, let me tell ya, I don''t give a damn ''bout what you did to get that shiny piece of metal."


    Alex smiled slightly, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. "We''re not looking for special treatment. Just curious about the ce. The mission reward led us here, so we figured we''d see what Rothwind Smithy had to offer."


    Rothwind didn''t respond immediately, busying himself with some tools on the table. Mira sighed impatiently, clearly not in the mood for Rothwind''s theatrics.


    But just as she was about to make a snarky remark, Rothwind turned, his eyes narrowing as theynded on Alex''s hip.


    It was subtle at first, but there was a clear shift in the old cksmith''s demeanour. His gaze locked onto the sword at Alex''s side, and his scowl faltered for a brief second before returning, though this time with more intensity.


    "That sword..." Rothwind muttered, almost as if he didn''t realise he''d spoken aloud. His gruff tone softened, but only slightly. "Where''d ya get it?"


    Alex raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the sudden change. He looked down at the de hanging from his belt, he knew just how special it was, but from the outside it looked just like any other sword, so he was surprised Rothwind was able to tell so easily.


    "This? I''ve had it for a while now. Why?"


    Rothwind stepped closer, his earlier irritationpletely reced by curiosity. He extended his hand, palm up, his voice low and insistent. "Lemme see it."


    Alex hesitated for a moment, exchanging a look with Mira, who shrugged. Finally, with a cautious nod, he unbuckled the sheath from his side and handed the sword to Rothwind.


    It wasn''t like Rothwind would be able to steal it for himself or something like that, Virtue''s Edge was already tightly bound to Alex.


    The old cksmith took it with surprising gentleness, his rough, calloused hands running over the hilt with a sense of reverence that seemed out of character for him. His sharp eyes traced the intricate patterns carved into the de, and he tilted it under the forge light to catch the subtle shimmer of the metal.


    Rothwind''s frown deepened, but this time it was one of focus rather than irritation. He turned the sword over, inspecting every inch of it with the trained eye of a master craftsman.


    "This ain''t no ordinary de," he muttered, half to himself. "Where''d ya say you got this again?"


    Alex crossed his arms, watching Rothwind''s reaction closely. "Found it during a mission a while back. Why? Does it mean something?"


    Rothwind grunted, his fingers tracing the glowing runes along the edge of the de. "This is masterwork, beyond what most smiths in this city could ever hope to create. And these runes... they ain''t just for show. Whoever made this sword, they knew what they were doin''."


    He looked up at Alex, his gaze sharp and suddenly filled with a new kind of intensity. "This sword''s got power in it. Real power. You feel it, don''t ya? Like it''s got a will of its own."


    Alex nodded slowly. "You''re right about one thing but wrong about another. The sword does have a will of its own, but it''s not the work of a master."


    Rothwind gave a low grunt. "What does an inexperienced brat like you know about swords! I tell you ¡ª"


    "It''s the work of a Grandmaster, Grandmaster Mikhail to be exact."


    The moment the name ''Grandmaster Mikhail'' left Alex''s lips, Rothwind''s entire demeanour shifted.


    His usual scowl vanished, and his rough exterior melted into something that resembled awe.


    His hands, which had been steady and practised as they examined the sword, began to tremble ever so slightly as he set the de down carefully, almost reverently, on the workbench.


    "Grandmaster Mikhail¡­" Rothwind repeated, his voice barely a whisper, as if saying the name out loud carried a weight on its own.


    "You''re tellin'' me¡­ this de was made by him!?"


    Alex, taken aback by the cksmith''s sudden change in attitude, nodded slowly.


    "Yeah, that''s what I just said. Grandmaster Mikhail crafted it. In fact, it was hisst creation before he disappeared."


    He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You''ve heard of him?"


    "Heard of him!?" Rothwind looked up sharply, his eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and admiration.


    "Lad, every craftsman worth their salt in this world has heard of Grandmaster Mikhail. He wasn''t just a legend ¡ª he was THE legend! The finest swordsmith to have ever lived, and a genius that no one has evere close to. His work is the stuff of myths."


    Mira raised an eyebrow, ncing at Alex. "Seems like this Mikhail guy was kind of a big deal."


    It was clear that her intentions were to irritate Rothwind further with thisment.


    Rothwind gave a snort, but this time there was no irritation in it ¡ª just raw, unfiltered respect.


    "More than a big deal,ss. They say his swords could channel the very essence of the elements themselves. That each de he made was a masterpiece, with its own soul, capable of feats beyond what even the greatest warriors could dream of."


    He turned back to Alex, a newfound sense of respect in his gaze.


    "And here you are¡­ wieldin'' hisst ever work¡­"


    Alex blinked, not used to this kind of reaction.


    "Yeah, well¡­ it''s been with me for a while. But I''m confused about something, Rothwind."


    He gestured around the smithy, his brow furrowing as he took in the rows of armour, dusty and forgotten.


    "You''re not a swordsmith like Mikhail. You''re an armoursmith, right? So why are you so interested in my sword? What''s the connection?"


    Rothwind hesitated for a moment, ncing around his own shop, as if seeing it through Alex''s eyes for the first time. Chapter Read:


    The soot covered walls, the piles of neglected armour, and the distant glow of the forge all seemed far removed from the elegant craft of sword making.

 Chapter 367: Revelations

    "Swordsmith, Armoursmith, weaponsmith¡­ They all have something inmon, and that is they are cksmiths! The specific niche doesn''t matter to us, the fact that we are all of the same field is all that matters!"


    Rothwind went into a short rant about the different types of smith for a few moments, before coughing and bringing himself back out of his delusions.


    "Although, you''re right, kid."


    Rothwind finally admitted, his voice softer now, almost regretful.


    "I ain''t no swordsmith, never imed to be. My trade''s always been armour. Worked the forge for centuries, makin'' sure warriors could walk into battle ande out alive. But Mikhail¡­ he wasn''t just a swordsmith to me."


    He leaned heavily against the workbench, his eyes distant, as if remembering something from long ago.


    "He was my mentor. My inspiration. When I was just a young smith, tryin'' to find my ce, it was Mikhail who showed me what it truly meant to craft somethin'' worthy of an adventurer trusting their life with. He taught me the principles of how metal could be more than just steel ¡ª how it could carry a purpose, a soul."


    Alex''s eyes widened in surprise. "You trained under Mikhail?"


    Rothwind shook his head, a sad smile ying at the corner of his lips.


    "Not directly. I was never that fortunate. But I learned from his apprentices, his students, anyone who had so much as seen him work. His teaching spread far and wide, influencing every corner of the craft, even those of us who worked in apletely different specialisation."


    Alex looked at the sword again, a sense of weight settling over him as he only just realised how special this seemingly ordinary thing was.


    "So you''re saying¡­ even though you''re not a swordsmith, Mikhail''s influence still shaped how you craft armour?"


    "Aye, he isn''t just the greatest smith to have ever lived for nothing." Rothwind nodded.


    "It ain''t just about swords or armour,d. It''s about understandin'' the very essence of what you''re creatin''. Whether it''s a de or a breastte, the principles are the same ¡ª craft with intention, with soul. Mikhail knew better than anyone."


    He looked down at Virtue''s Edge again, his eyes filled with a kind of longing. "I only wish I could have met him before he disappeared. To hold a piece of his legacy in my hands¡­ I never thought I''d live to see the day. Thank you,d."


    Alex, still processing everything, nced around the shop once more.


    "But why here? Why this rundown smithy, on the outskirts of the city? If you trained under people influenced by Mikhail, why isn''t your name at least well known?"


    Rothwind chuckled bitterly. "That would be because of the politics of you humans. They wouldn''t let a dwarf like me into the inner city, let alone spread the word of my craft. This rundown smithy is the best I can do in this ce."


    Alex furrowed his brow at the cksmith''s words, something about his phrasing striking him as odd.


    "You humans?" Alex repeated, ncing at Mira, who seemed just as puzzled.


    "What do you mean by that? Why would I treat you any differently? We''re both human."


    Rothwind stopped what he was doing and looked at Alex like he had just said something profoundly stupid. He blinked, then raised an eyebrow as if waiting for a punchline.


    "You can''t be serious." Rothwind muttered, his voice dripping with incredulity.


    Alex remained unfazed, though the confusion on his face was unmistakable. Mira, standing beside him, shared the same dumbfounded look.


    Rothwind shifted his gaze between the two of them, clearly trying to make sense of their reaction.


    "You two really don''t know, do ya?" Rothwind said slowly, rubbing a soot stained hand across his beard. His tone was no longer irritated; now it was curious, almost cautious.


    "Know what?" Mira asked, crossing her arms.


    Rothwind stared at them for a moment longer, then something seemed to click in his mind.


    His eyes widened briefly in realisation, and he shook his head, chuckling under his breath.


    "I''ll be damned," he muttered. "You two are from the outside, ain''t ya? That''s why you don''t get it."


    Alex and Mira''s brows raised in surprise ¡ª they had been figured out for the first time sinceing to this city.


    But feigning ignorance, they continued to question.


    "The outside? What are you talking about?"


    Rothwind straightened up, leaning against his workbench as he gave them both a knowing look.


    "I thought it was odd when ya walked in here like it was the most natural thing in the world, and then even more odd when you didn''t even bat an eye when you saw my appearance, but this confirms it. You don''t know ''cause you''re not from Tenebrus, or even this realm, are ya? You''re outsiders."


    Mira''s eyes narrowed. "And how could you possibly know that?"


    Rothwind smirked, the old irritation returning butced with amusement now.


    "Lass, I''m 900 years old. You two stick out like sore thumbs. You walk in here with some of the finest clothing and gear I''ve ever seen, but you don''t even know the basics of this world''s hierarchy. Plus, the look on your faces when I said ''you humans''? That told me everything I needed to know."


    Alex and Mira exchanged nces, still wanting to know the answer to their original question.


    "You still haven''t exined what you meant by that."


    Rothwind sighed, scratching the back of his head as if trying to figure out how best to exin something that wasmon knowledge.


    "You must have only juste into contact with races other than your own¡­"


    Both of their faces lifted in shock, confirming Rothwind''s suspicion.


    "The old Primordial Expanse you know is gone. In this ce, there''s more than just humans walking around. You''ve got dwarves like me, and a whole lot more. We ain''t all the same. You''d probably call us ''Aliens''. Although we may look simr, our races are in no way connected.


    You''re from the outside world, where I''m guessin'', humans are still the majority. Here? It''s a bit moreplicated.


    Mira''s arms dropped to her sides.


    "Wait¡­ so you''re not human?"


    She was shocked.


    Compared to any other aliens Mira hade across or heard of, Rothwind was the most human like Alien she had ever seen.


    Rothwind chuckled. "Nah,ss. I''m a dwarf. Sturdy folk, if I do say so myself. We''re known for our craftsmanship, though the humans in the inner and mid city don''t care much for us. That''s why I''m stuck out here in the outskirts."

 Chapter 368: Surprises all around

    "So what you''re saying is that the Primordial Expanse hasbined with other races now that our protection period has ended?"


    Alex asked this question, even though he mentally already knew the answer.


    He suspected it would be the case after the human race''s first encounter with the Red Demon race, and the ending of the protection period, but now that he was actually living that situation himself, it became much more surreal.


    But what confused him though, was how the different races in the Primordial Expanse weren''t frantically killing each other like the ones in the outside universe do.


    He naturally voiced this concern to Rothwind, who had quite a different reaction than he expected.


    "Bahahahha!"


    Rothwind let out a deep, heartyugh at Alex''s question, the sound reverberating through the small, soot filled smithy.


    It was the kind ofugh that made Alex''s brow furrow in confusion, especially since he didn''t mean it as a joke.


    "What''s so funny?" Alex asked, crossing his arms.


    Rothwind wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling as he straightened up.


    "Ah,d, you''re thinkin'' like someone from the outside world, that much is clear! You''re worried about races shin'', killin'' each other like they do in your universe, eh?"


    Alex nodded.


    "I''ve seen how things are out there first hand. Our race is embroiled in an intergctic war as we speak. But here¡­ it''s different. Why aren''t the races fighting tooth and nail against each other? This ce should be a warzone."


    Rothwind''sughter died down, though the smirk still remained on his face.


    He leaned against his workbench, crossing his arms as he shook his head.


    "Because,d, the Primordial Expanse ain''t like your universe. Why would we be killin'' each other when this realm provides everything we need in the form of beasts? It''s a different kind of ce altogether."


    Rothwind gestured around them, as if epassing the entire world they were in.


    "In the outside universe, I get it. There ain''t no beasts naturally spawnin''. If you want resources to further progress, you gotta fight for ''em, take ''em from someone else. But here? In the Primordial Expanse? You''ve got an endless supply of what you need, right out there.


    Ya just gotta look for it."


    Alex blinked.


    "I get that, but still¡­"


    "Aye," Rothwind said, his tone more serious now.


    "This realm is a whole different beast,d. Quite literally. I don''t know what they teach you youngins over there, but the Primordial Expanse is teeming with creatures, powerful ones at that. And they just keepin''! Thend itself provides, constantly spittin'' out more beasts than we know what to do with!"


    "The races here don''t need to fight each other for survival ¡ª we''ve got enough on our hands already trying to worry about the beasts that roam the Expanse freely."


    Rothwind''s smile faded, reced by a more thoughtful expression as he leaned back against the workbench.


    His eyes flicked between Alex and Mira, now that their conversation about the Primordial Expanse had settled. The silence stretched for a few moments before Rothwind cleared his throat.


    "Alright, then." he spoke, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "Enough about the beasts and the world out there. You two showed up here with my token, didn''t ya? So tell me ¡ª what do you want from me?"


    Alex blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Huh?"


    Mira looked equally confused, her arms still crossed as she raised an eyebrow at Rothwind.


    "What do you mean by ''what do we want''? We didn''t know we could actually get anything from you. We just came here because we were curious, since the token was a reward for a mission, after all."


    Rothwind stared at them both as if they''d just said the dumbest thing he''d ever heard.


    "You''re tellin'' me¡­ you walked into my smithy, token in hand, and didn''t think it''d get you anything''? By the forge, are you kids clueless!"


    Alex rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, you weren''t exactly very amodating when we first arrived¡­"


    "Besides, we just wanted to check out the kind of ce this was. You know, see what made it special enough to be a reward for a Variant ss C tier mission."


    "Well¡ª"


    Rothwind''s expression shifted the moment Alex mentioned the mission rank. His brow furrowed, and for the first time since they arrived, the gruff dwarf looked genuinely surprised with them.


    Of course, he was much more shock when Alex presented Virtue''s Edge, but that was shock! A much higher level of surprise.


    This time it was milder.


    "Wait¡­ did you just say a Variant ss C tier mission gave you this reward?" Rothwind muttered, his eyes narrowing as he took a second, more appraising look at Alex and Mira.


    He should have known there was more to them than met the eye when Alex presented Virtue''s Edge to him, but he was too focused on the fact that he was holding Mikhail''sst creation rather than the person who wielded it.


    The sudden change in his demeanour was easy to catch.


    His gaze shifted between them, taking in every detail he had initially overlooked, from the way Alex carried that legendary sword, to the casual confidence in Mira''s stance.


    He had to do a double take, realising these two weren''t the fresh faced rookies he had assumed them to be.


    "Hold on a second," rothwind muttered again, scratching his beard with his soot covered hand.


    "You two¡­ really cleared a Variant C tier mission?"


    Alex nodded, "Yeah. Though it was just Mira that cleared it. I just watched."


    Rothwind stood in silence for a moment, processing the new information.


    Then, without warning, he let out a loud, exasperatedugh.


    "By the forge, you kids sure do like keepin'' secrets'' don''t ya? Here I was thinkin'' you were just a couple o'' curious adventurers with some fancy token I had forgotten about¡­ but a C tier Variant ss mission? That''s no joke!"


    The smith''s earlier gruffness had all but disappeared, reced by a newfound respect for the duo.

 Chapter 369: Armour

    Rothwind let out a slow whistle, shaking his head. "I''ll admit, I''ve been treatin'' ya like a couple of clueless pups. But to clear a mission like that? You''ve got some fight in ya, don''t ya?"


    Alex raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did you not know what kind of mission the token came from?"


    Rothwind shook his head. "Aye, I didn''t. I hand these tokens out when certain guilds or organisations request ''em, but I rarely get the details since the rewards they give me in return are enough to satisfy an old man like me."


    Alex frowned. "I get that, but why''s it matter? We''re just trying to figure out what the token was for."


    Rothwind grinned, his earlier cocky attitude returning.


    "It matters ''cause if you can handle a Variant C tier mission, then you ain''t just your run of the mill adventurers. You''re capable of somethin'' far more dangerous than most who walk into my smithy. Means I can craft ya somethin''... a bit more special."


    Alex and Mira exchanged confused nces, unsure of how to respond.


    They hadn''t walked into Rothwind''s smithy expecting anything, much less the promise of something custom crafted for them.


    "You mean¡­ you''re willing to craft some armour for us?" Alex asked, his tone a mixture of confusion and curiosity.


    Rothwind chuckled, clearly amused by their reaction. "Aye. I might not be a Grandmaster like Mikhail, but I am a Master smith!"


    Mira crossed her arms, frowning in thought. "We''ve never really worn armour before¡­ didn''t seem necessary."


    Rothwind raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them with a sceptical expression. "Never worn armour, eh? Well ain''t that somethin''. And you''ve made it this far without it?"


    Alex shrugged while Mira retained her stance.


    The dwarf let out a heartyugh. "Ah, well that''s what they all say until somethin'' bigger and meaner than themnds a blow they didn''t seein''. You two might be fast and skilled, but armour ain''t just protectin'' you from a hit. It can enhance your abilities, make you stronger, faster, more resilient. The right gear can change the way you fight."


    Alex''s interest was piqued at that. "Enhance your abilities?"


    "Haven''t you already experienced it with your fancy sword there?"


    Rothwind was confused that Alex would even ask this, considering the calibre of weapon he was wielding¡­


    Alex looked like he had a realisation strike him, and his curiosity turned into excitement when he thought about the kinds of effects he could gain from more gear.


    Rothwind nodded, the gleam in his eye returning as he gestured toward his workbench, where a variety of strange materials and blueprintsy scattered.


    "This ain''t your standard iron and steel,d. I work with rare materials from the Expanse, things that can amplify abilities, reinforce your natural strength, or even adapt to your movements. You think armour''s just heavy metal? Not what I craft. What I''m offerin'' you is a different kind of gear altogether."


    At this point, the duo were brought out of their delusions to ask one simple, but crucial question.


    "Why would you do all this for us?"


    Rothwind just smiled a little. "Call it a smith''s intuition."


    Rothwind''s grin broadened, clearly enjoying the excitement he''d stirred up in the duo. He scratched his beard thoughtfully, his eyes glinting with the anticipation of a new challenge.


    "But I''ll warn ya," he said, his voice more serious now. "It might take me a while to gather the right materials for gear as special as what I''ve got in mind."


    Alex and Mira''s expressions shifted almost immediately, their excitement dimming.


    They hadn''t nned ons staying in the Primordial Expanse for long. In fact, they didn''t even n on staying there at all, since this whole thing started with sabotage by the Red Demons.


    They had a war to return to ¨C a race on the brink of extinction ¡ª and time was not something they could afford to waste on their own luxuries at the moment.


    Alex frowned. "How long are we talking, Rothwind?"


    The dwarf leaned back in thought, arms folded across his chest.


    "Well, dependin'' on the exact materials I need to find¡­ I''d say about a month, tops."


    Mira and Alex exchanged worried nces.


    A month? Could they really afford to stay here for another month?


    They had assumed that whatever Rothwind was offering would be something quick and easy, not a long, drawn out process.


    But the tension in the room began to ease a bit, though they still had their reservations.


    Alex nced at Mira, silently asking her what she thought.


    She gave a small nod, seeming to relent to the idea.


    "We haven''t met the requirements to leave yet, anyway," Mira said with a sigh.


    "We couldn''t leave even if we wanted to."


    Rothwind grinned, clearly pleased with their decision.


    "That''s the spirit! I''ll get to work gatherin'' the materials I need. In the meantime, you two can go back to whatever you were doing before we met."


    Mira folded her arms, still looking slightly sceptical. "And you''re sure it''ll only take a month?"


    Rothwind let out a heartyugh. "Aye,ss! A month, give or take a day or two, dependin'' on how cooperative the Expanse is. But I''m confident I can get it done in that time."


    Alex smiled faintly, feeling a renewed sense of excitement for something to look forward to.


    "Alright, we''ll trust you on this. Just make sure it''s worth the wait."


    The dwarf''s grin wouldn''t get any wider as he pped his hands together. "Oh, don''t you worry,d. By the time I''m finished, you''ll be wonderin'' how you ever fought without it!"


    With that, Rothwind turned back to his workbench, already sketching out designs.


    As the sounds of hardbour began to echo out through the smithy, Alex and Mira shared one final look and took that as their que to leave.


    Though the month wait wasn''t ideal, they had no idea how long it would take them to find a B+ rank Variant ss beast for Alex to kill anyway.

 Chapter 370: Back on the Grind

    Several days passed since their encounter with Rothwind, and Alex and Mira now found themselves deep in the wilderness of the Primordial Expanse once more.


    The tall trees loomed overhead, their gnarled branches casting long shadows across the jungle floor.


    Despite the beauty of their surroundings, the atmosphere felt heavy with tension ¡ª the kind that came with uncertainty of what was ahead.


    After leaving Rothwind''s smithy, the duo had gone straight back to the mission hall. The thought of waiting around for a month for Rothwind to craft them their armours wasn''t even considered.


    They decided to use their limited time more effectively, and get right to searching for some beasts to further Mira''s progress on her requirements.


    Alex''s advancement was still out of the question for the time being, but Mira could stillplete her requirements in a rtively short time.


    She only needed two more higher ranked Variant ss beasts to kill before she would rank up.


    Their first stop had been the hunting grounds where they had previously encountered the ck Leopard, the Variant beast that Mira took down with some rtively hard work.


    They had hoped that lightning would strike twice, perhaps finding another beast of simr calibre to help Mira.


    Unfortunately, the area had been eerily quiet this time around.


    They''d spent hoursbing through the dense forest, their eyes scanning for any sign of movement, but nothing appeared ¡ª not even a hint of the usual weaker beasts that typically roamed the region.


    It was as if the beasts had simply vanished ever since Mira took down that ck Leopard.


    ''Felt like the whole ce was deserted, weird¡­''


    They had eventually given up on that area and had returned to the mission hall for another set of options.


    After some debate and thoroughly studying the board''s avable missions, they''d decided to try somewhere new ¡ª a region that although it was much further away, over 20,000 kilometres away, had been rumoured to be seeing a recent uptick in activity from Variant ss beasts.


    That was where they found themselves now, venturing deeper into a more rugged and unfamiliar part of the Expanse.


    The terrain here was rougher, with jagged rocks jutting out of the ground and thick, twisted vegetation making the going tough.


    It was clear that this wasn''t going to be a popr ce for other adventurers to pass through, as the paths were barely discernible, if they existed at all.


    But that was better for them, the less adventurers in the area, the more beasts for them to kill!


    Mira was in the lead, her hand resting on the hilt of her de as her sharp eyes constantly scanned the environment.


    Alex followed close behind, Virtue''s Edge strapped to his back, and all senses heightened.


    The air felt charged, and every rustle of the leaves or snap of a twig left him on edge.


    Usually Alex would be the one leading, but in order to make sure Mira was the one who would be first engaged inbat if they were surprise attacked, she was in the lead.


    "You think this ce will be any better?" Alex asked, his voice low but carrying just enough for Mira to hear.


    Mira didn''t turn around, but her voice came back steady. "I don''t know. But it''s different, at least. And ording to the mission details, there''ve been sightings of Variant ss beasts here. We might have more luck."


    Alex nced around casually, "I hope whatever we''re looking for shows its face soon¡­"


    Despite the casual chatter between the two, both of them knew this wasn''t the time to let their guard down.


    The wilderness of the Primordial Expanse was unpredictable, and after what happenedst them, they knew that the beasts could detect them through their smell from quite far away.


    What might seem like calm could be shattered by a sudden, violent encounter.


    After a few more minutes of walking, Mira came to a stop, raising her hand to signal Alex to halt.


    She crouched low, her gaze fixed on something ahead in the dense bush.


    Alex immediately mimicked her movement, his hand drifting toward his sword''s hilt as his eyes scanned the area.


    "What is ist?" he whispered.


    Mira didn''t respond at first, her focus entirely on the movement she had spotted.


    After a moment, she gestured with her head.


    "Movement, about 50 metres ahead. Something big."


    Alex''s interest picked up. "Could be what we''re looking for."


    Although it wasn''t always the case, the size of a beast usually determined their strength among their peers, so the sight of somethingrge moving up ahead was a good sign for them.


    The pair moved cautiously, using the cover of the thick foliage to stay hidden as they crept forward.


    The sounds of heavy breathing and the rustle of the disturbed leaves grew louder the closer they got.


    Whatever was ahead, it wasn''t small, and judging by the sound of its movements, it was either eating or resting.


    They finally reached a small vantage point, crouching behind arge boulder. Mira peered around the edge, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight before them.


    There, in a small clearing, was a massive creature ¡ª easily twice the size of the ck Leopard they had encountered before.


    Its scales gleamed in a dark, iridescent green, and it had the body of arge reptile with a long tail that thrashedzily behind it.


    It was unmistakably a Variant ss beast, and from the way its muscles rippled with each subtle movement, it was clear that this one would not go down easily.


    Mira nced back at Alex, her expression serious. "This could take my tally down to one!"


    The excitement of only being one more beast away from leaving this godforsaken ce only made her heart pump more ferociously.


    Alex nodded, adrenaline also pumping through his system. "We''ll have to be smart about this. Think about what happenedst time, we were confident about stalking that ck Leopard, then it caught us off guard by catching our scent."


    Mira smirked, drawing her dagger as her eyes shed with anticipation.


    "Then let''s make sure it doesn''t get the chance to."

 Chapter 371: Instincts Screaming

    A few days earlier.


    In a small, secluded hut in the wilderness, far from any known settlements or well trodden paths.


    The hut was weathered and old, almost camouged by the overgrown vegetation surrounding it.


    Inside, the dim light of a singlentern flickered, casting long shadows across the cramped room.


    Two figures stood by a table, their features obscured by the dark hoods and cloaks they wore. Both of them were dressed in stealthily, dark attire that blended seamlessly with the shadows.


    It was clear they were making every effort to conceal their identities.


    The taller of the two broke the silence first, his voice low and gravelly.


    "Is it done?"


    The second figure, slightly shorter but with an air ofposed authority, nodded.


    "Yes. The request has beenpleted. The bait mission is already up on the mission hall¡¯s boards, and the fake rumours about increased Variant ss beast activity in the area have spread like wildfire among the adventurers."


    The taller man let out a small, satisfied grunt, leaning back against the wall. "Good. And you¡¯re certain they took the bait?"


    "Positive," the shorter figure replied, pulling up a small rolled parchment andying it t on the table. It was a detailed map of the Evermoor forest region and everything within 100,000 kilometres surrounding Tenebrus city.


    "The pair we¡¯re targeting, Alex and Mira, were seen heading to the region not long after. They¡¯re already in position."


    A grin spread across the taller figure¡¯s face, barely visible beneath the shadow of his hood.


    "Perfect. They¡¯ve no idea what they just walked into."


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    The shorter one straightened up, his tone turning more businesslike. "This mission is dangerous enough as it is. I don¡¯t know how you found that beast, but are you sure we can control this? If they get suspicious¡ª"


    "They won¡¯t," the taller man cut him off, his voice carrying a sense of finality.


    "Once that beast is awakened, they are dead meat. It¡¯s impossible to kill it with their strength, I¡¯d even bet my life on it. Besides, no one will think twice about a couple of adventurers going missing, that shit happens all the time. Especially not when we set the reward for this mission so high. The other adventurers will think its just another high risk, high reward mission."


    The shorter man hesitated for a moment, ncing down at the map. "I hope you¡¯re right. We can¡¯t afford any loose ends. If something goes wrong¡ª"


    "Nothing will go wrong." the taller man said sharply, pushing of the wall and stepping closer to hispanion.


    "We¡¯ve prepared for this. And once they¡¯ve been taken care of, we can take their loot for ourselves. Strong adventurers like them are bound to have riches in their storages."


    The shorter man let out a slow breath, nodding.


    ***


    Back in the wilderness, Alex and Mira continued to move slowly and stealthily toward the massive reptilian creature that had appeared in the clearing.


    The atmosphere was tense, but there was also a strange air of confidence in Mira.


    It was like after she took down that ck Leopard, the confidence she had in her own abilities had grown.


    After all, the Galephant she took down when she first arrived in this ce was of the same level of strength as the Leopard, yet she didn¡¯t even need to make use of her talents to kill the Leopard like she did with the Galephant.


    Alex¡¯s gaze flicked around the surroundings, searching for anything that might be an obstacle to them.


    "Remember to strike fast and take it down before it has the chance to react. Try and make replicate the kill you had with that first Mutant ss Leopard."


    But as they moved into position, something strange began to tug at the back of Alex¡¯s mind. It was subtle at first, just a nagging feeling that something was off with this beast.


    The region they were in felt too¡­ quiet. Too perfect. And the fact that this massive creature was resting so calmly in the middle of a clearing without a worry in the world only made things feel more weird to him.


    Typically, not even Variant ss beasts would be so nonchnt and worry free.


    Like with the ck Leopard for example, it was very cautious in its approach to the Leopard corpse Alex and Mira had ced to bait it in.


    The whole time it was checking its surroundings, utilising every sense it had at its disposal to make sure the area was clear.


    After all, while Variant ss beasts might be the dominant beasts of whatever area they inhabit, there were more Variant ss beasts out there that could threaten them.


    But this new beast Mira was about to take down was different¡­


    It was like it didn¡¯t have that worry at all¡­


    The dense forest seemed to close in around them as Alex watched Mira creep through the shadows, drawing ever closer to the massive reptilian creature resting in the clearing ahead.


    The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, Mira¡¯s confidence radiating from her as she eyed her target.


    Alex, however, couldn¡¯t shake the growing unease in the pit of his stomach.


    The closer Mira got, the more his instincts screamed at him that something wasn¡¯t right.


    His mind raced, trying to piece together whatever it was that was gnawing at him.


    The ck Leopard had been cautious, alert to its surroundings.


    "Mira," Alex whispered, his voice low but urgent, "hold on for a second. Something¡¯s not right."


    But Mira wasser focused on the beast at this point and had basically nked out Alex¡¯s words.


    Her eyes were locked on the creature¡¯s exposed nk, her muscles coiled, ready to strike.


    She was about to make her move when Alex¡¯s mind clicked, and the pieces of the puzzle mmed into ce.


    "Mira, wait!" Alex¡¯s shout tore through the stillness, his heart pounding through his chest as he surged forward, sprinting with every ounce of speed he had.


    His voice cracked with desperation as he pushed his body to its limit, the realisation that they might have mistaken the beast¡¯s strength hitting him like a hammer.


    Mira barely had time to react, her body instinctively freezing at Alex¡¯s shout.


    She turned her head slightly, confusion flickering in her eyes, but before she could ask why, Alex had already closed the gap between them.


    "Get back! ¡ª"


    But he was toote.


    The beast had already awakened.

 Chapter 372: A terrifying feeling

    Mira spun on her heels, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and frustration.


    "Alex, what the hell!? I was just about to take it down!" she hissed, her voice an itchy growl.


    Her breath came fast as the adrenaline surged through her, looking at the beast that had now awakened.


    "Look! You took away my element of surprise!"


    Alex skidded to a stop just in front of her, his breath ragged, but there was no time for exnations.


    His eyes darted from the massive creature to Mira, his body tense with urgency.


    "Listen to me!" he snapped, grabbing her by the shoulders.


    "We need to get out of here now. Trust me Mira. This is no Ordinary beast!"


    Her brow furrowed in confusion.


    "What are you talking about? It¡¯s right there ¡ª exposed and vulnerable. I could¡¯ve¡ª"


    "No, you couldn¡¯t." His voice was a strained whisper, his eyes frantic.


    "Something¡¯s wrong. Really wrong. This thing ¡ª we¡¯ve been deceived by our own delusions. It¡¯s not what we think it is!"


    The beast stirred in the clearing, a low, menacing growl rumbling through the ground beneath their feet.


    Mira¡¯s gaze flicked toit for a split second, still hesitant to give up on such a fight.


    "Alex, you¡¯re not making any sense!"


    "I don¡¯t have time to exin!" His grip tightened on her shoulders as his voice dropped to a desperate whisper. "Mira, please. Enter the Void dimension. Just trust me on this. Now."


    Mira¡¯s eyes narrowed, her stubborn thoughts warring with the concern in Alex¡¯s tone. Discover exclusive content at NovelBin.C?m


    She could tell from the fear in his eyes ¡ª something rare, almost unheard of from him.


    Alex was always calm, always calcting.


    But now, he looked¡­ scared.


    Her heart pounded in her chest, torn between her instincts and the trust she had in him.


    She opened her mouth to protest, but the beast behind them let out a deep, guttural roar.


    The air vibrated with the force of it, and the forest seemed to darken as the creature¡¯s eyes snapped open, glowing with an eerie, unnatural light.


    It was fully awake now.


    "Mira!" Alex¡¯s voice cracked with urgency. "Void! Now!"


    "But what about you!"


    By now Mira had put her conflicting thoughts to the side and had decided to put her trust in Alex¡¯s words, but that only made her worried about him now.


    She could enter the Void dimension, but what could he do!?


    Regardless, there was no time for internal debate.


    Her instincts fully kicked in. She stepped back, her eyes locking onto Alex¡¯s for a second, and then she gave a sharp but almost overwhelmingly anxious nod.


    Without another word, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and in an instant, her form flickered and vanished into the Void dimension.


    The moment she disappeared, Alex let out a breath of relief. But that was just one problem out of many that had been solved now.


    The beast in the clearing slowly rose to its full, terrifying height, its massive form towering over the treetops.


    Its scales shimmered with a dark, ominous energy that pulsed like a heartbeat, and its eyes ¡ª cold and predatory ¡ª focused directly on Alex.


    And then, it hit him.


    His instincts had been right.


    The beast let out its aura for the first time, and Alex couldn¡¯t help but feel his skin crawl.


    This wasn¡¯t just any Variant ss beast. It was something far worse.


    It was a C- rank like Alex, but there was another element to it that terrified Alex and sent shivers down his spine.


    "King ss!"


    Alex¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as he faced the beast, the words ¡¯King ss¡¯ still echoing in his mind.


    His muscles tensed, every instinct screaming at him to run, but he knew there was nowhere to go.


    The dense forest loomed around him, and the sheer emptiness of the entire surrounding few kilometres made it so the beast could almost easily find him.


    Not to mention the fact that it could probably catch up to him, even if he went full speed.


    He was trapped, and there was only one way through.


    The beast¡¯s aura pressed down on him, like a million tonnes on his shoulders, its dark energy wrapping around the clearing like a suffocating fog.


    Alex gritted his teeth, feeling the oppressive force of the creature¡¯s presence.


    This was unlike anything he had ever faced before.


    A Variant ss beast was already deadly and tough to deal with, but a King ss?


    That was an entirely different level.


    It wasn¡¯t just strength, it was intelligence, cunning, and raw, terrifying power.


    How was he, still a Mutant ss, supposed to take on a beast two sses ahead of himself!?


    Whether he liked it or not, it was time for Alex to find out whether his talent really was the strongest or not.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s hope those soul orbs gave me enough of a boost in strength to deal with a beast of this calibre¡­¡¯


    His only hopey in his own strength and his track record with dealing with beasts of higher strength than his own.


    But even still, he had absolutely zero confidence in himself this time around.


    [The King of Evermoor, huh. I didn¡¯t expect you to encounter a King ss beast so early.]


    The System itself even chimed in at this moment, adding its own surprise in the mix.


    But it didn¡¯t offer anything to help.


    ¡¯Fuck!¡¯


    Alex couldn¡¯t keep waiting any longer, as the King of Evermoor suddenly made its first move!


    The King of Evermore lifted its scaly ws and swiped them in Alex¡¯s direction.


    Alex¡¯s sense of danger exploded as he did his utmost to dodge with his teleportation.


    Where he was standing just a few moments ago had now been reduced to a shredded wastnd of trees, dirt and rock.


    And it only carried on for tens upon tens of kilometres¡­


    ¡¯Shit! That attack was too fast for me to react with just my agility alone!¡¯


    Immediately, things started looking drastically bad for Alex.


    If the thing could attack that fast every time, Alex wouldn¡¯t be able tost long in this battle at all¡­

 Chapter 373: King

    Thankfully, he had teleported out of the disaster zone, so the attack didn''t hit him directly, but it was still enough to affect him mentally.


    That was just a casual swipe with its ws¡­


    Yet it levelled something the size of an average city back in the Federation¡­


    He barely managed to stabilise himself enough to regain focus, and the King was still right in front of him.


    Alex had be used to being called the ''King ss prodigy'' by now, but he felt embarrassed to even hold that title while facing off against the King of Evermoor.


    He tried dodging to the side, but it was toote.


    In a movement many times faster than Alex could achieve, the beast sliced through the air once more.


    Zzooom!


    Alex felt the pain instantly as the attack cut straight across his right arm as he tumbled backward for nearly a Kilometre from the attack.


    The King of Evermoor simply looked down at him from afar, not even a single change in its expression yet, like it was just dealing with a pest.


    Disoriented, Alex looked down at the source of his pain, only to be visibly stunned and shocked by what he was seeing.


    "My arm¡­ It''s gone!"


    He desperately looked all around himself, trying to locate the area where his armnded.


    Because the arm that was missing happened to be holding onto Virtue''s Edge at the time!


    If he somehow lost that sword, then things would really have taken the worst turn possible for him¡­


    Whoosh!


    But out of nowhere, the sword came flying at him from a distance andnded perfectly in his other hand, like it had been there the whole time.


    Unexpectedly, it seemed the sword had a function that he didn''t know existed until this moment.


    Since Virtue''s Edge was bound to him, it seemed it could return to him in times where it was flung from his person, just like this one.


    "Fuck!"


    But Alex''s mood was still rotten to the core.


    So what if his sword had returned? All it did was probably dy his death by a few more moments.


    But now that there was some distance between himself and the King, Alex took the slight moment of respite he had been offered to activate the one thing that might give him a fighting chance in this battle.


    ''Phoenix Fire!''


    Instantly, the crimson red mes spontaneouslybusted all around Alex and epassed him in their vigorous hue.


    Right away, their regenerative fire effect got to work on his most vulnerable spot ¡ª the missing right arm.


    Compared to thest time, the speed of recovery was much faster now that he had assimted with the Phoenix Fire element after bing a C tier awakened.


    But the King of Evermoor wasn''t a cker, and moved so fast it appeared like it was teleporting, arriving in front of Alex, covering a distance of kilometres in just a moment.


    Even with Alex''s slower perception of time, it still looked like it had arrived in an instant¡­


    "Weak."


    But out of nowhere, a voice entered his mind and spoke to him.


    Alex didn''t respond to it, nor did he even show any reaction to it either.


    It hade from the King of Evermoor, but Alex was already too shell shocked by having to face off a King ss beast to even be surprised by anything else anymore.


    His arm still hurt like hell, even though it was halfway from being regrown, and he felt his energy draining by the seconds as his Phoenix Fire worked tirelessly to heal him.


    He quickly teleported once again as he wanted to put some more distance between himself and the beast, even if it was closed up again mere momentster.


    Thankfully, his teleportation was the one thing that allowed him to even have a fighting chance, other than his Phoenix mes of course, as it allowed him the use of true instantaneous movement.


    While the King of Evermoor might be moving so fast that its movements appeared instant to Alex, there was a vast chasm between ''appearing instant'' and being actually instant.


    The Beast moved in close to Alex once more. Alex but now his right arm had fully regrown.


    He took Virtue''s Edge and started firing off any attack he could at the beast in an attempt to counteract-


    "Weak."


    His attacks were swatted away mid air, even the ones where he had infused his Phoenix mes into them, and Alex was hit by a wave of energy like a shockwave, sending him flying backwards once more.


    Tens upon tens of kilometres away he was finally stopped after leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.


    He had been knocked into countless trees, each barely slowing him down, until he crashed through enough that he came to aplete stop.


    If it weren''t for the trees, he would have carried on for another hundred kilometres or so.


    "Ptui!"


    Coughing out a mouthful of blood, Alex tried to get back up on his feet, but less than a secondter, the King was before him once again.


    He tried lifting Virtue''s Edge to send out another volley, in a desperate hope that one of his attacks might actually make it through.


    But like many things in life, it was wishful thinking.


    Before he could even send a volley of attacks at the beast, Virtue''s Edge vibrated violently within his hands until he could no longer keep his grip steady on it.


    Whoosh!


    Just like when his sword came flying back to him like an obedient pet, it was ripped away from his grasp and flew into the hands of the King, which had one of its ws outstretched towards him.


    It was clear that it was the culprit that caused his sword to betray him.


    "Weak."


    The King tried to crush the sword within its grasp, expecting it to crumble.


    But no matter how hard it squeezed, the thing didn''t budge.


    And at this moment, Alex saw an opportunity and didn''t hesitate in grasping it.


    ''Ignite!''


    Instantly, the residual Phoenix mes left inside Virtue''s Edge that had been built up in preparation for his attacks all exploded out at once, in the palm of the King of Evermoor.

 Chapter 374: Ignite!

    Mira couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    "A king ss beast¡­"


    The moment she felt that aura pressure down upon her, even while she was in the Void dimension, she realised why Alex looked so desperate for her to escape to the Void.


    If she were hit by that thing, she wouldn''t be able to recover like Alex¡­


    But now that she had escaped, that left Alex all alone to fend against the beast, which just terrified her and left a feeling of dread in her heart.


    All she could do was watch¡­


    In fact, she was so shocked and afraid that she hadpletely nked out the fact that she had just entered the Void dimension, which didn''t quite end up well thest time she did so.


    But right now, she had no other choice.


    She was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, and unfortunately being in the Void was better than being out in the Primordial Expanse and getting in Alex''s way.


    With Mira gone, Alex didn''t have anything other than himself to worry about, and if Mira was still there, his mind would be under immense stress in trying to keep her safe, rather than trying to find a way to kill this King of Evermoor!


    ***


    ''Ignite!''


    The moment themand left Alex''s brain, it was like all sound had been drowned out by silence.


    All sight was blocked as well, as the entire surrounding area was encapsted by a suffocatingly bright white light.


    But this white light wasn''t just light.


    It resulted from incredibly hot mes, that came flowing out like a volcanic eruption from Virtue''s Edge!


    Alex had no idea where was, or if he was even alive anymore.


    Afterall, the moment he opened his eyes, all he saw was a vast expanse of white.


    For all he knew, this could be the afterlife.


    But after a few moments, the light faded and revealed the destruction that the explosion of Phoenix mes had caused.


    ng!


    But taking his eyes away from the hundreds of kilometre wide and dozens of kilometre deep crater that they now stood in, Alex''s attention was drawn to a familiar sound nearby.


    Whoosh!


    Virtue''s Edge had dropped to the ground, released from the King of Evermoor''s grasp, leaving Alex the opportunity to finally im it back for himself.


    Even after that huge explosion, it was still just fine¡­


    With his sword now back in his hands, Alex turned his attention to the very reason he had to unleash that attack.


    The King of Evermoor.


    "Weak."


    And the very words he had been ignoring up until that point drilled into his mind once again, this time they actually had an effect on his mental though.


    Because there was one very disturbing sight in front of him that Alex couldn''t ignore this time.


    Where the King''s hand used to be, was nothing more than empty space.


    Crunch!


    Ripple!


    But the sound of flesh, muscles, bones and everything else that made up an organism started to fill the air.


    With a speed not even Alex himself could match, the King of Evermoor''s arm grew back at an extraordinary speed.


    Within mere moments, it looked like it hadn''t even been injured at all.


    Only the huge crater they were stood in was thest reminder of the attack Alex had just unleashed¡­


    Alex stood frozen, disbelief gripping him as the King of Evermoor''s arm fully regenerated before his eyes.


    The massive reptilian beast, now whole again, loomed before him, its cold gaze still fixed on him as if mocking his efforts.


    ''Is this really the difference between King ss beasts and Variant ss¡­''


    The mes from Virtue''s Edge had reduced the surroundingndscape to a deste wastnd, but the creature practically stood unscathed.


    Not only that, but it had regenerated at a speed Alex couldn''t evenprehend.


    The sight of it sent a shiver down his spine.


    ''This¡­ this is just ridiculous¡­''


    The King of Evermoor flexed its newly restored arm, its dark, pulsating aura intensifying with each passing second.


    The glow in its eyes grew fiercer, and for the first time, Alex saw something resembling amusement in its gaze.


    The thought of facing something that could heal so quickly, that could shrug off such a devastating attack, made Alex''s confidence waver lower than it had fallen already.


    ''How do you fight something that can''t be killed?''


    But there was no time to dwell on it. The King took a step forward, its massive wed feet crushing the shattered earth beneath it.


    Rumble!


    Its growl reverberated through the ground, the vibrations rattling through Alex''s body.


    He couldn''t tell whether it was fear that caused his body to shake, or if it was from the vibrations in the ground¡­


    But in his mind he knew it was probably both¡­


    ''Focus. Stay alive. Find a way.''


    Alex gripped Virtue''s Edge tightly, anticipating the huge beast toe in for an attack once more.


    Even if the beast could regenerate like it was nothing, there had to be some sort of limit.


    The only problem was, he had no idea how high this limit was, and if he could even breach it with his power.


    The King suddenly charged, faster than Alex had anticipated.


    Its massive frame blurred, and before he could react, its ws swung down towards him once again.


    It looked bad, really bad.


    Unable to resist, he was pulled towards the huge beast ¡ª right into the open w that now closed around his neck.


    Alex had both his eyes wide open in fear, surprise, anger, among other emotions that rushed through him in this decisive moment.


    His instincts, senses and every other thought of reason in him told him to just fucking run, escape, try everything to just get away from this beast!


    But he couldn''t in this moment.


    Not only were the ws so tightly wrapped around his neck that he couldn''t escape their grasp.


    Something deep within him kept telling him to push through.


    Something that he couldn''t ignore.

 Chapter 375: All or nothing

    The King''s ws closed in around his neck, and Alex could even feel them slightly prate his skin, drawing blood.


    It stared directly into Alex''s eyes.


    Even without the ability to speak ormunicate acrossplex thoughts, Alex could easily see the yfulness, arrogance and mockery in its eyes.


    But instead of crushing his neck, killing him then and there, the beast decided to toss him into the air.


    Alex was helpless to resist, and only momentster he could feel the dark energy surrounding the beast start to build up around the same hand that had just tossed him.


    Vwoom!


    The gathered dark energy sted out all at once in Alex''s direction, sending him flying upwards for hundreds of kilometres.


    This time, he managed to ce Virtue''s Edge in front of him, allowing it to absorb the brunt of the attack, lessening the damage he would have received otherwise.


    He was still sent flying though, as he found himselfing to a stop very, very far up in the sky.


    He was probably farther than even the floating inds could reach.


    However there was no time for him to enjoy the short moment of respite, as the Primordial Expanse''s gravity soon took charge.


    With theck of any terminal velocity, he just kept on gaining and gaining more speed.


    By the time he had fallen thousands of kilometres, he was moving so fast that even his reinforced body was struggling tobat the incredibly fast and hot winds that were pushing up against his body.


    The friction between him and the atmosphere caused his body to heat up so much that his clothes had long burned away, and even parts of his skin were starting to be charred.


    But he had bigger things to worry about.


    With the ground fast approaching, he had to time things perfectly if he wanted to survive this incredible fall.


    ''Wait¡­ Is the King flying towards me?''


    However his ns were quickly put to a halt when he noticed something both rming and peculiar.


    The King of Evermoor was currently flying upwards from the ground, and was now a few dozen kilometres up.


    This surprised Alex greatly, since he thought only Higher life forms had to ability to go against gravity and fly.


    ''Maybe King ss beings also have the ability?''


    Judging from the beast''s slow speed, he was probably right.


    As he hurtled through the sky, his body was nearly fully aze from the friction of the atmosphere by now, every inch of him screaming in agony.


    But he pushed the pain aside, focusing entirely on the King of Evermoor, still rising to meet him.


    ''If I miss this¡­ it''s over.''


    ''Fuck it!''


    His eyes looked at Virtue''s Edge. The de, already simmering with heat from the friction, began to glow hotter and brighter as Alex began to pour everyst drop of his energy into it.


    If he was going to do this, he may as well go all out!


    The sword hummed with power, radiating with a light so bright it dwarfed even the earlier explosion.


    The heat was so intense, it rivalled even the core of the sun!


    Alex''s momentum continued to build, the wind already having burst his eardrums from the insane speed as he plummeted toward the King.


    The beast''s cold, reptilian eyes tracked himzily, as if relishing Alex''s inevitable death when he meets the ground.


    ''It doesn''t think I''ll be able to hurt it¡­''


    This realisation filled Alex with an unexpected burst of adrenaline.


    His lips curled into a wild grin.


    He was falling faster than the beast could react, and with all the power he had pushed into Virtue''s Edge, this strike would be unstoppable.


    ''Just a little closer¡­''


    As he neared the creature, he could already feel the pressure of its aura bearing down on him, but he didn''t flinch.


    The pain from the friction was already enough to keep his mind upied.


    Knowing he wouldn''t even have a chance to react by the time he neared the beast, Alex pointed Virtue''s Edge in front of him.


    ''Now!''


    The sheer force of his momentum,bined with the searing power he had channelled into the sword, was more than even the King ss beast should be able to withstand!


    In the split second before impact, Alex locked eyes with the King.


    Its smug smirk faltered, reced by something that looked like confusion.


    Then, toote, panic flickered in its glowing eyes.


    BOOOOOOOM!


    The sound of the impact was like nothing Mira, who was watching from afar in the Void dimension, had ever heard.


    It was as if the heavens had cracked open.


    The shockwave from the collision rippled through the sky, dispersing any clouds, even those tens of thousands of kilometres away.


    mes and light exploded outward, engulfing both Alex and the King in a blinding, fiery ball.


    The world seemed to have stood still for Mira, suspended in the aftermath of Alex''s attack.


    The colossal fireball created from the impact expanded rapidly, a burning sphere of destruction stretching not only across the sky, by down to the surface as well, thousands of kilometres in diameter.


    Its brightness and heat consumed everything it is path, outshining even the sun and casting shadows that stretched for miles.


    From within the Void dimension, Mira shielded her eyes instinctively as the mes erupted with a fury she had never witnessed before.


    Even in the istion of the Void, she could feel the pure energy from the st.


    Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched, wide eyed, the fiery inferno raging through the Primordial Expanse where Alex had made his final, desperate strike.


    As the fireball expanded, it tore through the atmosphere, igniting the air itself.


    The st reached the ground, massive fissures cracking open and swallowing entire forests.


    The ground buckled under the force, rippling out in violent waves of earthquakes that could be felt all the way to Tenebrus City ¡ª over 50,000 kilometres away¡­


    And yet, Mira hadn''t caught sight of Alex yet.


    She couldn''t bear the anxiety and fear she was feeling.

 Chapter 376: The smoke fades

    In Tenebrus city the streets were bustling with activity when the quake hit.


    Buildings shook violently, their foundations groaning as stone cracked and windows shattered in the most poorly built structures.


    People were thrown from their feet as the ground heaved beneath them, the shockwave travelling across the ground like a monstrous tidal wave.


    The stronger, upper echelon of Tenebrus city were immediately on alert, and those who were higher life forms like Commander Murdock could feel the cataclysmic disturbance rip through the very air, as if the world itself was crying out in pain.


    "An all out attack of a higher life form!"


    The upper echelon were utterly shocked by what they were feeling.


    The sheer power of the attack was nearing the level of a Variant ss B tier being¡­


    It still teetered on the edge of a Mutant ss B+ rank, but it was so close to being Variant level that it feared some of them.


    Beings of that calibre rarely ever unleashed an all out attack like that¡­


    Which only made them afraid of finding out what had caused someone like that to go so far¡­


    Frightened citizens stumbled outside, staring into the sky in the direction of the explosion, though the source of the devastation was too far to see.


    The horizon flickered with remnants of Alex''s fireball, even from such a great distance, a faint but unnatural glow that pulsed like a dying star.


    Whispers spread amongst the people, spection and fear mounting as the earthquake''s tremors continued, rolling through the city with relentless force.


    The whole city was in turmoil at this point.


    The citizens had heard of the kind of power higher life forms held, even hearing stories of some of their own like Commander Murdock fighting off against Higher life form beasts, but those fights had always been so far away from the city that their effect never reached this far.


    Only in rare cases throughout the years had tremors from a battle between higher life forms reached the city, and only the older, stronger awakened were still alive to remember them.


    "Return to your business, the higher ups will take care of this."


    But the excitement and anxiety quickly died down when announcements started spreading across the city informing them that the situation was under control.


    Even the city Mayor got involved, of which the city only returned to normal when they learned of this fact.


    The Mayor was an A tier life form, if he were to get involved, then everything would be fine.


    ***


    Back at the site of the explosion, the fireball slowly began to copse in on itself, leaving behind a charred wastnd where even the nt life had beenpletely incinerated.


    The ground was scorched ck, still glowing red hot in ces. Massive chunks of rock and debrisy strewn about, remnants of thend torn apart by the impact.


    At the centre of it all was a crater so vast, it seemed bottomless ¡ª like an abyss carved into the world, spanning thousands of kilometres in diameter and reaching unfathomable depths.


    Smoke and steam rose from the pit, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt earth and molten rock.


    For a long moment, there was no sign of life, no movement in the aftermath of such devastation.


    Mira, watching anxiously from the Void dimension, could barely take it any longer as she entered the Primordial Expanse the moment the explosion receded.


    Her hands trembled as she looked around for any sign of him, anything!


    Tremble!


    Rumble!


    However, her heart was quickly stirred the moment she felt a shake in the ground.


    It wasn''t as intense as the quake that ensued after Alex''sst ultimate attack, but it was a tremor that caused her to reel back in trepidation.


    ''What if that beast is still alive¡­''


    The worst case scenario immediately entered her mind, and she couldn''t help but feel her heartbeat increase with every moment that passed.


    Then, from within the depths of the crater, something stirred.


    A shadowy figure, barely visible through the smoke, slowly rose from the abyss.


    Mira''s heart leapt in her chest as she strained to see, praying it was Alex.


    But as the smoke cleared and the figure came into view, her hope turned into horror.


    It was the King of Evermoor.


    Its body was battered and scorched,rge sections of its scales ckened and peeling away, but it was still standing.


    Steam hissed from the creature''s wounds, and it looked lifelessly into the distance.


    ''No¡­ Alex¡­''


    Mira couldn''t hold it back anymore and nearly broke down on the spot.


    Alex¡­


    The person she cared for the most¡­


    He was nowhere in sight, while the King of Evermoor was still standing.


    It was clear as day what had happened, but Mira''s heart couldn''t bear to ept it.


    Tears flowed from her eyes as her emotions were unable to be contained, flowing out like a storm.


    All the while, the King of Evermoor didn''t move from the spot it had emerged from.


    Mira could only look helplessly at it, unable to even lift a finger or move a muscle.


    Her body knew and screamed at her to re enter the Void dimension, but Mira''s mind was in an entirely different ce, refusing to listen.


    Wobble.


    Stumble.


    But with her eyes still trained on the King of Evermoor, she watched as it started to stumble, falling to its knees, eyes still lifeless, until it fell face t.


    She watched and waited, but no matter what, the King of Evermoor didn''t get back up to its feet.


    A sense of relief spread through her, subconsciously happy that at least Alex had achieved his goal and saved her.


    But the immense grief she was feelingpletely overwhelmed it.


    Cough!


    She even started imagining things.


    "Mira!"


    It was as if she could hear his voice off in the distance, calling out to her.


    But she knew it couldn''t be true.


    The King of Evermoor was just too strong to ovee without sacrifice.


    "Mira!"


    She tried to ignore the voice, as it only filled her with pain the more it spoke out to her.


    p!


    "MIRA!"


    But the voice just wouldn''t stop, and Mira almost felt as if something had just brushed her cheek.


    ''Huh?''

 Chapter 377: Emotions

    Mira blinked, her vision blurred by tears.


    Her mind was too overwhelmed with grief that she had nearly lost her grip on reality.


    The sound of Alex''s voice, the one she missed the most but knew couldn''t be real, kept echoing in her ears.


    p!


    That same feeling of something brushing her face appeared once again, but she shut her eyes tighter, her chest heaving with every breath, trying to block out the cruel delusion.


    But then, she felt it again ¡ª a touch, firm but gentle, on her shoulder.


    Stroke!


    Her eyes flew open as the sensation jolted her out of her haze.


    "MIRA!"


    Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up, the world spinning slightly as she regained her bearings.


    Blinking through the haze of tears, she saw him.


    Alex ¡ª tattered, battered, naked, but unmistakably real ¡ª stood right in front of her.


    His body was covered from head to toe in burns, dirt, blood, but his eyes were alight with the fire of life, and a little desperation as he seemed a little panicked.


    He was waving his hand frantically in front of her face, trying to get her attention, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed her cheek.


    "Mira! Is anybody in there!?" he said again, his voice hoarse and raw but undeniably real.


    Mira gasped, her breath catching her throat as she stared at him in disbelief.


    For a moment, she couldn''tprehend what she was seeing.


    Her mind had been so convinced of the worst ¡ª that Alex had sacrificed himself in the battle against the King of Evermoor.


    She was already grieving him, mourning him, doing anything to avoid epting the unimaginable loss.


    And yet, here he was ¡ª standing right in front of her.


    "You¡­ You''re alive¡­" Mira whispered, her voice cracking, barely able to speak as a flood of emotions surged through her.


    Alex gave a weak grin, still breathing heavily as he clutched her shoulder tighter.


    "Barely." he rasped, coughing from the strain. "But yeah¡­ I''m alive."


    Mira threw her arms around him without hesitation, pulling him into a tight embrace.


    Her tears of grief turned into tears of overwhelming relief as she buried her face in his chest, her hands clutching onto him as if he might disappear again if she let go.


    His body was weak, trembling from exhaustion and injury, but she didn''t care.


    All that mattered was that he was here ¡ª alive.


    "I thought¡­ I thought I lost you¡­" Mira whispered shakily as she sobbed into his chest.


    Alex chuckled weakly, wincing as the movement of his chest,bined with Mira''s arms wrapped tightly around it, sent a wave of pain through his battered body.


    "I thought I lost me too for a second there," He spoke softly, weakly lifting his arms to reciprocate the tight lock she had on his body.


    "But hey¡­ I guess it takes more than an oversized lizard to finish me off."


    She pulled back slightly, just enough for Alex to see her snotty, tear streaked face now with a mix of disbelief.


    "How¡­ how did you¡­?"


    "I don''t even know," Alex admitted, all his exhaustioning out at once. "Let alone the King of Evermoor, that fall alone should have turned me into a bloody meat soup, but I guess the explosion when my sword met the King produced enough force to cancel my momentum out and send me flying in another direction."


    He gestured weakly toward the massive abyss that now dominated thendscape.


    "I guess since we were only a few dozen kilometres up ¡ª instead of the tens of thousands of kilometres of momentum I had built up ¡ªbined with the fact that the ground below had been covered with a thick, softyer of ash, saved me from bing that meat soup."


    Mira''s mind was still too weak from the intense waves of emotions she was going through toprehend what he was telling her.


    All she took away from it was that Alex had survived, which was all she cared about.


    "The King¡­?" Mira whispered, ncing back at the fallen beast. The sight of the emotionless creature, still sprawled in the pit, gave her both a sense of relief and lingering fear.


    Alex followed her gaze, his expression hardening. "Dead, thankfully."


    Mira hesitated, her heart still pounding wildly. "But it got back up after your attack¡­"


    Hearing this, Alex could only awkwardly scratch his cheek as heughed nervously.


    "...That''s because itnded on top of me¡­ I had to move it so that I could get up¡­"


    "..."


    "..."


    A short bout of silence ensued after Alex revealed this bit of information.


    Mira blinked in disbelief, then suddenly burst intoughter.


    It was a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and sheer absurdity.


    All that terror she felt, all that grief, only for Alex to nonchntly reveal that the very reason she broke down was because of a misunderstanding.


    She doubled over,ughing so hard her stomach hurt, tears still streaming down her face.


    She even brought Alex down with her, which didn''t quite bode well with his delicate body at the moment.


    "Ouch!"


    Alex swore he could hear a snap when hended on top of Mira¡­


    "Sorry!"


    Though Mira quickly realised her mistake and helped him up with as much delicacy as she could.


    Considering his state, if another beast suddenly came in and took them by surprise, he might not be so lucky the second time around.


    "I guess it''s your turn to protect me haha."


    But Mira quickly moved on from the subject, instead asking another question she was very curious to know the answer to.


    "Howe the King died instead of regenerating like he did after the first explosion?"


    At first, when Mira saw the King''s appearance after the smoke dissipated, and witnessed the steam rising from its body, she thought it would start regenerating again like it did after his first attack.


    But such a thing clearly didn''t happen, otherwise they wouldn''t be so carefree right now¡­


    "That''s simple, I just dealt enough damage to it that its regeneration was overwhelmed. After all, if it could regenerate no matter the damage it received, it wouldn''t just be a King ss C- rank beast, it would have to be unimaginably strong to be able to achieve such a feat."


    "Though I would have never been able to clear that threshold without the sort of luck I had today. Who would have thought that theck of a limit on momentum in the Primordial Expanse would actually be of benefit to me instead of a hindrance!"

 Chapter 378: Announcement

    Mira nodded along with what Alex was saying, the most important take away from this experience being that they should remain fully alert no matter how confident they felt while out in the wilderness.


    The next time something like this happened, they might encounter a beast neither of them would ever be able to deal with.


    However just a moment aftering out of her thoughts, Mira turned to Alex only to see his face scrunched up in a ball of surprise and shock.


    "What''s wrong?"


    She immediately felt something was off with Alex, but she had no clue what could make him react that way.


    Was he in pain?


    Were his injuries acting up?


    However, the reality turned out to be something neither of them would have ever expected.


    Right in front of Alex''s eyes, now that he had finally rxed and calmed down after his miraculous victory over the King of Evermoor, was a message.


    He sat there, staring nkly at the words floating in front of him. His mind was spinning as the system''s announcement floated there, his pulse racing in disbelief.


    [A remarkable feat! You are the first human in history to have in an enemy two sses above yourself!]


    He blinked again, trying to process the sheer magnitude of what he had just aplished.


    The battle with the King of Evermoor had been beyond gruelling, and yet it only just hit him that he had survived ¡ª no, won, against a foe two sses above himself¡­


    But the shock wasn''t over yet.


    [Announcement! Human <Name hidden> has achieved a momentous feat ¡ª the first human in history to defeat a King ss being solo as a Mutant ss!]


    "Wait¡­ what?" Alex muttered, unsure whether his disbelief could reach an even higher level.


    He could barely even wrap around the fact that this wasn''t just a personal achievement.


    It was something historical!


    He had done something that no human since the dawn of time had ever achieved before¡­


    How absurd was that!


    He rubbed his face in confusion. "Why is my name hidden? Not that it matters¡­"


    But before he could dwell on it, the next part of the message appeared.


    [You have received a new trait]


    [Kingyer: Being a King does not make one immune to death, you have proved that by killing a King recognised by the system. You do not just have King ss potential, your future stands far brighter than that.]


    [Trait effect: Damage to King ss beings and below is boosted by 50%]


    "..."


    Alex was quite literally and figuratively, speechless.


    Just what the fuck was he seeing right now!?


    Had he really been so focused on the fight and calming Mira down that he had missed such earth shattering messages from the system?


    His eyes widened. 50% more damage to King ss beings and below? That was even more absurd¡­ Overpowered even.


    Mira leaned closer, unable to hold back anymore. "Alex? What''s happening?"


    But before he could answer, Mira''s own face twisted with shock when she looked forwards, mimicking the same reaction Alex had just had.


    ''I''m getting a feeling of deja vu¡­''


    But unbeknownst to him, Mira wasn''t the only one who had that reaction¡­


    ***


    Admiral Olgierd stood stiffly, his hands sped behind his back as he listened to one of the other S tiers report on thetest activities from their side of the frontier against the Red Demons.


    Principal Farnes sat silently across the table with his brow furrowed, his piercing gaze fixed on the centre of the room.


    His mood had been sour ever since he had heard about Alex and Mira''s disappearance on Eldaris.


    It had been well over a month since that event, yet there was still no sign or word of them, and things only got more tense for him the more time passed.


    The atmosphere in the round table room was not good, to say the least.


    The Federation was still hard at war against the Red Demons, and with Alex out of the game, things were quickly getting out of hand in many systems where he could have turned the whole situation around.


    But suddenly, in the middle of the other S tier''s report, everyone stopped dead silent in their tracks, with the S tier who was reporting stopping mid way.


    Principal Farnes, Admiral Olgierd and everyone else in the room all had their focus retrained on something far more intriguing.


    And not even the most stoic of figures like Admiral Olgierd could hide his shock when he read the announcement that popped up in front of him.


    [Announcement! Human <Name hidden> has achieved a momentous feat ¡ª the first human in history to defeat a King ss being solo as a Mutant ss!]


    Olgierd''s eyes widened, and the room fell intoplete silence.


    The other S tiers exchanged bewildered nces, their usualposure shaken by the gravity of what they were seeing.


    The weakest of the bunch in the room was a Mutant ss, like the human mentioned in the message, but never in a million years could they ever defeat a King ss being, especially at their rank!


    "Did¡­ did everyone else see that?" One of them finally asked, disbelief thick in their voice.


    Principal Farnes, however, remained utterly still, his eyes still locked on that notification.


    His mind raced, trying to fathom the kind of person it took to achieve such a feat.


    And unless it was a native in the Primordial Expanse, there was only one person that came to mind.


    ''Alex¡­''


    Farnes clenched his jaw, heart pounding beneath his cold exterior.


    He was the only King ss in the room, and the only one in the human race, the others were all S tiers like him, but far beneath him in power.


    And yet, someone had done what had always been presumed impossible.


    He was the only one who understood what it takes to kill a King ss being, and the fact that he was the most shocked of all should be a wake up call to the others, if they noticed.


    Only Admiral Olgierd noticed Farnes'' shock, as Farnes slowly turned to him and spoke.

 Chapter 379: Unprecedented

    "This¡­ is unprecedented," Farnes muttered to Olgierd, his deep voiceced with an ulterior motive, as if he had something he wanted to hide from the others in the room.


    "Whoever did this¡­ they''re more than a prodigy¡­"


    However, while those were his words, his thoughts ¡ª which hemunicated to Olgierd telepathically, were different.


    ''This is most likely Alex''s doing.''


    ''There is always the chance that this is just a native of the Primordial Expanse that has achieved this, but Alex has the highest potential for the human race we have seen. We previously rated him to be a King ss prodigy¡­ but it seems we still vastly underestimated his potential¡­''


    ''Not to mention, he has been missing for over a month, with rumours he entered the Primordial Expanse of his own volition. Is this really just a bit of coincidental timing?''


    ''I see. We should keep this secret for the time being before we can make any conclusive ns.''


    Olgierd kept up the outside facade, while he inwardly agreed with Farnes.


    The other S tiers remained silent, waiting for Farnes to say more.


    But he didn''t.


    His thoughts had already drifted torger implications.


    ***


    In deep space, a colossal fleet of ships drifted in the quiet of the vast, ck void.


    Their sleek, obsidian hulls blended with the infinite ck void.


    At the helm of thergest vessel, an enigmatic figure sat in quiet contemtion, his eyes closed as he calcted all different kinds of things at the speed only a supeputer couldpare to.


    However, suddenly a soft chime echoed through his chamber, heard only to his ears.


    His brow furrowed as a system notification shed before his eyes, annoyed that something had disturbed his thoughts.


    [Announcement! Human <Name hidden> has achieved a momentous feat ¡ª the first human in history to defeat a King ss being solo as a Mutant ss!]


    The man''s eyes opened slowly, his expression unreadable as he stared at the floating words.


    His calm exterior cracked for a moment, his brow lifting ever so slightly in surprise.


    It was rare for anything to catch him off guard.


    Before he could process the full weight of what he had just read though, the door to his chamber burst open.


    A fierce, sharp eyed woman stormed into the room, her usualposure was shattered, her face flushed with shock.


    If Alex were there, he would be surprised to recognise her as ra from his brief encounter with the Alliance fleet.


    "Have you seen this!?" she demanded, gesturing toward the space in front of her where the announcement was hanging in the air. "This is huge!"


    Of course though, for the man in the seat, there was nothing in the empty air in front of ra.


    But he knew what she was referring to.


    The man, still seated, looked up at her, amusement flickering in his eyes. "I have."


    The man remained silent, watching her with quiet intrigue.


    ra stopped pacing and let her excitement die down, her eyes wide with realisation. "This is unprecedented! We need to find out who this is. Fast."


    The man simply nodded at her, and dismissed her from the room.


    But she refused to leave yet.


    The man simply leaned back in his chair while ra continued to rant, deep in thought.


    ''I believe we already know.''


    However, while ra was going to be busy fumbling around trying to figure out the culprit behind the system''s announcement, the man seemed certain on a certain name.


    ''I sense a storming.''


    ***


    In a small, secluded hut in the wilderness, the same two figures were once again meeting.


    The same dimntern lit up the room with flickers of light.


    The tall hooded figure stood near the single window, his back turned to the shorter one who sat at the table.


    "Have you heard anything yet?" The tall figure broke the silence, clearly getting impatient.


    The shorter one flinched slightly, his fingers tightening around the cup.


    "Not yet. My contacts are still on route. They should arrive soon to confirm their deaths. There was just a slight dy to ensure that the beast wouldn''t still be in the area when they arrive, for their own safety."


    The silence continued after the short one responded.


    They had been waiting for a few days now since Alex and Mira had taken up the mission, and there had still been no word.


    The shorter figure continued. "The King beast''s presence was overwhelming. I doubt they would have survived ¡ª"


    Rumble!


    Suddenly, the ground underneath them started to shake.


    The small wooden hut shook violently as if the earth itself were in pain.


    Smash!


    The shorter figure dropped his cup, leaving it to smash on the ground, barely audible over the deep, resonating quakes that seemed toe from the far horizon.


    The tall figure turned abruptly, his posture now rigid and alert.


    "What is this?" The taller one clearly seemed more aware of what was going on, while the shorter one was still clueless.


    Then, in the distance, a tremendous wave of energy swept over them.


    It was so powerful, so suffocating, that even from nearly 20,000 kilometres away, they could feel the monstrous aura of the King of Evermoor.


    The sheer magnitude of its power flooded their senses, making their skin crawl, their breaths grow shallow.


    The tall figure''s eyes narrowed beneath his hood. "That''s the aura of a King¡­"


    But something was off. This was not the typical radiating dominance of a King ss beast.


    This was raw, desperate power.


    The type that only came from a creature fighting for its life.


    The shorter figure stumbled to his feet, panic in his eyes.


    "W-why would it need to use an attack so strong!?"


    His voice was shaky, clearly filled with disbelief.


    "Why would it need to go all out against them?"


    They considered Alex and Mira as nothing more than insects beneath it ¡ª insignificant ants unworthy of a full disy of the King''s power.


    Yet the tremors in the ground and the overwhelming aura said otherwise.


    But then, as quickly as it surged, the King''s aura began to fade.


    At first, it was subtle, like a retreating tide, but then the energy plummeted in strength until it vanished entirely, leaving behind an eerie, unnerving silence.


    The tall figure''s face, hidden in the shadow of his hood, was still, but his posture betrayed his shock.


    "Impossible¡­"

 Chapter 380: The plot thickens

    "It can''t be¡­"


    The tall figure slowly turned his face to the shorter figure, his voiceced with deadly intent.


    "It''s dead."


    The shorter figure''s eyes widened in horror.


    It seemed so unbelievable to him that even with the taller figure confirming it, he still couldn''t believe it.


    It was the King of Evermoor! It was literally one of the strongest creatures in the entire Evermoor forest, hence its name.


    Yet somehow, it was dead¡­


    The tall figure stood frozen for a moment, the enormity of the situation crashing down on him.


    They had used this beast for thest month to kill off any outsider prodigies they had encountered, yet now the impossible had happened¡­


    And now Alex and Mira, the ones they had deemed to be insignificant, were now at the centre of such an era defining event for the human race.


    As the silence stretched on, a new kind of tension filled the air, thick and dangerous. The shorter figure nced up at his taller counterpart, fear and confusion etched across his face.


    "This¡­ this wasn''t supposed to happen," the shorter one muttered, his voice trembling. "How did they ¡ª"


    He was cut off by a sharp movement from the tall figure. In an instant, a suffocating wave of murderous intent filled the room.


    The shorter figure''s eyes widened in realisation of what had happened, but it was toote.


    The tall figure lunged forward, faster than the eye could follow, his hand reaching for the shorter figure''s throat.


    He needed to clean this up ¡ª now. There could be no loose ends that led back to him.


    If word got out that this mission had been manipted, and that he had been at the helm of it, it could lead to devastating results for his people.


    Now that he knew Alex and Mira were such monsters, it had to be reported to his higher ups desperately with the highest urgency.


    "No!" the shorter figure gasped, his instincts kicking in.


    He scrambled to defend himself, barely managing to block the tall figure''s hand with his forearm, but the force of the attack sent him crashing into the wall and mming right through it, bringing the whole cabin down on top of them.


    "W-what are you doing!?" he screamed, but the tall figure''s eyes were cold and unyielding, his next attack already poised to strike.


    "I can''t have you running your mouth," The tall figure said, his voice cold as ice.


    His hand shot out again, this time aimed directly at the shorter figure''s chest.


    But the shorter figure, driven by a surge of desperation, managed to swing his arm up at thest second, defecting the blow and throwing his fist toward the tall figure''s head in a wild, frantic motion.


    Smack!


    The blow connected, catching the tall figure squarely on the temple.


    The force wasn''t anywhere near enough to seriously injure him, but it was enough to knock him off bnce.


    As he stumbled back, the hood that had concealed his face fell away, revealing something that made the shorter figure freeze in confusion.


    The tall figure''s skin was an unnatural shade of crimson, his eyes growing a sinister yellow, and sharp, inhuman facings gleamed from his partially opened mouth.


    "You''re not a human¡­?" the shorter figure whispered, his confusion evident.


    "What¡­ are you?"


    The shorter figure was a native, so he had absolutely no idea about the goings on of the outside world, which made his reaction to seeing a Red Demon be his first encounter with them.


    For a brief moment, everything stopped.


    The shorter figure, now realising the identity of hispanion wasn''t who he thought it was, felt his blood run cold.


    The Red Demon sneered, his yellow eyes glowing with a mixture of annoyance and malice. "You shouldn''t have done that."


    Before the shorter figure could react, the Red Demon moved with blinding speed, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.


    His hand wrapped around the shorter figure''s throat, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.


    "Please!" the shorter figure choked, his hands wing desperately at the demon''s arm. "I won''t say anything!"


    But the Red Demon''s grip tightened, his fangs bared in a cruel smile. "It''s not about what you''ll say," he growled, his voice low. "It''s about ensuring you won''t be a problem."


    With a sickening crunch, the Red Demon squeezed, and the shorter figure''s body went limp.


    The lifeless body dropped to the floor, and the Red Demon watched it crumple with an expression of mild disdain.


    He nced back at the blood on his hands and wiped them from the cloak he wore.


    "This changes things¡­" he muttered to himself, his mind already racing.


    Although he looked tough and scary on the exterior, inside all he felt was panic and fear.


    Not only had Alex and Mira thrown his ns into disarray, but it had also revealed a terrifying foe for the Red Demon race to face.


    The young boy and girl were far more dangerous than he or any of his higher ups had anticipated¡­


    There were only a few beings in the entire Red Demon race who could kill King ss beings at their own rank, and all of them were King ss beings themselves.


    Save for the first prince, who had once killed a King ss being of his own rank back when he was only a Variant ss.


    The Red Demon turned to what remained of the door of the cabin, his mind already formting a way to leave the Primordial Expanse and report his findings as quickly as possible.


    He would have to move quickly, if he didn''t take action immediately then for all he knew, Alex and Mira could be the first ones to leave this ce, and then they would have the jump on the Red Demon race.


    ''First I''ll go deal with that little runt dwarf the two of them made a deal with, I can''t have them be even stronger than they have already revealed themselves to be.''

 Chapter 381: Robed figures

    Alex and Mira moved cautiously through the dense forestry, the vast shadows cast by the huge trees covering their tracks and hiding their movements from any unsuspecting beasts in the area.


    Alex, despite having just fought and defeated a King ss beast, was visibly weakened.


    Thatst attack hadpletely depleted everyst bit of energy his body had to offer, and it was regenerating slower than normal for some unknown reason.


    His every step was heavy, and his breaths were shallow as he tried to recover from the taxing battle while simultaneously making his way back to Tenebrus.


    Mira, walking beside him, kept her senses sharp, ready for any sign of danger.


    "It''ll take weeks for us to make it back to Tenebrus at this pace¡­" Mira said, her eyes briefly scanning Alex''s figure, who was in no shape to be moving at a faster speed than the brisk walk they were currently on.


    "I''ll carry you. You can rest while I can get us back to the city in a matter of days rather than weeks." Mira''s suggestion made sense to Alex, and if he were to let his inner thoughts out, then Mira would have realised he was hoping for her to suggest that.


    "You need time to recover. That battle ¡ª"


    Alex, with his voice strained, cut her off mid sentence. "I''ll be fine. We just need to keep moving."


    The crater behind them still smouldered, the odd lingering fire still raging on here or there.


    The forest surrounding them had been utterly destroyed, but the two of them didn''t have the time or luxury to admire the aftermath.


    They had already journeyed a few hundred kilometres, yet they were still within the confines of the crater.


    If anything it was a reality check for Alex. It made him realise just how strong he was nowpared to the average person, or even the average awakened.


    He could cause this much devastation?


    What if he encountered a fight with such a being while in the outside universe?


    Would his attack eviscerate everything, whether living or not, for hundreds of kilometres?


    He realised that when he made his way back to the war in the federation, he might have to be more moderate with his power output, and if drastic measures had to be taken, they should be taken out in the confines of space, or in a wastnd where not a single living thing would be present.


    However, while he was in thought, Mira stiffened and stopped running.


    Her instincts had kicked in, she grabbed Alex''s leg and tightened her grip on it, to bring him back out of his thoughts.


    "We''re not alone."


    Emerging from the thick undergrowth ahead of them at the edge of the crater, a group of figures dressed in long, ck robes stepped forward, their hoods concealing their faces.


    Their sudden appearance wasn''t what concerned Mira, as it was only natural that Alex''s devastating fight with the King ss beast would draw some outside attention.


    It was the way they hesitated, their movements faltering the moment they saw Alex and Mira standing there ¡ª alive.


    "They flinched," Mira whispered, her hand tightening on her de as she kept Alex propped up on her back.


    "It seems they weren''t expectingpany either."


    Alex nced at the robed figures, his mind instantly on high alert.


    Despite his weakened state, his instincts were sharp. He could sense the tension in the air, the subtle shift in the group''s posture.


    They had been expecting something else, clearly.


    But despite all of this, Alex was helpless to do anything.


    His mind may be sharp, but his body was in no state to start another fight.


    If anything were to happen, it would rest solely on Mira''s shoulders.


    However, it seemed the robed figures didn''t want to waste any time talking or exchanging awkward nces at all.


    They moved in immediately, there was no hesitation in their attack.


    At first their confidence wavered and were hesitant to do anything, hence them flinching when they first encountered the duo.


    They knew that the two of them were supposed to have died to the King ss beast, and they were supposed to have gone over to verify their deaths, so seeing them still alive and kicking was a major w in their ns.


    But when they saw Alex on Mira''s back, injured and exhausted beyond measure, their confidence quickly picked itself back up.


    Fighting a single person was much easier than taking on a well coordinated duo.


    They rushed toward Alex and Mira with deadly intent, their robes billowing in the wind as they closed the distance swiftly.


    They believed this was an easy win.


    Mira, however, stood firm.


    She could feel the surge of anticipation from the robed figures, the confidence in their movements betraying theirck of experience.


    Without a word, the lead figureunched forward, his hand glowing with a sudden burst of fire.


    He moved fast, directly aiming for Alex, assuming that Mira would be too slow, or too preupied with his allies to stop him.


    But he was wrong.


    Before his hand could evene close to Alex, Mira was already in motion.


    Her speed was blinding to the five robed figures, and in an instant, she unsheathed her de.


    With a single fluid motion, she struck.


    The robed figures barely had time to register what had happened before the lead figure''s body hit the ground with a thud, blood pooling from the clean sh across his chest.


    The remaining four stopped in their tracks, shock and disbelief clear even through their hoods.


    But they quickly recovered, reassessing the situation.


    The second and third robed figures dashed forward, one from the left and one from the right, hoping to overwhelm Mira with a pincer attack.


    But were they really that na?ve?


    Yes, it seemed they were.


    Mira didn''t flinch.


    She spun on her heel, her de cutting through the air with precision.


    St!


    The two figures to her left and right fell to the ground, blood sttering everywhere.


    ''Shit!''


    Thest two figures both attempted to escape after this, but Mira wouldn''t let them get away so easily.


    sh!


    With onest swing of her sword, they too were struck down.


    ''...''


    "Well that was anticlimactic."


    Alex was the first to break the tension.

 Chapter 382: A slight problem

    Mira wiped the blood from her de, eyeing the fallen robed figures.


    "Anticlimactic indeed."


    She muttered, ncing over at Alex, who was sitting against an ashen tree with a smirk.


    "Still." She added, walking over to the lead figure who targeted Alex at the beginning of the fight.


    "We should see if they''re carrying anything useful."


    Alex agreed with her idea, and she knelt down and began rifling through his pockets.


    Alex, since he had nothing better to do, kept an eye out on the surroundings in case any other third parties ''identally'' stumbled upon them while Mira was busy searching.


    "Anything?"


    Alex asked, his voice still hoarse from the fight.


    Mira shook her head, tossing aside a small pouch that looked unassuming at first, but caused Alex''s brows to raise in curiosity when he saw Mira''s whole arm disappear inside of it when she tried searching it.


    It was clearly some sort of spatial storage item, that was for sure, but it was just more unique than the other types of spatial items they had seen before.


    "Nothing of value. Just scouts, it seems."


    She had already ascertained the identity of these figures as people who weren''t exactlybatant focused, sheerly from theirck of skills and experience during the fight.


    But, as she continued searching the remaining bodies, something clicked in her mind. A realisation, a sharp one at that.


    "The king."


    She spoke, her voice cutting through the boredom Alex was starting to feel.


    Alex raised an eyebrow, not immediately following.


    "What about it?"


    "We never looted the King''s body¡­"


    Mira replied, standing up quickly.


    "We must have been caught up in the heat of the moment! We just left it behind!"


    Alex''s grin slowly formed into a frown.


    "Shit! We almost missed the biggest prize of them all!"


    With no further discussion or time wasted on looting the rest of the robed figure''s bodies, Mira hoisted Alex onto her back once more and turned around, retracing their steps through the devastatedndscape.


    The journey was swift, despite Alex''s condition.


    They had only travelled a few hundred kilometres, so it didn''t take them long to arrive back at the scene, especially now that Mira was carrying Alex on her back, rather than slowly walking alongside him.


    When they reached the spot, the ground was still scorched, as it wouldn''t exactly grow back in the matter of hours they had been gone.


    But since it was the Primordial Expanse, you could never be sure¡­


    Anyway, thankfully for the two of them, the body was still there, untouched.


    It seemed Alex''s attack hadn''t exactly left the surrounding area in decent condition, to put it lightly, which also included the local wildlife.


    So there was literally nothing left alive toe and scavenge the remains¡­


    Since Alex was currently preupied with being a cripple, Mira took it upon herself to store the body, and they were back on their way to Tenebrus city in no time.


    ***


    After days of travelling, Alex had finally recovered to about fifty percent of his strength, enough for him to walk on his own for the final stretch toward the city.


    The regeneration and recovery was taking much, much longer than it normally would, which concerned Alex to a certain degree.


    But with not much to go off, he could only hope that it was temporary and another mysterious effect of fighting against a King ss beast and surviving to tell the tale.


    However, as they came close enough to see the towering city walls from afar, a new problem emerged.


    Alex nced down at himself, suddenly very aware of the fact that his clothes had beenpletely incinerated in the battle.


    He was walking around with nothing, barebone ass out naked, with nothing covered at all¡­


    "We might have a slight problem¡­"


    Alex muttered while ncing at Mira.


    "You don''t happen to have any spare clothes with you?"


    Mira just gave him the most deadpan look she could muster.


    "You''re just now realising this?"


    Alex rubbed the back of his head, a cheeky but still slightly embarrassed grin forming on his face.


    "Yeah, not exactly a priority when we were fighting for our lives."


    Normally, he would keep a spare pair of clothes if he knew he would be out of town for a long time, or if he was going into a fight he knew might get messy¡­ in the clothes department.


    But his trip to the Primordial Expanse hadn''t exactly been nned, and neither was Mira''s, as such they hadn''t packed any spares.


    "Got any ideas?"


    Mira asked, her tone somewhere between exasperation and amusement.


    Since they were on the main road, they had already garnered a few odd stares every now and then when a passerby came past, but they had mostly ignored them.


    Alex thought for a moment, scanning the road ahead with his eyes.


    Then, it was like a lightbulb went off in his mind.


    "I''ve got it."


    He began to steer them off the main road, toward the outer wall of Tenebrus.


    Mira followed him closely from behind, admiring the ''view''.


    But as they reached the periphery of the city and started walking along the city''s perimeter, Mira couldn''t help but ask.


    "Where are you taking us? How is this going to fix yourck of clothes problem!?"


    Alex grinned with a mischievous glint in his eye.


    "You''ll see."


    And gave her a cheeky wink.


    But she just couldn''t take him seriously when he just did that while butt ass naked¡­


    "I can''t exactly walk through the main gates like this, can I? While this ce may look and feel very medieval, it still abides by nearly the same customs as we do in the Federation."


    "You can''t just go streaking in public in the middle of the day! Not to mention it would be quite embarrassing¡­"


    Mira raised an eyebrow, and let him continue.


    "So, we''ll find a more secluded, quieter way in."


    Mira shook her head and sighed.


    "This is ridiculous¡­"

 Chapter 383: Soft landing

    Alex led Mira along the wall, staying close to its towering edge.


    Mira, still curious, kept her focus on the trail ahead, more perplexed by what Alex had in store for her than anything else.


    But her mind was also drawing her elsewhere.


    If anyone were to observe them right now, she wouldn''t know how to hide her face in shame¡­


    A young girl being led by an equally young, but very naked male, down a secluded path¡­


    It would create some very interesting scenarios in even the most innocent of minds¡­


    But all she could do was hope that nobody was bored enough to check the area of the wall they were walking along.


    Alex had this look of mischief in his eye, and while she usually enjoyed his schemes, this one was dragging on for a bit too long for her liking.


    Then, without warning, Alex stopped.


    A small, satisfied smile spread across his face.


    "Watch this." he said, without turning back to look at Mira.


    Mira raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she observed Alex.


    "What exactly am I supposed to be watching?"


    Instead of answering, Alex closed his eyes.


    Mira''s face shifted in an instant, but not out of realisation or anything spectacr like that, but out of confusion.


    As someone well versed in the spatial element, even more so than Alex, Mira knew exactly what he was up to the instant she felt the energy start to build up around them.


    But this time, she was puzzled.


    His eyes were closed, and trying to teleport right now seemed foolish.


    Still, Alex''s confidence remained sky high, so Mira chose to continue standing back and watching.


    She could feel the familiar pull of space bending around them, but even then, she still wasn''t familiar with what Alex''s endgame was.


    Before she could question him - or herself - any further, Alex disappeared.


    Which was very much to Mira''s surprise.


    Although her talent was entirely focused on the Void dimension, it still allowed Mira to have the ability to teleport, and if she remembered correctly she could only do so while looking directly at where she wanted to end up.


    Yet, Alex had clearly just teleported somewhere with his eyes closed¡­


    "Show off." Mira muttered under her breath.


    Instinctively, she activated her spatial perception to track him.


    However, with how weird it was in the Primordial Expanse, in the sense that she couldn''t detect any living things, she quickly gave up on that idea.


    Still, she had a feeling.


    And momentster, she couldn''t help but let out a chuckle, the sound bubbling up before she could stop it.


    She had found him ¡ª or more urately, she had found where he had gone.


    While her spatial perception didn''t allow for her to track any living beings, she could still perceive the environment around her with perfect precision.


    And there was one particr ce in her periphery that she recognised instantly when her senses covered it.


    "Rothwind''s smithy."


    Mira said, amusement dripping from her voice.


    So this was why Alex had led her on that wild goose chase along the city wall for so long.


    Because he had this idea in mind the whole time.


    It would be hard to forget the location of the smithy, since it was practically rubbing walls with the huge outer city wall, and Alex must havee up with the bright idea of using it as a stealthier way to enter the city than just entering through the front gates with everything out for everyone to see.


    With this realisation in mind, Mira suddenly leaped off the ground a good 650 metres in the air, if not more.


    With the city walls being 500 metres tall, she actually had to put a little bit of exertion into her jump.


    But from that height, she could now see Rothwind''s smithy as clear as day, which was exactly the reason she performed such a move.


    Unlike Alex with his show off abilities, Mira could only teleport with her eyesight.


    Mira shook her head when she felt her feet touch solid ground within the city, right outside Rothwind smithy.


    She could already hear Rothwind''s shouting from all the way outside.


    Of all the ces Alex could have snuck into¡­


    But while she found the whole thing amusing, she was actually impressed with Alex''s idea.


    It at least saved them a lot of time and embarrassment.


    They would have probably made their way over to Rothwind''s smithy some time after entering the city anyway, so this just saved them all of the boring time they would have spent in between.


    With her face still full of smiles, Mira straightened herself and opened up the door to Rothwind''s smithy.


    And just like she had expected, the moment she went inside, her ears were met with the fury Rothwind had to offer.


    But her smile very quickly faded when she took a look around.


    Completely the opposite to her thoughts, the shouting from Rothwind she was hearing earlier was not directed at Alex at all.


    But at a¡­ Red Demon?


    ''What the fuck is going on!?''


    Naturally, Mira was utterly confused.


    ***


    Less than a minute earlier.


    Everything went ording to Alex''s n, and after walking along the edge of the city for thest couple dozen minutes, he had finally picked up on Rothwind''s smithy with his spatial perception.


    And, just ording to his n to amuse both himself and Mira, he teleported directly inside with his spatial perception, a special surprise that would naturally arouse many questions from Mira when she makes her way into the smithy herself.


    But when he closed his eyes and reopened them, his feet didn''t touch the cold, concrete floor like he was expecting¡­


    Instead, hended atop something in a sitting position.


    In fact, it felt suspiciously like he was on somebody''s shoulders¡­


    He opened his eyes, but¡­


    What he saw made him want to bothugh and cry.


    He was in fact sitting on someone''s shoulders, but he was the wrong way around.


    And his ''little fellow'' was getting suspiciously close to the unsuspecting victim''s mouth.


    However, Alex was much more concerned by the fact that the person he had justnded on was a Red Demon!

 Chapter 384: Ermmm

    The moment Alex realised where he hadnded, a wave of confusion mixed with embarrassment washed over him.


    Sitting on the shoulders of the Red Demon, especially in such a¡­promising position, was not part of his n.


    His body tensed, and for a brief second he considered teleporting out immediately ¡ª but then, Rothwind¡¯s booming voice erupted, cutting through the awkward silence.


    "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS FORGED IS GOING ON OUT HERE. FOR THE LAST DAMN TIME I SAID FUCK OF¡ª"


    Rothwind¡¯s voice trailed off as he noticed a naked Alex perched precariously on a strange looking fellow from a race he had never seen before.


    His face mimicked Alex¡¯s confusion, but there was also a hint of amusement in there as well.


    The Red Demon himself seemed momentarily stunned, clearly not in a million years to be interrupted when he was about to start trashing the ce and kill Rothwind when he was done.


    His glowing yellow eyes shifted upward, locking onto Alex with a face of anger and rage that Alex had never quite seen before.


    The Red Demons weren¡¯t so different from humans, so he knew quite well about¡­ reproductive organs¡­


    Especially when they were 2 centimetres away from his face¡­


    The tension in the room was thick, with Alex¡¯s usual carefree smile frozen in ce.


    Rothwind¡¯s shouting had ceased, leaving only the heavy breathing of the demon beneath Alex, and the creaking of the door as the shadowy figure of Mira appeared at the scene.


    Things were starting to get really awkward for him¡­


    "Um¡­ hey?"


    Alex awkwardly raised both his hands in awe, as if surrendering.


    The Red Demon was on the verge of saying fuck it all and going on a rampage, but just the fact that he recognised this human and the other female human who had just stepped through the door was what held him back.


    Those two had just defeated a King ss beast¡­


    So his anger was quietly suppressed despite how much he wanted to kill everyone in that room at the moment.


    ***


    Mira stepped fully into the smithy, scanning the chaotic scene portrayed very vividly in front of her with her eyes.


    The sight of Alex, naked and in quite a tough spot, perched atop a Red Demon¡¯s shoulders was enough to make her sigh, though she barely had time to process it.


    She had seen a lot of things in her life, but this right now took the cake.


    Her gaze flicked around the room before meeting Alex¡¯s, who held his hands up with a sheepish grin stered on his face.


    "Mira¡­ This isn¡¯t exactly what it looks like!"


    She raised an eyebrow, but her focus was on the Demon beneath him.


    The Red Demon¡¯s muscles were twitching, as if he was barely holding himself back from erupting.


    She could tell the guy barely had enough self control to keep himself steady, for the time being.


    But that didn¡¯t matter to her.


    He was Red Demon!


    What else did she need to know?


    In an instant, Mira made her decision.


    Without any further words, she darted forward with her body remaining in the blind spots of the Demon the entire time.


    In one fluid motion, she leapt into the air and spun, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to the Demon¡¯s head.


    But she made sure tond her foot suspiciously close to Alex¡¯s you know what, to send a stark warning to him.


    Pranks and games were fun, but he needed to be taught that there were limits.


    Alex practically felt his face turn ashen when he saw Mira¡¯s foot barely graze his manhood, and he got the clue she was trying to portray¡­


    The impact of her kick was instantaneous.


    The Demon¡¯s glowing eyes widened in shock as Mira¡¯s boot connected with his skull.


    A loud, echoing crack filled the room, and he copsed to the ground with a heavy thud!


    His body went limp, and Alex, still perched on top of him, suddenly found himself falling.


    "Whoa¡ª!"


    He yelped as he tumbled off the now unconscious demon,nding on the ground with just as loud a thud as the demon.


    He quickly scrambled to his feet though, finally happy to be standing on solid ground again.


    Mira stood over the unconscious demon, dusting off her hands as if she¡¯d justpleted a minor task.


    "Well, that solves that."


    Alex blinked.


    He was still processing what had just transpired.


    He nced at the Red Demon, then back to Mira with a blooming smile on his face like thest 30 seconds had never happened.


    "You sure know how to make an entrance."


    Rothwind, who had been silently watching the whole thing with his arms crossed, let out a chuckle of amusement.


    "You¡¯re one to talk. Do you want to talk about the entrance you just made?"


    His remark quickly shut Alex up.


    He turned back to Mira and spoke.


    "By the forge¡­ You two are going to give an old man a heart attack one a¡¯ these days."


    Alex chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.


    "Sorry about that, Rothwind. Didn¡¯t exactly n on teleporting onto a demon¡¯s shoulders¡­"


    Mira rolled her eyes but couldn¡¯t suppress her small smirk.


    "You never n on anything, Alex. That¡¯s the problem¡­"


    Rothwind grunted, stepping forward to inspect the unconscious Red Demon.


    "I can still detect a faint heartbeat, why might I ask, did you let him live?"


    He scratched his chin, looking down and inspecting every inch of the Red Demon.


    This was the first time he had encountered his race in his hundreds of years of life, after all.


    Mira crossed her arms, speaking up.


    "He could be holding some valuable information for all we know, especially since this is the first time we¡¯ve encountered his kind in the Primordial Expanse. I suspect his presence here wasn¡¯t a coincidence."


    Rothwind listened with great interest, and couldn¡¯t help butment.


    "Yer two races have history? What is his race called?"


    Mira and Alex both let out a heavy sigh as they heard his question.


    "Red Demons."


    They gave him the short and simple answer.


    And Rothwind could tell from their tone alone that his race probably had something to do with why they were trying to get back to the outside universe so quickly.

 Chapter 385: Finally, some clothes!

    Rothwind looked back at the unconscious Red Demon with a new light of concern in his face.


    He could sense the unease in Alex¡¯s and Mira¡¯s tone, particrly at the mention of the Red Demons.


    The momentary tension that passed between them spoke volumes, so Rothwind decided against pushing the topic any further.


    "Ay, well."


    He muttered, brushing off the heavy atmosphere he¡¯d inadvertently created.


    "Demon or not, that fe¡¯ right there¡¯s no threat for now. Let¡¯s move on."


    He straightened up, turning toward the pair, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.


    "So then, what¡¯s got ya back in my forge so soon? Barely been a week since ya¡¯ werest in here."


    Mira nced at Alex, clearly expecting him to exin.


    Alex, never one to shy away from attention, unless he was naked¡­, coughed and corrected his posture.


    "Uh, well you see¡­"


    Rothwind raised an eyebrow, waiting.


    "We don¡¯t actually have anything grand or epic this time."


    Alex admitted, disappointing Rothwind¡¯s expectations a little.


    After all, thest time they were there, Alex pulled out a sword created by the most legendary swordsmith there was¡­


    Instead, he pointed to himself, making sure Rothwind got a really good look.


    "You don¡¯t happen to have any spare clothes, do you?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    There was a beat of silence from all three of them for a few moments after that.


    Rothwind¡¯s eyes flicked over Alex¡¯s current state ¡ª naked as the day he was born.


    He couldn¡¯t help the rumbling, deepugh that followed.


    The sound echoed through the smithy, shaking the tools on the walls and causing Mira to smirk.


    "Ha! So that¡¯s why ya¡¯ snuck into the city like a thief in the night?"


    Rothwind seemed on the verge of tears as he wiped his eye.


    "All this fuss, and it¡¯s just ¡¯cause yer forgot yer pants?"


    Alex shrugged, trying to look innocent.


    "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Besides, can you imagine how awkward it would be walking through the city streets like this? Mira would never let me live it down."


    Both Mira and Rothwind shook their heads in disappointment.


    "Ya sure do have a talent of turning the simplest things into a mess¡­"


    Rothwind finished ¡¯admiring¡¯ Alex and went into the back of his smithy to start rummaging through a chest, pulling out some spare clothes that were obviously a size¡­ or ten, above his own.


    "You actually have some spare human clothesying around? I was half joking with that question¡­"


    Alex was a little lost for words.


    "Unlike you brats, I alwayse prepared."


    Rothwind¡¯sughter gradually died down, and he tossed the oversized clothes over to Alex, who quickly began dressing himself.


    The clothes actually fit him quite nicely, almost too perfectly¡­


    ¡¯He didn¡¯t prepare these specifically for me, did he?¡¯


    Alex couldn¡¯t help but think to himself.


    The clothes were especiallyfortable as well.


    "Say, Rothwind, where did you get such high quality clothes?"


    However when Alex asked that question, Rothwind couldn¡¯t help but look at him like he was thick in the head or something.


    "I make armour for a living, son. Do ya really think I, a master smith, can¡¯t make a pretty set of clothes in my spare time?"


    However, as Alex fastened his belt and refrained from questioning Rothwind anyfurther, Rothwind¡¯s expression shifted, bing more serious.


    He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking somewhere between Alex and Mira.


    "Now that yer clothed again, I¡¯ve been meanin¡¯ to ask¡­ you two know anything ¡¯bout that earthquake a few days ago? Whole city felt it ¡ª rumours are still running wild around these parts. And that energy wave¡­ it wasn¡¯t natural."


    Mira and Alex, both momentarily caught off guard, exchanged a speechless nce with each other.


    The silence that stretched between them was almostical.


    Alex looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with Rothwind.


    "You¡­ felt that all the way over here?"


    He asked, but the way he did so left Rothwind feeling a bit suspicious.


    "Aye,d. It wasn¡¯t exactly subtle."


    He crossed his arms, brow furrowed and all.


    "Tremors shook my forge, nearly ruined a nice piece of steel I was workin¡¯ in the furnace."


    Mira sighed and shot Alex a look that clearly said You¡¯re exining this.


    Alex grimaced by nodded back at her.


    "Alright, well, I guess we owe you an exnation¡­ but don¡¯t be too shocked."


    He paused, rubbing his temples as he tried to find the right words.


    "That earthquake¡­ wasn¡¯t exactly an earthquake."


    Rothwind turned around and looked at him deadpan.


    "Well no shit sherlock!"


    "Anywa¡ª Wait, you know of sherlock?" Alex had to do a double take.


    "Enough yapping! Exin yourself!"


    But Rothwind quickly brought the topic back on track.


    "Well, like I said, it wasn¡¯t exactly a quake. That was us¡­ Or more specifically¡­ me."


    Rothwind¡¯s bushy eyebrows shot up in amusement. "Yer telling me you of all people caused those tremors that rocked the whole city? Ha! Somebody call a doctor, I think this kid¡¯s brain just died!"


    Alex nodded awkwardly, ignoring thatst remark by Rothwind.


    "Well, not just me. You could call it a¡­ joint effort, per se. I ran into a King ss beast that wasn¡¯t very happy that we woke him up¡­"


    The air in the smithy seemed to freeze as Alex¡¯sst sentence settled in.


    Rothwind blinked, rubbed his eyes, pinched his wrist, practically everything to confirm he wasn¡¯t hallucinating.


    He looked utterly ck jawed when he realised Alex wasn¡¯t pulling some sort of borate prank or something along those lines.


    This revtion seemed to have stunned him to his core.


    "A King ss beast¡­"


    Rothwind finally sputtered, his voice still carrying across his disbelief.


    But as a master smith, his mind was quickly drawn back to reality, and onto much more important things.


    To him, at least.


    "Do you have the body!? Tell me, do you!? Don¡¯t tell me you just left it out there for the scavengers to pick on!!"


    Rothwind seemed almost fanatical the way he spoke about the King of Evermoor¡¯s body.


    In fact, he seemed ready to go at Alex¡¯s throat if he revealed that he had left the body out to rot.


    "Indeed we do."


    Alex revealed, and nced over at Mira, hinting that she currently held it.


    "Well, show it to me then!!"

 Chapter 386: Not here!

    Mira already anticipated Rothwind''s frantic excitement the moment he asked about the corpse straight after recovering from his shock of finding out they were the ones responsible for killing it.


    She nodded casually and reached for her spatial storage, ready to pull out the massive, hulking corpse of the King of Evermoor.


    Just as she was about to extract it though, Alex''s eyes widened in sudden realisation.


    "Wait, wait, wait!"


    He leaped forward, holding his hands out to stop her.


    "Maybe hold off for a second Mira¡ª!"


    Mira paused mid motion and raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Why?"


    Alex gestured around the small, cramped smithy with his arms.


    "Uh, have you noticed how tiny this ce is? You''re about to summon the body of a beast that''s, like, three stories tall. I don''t think it would be a good idea to do this inside, let alone in the city itself!"


    Rothwind''s excitement momentarily dimmed as he too looked around his forge.


    Though the smithy was sturdy and was more than enough for him to perform his work with ease andfort, it was hardly built with size in mind.


    The reality dawned on him just as quickly, and his wide grin shifted into a thoughtful frown.


    "Ah, damn it,d''s got a point."


    Rothwind muttered under his breath, still scratching the back of his head as Alex''s point sank in.


    But then, his thoughtful frown morphed into a mischievous grin, and a glint of excitement flickered back into his eyes.


    "Ah, to hell with it!"


    Rothwind suddenly dered, waving his hand dismissively.


    "Been a while since I''ve used me abilities for somethin'' other than hammerin'' steel."


    Mira and Alex exchanged curious nces, clearly not expecting whatever was about to happen next.


    Rothwind was usually a straightforward guy, so this new side of him being ambiguous and secretive was quite new to them.


    Since he was more into the practicalities of crafting, not¡­ whatever this was.


    "What are you¡ª"


    Alex started speaking, but Rothwind interrupted him with a bark ofughter.


    "Hold onto me shoulders, you two!"


    "Uh¡­ what?"


    Alex blinked in confusion, with Mira mimicking the same reaction.


    But Mira shrugged and just decided to listen to him without asking too many questions.


    He was quite an entric dwarf anyway, so while this was a bit different than his usual way of doing things, it was still eptable.


    Seeing no harm inplying ¡ª and honestly, intrigued ¡ª Alex reached out and gripped Rothwind''s other shoulder.


    Without any warning or exnation, the air around them shimmered.


    Alex barely had time to register before the world around them vanished.


    The the blink of an eye, the cramped confines of the forge disappeared, and the three of them reappeared under the open sky.


    Alex''s legs wobbled slightly as he staggered, not expecting the sudden transition to an uneven surface beneath his feet.


    He blinked, his brain struggling to catch up with what had just happened.


    The cool breeze of the ins hit his face as he surveyed their surroundings.


    Endless fields stretching out in every direction, and to their west, the huge walls of Tenebrus city still in full view.


    Just from a few dozen kilometres away¡­


    Mira stood beside him, hand still on Rothwind''s shoulder, but she, too, looked momentarily taken aback.


    Her usual calmposure faltered as she nced at Rothwind, eyes wide in surprise.


    Rothwind stood in the middle of the pair, grinning as he enjoyed the look on the two brat''s faces.


    They had caused him enough surprises, so he had to return the favour somehow.


    And it looked like he had achieved that!


    However, Alex''s mind was elsewhere at the moment.


    Rothwind''s teleportation gave him a feeling of deja vu.


    That teleportation he had just undergone felt eerily simr to the ones he had taken with Principal Farnes¡­


    It wasn''t just the fact that Rothwind had transported them across dozens of kilometres in an instant that stunned Alex.


    What really shook him was how simr the teleportation felt to Principal Farnes''s method.


    It was almost¡­ seamless.


    He hadn''t even felt the usual jarring sensation that came with spatial abilities.


    One second they were in the smithy, and the next, they were standing in the middle of the ins.


    And then, unable to contain his burning curiosity any longer, Alex popped the big question both he and Mira were eager to have answered.


    "Just how strong are you, Rothwind?"


    As far as they knew, they only saw Rothwind as a very capable cksmith, since that was all he talked about and focused on in their brief encounters with him.


    But this sudden revtion that there was more to him was eye opening.


    Rothwind, still grinning, rested his hands on his hips as he gave Alex a sidelong nce, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of amusement and something deeper.


    "Strong enough,d."


    He said, with his tone suddenly carrying the weight of the years ¡ª no, centuries.


    "Last I checked my details, I was an A rank."


    Alex and Mira looked at Rothwind like he had just transformed into a new, much more terrifying image of himself.


    "What''s with the looks? Shouldn''t ya have figured out I was strong when I said I was centuries old?"


    It clicked in their minds that he had said something like this upon first meeting them, but they had just pushed it to the side as maybe dwarves having longer lifespans than humans?


    "But strength isn''t always what ya think it is. What you see here," he gestured to himself, "is just what''s left after years of swingin'' a hammer and workin'' all kinds of materials. But once upon a time¡­ I was more than just a forger of armour. I was the one who crafted the armour that ended wars."


    He let that sink in for a moment, before giving Alex a knowing look.


    "Teleportation? That''s just a little speck of dustpared to what I''ve seen¡­ and what I''ve done."


    Both Alex and Mira stood speechless, just hearing a little bit of Rothwind''s backstory seemed to present the small, stubby man in apletely new light.


    Especially now that they knew how strong he was¡­

 Chapter 387: Crowning achievement

    Rothwind let the weight of his past achievements linger for a little longer, savouring the shocked looks on Alex''s and Mira''s faces.


    His grin broadened, clearly enjoying the mystique he had built up around himself.


    But just as quickly as it appeared, the serious, almost ancient aura around him dissipated, reced with his familiar, jovial demeanour.


    "Ah, but enough of that."


    Rothwind spoke, waving his hand dismissively. "No need to go paintin'' me as some sort of mysterious figure. I''m just a humble smith who''s been around for a few centuries longer than everyone else, that''s all."


    He chuckled heartily, shaking his head as if brushing off the gravity of his earlier statements.


    "However¡­"


    But his voice lowered just slightly, and his eyes gleamed with interred.


    "I have to admit, I''ve never quite achieved a feat as death defyin'' as killin'' a King ss beast like you young''uns have."


    The shift in tone caught both Alex and Mira off guard, snapping them out of their awkward silence.


    "What?"


    Alex blinked, still processing Rothwind''s earlier disy of power.


    "You''re an A rank, right? Can''t you have just killed a King ss beast at like C or D rank or something like that?"


    Rothwind gave a snort and folded his arms over his chest.


    "It''s not that simple,d. Sure, I could easily kill a D or C rank King ss beast, but get what benefit from it? The beast core would literally be useless to someone as strong as me, providing percentages so far in the decimals of progress that I don''t even wanna think about it."


    "Plus, do ya realise how rare beasts of such calibre are? D''ya think I could just find one on a casual stroll like you lucky brats do?"


    "The only reason I''d ever seek out a King ss beast would be for its materials, but that''s what I have people like you for to do that job for me!"


    Mira gave him an odd look for a second, before asking a question.


    "But wouldn''t it be easier and quicker for you to do it yourself considering your strength?"


    However this just caused Rothwing to snort even louder this time.


    "I''m a smith, not a bloody monster hunter. And even though I''ve been on the battlefield more times than I''d like to remember, I ain''t the type to go lookin'' for trouble with beasts of that calibre. Craftin'' the armour to kill ''em? Sure. Swaggerin'' around in ''em like I''ve got a death wish? Not my style."


    At this point, Mira had pulled the King of Evermoor out of her storage so that they could finally move on from this topic.


    Rothwind''s eyes grew wide with curiosity as she did so, and her n to shift the topic seemed to have worked wonders, as Rothwind seemed to have forgotten all they had just spoken about the moment heid eyes upon the beast.


    His mouth hung slightly open, practically frothing like he was looking at the most delicious meal he had ever seen, and his hands twitched as if he were already crafting something in his mind.


    "By the bloody forge¡­"


    He whispered, seemingly to himself.


    "This¡­ this ain''t just any King ss beast, no sir!"


    He crouched down, examining the fine, nearly imprable scales of the beast with an almost reverent touch.


    "This right here is of the Dragon lineage."


    Mira and Alex blinked in unison, both surprised by this sudden revtion.


    But they had no idea what that meant.


    Was it good?


    Was it bad?


    They had no clue.


    "Dragon¡­ lineage?" Alex repeated, eyes widening as he took those words with a grain of salt.


    Sure, the thing looked like a big lizard, maybe even resembling the forms of dragons he had read about and seen in those western fantasy stories.


    But Dragon? Really?


    Surely he had to be joking.


    Rothwind looked up from his crouch, his face stretched into a grin so wide it looked like it might split his cheeks.


    "Aye,d. Dragons are one of the strongest, most ancient bloodlines in the entire Primordial Expanse. Beasts with draconic lineage are damn near untouchable, but here you are, standin'' before a corpse of one!"


    His voice shook with uncontained enthusiasm.


    "The scales¡­ the bones¡­ even the blood. All of it''s infused with the power of ancient dragons. This thing''s got material that could create items even royal families would fight to keep as their family heirloom!"


    Mira''s stoicposurepletely melted after she heard that, her eyes narrowing as she processed Rothwind''s excitement.


    "So you''re saying Alex killed a dragon rted King ss beast?"


    Rothwind let out a barkingugh, standing up and wiping his hands on his apron as if preparing for some grand work of art.


    "Aye! And ya don''t even know the half of it. This kind of material¡­ it''s beyond rare. You could search the Expanse for centuries and nevere across a beast like it again."


    Alex scratched his head, still trying to wrap his mind around everything Rothwind was saying.


    "So¡­ what does that mean for us?"


    Rothwind''s grin returned with full force.


    "It means,d, that you and thess here are gonna be walkin'' around in armour fit for Kings! This beast has more than enough materials for me to craft the finest armour you''ll, heck, even I''d haveid eyes upon!"


    After exining such an exciting prospect to Alex, Rothwind turned to the side and muttered to himself.


    "This might just be my most crowning achievement. This is just the thing I need to craft the best piece I have ever worked on¡­"


    However on the side, both Mira''s and Alex''s eyes lit up like sparks of excitement, a face of unmistakable joy gracing her usually calm face.


    This meant they wouldn''t have to wait weeks upon weeks for their armour to be crafted, and could instead be done within a few days¡­


    The only problem they would have to worry about now waspleting their requirements to leave.


    But they might be in for a little shock soon enough¡­

 Chapter 388: Completed

    [Details]


    Name: [Alex]


    Age: [18]


    Talents: [Soulforge (Soul+)], [Phoenix mes (S+)], [Spatial teleportation (B+)]


    Trait: [Kingyer]


    Trait description: [Being a King does not make one immune to death, you have proved that by killing a King recognised by the system. You do not just have King ss potential, your future stands far brighter than that.]


    Trait effect: [Damage to King ss beings and below is boosted by 50%]


    Soul Core: [C- 97%]


    Soul ssification: [Mutant]


    Soul ssification Progress: [Ordinary - 100%, Mutant - 100%, Variant - 99%]


    A/N: I decided to change the way the soul ssification is disyed to make the information clearer. This note doesn¡¯t increase the cost of chap price btw :)


    Just a quick reminder of Alex¡¯s current stats since they haven¡¯t been shown for a while.


    ***


    And this little shock was shown to Alex almost instantly.


    With the topic of requirementsing up, out of curiosity, he decided to give his own an odd nce since Rothwind was babbling on and on about the intricacies of what makes a good piece of armour.


    [Requirements to reach C rank: Kill 1 B+ rank, Variant ss foe]


    [Completed]


    He rubbed his eyes, thinking that maybe he wasn¡¯t seeing things correctly.


    But when that wasn¡¯t enough, he tried closing and reopening his details panel.


    But still, that same [Completed] tag was still there in all its big, bold letters.


    ¡¯How and when the hell did Iplete this?¡¯


    He was utterly dumbfounded by this finding, as he literally couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around it.


    This whole time, he had been stressing about when he would find a B+ rank Variant ss beast to kill, and yet that didn¡¯t even matter because apparently he had alreadypleted the requirements!


    Alex was nearly floored by the notification.


    There was only one thing that came to his mind for why this could have happened ¡ª the King of Evermoor.


    ¡¯But it wasn¡¯t a B+ rank beast or even a Variant ss, so why?¡¯


    Of course, he was fully aware that it didn¡¯t fit the requirements, which is why he had to put this question out there.


    It wasn¡¯t for himself, but for the system.


    The system didn¡¯t always answer his out of the blue questions like this, but he knew for a fact that it was always listening, and perhaps it would decide to grace him with some knowledge this one time.


    [In extraordinarily rare cases like your own, feats which exceed the requirements will also qualify toplete the requirements.]


    And just as he had thought, the King of Evermoor was the reason for his requirements for ranking up beingpleted.


    All he had to do now was fill in thatst 3% gap to rank up to C rank, and then he would be good for both his strength increasing and finally leaving this fucking hellhole called the Primordial Expanse!


    Speaking of thatst 3%, that reminded Alex that he had yet to check his inventory after the whole ordeal with the King of Evermoor.


    He had just spent so much time recovering and constantly on the move that he never even had time to stop and think about this.


    But now that he was rtively well recovered, it was about time he checked it.


    ¡¯Let¡¯s see here¡­¡¯


    He didn¡¯t go into it with high expectations, considering he hadn¡¯t done much killing other than the King of Evermoor.


    Not to mention he hadn¡¯t looted many bodies either, so there was not going to be an increase in his beast cores either, even though he already had more than enough.


    ¡¯What.¡¯


    ¡¯The¡¯.


    ¡¯Fuck.¡¯


    But when he opened his inventory he was blown away by what he saw.


    Alex¡¯s jaw practically hit the ground as he stared, dumbfounded, at the inventory sitting in front of his eyes.


    Where he had expected to see maybe a handful of soul orbs at best, was instead greeted by a cascade of shimmering lights.


    His brain struggled toprehend the sheer volume of what he was looking at.


    There, floating in his inventory, were hundreds, perhaps even over a thousand, soul orbs.


    All varying in size, rank, ssification.


    The glowing orbs all practically looked like a huge Christmas decoration made specifically for him.


    There were so many of them that he felt like he was looking into a swimming pool filled to the brim with the radiant orbs.


    "What¡­ the hell¡­ is all this?"


    Alex even muttered aloud, bringing the attention of Rothwind and Mira over to him, with their eyes scanning him with curiosity, wondering what had him so shocked.


    Each orb was just sitting there dormant, waiting for him to pick them out.


    But he was still struggling to figure out where they had all evene from!


    ¡¯Wait! Was it myst attack?¡¯


    Almost immediately his mind was drawn to the destruction he had caused in his final moments in the fight against the King of Evermoor.


    He did cause an explosion that spread across thousands of kilometres ofnd after all¡­


    Perhaps there were some innocent beasts that were unfortunately in the area at that time¡­


    But if he recalled correctly, thest time he had caused an explosion of mass destruction, back when he destroyed the Red Demon base, killing tens of thousands of Red Demons at once, he hadn¡¯t received a single soul orb in return.


    So why was this time different?


    Was it because the first explosion with the Red Demons wasn¡¯t caused by his own power, but from an external source?


    While the one against the King of Evermoor had clearly been his sole power?


    Perhaps that was it?


    Regardless, Alex wouldn¡¯t get an answer unless he asked the system itself, and considering it hadn¡¯t chimed in with one already, then he was expecting it to stay silent.


    The system would have answered him already if it was going to be of help to him.


    But he considered his own hypothesis to be the most likely answer.


    Which left him to deal with his unexpected rewards¡­


    What the hell was he supposed to do with over a thousand soul orbs!??


    There was no way in hell he would be able to use them all himself, besides, the vast majority of them were too low of a rank for him to use anyway?


    Glisten!


    ¡¯What is that?¡¯


    However, while thinking about what he would do with all of them, he noticed a particrly bright shineing from deep beneath the big pit of soul orbs.


    His curiosity drew him over to investigate.

 Chapter 389: Royalty

    As Alex¡¯s hand neared the shineing from beneath the pile of soul orbs, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart rate increase.


    The closer he got, the more intense the energy pulsing within came.


    The orb wasrger than all the others ¡ª by at least twice the margin ¡ª and it shimmered with a blend of deep gold and vibrant purple hues.


    "Is that what I think it is¡­?"


    Alex once again spoke out loud, whispering to himself this time.


    His voice was barely audible, but Mira and Rothwind still heard him clear as day.


    They had already figured out by now that he was fiddling with his details, but were still curious to know what had him so locked in.


    Alex had a hunch that he knew what this soul orb was the moment he saw the colours.


    Gold and purple ¡ª colours that usually signified royalty back in the middle ages, since gold was a precious ore, while purple used to signify wealth since it was such an expensive colour.


    Royal colours on a soul core¡­?


    It could only mean one thing.


    He hesitated for a moment with his fingers hovering mere inches away from the orb¡¯s surface.


    He was almost scared to touch it, afraid that his expectations would be let down if he did so.


    He didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    Even though he had defeated the King of Evermoor, this was the first time he had even considered that its soul orb might have been looted.


    If he was right, then this wasn¡¯t just any ordinary soul orb¡­


    The thought sent a thrill through him.


    Even more so after hearing what Rothwind had to say about the King of Evermoor having a Dragon bloodline.


    Surely a King ss dragon bloodline beast¡¯s soul orb would be even more valuable than a normal King ss beast?


    Right?


    Slowly, with trembling fingers, Alex reached out andid his hand upon the orb.


    The moment his illusory skin made contact, a surge of raw power coursed through his body, almost knocking him off his feet.


    It was like touching a bolt of lightning, every nerve of his was alight with energy.


    The orb responded to his touch, radiating its full aura outwards for him to take in.


    "Holy shit¡­"


    Alex gasped, his entire body nearly shaking by this point.


    With the aura pressing down on him, it was confirmed.


    It was a King ss soul orb.


    Mira and Rothwind watched him in silence, their expressions now shifting between curiosity and annoyance quickly.


    "Alright,d! That¡¯s enough suspense for one day. What in the hell has got you acting like you¡¯ve struck gold and silver all at once?"


    Rothwind¡¯s booming voice came out of nowhere and snapped Alex out of his trance.


    Alex blinked and looked up, suddenly aware of the two pairs of eyes staring at him ¡ª Mira¡¯s curious and Rothwind¡¯s practically bursting with impatience.


    They were both watching him like he was some sort of museum attraction.


    Taking a deep breath, Alex closed his inventory and shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts.


    He still couldn¡¯t fully process the fact that he was lucky enough to have obtained a soul orb from the King of Evermoor.


    "Uhh¡­ my bad."


    Heughed awkwardly as he realised he had just gone through that whole spectacle while Mira and Rothwind were waiting that whole time.


    It was all purely unintentional though!


    How was he supposed to know there were some amazing things he had missed??


    "Well, don¡¯t keep us waiting,d!"


    Rothwind¡¯s booming voice, tinged with frustration, came flying at Alex once again.


    It was clear that he wanted to know what all the fuss was about before his impatience got the better of him.


    Alex swallowed, hesitant to respond.


    For a moment, he seriously considered just staying silent and brushing off their questions.


    His gaze flicked over to Mira and lingered on her for a few moments, and she could see the deep hesitance and reluctance in his gaze.


    Immediately, she could tell it probably had something to do with stuff he couldn¡¯t just reveal openly.


    Mira, unlike anyone else, was the only person other than Alex himself who knew about his Soulforge talent.


    It was a massive secret which he had no ns on revealing for the foreseeable future.


    But Rothwind¡­


    They¡¯d only known each other for a week or so. Was it really wise to reveal such a huge secret to someone who, though he seemed trustworthy, was still practically a stranger?


    He hesitated again, unsure of what to do.


    Yet it seemed Mira had already sensed his inner turmoil.


    She stepped forward and ced a hand on his arm, turning to Rothwind with a soft smile.


    "Would it be okay if Alex and I had a moment of privacy?"


    She asked politely.


    "It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, but¡­ this is something very sensitive."


    Rothwind raised a thick brow, his expression slowly shifting from annoyance to understanding.


    He nced between the two of them and nodded slowly.


    "Ah, I see." He said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.


    "Say no less,ss. Didn¡¯t mean to intrude on your personal matters."


    Despite his calm demeanour, there was still a flicker of curiosity in his eyes that he was unable to suppress.


    He had originally thought Alex had found some other rare or extraordinary item or materialying around that he wanted to see, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll step aside. You two talk things out."


    Rothwind said, as he raised a hand.


    A faint shimmer appeared in the air between them, creating a barrier that dulled the sounds from both sides.


    "Privacy field¡¯s set. Just tap on it and it¡¯ll disappear when you¡¯re done."


    Alex and Mira nced at the flickering barrier, stunned for a few moments.


    Apparently A ranks could also set up privacy fields, cool.


    However, after testing it out and finding that Rothwind could neither see nor hear what they were doing, Alex finally revealed it to Mira.


    He pulled the King ss beast core out of his inventory, no longer hesitating, and Mira understood what all the fuss was about immediately.


    "Is that¡­?"


    She asked, unsure of what she was looking at, since Alex was the one with all the expertise in soul orbs.


    "The King of Evermoor dropped it."


    Immediately, Mira¡¯s jaw practically hit the floor.

 Chapter 390: Surprise, surprise

    Mira stared at the Soul orb in Alex''s hand, eyes widening with disbelief.


    The deep gold and vibrant purple hues gave it an air of royalty, which only served to confirm Alex''s statement that it had dropped from the King of Evermoor.


    "Wait, hold on."


    Mira stammered, her gaze flickering between Alex and the shimmering soul orb.


    "You mean to tell me¡­ you really got a King ss soul orb!?"


    "Yeah."


    Alex confirmed it, his own voice still being tinged with awe.


    "I didn''t think I could get any luckier, but here we are¡­"


    Mira shook her head, still trying to wrap her head around it.


    She knew Alex''s talent was powerful, but to even be powerful enough to drop a Soul orb from a King ss beast only served to further reinforce her belief that Alex really might have the strongest talent¡­


    She took a step closer, examining the soul orb with a mixture of reverence and caution.


    She was afraid that she might identally absorb it somehow, so she didn''t want to directly touch it.


    The pulsing energy within it seemed to react to her presence though, brightening slightly as if acknowledging her attention.


    Alex gave her a wry smile, letting out a breath he didn''t realise he was holding.


    "It''s kind of surreal, isn''t it? I mean, killing the King of Evermoor was one thing, but even getting a soul orb from it as well¡­"


    His voice trailed off, and for a moment, the two of them just stood there, admiring this insanely powerful item Alex had just revealed.


    Then, Mira''s expression shifted.


    She furrowed her brow as if a thought seemed to have struck her.


    "Wait a second¡­ why didn''t you notice this earlier?"


    "I''ve been with you the entire time since that battle. Did it just appear out of nowhere?"


    Alex grimaced, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.


    "Uh, funny story¡­ I might''ve overlooked checking my inventorypletely¡­ Just a few moments ago was the first time I had even checked my loot properly until now."


    "You what?"


    Mira''s voice came out as a shrill whisper.


    "Alex, you''re telling me you''ve been lugging around this ¡ª perhaps the most powerful item you''ve ever held, and you just¡­ forgot to check?"


    "Hey, in my defence, I didn''t expect a King ss beast to drop something like this¡­"


    Alex muttered, trying and failing to look innocent.


    "I mean, how often do youe across something this absurd? My expectations were a bit lower than ''world shattering loot.''"


    Mira shook her head, but a smile still tugged at her lips when she realised that this could only make Alex even stronger.


    "Oh, by the way, check this out."


    But Alex wasn''t finished with showing her the good stuff just yet.


    He opened up his inventory once more, this time giving Mira permission to peer into it too.


    And when she did so, her eyes widened just as much as they did the first time he showed her the King ss Soul orb.


    Mira''s gaze locked onto the big personal spatial storage that Alex had ess to thanks to his op talent, and her jaw dropped.


    An array of soul orbs, unlike she had ever seen before.


    There were quite literally hundreds of them, over a thousand if she actually took the time to count them all.


    Before this point, Mira had only seen a few Soul orbs at all, since Alex was the only known source of them to her knowledge, and probably to the rest of the human race''s knowledge as well, if they even knew about soul orbs at all.


    "Wha¡ª"


    Mira struggled to find her words, her eyes darting between Alex and the seemingly glittering ocean of energy he had justying around in storage.


    "Alex, what is this¡­? There are so many¡­ This has to be some kind of illusion, right? Is this your way of telling me you unlocked some sort of new talent rted to illusions?"


    She tried to process what she was looking at.


    Each soul orb, regardless of its rank, was a rare and precious treasure in the whole universe, the System itself had even confirmed that.


    And yet, here Alex was, casually holding onto what could probably be a whole race''s federal reserve''s value.


    Alex chuckled in amusement when he saw Mira''s reaction, clearly more exaggerated than when she saw the gold and purple King ss orb.


    "Yeah, uh¡­ Remember when Iunched myst attack at the King of Evermoor to finish it off?"


    Mira blinked, still trying toprehend the absurd amount of orbs.


    "Yeah¡­ but what does that have to do with all of these? I get that it was strong, but there''s no way the King of Evermoor could have dropped all these as well, right?"


    "Yeah, no way. Not even a King ss beast could drop such an absurd amount of Soul orbs."


    Alex''s smile widened slightly.


    "It''s because of the size of the attack Iunched. If you remember correctly, it didn''t just affect the King of Evermoor, but also everything else within a thousand Kilometre diameter."


    Mira''s eyes perked up even more, like she just had a realisation.


    "You mean¡­?"


    Alex nodded.


    "Yeah. It wasn''t just the environment that was obliterated by my attack. Every beast, animal or creature within that range was annihted, and since it all rooted from my own strength, I ended up counting as the perpetrator that killed them all."


    For a few moments, they both fell silent.


    Mira was absorbing the absurdity of Alex''s power, while Alex was just thinking about what on earth he would do with all of those soul orbs.


    ''Wait!''


    However, something clicked in his mind.


    "Mira."


    He called out to Mira, bringing her out of her own thought processes.


    "I''m sure you might have realised already that I couldn''t possibly use all these soul orbs myself, and if you didn''t¡­ Well, now you do."


    Mira''s brows raised, intrigued by what else he was going to say.


    "And since I couldn''t possibly use them all myself, I think it''s about time you deserve some."

 Chapter 391: Gift

    Mira''s face flushed slightly.


    A pink hue spread across her cheeks as Alex''s words sank in.


    He was offering her something beyond rare ¡ª something that she had never dreamed of getting her hands on if it weren''t for Alex.


    "Alex¡­ I-I can''t just ept this!"


    She stammered and stuttered as she tried to get her words out, shaking her head.


    "You know how precious these are. I''d never even have the chance to repay you!"


    Alex simply shrugged, his smile softening.


    "That''s exactly why I''m giving them to you. I''ve got more than I''d ever need now, and it''s not like I''m going to hog them all for myself."


    "But¡ª"


    "No ''buts'', Mira."


    Alex interrupted gently, holding up a hand.


    "You''re the closest thing I have to a family, so giving them to you would never be a waste. Besides, I''d rather they be put to a good use than sit in my inventory collecting dust."


    Mira bit her lip, torn between her pride and gratitude.


    It wasn''t every day someone handed over priceless treasures like they were nothing.


    The thought of refusing crossed her mind again, but she knew Alex was right.


    He couldn''t possibly use all of them on his own, and it would be useless to him if he did so. She had the potential to actually make use of them.


    It was a no brainer really.


    "Okay, fine. I''ll ept them¡­ but only if you promise me one thing."


    Alex tilted his head curiously.


    "What''s that?"


    "That you''ll let me pay you back, somehow, someday. I don''t know how or when, but I want to earn these properly."


    Mira said with a firm voice, her determination leaving no room for argument.


    Alex chuckled softly, understanding Mira''s reasons.


    "Deal. But don''t stress over it."


    Mira nodded, still feeling a bit bashful as she stepped closer to Alex.


    She didn''t have an inventory of her own, so a spatial storage would have to do.


    And he carefully transferred over nearly a hundred soul orbs, a vast majority of them being Variant ss.


    "Thank you, Alex."


    She murmured with her voice being barely a whisper.


    It was clear that she felt embarrassed in such scenarios.


    "Don''t mention it."


    He replied, giving her a reassuring smile.


    "But hey, I just had a thought."


    Mira looked up at him curiously as Alex nced toward the shimmering privacy barrier that still separated them from Rothwind.


    "Since I''m already sharing these with you, why not run a little experiment with Rothwind?" Alex suggested.


    "I was thinking of showing him a soul orb, something like a C tier Variant ss orb."


    Mira blinked, processing the idea.


    ''The description of his talent says that they are one of the most valuable resources in the universe, so there must be a market for them somewhere, so maybe Rothwind will know about them?''


    Mira frowned slightly, considering Alex''s point.


    "You want to see if he knows anything about soul orbs?"


    "Exactly. But we can''t just tell him I''ve been picking these up left and right. That''d raise too many questions."


    Alex exined.


    "I''ll say I found it in some ancient ruins when I was a weaker awakened. It''s not aplete lie ¡ª I have found some ruins before, and I did technically get a soul orb or two from them, just not in the way he would think¡­"


    Mira nodded slowly, her mind racing through the possibilities.


    "And if he knows something¡­?"


    "Then we might finally be able to find out the actual origin of Soul orbs outside of the ones I''ve collected with my talent. So far, I''ve yet to even encounter any information about them, let alone how to even find them."


    Mira considered the options, and chimed in with her own input as well.


    "And perhaps he could even make use of them in the creation of our armours!"


    Alex''s eyes lit up at her suggestion.


    "Combined with the King of Evermoor''s corpse¡­ who knows what kind of powerful armour he could make us!"


    Mira''s excitement mirrored his as she nodded eagerly.


    "But we need to be careful. If he catches us out on the half truths, it might put us in a difficult position."


    "Agreed." Alex said.


    His expression turned serious.


    "I''ll try to keep it vague and act like I don''t know much about it. We''ll let him specte."


    With a shared nce, Alex reached out to the privacy barrier and deactivated it with just a touch, like Rothwind said to do so.


    "Finally decided to include the ol'' Rothwind in your secret schemin'', have ye?"


    Rothwind grumbled when he saw the two of them finally appear in front of him once again, but his tone was light hearted.


    "So what''ve ye been whisperi'' ''bout now, eh? Or is it not privy to little ol'' me?"


    "Nothing too serious." Alex said with a smile.


    "Just some stuff about my talent having some new features, that''s all." He lied through his teeth.


    But then he casually pulled out a C tier Variant ss orb.


    "I just wasn''t sure whether I should mention this little oddity I found a while back, since it''s been sitting in my storage ever since I found it, and I had only just remembered it. I was wondering if you knew what it was with your centuries of experience."


    Rothwind''s eyes immediately zeroed in on the orb, the glint in his gaze shifting from curiosity to sharp interest.


    He squinted, leaning forward as if drawn by the faint glow emanating from within the orb''s shimmering structure.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    The dwarf''s gruff voice trailed off as he reached out to take hold of the orb, which caused Alex to sweat nervously a little bit.


    He wasn''t expecting Rothwind to start getting all touchy feely with it right after he brought it out.


    Rothwind''s fingers slowly brushed the orb''s surface, and a sharp intake of breath escaped him.


    He seemed transfixed, his usually steady hands trembling ever so slightly as he reeled back in shock.


    For a moment, he simply stared at it, his eyes wide open.


    "By the Ancestors¡­" Rothwind whispered, his voice a mix of awe and disbelief.


    He looked up at Alex, his gaze piercing and questioning at this point.


    "Lad, where in the nine hells did ye get your hands on this!?"

 Chapter 392: Origin of Soul Orbs

    Rothwind''s exmation hung in the air, charged with intensity as he stared at Alex.


    His gaze itself was searching for answers.


    The usual gruffness in his tone had given way to something raw and unguarded ¡ª disbelief.


    Alex swallowed, forcing himself to meet the dwarf''s prating stare without flinching.


    "I told you."


    Alex began, keeping his voice as steady as possible.


    "I found it in some ancient ruins a while back. I didn''t know what it was back then, and that fact still remains to this day."


    He then nced briefly at Mira, then back to Rothwind.


    "I''m only bringing it out now because I thought you might know something about it, with all your centuries of experience."


    Rothwind blinked, his brows furrowing in suspicion, though the intensity in his gaze didn''t waver.


    He studied Alex, even Mira a little bit, as if weighing his words, then shifted his focus back to the soul orb in his hand.


    "Lad, ye say that as if this thing''s just another bauble ye stumbled upon. But this¡­ this is a Soul orb, a Variant ss one at that. Even a single orb like this could upend small kingdoms. And ye say ye''ve just had it¡­ lying around?"


    He snorted, shaking his head.


    "Ya truly have no idea what yer holdin'' do ya?"


    Alex suppressed the urge to smirk.


    "A Soul orb?"


    He questioned with as much sincerity as he could muster, leaning further into the oblivious persona he had adopted when he decided to perform this test on Rothwind.


    But he was still inwardly shocked that Rothwind knew what it actually was!


    He even called it by the right name, not one that a civilisation who didn''t know its true potential might give to it, so he knew Rothwind was likely speaking the truth right now.


    Alex''s facade worked in his favour. The less he ''seemed'' to know, the more Rothwind seemed to be willing to share and ease his suspicion.


    "I''ve tried doing research, but I couldn''t find anything. Up until just now, I didn''t even know its name! No records, no references ¡ª nothing. It''s like nobody in either the Federation nor the human settlements in the Primordial Expanse knows about its existence¡­"


    This time, Alex told the truth.


    Or was it a half truth?


    Ah, whatever¡­ the important thing is that he really did try to do such research on the origins of soul orbs, just that he left out the fact that he knew about their purpose and such beforehand.


    Rothwind let out a low, guttural chuckle, but there was no humour in it.


    "Aye, that''s cus they don''t,d. The human race is still a baby in terms of universal history, so it''s no wonder they haven''te into contact with such precious objects yet. Especially because they haven''t yet satisfied the criteria to learn about their existence, let alone create them¡­ Well, except for that one crazy guy in your federation, that is."


    Rothwind paused, his expression darkening.


    "These soul orbs are only known to those Ancient, higher ss races."


    "Ancient?"


    For some reason, Mira repeated this word.


    She felt that Rothwind might have put more emphasis on it than the others in the sentence he just spoke, but she couldn''t quite judge why, so she spoke it out loud.


    And as she did so, a small but subtle smile found its way onto Rothwind''s lips.


    "Ayess, one of the most basic criteria for a race to learn about Soul orbs is to first produce an Ancient ss being of their own."


    Mira and Alex both reeled back in shock and bemusement.


    "All that just to learn about them!? What kind of criteria does it take to produce them??"


    Mira asked with curiosity and a little bit of scepticism mixed in.


    "I''m afraid that''s something I''m not privy to. Only those Ancient ss races know about that."


    Alex and Mira both took a moment to think after this, their minds practically spinning from all this new information they were taking in.


    It was all quite a lot for them to handle, especially considering they knew more than they let on to Rothwind.


    But they had also learned indirectly from Rothwind''s exnation that even races were split up into sses.


    Alex couldn''t even guess where the human race was on this spectrum ¡ª but if he were to throw a shot in the dark, he''d have to say at best somewhere between Mutant and Variant ss, so he couldn''t even imagine how impossibly, terrifyingly strong an Ancient ss race might be¡­


    He didn''t even know what qualified a race to be in such a ss.


    Was it the overall strength of the race? Surely not, right?


    If that was the case, would that not mean that the average strength of the race was Ancient ss¡­?


    And if they were popted at the same scale as the human race¡­


    Alex couldn''t even begin to imagine that kind of power scale, or how such a society would even work.


    Quintillions of Ancient ss beings¡­


    From what he knew about the system, it surely wouldn''t allow such a ridiculous thing to happen.


    Hopefully¡­


    "So what you''re saying is, this ''Soul orb'' I''m holding onto happens to be a supremely precious treasure from an Ancient ss race, that lower ss kingdoms and even some whole races would go to war for?"


    Of course, he had to ask Rothwind the most serious and pertinent question on his mind from all of the things he had learned today.


    "That''s right. You''re lucky,d. If I hadn''t taken such a likin'' to ya over thesest few days, I might have snatched it for myself!"


    Rothwind let out a chuckle like he normally did after this, but for some reason Alex felt he was only half joking in what he said¡­


    ''It''s a good thing I didn''t reveal them in public before this then, or else I might have really brought certain destruction and perhaps even extinction to the Federation, maybe even the human race as a whole¡­''


    "So what do I do with it then¡­"

 Chapter 393: Did I forget to mention this...?

    A thick silence settled between the three of them after Alex''sst question.


    A heavy tension was all that filled the air between them.


    Rothwind''s gaze shifted back to the orb in his hand, his lips pressed into a thin line as he pondered Alex''s inquiry.


    Finally, with a deep sigh, he shook his head.


    "I don''t know¡­"


    He admitted softly, even a little embarrassedly.


    Alex blinked, taken aback by the unexpected response.


    Rothwind''s voice carried a rare vulnerability, a candidness that was far removed from his usual demeanour.


    "I''ve heard about them, heard stories passed down from the Ancients¡­ but I''ve never seen or touched one myself until now. I''m no Ancient ss being, not even close to bing one if a million years passed, nor have I ever personallye into contact with one. I''m just a dwarven smith tryin'' to reach the elusive Grandmaster status."


    Rothwind looked down at the orb again, his expression aplex mix of awe and confusion.


    "The truth is, I''m just as clueless as you are when ites to using it. But¡­"


    He hesitated, running his thumb across the surface of the soul orb with a frown, wondering if he should voice his thoughts or not.


    "But¡­ what?"


    Alex questioned from the side, urging him to continue.


    And with Alex''s approval, Rothwind decided to speak.


    "From the sheer amount of raw, pure energy contained within this small space¡­ I''d wager it could be incredibly useful for something. You''d just have to figure out what."


    Alex practically felt a smile creeping its way onto his face at this moment.


    Rothwind''s words opened the door for him to make the suggestion he''d been waiting for ¡ª the one idea that had been lingering at the back of his mind ever since they''d started this discussion.


    "Could it be useful in smithing?"


    Alex asked cautiously, keeping his tone light as if he were merely tossing the idea out there.


    Well, he was literally tossing it out there, since he had no clue about anything when ites to smithing, that''s where Rothwind''s expertisey.


    "I mean¡­ with all that power condensed inside, maybe it could enhance weapons or armour, right?"


    Rothwind''s eyes snapped up, narrowing as he scrutinised Alex.


    For a moment, Alex worried that he''d pushed it too far, but then the dwarf''s expression shifted.


    His gaze softened, and a contemtive look settled over his features.


    "Hmmm¡­ smithing, ye say?"


    Rothwind murmured, more to himself than Alex.


    He nced down at the orb again, his mind visibly turning over the possibilities.


    "It''s true that a soul orb like this could theoretically amplify enchantments or enhance the material properties of a weapon or armour, since I can feel it has a simr energy signature to a beast core¡­ if it were properly integrated, that is."


    Rothwind''s fingers traced along the delicate patterns of energy he could feel coursing inside the soul orb, his gaze unmoving as he continued musing out loud.


    "But we''re talking about energy on a whole different scale here¡­"


    He murmured, the curiosity in his voice mingled with caution.


    "This isn''t just some high rank beast core. The potency and purity¡­ it''s beyond anything I''ve worked with before."


    Mira''s eyes widened and she edged closer to Rothwind in curiosity.


    "Do you think it would even be possible to fuse with a weapon or armour? Wouldn''t it just explode or¡ª"


    "Burn the forge down to ash?"


    Rothwind interrupted with a dry chuckle.


    "Aye,ss. It''s a very real possibility. A soul orb like this could overwhelm standard forging techniques, destabilise enchantment runes¡­ Hell, it could destroy everything within a few dozen kilometres if handled improperly."


    He nced back up at Alex, his gaze sharp and assessing.


    "That''s why I said I don''t know¡­ If I just had a few more to test with, I might be willing to give it a try, s¡ª"


    "You mean like these?"


    This time, it was Alex''s turn to do the interrupting, as he produced another four soul orbs out of his inventory and presented them out in the open to Rothwind.


    "..."


    "..."


    Even Mira was speechless at this sudden, impulsive action Alex had taken.


    "Hehe, did I forget to mention I found a bunch of them in the ruins¡­"


    Alex awkwardly tried to shrug it off with a chuckle.


    "Sigh, I guess I can give it a try then. If it turns out to be sessful, I might be able to use them to strengthen your armours¡­ Though it would add some more time onto the final reveal. Perhaps another 3-7 days depending on how testing goes."


    "That''s fine!"


    "Deal!"


    But Alex and Mira agreed immediately, simultaneously to Rothwind''s proposal, even taking into consideration the extra time it might take for them to receive their armour.


    By now, they were far more interested in finding out just how powerful they could make themselves with the addition of armour, rather than worrying about having to stay in the Primordial Expanse a few days to a week longer.


    Even with the extra time, they would still be out earlier than the original estimation, thanks to Alex handing over the King of Evermoor''s corpse to Rothwind to deal with and process into their Armour.


    "Well, let''s finish up here then and get back to Tenebrus before anyone gets suspicious of my disappearance from the smithy."


    Rothwind smiled and ced his hands onto the two youth''s shoulders as he finally rxed from the enormous tension that had been over the three of them ever since they first teleported to this clearing.


    As an A tier awakened, it wouldn''t take long before the city''s forces reported him missing from his smithy, so they had to arrive back before that happened.


    It was a predominantly human dominated ¡ª and governed ¡ª city, so they had spies everywhere and anywhere there might be a strong awakened from another race.


    Zhwip!


    And with that, the huge King ss dragon type corpse was summoned to Rothwind''s spatial storage, and the three of them found themselves standing on the hard concrete floor of Rothwind''s smithy once more.


    ''It''s about time I go and absorb this King ss soul orb now that everything has been sorted¡­''


    ''Shit, I forgot about Virtue''s Edge as well! I wonder if that''s seen any upgrades after my win over the King of Evermoor¡­?''


    Alex had a lot of things to consider in the meantime.

 Chapter 394 Big changes

    [Virtue''s Edge]


    Discover stories with empire


    [C+ rank (Growth type)]


    [A sword like no other. This de was forged by Mikhail, a grandmaster swordsmith as his final work before he disappeared, never to be seen again. Forged in the heart of a Volcano, it is particrly fond of the fire element.]


    [F tier effect - Whenbined with the fire element, the power produced with each sh will be doubled.]


    [E tier effect - When wielded, the de and its wielder gains a resistance to fire based attacks, reducing their damage by 40%. The sword will absorb residual fire energy and convert it into additional strength for the wielder''s next strike.]


    [D tier effect - The sword can unleash [zing Arc], sending a wave of searing me outwards. The intensity and range of the arc increase depending on the user''s proficiency and perception, converting the usual melee attack into a long range attack. Current attack range (20,054 metres)]


    [C tier effect - Once per battle, the de can enter a temporary state of Phoenix Rebirth, where it bes enveloped in roaring mes, increasing its power output by 10 times for 10 seconds after the effect is activated. During this time, all attacks performed by Virtue''s Edge will ignite anything the wielder considers an enemy within their preceptory range.]


    ***


    [Calcting¡­ Calcting¡­]


    [Calctions finished. Results are as follows.]


    [As you have defeated and killed an enemy even stronger than the requirements stipted, the requirements have changed.


    [The requirement of killing 1 B+ rank, Variant ss enemy has beenpleted.]


    [Ding!]


    [You havepleted all requirements to rank up to C rank. Beginning process now.]


    ***


    When Alex and Mira left Rothwind''s smithy, there was a lot for him to unpack.


    The first thing he did was take a look at Virtue''s Edge, which he was positively surprised by to say the very least.


    It seems that because it had been a while since he hadst checked its growth, he had perhaps missed some earlier evolutions.


    Or¡­ maybe it had gone straight from F+ rank to C+ rank just from his one fight with the King of Evermoor¡­?


    Whatever the case, it was a very wee upgrade.


    Particrly the new effects, which he was over the moon with joy to see.


    From the start, he only had the F tier effect to work with, along with the sword''s innate power itself.


    But now, he not only had an F tier effect, but he had E, D and C tier effects to go along with it as well!


    As for the effects themselves¡­


    Alex couldn''t describe the shock and joy he felt when he read the descriptions of each one of them.


    In particr, the C tier effect stood out to him the most.


    ''Once every fight, I can activate a 10 second period where any damage I deal with Virtue''s Edge will be increased by 10 times¡­ This¡­ this just seems absurd!''


    ''How does that work with my other increases? Will they stack? Or will they cancel each other out so that the highest increase is active?''


    ''It would be absolutely overpowered if this 10 times power increase would take effect after my 50% increase to all beings King ss and below is applied¡­''


    Just thinking about the next time he would use Virtue''s Edge in battle made Alex shake with excitement.


    Unless he came across another King ss beast¡­ No ¡ª even if he came across a King ss beast he would have much more confidence in defeating it, as long as it wasn''t any higher than him in rank of course¡­


    But just the fact that he had so many power increases at once from Virtue''s Edge''s growth was more than he could have ever asked for.


    Moving on, once Alex was finished marvelling over his sword, he decided to take a Variant ss soul orb out of his inventory and finish off thatst 3% progress towards C rank he was missing.


    Unlike his evolution from D+ rank to C- rank, the rank up from C- to C rank was much more tame, like he had expected it to be.


    While he did feel stronger, it was nothing like the gap he had bridged from D+ to C-.


    After all, going up a tier was widely regarded as equal to two rank ups within that tier, and that was only spected for the D tiers and below.


    The real numbers for C tiers and above were probably far higher, the higher the tiers got.


    Now, while he did feel like he would still struggle against the King of Evermoor,bined with the upgrades he had gotten to Virtue''s Edge, he felt like he wouldn''t need tounch a suicidal final attack like he did before.


    But that was inconsequentialpared to thest system notification he had received.


    [Soul ssification (Variant ss) has reached 100%, beginning evolution to Variant ss now.]


    As soon as the system notification appeared after Alex bridged thatst 1% gap in his progress towards Variant ss, Alex felt a strange, unsettling sensation start to build up deep within him.


    It wasn''t painful ¡ª at least, not in the traditional sense ¡ª but it was overwhelming, as if every cell in his body was vibrating at a frequency that defied understanding.


    Or perhaps, it would be better to say his soul itself felt like it was vibrating¡­


    The world around him, in the luxurious inn room he and Mira had booked, started to dim, and he was forced to take a few deep breaths to steady himself.


    Then, without any further warning, a torrent of energy erupted from within him.


    It felt as if a dam had burst open, releasing an endless flood of raw, chaotic power.


    His very essence was being torn apart and reconstructed in real time, shifting and adapting to the new ssification the system had bestowed upon him.


    Thanks to the fact he was sitting on a bed, he didn''t fall, but he did stagger.


    The sensation of having his body unravel itself and reconstruct was both terrifying and exhrating.


    Each moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity as his body, soul, and mind underwent the transformation.


    And then, it happened¡­

 Chapter 395 So close to freedom!

    [Evolution to Variant sspleted]


    The message came through from the System, but Alex didn''t need that to tell him that the process hadpleted.


    Because he could feel it at the very same moment.


    Not only did his vision go from blurred to a microscopic focus in an instant, but he could feel his environment around him much, much more clearly even when he closed his eyes.


    But not just that, his spatial perception¡­


    Before, while he was at C- rank and still a Mutant ss, the range for his spatial perception was 20 kilometres at maximum, and after he hit C rank, that doubled to 40 kilometres.


    But now, as a Variant ss, that figure had just breached past 200 kilometres¡­


    200 whole kilometres¡­


    Alex almost didn''t believe it himself, but he was forced to, because he could literally FEEL it!


    When he activated his spatial perception, he could cover almost half of Tenebrus city in one go!


    Not just that, while he wasn''t able to quantify it, his increase in strength felt absolutely absurd now¡­


    If he faced off against the King of Evermoor while in his current state, he had no doubts that he might even be able to fight against it like he might''ve B tier Mutant sses while he was just a C- rank Mutant ss.


    Alex took a deep breath, his senses still reeling from the sudden influx of power.


    Unfortunately, he wouldn''t be able to test this new strength out just yet, as Mira would be the one doing all the battling while out looking for beasts to kill.


    ***


    Over 7 days had passed since Alex had evolved to Variant ss.


    The days seemed to blend into one another as Alex and Mira spent the whole time hunting through the expansive wilderness surrounding Tenebus city, and the Evermoor forest as a whole, systematically seeking out powerful beasts using the Mission hall.


    Judging from the fact that the King of Evermoor lended its name to the very forest it inhabited, Alex judged that the Evermoor forest most likely didn''t have another King ss beast inhabiting it, unless another had moved in during the short time the King of Evermoor had been dead.


    This was something he had thought long and hard about before they set off, and he came to the conclusion that King ss beasts were probably very territorial, and stuck to their own territories unless going out to seek other beasts to fight. Continue your journey on empire


    If it weren''t for the System''s off handment that happened to include the name of the beast, Alex never would have known that it was called the King of Evermoor, and in turn he never would have deduced that King ss beasts might have these behaviours.


    So although it may not have intended to, the System had actually helped him for once!


    During this search for beasts, Mira had been lucky enough to encounter two Variant ss beasts that satisfied her criteria for ranking up.


    One of them wasn''t at or above her soul core rank, so unfortunately she was still 1 Variant ss beast of a higher rank than her away from ranking up.


    Either she found one more that fit that criteria, or she would have to find another three Variant ss beasts below her rank.


    However, before the two of them went out hunting, Mira had a very special moment.


    Her first time ever using a Soul orb!


    Much like Alex''s first time, she could tell the difference between using it over beast cores, and she almost felt appalled at how impure the energy from beast cores felt when she absorbed one just topare.


    She understood at that moment why Alex had stopped using beast cores after he could afford to.


    Not only that, but she felt her strength slightly increase, which she never in a million years would have expected.


    Alex had forgotten to tell her about this attribute the soul orbs had, since he was just so used to it by now and the strength increase was so minimal to him, but to Mira it was an absolute game changer!


    ''I see now why his strength is so far above mine despite the fact we are so close in rank and ssification¡­''


    She almost felt like she had wasted thest year of her life in absorbing beast cores¡­


    But it wasn''t like she could have done anything about that anyway.


    For one, she didn''t even know Alex until she had alreadypleted her first journey into the Primordial Expanse, and for two, Alex had only just obtained enough soul orbs for the both of them tofortably use.


    ***


    Mira stood crouched atop a tree branch, blending almost seamlessly with the shadows cast by the dense canopy above.


    Below her, a massive creature moved through the underbrush ¡ª a Variant ss beast she had seen posted about on the Mission board just earlier in that day.


    It was known for its stealth and earth elemental ability, and she was lucky enough to encounter it within only a few hours of arriving at its suspected location.


    But she was even more lucky to find out that this would be thest beast she needed to finally rank up and gain the ability to leave the Primordial Expanse.


    Her eyes narrowed as she observed the beast, taking in every movement, every flick of its massive tail as it prowled through the forest.


    The creature''s body was covered in thick, rock like tes that had a slight shine to them, like they were polished.


    Its eyes glowed with a dull crimson, scanning its surroundings for any sign of prey or danger.


    ''This is thest one¡­ After this I''ll be able to leave this damned ce whenever I like!''


    Mira almost couldn''t contain her excitement and relief.


    It felt like she had been trapped in this ce forever, and now that she was finally just a few swings of her de away from attaining this goal, she almost felt anxious to go back.


    What would the state of the war be like when she went back?


    What if Eldaris was lost and nowpletely overrun by Red Demons?


    Wouldn''t they be thrown straight into enemy territory after leaving then?


    Her concerns were real.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 396 The final push

    Mira''s fingers tightened around the hilt of her de as she watched the beast below.


    Every nerve in her body was thrumming with anticipation.


    Her eyes, glowing faintly with a predatory intensity, tracked the creature''s movements as it prowled cautiously through the underbrush.


    This was it.


    The final beast she needed.


    She took a deep breath, centring herself.


    The cool air of the forest filled her lungs and calmed her beating heart.


    "Focus, Mira."


    She murmured to herself, her voice barely a whisper as she steadied her breathing.


    "You''ve got this."


    The beast shifted its head, lifting it slightly as if sensing something amiss.


    Mira froze, blending her form seamlessly with the shadows cast from above.


    The beast sniffed the air, its crimson eyes narrowing suspiciously as it scanned its surroundings. A low growl rumbled from its throat, reverberating through the trees.


    Mira remained motionless, her eyes keeping locked on the beast''s head. If it caught onto her scent now and bolted, she''d lost the element of surprise.


    If she wanted to make this quick, she had one chance.


    One perfect strike.


    From his position further back, Alex''s gaze never wavered from Mira''s form.


    He stood concealed within a thicket of foliage, his senses extending outward, covering the entire area like a vast.


    Even without the ability to sense living beings with his spatial perception, he could now utilise his other senses to feel every heartbeat, every rustle of leaves, every subtle shift in the forest''s surroundings.


    His jaw tightened as he recalled their previous encounter with a beast they had intended for Mira to kill.


    He let Mira take the lead, as usual, trusting her to handle the beast herself.


    And she had ¡ª until they stumbled into a situation that neither of them could have anticipated.


    Or well, they had already guessed that it wasn''t just bad luck that led them there, but that it had actually been nned.


    They left the Red Demon with Rothwind, half because they were too busy to deal with him themselves, and half because they had just forgotten about him in their excitement¡­


    But regardless, Alex wouldn''t let what happened with the King of Evermoor happen again.


    If anything went wrong now, he''d be ready.


    Mira''s thoughts flickered briefly to Alex, but she quickly pushed them aside, focusing entirely on the target before her.


    She had to prove herself here.


    She had to finish this on her own.


    Alex was so far ahead of her now that she didn''t even know what to make of her own strength.


    He was fighting higher life forms, and King ss beings, while she was still stuck fighting C tier Variant ss beasts¡­


    However, she pushed those empty thoughts aside and focused.


    Inhale.


    The world seemed to slow around her as her perception heightened.


    The beast''s every movement, every subtle twitch of its muscles, appeared almost slow in her eyes now.


    She could see the patterns in which its earthen tes shifted, the small gaps that revealed the vulnerable flesh beneath.


    Perfect.


    Exhale.


    Mira breathed out slowly, and then she moved.


    ''Teleport.''


    She used an ability she had neglected for some time now.


    Her form blurred, dissolving into the shadows cast by the surrounding trees.


    In an instant, she reappeared directly above the creature, de poised to strike.


    The beast''s head snapped up, eyes widening in shock as it sensed her presence far toote.


    With a vicious snarl, she drove both des down, aiming for the exposed joint at the base of its neck. The de sliced through the thick hide, meeting resistance for only a fraction of a second before it punctured through.


    Roarrr!


    The beast let out a deafening roar, its massive body convulsing violently as it tried to throw her off. But Mira held firm, her muscles tightening as she twisted the de, forcing it deeper.


    "Stay. Down."


    She growled through gritted teeth, pouring every ounce of strength she had in the attack.


    The creature reared back, its tailshing out in a desperate attempt to dislodge her.


    The force of the blow sent a shockwave through the air, shattering nearby trees and sending debris spiralling in every direction.


    But Mira didn''t falter.


    She gripped the hilt even tighter, restricting even the blood flow in her own hand now, the strain in her arms growing as she continued to drive the de even deeper!


    Roarrr!


    The beast roared again, its voice a mix of pain and fury.


    Its crimson eyes red with a dark, malevolent light as it raised one massive w, intent on crushing her.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Mira''s gaze flickered up, meeting its gaze head on.


    "Die."


    A pulse of energy erupted from her de, spreading through the creature''s body like a shockwave.


    The beast froze, its movements stuttering as the energy tore through its defences.


    The light in its eyes dimmed, the intense and powerful roars dying in its throat as it staggered, legs buckling under its own weight.


    Mira let out a triumphant grunt, pulling her de free as she leapt back, not willing to give the beast any chances of a surprise attack by letting her guard down.


    But the beast just copsed with a heavy thud.


    Ity still, the faint rise and fall of its chest the only indication that it was still alive ¡ª barely.


    She approached cautiously, her daggers held at the ready. But there was no need.


    The beast''s breaths were shallow, each one weaker than thest.


    Its crimson eyes were now clouded, their glow fading rapidly.


    Mira exhaled slowly, lowering her de for good this time.


    She felt the familiar tingle of the System''s presence as the beast eventually passed away.


    [You have defeated 5 Variant ss beasts of a higher rank. Requirement to reach C- rank have been fulfilled.]


    [Your soul core is 100% progressed, all requirements to reach C- rank have now been fulfilled.]


    [Beginning evolution.]


    From afar, Alex could feel thetent energy in the atmosphere around them start to swell up around Mira.


    ''So it begins¡­''

 Chapter 397 Space?

    Mira''s entire body hummed with an intensity she hadn''t felt in what seemed like forever.


    The energy swirling around her felt familiar yet overwhelmingly new, the feeling of power coursing through her veins almost too much to bear.


    Her muscles tensed as the System''s evolutionary process began, filling every single one of her cells with vibrant energy.


    Her vision blurred momentarily, and then the world around her shifted, the colours more vivid, the details sharper than ever before.


    She could see the way the air particles danced in the light, how the shadows intertwined and separated, and even the faint distortions of space itself.


    It was as if she had been living in a fog her whole life, and now, it had been ever so slightly lifted.


    [Evolution to C- rank has beenpleted.]


    The System''s cold voice echoed in her mind, but she barely registered it.


    She was now lost in the sensations, feeling everything around her more acutely.


    The very essence of space seemed to pulse with her senses, bending and warping subtly in response to her presence.


    ''What¡­ is this?''


    She thought to herself, ncing down at her hands as if expecting to see something different.


    ''I see now why having basic control over an element was a requirement to reach C tier¡­''


    And in a way, there was something different.


    The shift in her perception was astounding.


    It wasn''t just her eyesight ¡ª her other senses felt heightened too.


    She could hear the faintest rustle of leaves from a kilometre away, smell the earthly scent of the soil beneath her feet, and most of all, feel the vast expanse of space all around her.


    And she wasn''t even using her spatial perception at that time!


    If this was what Alex felt when he first reached C tier¡­


    Mira nced over to where she knew Alex was standing.


    Even though he was hidden far away, concealed by the thick foliage and his presence very muted, she could sense him now ¡ª but not just his physical form, she could sense the very space he upied!


    Previously, she couldn''t do this¡­


    But her mind quickly moved to her spatial perception.


    She wanted to see just how far her range extended to now!


    And as she activated it, she felt a wave of spatial energy wash over her, like she had just let a previously contained ocean loose, free to spread wildly as it pleased.


    The first thing she noticed was the insane range she could cover now.


    ''100 kilometres!!!''


    This number seemed insane to her¡­


    She knew Alex surely had a higher range, but that was him with his absolutely absurd strength thanks to his constant use of Soul orbs since he became an awakened.


    For her to have such a range after just bing a C- rank¡­


    However, something else quickly took her attention away from this marvel.


    Something¡­ very peculiar.


    ''What is that?''


    She could sense something with her spatial perception.


    Immediately, her curiosity drew her to check the area she felt the sense from.


    ''Alex¡­''


    And what she found left her both shocked and confused.


    Her brows couldn''t help but furrow.


    Because the location her perception was brought to, happened to be the exact location Alex was currently standing, waiting for Mira toe over to him.


    But after taking a moment to recover, Mira realised what had happened.


    This strange sensation she felt came from Alex, but not Alex himself¡­


    But from the space he inhabited!


    ''Wait, doesn''t this mean I''ll be able to sense living beings in the Primordial Expanse again!?''


    The implications of this odd ability immediately struck her like a truck.


    Her mind reeled as she processed what she was experiencing.


    It wasn''t a life signature, not in the way she usually sensed living things outside of the Primordial Expanse.


    But the space around Alex''s form was¡­ different.


    It resonated uniquely, almost like it had a presence of its own.


    It was a subtle anomaly in the otherwise stable fabric of space.


    If she was thinking correctly, then this phenomenon wasn''t just limited to Alex¡­


    As Mira felt her perception expand to its full 100 kilometre limit, she confirmed it.


    The sensation repeated itself in other areas.


    Bird beasts filtering through the tree tops, tiny beasts scurrying along the forest floor ¡ª each one caused the space they upied to warp just slightly.


    She could see, or rather feel, these distortions, like faint ripples in an otherwise calm pond.


    ''So I can''t detect their life signatures, but I can sense the effect they have on the space around them¡­''


    She thought to herself, her heart rate increasing with every second in excitement.


    ''I can sense the way they upy space!''


    It was an entirely new way of perceiving the world. And it would change everything about how they hunted in the Primordial Expanse¡­


    Well, for the next time they visited¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The timing for gaining this ability was a little unfortunate for her, as she had only just obtained it at the very end of their current stay in the Primordial Expanse.


    In the corner of her perception, she noticed a ripple of movement as Alex stepped out from behind arge tree.


    He had been watching her, silently observing her this whole time.


    "Mira, are you alright?"


    He asked softly, cutting through the silence with his voice.


    "You seem¡­ different."


    She opened her eyes and turned to face him, practically gleaming with excitement.


    "Alex, I¡­ I can sense everything! All the creatures, all the beasts¡­ even you!"


    She stammered and stuttered as she tried to get all of this new and exciting information out to Alex.


    But it seemed he misunderstood her.


    "Yes, yes. Isn''t that what usually happens when you rank up?"


    A flicker of discontent shed across Mira''s face as Alex clearly didn''t understand what she was referring to.


    "No, you''re not listening Alex! I can detect your presence with my spatial perception!"


    "I know, I know Mira! Like I sa¡ª"


    Alex paused, dumbfounded.

 Chapter 398 Feeling sentimental

    Alex''s eyes widened with his brows furrowed.


    He was both shocked and confused.


    "Wait¡­ What did you just say!?"


    Mira nodded fervently, barely able to contain her excitement.


    "I said I can detect your presence ¡ª your physical form, yes ¡ª but not like I normally do. I''m sensing the space you upy, Alex! I''m sensing the very essence of the space itself bending and warping around your existence¡­"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Alex''s expression shifted from confusion to astonishment, and then something akin to awe.


    "You can sense the space I''m in? Not my life force, not my energy signature, but the space?"


    "Yes!"


    Mira practically beamed, feeling like she had finally one upped Alex in something!


    "I think my affinity for space is quite high¡­ I only gained this ability after bing a C tier, yet I didn''t think my attunement to my space element would be so¡­ drastic!"


    A silence stretched between them as Alex processed this new information.


    He ran a hand through his hair, his mind clearly racing through his thoughts.


    "Does it work just on me, or for all living beings?"


    Of course, Alex was also sceptical like Mira was upon first finding out she had this ability.


    They both had the same train of thought ¡ª marvel at how amazing this was, then check if it can actually be practical.


    "Yes!"


    Of course, Mira didn''t disappoint Alex''s expectations one bit.


    "That''s amazing!... If only you had gotten that maybe a month earlier¡­"


    ***


    After the excitement surrounding Mira''s advancement to C tier died down, the two of them leisurely made their way back to Tenebrus.


    They were in no rush.


    While they could technically go back to the outside universe any time they liked, they had some loose ends to tie up first.


    Their most major one being their deal with Rothwind!


    It had been 7 days since they had departed from him so that they could get on with their hunting, and he could get on with his forging.


    Which was why they were so leisurely.


    He told them that since they insisted he try and experiment with the soul orbs, he might need up to another week before their armours were finished.


    With potentially another 7 days left to kill before that, they had no clue what to do.


    Their business in the Primordial Expanse was basically finished now, what else was there for them but going back?


    The human race still needed them after all, and now that they were drastically stronger than when they first entered, they could offer a much stronger helping hand.


    Especially Alex.


    ***


    Around half a day had passed.


    As they walked, the soft rustling of leaves and the asional distant cry of beasts filled the air.


    But Mira''s mind was far from these mundane sounds.


    She kept ncing at Alex, wondering what was going through his mind now that they were both free to do what they liked, no longer burdened by their inability to leave the Primordial Expanse.


    Despite the casual pace, there was an unspoken tension in the air ¡ª not between them, but with the looming realisation that their time in the Primordial Expanse wasing to an end.


    "I can''t believe it''s almost over¡­"


    Mira muttered, more to herself than Alex.


    "Hmm?"


    Alex looked over, eyebrows raised.


    "I feel like I''ve been trapped in this ce for years, but only a month and some has passed."


    She spoke softly, letting her emotions take the reigns, gesturing at the ancient forest surrounding them.


    Alex nodded slowly, understanding her feelings on the topic.


    "I feel you. But we didn''t exactlye here under good circumstances either."


    "And you¡­"


    Mira chimed in, looking somewhat lost and bewildered.


    "You''ve be somewhat of an absolute monster during your time here¡­ Here I was, thinking that I might actually be able to catch up to you for once, but no ¡ª you just had to go and one up yourself again!"


    Mira sounded forlorn, but in actuality she was d.


    If Alex was strong, there was less of a need to worry about him dying.


    But not only that, it only provided her an even bigger goal to work towards.


    Especially now that she had ess to soul orbs of her own!


    A faint smile tugged at Alex''s lips after hearing what Mira had to say.


    "Maybe someday you''ll surpass me."


    "Surpass you?"


    Mira let out a mock scoff, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.


    "I''m nning on leaving you in the dust. Just wait and see."


    Despite her words, there was a warmth in her tone that suggested she was only joking.


    If anything, there was only a healthypetition between the two to see who could be the strongest, and Alex was currently winning that by miles.


    Moving on, the two of them continued to walk, with thendscape of the Primordial Expanse blurring past as they fell into apanionable silence once more.


    Discover hidden tales at empire


    Mira''s mind wandered as they walked, but it only took her to random ces.


    However one crazy idea kepting back to her mind every time she tried to shake it off, thinking it stupid, or just downright oundish.


    ''With my spatial perception heightened to the point of sensing the space around living beings, mybat capabilities are bound to change drastically.''


    ''But what if, some day in the future, I could be able to manipte that space around living beings¡­''


    The idea was one that she thought of during their half a day walk back to Tenebrus, but the closer they got to the city, the more she failed to shake it off.


    Every time she sensed another living being entering her perception, the thought came straight back to her in a what if scenario.


    The idea of manipting the space around beasts or even people was a terrifying one, to say the least.


    But it wasn''t out of the realm of possibilities¡­ at least Mira didn''t think so.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    But she was drawn out of her wild imagination by Alex, who had his gaze fervently trained on her.


    "I''m just¡­ imagining possibilities in the future."


    However, as she answered, the towering walls of Tenebrus city came into view once again, perhaps for the final time for the two of them.

 Chapter 399 Clean

    As they approached the gates of Tenebrus, the familiar silhouette of the sprawling city came into full view.


    The imposing, hugely tall stone walls still stood as tall and unwavering as the first day the two of themid eyes on them.


    For a ce that had served as their home base for thest few weeks, or had it been a month?... Whatever the case, it now almost felt surreal to return, knowing that their time there wasing to an end.


    Mira and Alex made their way through the bustling entrance with their shiny, bold VIP passes, garnering a few looks from those in the normal line.


    But they could only stare in envy as the guards gave them respectful nods as they passed through the gates with ease.


    The two of them were now well known figures to the city guard, as their antics at the mission hall during their first visit to the city had spread far and wide.


    "It''s strange¡­"


    Mira mused softly, ncing around the bustling activity.


    "We''ve only been away for a week, but it feels like we''ve been gone for much longer."


    Alex looked around for a bit, then nodded in agreement.


    "I know what you mean, but let''s not get too sentimental just yet. We''ve got business to take care of."


    ''That''s right! Might as well check on Rothwind''s progress while we''re here. Not like we have anything else going on at the moment.''


    The two of them moved quickly through the city. Their destination was clear in their minds.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After only a few minutes, they sifted their way through the countless people roaming the streets ¡ª thanks to their extraordinary speed, and reached their destination soon enough.


    But as they neared the smithy, something immediately felt off.


    There was no lighting from the mes from the forge, there was no sign that the smithy was open, in fact, Rothwind usually never bothered to change it to closed, so the fact it had been switched was even more odd.


    The front door was even locked, which was odd, since Rothwind didn''t bother going through that either, considering it a ''tedious'' process and a waste of time he could otherwise spend on forging equipment.


    After all, who would dare try to rob an A rank awakened¡­


    "Is it just me that notices something¡­ strange about this ce?"


    Mira asked quietly.


    Alex frowned, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings.


    "Yeah¡­ it''s way too quiet around here."


    In fact, the oddness of the situation wasn''t just limited to Rothwind''s smithy, but the entire area surrounding it too.


    The entire ce felt clean.


    Suspiciously clean¡­


    The usual hustle and bustle of the area was gone.


    Rothwind''s smithy was located on the outskirts, in a part of town most people wanted to avoid unless they had a reason to be there.


    It was a ce where the most potent and most desperate citizens lived, the narrow alleys filled with squalor and grime.


    Yet there was no indication that the area surrounding Rothwind''s smithy was like this at all.


    "It''s¡­ clean."


    Mira remarked, her voice filled with more confusion as time slowly passed.


    "This ce used to be covered in filth, but now¡­"


    The streets were spotless, the ground free of dirt and grime.


    Even the windows of the nearby shacks and rundown buildings looked freshly polished.


    It was like someone had gone through and scrubbed every inch of the area clean.


    "Too clean."


    Alex muttered, instinctively summoning Virtue''s Edge into his hand.


    "Something''s not right."


    They quickened their pace, arriving at the door of Rothwind''s smithy just a few momentster..


    The forge, which was usually filled with the sounds of hammering metal and the glow of the forge fires, stood dark and silent.


    The door was ajar, swinging slightly in the breeze.


    "Rothwind?" Mira called out, stepping cautiously into the workshop.


    It was unlikely that the ce would be booby trapped, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    There was no response though.


    The interior was just as empty, and clean, as the streets outside.


    The tools and weapons that had been haphazardly arranged on walls were gone, leaving only empty hooks and bare surfaces.


    The forge itself was cold, the coals long extinguished.


    As far as Alex and Mira were concerned, Rothwind would never do such a thing, as it was apparently about one of the worst mistakes a smith could make to quench the mes of their forge.


    "Where is he?"


    Mira murmured, half edged with concern, half suspicious.


    She didn''t voice it to Alex, but this scene didn''t look good in Rothwind''s favour.


    They had given him some world altering materials, including a King ss dragon type beast''s corpse, some soul orbs and some other misceneous stuff that he had asked for.


    And now that they hade back to check up on his progress, he was gone, and his smithy was cleaned out.


    It looked like a clear cut case of amon scam to her.


    But Alex, at least, didn''t share the same sentiment.


    "Rothwind wouldn''t do this. For one, he is toozy and messy of a person to clean this ce, and even the surrounding area, until it is spotless. And he wouldn''t disrespect his own profession by putting out the mes that kept his forge going. No, this doesn''t feel like Rothwind''s doing."


    Mira''s gaze fell on a small, crumpled piece of parchment lying on the workbench nearby.


    It was the only thing in the room that stood out to her, as it looked very out of ce.


    Gone back to secure supplies. Will be back soon. - Rothwind. Discover exclusive tales on empire


    "..."


    "..."


    "That''s it?" Alex asked, peering over her shoulder.


    Mira nodded slowly.


    "Yeah, but¡­ this doesn''t make any sense. Wouldn''t he leave everything behind if he was just looking for supplies? Besides, didn''t he tell us that he already had everything he needed to craft our armour before we left? And why does this ce look like it was cleaned by professionals?"


    A sense of unease settled over them as they exchanged nces.

 Chapter 400 Scared

    No matter what thoughts they had, they both could agree that something was fishy about this current situation.


    The quiet, unsettling atmosphere pressed in on them as they stood in the middle of Rothwind''s now abandoned workshop.


    The faint scent of burnt metal and charcoal still lingered in the air, as if the forge had only recently been snuffed out, so they could tell that he hadn''t been gone too long, it seemed.


    "This¡­ is really strange."


    Mira murmured, carrying a hint of frustration in her voice.


    "It''s like someone went out of their way to erase any traces of him being here. The only real evidence of Rothwind''s existence in this ce is that his name is still on the board hanging outside the smithy¡­"


    "Yeah¡­"


    Alex agreed, sweeping over the now sterile space with his gaze.


    A chill ran down Mira''s spine as she made this realisation.


    It wasn''t unheard of for people to ''disappear'' like this, but for an A tier awakened?


    It was far, far more unlikely than amon, unawakened person being the victim.


    In fact, Rothwind''s status as a Master smith didn''t go unnoticed either, and there were bound to be others who had noticed hisck of presence in the city in the recent days.


    Realising this, Mira spoke up.


    "Maybe we should ask around."


    She suggested after a moment, taking onest nce at the hooks where Rothwind''s tools werest haphazardly hung.


    "If someone saw what happened, or just saw something unusual in this area in general, then they might be able to point us in the right direction."


    "Yeah, let''s do that."


    Alex agreed without hesitation. Rothwind''s disappearance was of a big concern to him, especially since he was the one who had loaned him all those extremely valuable materials to craft their armour¡­


    If he lost the chance at perhaps making some King ss armour for a long while because of this incident¡­ he would be far less than happy.


    "And let''s not forget to stay vignt. If someone went through all this trouble to cover things up, they''re not going to appreciate us poking around much either. And if they can somehow do all this to an A tier like Rothwind, then we need to be extremely cautious."


    The two of them stepped back out of the smithy into the suspiciously pristine streets.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The quietness was now unnerving, and the few people that spotted them seemed to go out of their way to avoid them ¡ª either ducking into alleys or quickening their pace to put distance between themselves and the duo.


    Mira tried to catch the attention of a passerby, a middle aged man hunched over in a ragged cloak.


    "Excuse me, have you seen what happened to this ce? Why is it so clean¡ª"


    Your adventure continues at empire


    The man didn''t even look up, only shaking his head vigorously as he shuffled away.


    "What the¡ª?"


    Mira eximed, watching him disappear around a corner.


    ''Something is definitely wrong if people are reacting like this. If Rothwind just up and left on his own whim, we wouldn''t be getting this sort of reaction just from a mere mention of his name.''


    Alex thought deeply upon seeing Mira''s interaction with that ragged man.


    "Are we being shunned or something?" Mira asked.


    "More like they''re terrified."


    Alex answered quietly, tracking another figure with his eyes who crossed the street to avoid them entirely.


    "Someone''s scared them into keeping quiet."


    Before Mira could respond, a faint rustling sound caught their attention.


    They turned away to see a small, cloaked figure motioning them from a dark alley a few feet away.


    There were a few more hushed voicesing from the same area, telling the first person who ushered the duo over to shut up and other such expletives.


    The cloaked figure nced nervously up and down the street, then beckoned them with a sense of urgency.


    "Over here."


    The cloaked figure whispered hurriedly.


    Alex and Mira exchanged a wary and cautious change, then approached the figure, staying alert for any sort of trap.


    Alex summoned a tiny bit of spatial energy around his finger, sending it in Mira''s direction, garnering her attention.


    Mira, upon feeling this spatial energye into contact with her, looked over at him with curious eyes.


    And without a word spoken between them, she understood Alex''s intentions immediately.


    Whoosh!


    Invisible to all senses, she activated her spatial perception and scanned the immediate area surrounding the two of them, sensing multiple spatial presences nearby.


    ''11 people in total in this small, clean area. But most of them are hidden away in their shacks, or are too busy hurrying away from us in the opposite direction to be of any significance.''


    Mira identified every single person within the 200 metre radius of them with ease, and ruled out 9 of them as non-suspicious almost immediately.


    The two that were left, however, were on her watchlist.


    One of them was the same cloaked figure who they were currently walking towards, and another was perched on a rooftop of one of the more decent looking buildings nearby, watching silently from above.


    Mira kept this information to herself for the moment, as she had no current means of alerting Alex to it without making it painfully obvious to anyone even remotely observing them.


    Instead, she just nudged him on the shoulder a little, gave him a stern look that said ''suspicious'' in their own, weird non-verbal form ofmunication, and then returned back to normal for the remainder of their short walk across the street to this cloaked figure.


    When they reached the figure, it became obvious to them that they were probably a child, just from their height, and purposely deepened voice.


    But even a fool could tell the difference between a real deep voice and a light, childish voice imitating one.


    However, they didn''tment on that, rather focusing on the real issue at hand.


    "What do you want?"


    Mira asked with her tone firm but not unfriendly.


    The figure pushed back their hood, subverting both of the duo''s expectations as it revealed the face of a young girl ¡ª but they still got the age range right though, no more than thirteen or fourteen, with wide, anxious eyes and matted brown hair.


    "You''re looking for Rothwind, aren''t you?"

 Chapter 401 Young girl

    Alex and Mira exchanged a tense nce before Alex turned back to the girl, narrowing his eyes slightly.


    "Yes, we''re looking for him. What do you know?" he asked.


    His voice was calm, to not scare the young girl, but there was still an urgency in it.


    The girl bit her lip nervously, as if she could see the numerous invisible eyes all around her ring holes into her at this very moment.


    She nced up and down the alley once more, as if expecting to see someone jump out at any moment.


    She shifted her weight from one foot to another, clearly hesitant to say anything, but then took a deep breath and began to speak in a low voice.


    "I saw him being taken away¡­ just a few nights ago. It waste, and I couldn''t sleep, so I snuck out to see if there was any food left out the back of the bakery down the street. That''s when I saw them¡­"


    Her voice quivered slightly, and she nced over her shoulder again.


    ''This poor girl''s terrified¡­''


    Mira couldn''t help but feel her emotions loosen up a little when looking at this girl, barely 4 or 5 years younger than herself.


    She reminded her so much of herself before she had been called by the Primordial Expanse unexpectedly and became an awakened.


    It was hard for her to not sympathise with her.


    "They were city guards, maybe¡­? Or people pretending to be guards. They had the same uniforms, but there was something¡­ off about them. They marched straight up to Rothwind''s forge and started banging on the door."


    Alex''s frown deepened after hearing this.


    There were multiple things in the statement the girl just said that didn''t add up to him, such as why the city guards would be marching up to Rothwind''s door so brazenly? Or why would they even bang on his door so violently if Rothwind always left it open anyway?


    Mira urged the young girl on as Alex was deep in thought.


    "And he opened it?"


    The girl nodded quickly.


    "Yes, he opened it after a few moments. But when he did¡­ I could her him shouting, which was normal considering its Rothwind, but this time he sounded really angry. He kept saying things like ''I told you I''m not interested!'' and ''I won''t get involved!'' I thought he was going to attack them ¡ª his voice was so loud that it echoed all the way down the street. But he didn''t do anything."


    She hesitated, then looked up at Alex with wide, pleading eyes.


    "I don''t know why he didn''t fight back. He could have thrown them out with one hand tied behind his back, right? I''ve heard stories about him dealing with unruly customers, but he just stood there. Like he was scared¡­ of hurting them¡­"


    Mira and Alex exchanged another nce.


    Alex furrowed his brows in confusion.


    "He didn''t want to fight?" Mira asked, a doubtful tinge to her tone.


    Experience tales at empire


    She could tell this girl was an unawakened, so perhaps she misunderstood.


    "That just doesn''t sound like Rothwind at all. He''s got a temper. Why would he let them just take him in?"


    The girl shook her head, frustrated and concerned.


    "I don''t know! I only saw what happened from where I was hiding. But they kept talking to him¡­ like they were trying to convince him of something. And then, he just stopped shouting. He just¡­ went quiet."


    Alex''s gaze sharpened.


    "And then?"


    "They took him away."


    The girl looked down at her hands as if she was ashamed.


    "They put these strange cuffs on his wrists ¡ª they glowed blue, like they were made from some sort of magic. He looked back at the forge, but¡­ he didn''t fight them even as they ransacked the ce. He walked away quietly, his head held high. They led him down the main street under the cover of darkness, and¡­ that''s it. I didn''t follow. I was too scared and it was none of my business!"


    Mira and Alex looked at the young girl for a bit longer, waiting to see if she would cough up some more information she may have ''identally'' left out in nervousness, but she remained silent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She just stood there, her nerves tightening and her legs gradually starting to shake more and more the longer she waited for a response from the pair.


    Seeing this, Mira was the first to speak up.


    "And after they left, did anyone elsee? Someone who cleaned up the area?"


    ''Finally, she spoke!''


    The girl probably thought.


    "Yes!" She eximed, as if grateful that that god awful silence was now over.


    "Right after they took him, this group of people in weird outfits showed up. They were wearing uniforms made from a material I''d never seen before, and these weird, ck masks¡­ They had to be part of some elite cleaning crew or something. Anyway, they scrubbed everything ¡ª the streets, the walls, I even watched them go inside his forge and start taking everything out!"


    The girl took a deep breath to calm herself down, then continued.


    "They worked all night, and by morning, everything looked like one of those fancy parts of town! If you ignore all the tiny shacks¡­"


    Alex and Mira exchanged a look of dawning understanding as the girl''s words sunk in.


    They could almost picture it in their minds ¡ª the quiet, sinister efficiency of it all, the way the ce had been swept clean like an unwanted memory erased from the streets.


    "Thank you."


    Mira said softly, genuinely sincere.


    "You''ve done more than enough by telling us this much. We''ll take it from here."


    She reached into her pocket, pulling out a few gold coins from her spatial storage and flicked them towards the young girl for her willingness to cooperate with them, considering everyone else avoided them like the gue¡­


    The girl''s eyes widened, staring at the coins then back up at Mira and Alex, her lips parting as if to say something, but no words came out.


    The girl looked down at the coins again, then clenched them tightly in her hand, trembling slightly.


    Mira offered her a small, reassuring smile, then turned on her heel, Alex following close behind.


    But before they could leave the alley, the girl''s voice rang out, high pitched and desperate this time.


    "W-wait!"

 Chapter 402 Bullet dodged...

    Mira stopped, ncing over her shoulder to see the girl standing there, with her small frame trembling like a leaf in the wind.


    Tears welled up in her eyes as she took a hesitant step forward.


    "Please¡­ please, don''t leave me alone! I-I''m scared¡­ I shouldn''t have told you any of this! I-I just¡­ I felt like I had to say something, but now¡­ now they''ll know it was me! They''ll have people listening everywhere!"


    She hugged her arms around herself, her voice barely able to keep steady as she spoke.


    "I''m being watched, I know I am! Everywhere I go, I feel like there are eyes on me¡­ What if theye for me, too? What if they¡­ what if they¡ª"


    Mira''s heart twisted painfully as she listened to the girl''s frantic pleas. She turned around fully, stepping towards the girl, while Alex sighed softly, rubbing his forehead at the trouble that they had suddenlye upon.


    "Mira, we can''t just¡ª"


    "I know, I know."


    Mira interrupted softly, crouching down in front of the girl and gently cing a hand on her shoulder.


    "But we can''t leave her like this either, Alex. She''s terrified, and she has good reason to be. I¡­ I can''t just walk away and pretend she''ll be okay!"


    Alex could only sigh once again.


    ''She sees too much of her old self in this girl to leave her like this.''


    He knew that there was probably no convincing Mira otherwise, though he did feel a little sorry for the girl himself.


    But in a world like this, one had to make cruel decisions that could rip a normal person''s emotions to shreds.


    The girl sniffled, looking up at Mira with wide, tear filled eyes.


    "Please¡­ I don''t have anyone else! My parents¡­ they''re gone. It''s just me now. I- I don''t want to die¡­ I don''t want to¡ª"


    Mira gently pulled the girl into a soft embrace, her heart aching as she remembered a time when she felt the same way, but had no one there tofort her when she needed it the most.


    This girl was just like her, but without the fortune/misfortune of being given the opportunity to make a life for herself as an awakened.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay¡­"


    She murmured soothingly.


    "We''ll figure something out. We won''t let them get to you, right?"


    She purposely looked up at Alex and gave him a stern look during thetter half of her sentence.


    Alex sighed again, shifting his gaze to the mouth of the alley.


    He knew Mira was right, but he also knew the reality of the situation they were facing.


    "Mira¡­ if the city officials were really behind this, then nowhere would be safe for her. Not in this city, at least. We can''t keep her hidden forever. If they want her, they''ll find her, eventually."


    Continue reading at empire


    Mira tightened her grip on the girl protectively, her jaw clenching.


    "Then I''ll get her out of this city. Find somewhere she cany low until this blows over."


    "That''s easier said than done." Alex spoke grimly. "And it''ll draw even more attention to us since they know we''ll be onto them."


    Mira looked up at him, her eyes filled to the brim with determination and rage, probably directed at the people who had put her in this situation and taken Rothwind away.


    "I don''t care, Alex. She took a huge risk by telling us this, all at her own expense. We owe her. I''m not just going to turn my back on her."


    Alex nced around the alley once again, aware from Mira''s non verbalmunication with him that they were, indeed, being watched, but not having a single clue as to where from.


    The gears in his mind turned rapidly.


    The girl''s presence was aplication they hadn''t nned for, but then again so was Rothwind''s sudden ''abduction''.


    He knew Mira wouldn''t let it go, and deep down, he didn''t want to either.


    But with the city officials possibly involved, there was a high chance that staying in the city would just put the girl at greater risk.


    Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a measured and calm tone.


    "Mira, I think we should split up."


    Mira looked up, her eyes widening slightly.


    ''Is he breaking up with me!??''


    "Listen, you''re right. We can''t leave her here. So you should get her out of the city. Find somewhere safe. I''ll stay behind and keep digging around for Rothwind."


    ''Oh.''


    Unbeknownst to Alex, he had just dodged a shitstorm by continuing his speech faster than Mira could respond¡­


    Mira looked up, her eyes widening slightly, but there was no surprise in her gaze, not anymore at least¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Instead, just a hint of acknowledgement. It was almost as if she was considering the same thing.


    Alex continued before she could speak.


    "Listen, you''re right. We can''t leave her here. So you should get her out of the city. Find somewhere safe. I''ll stay behind and keep digging around for Rothwind."


    "Alex¡­"


    Mira began, her vice hesitant. But he held up a hand, his expression remaining firm.


    "It''s the only way, Mira. If these people are as powerful as we think, you''d be in more danger staying here than I would. You know that. And if something happens to you¡­"


    He trailed off, his gaze softening.


    "Look, I''ll be fine. I''m used to this kind of work, and I don''t have to worry about protecting someone else if it''s just me."


    Mira opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed on.


    "You know I''m right. If the culprits are as strong as Rothwind¡­ I''m probably the only one who even has a chance of surviving against them. I don''t mean to demean your abilities, but it''s just the truth."


    He forced a small, humourless smile.


    "Not that I''d be able to win against someone on his level, but I''dst a bit longer than you would. And without you two in the mix, I''ll have more options. I won''t have to worry about you."

 Chapter 403 Agreement

    Mira''s gaze flickered with a storm of emotions, but she didn''t argue. Alex''s logic was sound, and she knew it.


    If there was even a slight chance that the culprits might be as strong as Rothwind, they''d be incredibly dangerous.


    Staying together would only limit their options, especially since they had this poor girl to worry about now.


    "Okay¡­"


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    She murmured softly, almost as if speaking to herself, reaffirming her decision.


    Then, she straightened up, her eyes locking onto Alex''s with a new, fierce light.


    "You''re right. We''ll split up. I''ll get her out of the city, and then I''ll find somewhere safe toy low. But promise me, Alex¡­ promise me you won''t do anything stupid."


    Alex chuckled softly, the sound carrying a hint of fondness.


    "Stupid? You know me, Mira. I''m all about making stupid decisions!"


    However Mira didn''t find that nearly as amusing as Alex did.


    "Alright, alright!"


    He cut her off with a smirk before she could say something, raising his hands in mock surrender.


    "I get it. I''ll be careful."


    Mira let out a breath she didn''t know she was holding, then nodded, looking down at the girl who was still holding onto her tightly.


    "We''re leaving the city. Right now. I know a few ces out in the forest where we can hide out for a while."


    During their many weeks out hunting for beasts in order toplete their rank up requirements, the two of them had found some calm, rxing and quite frankly beautiful ces to stop and camp at in each interlude between days.


    Mira was nning on taking the girl out to one of them, one that had quickly be Alex and her favourite spot to camp at when their worries and stress from hunting all day had died down.


    Alex knew exactly where she was nning on taking her.


    "I''lle and meet you in 7 days, regardless of if I find out what happened to Rothwind or not."


    He spoke up, very serious this time.


    "If I don''t, then don''te looking for me. Just leave ¡ª take the girl somewhere safe, another city perhaps, and just leave the Primordial Expanse. If something happens to me, I don''t want you to get caught up in it as well."


    Mira looked hesitant and a little scared upon hearing Alex''s deadly serious tone, and he wasn''t nning on having any of her usual antics.


    "I need you to promise me that Mira. Swear on it. Swear that you will leave."


    He practically cornered Mira into epting it, whether she liked it or not.


    Alex didn''t n on taking any chances with her life.


    He was fine with risking his own, which was still quite selfish of him, but he would not cross the line of risking Mira''s too.


    "I promise¡­"


    Eventually, Mira could only relent and give in.


    The girl looked between the two of them, confusion and fear etched onto her face.


    "You''re¡­ going to leave him behind? But what if they¡ª"


    "I''ll be fine."


    Alex assured her, his voice returning to a gentle serenade this time.


    The girl hesitated, but nodded slowly.


    He turned to Mira.


    "Head out through the eastern gate. Avoid the main roads. I''ve noticed the patrols there are¡­ less reliable, to say the least. They won''t give you much trouble if you keep a low profile. And if you hear anything, anything at all, that seems off ¡ª get out. Don''t stick around to see what it is."


    With that, Alex turned away.


    His posture straightened as he began to head deeper into the slums, where perhaps more answers awaited him.


    ***


    "We had an agreement."


    A stark, almost condescending voice smoothly spoke out.


    It echoed through the dark, windowless room where two figures were situated, both sitting, and both looking ratherx.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "No we didn''t. You just think everyone in this city works for you and has to answer to every one of your beck and call."


    Rothwind replied.


    Contrary to his status as a prisoner in this ce, he looked just as rxed as ever.


    Because he knew that there was only one person that had the strength to match him in this city, and he was sitting right in front of him, on the other side of the table.


    "Don''t give me that bullshit, Rothwind!"


    However, it didn''t seem like the figure at the other end of the table took Rothwind''s response very lightly.


    The man at the end of the table, an imposing figure in a well tailored ck suit that gleamed in a slightly dim light, leaned back in his chair.


    His sharp eyes were fixed on Rothwind, but despite his intense gaze, the cksmith remained unfazed.


    His intimidation might have worked on most other people, but it was useless against someone of equal strength to himself.


    "Is that so?"


    The man''s smooth,posed voice held a faint edge of irritation.


    "You can hold up your tough act, Rothwind. But don''t think for a second I''m not aware of what you really want."


    Rothwind raised a brow, his lips twitching into a smirk.


    Even he was surprised that this man thought he knew Rothwind better than Rothwind knew himself!


    "And what would that be? Enlighten me, Mayor."


    The mayor''s fingers drummed against the wooden table between them, the sound echoing softly in the small, very well secluded room.


    Rothwind had to hand it to the guy, it would be tough even for someone of his strength to break out of this ce.


    "You want to be left alone. To work without interference. Without people ¡ª be they awakened or officials ¡ªing to you, asking you to craft all kinds of low rank, mundane items. You''ve made that clear through your little tantrums in the past."


    Rothwind''s eyes narrowed at the word ''tantrums'', but he didn''t respond immediately.


    He leaned back in his chair, mimicking the pose the Mayor had assumed, and crossed his arms as he regarded the Mayor with azy, almost mocking smile.


    "So? And what''s your point? You think dragging me here and locking me up will convince me anymore to give it to you? Paha! Dream on!"


    The Mayor didn''t flinch at Rothwind''sments, only continuing his act.


    "All I''m asking for is that corpse, Rothwind. After you give it to me, I can give you anything you like. How about a private forge at the centre of the city? Where you can work in peace ¡ª indefinitely."


    Rothwind let out a short, dryugh.


    "Peace? Coming from you, Mayor, that word sounds almostical."

 Chapter 404 Is that a threat?

    The mayor''s expression didn''t change, but a slight twitch in his jaw betrayed a sh of annoyance.


    "Think what you want, but you know I''m right. This city runs because I make sure it does. Everyone has a role, and everyone knows where they stand. You¡­ you''ve been allowed to stand on your own as a favour."


    He paused, leaning forward slightly.


    "But that favour can be reconsidered."


    Rothwind''s smile vanished at this point, sharpening his gaze like the master smith he was.


    He leaned in as well, their faces only a metre or so apart now.


    "Are you threatening me, mayor?"


    There was a beat of silence, heavy and thick, as the two very powerful men stared each other down.


    Rothwind wasn''t scared of this man.


    He didn''t have to be.


    Which is why the mayor internally found this whole situation so frustrating.


    Ever since he took over control of Tenebrus after thest mayor died, he had been the top dog, the most powerful person in the whole Evermoor forest ¡ª everyone had to listen to him in this city and the area surrounding it.


    But then one day came along Rothwind.


    His presence in the city was inconsequential at first, as everyone just thought he was another non-human moving to one of the morex multicultural cities, which actually wasn''t veryx at all.


    But Rothwind''s true power was quickly revealed after some people ¡ª powerful people ¡ª picked a fight with him because he was encroaching on their business.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And when they tried to have him killed, they quickly found out the consequences they faced were very dire.


    He killed each and every one of them, without a single shred of mercy.


    And there was not a single thing they could do about it.


    Because not even the mayor could stop Rothwind.


    He tried to get involved after he heard what happened to the first aristocrat who was killed, as word spread very quickly in his circle, but he discovered very quickly that Rothwind also happened to be an A rank, Mutant ss awakened, and one with a particrly difficult talent to deal with as well.


    Hence, the mayor''s almost unquestionable rule quickly came under intense opposition from another person of equal power for the first time since he started over a century ago.


    However, if one even spoke to Rothwind casually for more than 5 minutes, they would realise that he had absolutely no interest whatsoever in vying for power in this city.


    But as usual with the political minded people like the mayor, they never trusted such things, even if they had the most factual, unmistakable evidence right in front of them.


    His ego was so fragile that nothing could stop him from thinking of another person, equally strong, as opposition to his reign of power.


    Finally, the mayor sighed, his voice dropping to a low murmur.


    "No. I''m offering you a deal. One that will be mutually beneficial."


    Rothwind''s eyes didn''t leave the mayor''s face, but he remained silent, waiting for him to continue.


    "I want the King ss beast''s corpse."


    The mayor said simply.


    "I don''t know how you obtained it, or who you got it from, butpared to what I ¡ª an A rank and mayor of this city ¡ª can offer, surely whatever you are receiving is a pittance?"


    Rothwind''s gaze darkened at the mayor''s insinuation.


    Stay tuned to empire


    His eyes narrowed, with simmering anger in his gaze enough to make even someone as formidable as the mayor falter for a fraction of a second.


    "You think this is just about payment? Money? Status and riches?"


    His voice was lower than his usual tone, even when serious.


    "You think I''m holding onto the beast corpse because of some petty deal?"


    The mayor tried to keep his expression neutral, but there was no hiding the sh of contempt and irritation that crossed his face.


    "Of course it''s about payment!"


    He retorted, though his tone wasn''t as certain as before.


    "Everyone has a price, Rothwind. Even you."


    Rothwind just scoffed, leaning back and crossing his arms, his entire posture exuded disdain.


    "That''s where you''re wrong, Mayor. You''re thinking like a politician, like every other corrupt bureaucrat out there, thinking you can solve all your problems with money. But I''m not your problem, and I''m not interested in your money."


    The mayor''s lips tightened into a thin line.


    "Then what do you want? Surely there''s something you desire. Power? Authority? I can give you both. You could even have a seat at my side, Rothwind.


    Imagine: It''s a partnership. Two A rank powerhouses ruling this city together."


    Rothwindughed.


    It was clear that the mayor listened to basically nothing he had said in thest few minutes!


    It was just in one ear and out the other¡­


    "Rule with you? I''m not interested in ruling anyone, Mayor. That''s your game. You crave power, control, to make everyone in this city bend to your will. Me? I just want to be left alone to do what I do best."


    The mayor''s jaw clenched as he took in Rothwind''s words.


    It seemed that he may finally be seeing some sense, but that only made him even more frustrated and angry.


    Nothing had stopped him from getting what he wanted before, and he was determined to keep that up in this situation too!


    But then, as if a sh of inspiration went off in his head, the mayor''s eyes lit up like two crescent moons.


    "You say you want to be left alone to do what you do best? Then clearly cksmithing is your true goal. What if I say I can offer you all the materials you could ever need? Maybe one day with such a constant influx of materials, you might even advance to be a grandmaster."


    However, like a power cut went off in his brain, the mayor''s face very quickly went from gleaming to gloomy.


    Because of one thing.


    Rothwind''s reaction.


    Hisughter boomed through the room with deep resonance. It echoed off the walls, filling the space with a mocking sound that made the mayor''s confident smile slip.


    "What do you think I have the beast corpse for?"


    Rothwind asked with his voice dripping in amusement.


    "You think I''d need your scraps when I already possess the most potent material in the entire Evermoor forest?"


    Now, the mayor realised that Rothwind truly couldn''t be convinced.

 Chapter 405 Empty threat

    Of course, the King of Evermoor''s corpse was a treasure beyond measure in these parts.


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    With it, a master cksmith like Rothwind could create perhaps the best masterpiece he might ever be able to produce in his lifetime.


    So why would he ever give such a thing up?


    The mayor just now came to grips with this, and realised just how much of a blunder he had made by trying to intimidate him into epting his deal.


    Rothwind saw the flicker of realisation pass through the mayor''s eyes and shook his head, chuckling softly.


    "You finally get it now? I don''t need more materials, I don''t need more power. You''re trying to dangle a carrot in front of someone who''s already sitting at a feast."


    The mayor''s fists clenched at his sides, but he forced himself to calm down.


    Rothwind wasn''t just refusing his offer ¡ª he was outright dismissing him as if he was some small time merchant instead of the ruler of Tenebrus. But what made it worse, what truly gnawed at his pride, was the realisation that Rothwind was right.


    There was nothing that he could give that Rothwind didn''t already possess or couldn''t obtain on his own.


    Still, the mayor refused to back down.


    He couldn''t afford to.


    That corpse was just too alluring to give up on.


    With it, he could potentially increase his power even further, allowing him to not only spread his dominance further outwards, but to also get rid of any potential ''threats'' once and for all.


    He took a deep breath; narrowed his eyes as he chose his next words carefully.


    "Rothwind."


    He said slowly.


    "Think about what you''re doing. You say you want to be left alone, but keeping that corpse¡­ it''ll draw attention. Not just from me, but from others far more powerful, more dangerous. You could be a target."


    Rothwind''s rxation faded as he realised what the mayor was saying.


    He wasn''t giving him advice, he was saying that if he couldn''t have it, then neither of them could!


    If Rothwind didn''t give him the corpse, then naturally he would spread the word of it being in Rothwind''s possession outside of the city limits, where other, stronger awakened might take a potential interest in it.


    But while Rothwind''s rxation might have faded, it wasn''t fear that reced it ¡ª it was a look of sheer dare.


    "I''m no stranger to being a target, Mayor. And I''ll tell you now, anyone whoes for me, or for what I care about, will pay the price. And let me tell you this; I''ll make sure you are at the top of that list. I don''t care what it takes."


    His words were a promise.


    The mayor wanted to y dirty, but he wasn''t the only one who could y that game.


    If Rothwind became a target for much stronger and more terrifying people, then he would make damn sure that they both went down.


    The mayor swallowed, forcing down a surge of frustration.


    There was no reasoning with this man!


    He was stubborn, resolute, andpletely impervious to the usual methods of ''persuasion''.


    "Very well."


    The mayor finally spoke.


    "But remember, Rothwind ¡ª everything has a consequence. You may not fear me, but even you have limits."


    Rothwind stood up, his tiny frame casting a towering shadow across the table.


    "You''re right, mayor. Everything does have a consequence. And if you try toe after me or anyone I care about, you''ll get to meet those consequences face to face."


    Without another word, Rothwind turned around and strode out of the room, directly sting through the thick walls like they were nothing.


    So much for being powerful enough to contain an awakened like Rothwind¡­


    The mayor stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty space Rothwind left behind.


    His expression twisted into a snarl, and he mmed his fist down onto the table, the force of it practically atomising it in that instant.


    "Damn you, Rothwind!"


    He hissed under his breath.


    "You think you can just walk away from this unscathed? Do you really think you''re untouchable?"


    He took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing himself to calm down.


    No, he wouldn''t let it end like this.


    Rothwind might have the upper hand now, but the mayor wasn''t someone who would give up so easily.


    If anything, he was even more stubborn than Rothwind himself.


    Slowly, his mind began to work, crafting a new n ¡ª a n that wouldn''t rely on bribes or threats.


    "Fine, Rothwind."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He muttered with a dark smile creeping across his lips.


    "If I can''t buy you or threaten you¡­ I''ll just have to make your life miserable."


    His gaze turned towards the wall, where Rothwind had just zed through like it was nothing.


    "Let''s see how resolute you are when the people you care about start disappearing, one by one."


    The mayor''s smile widened as he began to plot his next move.


    He believed Rothwind had made a grave mistake by underestimating how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted.


    "And I think I''ll start with those two brats who''ve cosied their way up to you."


    And soon, Rothwind ¡ª and everyone else in Tenebrus ¡ª would see exactly how dangerous it was to go against him.


    But had Rothwind really underestimated him¡­?


    ***


    The streets outside Rothwind''s smithy were empty and quiet.


    The entire area around the forge still avoided that particr street like the gue had spread there.


    Alex stood there, alone now that Mira had taken off with the young girl in tow.


    He was no stranger to tough situations ¡ª living in the slums as a kid had taught him to be resourceful, and it didn''t even take him any effort to choose the slums of this city as his first starting point to start searching for any information.


    He knew that to the slum dwellers, anything could be bought for a price.


    With a sigh, he turned away from Rothwind''s smithy, looking over the bordering streets where the slums twisted away into abyrinth of dirt and shadows.


    The further he went from the smithy, the more decrepit the surroundings became.

 Chapter 406 Unexpected circumstances

    Ragged figures shuffled in the shadows, peering out from broken down homes with wary eyes.


    They knew what an awakened look like, and Alex wasn''t exactly trying to conceal his identity as one either.


    Which was actually to his disadvantage, since awakened were usually feared in these parts.


    But it was here, in this untouched part of the slums, that Alex felt he might find some clues ¡ª clues that would lead him to whoever was responsible for Rothwind''s disappearance.


    Because if there was one thing Alex knew, even without taking into consideration that he didn''t want to lose such a precious corpse like that, it was that Rothwind had shown him more kindness and appreciation than anyone else in this forsaken city.


    He felt he owed him for that.


    But as he stepped forward to make his way over to some people hiding away in an alley, wishing to ask them some questions, a strange sensation washed over him.


    His ear twitched, like he had sensed something.


    But what had he sensed exactly?


    He had no clue.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just in case, he decided to do an extra sweep of the area around himself with his senses that remained unaffected by the Primordial Expanse''s influence, and he felt that something was¡­ strange about the area behind him.


    Like there was some slight disturbance.


    And when he turned around to check it out, he discovered why.


    Rothwind.


    A familiar figure stood behind him, but clearly not in his usual jovial mood.


    Alex''s heart practically leapt out of his chest when he saw Rothwind standing there, just a few steps behind him.


    He stumbled back a step, his mouth gaping as he was utterly bewildered by this circumstance, struggling to process the sight in front of him.


    "Rothwind!?"


    The dwarven cksmith stood still, his expression far from his usual easy going, rxed demeanour.


    His sharp gaze bore into Alex, and there was a hint of something undeniable in his eyes ¡ª surprise, maybe even a hint of wariness.


    "Alex¡­"


    Rothwind spoke up first, carrying a hint of incredulity in his voice.


    "How did you know I was here?"


    Alex blinked, confusion mingling with the lingering shock.


    "What do you mean? Aren''t you the one who found me?"


    Rothwind shook his head.


    "No, I mean how did you know I was behind you?"


    Alex, still confused and slightly rattled by Rothwind''s sudden appearance, took a few moments to answer.


    "I just¡­ sensed something strange. Like a gut feeling, or a disturbance in the air that made my ear twitch or something like that, so I turned around."


    Rothwind stared at him for a long moment, his gaze filled with intensity and scrutiny.


    His brows were furrowed as if he were trying to unravel a puzzle he hadn''t expected to find.


    ''A disturbance? A gut feeling?''


    Most awakened, even B tiers, wouldn''t have sensed anything if he didn''t want them to.


    And considering Rothwind wanted to troll Alex a little with his surprise appearance behind him, only to be found out first, it was quite a big deal to Rothwind.


    Rothwind''s thoughts churned as he scrutinised Alex, almost as if sensing him in a new light.


    ''Has the kid really gotten that strong? Strong enough to sense A tier presences now? That kind of perception was more than just a trick.''


    ''But it seems thed hasn''t realised that yet. I''ll leave him to figure it out on his own.''


    Rothwind let out a soft breath, his expression softening slightly as he shook off his surprise.


    Whatever was going on with Alex''s strength, now wasn''t the time to delve into it. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    There were more pressing matters at hand, and thest thing Rothwind wanted was to get sidetracked by a mystery he could exploreter.


    "Listen, Lad."


    Rothwind began speaking in a slightly urgent tone.


    "We''ll talk about this¡­ whatever just happenedter. Right now, you''ve got a problem. A big one."


    Alex straightened his back and knitted his brows together.


    "Huh? I have a problem¡­? Shouldn''t you be the one with the problem? How did I suddenly get roped into things¡­?"


    Rothwind nced around, scanning the darkened alleyways, inspecting every nook and cranny of their surroundings.


    He knew that whatever he said in this city would be heard by the Mayor''s extensive informationwork, but he didn''t care.


    But even if nobody, not even the Mayor himself, could get the drop on him, it was still better to be cautious.


    He was more concerned for Alex''s safety than his own.


    "The mayor."


    Rothwind said bluntly, turning back to Alex.


    "He''s made a move against me. It seems he''s finally grown tired of my presence in this city."


    The mention of the mayor sent a chill down Alex''s spine.


    He had expected the city officials to be involved with the disappearance of Rothwind, but the Mayor himself was involved??


    Just what kind of shit had Rothwind gotten himself into ¡ª and apparently, himself.


    "Just what kind of move?"


    Alex was both curious and concerned as he questioned Rothwind.


    "Well, let''s just say he didn''t take so kindly to the fact that I have a King ss beast in my possession, thanks to you."


    Rothwind didn''t need to exin any more than that, as it was all Alex needed to hear for his face to turn into a grimace ¡ª he got the gist of things now.


    ''That bastard, whoever he is, wanted to take my armour away from me!?''


    And naturally Alex wasn''t happy with what he had heard at all.


    Rothwind''s lips twitched at Alex''s reaction.


    The grimace on the young man''s face was so telling that the dwarf couldn''t help but let out a gruff chuckle.


    "Aye,d. That''s pretty much what it boils down to."


    Rothwing spoke, crossing his thick arms over his chest.


    "The Mayor wants your fancy armour ¡ª or more specifically, the materials I used to make it. I imagine he thinks it''ll give him an edge at increasing his strength even further, and he would be right in thinking that."


    Alex could only grit his teeth in frustration.

 Chapter 407 Escape plan

    Rothwind''s amusement faded quickly as he returned to the matter at hand.


    He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze drifting away as if lost in thought.


    "But what the mayor doesn''t know,d, is that he''s barking up the wrong tree."


    Alex raised an eyebrow at hearing this, confused by the sudden shift in Rothwind''s tone.


    "What do you mean? I thought the whole reason he came after you was because you still have the beast corpse?"


    "Aye, that''s what he thinks."


    Rothwind''s lips curled into a knowing smile.


    "But the thing is, I don''t have it anymore. I''ve already finished working with it."


    Alex''s eyes widened, and he took a step forward, disbelief washing over his features.


    "You¡­ what? But you told us it would take up to 7 more days! You said you needed some time to test the soul orbs because there was no precedent in them being used in crafting before!"


    Rothwind rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhat sheepish.


    "I did say that, didn''t I?"


    He nced back at Alex, a spark of pride dancing in his eyes.


    "Well, turns out, I''m better at what I do than I thought. Once I started working with those soul orbs, I had a breakthrough. They responded better than I could have ever expected, so I pushed myself to finish early. Couldn''t leave you lot running around unprotected, now could I?"


    Alex blinked, trying to process the information.


    "Wait¡­ you mean?"


    "Aye."


    Rothwind said with a grin, and with a flick of his wrist, arge, dark red scaled chest materialised beside him.


    He gestured to it with a flourish.


    "Your armour''s done. So''s Mira''s."


    Alex''s gaze snapped to the chestte, heart pounding faster and faster as he took a step toward it.


    He hadn''t expected this ¡ª at all.


    To think that Rothwind had alreadypleted their armour in such a short amount of time was just amazing!


    "I¡­ I don''t know what to say¡­"


    Alex murmured, filled with a mixture of awe and gratitude.


    Completely and utterly serious, Rothwind answered.


    "How about you say, ''I''m a stupid fucker for holding us up for so long when we are in deep shit.'' That sound good?"


    "..."


    Alex had no reply to that.


    Rothwind''s expression turned stern, the humour vanishing from his face.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He reached out, cing a heavy hand on Alex''s shoulder.


    "Look,d, I''m serious. There''s no time for us to stand here talking, so go fetch your littless and let''s get the fuck out of here! I''ll give you the full breakdown of what these babies can doter, but for now, we need to move."


    Alex''s face turned ashen.


    ''Mira¡­''


    And when Rothwind saw Alex''s face, he couldn''t help but feel something was wrong, and he could probably guess what.


    There was probably only one thing that could make Alex pull a face like that.


    "Oh no kid, don''t tell me you¡­ Oh you stupid shit! Where has she gone to!"


    He realised that the two of them had split up.


    Alex''s throat tightened at Rothwind''s sharp words, but he managed to speak through the lump of anxiety that was quickly starting to form there.


    "We split up earlier¡­ We thought it''d be better if she were out of the equation while I went searching for you¡­"


    Rothwind''s brows drew together, his face twisting with exasperation.


    "Dammitd! You just had to split up in this city, with the mayor and all his goons breathing down our necks! They can''ty a finger on me, but what about you? What about thatss? I knew you were reckless, but this is just in foolishness!"


    Alex''s fists clenched, guilt gnawing at his insides.


    He knew Rothwind was right, but how was he supposed to know that their decision to split up was actually a bad one!?


    It was only now, in hindsight, that they knew it was a stupid decision, but at the time it actually seemed quite logical.


    The only brightside to the whole thing was that he told her to go hide some ce outside of the city, where the mayor had drastically less control, so she had more leeway than perhaps the two of them did.


    "Listen, kid. There''s no use beating ourselves up over what''s already done and what could have been. You need to get to Mira. Now."


    "I know." Alex muttered.


    Find more chapters on empire


    "But how? If the mayor knows about us, then he would already have forces looking for us¡ª"


    "Ahem, are you forgetting who you''re standing next to?"


    While Alex was busy worrying over how they were supposed to get to Mira, Rothwind just stood to the side and looked at Alex like he had shit for brains.


    "Did you forget how I brought you two to those ins a few days ago?"


    Alex''s face lit up now that his memory was reignited.


    "You can teleport us to her!"


    He was right, but it wasn''t all good news.


    "That''s correct, but I suspect that''s how the mayor even found out about the corpse anyways. I teleported out of the city with you two for more privacy, which had actually probably backfired on us, as the mayor might have sensed my presence moving away and decided to snoop around."


    Alex knew what he was getting at with this.


    If the mayor could detect Rothwind''s teleportation and even the exact area he had teleported to, then there was no doubt he would do the same when Rothwind teleported over to Mira.


    If it wasn''t already given away by that point, then her location would sure as hell be known after they did that!


    But while Alex didn''t think that would be such a good idea, Rothwind had other thoughts.


    ''Those two kids have finished their requirements to leave now, otherwise they would have had no reason toe back early. When the timees I''ll make them leave the Primordial Expanse whether they like it or not. I''ll kick ''em out myself if I have to!''


    He was confused at first why Alex and Mira were back to Tenebrus when he first sensed Alex in the city earlier, but it didn''t take a genius to realise why it was the case.

 Chapter 408 Fury

    "Oh, by the way, what did you do with the Red Demon we left knocked out in your forge?"


    However, while Rothwind was making some big decisions internally, Alex blurted this question out of nowhere.


    "What demo¡ª Oh! You mean that red fe from a week back? I just killed him since it seemed the two of you were done with him. He was there to try and trash up my smithy anyway, so he deserved what he got."


    ''...''


    Alex was surprised, but in a good way.


    He was half expecting Rothwind to have released the poor guy since Alex and Mira had totally forgotten about him, but it seemed Rothwind wasn''t that merciful.


    It didn''t really matter to him anyways, as Alex was already certain the guy wouldn''t have talked, and even if he did, it was probably just going to be nonsense information he was already aware of anyway.


    With that very minor detour out of the way, the two of them got back to the very important task at hand.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Deciding whether they should teleport to Mira''s position or not.


    "Hold ond."


    But it seemed like Rothwind had already made that decision for Alex, as before he could even react he was grabbed by the shoulder by Rothwind, and before he knew it¡­


    Poof!


    They were gone from the streets, barely even any evidence that they were there in the first ce.


    "Hey, you didn''t even ask me where Mira was!"


    The moment they reappeared, Alex had to let Rothwind get a piece of his mind.


    "..."


    Rothwind was speechless at first.


    "Hahah!"


    But then he let out a low and deep chuckle that reverberated in the still air of the clearing they now upied.


    He turned to Alex, a wry smile now on his lips.


    "Did you really think I needed your help to find her,d?"


    He asked, shaking his head.


    "I''m tied for the strongest person in the city, an A tier being. Did you honestly think there was anywhere in this entire forest she could hide that I couldn''t sniff out?"


    Alex opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out.


    Rothwind had a point, but Alex quickly picked apart his words.


    "If you could do that, then what stops the mayor from doing the same thing?"


    Rothwind had hoped Alex wouldn''t have noticed this, but it seemed he may have slipped up in what he had said.


    "Nothing can,d. The only hope we have is that he locked onto your location first since you were closer in proximity to him. Otherwise¡­ I can only say to keep your prayers in mind for what we might find over here¡­"


    At first, Alex was feeling a little sceptical about all of Rothwind''s exnations, but when he heard this, he couldn''t help but feel his rage boiling over.


    Not at Rothwind, since he hadn''t done anything wrong, but at the mayor!


    ''If that fucker dared to do anything to Mira¡­ I don''t care what happens or how long it takes, I will spend my entire life hunting him down if that''s what it takes.''


    He kept his rage close and internal, not letting it boil over for Rothwind to see.


    But Rothwind could tell how furious Alex was at the moment, and he reassured Alex.


    "I can guarantee ya that no matter what has urred, the mayor has already signed his death wish. I''m sorry to say this, kid, but he''s mine to kill."


    Rothwind left the conversation hanging there, shifting his gaze away from Alex and towards the dense underbrush off into the distance.


    His usual easygoing demeanour had long faded since leaving the city, reced by a seriousness that Alex seemed to be seeing much more frequently in the old dwarf recently.


    Without another word, Rothwind began to walk forward, scanning the forest floor and treetops alike with his sharp eyes.


    Alex followed closely behind, his heartbeat quickly speeding up and hammering against his chest as they made their way forwards.


    Each crackle of a branch, or rustle of leaves made his anxiety spike higher, and he had to resist the urge to call out for Mira, knowing that they needed to keep as quiet as possible in case there were unwanted ears around.


    Every second that passed, Alex''s thoughts grew darker.


    Why wasn''t Rothwind saying anything? Had he detected something dangerous in the area? Was Mira hurt? Worse??


    Just when Alex was about to ask if Rothwind had picked up any sign of her, the dwarf suddenly stopped, lifting his hand to signal Alex to halt as well.


    Alex obeyed instantly, his muscles practically tightening to the max with anticipation.


    "Stay put for a moment,d."


    Rothwind murmured quietly.


    "I need to check something."


    Alex bit back his questions and nodded, watching as Rothwind raised his hand in front of him.


    A faint blue glow enveloped the dwarf''s fingers, spreading out in thin tendrils of light that swirled around in the air like smoke.


    For a moment, Alex''s eyes widened in surprise and he seemed to have momentarily forgotten about all of his worries as he watched with fascination ¡ª he''d never seen Rothwind use any sort of abilities before, and this particr ability was quite visually stunning to watch.


    Rothwind''s eyes fluttered shut, and he remained utterly still for several long moments.


    Then, slowly, he exhaled.


    The glow around his hand faded away.


    When he opened his eyes again, there was a sh of something there ¡ª a glint of humour that caught Alex off guard.


    "She''s fine."


    Rothwind announced casually, as if he hadn''t just been holding Alex in unbearable suspense.


    "Hiding just up ahead. Nothing to worry about."


    The words took a few seconds to register.


    Alex blinked, tilting his head in confusion, his brain took some time to catch up with the sudden shift in mood.


    "Wait¡­ what?"


    He stammered, mouth hanging open.


    "You knew she was alright this entire time!?"


    Rothwind''s grin was downright devious now.


    "Of course I did,d. Did you think I''d drag you all the way out here to see her corpse without being certain of it first?"


    Alex''s fury returned.


    This time directed at Rothwind¡­

 Chapter 409 A little bit of trolling...

    The rage that red up in Alex''s face turned him beet red. If this were a cartoon, smoke would probably be fuming out of his ears right now.


    A torrent of emotions boiled over all at once. He clenched his fists, knuckles turning white as he stared down as the dwarf who had just casually admitted to ying with his emotions like some cheap instrument.


    "Are you fucking serious, Rothwind?"


    Alex growled, practically unable to hold anything back.


    "You dragged me out here, made me¡ª made me think something could have happened to her, just for what? A goddamnugh?"


    Rothwind''s smile didn''t falter, but he raised a hand in a cating gesture.


    "Ah, don''t look so sour! I knew you''d juste charging after her if I didn''t bring you myself, so I figured I''d keep you in a bit of suspense."


    He shrugged as if it were no big deal, a sly look crossing his eyes.


    "Besides, that anger you''re simmering in? Keep hold of it. You''re gonna need it if wee across any of the mayor''s goons, or even the mayor himself."


    Alex gaped at him, a myriad of emotions swirling in his chest ¡ª relief, confusion, anger, and a hint of grudging admiration.


    "You kept me in the dark on purpose for that?"


    "Yep."


    Rothwind said unapologetically, turning on his heel and striding forward again.


    "Nowe on, let''s go get yourss. No use standing here gawking."


    Still fuming but unable to deny the overwhelming sense of relief washing through him, Alex hurried after Rothwind.


    His steps were noticeably lighter now that he knew Mira was safe.


    That brief moment of fury he felt earlier simmered beneath the surface still, but it no longer threatened to boil over uncontrobly.


    Instead, it settled into a steady, cold resolve.


    Rothind might be the one who wanted the mayor''s head, but Alex was going to make damn sure he got his own piece too.


    After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached a small clearing, nestled deeper in the forest.


    And there, standing with her back against a tree, was Mira.


    Her eyes widened as they stepped into view.


    She and Alex had barely only just split up, yet he had alreadye to her and supposedly found Rothwind?


    What kind of scenario was this?


    Mira pushed off the tree she was leaning against, eyes darting between Alex and Rothwind, pulling a heavy face of confusion.


    "Alex? What are you¡ª how did you even find me?"


    She stammered.


    She hadn''t even reached the spot she agreed to meet up with Alex in a few days, so she was verifiably surprised.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mira then nced over at the dwarf with a raised eyebrow.


    "And you found Rothwind already?"


    Alex exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips now that he was standing before her.


    It had only been around 10 minutes or so since they parted ways, but he had been through quite a lot of surprise, shock, anxiety etc in thosest 10 minutes alone¡­


    The relief that washed over him was almost dizzying.


    "It''s¡­ a long story."


    He admitted, running a hand through his hair as he tried to put everything into words.


    "We''ve got a lot to catch you up on, but let''s just say that the mayor wanted something of Rothwinds'' which just so happened to belong to me, and he wasn''t so happy about it when Rothwind refused to give it over."


    Mira looked at both of them with an understanding expression for the first moment, but then her eyes joined theirs with an unconcealed anger brimming underneath after hearing the context.


    "Someone wants to take the King of Evermoor''s corpse?"


    Mira looked at Rothwind sceptically, noting the dwarf''s stoic expression and the hint of anger simmering behind his eyes.


    But she didn''t press further onto that topic, instead turning back to Alex with a small frown.


    "You found me really fast¡­"


    She spoke slowly, clearly still puzzled by the sudden turn of events.


    "I didn''t think you''de back this quickly¡ª"


    "I didn''t either."


    Alex interrupted gently, shaking his head.


    "But there''s no way I''d just leave you out here alone after finding out about the kind of danger we were in."


    Their eyes met, and for a moment, the two of them seemed to forget everything else ¡ª the danger, the mayor, the uncertainty. There was only relief and a shared understanding between them.


    But then Alex''s gaze shifted around the clearing, looking for something ¡ª or someone ¡ª else.


    His brow furrowed slightly as he recalled thest thing the two of them spoke about before parting ways.


    "Mira, where''s the young girl who was with you?"


    He asked in quite an insistent tone.


    "You said you were going to keep an eye on her, right?"


    Mira''s eyes widened, and she nodded quickly, ncing over her shoulder towards a thicker part of the forest.


    "Yeah, she''s fine! I left her by a stream a little ways off since she seemed to enjoy watching the fishes so much. I guess they don''t really get to see much of the outside world while living in the slums. Who''d have guessed¡­"


    Leaving off in a sarcastic tone, Mira turned away from Alex and Rothwind, and called out softly.


    "Cass! It''s okay, you cane out now!"


    There was a rustling in the bushes a few metres away, and then a small figure cautiously stepped into view.


    The young girl, who Alex now knew was called Cass, hadrge curious eyes that flickered nervously between Alex and Rothwind as she approached slowly.


    But she did a double take, her eyesnding back on Rothwind.


    Her mouth hung open, clearly in shock.


    Meanwhile, Rothwind leaned over to whisper into Alex''s ear.


    "Who''s this kid?"


    It was the first time since he found him that Alex saw Rothwind looking genuinely confused.


    "She''s a girl we found on the streets of the slums. She was the only one who provided us with information about what happened to you."


    When Alex exined the situation to Rothwind, he let out a knowing sigh.


    ''Of course, she''s no longer safe in the city after doing them that favour.''

 Chapter 410 Nostalgia

    Cass stood frozen for a moment, her gaze lingering on Rothwind like she had never seen a dwarf before.


    But she knew Rothwind very well.


    Well, she knew of him well¡­


    She had actually never spoken to him before, and this was probably the first time he had ever even paid any attention to her.


    "From what I hear, you''re quite a brave young ''un,ss."


    Rothwind decided to ease the tension she must have been feeling by speaking up first, besides, it wouldn''t be the first time he had tended to a young kid like this in his hundreds of years of life.


    ''Ahh, best not to bring up bad memories.''


    But the more Rothwind looked at Cass, the more he could resist that urge.


    Cass''s wide eyes slowly shifted to meet Rothwind''s, and the dwarf found himself staring into a gaze that was both sharp and cautious ¡ª but alsoced with an innocence that hadn''t yet beenpletely stripped away by the harshness of life in the slums.


    Something about it tugged at his heart in a way he hadn''t felt in a long, long time.


    "Brave?"


    She echoed quietly, almost as if she couldn''t believe that word was being used to describe her.


    "I''m not¡­ I was just scared, that''s all¡­"


    Rothwind chuckled softly, reverberating a low rumbling sound that resonated through the clearing around them.


    "Fear''s part of it,ss. Being brave means acting in spite of it, not without it. You did more than most grown folk dared to do. That means more than anything."


    He nced away briefly, softening his gaze as his mind wandered unbidden to memories he''d long tried to bury deep.


    Memories of another young face ¡ª round cheeked and smiling, with bright eyes that always looked at him with trust and admiration.


    A face that he''d never forget, even after all his years.


    His daughter.


    The memories washed over him like a wave he couldn''t push back ¡ª herughter, the way she''d cling to his leg whenever she got scared, how she''d insist on sitting in hisp while working at the forge, babbling on and on about how she''d be the ''greatest cksmith warrior'' when she grew up.


    And then there were the darker memories.


    The fire.


    The screams.


    The choking smoke that swallowed everything¡­


    Rothwind blinked rapidly, forcing the memories away.


    This wasn''t the time to dwell on the past.


    For real this time.


    ''Not here. Not now.''


    He reminded himself, clearing his throat and shifting his gaze back to Cass.


    He had a duty to focus on the present ¡ª to keep Alex and Mira safe, to give this brave young girl a chance at something better than what his own daughter had been denied.


    "Anyhow."


    He continued with a forced but gentle grin.


    "I reckon anyone who''s got the guts to stand up to the mayor''s thugs has got more courage than they know."


    Cass stared at him, unsure of how to respond.


    She shifted on her feet, kicking at the dirt slightly, before finally muttering.


    "I didn''t¡­ I didn''t stand up to them though. I just ran and hid¡­ then told Alex and MIra what I saw¡­" Read new chapters at empiren/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rothwind smiled.


    "Sometimes hiding is the smartest thing you can do."


    There was a flicker of something in Cass''s eyes after hearing Rothwind''s praise ¡ª a spark of pride, or maybe just relief that someone finally saw her as more than just a scared street rat.


    For a moment, Rothwind found himself wishing that he could do more for her.


    But he pushed those thoughts aside, locking them away in the deep recesses of his mind where they belonged.


    This wasn''t about the past. This was about the future.


    Their future.


    "Right then."


    Rothwind said, making his voice gruffer than intended.


    "Let''s not dwell on what''s already done anymore. We''ve got work ahead of us, and I expect we''ll find every bit of bravery you''ve got."


    Rothwind let out a long exhale, shifting his gaze away from Cass and falling on to Alex and Mira this time.


    His expression hardened, and for the first time since they reunited, his eyes took on a solemn, almost resolute quality that made Alex instinctively tell that he wasn''t in a pranking mood anymore.


    "There''s something I want to show both of you."


    Rothwind said quietly.


    "And¡­ something we need to talk about."


    The seriousness in his tone immediately put both Alex and Mira on edge.


    Rothwind reached into his spatial storage, and with absolute focus, pulled out two objects glistening brightly in a red hue.


    He peeled away the coverings that he had put on them since he hadst taken one out and shown Alex for a brief moment.


    Mira and Alex''s eyes widened in unison as the shimmering armour glinted before them in all their glory.


    This time, Alex could get a proper inspection of them.


    The suits of armour were like nothing they had ever seen.


    Each was crafted with meticulous precision, which is the least they could expect from a master smith such as Rothwind.


    Gleaming scales interwoven withplex patterns neither of the two could understand seemed to dance under their own red light.


    Both sets were tailored to their respective forms ¡ª Mira''s sleeker and more agile, with some ancient looking runes etched along the surface; Alex''s was broader and heavier, designed for sheer strength and durability.


    "With how amazing they look, it only makes me all the more excited to find out just what they can do¡­"


    Alex whispered quietly.


    He reached his hands out in order to touch it, while he asked Rothwind.


    "So, what can they do?"


    It was quite a straightforward question.


    As their creator, surely Rothwind would know them better than anyone, right?


    Right¡­?


    "I have no clue."


    Wrong.


    Both Alex and Mira looked confusedly at Rothwind, who just shook his head with a ''what do you want from me?'' face.


    "I created them with both of you two in mind, and with the level of the materials I was working with, they were bound to be quite powerful. As it turns out though, they still exceeded my expectations. They developed a ''mind of their own'' and so now they can pick and choose who wields them. Much like your Virtue''s Edge."

 Chapter 411 Goodbyes

    Hearing this information, the two of them were only even more excited to try them out now.


    But when they reached out to try and take them from Rothwind, he pulled them back out of their grasp and shook his head.


    "Not so fast. You can try these outter. Right now, there is something much more important we need to discuss."


    Alex''s gaze hardened, this was the second time Rothwind was doing this to him that day¡­


    He looked down at Rothwind, eyes full of suspicion.


    "Why show us this now if you''re still going to keep them from us? We''re in the middle of enemy territory. We don''t have time to¡ª"


    "Because you''re going to need them where you''re headed."


    Rothwind interrupted firmly, cutting Alex off with a look that brokered no argument.


    "And where you''re headed¡­ isn''t here."


    Mira and Alex exchanged bewildered nces.


    "What do you mean ''isn''t here''?"


    Mira asked slowly, her hand hovering over her armour as if touching it would make it vanish.


    "You''re saying we need to leave this area? Find another ce? But isn''t that obvious already?"


    Rothwind shook his head.


    "No,ss. I''m saying you need to leave the Primordial Expanse itself."


    The air around them came to a stand still, bringing a heavy silence to the clearing.


    ''That''s right¡­ there''s nothing else tying us down to this realm, we can leave whenever we want¡­''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The two of them turned gloomy at Rothwind''s suggestion.


    They had to agree with him that it was the literal perfect escape n for the two of them, but then what about Rothwind and cass?


    "I know what you two are thinking, and you can stop. I am thest person you should worry about in this ce. And I''ll make damn good on the promise to take care of little ol'' Cass here."


    "But¡­ But¡ª"


    Mira tried to provide a rebuttal to Rothwind''s suggestion, but he cut her off before she could even get more than a word out.


    "If you stay here, you''ll just be fighting a war that isn''t yours to fight. The two of you were roped into this unwillingly, and the mayor''s not just a petty tyrant. He''s got connections to people outside of Evermoor forest who not even I can match in a fair fight. The two of you would just be cannon fodder in a war on that scale."


    He stepped closer, looking into both Alex and Mira''s eyes with intensity.


    "Besides, you have your own war going on on the other side, one that sounds far more important and pressing than this petty feud. Go. Leave us. You shouldn''t stay here. You''re fighting in the wrong war."


    This time, the two of them knew they had to listen to Rothwind''s advice.


    He was right.


    This anger they felt towards the mayor for essentially stepping on their toes? Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.


    But outside, in the real universe, there was a very real existential threat staring down at their whole race.


    The choice was obvious.


    In fact, it wasn''t even a choice.


    They HAD to go.


    Without the two of them, thousands, perhaps even millions more people could do who wouldn''t have to if just either one of them were present on the battlefields again.


    Their strength alone could turn the tide of most battles currently ongoing in the federation''s fight for survival.


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    "You''re right."


    To Rothwind''s surprise, he actually received agreement from the both of them very quickly after making the suggestion.


    Normally it would take some convincing before they agreed with anything he said, but this time¡­


    ''It seems things on the other side might be worse than I originally suspected¡­''


    Rothwind had actually hidden some information from the two of them, not for any selfish reasons though.


    Remember that Red Demon that strolled into his smithy so brazenly and wanted to trash the ce?


    Well, he might have hypothetically picked his brain for some tidbits of information before killing him¡­


    He hadn''t seen nor heard what the outside universe was like in a long while, so he decided to take the one chance that was offered to him in quite a long time to sate his desires.


    And all he saw was bloodshed, endless bloodshed across so manys¡­


    He could hardly believe the sights in the Red Demon''s memories at first.


    In fact the images he saw were so disturbing, he began to question whether the conflicts he had been involved in the Primordial Expanse over the centuries could even be called ''wars''pared to what he was seeing.


    Literal billions of beings sieging after, and billions more dying in agony on the opposing side¡­


    There was no wonder he kept it from the two of them, or else they would have probably left before even bothering to pick up their armour from him¡­


    Alex and Mira exchanged onest look between them, and then, with steady hearts, they opened up their system details simultaneously.


    [Would you like to leave the Primordial Expanse?]


    [Would you like¡­]


    The two prompts shed before them with hazy glows, and without a word spoken between them, they nodded their goodbyes to Rothwind and Cass, before epting the prompt.


    Fwoom!


    Two portals showed up right behind them, and their incredible gravitational force began sucking them in instantly.


    ''Damn, even with my current strength I''m still helpless in front of this kind of suction force¡­''


    Alex was astounded with just how powerful the system''s simple portals were, once again humbling him a little in the face of something almighty.


    ''I bet even Principal Farnes wouldn''t be able to resist the pull from these portals¡­''


    His mind wandered as he was finally pulled into the portal''s depth, and without any exaggerated special effects or announcements¡­


    Zwhip!


    They were gone, just like that.


    The portals closed just as quickly as they opened, and the clearing was left in an empty silence that drowned out even Rothwind''s emotions.


    Cass stood to the side of him,pletely and utterly confused by everything that had just gone on.


    It seemed Rothwind had a lot of exining to do to her¡­

 Chapter 412 War

    The sky above the battlefield was shrouded in a blood-red haze, streaked with smoke and ash from the fires that smouldered among the wreckage.


    The once-thriving metropolitan cityy in ruin.


    The proud towering skyscrapers now crumbled into skeletal remains and the once clean streets were now littered with debris and the bodies of the fallen.


    Millions of corpses littered the ground.


    Human soldiers ¡ª both awakened and unawakened ¡ª were sprawled amidst the remains of shattered buildings, many with final expressions of fear and agony, still present on their faces even in death.


    Blood soaked the earth, seeping into the cracked pavements and mingling with the crimson lifeblood of the Red Demons thaty beside them.


    The eerie silence was asionally broken by the groan of some unfortunate soul who had yet to experience the mercy of perishing.


    Not only this, the silence was also broken by the hum of ships taking off into the skies; the hums of Red Demon war machines and the like.


    A human scout, a lone survivor of the ughter, huddled in the wreckage of what he used to call home.


    His breathing was ragged, and his distant gaze stared out into the carnage that had been caused with hopeless eyes.


    He had seen it all ¡ª the titanic shes of the powerful awakened, the relentless Red Demon shock troops storming forward like a crimson tide, and even when they were killed, there were countless more to rece them.


    Even thest desperate stand of hisrades as they were torn apart by a horde they couldn''t hope to match still stuck to his mind like he was reliving the moment over and over again.


    But above all, his mind was overwhelmed by one memory.


    Seeing a squadron of Red Demons crashing through the roof of his family home, where he had assured his wife and child that they would be safe, and hearing the screamsing from the inside.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The image of what was left of them never left his mind from that moment on¡­


    Thump.


    But with one sh of a nearby Red Demon scout, even this lone survivor''s life was cut short.


    Some might have called it a mercy.


    But even in death, the humans had taken many of their foes with them.


    Scattered among the human dead were the towering corpses of the Red Demons.


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    Massive axes, ws, and other grotesque weapons were still clenched in their lifeless hands.


    And contrary to the humans, their faces were still filled with bloodlust, even while lying down on a pile of theirrades, still as a rock.


    But even though they had actually lost more in terms of numberspared to the humans, it had not been enough to sway the oue for the human side.


    If one Red Demon died, they would send two more in its ce.


    And the process just kept repeating until there were no more humans left to resist them.


    The human forces on this had been overwhelmed ¡ª outnumbered, outmatched and ultimately, annihted.


    Even right before his death, the scout knew it was only a matter of time before the Red Demons came to finish what they started, ensuring that no human presence was left on this world.


    He knew he was going to die.


    But the most horrifying realisation for him wasn''t just the loss of his family, his home, and ultimately his¡­


    It was that this scene, this massacre, was being repeated across hundreds of other worlds across the Federation.


    ***


    The round table room was filled with a heavy silence.


    It was broken only by the soft hum of the holographic disy in the centre.


    Every face around the table was grim, hardened with experience but also etched with deep lines of worry and exhaustion.


    They were experienced, sure, but this experience only taught them just how bad the situation really was.


    Each member present was once a top figure in the human race, looked upon like a god and praised from hell and back ¡ª but now, they were all one in the same, unified with one shared burden: the desperate fight for survival of their race.


    Principal Farnes stood at the head of the table, sweeping his stern gaze across the gathered rigures.


    Despite being the second strongest awakened in the entire federation, even he couldn''t fully mask the weariness in his eyes as he addressed them.


    "Thirty percent."


    He began, keeping his voice low.


    "We''ve lost thirty percent of our total territories in just three months."


    The numbers were more than just a statistic ¡ª they represented quadrillions of lives, a countless number of cities and cultures, and entires that had been either conquered or obliterated by the Red Demon invasion.


    "And it''s not just territory we are losing."


    Principal Farnes continued, pressing a button on the console beside him.


    The holographic disy shifted, showing the positions of human forces across the whole Milky way gxy.


    It looked more like a desperate scattering than a coordinated defence.


    "Admiral Olgierd has personally engaged the enemy at the perimeter of the Orion belt. Initial reports indicate that the Red Demon prince is leading the charge there ¡ª our first confirmed sighting of one of their royals on the battlefield."


    A murmur of unease spread through the room.


    There were four Red Demon princes in total, and each one of them was a terrifyingly strong awakened.


    Three of them were King ss S+ ranked awakened, while the fourth was the youngest and weakest, being only a Variant ss S rank.


    But he was only weak inparison to his siblings.


    He was still an S tier! And a Variant ss one at that!


    Very few of the human race''s own S tiers could face off against him, and Admiral Olgierd happened to be the only one avable at the time of the emergency call.


    "We are being overwhelmed on all fronts. Not only do they have the capacity to just keep on sending down reinforcements like crazy, but they still have their royals pressuring us from behind."


    Principal Farnes spoke in a very sombre tone.


    "We are lucky this time. It''s only one prince they sent. If they even send two, or three, then we are fucked. I''m the only one other than that crazy guy who can match up to them, but I can''t take on two at once!"

 Chapter 413 Back again

    A silence fell over the room as the weight of Principal Farne''s words settled over them like a suffocating shroud.


    Not only were they fighting a war of attrition they couldn''t win, but the enemy also had a much higher number of S tier forces in reserve.


    "The situation is¡­ grim."


    Principal Farnes said finally, not sugarcoating anything.


    ***


    Tall trees rustled softly under the weight of their own green canopies.


    The lush forest swayed gently in the breeze, creating quite a rxing and quiet atmosphere, even the dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shadows on the mossy ground below.


    If one were to suddenly awaken in this ce, they wouldn''t even have a lick of spection regarding the horrors of war that gued the rest of the gxy.


    It was a serene, almost idyllic corner of the universe.


    And then, without warning, the tranquillity was shattered.


    Two portals burst open in the middle of the forest, sending natural forces in all directions, creating a breeze much, much stronger than the normal wind that gently rocked the forest.


    The portal''s gravitational pull distorted the air around them.


    In the next instant, two figures were expelled from the portals that opened up side by side,nding unceremoniously on the soft, mossy forest floor.


    And then, returning the forest back to tranquillity, the portals disappeared like they were never there.


    Alex staggered to his feet first, shaking off the disorientation that came with travelling between the Primordial Expanse and the outside universe.


    He nced around, a sense of familiarity settling over him as he took in the forest''s features.


    "I''m back¡­"


    He murmured under his breath.


    It was the first time he felt solid ground beneath his feet outside of the Primordial Expanse in what felt like an eternity.


    But it had only been a few months¡­


    Beside him, Mira pushed herself up, casting a wide and cautious gaze across their surroundings.


    The scent of fresh earth and the distant chirping of birds were foreign to her, and she felt a strange mix of awe and anxiety wash over her.


    "Is this¡­ really the outside universe?"


    A strange sense of Deja vu came over her as she swore she recognised this ce.


    But she didn''t remember recognising it from the outside universe.


    If she remembered correctly, this ce looked exactly like the forest that she had firstnded in after crashing down through Eldaris''s atmosphere in her drop pod.


    She started to feel a little worried that for some reason, the System hadn''t brought them back like it said it would¡­


    Butpared to her, Alex was much more knowledgeable about their surroundings.


    "This is Eldaris!"


    He shouted excitedly, even kneeling down to kiss the forest floor¡­


    It was clear that he was happy to be back, despite his reluctance and sadness in having to leave Rothwind in the Primordial Expanse.


    Alex recognised where they were immediately.


    It was the very same forest he had spent hours searching for Mira when he first heard she had gone missing and her drop pod hadpletely just disappeared from the face of the.


    In contrast to Mira, he had actually spent more time on Eldaris, even though it was Mira''s assigned battlefield¡­


    Mira didn''t even spend a minute on Eldaris, with most of her time on the being in the atmosphere, crashing down from above.


    And before she even had the chance to step foot in the forest, she found herself crashing in the Primordial Expanse¡­


    Which was also why she felt that strange sense of Deja vu.


    This forest mimicked the forests they remember so vividly from the other side, on the floating ind shended on.


    Mira''s brow furrowed as she scanned their peaceful surroundings.


    The stillness of the forest, the gentle rustle of leaves, and the asional bird song seemed in contrast with the idea that this ce should be part of a raging battlefield.


    "Alex¡­ why is it so quiet here?"


    She asked slowly, making sure to keep her voice down.


    In a ce as quiet and serene as this, a human voice would practically be like a loud speaker sting throughout their area.


    "If this is supposed to be one of the main battlefields in the Telorn system, shouldn''t there be¡­ something? Noise, movement, anything?"


    She remembered that the ce was practically perfect for the hunter type awakened to thrive in, with countless assassinations taking ce all across Eldaris.


    But she didn''t get this feeling now that she had actually stepped foot on it for the first time.


    Her unease grew as she looked over at Alex, who appeared equally perplexed.


    "Maybe we won this back in the time we were gone?"


    He suggested optimistically, as it seemed like the only logical answer.


    With how violent and brutal the Red Demons were, there was no way they could leave such a beautiful ce unscathed, right¡­?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You should check our surroundings with your spatial perception!"


    Mira urged, suddenly realising something that could be a huge help to them.


    "You have a far wider range than I do, so you should be the one to do it."


    A grin spread across Alex''s face as Mira reminded him of this ability.


    He''d almost forgotten about how useful his spatial perception was after spending so much time with it being hindered in the Primordial Expanse.


    With a deep breath, he extended his perception outward, letting it flood through their surroundings like an invisible wave.


    Interestingly enough, Mira could actually feel Alex''s perception pass through her, and as if there was some sort of invisible barrier where his perception ended, that she could actually sense clearly.


    It seemed the Primordial Expanse didn''t just limit their ability to sense life forms, but it limited the effectiveness of the spatial element as a whole, as this was a whole new sensation she was feeling!


    After just a moment had passed, Alex''s perception reached its maximum of 200 kilometres. Experience more on empire


    For a moment, he basked in the sheer freedom of it, feeling every subtle shift in the wind, and the heartbeats of the small creatures hidden in the underbrush.


    But then¡­


    His eyes snapped open, his expression dropping into one of utter disdain and hatred.

 Chapter 414 Mistaken

    Mira''s heart tightened when she saw Alex''s reaction.


    She didn''t need to see more to know that something was terribly wrong.


    Immediately, she unleashed her own spatial perception, though it was much more limited in rangepared to Alex''s.


    But the moment she unleashed it, she knew the difference in range didn''t matter.


    Because there it was.


    Farther to the northeast, around 40 kilometres away, an unmistakable concentration of life signatures ¡ª thousands of them ¡ª clustered together in what could only be described as a well organised encampment.


    And every single one of those life signatures pulsed with the familiar, vile energy that marked them as Red Demons.


    Not just ordinary Red Demons either.


    Many of the life signatures were far stronger than the typical cannon fodder they''d encountered before.


    Several were on par with some of the fiercest foes they had fought yet.


    And at the height of it all, was one particrly rming life signature on par with that of the King of Evermoor¡­


    It was very obviously the leader of this Red Demon encampment, and from what Alex could tell he wasn''t King ss like the King of Evermoor was.


    But he had an equal strength to one¡­


    In fact, just from scanning him with his perception, Alex could tell that this Red Demon didn''t even meet the requirements that had beenid out for him to rank up and leave the Primordial Expanse, as the level of power he sensed was that of a B- rank Variant ss!


    Even his requirement to rank up was B+ rank Variant ss¡­


    This Red Demon was clearly a prodigy of some sorts¡­ having strength far above his own rank¡­


    Mira''s jaw clenched as she sensed it too.


    This was no small scouting force or leftover garrison.


    This was a fully established base camp, filled with Red Demons who were clearly not worried about an immediate human counterattack.


    "That''s¡­ not possible¡­"


    She muttered to herself in a slightly trembling voice.


    "If the Federation reimed this, there shouldn''t be a single Red Demon left within the entire Telorn system, let alone on the surface of Eldaris¡­"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Only one thought entered the both of their minds after Mira uttered this.


    Alex was shaking his head slowly with a still darkening expression on his face.


    "No, there wouldn''t be a base camp filled with Red Demons if we''d won this back. But¡­"


    He paused, taking a shaky breath out of sheer fury as the reality of their situation settled over him like a suffocating weight.


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    "I think we were mistaken."


    He said, voice thick with a mix of disbelief and simmering rage.


    Even clenching his fists caused the air to slightly crack around them.


    "I think we lost Eldaris¡­ and with how rxed those guys look, I think we lost the rest of the Telorn system too¡­"


    Mira''s gaze snapped out, off into the distance. She looked a little lost.


    "But things were so equal before we left¡­ what the hell happened in this time for things to get so bad for us!?"


    Mira couldn''t contain her hatred, shock and frustration.


    The silence that followed was heavy and oppressive.


    But then Alex followed it up with a question that while they hadn''t considered until that moment, was very concerning for them.


    "So we''ve essentially justnded deep into enemy territory then?"


    Mira''s eyes widened as she processed Alex''s question.


    ''He''s right¡­''


    They had essentially escaped the tiger''s grasp andnded in the dragon''s den.


    From one bad situation to apletely fucked up situation.


    Surrounded on all fronts, they were quite literally as deep as they could get into the enemy territory.


    "Yes¡­ we have."


    Mira murmured softly, still staring into the distance, feeling utterly disoriented.


    "But how is that possible? The Federation wouldn''t have abandoned this ce without a fight. The lines were stable, the defence here was solid¡­"


    "Something happened."


    Alex growled, clenching his teeth so tightly he felt his jaw might snap.


    "Something catastrophic must have happened. Otherwise, there''s no way the Federation would have lost Eldaris ¡ª let alone the entire Telorn system."


    Mira felt a chill run down her spine.


    With the amount of resources the Federation spent on this system, sending dozens of prodigies from Capital Prime University alone, it was clear that something about this system was of grave importance to the Federation.


    It was a strategic linchpin, and it was lost¡­


    "Revenge¡­"


    Alex muttered.


    "Huh?"


    Mira couldn''t quite hear him since she was so absorbed in her own thoughts.


    "I said, we need to take revenge."


    This time, Mira shifted her gaze from the distance and looked directly at Alex''s face, who met her gaze with a neutral expression.


    "But how? There are thousands of them, and that''s just that one encampment. There could be millions, perhaps billions inhabiting this system alone. And there''s just the two of us. How are we supposed to take on that many?"


    Alex''s focus remained steady as he answered Mira.


    "Power in numbers only matters when the cannon fodder are concerned. You saw the destruction I caused in my final attack against the King of Evermoor. Do you think the low rank grunts that make up the majority of the Red Demons in that encampment, and probably every other base they have in this system, could survive that kind of attack if it hit them?"


    Mira''s lips parted as she considered Alex''s words.


    ''He might be right¡­''


    Against the ordinary grunts and even some of the stronger Red Demons in that camp, Alex''s destructive potential would wipe them all off the map.


    She''d seen it first hand, and she could hazard a guess that if she wasn''t watching from the Void dimension at that time, then she might not have survived it as well¡­


    "You might be right, but you''re not omnipotent."


    She pointed out.


    "A fewrge scale attacks like that, and you''ll be out of energy. Sure, you could still wipe out potentially hundreds of thousands of them all at once if wee across a big city full of them, but there are probably hundreds or thousands of such cities across the entire system, and word of an attack on one of them would probably reach them all within minutes of it urring¡­"

 Chapter 415 Armour of the Evernight Sovereign

    "That''s why they''ll all be dead before they can get the message across."


    Mira tried to interject after Alex said this, but he continued speaking.


    "And even if they do find out and start ramping up their defences, so what? We''ll just find some ce to hide it out while we recuperate and then go at it again when we are back up to 100%."


    "We''ll use gueri tactics. Besides, that was only my power before killing the King of Evermoor. From what I can tell, I might be able to deliver an even more powerful, much more deadly attack on an even bigger scale!"


    Mira couldn''t do anything but relent after seeing how adamant Alex was about this whole thing.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But deep inside her she wanted to take revenge too, it''s just that she wasn''t as confident as Alex was at pulling it off on such a huge scale.


    "Now, don''t we have something to do before attempting this grand task?"


    Alex quickly shuffled the topic of conversation along, as he pulled out a particr item that held both of their interests upon seeing it¡­


    *** Experience new stories on empire


    Alex and Mira settled in a secluded grove a good distance away from the Red Demon base camp.


    They didn''t want an unlucky Red Demon scouting across them while they were busy after all¡­


    Alex nced around onest time, ensuring that there were no life signatures lurking nearby, then mentally reached into his spatial storage.


    With a bit of magical trickery, two beautiful sets of sleek, red-scaled armour appeared before them, shining brilliantly under the sunlight filtering through the trees.


    "Here it is¡­"


    Alex murmured, happy that he could finally get the chance to try his new armour on without being cock blocked by Rothwind!


    Mira''s fingers excitedly stretched forward as they almost trembled when they finally connected with the surface of the armour.


    The material felt cool under her fingertips, and there was a strange, almost living sensation to it.


    "Rothwind really outdid himself this time¡­"


    She whispered in a voice filled with admiration and awe.


    But in the next moment, something even more unexpected urred that literally took her breath away.


    A system interface appeared before her.


    Nothing like this had happened to her before, and Alex had never mentioned the fact that Virtue''s Edge had its own details as well, so she didn''t even know that something other than awakened could have an interface!


    Alex did the same as her and gently caressed his armour


    He held the armour up, inspecting each piece closely, and as he did, the same system interface shimmered into existence above the suit of armour just like it did for Mira.


    Unbeknownst to the two of them, an invisible link had been formed between them and their armourpletely undetectable.


    If Rothwind were there, he would have been ck jawed at how quickly the pieces of armour chose them as their owners¡­


    ***


    [Armour of the Evernight Sovereign]


    [B+ rank (King ss)]


    [Forged from the remains of the King of Evermoor, this armour set is one of two masterpieces crafted by the Master Forger Rothwind. Infused with the essence of the King and an extremely sought after Soul orb, this set of armour is only like one other.]


    [Effects]


    [Sovereign''s Aura: All enemies within a radius of the wearer will have their movement, thoughts,bat effectiveness slowed by 10% (Passive)]


    [King''s might: All damage below A- rank King ss is reduced by 40%]


    [Destruction: Energy is stored from absorbed attacks. Upon activation all energy stored over the armour''s lifetime will be released in one, final attack, destroying the armour in the process and unleashing unbridled destruction in the wearer''s surroundings. (Active) (One time use)]


    ***


    "This¡­ this is insane!"


    Mira uttered her shock out loud, leftpletely speechless afterwards by what she had just read.


    After going through the details of her armour, all she could think was ''what¡­?''


    She read the details of the armour over and over, increasing her heart rate each time she did so.


    "This is more than just armour¡­"


    She uttered in absolute awe.


    Her eyes shifted to the final ability ¡ª Destruction.


    A one time use ability that would utterly annihte everything around her, sacrificing even the armour in the process, and if she guessed right, maybe even the wearer¡­


    And reading through the description of the ability, she noticed a peculiarity in wording.


    It said that it released all the energy it had built up over its lifetime, so wouldn''t that mean that the potential damage would increase with every battle she was ever in, and with every hit she had ever taken to the armour?


    If so, that would be absolutely terrifying¡­


    Of course, she would never, ever consider even using Destruction unless literally every other trump card she could think of had already been used up and it was her only option in the face of certain death.


    It sacrificed the armour itself, so she had to be careful in using it, and judging by how epic sounding the ability was, it probably wouldn''t be any help to any friendlies on her side either.


    That ability would probably only be useful in certain situations, where she was perhaps the only human around for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of kilometres.


    Or if she used the ability after years upon years had passed, and all the energy that had been built up over that time were to be released, who knew how powerful it would be?


    Enough to destroy the beneath her feet¡­?


    Perhaps even the entire star system itself¡­?


    The thought honestly scared her.


    "Alex¡­ this is dangerous¡­"


    She finally spoke, lifting her gaze to meet Alex''s, who held a simr look of awe as she did.


    "I know, but isn''t dangerous exactly what we need right now?"


    Alex''s response was quick, as if he didn''t even need time to consider it.


    And Mira understood why as well.


    If worst came to worst while trying to eradicate the Telorn system of the Red Demons, then they could activate Destruction, and kill everything around them.


    And the likelihood was that they were the only two humans left in this system, so they stood no risk of causing any coteral damage either.

 Chapter 416 Celebrations

    The sun hung high in the sky as it shone down upon the serene of Eldaris.


    The sky was blue, basking everything currently on the daylight site of the in its warmth and blue light.


    Everything seemed ordinary at first nce, until it didn''t.


    All was calm, except for a small area in an unnamed forest nearby a Red Demon base camp¡­


    In this small area, the shrubbery, trees and everything in the surroundings were submerged in a dark, crimson red light.


    The source of such light, could only be described as two absolutely stunning figures who had just donned a piece of glimmering red armour.


    Alex and Mira had spent long enough observing their new equipment, and couldn''t wait a second longer before trying it on.


    And what could they say¡­?


    It felt¡­ magical when they did so.


    They felt a sort of dominating aura descend upon themselves and their surroundings as soon as their armour was equipped, which could only be due to the Sovereign''s aura ability of their armouring into effect.


    As it did so, their strength would be passively increased by 10% at all times, as long as the armour was on.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was quite a change, to say the least, considering their strength by now.


    10% of their current strength was nothing to scoff at, after all¡­


    The eerie crimson glow from their armour sustained itself for a few more moments before their surroundings gradually returned back to normal, and any obvious sign that something big had just happened in the area was now erased.


    The sensation of increased power was unusual, as for the first time, Mira was experiencing a strength increase from an external source.


    Every other time any strength increase she received would be internal,ing from herself and her own power or an upgrade to her own abilities¡­


    Alex had failed to notice any difference when he first obtained Virtue''s Edge due to how much weaker he was back then, but after donning his Evernight Sovereign armour, he could feel the difference.


    In a way, it felt unnatural, but also¡­ not at the same time?


    Without experiencing it oneself, it would be quite difficult to put into words.


    "Can you feel it?"


    Alex asked, referring to the increase in power their armours gave them.


    It was a steady, intoxicating feeling ¡ª one that made it easy to forget how precarious their situation was.


    Mira nodded slowly, revelling in the feeling with her eyes still wide with awe.


    "I¡­ like this feeling."


    Now, Alex understood why this armour was exined with multiple mentions of the word ''danger''.


    Not only would it be dangerous to their enemies, but it could also be dangerous to themselves, just not in the same way.


    The power boost, thanks to it being external and belonging to the armour, could be misleading for them.


    If they spent a long time wearing the armour and got used to the feeling, they might lose touch with their own, real strength.


    This could make them sloppier in battle, less focused, and more likely to die if they came across someone who could actually deal some damage to them despite all their defences, or if they were ever caught unaware without their armour on.


    All sorts of scenarios ran through Alex''s mind, and all he wanted to do was just push them aside and focus on one thing, and one thing only.


    Revenge.


    Revenge against the Red Demons that had upied the Telorn system, and the they step foot on.


    Revenge for the countless human lives that had been lost not only in their hostile takeover of the Telorn system, but across the entire Milky way gxy as a whole. Find exclusive stories on empire


    Now, Alex was ready to put his revenge into action, and strike the Red Demons where it hurt them the most.


    Their top prodigies were Alex''s top priority.


    He had already dealt with Varkoth, and just from the reactions of the Red Demons who had witnessed his death, as well as the fact that the Red Demonmander also came over upon Varkoth''s demise, showed Alex just how important the prodigies were to the Red Demons.


    They were equally, if not even more, important than prodigies were to the human race.


    "It''s about time we got to business."


    Alex put his serious face on as he spoke, not only to grab Mira''s attention, but to affirm his own decision onest time before undertaking what could quite possibly be his most ambitious challenge to date¡­


    ***


    Blood flew everywhere as theughter reigned throughout the camp, as the poor man who had just been dismembered couldn''t evenprehend his own demise before the Red Demons tore him apart looking for food and most importantly, his soul core.


    "That''s thest one!"


    The Red Demon who tore him apart shouted aloud, as if in a victory chant, and all the other Red Demons in the camp cheered alongside him.


    "That''s this system officially rid of those insects then!"


    A feminine voice rang out from the side, seductively calling out to the Red Demon at the helm of this celebration.


    He had just killed the final human that remained in the entire Telorn system, the C+ rank Mutant ssmander of the Federation''s defence forces for this star system.


    The Red Demons liked to save the best forst¡­


    "How many systems does that total under our control now then? I''ve lost count after the hundredth one!"


    Moreughter and a ruckus rang out after the Red Demon leader sent out one provocation after another towards the human race, mocking them for their weaknesses, theirck of awakened fighterspared to them, and practically everything else that fell short before their own race.


    All in all, the Red Demon camp was a cacophony of chaos and revelry.


    Bonfires constructed from human bones burned brightly, as the Red Demons danced wildly around them, chewing on whatever left over meat there was on said bones.


    If Alex and Mira were to witness such a sight¡­ who knows the kind of reaction they would have.

 Chapter 417 Whats that?

    What had once been a great city was now but a shell of its former self.


    The massive skyscrapers were toppled,ying shattered on the ground underneath countless shards of ss, dust, debris and all other sorts ofplete and total destruction.


    The Red Demon race had not been kind to the human race, even in death they weren''t kind to them.


    They bombed their cities down until everyst building was turned into nothing but a pile of rubble, and to rub some salt into the wound, they built their own camps on top of them as a way to establish some sort of dominance over the human race.


    Like they werepletely iming the as their own by recing each and every single sign that humans once lived there.


    Groups of Red Demons stood in clusters in one such city, with its name now erased from history, clinking crude, bloodstained goblets together in grotesque mockery of a human celebration.


    Others crouched around their grisly spoils, devouring the remains of the fallen federation soldiers, and even the normal, unawakened citizens with sickening enthusiasm.


    A few more organised groups were already setting up disys of theirtest trophies ¡ª tattered human uniforms and shattered weapons ¡ª to serve as reminders of their sessful conquest.


    "Tonight, we celebrate!"


    The leader roared after having finished devouring thest bit of meat left from themander of the Federal defence forces in the Telorn system.


    "No more humans left to scurry about in the shadows! No more pitiful resistance!"


    The demons around him cheered even louder, their voices rising in a chaotic crescendo.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A few began chanting his name, while others stomped their feet rhythmically in unison.


    "To the great Conqueror Threshal!"


    The same sultry, feminine voice purred, and the slender, red skinned demoness stepped forward with her eyes trained on the leader at all times, practically overflowing with lust.


    "The one who brought this system to its knees!"


    Threshal acknowledged the praise with a slight nod, his grin widening as he envisioned the ''fun'' he would have after the celebrations were over.


    "Enough ttery."


    Threshal rumbled, though his tone was more pleased than dismissive.


    "Tonight is not just about my victory. It''s about our victory! We have purged this system of its humanity, and soon, we''ll move on to the next. And the next. Until everyst human is purged from existence and this gxy crumbles beneath our feet!"


    Another round of enthusiastic cheers rumbled, and Threshal basked in the fervour of his troop''s response, swelling his chest with pride and satisfaction.


    He was on the verge of raising his goblet in proposing another toast when something caught his attention ¡ª a subtle shift in the air, a faint ripple of energy that seemed¡­ out of ce.


    He frowned, sharpening his gaze as he scanned the sky above the treeline in the distance.


    For a moment, everything seemed normal ¡ª the bright sky was clear, dotted with the odd cloud or two.


    But then¡­


    "What''s that?"


    He grumbled, muttering out in slight confusion and interest.


    "Death."


    However, the voice that answered him was one that he didn''t recognise, and it was one that made his skin crawl.


    It came from a human.


    From right behind him.


    How could a human get so close to him without alerting the entire camp!?


    What was going on?


    Was he imagining things?


    However, before he had the chance to turn around and confirm whether he was hallucinating that voice or not, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then¡­ nothing.


    Nothing at all¡­


    ***


    Watching from the skies, Alex couldn''t help but feel his heart tighten as he watched the scene of the Red Demons celebrating unfold before him.


    He felt sickened by what he saw, especially the ''kebabs'' in their hands¡­


    He told Mira he was just going to take a quick leap through the canopy to get a view of the Red Demon camp from above. After all, sensing it with his spatial perception and actually seeing it with his own eyes were twopletely different things.


    Alex almost prayed that his perception had tricked him, and that it was actually humans in the camp, but as with most wishes, it remained unfulfilled¡­


    He''d seen enough.


    He took a deep breath, centering himself, and then let the world fall away. Continue your adventure at empire


    He may have told Mira that he was only going to be doing some slight recon, but what he saw had just riled him up too much to not take immediate action.


    With a thought, the familiar sensation of teleportation washed over him.


    Space warped and folded around him, and the distance between him and the camp almost instantaneously shrunk to nothing.


    The chaos and theughter of the camp now rang out clearly in his ears as he appeared¡­ right behind Threshal.


    "What''s that?"


    Alex heard the Red Demon utter some words, for some reason using the federalnguage, allowing him to understand clearly what he was asking.


    "Death."


    He spoke out clearly, not giving the Red Demon any time to react to his response that would send every middle school kid with 8th grade syndrome through the roof in happiness.


    Threshal''s body stiffened as Alex''s sword passed through his neck, almost like some sort of instinctive self defence mechanism had activated, but whatever it was, it was useless in the face of Virtue''s Edge.


    Almost like time had to catch up to Alex''s actions, a few moments passed before a dark fountain of blood started gushing from Threshal''s now headless body.


    Then, like a copsing monument, it toppled forward, crashing heavily into the dirt.


    Everything happened in the span of less than a second.


    One moment, the camp was filled withughter and celebration.


    The next, their leader was dead, and it seemed they hadn''t even realised it yet.


    Screechhh!


    ¡­until the feminine voice from earlier let out an ear piercing screech, digging into every Red Demon who was present and producing quite a few unhappy reactions from them.


    But their expressions quickly mimicked her horror when they saw their leaderying in the dirt, head rolling away slowly¡­

 Chapter 418 Pitiful

    Alex remained standing where he was, letting his posture rx yet even with that he still radiated a cold, lethal energy.


    He stared down at Threshal''s head, which now rested on the ground, almost poetically facing his own headless body with wide, confused eyes.


    "Pitiful."


    Alex murmured, practically devoid of any emotion.


    Around him, the Red Demons were frozen, eyes locked onto their fallen leader with disbelief, horror, confusion, and any other possible emotion that their race could feel.


    For a moment, the only sound that rang out after Alex spoke was the faint crackling of the campfires nearby, and the soft rustle of the wind through the ruined buildings.


    Then, like a dam breaking, they erupted into chaos.


    Shouts of fury and confusion rose up from every corner as the Red Demons surged forward, expressions twisted in rage.


    All sorts of weapons were drawn and the air in the camp suddenly became aze with activity and hostile energy as all sorts of talents and abilities were casted and sent out towards Alex at once.


    But Alex didn''t flinch.


    He stood his ground,pletely unphased by the oing onught of thousands of Red Demonsunching their attacks at him.


    With Virtue''s Edge gleaming in his hand, he raised his gaze to meet the oing tide of demons.


    "Your time here is over."


    He said softly, not bothered on whether they could hear him or not.


    Whoosh!


    But it was as if some of them were brought back to reality when they felt an invisible pressure wash over them, feeling their thoughts, movement and strength decrease by 10%.


    It was the effect of Alex''s armour.


    Sovereign''s Aura passed over each and every Red Demon in the camp, and all of them felt it affect their momentum immediately.


    Some of them, like the seductive female Red Demon, seemed to be some of the smarter bunch of the lot and had already begun to start running away as fast as they could.


    But others were of simple mind and continued their onught after just a few short moments to adjust.


    "I''ll make sure to wipe everyst one of your race from this universe."


    With those words, Alex surged forward. Continue your saga on empire


    He darted with a blur of motion and destruction as he dove headfirst into the horde of Red Demons.


    Alex''s expression remained cid, gaze still unchanging even as the Red Demons barrelled towards him in a chaotic frenzy.


    Everyone one of them weirdly reminded Alex of how the beasts both in and out of the Primordial Expanse werepelled by some voice to attack any human they came across¡­


    But nevertheless, he pushed that minor thought aside.


    They spat curses and shrieked in rage, faces contorted with raw hatred and fury.


    Energy crackled around them ¡ª bolts of lightning, yellowy hot mes, and even some auras of shadowy death flickered to life as their attacks converged on him from every direction.


    It would have been an overwhelming disy of power.


    If Alex even looked affected by it¡­


    Not even the slightest twitch of his hand could be seen.


    The chaos closed in.


    He inhaled deeply, and a sudden stillness enveloped the base camp turned battlefield, as if reality itself had taken a pause.


    For the briefest of moments, silence rained.


    Whoosh!


    And then it poured.


    Alex swung Virtue''s Edge in a single, clean horizontal arc.


    The de''s edge glinted with a crimson red light as it cut through the air.


    There was no explosion of sound, no ripple in the air, no thunderous roar or sh of metal.


    Just¡­ silence.


    A silence so absolute that it felt like the whole world was holding its breath.


    And then¡­ a heartbeatter, it happened.


    Fwoooom!


    A colossal wave of Phoenix fire erupted from Virtue''s Edge, born from the arc of Alex''s swing.


    The mes burst out in a brilliant explosion of incandescent, crimson red light, scorching the air itself as they zed like nothing was in their path.


    The fire wasn''t wild or chaotic.


    It was controlled.


    It moved with purpose, with precision ¡ª as if it understood Alex''s will.


    The mes flew out in a perfect circle around him, expanding outward with rapid speed.


    Those Red Demons closest to him were the first to be struck, and they didn''t even have the chance to scream before they were gone.


    The moment the Phoenix Fire touched them, their bodies were incinerated, reduced to ash in the blink of an eye before even the ash itself was burned up.


    The fiery wave carved through their ranks like a scythe through grass, slicing through flesh, bone, and even their weapons as if they were mere illusions.


    In practically no time, the fire had zed through the entire camp.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Those Demons who had been retreating, thinking they could escape and run away, looked back just in time to see the horror that wasing for them.


    Their eyes couldn''t quite deliver their shock, but there was no mercy in the fire''s advance.


    The Phoenix Fire swept over them all, annihting each and everyst one of them.


    The sky turned a brilliant, unnatural hue of crimson for just a moment as the mes expanded to cover what remained of the whole city, making sure that any stragglers were also taken care of.


    It consumed everything, the debris, the camp, and even reached as far off as the nearby forest where he and Mira were hiding until a few seconds ago.


    It seemed as if the fire might stretch on forever, spreading out over the horizon.


    But then, with a final surge of blinding brilliance, they curled inward, spiralling back toward Alex before dissipating into nothingness.


    Then the silence returned.


    Only there was nobody left to fill it.


    The Red Demon camp, filled until just a moment ago with thousands upon thousands of soldiers, now stood empty.


    In fact, there wasn''t even any evidence left that there was anything there at all.


    The entirendscape within the surrounding 45 kilometres of Alex became a ck, charred wastnd.


    Every single Red Demon was gone.

 Chapter 419 Dont think, just do

    Alex stood at the epicentre of the devastation, his posture still rxed and the air around him still buzzing with residual energy.


    His expression remained calm, in fact it even looked a little dull as he surveyed the now barren expanse before him.


    Continue your saga on empire


    The seductive female Red Demon who had tried to escape? Gone.


    The brutes that had charged at him first with blind fury?


    Vaporised.


    All those who had spat in defiance? Not a trace of them left.


    This was the result of Alex''s attack.


    And yet, Alex felt like he had barely even put anything into it¡­


    He nced down at Virtue''s Edge ¡ª it was unmarked by the overwhelming attack it had just unleashed.


    The glow around the de dimmed slightly as it settled back into its dormant state, but other than that, Alex still felt vitalised with energy.


    That attack had barely even taken a drop out of his overall energy capacity.


    "Pitiful."


    He murmured again, this time louder as his voice echoed out through the emptynd.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He scanned the surroundings onest time, confirming that not a single Red Demon remained.


    And when he found nothing, he turned back to the forest nearby.


    There, Mira was standing, staring in his direction with the face of a girlfriend who had caught her boyfriend in the act.


    Her expression was a mix of exasperation and irritation as she stood at the edge of the now obliterated battlefield.


    Her piercing eyes locked onto Alex like twin daggers, and her lips were drawn into a tight, thin line.


    It was the same look she always wore when Alex had done something that really annoyed her.


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she tapped her foot impatiently against the ground, the rhythm crowing sharper and more insistent with each passing second.


    "Pitiful, huh?"


    She mimicked his tone,ced with mockery as he began walking towards him.


    Alex didn''t immediately respond, he just tilted his head slightly to the side, with the corner of his mouth twitching ever so slightly as if he was holding back a smirk.


    Mira reached him in moments, stopping just a metre away.


    "Think you''re some kind of anime character now or something?"


    Sheughed, clearly mocking Alex''s choice of words after just having essentially ughtered thousands of Red Demons in the matter of a second.


    "You wiped out an entire Red Demon base camp on your own, and you didn''t even think to wait for me?"


    Alex blinked, feigning a look of innocence.


    "I couldn''t contain myself after I saw the kinds of stuff they were doing in the camp!"


    He said this nonchntly while ncing at her like he didn''t see the issue.


    "Besides, it wasn''t like I nned to finish them off so quickly. They were just¡­ too weak."


    "Too weak? That''s your excuse?"


    Mira huffed, raising her voice with incredulity.


    "We''re supposed to be doing this together. And what do you do? You go off and turn them into ash before I even get the chance to join in!"


    She threw her hands up in the air, frustratedly sighing.


    "I just thought¡ª"


    Alex began, but Mira wasn''t having any of it.


    "No, no, you didn''t think!"


    She interrupted, stepping even closer, jabbing her finger into his chest.


    "You never think, Alex. You just act. It''s always ''sh'' this, ''burn'' that, and ''kill'' without a single thought about what I might wanna do!"


    Her voice dropped slightly, and she red at him with a look that could have turned the remaining ashes of the Red Demons into ice.


    "I like killing them too, you know!"


    Alex took a step back and raised his hands in mock surrender.


    "Alright, alright. I get it. I should''ve let you get a few in."


    He offered her a soft, apologetic smile, but Mira''s eyes narrowed further.


    "A few?"


    She repeated.


    "Okay, half!"


    Alex repented for real this time.


    What else was a man supposed to do when his wife scolded him¡­


    ***


    In another shattered city on Eldaris, jagged ruins stretched out as far as the eye could see.


    Unlike the obliterated remains of Threshal''s camp, this ce was alive with activity ¡ª well, if one could consider the twisted, bustling horde of the Red Demons ''alive''.


    Camps of various sizes were strewn across what had once been a thriving metropolis, their crude fortifications encroaching upon toppled skyscrapers and crumbling roads.


    Towering watchtowers built from the charred remains of human structures loomed ominously over the scene, manned by vignt sentries.


    In the heart of this chaotic encampment was a massive tent, tattered with the sigil of a high ranking Red Demon.


    Dozens of Red Demons milled about outside, but none dared to enter uninvited.


    The tent''s interior was reserved for those in power, those whose strength or cunning had elevated them above the rest.


    And at the head of it sat a powerful Red Demon prodigy¡­


    But now, the air inside was thick with tension and unease.


    A hulking Red Demon with his face set in a permanent scowl paced back and forth inside the tent.


    The hulking brute''s eyes zed with impatience as he snarled at his attendants.


    Suddenly, a smaller Red Demon, panting heavily and covered in a sheen of sweat, barged into the tent.


    His eyes were wide with panic, and his breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled forward, clutching his chest as if trying to steady his heart.


    "General Kazar!"


    The demon cried out, barely able to get his words out.


    "I¡ª I have urgent news! It''s¡ª"


    Kazar turned with a snarl, his massive form radiating menace.


    "What is it, worm?"


    He growled in a deep, rumbling baritone that reverberated through the entire tent, and even outside.


    The messenger flinched under the weight of Kazar''s gaze but forced himself to speak.


    "Th- Threshal''s life signal¡­ it¡ª it''s gone!"


    He blurted out, trembling in fear as he spoke.


    "His beacon went dark just moments ago. No sign of life¡­ nothing!"


    For a moment, silence fell over the tent, so heavy that the messenger demon could start to feel his lungs copsing.

 Chapter 420 News spreads quickly

    Kazar''s red eyes shrunk in confusion as they narrowed into dangerous slits.


    "Gone?"


    He echoed, voice still carrying all throughout the tent.


    "Threshal is dead? Impossible!"


    His growl deepened into a feral snarl as he loomed over the trembling messenger.


    "You''re telling me that a Red Demonmander''s beacon just¡­ disappeared? How!?"


    The messenger gulped, sweat dripping down his forehead.


    "I¡ª I don''t know, General! The beacon just¡­ flickered out! One moment it was there, and then¡ª"


    The messenger didn''t get the chance to finish before his head was grabbed and squeezed until it burst like a watermelon.


    Kazar''s gaze darkened even further, not bothered one bit by the fact that he had just killed the messenger in cold blood.


    "Damn it all!"


    He roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the tent.


    "Threshal was one of the stronger elites! No mere human or band of resistance fighters could''ve possibly taken him down!"


    He turned sharply, baring his razor sharp teeth at a nearby attendant.


    "Send someone to go and investigate!"


    He roared out the order, but before the attendant could even turn around to act upon it, another Red Demon came crashing through the tent''s ps once again.


    "Rahh! What is it this time!?"


    Kazar was clearly not in the mood for all these interruptions¡­


    "Sir, word has juste in that Threshal''s entire camp has been wiped out. The scout couldn''t even believe what he was looking at when he arrived¡­ here, he sent over footage of the incident, General!"


    The second messenger who had just barged into General Kazar''s tent uttered out in a much more confident tone than the first.


    Kazar''s fuming gaze shifted sharply from the twitching corpse of the first messenger to the second Red Demon who dared to disturb him.


    The General''s eyes seared with barely contained rage, but there was a genuine glimmer of curiosity still in them that stopped him from delivering the same fate to this new Red Demon.


    "Show me."


    Hemanded, now deadly calm.


    The switch up in tone scared the messenger a little bit, but he did as he was asked.


    He nodded, quickly pulling out a holographic projector from his side pocket.


    He fumbled for a moment before he shakily activated the device.


    The tent''s interior dimmed as a flickering image sprang to life above the projector.


    The other Red Demons in the room leaned in closer, fixating their attention on the image that began to unfold before them.


    The footage was grainy and unsteady, as if taken from a drone high above the camp.


    But it zoomed in shortly enough on the scene of utter chaos.


    The Red Demons in Threshal''s camp were surging forward, their energies zing bright with a collective fury.


    In the middle of it all, a single figure stood alone. A crimson silhouette against the backdrop of the carnage.


    "Who¡­?"


    Kazar muttered as he tried to make out the image of this figure in his mind, but the camera used to record the scene was too low quality to do so.


    It was only recorded on a small drone operated by a bored scout anyway, so it wasn''t like it was purpose built for the task.


    In fact, the scout had only flown it over head after seeing how riled up the camp seemed, curious to see what was going on.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But he never expected to capture the scene that unfolded¡­


    The figure in the video moved.


    No¡­ it didn''t just move ¡ª itpletely disappeared.


    The camera speed wasn''t fast enough to pick up Alex''s movements, so it looked like he had just teleported.


    In one fluid motion, the figure sent out a zing crimson arc of fire that swept away every living, and non living, thing in their surroundings.


    In just a matter of seconds, it became a wastnd of ash, before another figure stepped into the scene and the two of them disappeared again shortly after.


    The scout was unable to find them again from that point onwards, but he knew that the scene he had just witnessed was one that could potentially cause panic across the other settlements on the¡­


    Hence he had to report it to his higher ups urgently.


    Even Kazar''s gaze was one of slight shock and worry upon finishing watching the footage¡­


    Readtest stories on empire


    ***


    "Did you find it yet?"


    Alex asked, trailing behind Mira as they casually walked through the dense forests.


    "No, I only felt the spatial signature for a moment before it disappeared. I only know which direction it moved in."


    Mira replied, still somewhat irked by Alex''s attack on the Red Demon camp without her, but she had mostly gotten over it by now.


    Instead, the two of them were rather focused on something else now.


    During the battle, Mira arrived at the edge of the scene as Alex''s arc of Phoenix fire obliterated thest of the Red Demons, but her spatial perception had also caught something interesting.


    High in the sky, she could feel a presence disturbing the space around it, moving rapidly around the area before it exited her range of spatial perception only a few momentster.


    From this, Mira discovered something very interesting, but also exciting as she finally had something to one one up Alex with!


    She could sense this object due to its movements disturbing the space around it, but Alex couldn''t sense it at all because it didn''t have a life signature!


    Now, they could tell whenever they were being spied upon by something that wasn''t living, perhaps, like a piece of technology¡­


    Red Demon technology in this case.


    Upon sensing what she had suspected to be a drone, Mira knew that their n of causing as much ruckus and chaos as they could before the Red Demons noticed something was wrong had already failed.


    But while this may have been the case, it also gave them some clues on where they might find another Red Demon settlement on Eldaris, saving them the time of having to walk around aimlessly until another one popped into their perception.


    The drone''s pilot probably hadn''t expected for them to be able to sense it''s movements in thest moments, so they had no idea that Alex and Mira were currently moving in their exact direction¡­

 Chapter 421 Impressive

    The dense forest stretched on endlessly, but Alex and Mira moved through it effortlessly.


    As they advanced, the quiet hum of nature provided an odd contrast to the devastation they, or rather Alex, had left behind.


    Alex, despite his earlier ughter fest, seemed remarkably rxed with his hands loosely gripping Virtue''s Edge''s handle.


    Beside him, Mira was more focused, as she was the only one who could sense the drone''s movements, if it were to be sent back up again.


    Her lips were curved into a smug smile, still revelling in the fact that she had sensed something that Alex couldn''t.


    "Are you sure we''re heading in the right direction?" Alex asked, ncing at Mira out of the corner of his eyes.


    But of course, since Alex couldn''t sense it himself, he was still rather sceptical about the whole thing.


    What if it was a decoy?


    What if it was bait?


    What if it was just nothing, and Mira had somehow been deceived by her own ability?


    "Of course."


    Mira replied, rolling her eyes at Alex.


    "The drone headed this way. I''m betting its pilot is either at a nearby outpost or headed back to base. Either way, we''ll be right on their trail."


    Alex shrugged, indifferent.


    "Good. Maybe this time you''ll actually get to do something."


    Mira shot him a re, still holding a slight grudge.


    "I''m not letting you hog the next battle, that''s for sure! Hmph!"


    As they continued, the forest began to thin out, revealing a wide, barren expanse up ahead.


    The familiar feeling of Red Demon presence started to tingle faintly on the edge of Mira''s perception, and upon seeing her reaction, Alex activated his own to get a better look of what was up ahead.


    It was weaker than before, likely a smaller outpost, but there was no mistaking it.


    "There." Mira said, pointing toward a cluster of ruined buildings on the horizon, barely visible through the fading treeline.


    Alex flicked his eyes toward the distant structures, and felt a surge of energy rise within him.


    "Let''s make this quick."


    Mira could tell that he was getting angry again just by looking at him, but she smirked in contrast.


    "I''ll be the one to make it quick this time."


    They picked up their pace, closing the distance between the forest and the outpost in a matter of a minute.


    As they approached, Alec could feel the faint pulse of Red Demon life signatures.


    It wasn''t a massive force ¡ª nothing like the camp they''d just decimated ¡ª but enough to make things interesting.


    They soon neared the outskirts of the ruined buildings, and Mira suddenly paused, narrowing her eyes as her senses tingled.


    "They know we''reing."


    She grimaced.


    Alex raised an eyebrow.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "How?"


    Mira tapped her temple.


    "Another drone. This time they''re being more cautious. It''s already returned to the outpost."


    Alex tightened his grip around Virtue''s Edge, fumes of fury practically gushing out of every pore in his body.


    "Then let''s not waste more time."


    Without another word, the two of them burst forward, blurring into motion as they darted through the crumbling remains of what was once a human settlement, now overtaken by the Red Demons.


    As they reached the edge of the outpost, the faint glow of Red Demon eyes could be seen peeking through the cracks of broken windows and shattered walls.


    Mira''s eyes gleamed with both excitement and frustration.


    She was frustrated at the fact that there were still some remains of the Red Demon''s feast, and they were most definitely not eating animals¡­


    But she was excited at the fact that she would finally be able to join in on the action that she had missed out on earlier due to Alex''s impatience!


    "Finally!"


    With a motion quicker than the Red Demons could react to, she unleashed a wave of spatial energy, distorting the air around her as she stepped forward.


    The ground beneath her cracked, and the very space around her seemed to ripple and warp.


    The nearest building, where several Red Demons had been hiding in wait and watching their every movement up until that point, was caught in the distortion and started to crumble under the pressure of the very space they upied.


    "Where the fuck did you learn this trick from!?"


    Alex was absolutely ck jawed when he saw this scene unfold before him.


    He had never expected Mira to put on even more of a show than he had with the first base camp he had taken down.


    He thought his Phoenix mes were already showy enough, but Mira had just gone and one upped him.


    But he had to keep up the fa?ade of being nonchnt as he didn''t want to embarrass himself in front of Mira once again.


    "Not bad."


    He said, in quite a casual tone.


    "Not done yet."


    Mira replied even more casually, with the utmost confidence in her voice. Experience tales at empire


    The structures that were buckling under the weight and stress that Mira was causing them with her spatial element.


    Booom!


    And soon enough, they starteding down one by one.


    They were already in ruins before they had arrived, but now they werepletely turned to dust.


    However, from the shadows of the remaining structures, more Red Demons emerged, filling the air with their snarls and growls and curses in their own mother tongue as they charged toward the intruders.


    ''Once again this is weird, why aren''t they as scared as they should be when facing off someone way stronger than themselves?''


    Now that he was watching from the side lines, rtively calmer than the previous time they had attacked a Red Demon camp, Alex had more room to think.


    And he found the Red Demon''sck of fear quite interesting, but weird.


    It was amonly epted idea that fear was something ingrained into every living being, but what he was seeing right now before his eyes clearly went against that principle.


    But while he was busy thinking, Mira vanished from her spot, reappearing amidst the horde of Red Demons that had gathered in the few seconds that had passed since the destruction.

 Chapter 422 Display of power

    With a simple flick of her wrist, the space around her became thick andpressed, expanding andpressing in rapid pulses.


    The effect of this wasn''t to crush the Red Demons like she had just done with the already crumbling buildings. No, it was to slow the Red Demons movements and make every split decision they had to make sloppier due to the constantly changing space.


    And while they were busy trying to navigate the heavy atmosphere Mira had created, Mira herself unsheathed her de, and got straight to work.


    She didn''t have a technique as shy as Alex did with his Phoenix Fire obliterating everything and everyone within dozens of kilometres.


    But she did have raw, physical power.


    And she used this power to sh as fast, and as hard as she could towards the horde of Red Demons.


    Her intentions were obvious.


    With that one sh, the air itself began to split apart, and any particles, whether it be dust, debris from the buildings, or any random element, was sent flying at incredibly fast speeds towards the Red Demons.


    She had effectively created her own version of Alex''s Phoenix Fire arc just by utilising the worldlyws around her and her ability to affect them with her power.


    Alex watched with admiration as Mira effortlessly dispatched the Red Demons.


    Her mastery of her spatial maniption was on full disy, and it was clearly much, much more powerful than his own.


    But as thest of the smaller demons fell, ALex''s gaze shifted towards the centre of the outpost.


    There, standing tall amidst the wreckage, was arger, more imposing figure.


    ''Anothermander¡­''


    Unlike the others, this one didn''t charge recklessly.


    It stood tall, dark crimson eyes locking onto Mira with a rage that matched her own.


    His aura spread out, and it was thick with malice.


    Mira stood a little confused, wondering why her attack hadn''t killed this guy off as well, since it was clearly strong enough to do so.


    But she understood exactly why he had survived after just a few moments.


    The air around the taller Red Demonmander began to stir, with a faint breeze starting to develop around him and quickly escting into violent gusts of wind.


    The pressure in the atmosphere changed rapidly, matching Mira''s own spatial pressure head on as an equal.


    ''So that''s why¡­''


    Mira watched with curious eyes, clearly understanding that he must have used this talent to deflect any of Mira''s attack that might have affected him.


    Dust and debris from the fallen and still crumbling buildings were lifted into the air, caught in a vortex forming around the demon.


    His dark crimson eyes never left Mira, who stood a few paces away, despite the fact that Alex was still standing behind, yet to intervene in the fight.


    It seemed he knew Alex wasn''t going to rain on their parade, so he had taken his focus off of him from the moment the fight started.


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    "So, wind, huh?"


    Mira muttered to herself, recognising the elemental maniption at y.


    It wasn''t hard to tell what it was the Red Demon was doing.


    The Red Demonmander let out a guttural growl, raising both arms as the wind gathered around him, swirling faster and faster until it formed a colossal, spinning barrier of air.


    The force of the wind was intense, and even Alex, standing some distance away, could feel its pull.


    "Interesting¡­"


    Alexmented, watching the disy with mild curiosity.


    "Looks like this one''s got some tricks up his sleeve."


    Mira narrowed her eyes.


    The winds were growing stronger by the second, and she could feel that they might even be able to threaten her soon enough.


    Unexpectedly, they were actually taking on quite a strong foe this time!


    Finally, the Red Demonmander let out a deafening roar, and the windstorm around him exploded outward, sending sharp, cutting gusts in Mira''s direction.


    The winds carried with them debris, sharp enough to slice through many, manyyers of the earth, and the force of it was strong enough to tear through everything in its path.


    But Mira wasn''t afraid, nor was she worried one bit.


    "Alright then¡­"


    Mira spoke aloud, apetitive smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.


    "If he wants to y, then let''s y."


    Without wasting another second, Mira dashed forward, moving with blinding speed.


    She didn''t even bother trying to dodge and weave her way through the sharp gusts of wind and debris, and directly tanked them head on.


    She wouldn''t have taken such a big risk before, but now, she had something protecting her.


    A crimson sheen could be seen covering her whole body from head to toe,ing into existence as Mira took out her Evernight Sovereign armour and equipped it mid fight.


    One neat trick that Alex and Mira had found was that they could equip it instantly when taking it out of their spatial storages without the need to physically put it on and off like they did with normal clothes.


    This conveniently timed armour surprised the Red Demon, but he saw it as no big deal.


    He had tested his attack on the hull of many space ships, and it had prated through ones tough enough to tank B- rank attacks!


    He wasn''t worried one bit that Mira''s armour might be able to stop th¡ª


    "Wha¡ª"


    It stopped them.


    The Red Demonmander looked genuinely panicked for the first time, unable toprehend why his attacks weren''t going through.


    But he realised that Mira''s armour had actually managed to block each and every gust, debris and anything else caught up in the violent wind storm.


    ''Just what the fuck is she wearing¡­''


    This was hisst thought as Mira''s de conveniently prated through his forehead, ending his life in an instant.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The battlefield finally fell silent after a few moments passed, as there was no more energy source to keep the violent winds going, and they died out very quickly.


    p! p! p!


    But Alex broke the silence almost immediately with his obnoxiously loud ps.


    "So, when were you going to tell me about that spatial attack?"

 Chapter 423 A few days

    Mira flicked the blood off her de with a quick motion and sheathed it.


    She let out a small breath as the battlefield returned to an eerie silence¡­


    Until it was no longer silent¡­


    p! p! p!


    She heard Alex pping and then his subsequent question, with a hint of clear curiosity and amusement in his tone.


    Mira brushed a strand of hair aside from her face, her expression remaining unphased as she nced at Red Demonmander''s corpse from the corner of her eye.


    "Ahhh, that was satisfying."


    She let out a relieved sigh and smiled, but Alex still pressed her.


    "You didn''t answer my question."


    This time Mira peeked at Alex from the corner of her eye.


    "That? First time I''ve tested it." Stay connected via empire


    Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.


    "First time? You really are just full of surprises, aren''t you?"


    Mira shrugged and shifted her gaze upward, ignoring Alex''s teasing.


    Something had caught her attention now that she was no longer preupied with killing.


    High above, in the clear sky, she noticed the faint glint of metal, but most importantly, her spatial perception had picked up the presence of the drone again.


    Her eyes narrowed, immediately recognising it as the same one that was watching them and had blown their cover when they approached the outpost.


    It had clearly been spying on them the whole time, capturing everything Mira had just done.


    ''It seems we have an audience¡­''


    She thought to herself.


    Originally, they thought it was just a drone operated by one of the Red Demons in the outpost itself, but it seemed that was not the case, since it was still operational and watching their every movement.


    As soon as the drone, or rather the operator in charge of it, realised that it had been spotted, it jerked in mid air and suddenly shot off, moving with speeds not even Alex could reach.


    Unlikest time, the drone seemed to have learned from its previous mistakes.


    Instead of fleeing in a straight line, it darted in unpredictable directions, zigzagging and veering sharply, trying to throw off any potential pursuit.


    It flew hundreds of Kilometres in mere moments, and it was long out of Mira''s range of perception before she could pinpoint its direction..


    She tried stretching her senses as far as they could go, but the drone was just too fast for her to keep up.


    She clicked her tongue in frustration when it fully disappeared.


    "They''re smarter than I gave them credit for."


    She muttered.


    Alex followed her gaze, but couldn''t find anything even with his superior senses.


    "Things are just bing trickier and trickier, it seems. For all we know every Red Demon in the Telorn system could know of our presence here now."


    Mira frowned as she realised this fact after letting the drone slip through her hands like that.


    But she realised that even if she captured it, it was most definitely providing a live feed to whoever was operating it, so they would know of their presence regardless.


    Mira stood there for a moment, staring at the horizon where the drone had vanished.


    She hated loose ends ¡ª especially ones that could blow up in their facester on.


    But Alex''s voice chimed in.


    "Look, we were going to get found out sooner orter, right?"


    Mira turned to him, her frown deepening.


    "Earlier than we would have liked, though."


    But still, Alex didn''t seem as bothered by it as she did.


    He shrugged with an easy going grin that didn''t fade even in the face of this news.


    "True, but did we really think we''d stay hidden for long? We n on killing everyst Red Demon in this system before we leave. We aren''t exactly aiming for subtlety here¡­"


    Mira let out a frustrated sigh, but knew Alex had a point.


    From the moment theynded back on Eldaris and realised what kind of fucked up situation they were in, their one goal had been clear: revenge.


    Stealth was never Alex''s strong suit anyway, despite the fact that it was Mira''s strong suit, since she had a whole other dimension she could hide in to sneakily assassinate enemies if the need arose to do that.


    With twopletely contrasting fighting styles, it was clear that they would have to adhere to one of them over the other.


    "I just wanted more time. Now that they know we''re here, they''ll have time to prepare and our future fights from this point on will likely be much harder than the first two."


    ***


    Over the next few days, Alex and Mira unleashed a relentless campaign of destruction across Eldaris.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After the drone incident, they didn''t bother with any grand strategies or ns. Instead, they chose a simple and chaotic approach ¡ª wandering in whichever direction they felt like each morning, and annihting every Red Demon settlement they encountered along the way.


    In actuality, it was probably a better n than their original one.


    After all, if not even they could predict where they would be moving, how on earth were the Red Demons supposed to?


    In total, over thest three days, they had destroyed over a dozen more settlements, taking their total now up to 14.


    The settlements they came across were of varying sizes each time, with thergest numbering over 50,000 Red Demons, however the majority of the Red Demons in each one of them were weaklings, either low ranked awakened or not awakened at all.


    They were all easily wiped out.


    There were some stronger Red Demons in some of the camps they hade across though, but they were never strong enough to actually make a difference.


    They were all killed effortlessly regardless of whether they were an elite C tier awakened, or even the one B tier Mutant ss awakened they hade across hidden away in one encampment.


    Alex and Mira split them up pretty evenly, and overall if the two of them had to guess, they had probably killed over 200,000 Red Demons in thest three days alone.


    For Alex, that meant a hell of a lot of Soul orbs began to flood into his inventory¡­

 Chapter 424 Demon headquarters

    The dust settled on the remains of yet another Red Demon settlement, Alex stood amidst what remained with an unreadable expression as yet another barrage of soul orb after soul orb.


    By now he had gotten ustomed to the constant influx of soul orbs every time he exterminated a huge number of Red Demons ¡ª immune to the endless sea of them that now sat in his inventory.


    Seeing so many of them, he was almost losing his concept of the reality that they were one of the most valuable resources in the universe¡­


    ***


    The duo advanced through the wilderness of Eldaris for a few more days, leaving a constant reminder of destruction and wrath in their wake.


    By now, the entire was aware of their presence there, but all the Red Demons who upied it were helpless to deal with them.


    Because they were just too strong¡­


    It was only after seeing how he could trample over every Red Demon he came across like they were insects that Alex realised why such a powerful and mysterious entity like the System had judged his Soulforge talent to be the strongest.


    Even now, he was just barely scratching the surface of the full potential of his talent.


    Just imagining how much more powerful it could make him in the future, when his talent had even moreyers unlocked made his heart pound.


    Along their destructive journey across Eldaris, they encountered several more enemies.


    All of them were Red Demons, obviously, but the duo had noticed something after dealing with more and more settlements.


    The settlements they wereing across grew smaller in poption each time, but this decrease in poption was made up for in the fact that a higher number of stronger Red Demons now upied them.


    Before, they would be lucky if they even came across 1 C tier Red Demon in a day, that was considerably low since they killed probably near 100,000 Red Demons per day.


    1 in 100,000 was not a good ratio at all.


    But now, they were encountering more and more C tier Red Demons with every settlement they came across.


    Instead of 1 in 100,000, it was more like 1 in 100¡­


    The difference was very easy to notice when the days were as boring as Alex and Mira''s when they had some down time from all the killing.


    At first, the duo thought this was urring because the Red Demons had started evacuating the weaker Red Demons to other, more secure areas, or just taking them out of the entirely.


    But after doing a little investigating, they found this wasn''t the case.


    Instead, it seemed that they were actually nearing an area of greater importance for the Red Demon race.


    There were greater patrols, a smaller ratio of C tier to lower ranked Red Demons, and the distance between each settlement shrank with each one they came across.


    If they were right in their predictions, then they might finally encounter the highest authority on Eldaris in charge of the rest of the Red Demons on the surface.


    With this being the case, the duo''s motivation increased and their willingness to kill only grew.


    Their speed increased, and they went from finding around 8-10 settlements a day, to finding 12-14 settlements a day thanks to this.


    Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one (Alex) may look at it, they didn''t cross any awakened they deemed powerful during this journey.


    ***


    "It''s only a short distance from here."


    Alex paused his steps for a moment and surveyed the surroundings using his spatial perception.


    "I think thatst settlement was the final one in this path. Up ahead there seems to be a huge settlement, at least the size of 20 of the smaller onesbined¡­ I wouldn''t be surprised if there were over a million Red Demons in that ce alone. I can feel an insane number of life signatures!"


    Mira looked at him with peculiar eyes and then looked back at the horizon in front of them.


    "Looks like we''ve finally found their main headquarters on this then!"


    Rumble!


    However, just as Mira spoke, the ground beneath them started to shake fiercely as if a very high magnitude earthquake suddenly happened.


    "Woah!"


    Mira cried out as she was taken by surprise and almost fell.


    It was intense enough to even destabilise Mira a little, which only spoke of its power.


    Alex''s face changed slightly as he narrowed his eyes while looking ahead.


    His gaze focused on the direction he could feel the city sized Red Demon settlement.


    Right as they travelled close enough to detect the main Red Demon headquarters, an earthquake just happened to take ce¡­ that was no coincidence.


    Alex sneered as he sensed what was going on up ahead.


    In fact, it wasn''t just Alex who thought this was no coincidence, as even Mira''s face was scrunched up in dissatisfaction after she had stabilised herself.


    Her spatial perception didn''t have enough range to detect what was going on, but Alex''s was.


    "They''re trying to take off. The huge settlement wasn''t a settlement at all, but a huge ship."


    Alex paused as he assessed the situation underneath the huge spaceship that was taking off.


    "And they left a buster behind¡­"


    His tone carried a grim weight when he uttered those final words.


    Mira hadn''t encountered anything like a buster before, like Alex had, but from the name alone she knew it was probably something catastrophic.


    Something called a  Buster'' clearly wasn''t used for good intentions after all¡­


    Dust clouds rose into the sky as the massive Red Demon headquarters ¡ª or rather their escape vessel ¡ª was preparing to take off.


    Mira cursed under her breath.


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    The Red Demons weren''t just evacuating ¡ª they were making sure nothing was left behind.


    No witnesses, no.


    "How much time do we have?"


    She asked, bracing herself for the worst.


    Alex exhaled a sharp breath as he momentarily decided what to say.


    "I don''t know. But not long knowing the Red De¡ª"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Rumble!


    Booooooom!

 Chapter 425 It all happened so suddenly...

    Booooom!


    Before Alex could even finish speaking, a deafening explosion rocked the ground beneath them, this time knocking both of them off their feet.


    The shockwave rippled through the air, sending a cloud of dust and debris flying.


    However that was just the start of it all.


    The tremors that followed were even more violent than before, forcing both Alex and Mira to brace themselves


    Mira instinctively crouched, tensing her body as she maintained her bnce.


    Her eyes dated to Alex, whose expression was even more grim than her own.


    His look told her everything she needed to know ¡ª there was no time left, they were toote.


    The buster had already activated.


    "We have to move!"


    Alex shouted, but even as the words left his mouth he could feel his anxiety and fear increasing.


    The tremors beneath them weren''t just aftershocks ¡ª they were the itself unravelling.


    Deep fissures opened in the ground, moltenva erupted from within them like the lifeblood of Eldaris itself was spilling out.


    The air suddenly thickened with heat, and the oppressive force ofary destruction bared down on them.


    Mira''s own spatial perception took a particrly hard hit by this sudden cause of events, the spatial effect of a imploding was enough topletely throw any and every spatial ability that not only she had, but Alex had too.


    They couldn''t teleport, and neither could they use their spatial perception at all now.


    In the distance, the huge Red Demon ship finally took off, and left the''s atmosphere only a few momentster.


    "Alex, we need to¡ª"


    But Mira''s voice was drowned out as another explosion rocked them off their feet.


    This time, it felt like the very core of Eldaris was tearing itself apart.


    The ground cracked open wider, and the two of them fell through, plummeting into the depths of the earth.


    ''Shit!''


    Alex was the first to react, trying desperately to w onto the sides of the fissure they had fallen into, but their descent was just too fast and gravity became heavier the further they fell, pulling them even faster into the depths of Eldaris.


    But no matter what he did, not even Virtue''s Edge could get a good enough grip in the rocks surrounding them, as the heat alone was slowly turning them into molten rock, and Virtue''s Edge couldn''t get a hold in any rock that had yet to liquefy.


    "We''re not going to make it!"


    Panic settled in Mira''s voice now as she came to the realisation that they were very likely to die.


    Alex clenched his fists, coursing through his mind at light speed as he tried to think of something, anything that could possibly get them out of this situation.


    There was no way to reverse what had already started, no way to stop the chain reaction that had been set off.


    The''s destruction was inevitable.


    But that didn''t mean they were going to go down with it.


    "Hold on to me!"


    Alex yelled at the top of his lungs.


    The air down there was so hot and thick that sound could barely travel to it, and the two of them, despite their incredibly strong hearing, had to shout at each other just to hear more than a whisper.


    Mira didn''t hesitate as she grabbed onto Alex''s arm, trusting his instincts implicitly.


    She hugged him closely, closing her eyes as tears started to well up.


    "We''re going to die¡­"


    She murmured, being close enough to Alex that he could hear her despite the fact she didn''t shout it.


    "No we''re not!"


    Alex suddenly activated every ounce of power he had to try and ovee the incredible spatial lock that was surrounding their very being thanks to the''s destruction''s incredible effect on the space it upied.


    He wasn''t going to stop the detonation.


    He didn''t have the power to.


    But there was only one thing on his mind right now that he tried to ess with every ounce of his power.


    His spatial storage.


    Thanks to the spatial lock, he wasn''t able to ess that either, but he was trying with every ounce of power he had right now to try and change that.


    There was just one thing in there, one item that could even give them a remote chance of surviving this ordeal.


    His ship.


    If he could just ess his spatial storage and summon it out¡­


    With a guttural roar, Alex unleashed everything he had at full force, resisting against the forces that stopped him from using any sort of spatial ability.


    The space around them warped and twisted even harder, like the was sentient and realised what he was trying to do and did its best to stop him.


    However¡­


    He was failing.


    His will was breaking, and the pressure around them was just bing too much for even him to handle.


    ''Fuck¡­''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''We really might die here¡­''


    Tap!


    He felt a light tap on his shoulder from Mira, and he hugged her just as tightly as she did him.


    Crackle¡­


    Rumble¡­


    But just as he had all but given up, he felt a sudden surge of energy enter his body.


    He looked over in shock at Mira as he found her, smiling with her golden hair and irises with the purest form of love he had ever seen in her eyes.


    He knew it.


    He knew what she was doing.


    She was feeding him her own energy, but Alex felt his heart squeeze when he saw the strain it was taking on her.


    Her skin quickly started to turn white, every ounce of colour being drained from her.


    After a few moments passed, her skin had be ky, and Mira looked like she had aged a hundred years.


    She had be so incredibly skinny that her bones were clearly visible, and even some of her failing organs became clearly outlined under her skin.


    "Mira no! What are you doing!"


    Alex looked so incredibly panicked and broken at this scene.


    She hadn''t just fed him her energy.


    Her own life force was mixed in as well¡­


    But he was so focused on what she had just done for him that he hadn''t noticed that it had worked.


    His ship appeared around them, with the chaos and constant noise of the exploding around them suddenly disappearing, reced by the weak breaths Mira let out.


    "Mira¡­."


    Alex looked distraught and lost, tears already flowing from his eyes as he looked down at her as she fell in his arms, struggling to even keep herself up.


    "Why¡­"

 Chapter 426 Grief

    Alex held Mira''s frail body close, feeling thest remnants of her life force slowly draining away.


    Her golden hair returned back to its usual ck as the effects of her Golden Presence talent started to wear off.


    Her once vibrant body, full of life, now hung limp.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Her skin was deathly pale and cracked all over the ce like porcin.


    She was so weak, too exhausted to even speak.


    All she could manage was a deep, meaningful smile, tears slipping silently from her eyes as she looked at Alex, a gaze filled with pure, unfiltered selfless love.


    "Mira¡­"


    Alex''s voice trembled as he held her tighter.


    His heart was breaking in many ways he didn''t think possible.


    He could feel her life slipping away, and there was nothing he could do.


    He, the one who wielded immense power, heralded as the most talented awakened the human race had to offer, was utterly helpless now.


    "Why¡­ why did you do this?"


    His voice cracked, tears spilling from his own eyes.


    But Mira, whether out of choice or a simple inability to speak, remained silent.


    Her smile, however faint it was, was radiant, and her tears mirrored his. Her love for him was clear even as her body failed her.


    She was beyond words now ¡ª beyond the need to exin why ¡ª Alex already knew.


    Beat¡­


    Beat¡­


    ¡­Beat¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    And then¡­ she was gone.


    Alex felt the exact moment her breath stopped, her life slipped away, her body going limp in his arms.


    His chest constricted, and a deep, hollow emptiness started to fill him, consuming him from the inside out.


    Mira was gone.


    The woman who had stood beside him through everything, the one who had shown him a love he never thought he would experience again ¡ª was dead¡­


    Something inside Alex shattered.


    "No!"


    His voice erupted in a raw, anguished scream that tore through the quiet of the ship.


    His grief surged wildly and uncontrobly, and the very air around him seemed to ripple with his fury.


    He was angry.


    Angry at the world, the Red Demons, the System that had dragged the human race into this hell.


    But mostly, he was angry at Mira.


    She didn''t have to do that!


    The energy Mira had poured into him started to surge uncontrobly, mixing with his fury and grief.


    His body started to glow a deep crimson light that radiated from his very core.


    He became brighter and hotter with each passing moment.


    The ship around him trembled under the pressure of his power, and instinctively, without even thinking, it was willed back into his spatial storage.


    Alex stood alone in the void of space now, holding Mira''s lifeless body as Eldaris finally imploded.


    The explosion that followed scattered the remains of the in every direction.


    It was an apocalyptic spectacle of destruction.


    Yet somehow, Alex and Mira''s body remained untouched.


    The force of the''s destruction swirled around them, yet it didn''t harm them.


    Instead, Alex noticed something strange ¡ª some of the residual energy from the explosion began to drift towards him.


    The energy entered his body, merging with the overflowing power that already radiated from within him.


    His crimson glow became even brighter, hotter than the Telorn system''s own sun, burning with the raw intensity of his grief and rage.


    And then, in the midst of it all, a voice echoed in his mind.


    [Hidden ability [Phoenix Rebirth] unlocked¡­ finding sufficient power source to activate¡­]


    The monotone voice of the System rang throughout his thoughts, and a holographic notification appeared before his eyes rying that same small message, though Alex barely registered it.


    However, the next second, his one and only King ss soul orb flew out of his inventory involuntarily, drawn to him much like the energy surrounding him.


    His body began to absorb it, and even if Alex wanted to stop it, he couldn''t have.


    The moment the orb started fusing with him, everything changed.


    The world faded to ck, and Alex felt his consciousness being pulled somewhere else.


    It was a strange sensation, but it was one Alex had experienced before.


    For a moment, Alex felt like all his worries, all his grief was washed away as he realised something.


    ''A remnant soul¡­''


    He recognised the rare phenomenon that was taking ce.


    This was an incredibly rare and exciting event, a remnant soul of the King of Evermoor actually resided in the soul orb!


    But at that moment, none of that mattered.


    The joy he might have felt at such an urrence was gone.


    In fact, he felt some anger over it.


    He was being forced away from Mira¡­


    [Enough energy has been absorbed¡­ activating Hidden ability [Phoenix Rebirth]]


    In the final moment, Alex thought he heard something, a voice perhaps, but his vision hadpletely faded to ck now before he could find out, and it was like he had gone to sleep.


    His mind had been transported to the memory contained in the remnant soul.


    ***


    Gradually, Alex''s consciousness started to return.


    He blinked slowly, not sure what he was expecting to see, but no longer being able to see Mira''s face, no matter how withered, bothered him quite a lot.


    Instead, his vision was filled with a warm, golden light.


    His eyes adjusted, he realised that he was¡­ somewhere small.


    All he could see was the inside of what looked like a big egg, and he, or rather the ''thing'' his mind was upying, was floating inside the gooey substance that took up a major part of the space inside the egg.


    At first, Alex felt disoriented.


    The overwhelming grief still clouded his thoughts, and he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing.


    He wanted to scream, tosh out, to break free of this strange memory that he was forced into witnessing.


    But he couldn''t.


    He was powerless to interact with anything in there.


    All he could do was watch.


    And thankfully for his sanity, it didn''t take long for something to happen.


    From the inside of the egg, a silhouette appeared.


    The ground underneath the egg trembled, and the silhouette grew bigger.


    Until it came into view.


    Alex''s perspective from within the egg didn''t allow him to see much, but he was sure about one thing.


    The silhouette of the creature outside sure looked like many fantasy depictions of dragons he had seen in fiction¡­

 Chapter 427 The memory

    Alex remained trapped in the strange, murky warmth of the egg. The thick, gtinous substance around him made it hard to process what he was experiencing.


    He still couldn''t move, still couldn''t break free. His mind, fractured by grief and anger, struggled toprehend his new reality. For now, he could only observe, powerless.


    As nothing but a spectator to this memory fragment, he felt like a prisoner in his own mind at his inability to do anything.


    From inside the egg, the world outside was a shadowy blur. He felt the ground tremble beneath him again, signalling the approach of something massive.


    The silhouette from earlier became clearer, though the egg''s shell distorted the figure, blurring its features.


    The shape of the creature was enormous, towering above him even in this cocoon-like state.


    Its wings were folded in close to its body, and long, serpentine limbs stretched out of view. There was no mistaking the creature''s grandeur. It was a dragon ¡ª just like the ones from fantasy tales, but this was no fantasy¡­


    A loud cracking noise filled the air, and Alex''s perspective shifted as the egg shook violently. It was happening. The shell was breaking, and the light of the outside world grew brighter, piercing through the thin cracks that splintered across the surface.


    Crack!


    Another tremor rang out through the egg, and Alex could feel it ¡ª the instinct to break free.


    A primal urge to w his way out took over his thoughts, overpowering his grief for a moment.


    The cracks spread further, until finally¡­


    Shatter!


    The egg burst open, and Alex felt an overwhelming rush of cool air hit his body. For the first time, his perspective was no longer limited to the confines of the egg. His vision adjusted, and he was no longer a mere spectator to the memory. He was inside the body of the creature emerging from the egg ¡ª a hatchling.


    His small, scaled body wobbled as it emerged from the remains of the egg, covered in the sticky goo that had sustained him. His legs were unsteady, and his ws dug into the cave floor, scraping against the stone in a series of soft, screeching noises.


    He could feel everything ¡ª the roughness of the ground, the cool air, the slight weight of his newly formed body. It was all real, more real than he ever thought a memory could be.


    His senses were overwhelmed by the immensity of the cave that stretched before him. The walls glistened like the inside of a geode, reflecting the soft golden light that illuminated the cavern. Stctites hung from the ceiling like ancient fangs, and the floor beneath him was littered with the remains of other eggshells. This ce had seen countless hatchlings before him.


    But what truly captured his attention was the creature standing before him, no longer a silhouette through an egg shell.


    A dragon.


    It was breathtakingly beautiful, with scales that shimmered like molten silver, catching the light in a way that made the creature seem almost celestial. Its massive wings were folded gracefully behind it, and its piercing golden eyes glowed with an ancient, sorrowful wisdom. Each of its movements was deliberate and regal,manding awe with its presence alone.


    For a long moment, the dragon stared down at the tiny hatchling Alex had be. Its gaze was sharp, but there was something more¡ªan undeniable sadness that lingered in the creature''s eyes.


    The massive beast lowered its head, bringing its face closer to Alex''s tiny form. The sheer size difference was staggering; the dragon could have crushed him with a single breath, yet it moved with a surprising gentleness.


    Then, the dragon spoke in a deep and resonant voice, filled with an ancient authority.


    "So small¡­"


    It murmured, vibrating the air, walls and everything else inside the cave with how deep it was.


    "And yet, you carry the blood of Evermoor."


    Alex ¡ª or rather the hatchling ¡ª blinked, the hatchling''s instincts warring with his human consciousness. This memory, this reality he had been thrust into, was bing clearer with every passing second. The King of Evermoor... this was his past. His beginning.


    It made sense since it was his remnant soul that had brought him here, but Alex wasn''t really in the state of mind to be questioning stuff like this.


    But the dragon''s voice carried a heavy sorrow.


    "It is pitiful."


    The dragon continued with heavy words.


    "That one born of this realm should be so tainted."


    The enormous creature sighed, letting a warm breath out against Alex''s tiny form. Explore hidden tales at empire


    "You are not pure."


    The dragon said softly, almost as though it were speaking to itself rather than the hatchling.


    "A product of mixed blood, a betrayal to the lineage of the High Dragons. You should have been born to thrive in the higher realms, with wings spread wide to soar among the stars¡­"


    The dragon''s voice trailed off in nostalgia, filled with some regret.


    "But instead, you must be sent away."


    The words struck Alex like a blow, though the hatchling''s mind struggled toprehend their full meaning.


    Sent away?


    The dragon''s sorrow deepened as it spoke, narrowing its golden eyes slightly as though recalling an ancient pain.


    "You are not a purebred dragon of Evermoor. Your blood is tainted with the essence of a lower realm. The High Council would never allow one such as you to remain in the higher realms."


    There was a long pause, and Alex could feel the tension that was beginning to build even as a spectator.


    The dragon stood taller, speaking in a moremanding tone now, losing its gentleness.


    "For your own survival, I cast you down!"


    The dragon nced down at him onest time, unfurling its massive wings slightly.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Farewell, young one. Your journey begins now. One day if you be strong enough, you may be able to join us again in the higher realms¡­"


    And with that, the cave began to shimmer as the memory began to fall apart.


    A golden light spread out, and glowed brighter and brighter until it consumed everything.

 Chapter 428 Phoenix Rebirth

    Alex''s consciousness was once again pulled away, his mind spinning as the King of Evermoor''s exile faded into obscurity.


    But despite everything that was currently happening to him, the experiences of this memory stuck with him.


    ***


    The golden light faded, and Alex felt his consciousness pulling back from the memory. His mind was reeling, struggling to reconcile what he had just witnessed.


    The hatchling, the exile, the ancient dragon¡­ it all swirled in his head, but the moment his senses returned to reality, all of those thoughts were violently pushed aside.


    Mira¡­


    His eyes snapped open, and the cold void of space weed him once more.


    The first thing he did was look down, heart pounding with an intense dread. Mira''s lifeless body still rested in his arms, her skin pale, cracked like porcin, just as before. Nothing had changed.


    Or had it?


    His chest tightened.


    He needed to know ¡ª had anything happened to her while he was trapped in that memory?


    The mere thought of it sent a surge of panic through him.


    He couldn''t forgive himself if something happened.


    But just as he was about to reach for her, a soft chime rang in his ears.


    A system notification appeared before his eyes, surprising him dearly


    [Hidden ability [Phoenix Rebirth] activated.]


    The words hung in front of him for a few moments before disappearing.


    Alex couldn''t fully process what he was seeing though.


    Phoenix Rebirth?


    His mind raced, a feeling of deja vu starting to show itself within him.


    ''Why does that sound familiar?''


    He tried to remember what the System had said earlier before he was whisked away to the memory, but before he could connect the dots, something extraordinary started happening.


    Without warning, Alex felt a sudden surge of power well up inside him. It was immense, overwhelming, as though the energy within him was trying to break free. His hands trembled, and the familiar crimson glow that had once radiated from his core began to pulse once again. But this time, it was different¡ªstronger, purer, more focused.


    And then, against his will, that energy began to seep out of him.


    It wasn''t like before, when he had unleashed his fury in that raw explosion of power.


    This was precise, controlled, but he wasn''t the one in control¡­


    The crimson energy left him in torrents, streaming directly into Mira''s lifeless body through his hands.


    He tried to lift them off of her, but it was like they were mped down, and no matter how hard he tried, his own hands just didn''t listen to him.


    It flowed like a river of molten light, saturating every inch of her being.


    Her pale, cracked skin absorbed the energy eagerly, glowing faintly as the power infused her.


    Alex''s breath caught in his throat.


    He tried to pull back, to stop whatever was happening, but his body refused to obey. He couldn''t intervene, couldn''t control the flow of energy. It just kept pouring into Mira, never-ending, as if it was bound by the system itself.


    Time felt meaningless as the energy transfer continued, stretching on for what felt like hours, though it was likely only minutes. Alex watched helplessly, his emotions in turmoil. He didn''t know whether this was helping or hurting her¡ªwas this energy healing her, or was it something more sinister?


    But the longer it went on, the more he realised that Mira''s body was changing. The cracks in her porcin skin began to seal themselves, slowly knitting back together. Her deathly paleplexion regained colour, a soft flush of life returning to her cheeks. Her limbs, once limp and frail, seemed to grow stronger, rejuvenating before his very eyes.


    It was a miraculous, impossible sight.


    But it was real.


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    When the energy finally stopped, Miray there, no longer the withered, broken figure she had been in death. Instead, she looked just as she had in life¡ªbeautiful, vibrant, her deep jet ck hair shining in the dim light of the void. It was as if she had never been touched by death at all.


    Alex was speechless. His hands hovered over her, hesitant, unsure if what he was seeing was real or some cruel illusion. He could barelyprehend what had just happened. Mira had died¡ªhe had felt her die¡ªand yet, here she was, whole again.


    He swallowed hard, his mind reeling.


    ''What is happening¡­?''


    He wondered with his thoughts in a jumbled mess of confusion and disbelief.


    His instincts screamed at him to do something, to check on her, to see if she was truly dead, but a part of him was paralysed by fear.


    Fear that this was a dream, that if he reached out, she would disappear.


    But as his heart raced, he forced himself to move.


    His trembling hand gently brushed against her cheek, warm to the touch.


    "Mira¡­?"


    His voice was barely a whisper, but he realised quickly that even if she were somehow alive, she wouldn''t be able to hear him.


    He was in space after all, where no sound could travel¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But Mira didn''t stir.


    She remained motionless.


    But for a moment, he realised.


    What if Mira''s body was trying toe back to life, but something was stopping her from doing so¡­?


    What if¡ª


    "Shit!"


    Alex came to the sudden realisation instantly, and he pounced onto Mira''s face without a lick of hesitation.


    Air!


    That was what she was missing!


    Even for him, before bing a higher life form, he would still be subjected to the rules of the mortal world.


    It''s just that he and Mira could survive for very long periods without it.


    But what about now, in this current moment, where Mira''s body had seemingly juste back from the dead?


    There was no air for her to kickstart her heart.


    There was little energy left in her even after her rejuvenation, as almost all of it had been used up bringing her back to her current state.


    Hence, Alex pressed his lips onto her warm lips and forced thest bits of air he had in his lungs into hers.


    ''Come on¡­. Come on!''


    The process only took a moment, and he watched anxiously and impatiently for something to happen.


    And then¡­

 Chapter 429 Miracle

    Alex had no idea if this would work, no idea if it was even possible for her to still be alive.


    It felt impossible, illogical even ¡ª after all, they were in the vacuum of space, where no breath should be able to sustain either of them.


    But he couldn''t give up.


    "Come on¡­"


    He muttered against her lips, but neither of them could hear it.


    His eyes never left her face, scanning for any flicker of movement, any sign that she might being back to him.


    For what felt like an eternity to Alex, nothing happened.


    Mira remained still, her body still just as serene yet unnervingly lifeless.


    The panic in Alex''s chest tightened like a vice.


    He couldn''t let it end like this.


    Not after everything they had been through. Continue your saga on empire


    He couldn''t let her give her own life for his¡­


    Then¡­


    Twitch!


    It was faint, barely noticeable, but Alex saw it.


    Her lips moved, ever so slightly.


    He was sure he saw it right!


    "Mira¡­"


    He whispered again, ignoring the fact that none of his words would ever reach her ears in this ce.


    A sliver of hope started sparking within him.


    Her eyelids fluttered, her long darkshes quivering as her body fought to reim life.


    Slowly, agonisingly slowly, her chest rose.


    She took a breath!


    She breathed!


    The soft intake of air seemed so fragile, like the faintest whisper in the silent void, but to Alex, it was the loudest, most beautiful sound he had ever imagined hearing.


    He let out a shaky breath, relief flooding his entire being.


    "Mira¡­ you''re alive¡­"


    His voice cracked and his hands trembled as they hovered just inches from her skin.


    Mira''s eyelids fluttered once more before they slowly, painfully opened.


    Her deep, jet ck eyes locked on to his, dazed and confused.


    She blinked, her expression soft and disoriented, as if she had just woken up from a peaceful dream.


    "Alex¡­?"


    She let out a word, not audible at all, but Alex could read her lips clearly.


    Hearing her utter his name nearly broke him.


    He was so close to losing her¡­ no ¡ª he DID lose her. Yet here she was, alive and speaking.


    "Mira!"


    Alex''s relief pounded out of him in an unsteady breath.


    He gathered her gently into his arms, careful not to overwhelm her as he held her close.


    He could feel her warmth returning fully, her body slowly regaining its strength, but he couldn''t shake the fear that she might slip away again.


    Mira''s fingers weakly grasped onto the front of his shirt, resting her head against his chest.


    She was weak, very weak, but alive.


    "I¡­ I thought you were gone¡­"


    Alex said, barely able to keep his voice from cracking.


    "You died. I saw you die¡­"


    Mira blinked, confusion clouding her features as she tried to process his words.


    "I¡­ died?"


    She echoed softly.


    "Yes."


    Alex nodded, unable to keep his tears from falling from his eyes.


    But they all instantly crystallised into ice thanks to the extremely low temperatures of the vacuum anyway¡­


    "But you''re back. Somehow¡­ you''re back."


    He wasn''t entirely sure how it had happened ¡ª the System''s cryptic message about Phoenix Rebirth most definitely had something to do with it ¡ª but none of that mattered right now.


    All that mattered was that Mira was alive.


    "I don''t understand¡­"


    Mira murmured, trembling as she tried to recall what had happened.


    "I can''t remember what happened no matter how hard I try! I know¡­ something happened, but my memory is foggy whenever I get close!"


    "You saved me."


    Alex said, tightening his grip on her.


    "You gave your life for me¡­"


    Mira''s brow furrowed, eyes filled with concern as she looked up at him.


    "But¡­ How am I here then? What¡­ what happened?"


    Alex opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, a sudden realisation hit him.


    The Red Demon headquarters on Eldaris¡­


    They were still in the area.


    And now that he finally had Mira back in his arms, alive, his mind had eased enough to focus on other things.


    Such as the fact that while they had survived the destruction of Eldaris, that was only one out of many problems they had.


    And now that the Red Demons had gone so far as to kill the one he loved the most¡­


    Alex wouldn''t stop at anything until he saw everyst one of them dead!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ***


    Principal Farnes sat behind his grand desk, the dim lighting of his private office providing a nice and quiet environment for him to think.


    The weight of responsibility hung heavy on his shoulders, but he carried it well, as he always had.


    With over a century of experience in the field, he could hardly be cracked.


    But recent events had left him uneasy.


    Suddenly, a rapid, urgent knock on the door shattered his silence and brought him out of thought.


    "Enter."


    He called out.


    The door slid open, and a young female federal officer in a crisp uniform stepped in.


    Her face was twisted in confusion and concern.


    "Sir," the officer said, standing at attention. "We have a situation thats¡­ a little unusual."


    "It''s about the Telorn system."


    At the mention of the Telorn system, Farne''s brows furrowed in equal confusion to the young officer.


    Why would there be a situation in that system?


    The officer approached and handed a datapad to Farnes, who took it without a word.


    As he scanned the report though, his face quickly became even more confused.


    "Eldaris¡­ destroyed?"


    ''Why does that name sound so familiar?''


    He muttered, utterly bemused by this sudden report.


    "But why destroy a in a system they already control?"


    Farnes spoke his thoughts aloud, echoing that of the young officer''s and everyone else who had seen the report.


    "It doesn''t add up. The Red Demons are brutal, but they''re not wasteful. They take, they corrupt, but they don''t obliterate their own resources unless there''s something they fear."


    He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as his mind whirred through the possibilities.


    "Eldaris¡­"


    He repeated, just wondering why the Red Demons would ever do such a confusing thing.


    But his heart skipped a beat when a realisation hit him.


    No wonder the name felt so familiar when he first read it!


    ''That''s the Alex and Mira went missing on!''

 Chapter 430 Revenge

    Alex floated in the endless, silent expanse of space, his arms still wrapped around Mira. The dark void surrounding them where Eldaris once stood felt suffocating despite theck of air.


    He could feel her shallow breathing against his chest, the warmth of her body gradually beginning to return.


    She was alive, but barely.


    His eyes darted around the debris field that was once Eldaris¡ªa reduced to dust and fragments, drifting aimlessly. The Red Demons had left no trace of life. And now, they were still in danger. The thought hit him like a cold st of reality. Floating in space with no protection, out in the open for any prying eyes to see¡­ they were living on borrowed time.


    Alex grimaced, his jaw tightening with the growing sense of urgency. He had to get Mira out of there. His mind raced, and then, like a sh, he remembered.


    King.


    His ship.


    It had been with him ever since Admiral Olgierd gifted it to him, and it had served him very well in that time.


    But now was the time it would really show its worth to him.


    With a quick motion, Alex willed for his ship toe out of his spatial storage.


    There it was ¡ª King ¡ª his trusted vessel, appearing just a few metres away from them.


    The airlock opened automatically, weing its master back on board.


    "Mira, hold on."


    Alex whispered against her hair, knowing she couldn''t hear.


    He tightened his grip around her, using what little strength he had left to guide them towards the ship.


    His boots made contact with the sleek metallic floor, and he pulled himself and Mira inside.


    The airlock hissed closed behind them, and Alex immediately punched the buttons to engage the atmosphere.


    Oxygen flooded the chamber, and the sudden influx of breathable air caused him to take in a deep, relieving breath as he sank down to the ground, Mira still in his arms.


    He could hear the soft hum of the life support systemsing back online, and he watched as Mira stirred slightly, brimming back to life gradually.


    Her eyes fluttered open once more.


    "Alex¡­"


    She murmured weakly in a hoarse voice.


    Hearing her speak for the first time after she had been reanimated made Alex realise just how close he still was to losing her.


    She was alive, yes, but her body was frail enough right now for even an unawakened to deal significant damage to her.


    "You''re safe now."


    He reassured her, gently setting her down on one of the cushioned seats in the living area of the ship.


    "Rest. I''ll take care of everything."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But as Alex turned to the cockpit, his face darkened. Safe? No, they weren''t safe. Not until everyst Red Demon in this system was obliterated, not until there was nothing left of the ones who had nearly taken Mira from him. His chest tightened with a burning rage. They had crossed a line¡ªa line that could never be uncrossed.


    He moved swiftly into the pilot''s seat, his fingers flying over the controls as he prepared the ship forunch. The thrusters hummed with power, and the engines roared to life. Alex''s eyes narrowed as he brought up the system map of Telorn on the disy. The Red Demons were still here, scattered across various strongholds throughout the system.


    For the first time he realised just how many of them there were in this system alone.


    Billions, at bare minimum.


    He looked at the fours that upied the system on the ship''s maps, and quietly erased the data pertaining to Eldaris as it hadn''t quite registered with the ship''s navigational systems yet that it had been destroyed.


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    Now, he looked at the three remainings.


    Gorath, the desert with its unforgiving climate.


    Alex could see over a billion little red dots on that alone that his ship had picked up in its scans.


    The Red Demons seemed to be a resilient race, able to survive in even the harshest of climates.


    But most of them were situated in underground bunkers, so Alex designated this as one that he would destroy to rid them, if necessary¡­


    Aetheria, the of towering mountains and winding valleys.


    This was the one that would probably survive Alex''s onught against the Red Demons, as most of the fights took ce in the sky when the war was still raging in this system.


    And from his ship''s scans, he found that this Aetheria was the with the smallest poption of Red Demons upying it, around 100 million in total, all bunched up in about four clusters of 25 million each in what Alex assumed to be mega cities in the areas where the elevation wasn''t so extreme.


    This one wouldn''t be such a problem for him to take out.


    Finally though, there was Nerathis, the most Earth-like in the system.


    That would be the trickiest one to deal with, since his ship''s scans couldn''t prate the oceans, so he couldn''t determine whether there were more Red Demons hunkered down under there or if the 1.5 billion poption figure he was looking at was the real thing.


    But even so, even if there was still 1 Red Demon standing on the after he dealt his destruction down, and he couldn''t find them, he would unleash his fury onto the until they were dead.


    The whole system was devoid of humans anyway, and right now Alex could care less about any consequences the Federation might have for destroying habitables.


    But aside from this, there were still over 2 billion Red Demons scattered throughout the star system on ships, space stations and the like, and from what Alex could see, a mega ship where over a billion Red Demons upied alone.


    He clenched his jaw as he set a course toward the nearest cluster of targets, on Gorath.


    If the Red Demons thought they could get away with what they had done, they were dead wrong.


    Everyst one of them would pay.

 Chapter 431 Gorath

    Alex stood on the bridge of King, watching the desert Gorath growrger through the viewport. The unforgiving climate of the, the swirling dust storms, and its barrenndscape seemed to reflect the darkness rising within him.


    The surface was harsh and lifeless, but below it, in the hidden depths of the, the Red Demons were teeming like vermin.


    His ship''s scanners had picked up every single one of their underground bunkers. Massive cities beneath the surface, housing millions of the vile creatures who had destroyed Eldaris and nearly taken Mira from him.


    No more.


    He would burn them all.


    He gripped the controls of King with white knuckled precision as the ship sped through space towards Gorath.


    His mind raced as fast as the stars blurring past his view. He knew the destruction awaiting the Red Demons on that. The thought of millions, perhaps billions, of them hiding beneath the sand, cowering in their underground bunkers, only fueled the rage simmering inside him.


    The closer they got, the clearer the details became on the scanners. King''s advanced systems identified dozens of underground cities, packed with Red Demons. These weren''t military outposts or fortifications¡ªthey were civilian bunkers, filled with families, soldiers, politicians, and warlords.


    But to Alex, it didn''t matter. They were allplicit. Everyst one of them was responsible for Eldaris and Mira''s death. If not directly, then through their loyalty to the Red Demon Race.


    He wouldn''t show mercy.


    Why would he? Did they show mercy to the billions of humans they ughtered, to the children they tortured andughed at as they ate their parents?


    No, they didn''t.


    "Gorath¡­"


    Alex muttered under his breath.


    "We''re here."


    King descended into the''s atmosphere, the howling wind camouging the roar of his engines as the desert stretched endlessly below.


    He set the ship down a few kilometres from the nearest cluster of bunkers, resting just outside the worst of the sandstorms. As thending gear deployed and King touched down with a heavy thud, Alex took a deep breath.


    "I''ll be back soon enough."


    He told Mira, giving her a gentle and reassuring smile as he looked at her onest time.


    The ship''s defences were enough to protect her.


    Not even an A tier attack could prate King''s shields on the first try, and if one dared to even try, Alex would feel the effects of it from anywhere on the and would do his utmost to rain hell on whoever tried it!


    It didn''t matter if they were a B tier, A tier or even an S tier!


    He would disy his wrath regardless!


    At the edge of the Airlock, Alex equipped his Evermoor armour and slung Virtue''s Edge across his back.


    The moment he stepped out of the ship, the desert heat and roaring winds mmed into him.


    But he barely noticed.


    His eyes were locked onto the horizon ¡ª towards the hidden bunkers beneath the sand.


    He wouldn''t wait for them toe to him.


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    He would hunt them.


    Alex didn''t waste any time and moved quickly across the barrenndscape of Gorath.


    The relentless winds felt nothing more than a gentle breeze to him, and the swirling dust storms did little to obscure his vision.


    As he neared the bunker, the ground beneath his feet rumbled.


    Hidden beneath the surface, the Red Demons were no doubt aware of his presence.


    It didn''t matter though.


    They could prepare all they wanted.


    Their time had run out the moment Alex had set foot on this world.


    Standing atop the sandy dune, Alex unslung Virtue''s Edge.


    With a single, focused thought, he sliced.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At first nce, it appeared to be a simple sh.


    But the force behind it was iprehensible.


    As the de cut through the air, a blinding arc of Phoenix fire erupted from Virtue''s Edge, carving through the space between Alex and the hidden bunker.


    The ground shuddered violently, and a shockwave rippled out from the point of impact.


    The very sand beneath his feet trembled, a low rumble resonating through thendscape as the strike hit the surface of the.


    For a brief moment, there was silence


    And then, the ground copsed.


    With a thunderous roar, the desert opened up as if swallowing the world whole. The bunker beneath began to buckle under the force of Alex''s attack.


    Huge fissures formed in the earth as the structural integrity of the underground city crumbled. Sand, once held back by the reinforced barriers of the Red Demon bunkers, now poured in with unstoppable force, cascading like a relentless avnche.


    Alex stood tall, watching as millions of tons of sand copsed into the exposed city below.


    But that wasn''t it.


    His phoenix fire did not stop with the initial strike.


    The sand, infused with the intense heat of the Phoenix fire, began to glow with a bright, molten intensity. The temperature beneath the surface rose to unimaginable levels as the sand itself started to melt, transforming into rivers of molten ss.


    The Red Demons'' screams echoed up from below, their voices distorted by the suffocating heat and the crushing weight of the sand. Buildings that had once stood tall beneath the surface were ttened under the pressure.


    Demons were trapped, their bodies incinerated by the scorching heat as the sand and ss encased them, sealing them in a ss coffin for eternity.


    The once grand underground city was now a death pit, its streets flooded with liquid ss, the air thick with the stench of burning flesh. The Red Demons'' cries grew weaker, fainter, until they were drowned outpletely by the roar of the molten sand.


    Alex remained still, his face grim, his emotions cold as he watched the bunker disintegrate before his eyes. He could sense the life forces below vanishing one by one, snuffed out like candles in a storm. There was no escape for them, no mercy to be had.


    The molten ss began to solidify as it cooled, trapping whatever remained of the Red Demons'' city beneath a shimmering, obsidian grave.

 Chapter 432 Below the surface

    A few days had passed since Alex''s first strike against the Red Demons on Gorath. The once deste desert was now littered with patches of obsidian ss, each one marking the grave of another underground city destroyed.


    Each molten crater was a symbol of the devastation he had wrought upon his enemies¡ªcities erased, entire poptions incinerated beneath the destruction caused by his Phoenix fire.


    In the span of those days, Alex had hunted without rest, moving from one bunker to the next with cold precision. His anger had not waned, and his attacks had only grown more methodical, more calcted.


    The Red Demons had learned quickly that there was no defence against him. They had tried to fortify their bunkers, attempted desperate ambushes, but none of it mattered.


    Alex would arrive, the ground would split, and the molten sand would do the rest.


    As it turned out his initial assumptions that Gorath would be a difficult to rid of the Red Demons was wrong.


    He had lost count of how many cities he had destroyed. Dozens, perhaps even more. The scanners aboard King had helped him locate each one, pinpointing the hiddenworks of tunnels and subterranean cities with chilling uracy.


    Every Red Demon stronghold he found met the same fiery fate. Gorath had been transformed into a-sized tomb, its lifeblood turned to molten ss, its cities consumed by the earth itself.


    In the moments of respite between destruction, Alex would return to King, not to rest, but to check on Mira.


    She had been slowly recovering, her strength returning with each passing day.


    By the third day, Mira was moving about the ship on her own, her movements still careful but determined. The colour had returned to her cheeks, and her eyes no longer held the ssy look of someone lost to pain.


    On the fifth day, Alex stood on the bridge of King once again, watching the scanners for the next target. The list of Red Demon cities on Gorath had dwindled, with only a handful remaining.


    He had been thorough in his campaign, reducing each one to molten ss, leaving nothing behind. Soon, there would be no trace of them on this.


    As Alex stood on the bridge of King, his eyes scanned the digital readouts.


    Thest few Red Demon bunker cities blinked like faint embers on the edge of a dying fire.


    There were only a handful of targets remaining, scattered across the in an attempt to slow Alex''s destructive path down even by just a little bit.


    ''Soon it''ll all be over, and onto the next one¡­''


    He leaned against the console, drifting in his thoughts for a moment.


    The rage that had driven him these past few days was still there, and hadn''t dulled one bit.


    Even with Mira recovering, he couldn''t shake that feeling of destruction he wanted to rain down on them, nor did he want to shake it off either.


    Then, something shifted.


    Alex''s brow furrowed as his hand instinctively tightened around the console.


    He could feel something¡­


    Not with his eyes, not with the scanners, but with his spatial perception.


    His awareness extended outward, probing deeper into the''s surface than any ship''s sensor could reach.


    And there, nearly a hundred kilometres below the''s surface, something stirred.


    It wasn''t like the other Red Demon bunkers he had encountered. Those had all been rtively shallow¡ªno more than a kilometre deep, some barely beneath the surface, hidden among the dunes.


    But this¡­ whatever this was, it was far deeper, almost unnaturally so. The presence he sensed was faint, but unmistakable¡ªa cluster of Red Demon signatures, densely packed together, concealed so far underground that even King''s scanners had failed to detect them.


    His grip on the console tightened further.


    ''What is this?''


    His instincts told him something was wrong.


    He thought he was close to wiping them out on this, but if what he was sensing was true, he had severely underestimated the scope of the Red Demon''s presence on Gorath.


    Mira entered the bridge a momentter, walking with a steadiness that came with her speedy recovery. Explore hidden tales at empire


    "What''s wrong?"


    She asked.


    "I''m picking something up¡­"


    Alex said, staring at the empty holographic disy before him.


    "There''s a massive concentration of Red Demons deep underground. Much deeper than anything we''ve encountered so far. Nearly a hundred kilometres below the surface¡­"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He didn''t know what to think about this.


    Mira frowned, shifting her gaze to the empty scanners on the console.


    There was nothing there, though she knew that if Alex had sensed it with his spatial perception, then it was real.


    His own senses were never wrong, and much more reliable than technology.


    "Why would they be so deep? Every other bunker has been right beneath the surface. What are they hiding?"


    "That''s exactly what I''m trying to figure out."


    Alex replied in confusion.


    But then it hit him.


    A feeling of nostalgia, a distant memory.


    Of his own times back on the asteroid colony, in the mines.


    He and all the other miners had to travel dozens of kilometres into the cores of the asteroids to mine out the best pieces of ore.


    What if this was what the Red Demons were doing on Gorath?


    What if all those surface bunkers were just a ploy to try and divert Alex''s attention from the real prize down below?


    It was already well known that the Red Demons weren''t afraid to throw away so many of their own lives in heaps to achieve their goals.


    Like their sieges on each star system for example, they just keep sending more and more Red Demon cannon fodder to their deaths in order to achieve their goal of conquering the.


    What was the difference between that and offering up a few millions to keep their mining operations down below the surface a secret?


    And just the fact that they might do this made Alex question what was so valuable down there.


    Was it really worth throwing away all those lives?

 Chapter 433 Observation

    In the dark expanse of an unknown region of space, far beyond the reach of the Milky way, a ship drifted silently.


    It was an enormous vessel, sleek and organic in design, like it had been grown rather than built.


    Its hull shimmered with a faint, otherworldly light, reflecting the cold glow of distant stars millions of light years away.


    Inside, the atmosphere was eerily calm, almost serene ¡ª yet it was heavy with power.


    In arge chamber at the heart of the ship, six alien figures stood around a shimmering projection, silhouetted by the dim light.


    They were tall and regal, each one of a different species, looking both terrifying and magnificent in their stature.


    Their eyes glowed faintly as they focused on the scene before them ¡ª a live feed of the Telorn system.


    The scene was of the barren, deste.


    Gorath.


    They watched as a lone figure, d in gleaming crimson armour, went from city bunker to city bunker and ughtered with no end or mercy.


    The Red Demons had no hope.


    Bunkers were hidden beneath the surface to both protect themselves from the scorching rays of the sun, but to also hide them away from any prying eyes.


    But in front of the figure''s scanners, and even his own spatial perception, the surface of the left them no protection.


    Now, they were all just left as ss and obsidian sculptures carved into the very earth, visible even from space.


    The figure carved through them all effortlessly, turning every living thing he came across into ss.


    Alex.


    He had been hunting for days, annihting every Red Demon city he came across, showing no mercy.


    Now, in the deepest parts of Gorath, he found that he had only scratched the surface of Gorath, literally.


    Yet to the six figures watching him from so far away, it was more than a passing curiosity.


    "Impressive."


    One of the beings, a tall, silver skinned figure with glowing, pupil-less eyes remarked.


    His voice was calm, almost bored.


    "For a C rank, that is."


    The others exchanged simr nces, but none showed any sign of real awe or concern.


    To beings of their power, the destruction wrought by Alex, no matter how devastating it appeared, was little more than a flicker in the cosmos.


    "A C rank Variant, yet he''s shown potential."


    Another, female figure said, in an almost condescending tone.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "ughtering a''s worth of those little Red things is impressive, yes. But potential is all it is."


    "Now, now, Lucia. Not every race is able to produce a C rank able to do this. You mustn''t be so judgemental just because you are from a higher ss race."


    A third figure, shorter but with a densely muscr frame, leaned inward and gently scolded the female figure, Lucia.


    The others nodded in agreement with the shorter figure, returning their collective gazes to the scene of Alex as she stood atop the ruins of yet another Red Demon city.


    "But,"


    Said a fourth voice, belonging to a figure whose entire body was encased in shifting, iridescent armour.


    "He''s persistent. Single minded. His ability to harness that interesting talent is¡­ noteworthy. And that spatial Awareness of his, while his affinity for the element seems abysmal, seems to be boosted by something. That could be useful in the right context."


    The silver skinned figure waved a hand dismissively.


    "He is still only a human, bound by the limitations of his race."


    "Yes, he has potential, but that is all. He is far from being ready to face any real challenges this universe has to offer, let alone something on our scale."


    A fifth figure, whose form waspletely cloaked in shadow, finally spoke.


    "Perhaps. But his rage drives him. That kind of fury can be molded, sharpened. We all know the importance of emotions. He could be made into something more, if handled correctly."


    The sixth and final figure, whose face was concealed behind a mask glowing faintly with shifting runes, nodded slowly.


    "For now, he''s still a pawn in a small, isted conflict. This gxy is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, just one of many trying to cement itself in the universal hierarchy."


    "But it''s interesting¡­"


    The masked figure continued, looking genuinely interested and curious this time.


    "I have to agree with Shadow. His thirst for blood, his rage and hatred for this Red Demon race is boundless. And that makes him dangerous."


    "Dangerous to them."


    The silver one added in a quick witted remark.


    "Not to us."


    The scene flickered briefly in their minds, showing Alex as he stepped into a fissure he created, descending into the depths of Gorath after having found out about their mining operations deep in the.


    "Not yet he isn''t. But if his will and emotions are harnessed well, then someday in the far future he might be."


    The masked figure spoke, and the group fell into silence soon after.


    It was impossible to tell what any one of them were thinking at that moment.


    The shorter, wiser figure finally spoke again. His tone was final.


    "For now, let him have his vengeance. We will be arriving at his race''s core in a few seconds. We''ll decide what to do with him there."


    After he spoke, the enormous ship hummed to life, and in front of it a colossal worm hole opened up, before closing barely a few momentster, having sucked the enormous ship inside like it was nothing more than an afternoon snack.


    Alex had no idea that he was being watched by this group of mystical beings, nor would he have even cared if he did know.


    What could he do about it?


    Who was there toin to about them?


    Instead, he would be more interested in hearing about this nurturing of the will and emotions they spoke about.


    But regardless, he was more focused on digging through Gorath''s crust and mantle to get to the hidden Red Demon mining operation in the current moment.

 Chapter 434 Mining operation

    Alex''s descent into Gorath''s depths was quick and methodical.


    The fissure he had created crackled with heat as he lowered himself deeper into the''s surface.


    His armour, gleaming crimson in the dim light, was untouched by the molten rock and searing heat surrounding him.


    It was far below the surface, farther than any of the bunkers he had obliterated in his rampage. The ground rumbled as his Phoenix fire worked its way throughyers of bedrock, turning everything it touched to molten ss.


    He could feel the pull of somethingrge, something powerful, and it only fueled his anger. How had they managed to hide this from him?


    But then again, they didn''t hide it from him, they hid it from his ship''s scanners.


    He himself was actually the one to have found this hidden mining operation.


    But he still couldn''t quite remove his curiosity of finding out just what was so important they had to sacrifice millions of lives to even try and keep it a secret.


    Was it perhaps some ultra mega rare and powerful metal to build some new and indestructible ships?


    Or was it something else entirely?


    If he was honest, he was willing to step back a little from the ughtering and investigate the goings on of down below before massacring the lot of them.


    It would mean he''d have to spend more time down there, dying his revenge and allowing the Red Demons throughout the rest of the Telorn system to prepare, and even meant leaving Mira alone for longer, but in Alex''s mind it would be worth it.


    ''They''re like cockroaches¡­''


    Alex thought bitterly.


    ''Always burrowing deeper, always hiding. Yet there always seems to be more of them whenever you think you''ve exterminated the pests.''


    But just like cockroaches, he would burn them out like he had with the rest.


    After he was finished investigating just what exactly they were mining of course¡­


    ***


    Alex''s descent continued, but with far more caution than before.


    As he ventured deeper into Gorath''s crust, his fiery destruction gave way to a more measured approach.


    Just straight up pounding the earth beneath him using his fists¡­


    In essence, brute force paved the way for him when he reached past 90 kilometres below surface level.


    He didn''t want to alert the Red Demons below to his presence, after all.


    He couldn''t afford to cause too much of a disturbance ¡ª yet.


    He was close now.


    The life signatures he had detected from the surface were clearer with each passing kilometre. Your next read awaits at empire


    Their patterns were unusual, densely clustered in one vast undergroundwork, which just solidified the idea in his mind that this had to be for one big mining operation.


    Whatever this operation was though, it was heavily guarded.


    There was a much higher number of stronger Red Demon awakened hidden down here.


    Multiple C tiers and even one B tier, though none of them were above Mutant ss.


    After a few more tense minutes of digging with his bare hands, Alex felt his spatial awareness brush up against a massive chamber.


    It was nearly a hundred kilometres below the surface, hidden far deeper than any Red Demon bunker than he had destroyed before.


    He slowed his descent further, pressing his awareness into the rock and earth surrounding him to detect any sentries or defences.


    Rushing into this ce wasn''t in his best interest right now.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    When he finally emerged into the cavernous chamber, he found himself perched on a ledge overlooking an expansive mining operation.


    ''As I thought, it really is mining.''


    The scene below was abuzz with activity, and strangely reminded Alex of bees.


    The Red Demons below acted like a hive mind.


    There were no imperfect movements in any of them, and they all worked to their utmost efficiency, which was a huge contrast to the types of miners he saw back in his days as a miner himself.


    Hundreds of thousands of Red Demons were scurrying about, operating heavy machinery, and those that didn''t took up pickaxes.


    Gigantic drills and strange, spider-like contraptions did the majority of the heavy lifting, while the workers with pickaxes spilled out in droves like a water spige whenever the huge drills stopped and made way for them.


    But what Alex was truly interested in looking at was the huge ck, perfectly circr, mass that just sat there in the middle of it all.


    It was clearly the epicentre of this entire mining operation, but Alex had absolutely no clue what it was.


    However, after inspecting one of the dig sites where a huge drill had just stopped and pulled away from, he was mesmerised by what he saw.


    A Red Demon worker took up his pickaxe, struck down at the weakened part of the ck circr mass, and out came something Alex had never expected to see¡­


    Orbs.


    Orbs were being extracted from the ck mass.


    And not just any orbs.


    They looked disturbingly familiar to Alex.


    Soul orbs.


    Seeing this site not only shocked him deeply, as not even the Federation knew about such things, but it also reminded him of one very major thing.


    The King ss soul orb he had been forced to unwillingly absorb when his hidden ability activated to bring Mira back from the dead.


    Which, in hindsight, he would definitely do again a million times over if he knew it was being used to save Mira.


    However, that wasn''t the main point he was worried about.


    Since the orb was absorbed due to his ability''s need for power, would he have received any benefits from it? Or did the entire thing go to bringing Mira back?


    Whatever the case, Alex would check his details for any changester on, as right now he was more concerned with the fact that the Red Demons were basically mining thousands of such soul orbs like some sort of mass production facility¡­


    His breath hitched for a moment.


    ''How is this possible? Soul orbse from living beings ¡ª humans, beasts, whatever. But this is clearlying from some sort of ore, just what the fuck is going on here?''


    "Looks like we''ve hit another batch of them."


    However, a voice broke the silence and harmony of the hivemind-like activities of the mining operation.

 Chapter 435 Overseer

    "Good."


    Arger Red Demon responded to his underling.


    "Make sure the Celestial orbs are stored properly. The higher ups will want this shipment secured before the next extraction. We can''t afford any mistakes. Especially with that monster running around ruining things for us on the surface!"


    ''Is he referring to me?''


    Alex thought to himself,ughing that they were calling him ''monster'' now.


    But he quickly shook that off and focused on another part of the conversation that piqued his interest greatly.


    ''Celestial orbs?''


    Therge Red Demon was clearly referring to the Soul Orbs they were mining from that huge ck mass.


    That wasn''t a term he was familiar with, as he was pretty sure the name ''Soul Orb'' was a universal one used by all who knew about them.


    Well, that and the fact that they were called that by the System¡­


    But regardless, it wouldn''t make sense for the Red Demons to have a different name for them.


    Just the fact that the name they had for them ¡ª Celestial ¡ª implied that they may even be something more.


    What were these orbs, really?


    Did they just look like soul orbs, and that''s it?


    He watched in silence as the Red Demons continued to extract and carefully store the glowing orbs.


    Dozens of them were already packed away in heavy, reinforced crates.


    The workers handled them with care, as though they were dealing with something sacred.


    Or perhaps they were driven by fear to be so exceptional at their jobs¡­


    Was there a connection between these so called Celestial Orbs and his Soul Orbs?


    Were they used in the same way his Soul Orbs were?


    The more Alex questioned things, the more he felt he had to do something about this.


    He gritted his teeth.


    If any one of his conjectures turned out to be correct, then this could change things, and not for the benefit of the Human race.


    He''d allow himself to investigate a bit longer, but not by much.


    Then, he would make them pay for every human life they had taken.


    Of course, his revenge was still mostly with Mira on his mind though.


    Every Red Demon in existence would pay for her death.


    It didn''t matter that she was now alive again.


    ***


    In the blink of an eye, the enormous ship carrying the six mysterious aliens disappeared from the vast expanse of space they were previously upying.


    Using the wormhole they had opened, they bridged the million light year gap between themselves and the Milky way in a matter of seconds.


    ***


    Bleep!


    rm!


    Multiple emergency alerts rang out through the entire Sr system all of a sudden, all at once.


    To all the guards on duty at the time, they knew this was no drill.


    Something, and something huge, must have happened for every single rm in the entire sr system to start going off at once!


    Read thetest on empire


    In the heart of the Capital Building, even the rms in the Round table room were set off.


    And this was of particrly important interest to those who regrly attended meetings in there.


    As they all knew that such a thing only happens when something managed to slip past their defences and make its way into the Sr system.


    "Report!"


    Principal Farnes wasn''t in the mood for keeping up his usual wise and mysterious image.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    His grizzled features showed deep concern for what was happening, which just went to show how serious this situation really was.


    Major General Lyndal trembled as she read the data streaming in from all corners of the system.


    Principal Farnes'' ''no time for useless shit'' expression left even an A tier like her a little afraid¡­


    Though it also had to do with the fact that the rm was ring out in the round table room.


    "Sir, it''s¡­ we''re detecting a ship¡­ it literally just appeared out of nowhere on the edge of the Kuiper Belt. The initial reports are that it is massive. Even bigger than our ownmand ships¡­"


    She connected to the holographic disy in the centre of the table and zoomed in, focusing on the region near the edge of the Kuiper Belt where the ship was first detected using the real time camera monitoring systems they had set up all over the sr system.


    The other S tiers in the room watched in stunned silence as the sensors struggled to process what they were seeing.


    A wormhole, easily the size of severals, had opened up¡­


    And from its depths, a massive vessel emerged.


    "Dear god¡­"


    One of them whispered, utterly shocked at the sight.


    These were S tiers, they had seen a lot in their lifetimes.


    But something like this left them speechless.


    "How big is that thing?"


    Principal Farnes muttered out loud, unsure whether tough or cry at the sheer absurdity of what he was seeing.


    Theirmand ships were, what? Nearly a hundred kilometres in diameter?


    "The sensors are telling me that it''s around the same size as Earth¡­"


    Major General Lyndal answered him, but even she was shocked by the words that wereing out of her own mouth.


    A ship¡­ as big as their whole?


    What. The. Fuck.


    But then, as if some sort of interference blocked them, the holographic screen shut off entirely.


    "Sir, all attempts to further scan the ship have been blocked. It''s as if¡­ nothing''s there¡­"


    Then, a voice cut through the cosmos, cold, methodical, but most of all celestial.


    "Attention, inhabitants of this system."


    The voice was not human.


    It was clearly from a sentient being though, as everyone in the entire sr system could hear the arrogance and sheer condescension in the voice''s tone.


    "We are the Overseers. Your civilization has recentlye under our observation. We do not seek your resources, nor do we seek your friendship. We are only here to offer you a trade out of our own good will."


    Principal Farnes felt his heart tighten for the first time in many, many years.


    For the first time in a long time, he felt fear.

 Chapter 436 No desire for destruction

    The tension in the Round table room was suffocating.


    Principal Farnes himself sat stiffly in his ce, staring at the flickering holographic disy that had failed to give them any useful data on the massive ship hovering near Saturn.


    The rms still red, chaos in the sr system still escted by the second, and all eyes in the room were on him for guidance.


    But who could he turn to for guidance?


    Principal Farnes really wished he could do that right now¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Then, as if to intensify the looming dread, a bright pulse of energy crackled through the air.


    The temperature in the room dropped drastically, and a ripple of power distorted the atmosphere. Principal Farnes tensed, his hand instinctively moving toward his side, but he stopped himself.


    He knew something far beyond them was happening.


    In a sh, six figures materialised directly into the room.


    They stood in perfect formation at the head of the table, towering over the humans present.


    Their forms were draped in flowing, almost ethereal robes of iridescent colours that shifted in a hypnotic pattern, making it impossible to focus on their true shapes.


    Their faces were mostly obscured, but three pairs of eyes¡ªcold, brilliant, and utterly ancient¡ªred down at the gathered humans.


    Without hesitation, Principal Farnes tried to scan their auras. His mind reached out, seeking to measure the strength of these new arrivals.


    To his dismay, only three of the beings allowed their energy to be felt.


    But what he found sent a wave of shock through his body¡­


    S+ rank, Ancient ss.


    And that was just the three he could scan, the other three at the forefront remained aplete mystery.


    He swallowed hard. The strongest beings humanity had ever produced were merely S rank Mutant ss on average, and that level of power was already enough to shift the bnce of entire wars.


    But these Overseers¡­ they were far beyond anything he could have imagined. And the other three? He couldn''t even begin to measure their strength. It was as if they didn''t exist on any scale he knew.


    His pulse quickened. If even one of these beings wanted to wipe humanity from existence, there would be nothing they could do to stop it.


    One of the Overseers stepped forward, the air humming with suppressed power as he moved. His voice, while still cold and emotionless, was more formal now as he spoke in the Federalnguage.


    "We are the Overseers, sent by the Great Collective to make contact with your civilization. You may refer to me as Val."


    The lead Overseer said, inclining his head slightly.


    "This is merely a courtesy visit. We do not seek war, nor do we desire your destruction."


    The room was deathly silent. Principal Farnes felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. He was relieved that their intentions were not hostile¡ªat least, for now¡ªbut that did little to ease the gnawing sense of dread in his gut.


    "Then why are you here?" Farnes asked, his voice steady, though every fibre of his being was on edge.


    "We are in the middle of a war with the Red Demons, and we can''t afford any unexpected circumstances to drop on us on top of that¡­"


    He tried to reason with them, but Val straightened with his robes flowing around him like liquid metal.


    "We havee to make an offer. Not to your entire species, but to a single individual."


    Farnes frowned.


    "Who?"


    Another Overseer, revealing just a hint of pale silver skin, spoke up.


    "Alex. The one you call the King ss prodigy. He has drawn the attention of the Collective, and we believe he has the potential to ascend far above his current state."


    Principal Farnes blinked in confusion.


    "Alex? You¡­ want to recruit him? But he''s been missing for months now¡­"


    He feigned ignorance about Alex''s whereabouts, as even his thoughts on the current happenings in the Telorn system were only mere spection.


    In fact, he was confused on how these ''Overseers'' even knew about Alex''s existence at all.


    Val nodded.


    "Indeed. His potential is intriguing to us. If he is left to fester among your kind his talent will only be squandered in the future. With us, he could thrive ¡ª be a dominant power in the universe."


    Farnes felt his heart pounding harder in his chest.


    Recruiting Alex?


    The very idea sounded insane.


    Alex was not only powerful, but he was also vengeful, unpredictable, and particrly averse to following orders.


    Just from the way these alien Overseers carried themselves, he could tell that they and Alex were pr opposites.


    But before he made any decisions, he had some things to question.


    "What do you want to do with him?"


    Farnes asked, making sure to choose his words carefully.


    "Why would your Collective be interested in someone like him?"


    Val''s eyes grew a bit brighter for a moment.


    "Like I said, for his potential. Any more than that is on a need-to-know basis."


    Val could sense Farnes pushing back a little and decided to make their stance clear.


    They weren''t there to make a statement, they were there to make an offer.


    However, Farnes doubled down.


    "And what''s in it for us? The Human race as a whole I mean. You want to take one of our most valuable citizens away, so there has to be some sort of price you''re willing to pay. You said you can here for an ''offer'' after all. These kinds of things usually work for both sides of the deal."


    Farnes knew that he was probably pushing his luck by asking all these questions, but he had to try it for the sake of the human race.


    If they could possibly get something out of these Overseers that could help them in this war, then perhaps epting the offer would be worth it¡­


    Farnes knew Alex, and he knew that he would do the right thing in this case for the sake of the greater good of the Human race.

 Chapter 437 An offer

    Val''s glowing eyes flickered with something close to amusement at Principal Farnes'' boldness.


    The overseer''s towering presence seemed to grow even more imposing, casting long shadows across the room.


    But while he was amused at Principal Farnes'' boldness, he also respected it.


    He wasn''t just a man who thought about personal gain, but he put his race first.


    Even someone like Val could respect that, as it was something even higher races seemed tock nowadays.


    "You think in terms of petty exchanges, Farnes. We do not negotiate as your kind do. But¡­ you are correct in assuming that there is more to this offer. After all, it wouldn''t be good if our newest recruit''s entire civilization dies out while they are away."


    Farnes felt a flicker of anger at the Overseer''s tone, but he remained silent.


    What else was he to do against someone so much more powerful than himself?


    Val continued.


    "If Alex epts our invitation, the Collective will see to it that this little skirmish between the Human race and the Red Demon racees to an end."


    "..."


    A murmur of disbelief spread across the room.


    Even Farnes struggled to contain his shock.


    Was Val saying that they could just end the war?


    A war that had drained the entire human race, that had cost tens of billions of lives already?


    Val''s next words confirmed it.


    "With but a flick of our fingers, the Red Demons will be forced to scatter. We could grant your entire race peace, should Alex agree to join us."


    The tension in the room spiked.


    Farnes could hear the sharp intake of breath from Major General Lyndal beside him.


    It was almost too good to be true, but everyone in the room believed the Overseers weren''t just creating empty promises.


    It wasn''t egotistical boasting if they could back it up, after all.


    But miracles always came with a price.


    Farnes met Val''s, and the other five Overseer''s gazes.


    The oppressing aura he faced was overwhelming, but still, he pressed forward, keeping his voice steady despite the promise he had just been given.


    "And what guarantee do we have that you won''t just eliminate us next?"


    Farnes asked.


    "If you can stop a war, or wipe out an entire race as easily as you im, then what''s stopping you from doing the same to us when we no longer serve your purpose?"


    Val''s glowing eyes dimmed slightly, turning unreadable for a moment.


    "You must not have been listening to a word I have spoken from the beginning of this conversation."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Val continued.


    "You are mistaken, you already serve no purpose to us. The only thing stopping us from wiping you out is that we simply do not have the desire to do so. That, and the fact that the only one who could ever pose a future threat to us is exactly the person we are recruiting."


    Farnes hesitated, the offer was clear now.


    Give Alex over, and the war would end leaving the Federation to recoup their losses and begin a period of peace and rebuilding.


    Or, don''t hand Alex over, and the war continues without any outside intervention like these Overseers are offering.


    The human race''s chances against the Red Demons looked bleaker and bleaker as the days passed by, and this offer was extremely tempting for Principal Farnes to take.


    Farnes clenched his fist beneath the table, mind racing in deliberation.


    If he agreed, then the war would be over.


    But everyone in the room could see how much Farnes was struggling to make a decision on this, and the other S tiers, alongside Major General Lyndal, all looked at him like he was a fool.


    Usually they would never do something as disrespectful as that, but in this situation he was literally deciding on the entire fate of the Human race, this wasn''t something he alone should make a decision on.


    But while it pained them to admit it, the Overseer''s clearly thought otherwise, as they didn''t even give any of them a second nce.


    "Okay. We''ll ept."


    Farnes finally spoke, feeling some relief wash over him when he did so.


    He had made his decision.


    He didn''t like that Alex had to be the ''sacrifice'' for this offer, but he knew it was the right decision to make.


    But contrary to how he expected them to react, Val actually looked amused when Farnes answered.


    "Once again you are mistaken, Farnes. I said if Alex epts the offer. Nowhere in this offer did I say he would be handed over against his own will. He will eithere of his own volition, or not at all."


    ''What!?''


    Principal Farnes suddenly felt a great pressure befall his shoulders.


    Not from the Overseers suddenly dumping their aura on him or anything like that, but simply because he had misjudged the situation!


    However, his mind was also reeling with questions of doubt and confusion.


    Why would the Overseerse to him then, instead of just going directly to Alex?


    Were they really so benevolent to give someone so much weaker than them a choice in this matter?


    He knew that if he were in their position, he would not.


    "I am surprised that someone of your stature wouldn''t know better, Farnes."


    Out of nowhere, the shortest of the bunch of Overseers spoke up for the first time.


    "You should know that in order to seed as an awakened, you have to choose your own path. Forcing someone down a path they are unwilling to take will only stunt their potential."


    Farnes felt embarrassed, like a school child being scolded by their teacher in front of this small Overseer.


    Especially since he was the Principal of thergest and most dominant university in the Federation.


    He was supposed to be the most senior educator in the entire Federation, yet he had failed to see this obvious w.


    However, he was still a Human first, teacher second!


    Regardless of future potential, talent or ability, it was for the good of the human race!


    "Now, let''s ask Alex himself, shall we."


    Val broke Farnes out of his thoughts when his alluring voice spoke out once again.

 Chapter 438 Response

    Val raised his hand, and the air around him shimmered with a strange energy. In an instant, a projection of Alex appeared in the middle of the room, surrounded by the jaggedndscape of Gorath in the Telorn system.


    His fierce eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces staring at him in the Round Table room. The tension in the room was evidently clear, but before anyone could speak, Alex''s voice cut through the silence.


    Alex was extremely confused by the unknown faces he was seeing in the round table room, particrly the looks on each of the S tier''s faces, even Principal Farnes, which clearly expressed deep concern and even some fear.


    However, when Val ryed the same question back to him, Alex only had one thing to say.


    "Hell no!"


    "..."


    ''...''


    The room was drenched in a sudden silence.


    ''What did he just say?''


    The S tiers in the room all looked at each other with incredulity.


    Their anger simmered, threatening to boil over, but they restrained themselves ¡ª barely.


    ''This is exactly what I was worried about¡­''


    However, contrary to them, Farnes had expected this to happen.


    That was why he was so desperate to make the deal without Alex''s involvement.


    He knew Alex well enough, and this is exactly what he wanted to avoid the most.


    Sadly, the Overseers didn''t give him that chance.


    Major General Lyndal clenched her fists as she stepped forward, face flushed with frustration and with pleading eyes.


    "Alex, you don''t understand. This isn''t just about you."


    She urged.


    "The Federation depends on you! If you ept their offer, the war will end. You have to think about the bigger picture, we''re fighting for survival!"


    The other S tiers chimed in after seeing Major General Lyndal speak.


    Some tried appealing to Alex''s humanity, while others offered reassurances of his eventual return as a hero.


    But their voices, filled to the brim with pleas and hope, never reached him.


    Unbeknownst to the S tiers, and even Principal Farnes, Val had silently muted their words on Alex''s end.


    All he saw was them speaking, but with no wordsing out.


    The Overseer''s expression remained impassive as he observed the scene, but when the tension in the room reached a boiling point, he finally spoke.


    "Did you forget what I just said?"


    Val''s voice was cold as the void.


    He cast a nce at the agitated S tiers, his eyes glowing even more mysteriously now.


    "I said it has to be of his own choice. Being pressured into epting the offer is not on the table. He must ept it himself."


    A sudden wave of power emanated from Val, pressing down on the room like an invisible weight.


    It was the first time since the Overseers had arrived that Val had allowed his true aura to re, and it was nothing short of terrifying.


    The oppressive force was suffocating, like being submerged in deep, crushing water.


    The S tiers who had been pleading with Alex moments earlier fell silent.


    Their faces paled as they realised the enormity of the power contained in the one Overseer that stood before them.


    This wasn''t the aura of someone in the same rank as them.


    It wasn''t even close.


    Val''s aura felt like something beyond even S tier¡­


    It was a force so overwhelming it transcended anything they couldprehend.


    It was as if they were standing in the presence of a being that existed on a different ne of existence entirely.


    Principal Farnes, though shaken, forced himself to stand tall.


    He had to maintain some semnce of leadership, despite the crushing power that threatened to break hisposure.


    "Lord Val, please¡ª"


    But Val raised a hand, silencing him.


    "Enough."


    He turned his gaze back to Alex, who just looked on confusedly at the scene unfolding before him.


    "Is that your final response, young one?"


    Alex, however, remained casual in his response despite seeing how even S tiers of his own race reacted to the presence of the mysterious being talking to him.


    "I''m in charge of my own future. I''m not gonna let some shiny robes do it for me."


    He nced at the destruction he was causing to the Red Demons in the background, continuing.


    "Besides, I''ve got my own problems to deal with here."


    Val stared at Alex, narrowing his eyes sightly, though whether it was from amusement or frustration was unclear.


    The silence that followed Alex''s defiant deration felt as heavy as the atmosphere the Overseer imposed.


    The S tiers held their breaths, both in anger and defeat.


    They had possibly just lost their only chance to end the war with the Red Demons once and for all.


    "You truly are something, Alex."


    Val said finally, still carrying that eerie, cosmic cadence.


    "Few would dare to speak as you have in our presence."


    Alex stood firm, refusing to show the same deference that everyone else in the room had been forced into.


    Val tilted his head slightly, a gesture almost too human for a being of his magnitude.


    "Very well."


    Val said.


    "If this is your choice, we will not interfere."


    Without another word, Val and the other five turned, shimmering and beginning to dissolve like mist caught in the wind.


    Just as quickly and auspiciously as they had arrived.


    The room was plunged into silence with Val''s disappearance, strangely though, Alex''s projection still floated unevenly in the air above the table.


    His figure shimmered slightly, still as casual as ever.


    "Looks like your shiny friends took the hint."


    He muttered under his breath.


    "Alex¡­"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Farnes spoke softly.


    "You don''t understand what you''ve done."


    Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly unaware of what had humanity''s leaders so down like that.


    "I''ve made my choice. Isn''t that what they wanted? Or did I miss something?"


    Farnes stepped closer to the holographic projection, face etched with deep weariness.


    "You just turned down an offer that could have saved our entire race¡­ The war could have ended today, Alex. The Overseers¡­ they could have ended it all¡­"

 Chapter 439 Do I look dead to you?

    Alex scoffed, shaking his head.


    "Yeah well, I don''t trust some aliens in shiny robes to fix our problems. We''ll win this war on our own. I''m not going to sell my future just because they wave some magic cure to all of our problems in front of us."


    His words hung in the air, stubborn despite finding out the consequences of his refusal.


    Major General Lyndal stepped forward, and spoke in a low and strained voice.


    "You think you''re so righteous, don''t you? You think you can just walk away from this without a second thought? You''ve doomed us all, Alex. You don''t realise how badly this war is going for us!"


    It was obvious she couldn''t contain her anger.


    Alex didn''t flinch.


    "Yeah well, we''ve been ''doomed'' countless times before in our history. And look at us now, does it look like we''re any worse off than we were back then?"


    In the past, Alex would have hesitated in front of all these lofty figures.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Their status and strength were worth respecting after all.


    But now, he has effectively grown a pair.


    Being around Rothwind enough made him realise that these A tier and S tier beings were just normal people who had gained power when it came down to it.


    Major General Lyndal stood up from her seat and nodded.


    "I understand. Good luck out there, Alex. You''ll need it."


    "Are you threatening me?"


    Alex stared at her through the projection.


    Major General Lyndal was stunned.


    When was thest time a lowly C tier spoke to her like this¡­?


    But considering thepany she was keeping, Major General Lyndal decided to suppress her anger for now.


    "I was just offering you a piece of friendly advice, since it looks like you are in the Telorn system. If I remember correctly, that ce is currently under Red Demon upation, isn''t that right?"


    Lyndal had a slight smug smirk that she failed to conceal when she revealed this, like she was basically confirming that Alex was fucked in his situation.


    After all, which C tier could survive and escape from billions upon billions of Red Demons all targeting them?


    "I see."


    Alex nodded, not caring about Major General Lyndal''s smugness at all.


    "Let me ask you this, Lyndal."


    Alex paused, not bothering to address her by her title anymore.


    She had lost that right in Alex''s mind.


    "Do you know of Eldaris'' destruction?"


    His question was a simple one, as the Federation surely kept an eye on all Red Demon territories to find any vulnerabilities and intelligence, so they would most likely know about it.


    "Yes I do."


    She answered straightforwardly.


    "Well, do I look dead to you?"


    That was it.


    Alex walked away from the projection after saying that, and it disappeared automatically after he did so.


    He had effectively hung up on everyone in the round table room.


    "..."


    Major General Lyndal was speechless, while Principal Farnes did his best to hide his smirk.


    ''That''s right¡­ Eldaris was the he and Mira were reported missing on¡­''


    As an A tier, Lyndal had the capacity to understand what Alex was getting at without much thought.


    And she knew what he meant by saying that final piece.


    ''I underestimated him¡­''


    Alex revealed through that one statement that he was clearly strong enough to escape the Telorn system if he even wanted to.


    But even so, she would never have guessed his real ns for the Telorn system¡­


    ***


    Alex really rejected Val''s offer?


    The S tiers in the room all looked at each other with incredulity, not knowing how to react.


    It was toote now to go and beg Val and the others toe back, their ship had already left through another wormhole they opened up.


    "I understand why he couldn''t bear to leave his people."


    Lyndal spoke to another S tier sat at the table.


    "He didn''t seize the opportunity that was handed to him."


    Another S tier chimed in.


    Principal Farnes sighed when he saw this.


    He himself had always been a firm believer in a collectivemunity and culture for the human race


    "A punk from a backwards colony with no family to speak of¡­"


    A S tier stared at the ceiling of the room like he was looking at Alex himself.


    "Does he really think he had a choice in this matter?"


    Farne''s expression changed as he looked around at the people in the room like they were stupid.


    "Do you all really have shit for brains!? Of course he had a choice, the Overseers said it themselves! Do you really not get that? No matter what we said to try and convince, persuade or pressure him, it would amount to nothing in the end!"


    Farnes tapped his finger on the table.


    "There was nothing we could do¡­"


    Whoosh!


    One by one the S tiers teleported away, disembarking to wherever they pleased as they couldn''t stand being in that room anymore.


    However, unbeknownst to everyone in that room, not all was as it seemed¡­


    ***


    Buzz!


    One of the S tiers who was just present in that meeting tapped a projection.


    A red skinned man drinking what appeared to be some sort of alcohol appeared on the other end of the projection.


    He had scales all across his body, and deep crimson eyes.


    He was clearly a Red Demon.


    "Donald! My friend, aren''t you busy with your affairs over in the human world? What made you want to call me?"


    The Red Demon spoke to the S tier, Donald in quite a friendly tone.


    Not something one would expect from an interaction between two races at war with each other¡­


    "No time to talk. I have an urgent report."


    Donald rushed his speech.


    "Tell me, have you ever heard of some group called the Collective, and the Overseers?"


    Smash!


    The sounds of ss breaking could be heard on the other side of the call.


    The Red Demon had dropped his alcohol on the ground.


    ''I''ll take that as a yes¡­''


    Donald thought to himself.

 Chapter 440 Donald

    "Where did you hear of those names?"


    The Red Demon on the other end of the call looked incredibly stern as he asked this question to Donald.


    "I didn''t just hear about them, I spoke to them myself."


    Donald replied haphazardly, making sure that there was nobody nearby who could hear him.


    If he found out that anyone was, then¡­


    Let''s just say they wouldn''t be around anymore.


    Unless it were another S tier, or a powerful A tier who could escape his grasp faster than he could kill them.


    Then he would be in some serious trouble.


    He nced around cautiously and scanned his surroundings with whatever senses an S tier like him had on offer, and made sure things were secure before continuing the conversation.


    However, on the other end of the call, the Red Demon''s eyes had constricted to a thin line and he looked at Donald in a mixture of shock and anxiety.


    ''The Collective¡­ the Overseers¡­ made contact with the humans? But for what purpose??? Could it be¡­''


    All sorts of wild ideas ran through his head, running through all the possible reasons for why they could be there.


    Some were closer to the truth than he would have liked to have found out¡­


    "What do you mean by that? They visited you?"


    Donald nodded.


    "They came directly to us out of the blue ¡ª appeared out of nowhere in their absolutely enormous ship. They bypassed all our defences and teleported directly into our most secure room to confront us face to face. Even that old fart Farnes looked scared in their presence!"


    Donald felt like he could talk for hours upon end about his short encounter with the Overseers, but he was pressed for time so he kept it short.


    "And, you didn''t answer my question! What do they want!?"


    The Red Demon on the other side became more and more agitated as time went on though, as if even a short exnation by Donald was too much.


    "I was getting to that! They came to us with an offer¡ª"


    Smash!


    Donald heard something smash on the other side once again, and paused his speech to take a look.


    "Continue."


    But the Red Demon ushered him on.


    "Ahem! As I was saying, they came to us with an offer¡­ but it wasn''t for us. It was for one of our prodigies¡­ They wanted him to join them."


    The Red Demon''s face twisted into even more disbelief, twisting his deep crimson eyes into even sharper slits.


    If one wasn''t paying attention, they wouldn''t realise he had irises at all!


    He couldn''t fathom what he was hearing.


    "A human prodigy?"


    He hissed with incredulity.


    "You mean to tell me the Collective came to recruit a human¡­ Wait! What was the deal they made then!?"


    Donald''s lips curled into a thin, tight smile.


    But it wasn''t a smile of ''yeah that''s right, don''t look down on us humans!''


    It was more a smile of ''Fuck, this is going to be awkward¡­''


    The Red Demon on the other side of the projection was visibly agitated by Donald''s smile.


    His wed fingers drummed on the surface of his chair with mounting frustration.


    "Well that''s where things get a littleplicated¡­"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Donald began his exnation, chuckling to himself as he tried tough away the awkwardness.


    "They didn''t just offer him something small. It wasn''t just a bribe or a quick exchange. They offered to recruit him, and I mean REALLY recruit him. They even said he had potential or something like that¡­"


    Donald kept rambling on about what happened in detail, and the Red Demon just kept getting more and more frustrated and even afraid the more he heard.


    "... and in the end, they even said they''d end the conflict between our two races if he epted it! Can you believe that? Such audacity, tsk."


    This time the Red Demon froze.


    ''End the war¡­?''


    Donald could see by his reaction that this came as an absolute shock to him.


    "Yeah, no more bloodshed, no more fighting. The Overseers said they''d handle the Red Demons, everything. All Alex had to do was join them."


    The Red Demon''s face twisted into a snarl, and the faint sounds of something cracking could be heard on his end of the call.


    His temper was barely contained.


    "I need to get out of this ce then¡­"


    He moved to turn the projection off and make his escape before things were toote for him.


    "Wait!"


    But Donald stopped him before he could do so.


    "You didn''t let me finish my retelling of events!"


    ''...''


    "Do you think I give a damn about your story!? Motherfu¡ª Ahem, I''m in imminent danger and you wish to continue talking like a normal Sunday afternoon? You''re lucky I need to escape or I''de and strangle the life out of you!"


    The Red Demon exploded at Donald in a rage and chastised him for all the reasons he could think of.


    "Danger? But the kid didn''t even take their deal. Haha, you should have seen the looks on the other''s faces. It was priceless!"


    The Red Demon''s furious expression froze for a moment as Donald''s words sunk in.


    "What¡­ did you just say?"


    His voice was now dangerously quiet, like it had been squeezed out of him.


    Donald grinned again, this time out of amusement.


    "Yeah, that''s right. The Kid ¡ª Alex ¡ª turned them down. Can you believe it? The Overseers, with all their grandeur, offering him peace on a golden tter¡­ and he just said, ''Hell no!''"


    The Red Demon''s ws scraped across the surface of his chair, leaving deep gouges.


    His breath came out in sharp hisses, and the glow in his eyes intensified.


    The very idea that a human, a mere C tier, had the audacity to reject the Overseer''s offer ¡ª it was unfathomable!


    "You''re lying."


    Which is exactly why he called Donald out on his bluff.


    Or so he thought¡­


    "No, I''m being dead serious. I''m sure news of it will reach you through your own channels soon enough."


    Donald shook his head and casually leaned against the wall of his dimly lit room.

 Chapter 441 Potential

    "I was right there when it happened. Alex didn''t even hesitate, just said something along the lines of, ''I don''t trust beings who show up in fancy robes and start making demands.'' You could have heard a pin drop in that room!"


    The Red Demon''s mind raced.


    If they had approached a human prodigy, they must have seen something in him that went beyond normal potential. And if Alex had the strength to defy them¡­ there was no telling what came next.


    "You fool."


    The Red Demon finally spat.


    "Do you have any idea what you''re saying? If the Overseers made contact with Alex, then he''s no ordinary human. They saw something in him¡ªsomething dangerous."


    Donald shrugged, his carefree demeanour barely masking the tension rising in the air.


    "That''s not my problem. The way I see it, the Overseers can do what they want. Alex made his choice, and it''s his fight now."


    The Red Demon was silent for a moment, calcting.


    His entire race was already entangled in a brutal, long-standing war with the humans. The arrival of the Overseers had always been a distant, abstract threat¡ªuntil now¡­


    The Red Demon''s wed fingers tapped rhythmically against the arm of his chair, his eyes narrowing as he set aside thoughts of the Overseers for the time being.


    Therger cosmic game they were ying would have to wait.


    His focus now turned to Alex¡ªthe human prodigy who had drawn the attention of these powerful entities.


    The very mention that the Overseers hadbelled him as someone with ''potential'' sent a chill down the Red Demon''s spine.


    He was silent for a long moment, staring into the empty space where Donald''s projection had been.


    His thoughts swirled like a storm, filled with scenarios that painted Alex as far more than just a rising talent.


    If the Overseers saw potential in Alex, it wasn''t some meaninglesspliment. They never wasted words. When they acknowledged someone''s ability, it meant they had foreseen a future where that individual could rise to terrifying heights.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And if Alex had enough strength or will to refuse them, that could only mean one thing¡ªhe was already walking the path to bing an S-tier Ancient ss!


    The Red Demon''s expression darkened at the thought. A human, reaching such levels of power, was uneptable. In the past, any talk of a human bing an Ancient would have beenughable, a mere delusion whispered among their kind.


    But now, with the Overseers'' stamp of approval, the idea suddenly became a very real threat.


    He stood up from his seat, his towering figure illuminated by the dim red glow of his chamber. His wed hand clenched into a fist.


    "Alex¡­"


    He muttered the name under his breath, as if trying to taste the danger that came with it.


    "If the Overseers believe in you, then you are more dangerous than I could have ever imagined."


    The Red Demon wasn''t the type to fear easily, but this? This was different. Any other S-tier human¡ªhe would have dismissed them, maybe crushed them if they got too close to the conflict.


    But Alex wasn''t like the others.


    The fact that he''d attracted the attention of beings as ancient as the Overseers meant his potential was far greater than anyone realised. A potential that could shift the bnce of power between their races.


    A low growl escaped his lips.


    "I cannot allow this."


    He started pacing the room, his mind moving faster with each step.


    "I''ve already seen how one prodigy can change the course of history. If Alex continues to grow, he could turn this entire war in favour of the humans."


    He sneered, the idea filling him with both anger and unease.


    This was no longer just about human arrogance or some misguided sense of equality. This was a strategic threat¡ªone that had to be dealt with before it grew out of control.


    And the Overseers had made it clear: Alex had the potential to be something more, something dangerous.


    "If he bes an Ancient¡­"


    The Red Demon stopped his pacing, staring into the dark, his mind racing with the implications.


    "It would mean the rise of a new power¡ªa human with the strength to rival the Elders of our kind."


    The thought of a human wielding such power was unbearable. It went against everything the Red Demons believed, their superiority, their dominion over the lesser species.


    If Alex reached that level, the human race would have the ability to resist the Red Demon''s advance.


    He turned sharply toward hismunication panel, activating it with a swipe of his wed hand.


    "Get me details on this Alex!"


    He barked to one of his subordinates on the other end.


    "Everything we have on him. His movements, his strengths, his weaknesses. I want a report within the hour."


    The voice on the other side stammered.


    "Y-yes, my lord! Right away!"


    The Red Demon severed the connection, his mind already turning over possibilities. He couldn''t take any chances with Alex.


    Not now. Not after what Donald had revealed.


    If the Overseers saw him as someone with potential, then the Red Demons needed to see him as a target¡ªa threat that needed to be neutralised before he could fully realise that potential.


    And unlike Donald, the Red Demon had no intention of sitting back and watching.


    "If you''re the key to ending this war, Alex, then I''ll make sure you''re taken out of the equation before you can y your part."


    He wasn''t a fool. He knew this would require more than brute strength. Alex had already refused the Overseers, which meant he wasn''t easily swayed or intimidated.


    But everyone had a weakness. It was just a matter of finding it. The Red Demon would have to be patient, methodical.


    A slow, dark smile spread across his face as he considered his next steps.


    If Alex had even a fraction of the potential the Overseers imed, then his power would make him a target for more than just the Red Demons.


    There would be others¡ªthose who feared or envied such potential.


    The Red Demon just had to ensure that he wasn''t the one to make the first move. Let someone else try to break the prodigy.


    With that, he ended the call with Donald, not wanting to speak another word to the snide human.

 Chapter 442 Where was I

    ''Now, where was I?''


    Alex turned away from the projection of the round table room without another thought.


    At this moment, his mind was full of all sorts of emotions and chaotic thoughts.


    But whatever the case, he couldn''t be bothered to think about all the political matters he was somehow caught up in.


    Right now, he had more important things to worry about.


    Such as the huge ck spherical mass in front of him, and more importantly finding out what those Celestial Orbs are!


    ''Celestial orbs¡­''


    The term rattled in his mind.


    The Red Demons'' reverence for these orbs didn''t match themon understanding of Soul Orbs.


    There was something different about them, even Alex could feel it.


    If he could just get his hands on one of them, then maybe he could find out exactly what it was¡­


    He had to move deeper, to where the higher ranking officers were likely stationed.


    They were much more likely to have the answers he sought than the hive mind like drones of Red Demons down below.


    But Alex knew he had to be cautious.


    If even one of them figured out he was here, then his ns for extracting some information would all go down the drain, as the Red Demons would likely never reveal their use or purpose to him if they knew they were being spied on.


    ''One wrong move and it could all end before I get my answers¡­''


    Slipping through the shadows, Alex began his descent into the heart of the cave system.


    The tunnels grew darker and more twisted, with fewer patrols the deeper he went, indicating that he was getting closer to where themand structure of the Red Demons was operating.


    His senses were sharp, picking up distant murmurs and faint echoes of conversation.


    Alex followed the sound like a predator stalking its prey, until finally, he saw them¡ªa group of high-ranking Red Demons gathered around arge, intricate table made of ck stone. It was an impromptu war room, with a glowing map of the area projected above it.


    A particrly massive Red Demon stood at the centre, his dark red skin scarred from countless battles, his presencemanding respect. This had to be one of their generals, perhaps even higher.


    Surrounding him were other officers, each radiating a sense of authority and strength. They spoke in low voices, too low for normal ears to pick up, but Alex could hear them clearly from where he hid, concealed by the dark crevices of the cave wall.


    "...the shipment must reach the high council intact."


    The massive Red Demon growled.


    "The higher ups are convinced that these celestial orbs areparable in value to the famous Soul orbs we''ve all heard about in the outer cosmos. If we control these orbs, then we not only control this war, but even the next few ones proceeding it as well!"


    ''Comparable to the Soul orbs!? So they aren''t soul orbs with a different name after all? So just what are they then?''


    Alex kept his thoughts close and kept listening in.


    The other officers nodded in agreement, their expressions serious. One of them, a lean Red Demon with piercing yellow eyes, spoke up.


    "But what about the humans? The resistance across the gxy is growing stronger. They''ve been causing problemstely, especially that¡­ thing running around on the surface. Our forces are terrified, let alone stretched thin."


    The general sneered, his sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light.


    "Humans are an infestation. And that ''thing'' you speak of is nothing more than a nuisance. We''ve dealt with worse."


    He paused, his eyes narrowing.


    "Though, if what I''ve heard is true, this human may be more dangerous than we first thought. The Overseers took notice of him."


    ''How the hell did these guys already find out??? I barely even just left the call a few minutes ago!!''


    Alex''s fists clenched as he listened. They were talking about him, of course.


    The conversation shifted back to the Celestial orbs, and Alex''s focus sharpened.


    The general leaned in closer to the table, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone.


    "The humans don''t understand the true nature of these orbs. In fact, I''m willing to bet they don''t even know about Soul orbs! Ha! That''s just how backwards they are."


    ''Well, he''s technically not wrong¡­''


    Alex''s lips curled slightly as he listened to the arrogance of the Red Demon general.


    He stayed hidden, pressing himself further into the shadows of the cave''s jagged walls.


    The general continued, his voiceced with disdain.


    "The humans think they are clever with their resistance, but their ignorance will be their downfall. These orbs ¡ª these Celestial Orbs ¡ªe from the''s soul, not just some ordinary nobody like that human kid on the surface''s soul! A real, whole!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The other officers exchanged wary nces, clearly in awe of the power they believed these orbs possessed.


    Sometimes having so much power was a burden rather than a benefit.


    Especially since they were not the ones lucky enough to get to absorb them.


    "But General... what if this human¡ªthis Alex¡ªwhat if he disrupts our ns? The Overseers marked him, after all. If they have any interest in him, it means he could be a much bigger threat than we anticipated."


    The general scowled, his massive ws flexing as he rested his hands on the stone table.


    "Alex is nothing more than a distraction. If he bes a nuisance, we will deal with him. We are preparing something special for him anyway."


    Alex felt this whole situation to be too amusing to watch.


    Alex leaned deeper into the shadows, stifling a chuckle at the Red Demons'' underestimation of him.


    The more they talked, the more convinced he became that they werepletely oblivious to the true threat he posed.


    Their arrogance was amusing, but he couldn''t afford to let it distract him.


    ''A''s soul¡­ Is there even such a thing? Or¡­ wait, is that the huge ck sphere I saw earlier??''

 Chapter 443 Out of patience

    ''Nevermind waiting. If I wait any longer they may just be able to transport these Celestial Orbs out for all I know!''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Alex''s patience snapped.


    ''Fuck it!''


    The time for stealth was over.


    He hade this far, and now there was no turning back.


    His muscles tensed as he locked onto the towering Red Demon General stationed in the centre of the room, the centre of attention to all the Red Demons upying the ce.


    The General was the focal point, his hulking frame drawing the attention of all the other Red Demons in the chamber.


    A figure of absolute authority, he loomed over the intricate stone table, barkingmands to his officers without a trace of fear or doubt.


    Alex felt a rush of adrenaline surge through him. If he was going to make his move, now was the time.


    In one swift motion, he sprang from his hiding ce, a blur of movement too fast for the Red Demons to react.


    The General barely had time to look up before Alex was upon him, his de cutting through the air like a razor.


    The General roared, his massive hand snapping up to block the blow, but Alex was faster.


    His sword sliced through the General''s arm with a sickening crunch, sending dark, thick blood spraying across the stone floor.


    The room erupted into chaos.


    Red Demon officers shouted, scrambling for their weapons as they tried to process what had just happened.


    But Alex wasn''t about to let them regroup.


    With a brutal efficiency, he ducked under a wild swing from another officer, his fist driving into the demon''s midsection with enough force to shatter bones.


    The officer crumpled to the ground, his body limp.


    The General, clutching his severed arm, growled in fury.


    His eyes glowed with a deep, malevolent light as he reached for the enormous axe strapped to his back.


    Even with one arm, the General was a terrifying sight¡ªhis presence alone enough to make lesser demons cower.


    "You dare!"


    The General snarled, his voice booming like thunder as he swung the axe toward Alex.


    But Alex was already moving. He sidestepped the powerful strike with ease, the massive weapon crashing into the stone floor, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.


    Without missing a beat, Alex spun around, his sword slicing through the air once more. This time, the de found its mark, cutting deep into the General''s side.


    The demon bellowed in pain, staggering backward, but he wasn''t finished yet.


    With a savage roar, he swung his axe in a wide arc, forcing Alex to leap back to avoid the deadly edge.


    The other Red Demons were finally reacting, charging toward Alex with weapons drawn, but they were too slow.


    Alex''s eyes burned with a fierce determination. He had one target in mind, and that was the General. The rest were just distractions.


    He darted forward, closing the gap between him and the massive demon in the blink of an eye.


    His de shed, striking again and again with blinding speed, each blow aimed at the General''s vital points.


    The Red Demon tried to fight back, but Alex was relentless, his movements fluid and precise, like a predator toying with its prey.


    With one final strike, Alex drove his sword through the General''s chest, the de piercing through flesh and bone.


    The demon''s eyes widened in shock as his body trembled, blood pouring from the wound.


    For a brief moment, the room fell silent.


    Then, with a grunt of effort, Alex wrenched his sword free, and the General''s massive body copsed to the ground with a heavy thud.


    The remaining Red Demons froze, their eyes wide with disbelief. Their leader¡ªone of the strongest among them¡ªhad fallen.


    And now, they were faced with an enemy that had just taken him down with ease.


    Alex turned to face them, his sword dripping with the General''s blood. His gaze was cold, calcting.


    "You''re all next."


    He said, his voice low but carrying the weight of a death sentence.


    The demons hesitated, clearly torn between fear and the instinct to fight back. But Alex didn''t give them a chance to decide.


    In a blur of motion, he lunged at the nearest demon, his de cutting through flesh and bone as if it were nothing.


    The room exploded into chaos once more as the Red Demons scrambled to defend themselves, but they were no match for Alex.


    His movements were a whirlwind of violence and precision, cutting down one demon after another with terrifying efficiency. Each strike was deliberate, each blow fatal.


    Within minutes, the chamber was littered with the bodies of Red Demons.


    Blood stained the stone floor, pooling around the lifeless forms of the demons who had dared to stand in his way.


    Alex stood amidst the carnage, breathing heavily but unscathed. His eyes flickered toward the entrance to the vault where the Celestial Orbs were stored.


    Now that the General was dead, there was nothing standing between him and those orbs.


    He wiped the blood from his de and stepped toward the entrance to the main cavern, where the huge ck mass was housed.


    ''I was standing here just earlier, not knowing that I was staring at a potential gold mine!''


    He spotted several thousand Red Demons all standing around, running all over the ce, or just panicking at the sight of him.


    None of them werebatants, that was clear.


    But Alex didn''t care.


    The Caverns shook as the sounds of demons screaming in pain, misery, and all other sorts of emotions echoed across the lot of them.


    It only took Alex a few seconds to cleave the thousands upon thousands of them like a herd of sheep.


    Not a single one was able to resist him, but then again, neither was the B rank Mutant ss General either.


    And before long, he was now alone in the whole ce.


    ''So this is the''s soul¡­ I think?''


    He thought to himself as he looked at the huge ck sphere, now with a few noticeable marks in it from where the Red Demons had begun their excavations.

 Chapter 444 A voice

    Alex approached the massive ck sphere cautiously. It hummed with an ominous energy, its dark surface seeming to ripple like liquid as he got closer.


    The Celestial Orbs, which he originally sought, were somewhere beyond this barrier¡ªyet the sphere itself felt like something far more dangerous.


    Before his hand could make contact, a deep vibration pulsed through the chamber, and Alex recoiled. A crack in the ck surface widened slightly, revealing a dull red glow deep within.


    "Foolish mortal..."


    A voice, deep and filled with contempt, echoed from within the sphere.


    Alex''s muscles tensed.


    He instinctively gripped his de, scanning the chamber for any new threat, but saw nothing except the ominous sphere before him.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed as he took a step back from the sphere, his pulse quickening.


    "Where is that voiceing from?"


    He muttered, gripping Virtue''s Edge tighter tighter.


    "Right in front of you."


    The voice responded, clear and booming, reverberating through the entire cavern.


    Alex froze, staring at the massive ck sphere in disbelief. The¡ªit was the itself talking to him!


    His mind raced as he processed what was happening.


    First, the idea that a could have a soul, something he''d barely wrapped his head around¡ªand now, it was speaking to him?


    "What the fuck is going on?"


    He muttered aloud, his confusion mixing with a surge of adrenaline.


    The ck sphere pulsed again, as if responding to his thoughts. "You dare intrude upon my core and question my nature, mortal?" the voice growled, low and menacing, as though the entire itself had be sentient, watching his every move.


    Alex''s heart pounded, but he wasn''t about to back down. "This¡­ you¡­ you''re the soul of the?"


    "More than that," the voice hissed, its toneced with disdain. "I am the itself. And you, insignificant insect, have dared to trespass upon my very essence."


    However, like something must have clicked in the''s mind, its tonepletely flipped.


    "You..."


    The voice spoke again, but this time there was something strange in its tone, a hesitation.


    "You are the ones who have been cutting into me. You... dare toe back after defiling my core?"


    Alex blinked.


    Defiling its core? What was it talking about?


    Then it hit him.


    The Red Demons.


    They had been mining the sphere, cutting out pieces of it for those Celestial Orbs. Alex nced at the marks and cuts across the sphere''s surface, now glowing faintly with a red hue.


    The Demons had damaged it.


    Realisation hit like a hammer. The was confused ¡ª it thought he was one of them!


    "You''ve got it wrong!"


    Alex said, raising his voice.


    "I''m not with the Red Demons. They''re the ones who were mining you for those Celestial Orbs, not me."


    The ground trembled, but the voice seemed less certain now.


    "You¡­ lie. You all seek to tear me apart. Piece by piece... I feel you, scraping at my essence. Stealing my soul."


    Alex''s jaw tightened.


    The pieces were falling into ce. The Red Demons had been harvesting chunks of the''s soul¡ªthese Celestial Orbs¡ªcausing damage to it in the process.


    That''s why it was acting this way,shing out, confused and angry. The Demons had wounded it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I''m not here to hurt you."


    Alex said cautiously, lowering his de slightly but staying on edge.


    "The ones who did this¡ªthey''re dead. I killed them."


    The sphere pulsed with a dim light, the anger still present, but wavering.


    "Dead...? But why then... do you stand before me? You seek to take more of my soul, just like the others..."


    "No."


    Alex said firmly.


    "I came here to stop them. I didn''t even know what you were until just now. They were the ones cutting into you, taking pieces of your soul. I''m not like them."


    The cavern went eerily silent for a moment. The seemed to be processing his words, its confusion palpable. The red glow flickered, uncertain.


    "My soul... fractured. My power... stolen. You are not like them, yet... you stand in their ce.


    Why should I trust you?"


    The voice was less aggressive now, but stillced with suspicion and pain.


    Alex took a deep breath.


    "Because I didn''te here to break you apart. But if you keep seeing me as one of them, we''re both going to have a problem. And trust me, I don''t want to fight a whole."


    The sphere pulsed again, slower this time.


    "If what you say is true... then my enemy is already gone. Yet, I remain broken."


    Alex nced at the faint scars on the sphere, where the Red Demons had cut out pieces of its soul.


    "I think the damage they did... it messed with you. Those orbs¡ªthey were pieces of your soul, weren''t they?"


    "Fragments... yes."


    The voice answered, quieter now, as though contemting.


    "They took what was mine. And now I... I am iplete."


    Alex exhaled, his grip on his sword loosening.


    "Then maybe we can help each other. I didn''te here to break you. I came to figure out what those Demons were doing, and now I know. They were using your power, your essence. But I''m not here to take any more."


    There was a long pause before the''s voice rumbled again, this time with less hostility.


    "Perhaps... Perhaps I have misjudged you. But know this, mortal¡ªmy wounds run deep. If you are truly not my enemy... then prove it."


    Alex''s eyes narrowed.


    "And how do I do that?"


    "Return what was stolen. Restore my soul."


    The''s voice was still heavy with pain, but there was a flicker of hope.


    Alex nced back at the chamber littered with the bodies of the Red Demons. The Celestial Orbs... he''d have to find a way to gather them, to give them back. It wasn''t what he''d nned, but if it meant avoiding a fight with an entire sentient, he''d take the chance.


    "I''ll find a way."


    Alex muttered to himself.


    ''I''ll just have to hope for this''s sake that none of the Celestial orbs were transported off-world yet¡­''

 Chapter 445 Stabilising

    Alex took onest look at the ck sphere before turning on his heel, surveying the carnage he had left behind.


    The bodies of Red Demons littered the ground, their twisted forms still clutching at the weapons they never had the chance to use against him. His eyes flickered across the chamber, seeking any trace of the Celestial Orbs.


    "I''ve got to find them before it''s toote."


    He muttered under his breath.


    The''s voice hummed in the background, still heavy with pain but quieter now.


    It seemed to be waiting, unsure whether to trust him fully, but for the moment, it wasn''t hostile. Alex knew it wouldn''t stay that way forever.


    He scanned the cavern, his eyes finallynding on a section at the far end where crude mining tools and equipment were scattered haphazardly.


    Crates and storage containers sat piled around a deep trench where the Demons had been cutting into the''s core.


    ''If they were storing anything, it''s got to be there.''


    He thought, making his way toward the pile of supplies.


    As he approached, his eyes caught a faint, flickering lighting from one of the crates. He hurried to it, lifting the heavy lid to reveal a small collection of shimmering, pulsating orbs.


    The Celestial Orbs.


    They were no bigger than his fist, but each one radiated a strange, ethereal energy that seemed almost alive.


    As Alex reached out, his hand hovered over the orbs, feeling the immense power contained within them.


    These were fragments of the''s very soul¡ªstolen pieces that had left it broken and vulnerable.


    "You found them..."


    The''s voice echoed, sounding both relieved and desperate.


    "Return them to me... and restore what was lost."


    Alex paused for a moment, the reality of the task settling on his shoulders. There was no manual for how to return a''s soul, no guidebook for fixing something on this scale. But he''de too far to hesitate now.


    Grabbing one of the orbs, Alex stood and moved back toward the ck sphere.


    He held the Celestial Orb in front of him, feeling the''s energy reaching out, pulling at the orb like a ma.


    "I hope this works¡­"


    He muttered, pressing the orb toward one of the cracks in the sphere''s surface.


    The moment the orb touched the ck mass, a pulse of energy rippled through the entire cavern.


    The sphere glowed faintly as it absorbed the orb, the red hue within it dimming slightly as though some of its pain had been alleviated.


    "More..."


    The urged, its voice softer now, but still tinged with desperation.


    Alex didn''t waste any time. He returned to the crate and retrieved the remaining orbs, bringing them back to the sphere one by one.


    Each time, the absorbed the fragments, the glowing cracks slowly knitting themselves together as its energy stabilised.


    As he returned thest of the Celestial Orbs, the ck sphere pulsed with a deep, resonant hum, the once-ominous energy now more serene.


    The red glow had faded, reced by a soft, steady light.


    "I... feel whole once more¡­"


    The''s voice rumbled, this time with a tone of gratitude rather than hostility.


    "You have done what the others would not. You have restored my soul."


    Alex stood back, watching as the final remnants of the damage the Red Demons had inflicted began to disappear.


    The ck sphere, now stable, no longer radiated the same threatening energy.


    It felt... peaceful.


    "So, we''re good now?"


    Alex asked, half-joking, though part of him still expected the tosh out again.


    The was silent for a moment before responding, its tone now much gentler.


    "You have proven yourself, mortal. I no longer see you as my enemy."


    Alex exhaled, the tension in his body finally releasing. He hadn''t been sure how this would end, but it seemed, for now, that the danger had passed.


    "Good."


    Alex muttered.


    "Because fighting a wasn''t exactly on my list of things to do today."


    The cavern was quiet now, the oppressive atmosphere lifted.


    But Alex knew he wasn''t quite finished yet.


    There was still the question of whether the Red Demons had managed to transport any of the Celestial Orbs off-world before he got here.


    If they had, the would remain iplete, and who knew what kind of consequences that could have.


    However, there was one simple way to confirm this.


    By asking the itself!


    Alex stood before the now-stable ck sphere, relieved but still on edge. The atmosphere in the cavern had calmed, but he wasn''t out of the woods yet.


    There was still the nagging question of whether all the Celestial Orbs¡ªthe''s soul fragments¡ªwere ounted for.


    He nced at the sphere, the faint glow now soft and steady, a far cry from the ominous energy it had radiated before.


    He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go straight to the source.


    "So... do you know if any of your fragments, these Celestial Orbs, were taken out of this cave? Maybe even off-world?"


    The was silent for a beat, as if contemting the question.


    When it finally responded, its voice was clearer, no longer clouded with confusion and pain.


    "No."


    The rumbled softly.


    "None of my soul fragments have left my body. They are still here, on me, but¡­ some have been hidden away. The Red Demons, in their greed, sought to stockpile my essence, keeping it for themselves."


    Alex let out a small breath of relief.


    That was good news. If the orbs hadn''t been transported off-world, then the task ahead of him was still manageable.


    "Alright, so where are they?"


    Alex asked, getting straight to the point.


    "If they''re still here, I need to gather them up and return them to you."


    The pulsed slightly, the faint glow within the sphere brightening.


    "I can feel them, still a part of me¡­ though scattered. I will guide you to where they are hidden."


    There was a pause, and then the began to speak again, its voice echoing through the cavern as it described the locations of the remaining orbs.


    "They are scattered all over me, in five different and difficult to get to locations for a mortal like yourself."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 446 Retrieval

    Chapter 446 Retrieval


    The barrenndscape stretched endlessly before Alex as he set off across the deste, his pace relentless despite the heat beating down on him. The sun, harsh and merciless, cast a re across the cracked earth, turning the horizon into a shimmering blur. The''s voice, no longer the broken, anguished cry it had been earlier, pulsed softly in the back of his mind.


    "Five locations." Alex muttered to himself, pushing through the oppressive desert heat. His resolve was firm, his purpose clear. He had made a promise to the, and now it was time to make good on it. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It didn''t take long before Alex encountered the first group of Red Demons, a small patrol scouring the dunes for any signs of intrusion. They hadn''t noticed him yet, and Alex seized the opportunity. His grip tightened around Virtue''s Edge, his sword glowing faintly with the power it had absorbed over the years.


    Without hesitation, Alex lunged forward, closing the distance in seconds. His de whistled through the air, cutting down the first Demon before the others could even react. Blood sprayed across the sand as the demon''s body copsed, lifeless.


    The remaining Red Demons barely had time to raise their weapons before Alex was upon them. His sword danced in quick, fluid motions¡ªshes, thrusts, and parries¡ªall a deadly symphony that left no room for error. The Demons screeched in fury, but they couldn''t match his speed or skill. One by one, they fell, their twisted bodies crumpling in the sand as Alex moved through them with lethal precision.


    When thest of the patrol hit the ground, Alex stood over their bodies, his chest heaving with exertion. He wiped the sweat from his brow, ncing at the twisted, deformed faces of the fallen Red Demons. These were the ones responsible for killing billions of humans.


    "Monsters." He muttered, his voice a low growl. "You got what you deserved."


    He didn''t linger long. There was still work to be done, and this was only the beginning. His eyes scanned the horizon, focusing on the nearest location the had shown him. It was a long trek across the desert, but Alex knew he had no choice. Time was running out, and the longer the Celestial Orbs remained hidden, the more vulnerable the remained.


    As he marched through the desert, his thoughts turned inward. The enormity of what he was doing wasn''t lost on him. He was essentially working to repair the soul of an entire¡ªa sentient, living being that had been broken and torn apart by the greed of the Red Demons. It wasn''t something he had ever imagined doing, but here he was, fighting not for himself, but for something far bigger, literally!


    And yet, the task felt strangely personal. The had been wounded, and in some way, Alex could rte. He had lost so much in his life, had seen so much destruction and chaos. Maybe that was why he was so determined to set this right¡ªbecause he knew what it was like to feel broken.


    Hours passed as Alex crossed the aridndscape. The second location was nestled deep within a series of rocky formations, where the Red Demons had set up a crude base. As he approached, Alex could see their dark forms moving among the rocks, unaware of his presence. His eyes narrowed. This wasn''t going to be easy¡ªthere were more of them here, and the terrain would make for a difficult fight.


    It wasn''t like Alex would lose to them in terms of power ¡ª no, it was more that he didn''t know the consequences if one of them hurriedly absorbed a celestial orb before he could get to them!


    Would the forever be missing a piece of itself?


    He didn''t know.


    But Alex wasn''t about to back down.


    Moving swiftly, he climbed up the rocky outcropping, staying low to avoid detection. From his vantage point, he could see the Demons had stockpiled more of the Celestial Orbs, keeping them hidden within a cave at the base of the rocks. The sight of the glowing orbs sent a surge of determination through Alex. He needed to retrieve those fragments before the Demons had a chance to use them.


    With a sharp exhale, he leaped down from the rocks,nding silently behind the first group of Red Demons. His sword was out in an instant, slicing through the first two with a single, powerful stroke. Blood sttered against the rocks as the Demons copsed, theirrades turning in shock to see their attacker.


    But Alex was already moving. He spun, driving his de into the chest of another Demon, its eyes wide with shock as it crumpled to the ground. The remaining Demons snarled, rushing at him with their crude weapons, but Alex was ready. His movements were fluid, controlled. Every strike was calcted, every dodge perfectly timed.


    The fight was brutal, but it didn''tst long. Soon, thest Demony dead at Alex''s feet, and the cave was clear.


    Panting slightly, Alex stepped over the bodies, making his way to the stockpile of Celestial Orbs hidden in the cave. There were fewer orbs here than at the first site, but each one radiated the same powerful energy. He carefully gathered them, feeling the faint pulse of the''s soul within each one.


    "Another piece restored." He said under his breath, securing the orbs before heading out of the cave.


    The next locations blurred together as the day wore on. Each site was heavily guarded by more Red Demons, and each time, Alex faced them head-on, cutting through their ranks with ruthless efficiency. He stormed through their encampments, leaving behind trails of destruction, and each time, he retrieved more fragments of the''s soul.


    The third location was buried beneath a series of jagged cliffs, where the Demons had dug deep into the ground to hide the orbs. The battle here was fierce, the narrow cliffs making it difficult to manoeuvre, but Alex fought with a ferocity that surprised even himself. He cut down the Demons with ruthless precision, their bodies toppling into the chasms below.


    The fourth site was located within a cavern deep in the desert. The Demons had holed up inside, thinking the darkness would protect them.


    But Alex stormed in, his sword glowing in the dim light as he tore through their defences. They stood no chance against him.


    And finally, the fifth location¡ªthest stronghold of the Red Demons on Gorath.

 Chapter 447 Thank you

    Chapter 447 Thank you


    By the time Alex arrived, the sun was beginning to set, casting a fiery glow across the desert. The Demons here were the most organised, the most dangerous, but Alex didn''t hesitate.


    He charged into their ranks, his sword cutting through them like a storm. They fought back with a desperation born of fear, but it wasn''t enough.


    Alex was unstoppable. His de shed in the dying light, slicing through armour and flesh, leaving no Demon standing.


    When the final Red Demon fell, Alex stood over its body, panting heavily. His arms ached, his muscles burning from the day''s battles, but he didn''t stop. He had onest task toplete.


    He made his way to the final cache of Celestial Orbs, hidden beneath a pile of rubble at the back of the Demon stronghold. Carefully, he gathered the orbs, feeling the''s energy pulsing through them.


    With thest of the fragments in his possession, Alex turned his gaze toward the horizon. The day had been long, filled with blood and sweat, but he had done it. He had retrieved everyst piece of the''s soul.


    The trek back across the desert was gruelling. Alex''s body screamed for rest, but he pushed through the exhaustion. He couldn''t stop now¡ªnot when he was so close topleting his mission.


    When he finally reached the ck sphere once more, the''s voice greeted him, a soft, grateful hum in the back of his mind. Without hesitation, Alex ced the remaining Celestial Orbs at the base of the sphere, watching as the absorbed them one by one.


    As the final orb was absorbed, the ck sphere pulsed with a deep, resonant glow, its energy now whole andplete. The''s voice, no longer filled with pain or confusion, echoed gently in his mind.


    "Thank you."


    Alex stood there, staring at the now serene ck sphere, its once ominous glow now reced with a peaceful hum. The''s voice in his mind had quieted, its pain alleviated, but the silence felt almost... unsettling.


    He sheathed his sword and exhaled deeply. For the first time sincending on this forsaken desert world, Alex allowed himself to think about something other than survival or battle. The immediate danger was gone, the Red Demons were eradicated, and the''s soul had been restored. But as he gazed at the vast, empty horizon, he felt an odd sense of unfinished business.


    "By the way..." Alex broke the silence, his voice a little hoarse from the desert winds. "What do you even do? Like, what''s your purpose? Having a whole as your body seems kinda cool at first, but after a few billion years¡­ doesn''t it get boring?"


    It was a natural question, though even Alex wasn''t sure why he asked it. Perhaps it was curiosity, or maybe he was simply trying to make sense of this massive, conscious entity he had just saved. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    For a moment, there was no response. The soft hum of the''s energy echoed faintly in his mind, and Alex wondered if he''d overstepped some kind of boundary. But then, the spoke.


    "I¡­ do not know my own purpose."


    The admission hung in the air, weighty and contemtive. Alex frowned, ncing at the ck sphere.


    "You don''t know?"


    He repeated.


    The''s voice was soft, almost reflective. "No. Like you, I came into existence without guidance. I awoke one day, aware of myself, of my surroundings, but with no understanding of why. For eons, I have existed, conscious of my form, mynd, my energy... and yet, I do not know what it is I am meant to do."


    Alex blinked, surprised at the honesty. There was something almost tragic about a being of such scale and power not knowing its own purpose.


    The continued. "But one thing I havee to understand is that very, very fews develop a consciousness as I have. Most are just... matter. Lifeless. Without thought. They exist, but they are not alive as I am."


    Alex mulled this over, thinking back to the Red Demons and their obsessive search for the Celestial Orbs. He nced at the now calm ck sphere.


    "And that''s why the Red Demons were after your Celestial Orbs, right? They knew you were special."


    "Indeed." The replied. "The Demons, vile as they are, understood that such orbs¡ªpieces of my very soul¡ªwere exceedingly rare. They wanted my essence not because they needed it to live, but because it was valuable beyond measure. There are not many like me. And that makes me a target."


    Alex shifted his weight, looking at the ck sphere thoughtfully. The enormity of what the was saying wasn''t lost on him. A conscious, living¡ªsomething that could control its own destiny, but was still unaware of its own purpose. It was strange. Sad, even.


    "So you''ve just been sitting here... alone, for who knows how long?" Alex asked. "You didn''t try to, I don''t know, reach out to anyone? Others? Stars? Anything?"


    The was silent for a moment, the gentle hum still vibrating faintly in the background. Then, it spoke again, and its tone was softer, almost mncholic.


    "I cannot leave my form. I am bound to this body, this world. For as long as I have existed, I have watched over the life that once inhabited me. I guided them, nurtured them, but they never knew I was here. I was simply their world¡ªtheir home. They perished with the arrival of the Red Demons. And now¡­ I am alone."


    The atmosphere felt heavy with the''s sadness. Alex could almost feel the weight of its istion, stretching back through the eons. He frowned, not sure how to respond.


    "Well... that''s not fair." He muttered, crossing his arms. "You''re powerful. Sentient. You''ve got a whole as your body, and yet..."


    He trailed off, unsure of what to say. There was no manual for how tofort a.


    The''s voice interrupted his thoughts. "Alex, ce your hand on my soul."


    Alex blinked in surprise, looking at the ck sphere.


    "What?"

 Chapter 448 Gift

    "ce your hand on my soul."


    The repeated gently.


    "I have something to show you."


    Hesitantly, Alex stepped forward, reaching out his hand toward the ck sphere.


    He paused for a moment, feeling the strange energy that radiated from it, then ced his palm against its surface.


    "I may not know my ce in this universe¡­"


    The instant his hand made contact, a surge of power exploded through him.


    "But I can do this."


    The said, its voice steady.


    Alex''s eyes widened in shock as an unimaginable amount of energy flowed into his body.


    It was unlike anything he had ever felt¡ªraw, pure, and overwhelming.


    His entire body trembled, his knees buckling as the energy crashed into him like a tidal wave.


    "What... the hell?"


    Alex gasped, feeling his internal barriers shatter, one by one.


    He had been thinking about checking his requirements to reach C+ rank for a while now, but got depressed at the thought of it being even more stupidly difficult than all his previous ones.


    Now he wouldn''t get that chance, that barrier was gone. Completely obliterated.


    He was pushed directly to C+ rank¡­


    The power surged through him, filling every fibre of his being, expanding his senses and his abilities to levels he had never imagined possible.


    His entire body thrummed with energy, like he was on the verge of exploding from the sheer force of it all.


    "That was a''s blessing."


    The said, its voice calm despite the overwhelming force coursing through Alex.


    "I can only give five of them out in my entire lifetime. And you were the first."


    Alex could barely process what was happening.


    His heart pounded in his chest, his vision swimming as he struggled to stay upright. The sheer power he felt was terrifying, but at the same time, intoxicating.


    "Holy... crap."


    Alex muttered, his voice shaky.


    "You... you just..."


    "I forcibly broke through your barrier."


    The finished for him.


    "Though you had not yet fulfilled the requirements, I granted you the strength you were striving for."


    Alex was utterly bbergasted.


    He had never heard of anything like this happening.


    Not only had the given him a power boost¡ªhe had broken through a barrier that Alex hadn''t even reached yet.


    It was unheard of.


    "Not many things in this universe can bend the rules of the System. Sentient celestial objects like myself are one of them though."


    "That''s insane."


    Alex finally managed to say, still reeling from the experience.


    "I didn''t even¡ªhow did you...?"


    The''s voice remained calm, though there was a hint of sadness beneath it.


    "It was my gift to you, Alex. A''s blessing, something that can only be given out five times in my entire existence. You were the first to receive it."


    Alex blinked, still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.


    He had been given the kind of power boost most people could only dream of, and he hadn''t even earned it through his own efforts.


    It was a gift.


    But the''s next words hit him harder than the power surge had.


    "Though I doubt I''ll see the chance to use the other four."


    The said quietly.


    "There is no more life inhabiting me."


    The sadness in the''s voice was palpable, and Alex felt a pang of guilt settle in his chest.


    This ancient, powerful being had been alone for so long¡ªwatching over a world that no longer lived, giving him a gift it could only bestow five times in its entire existence.


    And there was no one left to give the others to.


    The atmosphere grew heavy with the weight of that realisation. The had saved its most precious gift for someone like Alex, a stranger, because it had no one else to give it to.


    "I... I don''t know what to say."


    Alex muttered, feeling the weight of what the just said.


    He didn''t know how the itself felt about it, but if he were in the position where he was the home, the provider, the caretaker of billions of living beings, he would view them as his own children.


    "I... I''m sorry."


    He couldn''t imagine what it would be like to lose one''s own children¡­


    The was quiet for a long time before it spoke again.


    "There is no need to apologise, Alex. You have done more for me than anyone ever has."


    Alex clenched his fists, the overwhelming power still thrumming through his body.


    He couldn''t imagine what it must feel like to be this ancient entity, watching over a world that had long since died.


    But even as the sadness lingered, there was a quiet strength in the''s voice.


    "Thank you, Alex."


    Tt said softly.


    "You have given me hope, even if only for a moment."


    Alex nodded, though he wasn''t sure if the could feel it.


    "You''re wee."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He stood there for a moment longer, his hand still resting on the ck sphere, feeling the pulse of the''s soul beneath his fingers.


    Then, with a deep breath, he stepped away, ready to face whatever came next.


    ***


    "We''ve lost contact with Gorath¡­"


    Themunications officer said in a shaky voice, not daring to look directly at his superior.


    His fingers trembled as he tapped at the controls, trying to re-establish a connection to the desert, but nothing came through.


    The signal had gone dark.


    The demon leader''s eyes flickered with interest. He slowly rose from his throne-like chair, the floor creaking under his weight as he stepped forward, his boots making a dull thud with every step.


    "Repeat that."


    The leader growled, his voice low but filled with authority. His presencemanded absolute fear and respect.


    The officer swallowed hard.


    "The... the Gorath, my lord. We''ve lost allmunication with the outposts. No signals. No reports. Nothing."


    For a moment, the leader said nothing. He simply stared at the map, watching the flickering icon that represented Gorath dim and disappear entirely from the disy.


    "We''ve got to get out of this ce¡­"


    He muttered, turning to go and report to his own superiors.

 Chapter 449 Miras gift

    Alex stood in the familiar wastnd, the deste air carrying the faint pulse of the''s energy.


    Beside him, Mira stretched, her eyes narrowing as she took in their surroundings.


    She had recovered from her revival, but there were still some deep, mental scars left behind from knowing that she had died.


    The worst part was that she couldn''t remember a thing from it.


    She already knew from early on that there was little to no evidence of an afterlife, which had even been announced by the Federation not long after the advent of the Primordial Expanse and the System came along.


    But hearing about it, and experiencing something like non-existence herself were two entirely different things.


    She never wanted to feel such a thing again¡­


    Nevertheless, she returned her focus back from her delusions.


    The''s depths were ahead ¡ª holding the unsettling, ck sphere that hummed with a sinister, dormant power.


    "You brought me all the way here for what?"


    Mira asked, her voice tinged with impatience.


    Alex didn''t respond immediately.


    He stared at the sphere, memories of his own blessing reying in his mind¡ªthe raw, destructive power it had unleashed in him.


    He hadn''t nned to ask for another, but something gnawed at him.


    Mira needed this, and though he knew the cost, he was willing to pay it.


    "I need a favour."


    Alex finally said, his voice low.


    Mira''s brow furrowed.


    "You? Asking for a favour? What kind?"


    They reached the sphere, its dark surface reflecting nothing but the abyss.


    Alex pressed his hand against it, feeling the cold beneath the energy.


    The stirred.


    "I''m asking for something rare, something that shouldn''t be requested twice."


    He said, ignoring the biting tension in his own words.


    "But I''m going to ask anyway."


    The''s voice echoed, hollow and ancient.


    "You return, Alex. What do you seek now?"


    Mira stiffened, her eyes darting around the cavernous expanse.


    The voice that had echoed in her mind sent a chill crawling up her spine, her instincts screaming at her that something was wrong.


    She quickly nced at Alex, expecting some kind of exnation.


    "Where the hell did that voicee from?"


    She demanded, her tone sharp.


    She reached for the hilt of her weapon, fingers tightening around the handle out of reflex.


    Alex didn''t look at her. His hand still rested on the cold, ck surface of the sphere.


    "The."


    He spoke tly.


    Mira blinked.


    "What?"


    "The''s alive."


    Alex continued, his voice devoid of any emotion.


    "It''s speaking to us."


    Mira stared at him, her confusion giving way to a mix of disbelief and anger.


    "You''re telling me this thing¡ªthis dead rock¡ªis talking to us? And you just¡­ ept that?"


    Alex finally turned to her, his expression unreadable.


    "I don''t care if you believe it or not, Mira. It is what it is."


    Mira''s mind reeled.


    She nced at the ck sphere, her instincts fighting against everything she had known.


    The Federation had ruled out the idea of sentients after so much research into celestial bodies and the cosmos, but Alex was standing here, calmly telling her that this¡ªthis deste, ruined wastnd¡ªwas alive.


    Unbeknownst to Alex, this was already a well researched topic in the Federation.


    He already knew from Gorath, the, telling him that sentients like itself were rare, but he would be shocked to find out that it was actually the only one in the entire Milky way gxy¡­


    "And you knew this the whole time?"


    She asked, her voice wavering slightly, struggling to wrap her head around the absurdity of it all.


    "Yeah."


    Alex said simply. He removed his hand from the sphere, turning to face her fully.


    "That''s why I brought you here."


    Mira opened her mouth to argue, to demand more answers, but the cold certainty in Alex''s eyes made her pause.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The weight of the situation crashed down on her, and she realised with a sinking feeling that he wasn''t lying.


    As insane as it sounded, she knew Alex wouldn''t waste time on something so ludicrous unless it was real.


    Alex clenched his jaw, knowing what he was about to do was almost sacrilegious.


    "I want you to bless her, like you did me."


    Mira stiffened.


    "What?"


    He didn''t meet her eyes.


    "It gave me strength¡ªpushed me beyond my limits. Now I want the same for you."


    Mira stepped forward, her eyes hard, disbelief creeping into her voice.


    "You''re serious? You want me to take something from this... thing?"


    "It''s not just ''something''."


    Alex replied, his tone harsh, cutting through the doubt.


    "It''s the kind of power no one else can give you. Not even the System. I wouldn''t ask for it if I didn''t believe you deserved it."


    The''s voice slithered between them.


    "She is worthy?"


    Alex didn''t hesitate.


    "More than worthy. She''ll use it. She''ll make it count."


    Mira''s hands flexed at her sides, but she wasn''t convinced.


    "You''re talking about a gift like it''s a transaction, Alex. Why are you pushing this?"


    Alex turned to her, finally meeting her gaze. His eyes were darker than she remembered.


    "Because this has no one else to give it to. No life. No people. Just death and ruin. If it doesn''t give it to you, it''ll rot here, unused. And you know better than anyone ¡ª I don''t care about letting things go to waste."


    Mira''s lips pressed into a thin line, the weight of his words hanging between them.


    She approached the sphere, her fingers just inches from its surface.


    "And you''re sure about this?"


    "I''m not asking twice."


    Alex muttered, his voice deadpan.


    "Do it."


    The stirred again, its voice thrumming deep in their minds.


    "Mira. ce your hand on my soul, and I will give you what Alex asks for."


    Mira hesitated for only a second, then pressed her palm against the sphere.


    The instant she made contact, her body jolted slightly as the''s power rushed into her.


    Unlike Alex''s experience, this wasn''t just an overwhelming surge¡ªit was a violent takeover.


    Mira''s eyes went wide, her teeth gritted as the energy ripped through her, breaking through her limits with savage force.


    Her breath hitched.


    "What... is this?"

 Chapter 450 Empty

    Chapter 450 Empty


    Alex stood by, watching coldly. "Power."


    Mira''s knees buckled, but she held firm, her expression twisting as the raw force poured into her. Her veins burned with it, her body barely able to contain the torrent that tore through her muscles, her bones. But she didn''t scream. She took it, every painful second of it, until the flow finally began to ease.


    The''s voice echoed onest time. "My gift to you, Mira. There will be no others. Use it." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mira staggered back, gasping for air. Her hands trembled, the energy still simmering beneath her skin. She red at Alex, her voice low and rasping. "You weren''t kidding."


    Alex just nodded. "I don''t waste words."


    She clenched her fists, the power still fresh and vtile within her, waiting to be unleashed. Whatever hesitation she had before was gone now. It had been burned away along with whatever boundaries her body once had.


    "Don''t forget." Alex said, his voicecking any warmth. "This wasn''t just a gift. It was a necessity."


    Mira looked back at the ck sphere, thest remnants of its ancient energy seeping back into the void. Whatever bond it had with them was gone now, spent on them, with nothing left for itself.


    "Yeah." She muttered, still feeling the power roiling inside her. "I won''t forget."


    Without another word, they turned and left the listless cave system behind.


    However, if Mira had paid enough attention, she would have realised that she was no longer a C- rank like she thought¡­ ***


    Alex stood on the bridge of his ship, staring out at the deste expanse of the Telorn system. The familiar stars twinkled in the distance, bathing thes in cold light, but there was something deeply unsettling about the silence that permeated the void around them.


    Mira stood beside him, arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on the empty stretch of space. Her senses were heightened, still buzzing with the raw power she had absorbed from the. But even that couldn''t pierce through the disorienting stillness. She could feel something was wrong, an absence that gnawed at the edges of her perception.


    "Where are they?" She muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.


    Alex didn''t answer immediately. His hands moved over the console, scanning the system again, but the result was the same as before¡ªnothing. The ship''s sensors returned no signals, no activity, no signs of life. Not a single Red Demon ship or outpost anywhere within the Telorn system.


    "It''s not possible¡­" He finally said, his voice low and measured, butced with unease. "There should be thousands of them here."


    Mira nced at him, then back to the viewport. Her mind raced, searching for an exnation. Telorn was supposed to be crawling with Red Demons¡ªtheir stronghold, a ce so fortified that attacking it was considered suicidal. Yet the star systemy before them, cold and lifeless, like a graveyard.


    "It''s not just empty." She said, narrowing her eyes. "It''s been wiped clean. Not even debris, no abandoned ships, no corpses. Nothing."


    Alex clenched his jaw, his mind struggling to make sense of it. He had expected a brutal fight, prepared Mira for the chaos they would face upon entering Telorn. But this¡­ this silence was more unsettling than any battle could''ve been.


    "Keep scanning." Alex ordered, his fingers moving quickly over the controls. "There has to be something¡ªsome clue."


    But after several long moments, the results remained unchanged. The system was as barren as it appeared. No ships, no stations, no atmospheric interference. Not even signs of old battles. It was as if the Red Demons had simply vanished without a trace.


    Mira turned to Alex, her frustration boiling over. "What the hell is going on, Alex? They can''t just disappear like this. This system was crawling with them!"


    "It was." Alex snapped, his tone harsher than he intended. He took a breath, his expression darkening as he wrestled with the growing sense of dread. "It doesn''t make sense. There''s no way they could abandon a system like Telorn. Even if they relocated, there should be some evidence. A trail. Something."


    Mira stared out into the void, her mind trying to grasp the implications. The Red Demons were not the kind of enemy that simply left without a fight. They were ruthless, relentless, and they never backed down. If anything, they would''ve fought to thest breath to defend their territory.


    "So what?" She asked, her voice quiet but tense. "You think someone else wiped them out? Took them down before we got here?"


    Alex didn''t answer immediately. His eyes narrowed as he considered the possibility, but even that didn''t sit right with him. The Red Demons were too numerous, too well-entrenched to fall so easily, even to a superior force. And who could''ve done it anyway? The Federation? Impossible. They didn''t have the numbers or the firepower tounch a secret assault on this scale.


    "No." He said slowly, his mind working through the pieces. "Even if someone attacked them, there''d be signs of a battle. This¡­ this isn''t that. This feels more like¡­" He trailed off, his words hanging in the air like a lead weight.


    Mira turned to him, her brow furrowed. "More like what?"


    Alex stared at the empty screen, his brow furrowed as the silence of the Telorn system loomed over them. His thoughts raced, trying to make sense of what they were seeing¡ªor rather, what they weren''t seeing. He let out a slow breath and rubbed the back of his neck before he spoke, voice tight with uncertainty.


    "Maybe they¡­ ran away."


    Mira blinked and turned to face him, her expression t. "Ran away? The Red Demons?"


    She let the thought linger, the absurdity of it weighing heavily between them. Her fingers twitched at her sides, still tingling with the residual power from the''s gift.


    She wanted to use it, to test it in battle. But now¡­ there was no battle to be had.


    Alex held her gaze for a moment, then looked away, his fingers drumming lightly on the console. "It''s the only exnation that makes any sense. No debris. No traces. If they were wiped out, we''d see signs of it. If they fought, there''d be wreckage, bodies. But this..." He gestured to the vast emptiness disyed before them.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 451 Donald

    "This is something else. They evacuated. They abandoned the system."


    Mira stared at him in disbelief.


    "You''re telling me these Red Demons¡ªruthless, bloodthirsty monsters¡ªjust¡­ ran away?"


    Her voice dripped with scepticism, but she knew Alex wasn''t the type to make empty assumptions.


    "Yeah, I guess so."


    She muttered, her tone deting as she tried to process it.


    An awkward silence hung between them, both of them still trying to wrap their minds around the sheer strangeness of the situation.


    Mira nced back at the emptiness of the star system, her brow furrowing in confusion.


    Then, after a long pause, she scoffed lightly, a strange mix of amusement and disbelief crossing her face.


    "Doesn''t that mean we technically took this whole system back with just the two of us then?"


    She asked, her tone light but with an edge of bitterness.


    Alex''s lips pressed into a thin line, and he nodded.


    "Yeah... I guess it does."


    Mira let out a low chuckle, shaking her head.


    "Unbelievable. No reinforcements, no backup, just the two of us, and we scare off an entire army. I didn''t even get to test this new power of mine."


    Technically, it was Alex that did the most of the work, but for the sake of keeping her happy, he would just silently agree with her¡­


    As Mira and Alex stood on the bridge, processing the strange victory they had just achieved over the vacant Telorn system, them console emitted a sharp beep.


    Both of them turned toward it in unison. The indicator light blinked, signalling an iing transmission.


    But there was something off.


    "Blocked ID."


    Alex muttered, frowning at the console.


    Mira nced at it and immediately shrugged.


    "Weird. Could be anyone. Let''s ignore it."


    Alex, however, stared at the screen with a deepening suspicion.


    He knew that very few people had ess to his private gctic ID.


    Whoever was on the other end had gone through significant lengths to reach him.


    That alone made his curiosity itch.


    "We''re not ignoring this."


    Alex said, his fingers hovering over the controls.


    "This could be important."


    "Or it could be a trap."


    Mira said, her tone warning.


    "Or worse, a scam caller..."


    "Only one way to find out."


    Alex replied.


    He tapped the screen, opening them channel.


    The holographic projector flickered to life, disying a faint blue outline of a man''s face.


    As the image solidified, Alex squinted.


    There was something familiar about the man. He had a sharp jawline, short ck hair, and cold, calcting eyes.


    But despite this nagging sense of recognition, Alex couldn''t ce him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The man on the screen smirked slightly, leaning forward.


    "I feel like I''ve seen this guy somewhere."


    Alex whispered to himself, confused.


    The man''s presence sent a strange ripple through his memory, but nothing clear surfaced.


    "You won''t know me."


    The man said smoothly, his voice even andposed.


    "But my name''s Donald. I''vee to you with a proposition. How about we meet?"


    Mira raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she exchanged a nce with Alex.


    "Donald? Really? He doesn''t seem like a ''Donald''." she muttered under her breath.


    Alex ignored herment, his gaze fixed on the man, trying to decipher what he wasn''t saying.


    There was something off about this whole thing¡ªthe suddenmunication, the blocked ID, the way Donald spoke as if he had the upper hand.


    But most of all, there was the man''s face. Why did it feel so familiar?


    "What kind of proposition are we talking about?"


    Alex asked, keeping his tone neutral.


    Donald''s smirk widened just slightly.


    "Not the kind you''ll want to refuse, I assure you. But it''s something best discussed in person. Telorn is empty now, isn''t it? Why don''t we meet at the edge of the system? Neutral ground."


    Mira scoffed, clearly not buying any of it.


    "Yeah, no thanks."


    She said, stepping closer to them console.


    "We don''t do shady, vague meetings in abandoned systems with strangers, Donald."


    Donald didn''t react to her words, his eyes still locked on Alex.


    "I didn''t think you would. But believe me, Alex, you''re going to want to hear what I have to say. I know more about the Red Demons than you do, and if you want to know what made them leave Telorn¡­ I''m your best shot at finding out."


    That got Alex''s attention.


    His instincts screamed not to trust this man, but the mention of the Red Demons piqued his curiosity even further.


    After all, they had no leads, no information about why the Red Demons had abandoned such a fortified system.


    "How do I know this isn''t a setup?"


    Alex asked cautiously.


    "You don''t."


    Donald replied, his smirk fading as his expression turned serious.


    "But I have no reason to harm you. I''m offering you something valuable: knowledge. What you do with it afterward is entirely up to you. I can meet you alone, or we can part ways right now. Your call."


    Mira looked at Alex, clearly irritated.


    "Alex, this screams trap. He''s too slick, too smooth. You can''t seriously be considering this."


    Alex was silent for a moment, weighing the risks.


    Whoever this Donald was, he had gone to great lengths to contact him, and Alex knew from experience that those who went to such lengths either had something valuable to offer¡ªor something to gain.


    He also couldn''t shake the feeling that there was more to this Donald than met the eye.


    Donald, seeing the conflict in Alex''s face, spoke again.


    "I''ll make it easier for you. I''lle to you, here, in Telorn. No tricks, no hidden fleets. Just a conversation. And if you don''t like what I have to say, you can walk away. No harm done."


    Alex let out a slow breath, nodding slightly.


    "Alright, Donald. We''ll meet. But you''reing alone. And if you try anything¡ª"


    "You''ll have every right to end me where I stand."


    Donald finished, his smirk returning.


    "I wouldn''t expect anything less from you, Alex."


    The transmission cut off abruptly, leaving the bridge in a tense silence.


    Mira threw her hands up, frustration boiling over.


    "This is a terrible idea. You can''t trust him. He''s too confident. And since when does anyone give out answers for free?"


    Alex nced at her, his expression thoughtful.


    "He''s not giving them for free. He wants something, and I want to know what it is. Besides¡­ he mentioned the Red Demons. If he knows what happened here, we need that information."


    Mira huffed and crossed her arms.


    "Fine. But if this goes south, don''t say I didn''t warn you."

 Chapter 452 Scheme

    The screen flickered off, and in the silence of the empty star system, Alex stood deep in thought while Mira paced behind him, her agitation barely contained.


    ***


    Meanwhile, across the void of space, in a sleek, shadowed control room aboard a ship hidden just outside Telorn''s system, Donald leaned back in his chair with a self-satisfied smirk.


    The transmission from his ship to Alex''s wasplete.


    His n had worked perfectly.


    Donald tapped a sequence ofmands into his terminal, initiating a secure connection to another ship.


    Within moments, a holographic disy shimmered into existence before him, revealing the unmistakable figure of a Red Demon.


    d in their ominous red and ck armour, the Demon''s face was mostly obscured, save for glowing crimson eyes that pierced through the darkness of his helmet.


    "Report."


    The Red Demon''s voice came through, low and gravelly, as if each word were dragged from the depths of a nightmare.


    Donald''s smirk widened, disregarding the Red Demon''s almost disrespectful tone.


    "Alex has taken the bait."


    He said smoothly, his tone dripping with satisfaction.


    "He thinks I''m here to offer him information about why your forces abandoned Telorn. I''ve set up a meeting with him on neutral ground. He''lle, and when he does, we''ll be ready."


    The Red Demon leaned closer to the projection, his fiery gaze narrowing.


    "Good. We''ve waited long enough for this. He won''t know what hit him. But make sure there are no mistakes, Donald."


    Donald nodded, his expression unwavering, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes at being treated like he was some sort of rookie.


    "You''ll get him. Everything''s in ce. And once we have Alex, the rest will fall like dominoes. He''s the key to everything, after all."


    The Red Demon''s eyes zed brighter for a moment, as if considering something deeper.


    "And what of the girl? Mira?"


    Donald''s smirk faded slightly.


    "She''s a wild card. Powerful, but vtile. If she bes a threat, we can deal with her easily enough. But Alex¡­ he''s the one you want. He''s the one I''ve been sent to lure. Besides, I''m an S tier, what could they ever do to me?"


    The Red Demon tilted his head, as though processing Donald''s words.


    "Do not underestimate her. If the Overseers have taken an interest in Alex, then they know something we don''t. We follow orders, but we need to ensure neither of them escapes. Do whatever it takes. When the timees, I''ll be there to finish it."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Donald leaned back in his chair again, rxing slightly.


    "Understood. You''ll have both of them soon enough. Alex''s curiosity will bring him right to me. And then¡­ we''ll see just how much power he really holds."


    The transmission cut out, leaving Donald alone once again in the dim light of his ship. His smirk returned, and he tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair, deep in thought.


    ''Alex doesn''t realise what''sing''


    He mused to himself.


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    ''He''s walked right into my trap, and by the time he figures it out, it''ll be toote.''


    The Red Demons had a n, and Donald was just one piece of it.


    But he had his own ambitions¡ªambitions that stretched far beyond what the Red Demons or even the Overseers could imagine.


    Alex and Mira were just the first steps.


    He needed to win their trust long enough to deliver them where they needed to go.


    After that, well¡­ his ns would take on a life of their own.


    Donald leaned forward, activating his ship''s engines and preparing to move into position.


    Soon, he would meet Alex in person, and then the real game would begin.


    Donald''s ship glided silently through the vast emptiness of space, its engines barely making a sound as it drifted toward the agreed-upon meeting point.


    The darkness outside the vessel was almost suffocating, the Telorn system eerily quiet after the sudden retreat of the Red Demons.


    He knew Alex would be arriving soon, his curiosity pulling him closer like a moth to a me.


    But Donald wasn''t one to wait idly.


    He activated the ship''s internalmunications system, bringing up a tactical disy of the surrounding area.


    ''Everything is under control''


    Donald thought confidently, leaning back in his chair.


    ''I''ve got them cornered.''


    He couldn''t deny the thrill coursing through him.


    Being an S-tier, he rarely had to worry about challenges; few could match his abilities.


    But this was different.


    Alex was more than just some random target¡ªhe was someone who had intrigued the Overseers.


    That meant he was worth far more than his reputation let on, and Donald was determined to figure out why.


    A soft beep from his console broke the silence, signalling the arrival of Alex''s ship.


    Donald''s smirk returned as he watched the sleek Federation vessel drop out of hyperspace, right on time.


    He activated themunication system, opening a channel to Alex.


    "d to see you made it, Alex."


    Donald''s voice came through with a false warmth.


    "I was beginning to wonder if you''d have second thoughts."


    Inside the cockpit of Alex''s ship, he exchanged a nce with Mira, who remained stiffly seated beside him, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.


    "Still think this is a bad idea?"


    Alex asked, his hands gripping the controls.


    Mira sighed.


    "Absolutely. But we''re already here. Let''s get this over with."


    Alex tapped a control, responding to Donald.


    "No second thoughts. We''re here, just as agreed. Where are you?"


    "Right in front of you."


    Donald''s voice crackled through thems.


    "I''ll lower my shields, and you can dock. Then we''ll talk."


    As the shields of Donald''s ship flickered off, Alex navigated toward the docking bay, still uneasy but determined.


    Mira watched the approach in silence, her hand instinctively hovering near her sidearm, ready for anything.


    Within minutes, the docking sequencepleted, and the airlock hissed open.


    Alex and Mira stepped cautiously into the narrow corridor of Donald''s ship, the dim lighting casting long shadows across the metallic floor.


    The eerie silence of the vessel heightened their tension.


    Donald waited for them at the far end, standing casually with his arms crossed, his smirk never fading.


    "Wee aboard."

 Chapter 453 Calling a bluff

    "Wee aboard!"


    He said, his voice smooth and casual as if this were nothing more than a routine meeting between old friends.


    "I appreciate you trusting me enough to meet in person."


    "Let''s cut to the chase."


    Alex replied, his tone guarded.


    "You said you had information about the Red Demons and why they left Telorn. We''re listening."


    Donald gestured toward a small meeting room just off the corridor.


    "All in good time. First, let''s getfortable. After all, this conversation could take a while."


    Mira shot Alex a warning nce, but he simply nodded for her to stay calm.


    They followed Donald into the room, taking seats opposite him at a sleek metal table.


    The air was thick with unspoken tension.


    However while they were taking their seats, Mira leaned over and whispered into Alex''s ear.


    "Something''s off, I can''t get a feel for this guy''s aura¡­"


    She seemed a little concerned, more than she was originally with this whole idea of meeting.


    Not being able to read his aura meant that she had no idea how strong he was¡­


    Donald leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed amusement.


    "The Red Demons didn''t leave Telorn because they were scared or outnumbered. They left because they were ordered to. You see, Alex, there''s a much bigger game being yed here, and you''ve just be a key yer. You and your¡­ powers."


    Alex narrowed his eyes, not giving away anything, though Mira stiffened at the mention of Alex''s abilities.


    Donald smiled at the reaction.


    "Oh yes, I know all about your little gift. It''s why the Overseers are interested in you. They want to control it. Harness it."


    Alex leaned back in his chair, a faint smile ying at the edges of his lips.


    His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his gaze locking onto Donald as if trying to peel back theyers of the man sitting across from him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Oh, you know about my gifts?"


    Alex said, his voice calm butced with a subtle challenge.


    "Is that right? Why don''t you tell me more about that?"


    Mira nced at him, sensing the shift in his tone.


    She knew Alex well enough to realise that he was probing, trying to draw Donald out¡ªtrying to call his bluff.


    After all, Alex could count on one hand the number of people who knew the full extent of his abilities, and those people weren''t the type to casually share that information.


    Donald''s smirk faltered for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough for Alex to catch.


    The smooth, self-assured demeanour he had disyed from the moment they arrived flickered, revealing a hint of uncertainty beneath.


    "Well."


    Donald began, leaning back in his chair and attempting to regain hisposure.


    "I don''t have all the details, of course. But let''s just say that word has gotten around in certain circles. You''re¡­ unique, Alex. And people¡ªpowerful people¡ªare very interested in what you can do."


    Alex raised an eyebrow, his smile growing ever so slightly. Enjoy more content from empire


    "Certain circles, huh? Interesting. Because the people who know about me wouldn''t exactly be spreading that around. They''re more¡­ protective of such secrets."


    Donald''s eyes darted momentarily to the side before returning to Alex. He tried to mask his unease with a chuckle, but the tension in the air was palpable.


    "Well, you''d be surprised how much can slip through the cracks when the right ears are listening."


    Alex tilted his head, his tone sharp but still measured.


    "Surprised? Maybe. But not about this. So, Donald, who''s been talking? Because I know for a fact that no one who actually understands what I can do would be letting that information ''slip.'' Not willingly, at least."


    Mira stayed quiet, her gaze never leaving Donald as she observed the way he fidgeted under Alex''s pressure.


    The calm confidence Donald had disyed was starting to crack, and Mira knew Alex had him cornered.


    She could feel something was off with the man, but now she had a better idea of what.


    Donald cleared his throat, his smirk vanishing entirely.


    "Look, Alex, I''m not here to cause trouble. I''ve just¡­ heard things, okay? The Overseers, the Red Demons¡ªthey''ve got their eyes on you. They''re nning something big, and I thought you''d want to know. That''s why I reached out. To help you."


    "Help me?"


    Alex asked, his voice low but dangerous now.


    "You''re trying to help me? By throwing around vague threats and pretending you know more than you do? No, Donald, I think there''s more to this. Who sent you? And what exactly are you after?"


    Donald shifted ufortably in his seat, his once confident air now reced with somewhat ufortable energy.


    "No one sent me."


    He said quickly.


    "I''m just¡­ trying to make the best of a situation. I have my own interests in this too, sure, but we can both benefit from working together."


    Mira finally spoke up, her voice cold and cutting.


    "You didn''t answer his question. Who told you about Alex''s powers?"


    Donald opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, clearly weighing his options.


    He knew he was losing control of the situation.


    Alex wasn''t buying his act, and Mira''s presence only made it worse.


    After a long moment of silence, Donald sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.


    "I''m not at liberty to say."


    He finally muttered, trying to regain some semnce ofposure.


    "But I know more than you think, Alex. And if you''re smart, you''ll listen to what I have to offer."


    Alex exchanged a look with Mira, a silent understanding passing between them.


    Donald was clearly hiding something¡ªsomething big.


    But for now, Alex decided to y along, if only to see how much further Donald would dig himself in.


    "Fine."


    Alex said, leaning forward slightly.


    "Let''s say I''m listening. What exactly are you offering, Donald?"


    Donald''s relief was almost palpable as he leaned forward eagerly, sensing that he might still salvage the situation.


    "I''m offering information. About the Red Demons. About what they''re nning. And about the Overseers. You''re in the middle of something huge, Alex, and if you don''t prepare for it, you''ll be swept away."


    Alex remained silent, watching Donald intently.

 Chapter 454 Steps ahead

    He knew the man wasn''t telling the whole truth¡ªfar from it¡ªbut for now, he would let him think he had the upper hand.


    "Alright."


    Alex said after a pause.


    "I''m willing to hear you out. But let me make one thing clear. If you''re lying to me¡ªif this is some kind of setup¡ªyou won''t make it out of this room. Understand?"


    Donald smiled amusingly.


    "I understand. No tricks. Just information. I promise."


    ''As if this kid could back up that statement. Ha!''


    Mira shot Alex a look, her unease still simmering beneath the surface.


    But Alex gave her a subtle nod, signalling that he was in control.


    For now, they would y Donald''s game.


    But Alex was already two steps ahead, waiting for the moment when he would turn the tables.


    Donald leaned back in his chair, a flicker of smug satisfaction returning to his face. He seemed more at ease now, despite Alex''s clear warning.


    "You see, Alex."


    Donald began, his voice smooth.


    "The Red Demons have been watching you for a while now. Not just because of your abilities, though that''s part of it, but because of what you''ve done. They''re not used to losing, especially not to one man. And you, well¡­ you''ve been giving them a lot of lossestely, haven''t you?"


    Alex remained silent, his eyes cold, but Donald could sense the shift in the room.


    He had Alex''s attention.


    "They''re scared of you, Alex."


    Donald continued, his tone softening as if he were delivering some intimate truth.


    "You''ve ughtered millions of their people, decimated entire fleets, and no matter what they throw at you, they can''t stop you. You''re a walking disaster to them. Every engagement they''ve had with you has ended in chaos. And now, they''re starting to realise they can''t win. Not directly, anyway."


    Mira''s expression tightened, but Alex remained still, calcting.


    Donald nced at her, sensing her difort, but he pressed on, eager to drive his point home.


    "But it wasn''t just the body count that got their attention¡­"


    Donald said, his voice dropping lower.


    "It''s the fact that the Overseers took an interest in you. The moment that happened, the Red Demons panicked. They know the Overseers rarely involve themselves with individuals unless they see something¡ªpotential. Power. And the Overseers see that in you."


    Donald leaned forward again, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed excitement.


    "That''s why they pulled out of Telorn. It wasn''t just because of your strength. It''s because they''re afraid. They don''t want to face you directly anymore. Not until they understand what makes you tick, what makes you so¡­ dangerous."


    Alex raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering across his face.


    "Dangerous? You mean because I''m good at killing their people?"


    Donald shook his head, his grin widening.


    "No, Alex. Not just because you''re good at killing. Lots of people are good at killing. But you¡­ there''s something more. Something even the Red Demons can''t quite figure out. And now, with the Overseers watching you closely, the Red Demons have be more cautious than ever."


    Mira crossed her arms, her suspicion deepening.


    "So, what? The Red Demons just cut their losses and ran because they''re scared of him? Doesn''t add up, Donald."


    Donald''s smirk never wavered.


    "It''s not just fear, Mira. It''s strategy. They''re regrouping. They know they can''t win by sheer force anymore, not with the Overseers possibly backing Alex, despite the clear evidence that Alex opposed their offer. So, they''re ying the long game. And that''s where Ie in."


    Alex tilted his head slightly, his voice calm butced with danger.


    "And what''s your role in all of this, Donald? Why should we believe you''re not just another one of their pawns?"


    Donald''s smile faltered for a split second before he regained hisposure.


    "I''m not one of them, Alex. I''ve been working behind the scenes, pulling strings, gathering intel. The Red Demons think they can manipte me, but I have my own agenda. I see the bigger picture. And I''m offering you the chance to be a part of that."


    "Why should I care about your agenda?"


    Alex asked, his tone neutral but sharp.


    "Because, Alex." Discover hidden content at empire


    Donald said, his voice dropping to a whisper.


    "I can give you something the Red Demons can''t. I can help you stay ahead of them, stay ahead of the Overseers. You and Mira can be free of their influence. But only if you''re willing to work with me."


    For a moment, the room fell into silence as Alex processed Donald''s words.


    He could feel the man''s desperation, hidden beneath the confident facade.


    There was more at stake here than Donald was letting on.


    "Let''s say I believe you."


    Alex finally said, his voice low.


    "What exactly do you want from me?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Donald''s grin widened again, the gleam of ambition returning to his eyes.


    "I want what everyone wants in this gxy, Alex. Power. But I''m willing to share it. With you. Together, we can turn the tide against the Red Demons, the Overseers¡ªanyone who stands in our way."


    Alex leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.


    He knew Donald was hiding something, that this man''s motivations weren''t as simple as he made them seem.


    But for now, he''d y along.


    "You think you can control all this, don''t you?"


    Alex said, his voice a quiet threat.


    "You think you''re smarter than the Red Demons and the Overseers. But here''s the thing, Donald¡­ I''ve dealt with men like you before. And they neverst."


    Donald''s smirk faltered once again, but he quickly recovered.


    "Maybe. But I''m still standing, aren''t I? And if you''re smart, you''ll take my offer."


    Alex nced at Mira, who gave him a slight shake of her head. But Alex knew there was more to be gained from letting this game y out.


    "Alright, Donald."


    Alex said after a long pause.


    "You''ve got my attention. But make no mistake¡ªif you cross me, you won''t get a second chance."


    Donald smiled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.


    "Trust me, Alex. This is only the beginning."


    But as Alex stared into Donald''s eyes, he knew one thing for sure¡ªwhatever game Donald thought he was ying, Alex was already two moves ahead.


    At least he thought so¡­

 Chapter 455 Change

    As Alex and Mira stepped out of Donald''s ship, the cold metallic ng of the docking tform echoed beneath their feet.


    The air was still, heavy with an unseen tension. For a moment, neither spoke.


    The silence between them was not new, yet it felt different¡ªthicker, more oppressive, as if it carried a weight neither could name.


    "Let''s get out of here."


    Alex muttered, voice low as he moved ahead, Mira following without a word.


    The ship they called home loomed in front of them, yet today it seemed like a stranger, cold and unweing.


    They entered, the familiar hum of the engines greeting them like always, yet today, that sound was muted.


    Alex didn''t notice, but Mira, ncing around the interior, felt it¡ªsomething off, something she couldn''t quite ce.


    The cockpit door slid open, and Alex sank into his chair, the leather creaking beneath him.


    He stared out at the endless expanse of stars beyond the viewport, but tonight, the stars felt distant.


    Lifeless. His eyes narrowed, and he could feel an itch, a difort crawling just under his skin.


    Mira sat beside him, silent.


    She had always been the steady one, the voice of reason when things got tough.


    But now, she too felt that disquieting itch, a prickling behind her eyes that made everything around her seem sharper, more hostile.


    She shot Alex a nce, watching him. He seemed different. Tense. And not just from the meeting with Donald.


    "You sure we can trust him?"


    Mira asked, breaking the silence, her voice cutting through the quiet like a knife.


    Alex didn''t look at her. His eyes remained locked on the stars.


    "No."


    He replied bluntly.


    "But it doesn''t matter."


    The answer was sharp, colder than usual, and it made Mira frown.


    Normally, they''d talk through these things.


    Normally, they''d strategize, n their next move.


    But this¡ªthis was different. His words felt more final, as if there was no room for discussion.


    She opened her mouth to argue, but something stopped her.


    A heaviness in her chest, like the weight of her own thoughts was too much to push through.


    Instead, she muttered.


    "Alright."


    ***


    Hours passed in silence.


    The ship drifted through space, and the usual chatter between them had faded into nothingness.


    Alex found himself pacing the narrow halls of the ship, his movements erratic, restless. He couldn''t focus, couldn''t sit still.


    His mind kept circling back to Donald, to the Red Demons, to the war.


    But it was more than just the usual drive for revenge, more than the familiar anger.


    It was deeper. Darker.


    He clenched his fists, feeling the tendons in his hands strain as a hot pulse of irritation surged through him.


    Why had he let Donald take control of the conversation?


    Why had he epted that offer so easily?


    It was as if something had slipped through the cracks in his mind, something that made him agree to things he normally wouldn''t.


    And yet, when he tried to think clearly, the irritation faded, reced by an emptiness, a cold void that swallowed his doubt.


    He shook his head, frustrated. This wasn''t him. It couldn''t be.


    "Alex?"


    Mira''s voice called from the cockpit, sounding distant, like it wasing from the other side of a wall.


    "What?"


    He snapped, louder than he intended.


    There was a pause before she responded, and when she did, her voice was cold.


    "We''re nearing the system''s edge. Thought you''d want to know."


    Alex forced himself to breathe, the sharpness of his own voice surprising him.


    Why was he so on edge?


    He hadn''t meant to sound so harsh, but the words hade out before he could stop them.


    "Yeah."


    He muttered.


    "I''ll be there in a second."


    When Alex entered the cockpit, Mira didn''t look at him.


    She was focused on the controls, her fingers moving with mechanical precision.


    The silence between them was heavy again, but this time, there was something simmering underneath.


    Something like resentment.


    He sat down in the pilot''s seat and nced at her, his jaw tight.


    "Look, about earlier¡­"


    "Forget it."


    Mira cut him off, her tone clipped.


    "We''ve got more important things to worry about."


    Alex frowned, the coldness in her voice catching him off guard.


    This wasn''t like her.


    Mira wasn''t the type to hold onto things, and yet here she was, shutting him out.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He felt a sh of anger again, hot and sudden, but just as quickly as it rose, it was swallowed by that familiar emptiness.


    He pushed it down, refusing to dwell on it.


    "Fine."


    He said, leaning forward and engaging the ship''s systems for the warp.


    ***


    They travelled in silence for even more hours, the quiet between them growing heavier with each passing moment.


    And yet, neither of them spoke.


    Neither of them tried to bridge the gap that had somehow formed between them.


    It was as if they couldn''t, as if some unseen force was pushing them further apart.


    Alex could feel it, gnawing at the edges of his mind. His thoughts were cloudy, filled with a strange fog that dulled everything except the simmering frustration he couldn''t quite shake.


    Every now and then, he would nce at Mira, watching her from the corner of his eye.


    She seemed distant, her face set in a hard line, her eyes never meeting his.


    It wasn''t like them to be this way.


    Not with each other.


    They''d always been a team, always fought together, always trusted each other. But now¡­ something had shifted.


    Later that night, Alex found himself in his quarters, lying on the small, ufortable bed that felt like it was made of stone.


    He stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing, yet going nowhere.


    He couldn''t rest.


    Couldn''t think straight.


    Every time he closed his eyes, shes of their past battles came rushing back¡ªimages of the Red Demons falling at his feet, the blood, the fire.


    He could still hear their screams, still feel the rage that had driven him to ughter them by the millions.


    But it wasn''t the same anymore.

 Chapter 456 Questions

    The satisfaction he used to feel from those victories had been reced by something darker.


    Something more¡­ empty.


    ''What the hell''s happening to me?''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He wondered and wondered, his brow furrowing in frustration.


    A brief flicker of doubt crossed his mind¡ªjust a moment of rity, a memory of the man he used to be, the man who had fought for something more than just revenge.


    He remembered the first time he and Mira had taken up arms against the Red Demons, not out of hatred, but out of necessity.


    Out of duty.


    They had fought to protect the innocent.


    They had fought for a cause.


    But now¡­


    That flicker of doubt was snuffed out almost as soon as it appeared, smothered by the cold, unfeeling numbness that had crept into his soul.


    He shook his head, angry at himself for even questioning it.


    This was the only way.


    He was doing what had to be done.


    What they both had to do.


    A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.


    "Alex?"


    Mira''s voice came from the other side, sounding quieter than usual.


    He sat up, rubbing his hands over his face before calling out.


    "Yeah?"


    The door slid open, and she stepped inside, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.


    She didn''t look at him, instead staring at the floor as if she was struggling to find the right words.


    There was a long pause, the air between them thick with unspoken tension.


    Finally, she spoke.


    "Do you¡­ do you ever wonder if we''re doing the right thing?"


    Her question hit him like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, he couldn''t respond.


    His mind whirled, searching for an answer that didn''t feel hollow.


    He had been asking himself the same question for days, but hearing it from her made it harder to ignore.


    "No."


    He lied, his voice colder than he intended.


    "We''re doing what we have to do."


    Mira looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for something¡ªsome sign of the man she had fallen in love with, the man who had always fought for what was right.


    But all she saw was the coldness in his eyes, the same coldness that had taken root in her own heart.


    She nodded slowly, though she didn''t believe him.


    "Right."


    They stood there in silence for a long moment, neither of them willing¡ªor able¡ªto say what needed to be said.


    The distance between them had grown too wide, too deep, and neither of them knew how to cross it.


    Finally, Mira turned to leave, her hand resting on the door frame as she nced back at him onest time.


    "We''re in this together."


    She said, her voice barely more than a whisper.


    "Just¡­ don''t forget that."


    Alex didn''t respond.


    He watched her leave, the door sliding shut behind her with a soft hiss.


    And as he sat there in the quiet, staring at the empty space she had left behind, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was slipping away from them.


    Something important.


    But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, it was gone, swallowed by the same cold emptiness that had been creeping through his soul.


    The next morning, they resumed their journey, neither of them acknowledging the growing rift between them.


    The silence had be a part of them now, an unspoken agreement that neither was willing to break.


    Something was changing inside them both, something neither of them could name.


    And in the deep, quiet reaches of space, the poison that had taken root in their minds continued its slow, insidious work.


    Unseen. Unknown.


    But felt in every silence.


    ***


    The ship hummed softly as it glided through the endless void of space, the stars outside nothing more than pinpricks of light, distant and cold.


    Alex sat in the pilot''s seat, his hands resting on the controls, but his mind was far away.


    It had been days since their meeting with Donald, days since he had agreed to work with the man despite his instincts screaming against it.


    And yet, the decision hadn''t felt wrong at the time.


    But now, as he sat in the stillness of the cockpit, the consequences of that choice began to settle in his mind, like a stone sinking slowly into deep water.


    ''Why did I do it?''


    He couldn''t shake the thought.


    He had always been cautious, always second-guessed offers from people he didn''t trust, especially ones like Donald, whose motives were as transparent as they were dangerous.


    And yet, without hesitation, he''d epted Donald''s proposition, like it had been the most natural thing in the world.


    A frown creased his brow as he stared out at the stars, their cold light reflecting in his eyes.


    His mind felt heavy, sluggish, like trying to move through thick fog.


    Every time he tried to focus on the decision, on what had led him to make it, his thoughts seemed to slip away, lost in the haze that had settled over his mind in recent days.


    When had it started? When had he begun to feel this way? To act this way?


    He closed his eyes, trying to remember.


    It wasn''t just the decision to trust Donald.


    It was everything.


    The way he had snapped at Mira, the way his temper red uncontrobly over the smallest things.


    The distance between them had grown without him even realising it until it was toote.


    And Mira¡­ She had changed too.


    She was colder now, more distant, her warmth fading with each passing day.


    They had always been partners, more than that¡ªlovers, inseparable in their fight against the Red Demons.


    But now, they barely spoke. When they did, it was curt, cold, like two strangers forced to share the same space.


    ''When did we be this way?''


    The question echoed in his mind, but no answer came.


    It felt like they had always been this way, like the distance between them had always existed.


    But that wasn''t true, was it? There had been a time when theyughed together, fought together, loved together.


    A time when the fire of their bond had burned brighter than the stars themselves.


    But now, it was nothing more than smouldering ash.

 Chapter 457 Mutterings of a Mad Man

    He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as frustration bubbled beneath his skin.


    Something wasn''t right.


    He knew it, felt it deep in his bones.


    But every time he tried to pin it down, to grasp the source of the change, his thoughts slipped away, reced by that familiar emptiness.


    Then, out of nowhere, a flicker of a memory surfaced.


    ''Gorath.''


    The name came to him like a whisper, pulling him from the fog.


    The they had visited just before everything began to change. It had been only a few days ago, though to Alex, it felt like a lifetime.


    Or perhaps no time at all. It was hard to tell. Time seemed to blur together in his mind, like it had lost all meaning.


    He sat up straighter, his heart beginning to pound as the pieces of a puzzle started to form in his mind. Gorath¡­ that was where it had begun.


    Before Gorath, things had been normal.


    He had been himself.


    Mira had been herself.


    They had fought side by side, as always. But after they left that cursed, everything had shifted.


    ''What happened on Gorath?''


    The memory was hazy, but one thing stood out clearly.


    The itself had been¡­ alive.


    Sentient.


    It wasn''t just a world¡ªthey had felt its presence, pulsing beneath the surface like the heartbeat of some ancient, slumbering god. It hadmunicated with them, though not in words.


    It had offered them something.


    A gift.


    Alex''s eyes widened as the memory rushed back with startling rity.


    ''The gift!''


    Both he and Mira had received it, something the had bestowed upon them in exchange for their help.


    At the time, they hadn''t questioned it.


    It had seemed harmless, even benevolent.


    But now, looking back¡­


    ''What if¡­''


    His thoughts spiralled as a new, terrifying idea took root in his mind.


    ''What if the gift wasn''t what it seemed?''


    He stood up, pacing the small cockpit as his heart raced.


    It made sense.


    Too much sense.


    Before Gorath, he and Mira had been different.


    More focused.


    More¡­ themselves.


    But after they left, everything had changed.


    Their tempers had red, their bond had weakened, and they had both started making decisions they would never have made before.


    ''Was it the?''


    He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as the realisation hit him like a punch to the gut.


    Gorath had given them something, but what if that gift hade with a price? What if it had poisoned their minds, subtly, insidiously, without them even realising it?


    But why?


    He shook his head, the answer eluding him.


    The had been sentient, yes, but it had also seemed¡­ indifferent.


    Or so he had thought.


    But what if that indifference had been a fa?ade? What if Gorath had its own agenda, one they couldn''t see? One they hadn''t even thought to question?


    And the gift¡­ What had it really been?


    He stopped pacing, his breathing in shallow gasps as his mind raced.


    The gift had felt like power at the time.


    An enhancement of their abilities, a deepening of their connection to the universe itself, even bringing them up an entire level without the System''s intervention!.


    But now¡­ now it felt like a curse.


    A curse that had slowly wormed its way into their souls, twisting them into something they were not.


    His thoughts flickered to Mira, to the way she had changed alongside him.


    She had been his anchor, the one thing that kept him grounded in the madness of their war.


    But now, even she was slipping away, her warmth reced by cold detachment.


    And it all came back to Gorath.


    To the gift.


    He sank back into his chair, his mind reeling as the enormity of it all settled over him.


    How had they not seen it? How had they been so blind?


    But then, as quickly as the realisation hade, doubt crept in.


    What if he was wrong?


    What if the gift had nothing to do with it?


    He shook his head, trying to clear the fog that seemed to cloud his thoughts once again.


    It was like trying to hold water in his hands, the rity slipping away the more he grasped for it.


    He couldn''t be sure. Not yet.


    But the seed of doubt had been nted.


    ***


    As Alex sat in the chair, his breathing slowed, and the flicker of rity that had sparked the revtion about Gorath began to dim.


    He clenched the armrests tightly, forcing himself to hold onto the thought. The. The gift. It made too much sense, and yet¡­ the more he thought about it, the more it slipped away.


    Like trying to hold smoke.


    The fog crept back in, wrapping around his thoughts with an eerie familiarity, a dullfort.


    ''No. That''s ridiculous.''


    His mind whispered.


    ''Gorath helped us. The gift helped us. You''re just imagining things.''


    Alex shook his head, trying to fight the numbness that was overtaking him again.


    He couldn''t let himself be pulled under, not now.


    He had been onto something¡ªhe knew it.


    But why was it so hard to think clearly?


    Why did his mind feel like it was wading through tar every time he tried to grasp the idea?


    He stood up abruptly, pacing the length of the cockpit, his boots nging against the cold metal floor.


    His pulse quickened, the fog pressing harder against his thoughts, urging him to forget, to let it go.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''It doesn''t matter. It''s over. Focus on the mission. On the revenge.''


    The voice in his head was smooth, almost soothing now.


    But a sharper, deeper voice in the back of his mind screamed in defiance.


    ''No! You have to think. You have to remember.''


    His pacing became erratic, steps faltering as he tried to force his way through the mental barrier.


    It was as if something else was in his mind¡ªsomething that didn''t belong.


    Something that didn''t want him to question, didn''t want him to see the truth.


    The thought terrified him, sending a cold shiver down his spine.

 Chapter 458 Turning back

    Alex''s heart raced as the oppressive fog tried to choke out thest remnants of rity.


    He couldn''t afford to lose it¡ªnot now.


    He stood frozen in ce for a split second, a battle waging within him, as the cold metal walls of the cockpit seemed to close in.


    The whispers of doubt wed at his mind, but that deeper voice, the one that had screamed in defiance, surged with renewed strength.


    Without hesitation, he bolted toward the ship''s control panel, his fingers trembling as they danced across the console.


    The ship''s hum, steady in warp, filled the silence, but in Alex''s mind, the sound felt louder¡ªan unrelenting reminder of the direction they were headed.


    Away from the truth.


    Away from Gorath.


    "No!"


    Alex muttered through gritted teeth.


    "I need to go back!"


    He mmed his hand down on the manual override, the ship lurching as its velocity slowed.


    The stars that had been streaking past the viewport abruptly halted, and for a moment, everything felt still, too still.


    His breath came in ragged gasps as the silence of space pressed against him, broken only by the faint hum of the ship.


    With a sudden, shakingmand, he barked at the ship''s AI.


    "Turn the ship around! Set a course back to the Telorn system¡ªback to Gorath."


    The AI''s calm, monotonous voice responded.


    "Captain, returning to the Telorn system without proper clearance¡ª"


    "Override!"


    Alex snarled, his voice rising with urgency.


    "We''re going back, and I don''t care about clearance. This is a priority. Now, turn us around!"


    The console flickered for a moment, and then the course was recalcted.


    The stars outside began to shift, realigning as the ship turned back toward the Telorn system, and more importantly, Gorath.


    His pulse pounded in his ears, but for the first time in days, something felt¡­ right.


    Alex slumped back into his chair, but the relief was short-lived.


    He knew that in moments of rity, he would continue second-guessing himself.


    The fog could return, insidious, poisoning his resolve.


    He had to prevent that from happening.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "King."


    He said, his voice low but resolute.


    "I want you to lock me out of the system."


    "Captain?"


    The AI responded, a hint of uncertainty in its otherwise even tone.


    "Lock me out of all manual control until we reach the Telorn system."


    He ordered.


    "Add an extra few days as a buffer. I don''t trust my judgement right now, but I know this is the right course. Don''t let me change it. Don''t let me touch anything. Not until we''re there."


    There was a pause, a calcting silence as the AI processed the request.


    "Understood, Captain."


    It finally said.


    "You will be locked out of all controls until arrival in the Telorn system. Estimated time: five days, including buffer."


    As soon as the AI confirmed the order, Alex felt a surge of panic.


    He wanted to trust his own decision, but the fog in his mind was relentless, always circling, waiting for its chance to pull him under again.


    What if he was wrong?


    What if he was sending them back into a trap?


    No.


    He couldn''t think like that.


    The ship hummed to life again as it entered warp, speeding them toward Gorath.


    Alex sat in his chair, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrests.


    He was locked out now.


    There was no turning back.


    His thoughts flickered to Mira, her coldness, the distance that had grown between them ever since they had left Gorath.


    Had she noticed the changes, too?


    Or had she embraced the shift, be one with it?


    The silence of the cockpit felt suffocating, and Alex''s mind was once again a battleground between certainty and doubt.


    His heartbeat was the only thing grounding him, keeping him tethered to the reality he was clinging to.


    He closed his eyes, the weariness of it all threatening to overtake him, but he couldn''t rest.


    Not now. He had five days¡ªfive long, agonising days before they returned to the that had started it all.


    He just hoped he was strong enough to face whatever awaited them there.


    As the ship raced toward Gorath, Alex felt the fog encroach again, but this time, he was ready for it.


    He clung to that single spark of defiance, the whisper of truth that had cut through the confusion.


    He wasn''t going to let it slip away.


    Not again.


    Not until he knew for sure what Gorath had done to them¡ªand why.


    ***


    Mira sat in her chambers, staring nkly at the dimly lit screen of her console.


    The istion of space had be something of afort to her¡ªa quiet reprieve from the chaos that had consumed her life ever since they left Gorath.


    But even in the silence, there was no peace.


    There hadn''t been for a long time.


    Something inside her had shifted.


    She felt it, but couldn''t name it.


    A coldness had settled into her bones, a distance that separated her from everything and everyone, even Alex.


    He had noticed.


    He had to have.


    But he hadn''t said anything.


    Neither had she.


    Mira leaned back in her chair, her fingers tracing the edges of the console.


    A faint vibration thrummed beneath her feet, the steady pulse of the ship''s engines in warp¡ªa sound she had grown ustomed to.


    Then suddenly, the ship jerked, lurching forward as the hum abruptly stopped.


    The stillness that followed felt deafening.


    Mira shot up from her chair, her instincts immediately on high alert.


    "What the hell¡­?"


    She whispered, her mind clearly racing.


    They were in the middle of warp.


    Stopping now was dangerous.


    Her hand flew to the wall, steadying herself as the ship groaned under the sudden deceleration.


    Just as quickly as the engines had cut out, they roared back to life, and the familiar sensation of the ship elerating once more filled the chamber.


    Mira narrowed her eyes, her muscles tensing as suspicion settled over her.


    Why had the ship stopped?


    And why so suddenly?


    She turned on her heel, making her way toward the door to the cockpit.


    She needed to check on Alex, to find out what was going on.


    Her hand reached for the control panel to open the door, but nothing happened.

 Chapter 459 Locked in

    She pressed the button again, harder this time, but the door remained stubbornly shut.


    "What the¡ª?"


    She muttered, irritation building in her chest.


    She tried again, her hand mming into the panel with more force, but still, the door didn''t budge.


    Locked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A flicker of something darker ignited inside her, and she felt her rage begin to bubble up.


    How dare he lock her in here? How dare he take control of the ship without consulting her?


    Mira''s breathing quickened as the anger surged, hot and overwhelming, and for a moment, she considered tearing the door off its hinges.


    She could rip through the metal like paper if she wanted to, and the thought of it was intoxicating.


    Her fists clenched, her knuckles turning white.


    It would be so easy.


    She could feel the metal warping under her fingertips.


    But she hesitated, the anger battling with logic.


    Destroying the door meant damaging the ship, and out here, in the vast, unforgiving expanse of space, they couldn''t afford even the smallest error.


    They were light years from any civilization, any hope of rescue.


    And no matter how powerful she had be, neither she nor Alex were capable of surviving for prolonged periods of time in the void.


    Her mind quickly shifted to the idea of entering the Void dimension to bypass the door entirely and re-enter the physical universe on the other side, but even that was quickly pushed aside.


    She had never tried doing such a trick in a moving spacecraft, so she had no clue how it would work.


    Would it allow her to do as she wanted, or would she instantly find herself out in the void of space, with the ship far gone?


    With no way to know, she wasn''t willing to risk it in a situation as frivolous as this.


    The frustration simmered just beneath her skin, but she forced herself to take a breath, to think.


    Alex.


    This had to be his doing.


    The ship had stopped for only a brief moment before starting again.


    That was no coincidence.


    He had done something, and now he had locked her in here.


    But why? What the hell was going on?


    Mira began to pace the length of the room, her mind racing.


    Ever since Gorath, things between her and Alex had grown tense.


    They hadn''t spoken much about the changes they had felt since the "gift" was bestowed upon them, but the distance between them had grown undeniable.


    His silence, his hesitation¡­ had he finally snapped?


    Had something in him broken?


    She cursed under her breath, her fists still clenched tightly at her sides.


    If Alex was losing control, she needed to get out of here.


    Fast.


    But brute force wasn''t an option¡ªnot yet.


    Not if she didn''t want to jeopardise both their lives.


    She needed to y this carefully.


    Mira nced around her chamber, assessing the situation.


    She had no control over the ship''s systems from here, but she had other means ofmunication.


    She walked over to the console on the far side of the room, her fingers moving swiftly across the keypad as she tried to override the lock on the door.


    Nothing.


    "Damn it, Alex."


    She muttered, her frustration mounting.


    He had shut her outpletely.


    For a moment, she stood in the middle of the room, torn between her rising anger and the icy calm that had settled in her since Gorath.


    She could feel the coldness, a deep, unsettling detachment that made her wonder if she even cared what Alex was doing.


    The part of her that was still herself wanted answers.


    The part of her that had changed... wasn''t so sure.


    Still, she couldn''t ignore the gnawing suspicion that something was very, very wrong.


    And if Alex had locked her in here, it was only a matter of time before she found out why.


    Mira pressed her hands against the cold surface of the door, her head leaning forward against the metal as she took a deep breath.


    She had to be patient, for now.


    But if Alex thought locking her in would stop her from finding out what was going on, he was sorely mistaken.


    She would wait.


    But not for long.


    Five days passed, but for Mira, it felt like an eternity.


    The small chamber she had been confined to became suffocating, a cage holding back her growing frustration.


    Every second that ticked by, her mind warred between cold detachment and simmering rage.


    Alex had locked her in without exnation, and though she had initially fought against it, she''d forced herself to wait¡ªwait for the right moment.


    She knew they were nearing Gorath.


    In the stillness of the past few days, Mira had reyed the events over and over in her mind, trying to make sense of the shifts she felt in herself¡ªand in Alex.


    They had beenrades for years, fought side by side, and trusted one another implicitly.


    But after Gorath, after the gift¡­ everything had unravelled.


    A small chime echoed in her chamber, jolting her out of her thoughts.


    The ship had dropped out of warp.


    She could feel the subtle deceleration, the shift in the ship''s thrusters adjusting for sublight travel.


    They had arrived.


    Mira stepped toward the door, the metal surface cold under her touch.


    She waited for the lock to disengage, expecting the AI to allow her ess once they''d reached their destination.


    But the door remained sealed.


    Her jaw clenched.


    He was still keeping her in here.


    A sense of betrayal washed over her, but it was quickly reced by a deep breath of patience.


    This wasn''t going tost much longer.


    She had been patient, but now that they were back in the Telorn system, near Gorath, she would have her answers.


    Just seeing the through the tiny window her room had ess to already sent some uncertain emotions through her, though she couldn''t quite recall why¡­


    She paced the length of the room, her fists tightening with every step.


    The''s presence was already tugging at the edges of her mind, a faint hum she couldn''t quite ce.

 Chapter 460 Temptations

    Alex stood in the cockpit, watching the growrger in the viewport, its dark, stormden clouds swirling as if waiting for him, drawing him closer.


    Gorath''s surface loomed beneath him, an unforgivingndscape of jagged cliffs and shadowed valleys stretching across the barren world, but it was more than just the sight that sent chills down his spine.


    There was something beneath that surface, something that seemed to be reaching out, like spectral fingers, wing at the edges of his mind.


    Each second they descended, he felt it intensify ¡ª a whisper, a seductive lull urging him to give in, to silence the doubts, to trust whatever force had led them here.


    It pulsed in time with his heartbeat, syncing to the rhythm of his thoughts and fears.


    He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing, but the closer they got to Gorath''s surface, the harder it became to maintain his grip on reality.


    It was inescapable now: a constant, relentless tug pulling him to abandon all caution.


    His doubts, his questions ¡ª he could almost feel them melting away, like ice under a zing sun.


    The notion of resistance itself felt hazy, something distant and insignificant. What did it matter?


    There was no reason to fight, no reason to question; everything would be clear if he would just let go, surrender¡­


    "No!"


    The word came out strangled, almost unrecognisable, and Alex''s hands shook as he forced his grip tighter on the control panel.


    He squeezed his eyes shut, summoning the rity, the defiance he had clung to days ago.


    But the insidious influence continued to creep into his thoughts, promising peace, promising purpose if he would simply surrender.


    This was the moment he had dreaded since leaving Gorath ¡ª since feeling the change in himself, the unsettling sense of detachment.


    The ship''s thrusters rumbled as they drew closer, settling in for anding, and he could feel his body acting almost without his consent, his hand hovering over the release lever to disembark.


    The air felt thick, saturated with the''s pull, and his muscles tensed in response, his heartbeat erratic as he fought to keep hold of himself.


    He staggered slightly, bracing his hands against the wall to steady himself.


    Somewhere, buried beneath the growing haze, he could still hear the sound of Mira''s voice, the memory of her defiance, her unwavering will echoing in his mind.


    She would never let him submit to this ¡ª she would fight him, call him a fool, demand he keep his resolve.


    "Hold on."


    He whispered, though he wasn''t sure if the words were meant for himself or Mira.


    Thending gear deployed with a hiss, and the ship settled onto Gorath''s surface with a dull thud.


    The vibrations seemed to resonate with the darkness inside him, urging him forward, whispering that he was exactly where he needed to be.


    Alex fought it, his mind screaming for onest grip on reason, but the''s pull only grew stronger, tempting him to surrender to the void.


    He felt the weight of the darkness pressing against him, unrelenting and unforgiving.


    He took a shaky breath, looking back at the controls onest time.


    In his final, tenuous grasp on sanity, he sent amand to the ship''s AI.


    "Open¡­ open Mira''s door."


    The words escaped his lips, against his will, but they were out.


    The ship''s AI replied in its t, emotionless tone.


    "ess denied. Command locked out for 48 more hours as per protocol."


    A cold wave of relief washed over Alex, grounding him in the tension of that single breath.


    His conscious mind, still barely hanging on to rity, weed the denial, and for a moment, he almost let himself believe it would be enough to hold the darkness at bay.


    But that feeling was short-lived.


    Almost immediately, an anger that wasn''t his own surged up, filling him with a primal urge to destroy.


    It was foreign, vast, and enraged.


    His vision blurred, a creeping red tinge edging around his sight.


    He felt himself clench his fists involuntarily, a visceral frustration pressing down on him with unnatural force.


    The pull wanted Mira there with him, he realised with chilling certainty.


    It wanted them both¡ªtogether, exposed, defenceless against its influence.


    He staggered back, pressing himself into the cold steel of the wall, fighting the urge to m his fists into the console and override the system entirely.


    This wasn''t him; it couldn''t be.


    The anger, this consuming rage¡ªit was too foreign, too disconnected from any sense of reason or rationality.


    It was as though something was wing up from within, demanding Mira''s presence, as if her very proximity would be the final key in unleashing the madness Gorath had nted in them.


    "No¡­ no, this isn''t¡­ I can''t¡­"


    He struggled and muttered, trying to force the words out, hoping to dispel the tension building inside him.


    And yet, even as he resisted, he could feel the rational part of him slipping, like sand trickling through his fingers.


    He needed to know what it wanted from her.


    If he was infected, Mira likely was as well, but they had been careful to avoid delving into the details since leaving Gorath.


    Had they both been too afraid of acknowledging how deeply the influence ran?


    His thoughts twisted, paranoid and frenzied, as the dark part of him argued that perhaps she was his only way to understand.


    To let go.


    To find peace in surrender.


    It would be easier, he thought¡ªso much easier to give in, let Mira step onto the''s surface, let her stand beside him in that forsaken ce.


    But he shoved the thought away, gritting his teeth as he tried to ignore the pounding in his head, the low pulse that echoed in his veins, each beat pressing him with a single, malevolent idea.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Together. Together you''ll understand. Together you''ll be whole.''


    He sank to his knees, his hands gripping his head as he wrestled with the voice¡ªhis voice but not his own.


    His breath came out in ragged gasps, the cold metal of the ship grounding him in reality, his heartbeat slowing as he dug his nails into his palms.


    He could wait.


    He had to.


    But deep inside, he knew he was fighting a battle he could not hold forever.


    It was only a matter of time before his will broke.


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