NOVEL SIMPLE 197 – Settlement: Promotion Trial
[You have slain: Soul Fraying Demonic Tree.]
[You have slain: Martial Priest Zarasu.]
[You have obtained 850,000 coins.]
[Your maximum energy has increased by 75 points.]
[You have obtained: World Tree's Essence.]
[You have obtained: Zarasu's Legacy.]
[World Tree's Essence]
Rating: ???
Effect: ???
Description: The essence of a demonic world tree after it almost devoured a world. Its uses are relatively unknown, but its value cannot be underestimated. Perhaps you can find a use for it in the future.
[Zarasu's Legacy]
Rating: Legendary
Type: Knowledge item
Effect: On use, experience some of Zarasu's martial arts techniques. These include but are not limited to, Nature's Harmony, Elemental Emulations, and aura control.
Description: Zarasu was a genius who single-handedly expanded the possibilities of his civilization's martial arts. Despite his morally questionable choices later in his life, his contributions couldn't be denied. This knowledge item contains many of his techniques and can even turn a pig into a prodigy. How much you can comprehend will depend on your prior knowledge of the subject.
Genji closed these prompts and approached the prone Marlo. She had a listless look on her face that embodied the peak of dejection.
"Kill me," she hoarsely said as Genji came into her sight.
"Sorry, but I can't do that," he responded.
"Why?" she asked, a hint of anger seeping into her voice.
Instead of answering, Genji asked, "Do you remember your life before you became a priestess? Before the tree appeared?"
"What are you getting at? I gave up those dark memories to serve the lord."
"Yes, we all did. But don't you think it's suspicious how similar our stories are? That when we were at the darkest parts of our lives, the tree reached out to us and gave us hope? That we all joined it after a series of tragedies that left us with nothing? Face the truth. You've been lied to. The tree brainwashed you and forcibly tied you to its destructive causes."
Marlo spat at him in disgust. "Listen to you. You speak as if you know my past. Then why don't you tell me about it?"
"I will, Marlo. Or should I say, Sun Strider Lydra?"
Marlo's pupils dilated at this familiar name, and the gears of her mind churned to recall where she'd heard it. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't narrow down the time frame or shake off the accompanying sentiments. In the end, these emotions overwhelmed her, and she screamed hysterically at Genji.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU MOTHERFUCKER! You know nothing about me. Stop acting like you do!" Marlo struggled violently against Bruce's restraints, desperate to leap up and tear apart Genji's throat with her teeth.
Genji shook his head at this sight and stomped down on her chest, forcibly halting her resistance. "You realized it, didn't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have reacted like this. Trust me. I've gone through the same process, and my response was just as extreme. Wake up, Lydra! Stop deluding yourself. Do you plan to spend the rest of your feeble life on this dying planet? Don't you have anyone to care for in your home world?"
At this moment, the memory of a boy in his preteens emerged in her mind.
"Mother, look!" He energetically pulled at her sleeve and presented a canvas of colorful paint. She cherished this memory because it was his first painting. It was somewhat sloppy, but it was those warm times that called out to her.
To further nail the point, the boy declared the wishes encapsulated in his first artwork. "I painted this because I want you to stay with me forever!" Then he flashed a cheerful smile, revealing the tiny gap between his two front teeth.
Before Marlo, no, Lydra, knew it, tears began streaming down her face, and she ceased her struggles. "I-I want to go back," she choked out between sobs.
"Good. Seems like all my efforts weren't in vain," Genji said, removing his foot. He also gestured for Bruce to release the hold and hold her in a more comfortable position. "So Lydra, do you remember your mission?"
"I've already finished it," she answered. "It was to investigate the unusual activities in this world."
"Then submit it and return."
Lydra nodded, and a flash of light soon covered her. When the brightness faded, only bloodstains and an indent remained.
"Phew. Things become a lot easier once we let go of our burdens. I'm starting to pick up my old ways again," Genji said, recalling the heavy stomp he delivered on Lydra's chest. If Ij'gne was still in control, he would never have taken such brutal actions against a helpless person like that.
'That's good. I was getting tired of how altruistic I was. What kind of crap is sacrificing myself for someone I barely know? At least I maintained my obsession with keeping my promises.' Genji chuckled softly, picked up Astros, and followed in Lydra's footsteps.
Settlement: Promotion Trail
Score Calculations:
- [Main Mission] Investigate the cause of the dying world: S+ (There's nothing left to do. You finished the task perfectly.)
- [Side Mission] Investigate the circumstances of the missing Champions: S+ → SS+ (Another perfect investigation. You figured out the causes.)
- [Extra Achievement] Recovered the scarlet card of a 4-year-old missing Champion: SS+ → SSS- (Although the outcome is undesirable, your superb investigation provided enough evidence that this couldn’t be held against you.)
- [Extra Achievement] Awakened 11-year-old missing Champion, Lydra, from her brainwashing and motivated her to complete her mission: SSS- → SSS
- [Bonus Mission] Eliminated the world disaster, Soul Flaying Demonic Tree: SSS → SSS+
- [Extra Achievement] Prevented the destruction of a newly discovered world: SSS+ → X-
Final Rating: X-
No stat points rewarded.
Ever Coins earned: 1,793,421 (Originally 5,000,000. Healing cost has been deducted.)
Total World Time: 4 months, 12 days.
Most of the cost was for healing his soul, but even that was minor since the excess time he had spent under the tree's influence gave it time to recover. In fact, there was hardly any damage anymore, but Genji didn't want to risk it with something as ephemeral as the human soul. After Genji fully recovered, his legacies left his grasp and underwent the usual process. After a few minutes, these were their stats:
[Lethal Opportunity]
Rating: High Legendary
Damage: 47 (+2)
Durability: 510/510 (+10)
Effects:
- Growth (passive): This pair of daggers will grow with you after every world.
- Occam's Razor (passive): +67 sharpness (+2)
- Nigh Unbreakable (passive): +260 durability (+10)
- Spiritual Attunement (active/passive): You can transform these daggers into a phantom form and store them inside your mind space.
Legacy Liberation: Deadly Severance (No change)
- +30 Sharpness for 90 seconds. Wounds inflicted during this duration can't be healed for 25 seconds. Cooldown of 1 month.
Description: Although the upgrades are small, something inherent has changed about these daggers. For now, this effect will accumulate until it overflows.
[Shroud of Terror]
Rating: High Legendary
Defense: 46 (+1)
Durability: 300/300 (no change)
Effects:
- Growth (Passive): This cloak will grow with you after every world.
- Undetectable (Passive): Your stealth has medium priority.
- Untraceable Movement (Active): Multiplies speed by 3x for 65 seconds. Cooldown of 28 seconds. This effect has medium priority. Canceling this will subtract excess time from the cooldown. (Duration: +5 seconds, Cooldown: -2 seconds)
- Like a Feather (Active): Reduces the effects of gravity by 95% for 1 minute. Cooldown of 4 minutes 30 seconds. (Cooldown: -30 seconds)
- Essence of Terror (Passive): Gain maximum energy stats from kills.
- Terror Reinforced (Passive): Recover a small amount of shadow energy from kills. Limited to 5 meters and targets you killed. (no change)
Legacy Liberation: Terror Unleashed (no change)
- +75% energy intensity for 5 minutes. Cooldown of 1 month.
Description: This cloak is in a similar state as its dagger partners. The changes are even less pronounced because it is further along in the evolution process than its brothers.
Genji could sense his legacies approaching some limit, which might explain the inconsequential improvements. This limit was like a ceiling in power level, denoting the absolute apex of this rank. Once his legacies break through this limit, they will undergo a major transformation that will redefine their powers.
Genji was certain of this since his absurd rating justified an unprecedented amount of upgrade energy. For this to not fill his legacies' energy requirements could only mean this transformation was beyond important. Genji even suspected that this change was only supposed to happen at a higher step because the energy demand surpassed what a typical champion could feasibly obtain at this point.
For now, Genji shelved these thoughts and focused on the next reward.
[Final preparations complete. Initiating Talent Promotion.]
At this moment, Genji blanked out and found himself in a stone ruin. The skies were a murky dark camo green, absent of any stars. There were a few blotches of black along the skyline, but no suns or other sources of light.
The whole place was bathed in this color, giving everything a dark shade. The edges of the horizon were also blurry as if obstructed by a veil of secrecy. It was a curious place that filled the viewer with intrigue and sparked an inherent desire for exploration.
Genji finished examining this place and walked along the cloudy white path before him. He passed many broken tablets filled with undecipherable characters and the skeletons of many grand structures. There was a monumental cathedral densely packed with designs and a palace filled with gold.
Everything indicated that a civilization once flourished here, yet only a shadow of their existence remained. Genji also discovered a rift that tore through the land, forming a boundary on the side.
He approached this edge and realized there was no landmass beyond this point. This was a cliff that hung over the abyss. Everything was the same color as the sky. That was when Genji realized this was an island in the void, taken from its original world.
Genji returned to the path and soon arrived at an elevated platform made from smooth grey stone. Six damaged pillars stood tall at the center of this platform, withstanding the trials of time. Genji approached the leftmost pillar and examined it, pondering his next course of action. After a few minutes, he found no results and reached out to touch the pillar.
At this moment, the surroundings suddenly changed into a peaceful plain, filled with swaying grass that followed the wind. In the distance, Genji noticed a human figure approaching him. As the person got closer, Genji realized this person was himself, wearing the same equipment, but giving off a slightly different aura.
His clone stopped 50 meters away from him, drew his daggers, and said in a neutral tone, "I embody the Conjurer's Path, and this is my fighting style."
The next moment, a large stream of energy left his body and condensed into various weapons. Swords, axes, halberds, spears, and other forms manifested around him, covering the skies like rain. Most prominently, four large shields rotated around him like satellites, guarding him from any attacks.
The clone slowly lowered his body, letting Genji capture every movement. Then he burst forward, slashing out large streaks of cutting intent and guiding the storm of weapons to attack an invisible enemy. This barrage quickly devastated the area, with each weapon leaving considerable-sized craters on impact.
Once the barrage finished, the look-alike pulled his dagger back, and the weapons flew back to his side. Then they dissipated into wisps of energy and flowed back to his body. Genji noticed this returning amount was less than initially released, but only by 20%.
The scene ended, and Genji found himself back at the platform. He adjusted himself and removed his hand, causing some runic characters to form over the pillar.
[Path of the Conjurer: Reduces the cost of energy constructs by 80% and allows you to control them from a distance. Your energy constructs will also last longer in battle.]
Seeing this, Genji understood these pillars represented the choices available to him and approached the second pillar. When he touched the material, he found himself in the same field again as another version of himself approached.
Like before, this clone stopped at a distance and introduced himself. "I represent the Controller's Path, and this is my fighting style."
Streams of energy left his body and swirled freely around him, flowing like dancing dragons. His precision was airtight, creating an elegant display. After a few seconds, he held out a finger gun, and energy began gathering at the tips. Once the concentration reached a satisfactory level, he jerked his hand back and shot a piercing laser into the horizon.
This was a familiar utilization since Genji had once been on the receiving end of this attack. However, the clone wasn't done. He waved his arms around like a windmill and gathered the energy into a thick sphere in front of his chest. Then he pushed out, launching a huge explosion that covered the area.
When the dust cleared, Genji noticed streams of energy gathering back at the clone's fingertips. In one final display, he started swiping out crescents of energy that resembled his cutting intent in both shape and range.
The demonstration ended, and Genji received the details of this choice.
[Path of the Controller: Doubles your energy control and significantly extends your range. When you use an energy technique, gradually recover the dispersed energy in the area, up to 35% of the initial cost.]
The third scene began as usual, only with a tree on the side. His replica walked into view, and a dark coating of energy covered him. "I am the Enhancer, and everything revolves around my body," he said before stepping into the tree's shadow.
His presence immediately faded and became indistinguishable from the surroundings, as if he had never existed from the start. Then he revealed himself and flash-stepped circles around Genji, leaving countless after-images in his wake. In a direct comparison, this movement was several times more agile than his own.
Finally, a mountain golem crawled out of the ground and stomped toward them. Once it got close, it raised its fist and slammed down at the replica. The replica braced himself and activated Solid Core, forming makeshift armor beneath his skin. The collision shook the ground violently, but despite the massive impact, the replica emerged unscathed, stopping the truck-sized fist with only a single arm.
[Path of the Enhancer: Increases your body's affinity for energy techniques and greatly amplifies all related abilities. As long as it uses the body, it will receive this boost.]
"I symbolize the Celestial's Path," the fourth version of Genji said. "And I primarily focus on my core."
He held one hand at his waist and one below his chest. Then his body became transparent, revealing a large, polished shadow core. It pulsated with more power than anything Genji had felt and circulated the energy with immense force. Yet despite this, his alternate self remained in control and guided the energy to his limbs.
The transparent state ended, and he took a punching stance. The air burst into tremors and sonic booms, distorting the incoming light to create colorful polygonal shapes. He waited for the commotion to settle down before bursting out with all of Genji's techniques. Every strike received a massive boost in power, yet some parts couldn't match the Enhancer's strength.
Nonetheless, it was an impressive display capable of killing Genji countless times over if not for the illusive state he was in. The shadow flames were especially prominent since they flared bigger than ever, casting their deadly darkness over the entire field. In the end, the was destroyed before Genji returned to the platform.
[Path of the Celestial: Moves the Shadow Core to your stomach, giving it more room to grow and amplify its powers.]
The fifth scene depicted a large mountain overlooking a vast sea. Genji and his alternate self stood on a flat area at the base of the mountain, away from the sea.
"I specialize in the Projection Path, and there's nothing I can't cut," he declared, drawing daggers from his back. "Whether it's mountains or seas in my way, I alone shall carve a path."
He leaped upward and unleashed a massive crescent of light. This attack differed from the rest as it was coated in a thick layer of shadow flames. These flames felt more condensed and fatal to the touch compared to the Celestial's. Genji had never been able to achieve this, as his flames usually dissipated after leaving his side for too long.
Yet this version had none of these struggles; the flames showed no signs of weakening even after traveling a few hundred meters. It was fair to say this clone fully represented his path and projected the flames to their maximum potential.
The streak dug into the mountains and cleaved right through, forming a massive chasm to the ocean. The replica leaped through this gap and slashed at the waves, causing massive splashes. After a few brandishes, a clean path devoid of water appeared. It was as if Moses himself had parted the sea and allowed his passage.
[Path of Projection: Shadow Flames can now cover cutting intent. Upgrade the flame's sharpness and triple its effective range.]
Lastly, there was the final pillar. At a glance, Genji couldn't sense anything special about this version of himself. Rather, it was very normal like he was staring at a mirror image, only with greater power. More specifically, this was the version that resembled his current development the most.
"I practice the Balanced Path," he said in a relaxed tone. "What good is a powerful specialty if you're often held back by your weaknesses? I have no weaknesses, so I'm the most versatile fighter."
He calmly displayed his abilities. There were no scenes of destruction or impressive demonstrations of power. Yet within those movements, Genji sensed a firm steadiness ready to confront any adversaries thrown his way. After the replica went through two cycles of his techniques, he stopped and basked in the wind before waving at Genji.
[Path of the Balanced One: A moderate increase in all abilities, including any future ones.]
Just as Genji thought he was done, a suffocatingly dense killing intent washed over him. It was so intense that the surroundings turned red, and he began seeing visions of blood. Bloody waterfalls and the stench of decay overwhelmed his senses, paralyzing him.
Footsteps sounded behind him as Genji struggled to break free. When he turned around, he saw a man in a leather trench coat, hard combat boots, and a Chinese tang sword at his side. The man's face was obscured by a mosaic, likely due to the sheer difference in their strengths rather than any special effects.
Genji ground his teeth and prepared to fight when the man stopped, and the pressure eased.
“Slaughter is the essence of man. To kill is to claim — to take what’s theirs for oneself. Why should we shy away from such actions when the universe is a chaotic place? Why should we care about the thoughts of others when only our mentality matters? Use slaughter to temper yourself and weaponize your killing intent. I am the Slaughter Transcendent, and I represent the killing path. Become my envoy, and I will grant you the potential to reach the apex.”
[Path of Slaughter: The more you kill, the stronger you become. All gains from this effect are permanent.]
'Such thick killing intent,' Genji thought, struggling to breathe. 'And it doesn't seem like he's purposely flaring it. Just how many people did he kill? Even my body count is like a drop in the ocean compared to his.'
Suddenly, a dark mist gathered around Genji, thrusting him into a domain of darkness. This was an eerie darkness, lacking the usual comfort he felt when hiding in the shadows. He felt vulnerable, and his emotions became unstable as a raspy voice echoed in his ears, forcibly agitating him.
"I am the darkness hidden in the hearts of men. People know me but can never find me. I stalk them from the shadows and strike in their most desperate moments. Those who encounter me never escape my clutches. Who am I?"
Genji suppressed these feelings with his steadfast willpower and cursed at the speaker. "Why the fuck do I care? Stop messing with my emotions and state your conditions already. I don't have all day. And your incitement isn't even that good."
An awkward silence followed before countless red eyes opened around him, and the darkness dissipated. The mist condensed into a hazy blob, glaring at Genji with all its eyes. However, it didn't take further action, confirming Genji's suspicion about its limited ability to interfere.
"Become my envoy, and I'll grant you control over darkness," the aggregation said. "Emotions will become your plaything, and you can manipulate others to your will. You can come and go as you please, with no one to stop you. Instill fear into the minds of enemies and make them tremble in your presence. Join me, and all this can be yours."
Although it sounded grand, Genji had a different impression. Why did it need to emphasize all these aspects when they should be natural with sufficient power? It felt superficial, like a street vendor hawking his wares.
And that was the problem. If the item were valuable, the vendor wouldn't be selling it on the streets but rather going to an established buyer. Plus, the cloud didn't even give its name. No matter how Genji looked at it, the cloud didn't seem reliable.
'Is it perhaps weaker than the other guy? Is that why it's trying so hard?'
[Despairing Haze has offered you the Path of Darkness: You can better sense and manipulate the emotions of others. The more negative emotions one has when fighting you, the weaker they will be. When you accumulate enough negativity from others, gain the ability to transform into a mist of despair.]
Genji was not impressed by this ability because it seemed redundant. Why give up the opportunity for a substantial power boost for something he wasn't proficient in? The acquired ability would need to be extraordinary to make this worthwhile, which Genji doubted based on the cloud's mannerisms.
'Yeah, it's definitely trying to scam me,' Genji concluded.
At that moment, a fresh leafy scent washed away the cloud's unpleasantness. The ground beneath the platform cracked open, revealing an encroaching stem. This stem grew into a vine and crawled beside the cloud. Then it sprouted, becoming a giant tree that seemed to support multiple worlds.
Genji's eye twitched at the familiar lifeform, and he almost attacked out of disgust. Nonetheless, he held back and awaited the tree's offer.
Strangely, this tree communicated differently than the others. Instead of speaking, it waved its branches and conjured a string of text.
I sense the essence of a demonic world tree on you. I'll grant you my blessings if you offer it to me.
[World Tree Yggdrasil has offered you the Path of Vitality in exchange for the essence of a world tree.]
[Path of Vitality: Double your health from all sources. This includes stats, equipment, and consumables. Effective up to 500,000 health.]
It was an unusual offer since Yggdrasil was essentially asking for payment, whereas the others offered their powers for free. However, this was only the case if Genji didn't consider a crucial detail.
"What exactly does it mean to become an envoy?" Genji asked EverRealm. This was the second time he'd seen this term, and he wanted clarification.
The first time was when he obtained the ancestral blood of the vampires, which he used to forge Bruce's body. He hadn't paid much attention to it back then, but now it was different. Two beings of unimaginable power were asking for it at such a crucial moment in his life. He needed to understand what he was agreeing to before making any decisions.
[Powerful beings may have unique circumstances where they can't enter a lower world. Whether it's due to their immense power, which would destroy everything on approach, being physically far away, or simply not wanting to weaken themselves. In these cases, they send an envoy in their place to carry out tasks.]
To put it euphemistically, it's a servant; pessimistically, a slave. From EverRealm's explanation, Genji realized that an envoy might not have a choice in the matter. If one was unlucky, they might end up with a backer who would work them to the bone.
Given this context, Yggdrasil's deal seemed quite considerate. It was only seeking a transaction, while the others wanted his future.
However, what Genji failed to consider was that not everyone was worthy of becoming an envoy. After all, it took a lot of resources to nurture a proper subordinate, so why would they waste it on a weakling when they could find a more capable person?
[You have been offered 6 internal paths and 3 external paths. Pick one.]
Genji pondered the Slaughter Transcendent's proposition a bit longer before rejecting it. The man might be powerful, but it simply wasn't worth it. Genji could grow stronger by himself, so why would he go into debt for someone else's help?
Plus, this would show EverRealm his attitude of prioritizing its missions over anything else. There's no reason to accept. Genji didn't even consider Yggdrasil's offer for the same reason he rejected Despairing Haze's proposition. Don't get him wrong, that's a lot of health, but he would rather upgrade his combat strength before anything else right now.
Genji examined the 6 pillars before him and recalled their characteristics. Conjurer develops his energy constructs; Controller, his energy flow; Enhancer, his body; Celestial, his Shadow Core; Projection, his flames; and finally Balance develops everything equally.
Each path has its strengths and weaknesses, but no glaring flaws. Genji attributed this to his high rating, which surpassed what anyone should have been expected to achieve. The only question now was what ability he wanted to specialize in.
Genji immediately had his answer when he asked that question but he wasn't sure if it was possible. That's because his answer wasn't among the six pillars.
"Are these the only options I can pick from?" Genji asked again. "Can I get some other choices?"
[These specializations were developed based on your previous fighting styles. It is not recommended that you stray from them.]
"It's not recommended, but it's possible," Genji's mouth widened into a grin. "Then I've made my choice. I choose—"
Genji brought his fist to his chest and gave it three hard thumps, sending his shadow core into overdrive one last time.
"DEVOUR!"
With those words, his energy began to boil and take on a temporary frenzy. As if affirming his choice, EverRealm shattered the pillars and removed the three powerhouses, leaving Genji alone on the platform. Then it sent one final overview prompt before chaos overtook everything.
[You have selected the Trailblazer's Path. Commencing talent promotion.]