(IC) Chapter 331 - Extreme Paths

“Using the coordinates of each stroke and calculating the median value of each of the entries, from one to seven, then matching those against the coordinates of the six ruins we’ve already found—after correcting for what they considered the zero reference… the position of a seventh ruin becomes clear,” Chiara explained.

“And let me guess—it’s in the North,” Lukas said, pointing.

Chiara nodded. “Yes. Deep in Xok’al territory.”

“Well, at this point more like the living quarters. The rest is just their farm,” Alonso muttered with a crooked grin.

“Target acquired then,” Lukas said, clapping his hands lightly. “Bets on that being where the stairs to the next stage are hiding. And probably where their seven-tail science project is cooking up.”

“About that,” Wang cut in, brows drawn. “If it’s been centuries—maybe even more if it has been multiple cycles—why hasn’t the seven-tail formed yet?”

“I believe it ties to what the diary called iteration,” Chiara answered, fingers brushing the edges of the scroll. “The text implies the seven-tail isn’t designed in completion. It’s more… cultivated. Resources are fed into it, but its growth is left to natural biological trial-and-error. That takes generations—failure, refinement, balance achieved by repetition.”

Lukas paced a few steps, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, a long-term gamble. Throw centuries at the problem and hope nature eventually spits out perfection. Maybe it never does. Or maybe it does, one day, and that’s when the rest of us are screwed.” He exhaled sharply, then forced a lopsided grin. “Either way, we’ll probably get front-row seats soon enough. May as well ask the bastard ourselves.”

“Talking about the ruins—do you think the ones in the capitals, or even the one with the beastmen… were left there on purpose?” Alonso asked.

“Probably,” Lukas said. “You want crops to grow fast, you add fertiliser, right? Same logic. Feed them knowledge—not history, but skills, structure, a path to follow. They’ll grow into an empire much quicker.”

“That’s…” Wang trailed off, shaking his head.

“Well, the Xok’al have the world wrapped around their… claws, let’s say. And the script plays out just how they planned—unless… there’s outside interference.” Lukas grinned, spreading his hands. “That’s us. The wild horse. The variable they didn’t account for. And on this tilted board, The Tower seems to want us to win. Quite the challenge, huh.”

Ayu smiled. “Sounds fun.”

Alonso forced a grin, though he—more than the rest—understood just how terrifying this revelation really was. There were thoughts he wanted to share, but noticing Lukas’ deliberate attempt to steer the mood and keep morale afloat, he held them back. Thoughts like how the Wardens seemed transient, almost disposable… yet the six-tails had likely endured for ages, carrying shared knowledge across cycles. And if the swarm was truly centralised around them—then how strong could such beings be?

“There is one last thing,” Chiara said, and silence fell. All eyes turned to her.

“As I mentioned, the first seven entries let us pinpoint the location of the final ruin. But the last entry… it serves a different purpose.”

“You mean—the code for the visuals in the capital ruins?” Lukas asked, his eyes widening just slightly. A flicker of hope—one he sorely needed—slipped into his voice.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “In short, the final translation contains the encryption key to filter and properly process the visuals we saw back then. And… I managed to pull out what was hidden beneath.”

Alonso swallowed, forcing his breath to steady. A puzzle that tied together all the ruins? They already had the coordinates—so what else could it be? More lore, deeper knowledge, a skill, something useful?

“And it’s good news,” Chiara said at last, a small smile touching her lips. Lukas let out a long breath of relief. “It contains a technique. Or rather, a revision of a path we’ve already walked—pushed to another level. To an extreme.”

“Come on, skip the teasers,” Ayu pressed, her eyes bright, excitement spilling into her voice.

“It contains a new approach to the States,” Chiara said.

“As in… Body and Pillar?” Lukas asked, intrigued. That was the last thing he expected to find hidden in a set of visuals. But… who had put them there? The Xayen? Well, those questions could wait.

“Yes. In a way. Unlike the paths we’ve been following—the ones revealed in the multicoloured orbs after the boss of the previous stage—this lays out three distinct branches.”

“The first, I’ll call the Extreme Body Path. Advancing in it pushes efficiency far beyond the standard gains: from a 50% increase per State, to 80%. But there are costs. One, choosing this path seals off the Pillar States permanently. Two, it is irreversible—the modifications aren’t node-dependent, they restructure the body itself. Three, the difficulty of progress is higher than on the standard Body Path.”

“The second is the Extreme Pillar Path,” she continued. “It behaves the same way, only inverted—greater efficiency, locked away from Body States, irreversible, and harder to advance.”

“And finally, the third. I’ll call it the Fusion Path. Advancing through it raises efficiency from 50 to 60%. However, unlike the Extreme Paths, it doesn’t spike the difficulty—if anything, it should be about as demanding as following both standard paths at once, perhaps even slightly easier. In practice, that makes all three new routes equally hard to advance, instead of how it is now, where the mixed path is significantly more time-consuming. Following it requires that both States advance simultaneously. And, just like the others, the changes are irreversible.”

Nobody spoke for several seconds as the weight of the information sank in.

“Ok… wow,” Lukas said at last, eyebrows lifting. Clearly, he hadn’t expected anything like this. “So, let’s get this straight. These new paths—do they build on the ones we already have? Can we switch to them and have the advantages retroactive, or do we have to scrap everything and start over? Not even sure that’s possible.”

“It is possible. In fact, it’s necessary,” Chiara replied. “The knowledge outlines a method to reset the current States. In their terms, those are reversible—unlike the new paths. Once chosen, those cannot be reset.”

“O–kay, so… 80% for pure paths. That’s… that’s a lot. Since each stage is multiplicative, we’re talking 1.8, 3.24, and already 5.83 by the Third State, compared to 3.375 as you have now. Yeah… that’s a massive difference,” Lukas said, exhaling.

“Damn,” Ayu muttered, grinning. “Now we’re talking.”

“Alright, this is very important,” Lukas said, clapping his hands once before looking to Chiara. “Give me a reference—how long do you think it would take you to reach the Third State under the Extreme Path?”

“It’s hard to give an exact number,” Chiara said, her three minds already running through models. “The reset process itself is quick, and the knowledge we’ve gained from reaching the standard States can carry over. But the efficiency loss during the transition is significant. I’d estimate anywhere between 1 and 2 weeks.”

“That’s… a lot right now,” Lukas admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Quick math told him that the Extreme Second State gave 3.24—below the Third Standard State at 3.375. Which meant unless she could push to the Third Extreme State, Chiara—and Ayu, too—would actually be weaker than they were at the moment. A gamble. A big one. How much time did they really have? When would the six-tails appear? Could they afford to idle for 2 weeks?

“Lukas,” Alonso cut in, voice steady. “If this new Fusion Path does merge both into one, and it’s slightly easier… I’m confident I can reach it in less than 10 days. Worst case, a new Second Fusion State would still make me 13–14% stronger than now. If Chiara and Ayu need time—I can hold the line.”

Alonso’s thoughts ran deep as he exchanged ideas with Houston. Such a path… he had already been pursuing something along those lines, but if it could be eased into a structured form, it was exactly what he needed. And he could quickly build it—he had the foundation. With the extra SP from the wyvern’s orb… yes, he could make it.

“Hmm… not sure,” Lukas said, his voice heavy. “Even with a 14% boost, plus the slight edge from the wyvern’s orb and the item, you’d barely reach Emperor-tier. Maybe close to the Ajnal empress at best. But I’m certain—a six-tail will be far stronger than that. So… no. Nobody here will ‘hold the line.’” His tone hardened, more serious than usual. “If the six-tails come for the harvest and you haven’t reached the Third State, then so be it. Let the Ajnal fall. Let the Azcoyatl fall. Let them all burn if they must. Their armies might be useful, but in the end, it’s our lives that matter most. And until the seven-tail awakens, we still have time, we still have a chance—even if the world crumbles.”

He fixed his gaze on Alonso. “Right now, our focus should be on building strength in the shadows. We’ve been offered a final gift before the dawn of the stage, and we must make use of it.” He looked at the rest, collecting his thoughts. “I’m not sure why such a technique would be hidden in the visuals, but I suspect it’s tied to the Xayen. The visions showed their demise and cast the Xok’al in a poor light. This may have been their last will—a technique lost and diluted over time, a glimpse of the true paths they once followed, hidden, and left behind for some future hero to avenge them… or something like that.” He smiled.

“But… if that’s the case, why would the encryption key rest in the notes of the one who created the Xok’al? The one who caused their destruction?” Alonso countered.

“That… I can’t say,” Lukas admitted. “It could be that the encryption wasn’t personal to the creator at all, but a standard method used by the higher Xayen circles—perhaps even the Council, he was part of. Or it could just be The Tower lending its invisible hand. It’s impossible to tell. What matters is that we now have it. And it’s an asset we must use to its fullest if we want to see this stage through.”

All around, they nodded.

“This path—while its benefits are undeniable—is a one-way route. Irreversible. It will bring changes beyond anything we’ve yet experienced. But it is power we need.” He fixed his gaze on Chiara and sent her a pulse. Moments later, each of them felt intricate diagrams unfurl in their minds as they processed the signal, outlining the three choices.

“We must decide. A choice of the path each of us will take.” He drew a steady breath, grounding himself. “My Awakening aligns most closely with the Pillar Path. It strengthens the range and stability of my links. For that reason, I… will follow the Extreme Pillar Path, and see it to its end.”

“I will follow that path too,” Chiara said calmly.

“Well, you guys already know,” Ayu grinned.

“I will pursue the Fusion Path. It suits my Awakening best,” Wang replied without hesitation.

Alonso, however, did hesitate. The initial excitement ebbed as the weight of the decision pressed in. Unlike the rest, he had been pursuing a path of his own making. Now, in simple terms, this seemed godsent—unity of mind and body, the very thing he had sought, and a path that would surely play well with his skills. Yet… could he truly train it the same way?

“Houston, any final thoughts?” he asked inwardly, his mind turning over the diagrams for the hundredth time.

“Well… the method is essentially a rehaul of the others. It merges the nodes instead of treating them individually. I believe there’s a high chance it will attune to you well, but—”

“There’s always a risk,” Alonso finished for him. But risk or not, the need for strength outweighed hesitation. Even if it bent his path, he would adapt. The odds, at least, were in his favour.

He exhaled slowly. “I will follow the Fusion Path,” he said at last. The others weren’t surprised.

Lukas gave him a firm nod. Ayu offered a faint smile. Their eyes then shifted to Imani.

“I believe I should remain on the Standard Paths, at least for now,” Imani said after a thoughtful pause, drawing surprise from the group. “I am close to reaching the Divine Warrior of the Land pattern, which will allow me to use Storm Domain and improve my smithing—something we could make use of. I should also be able to reach the Third Body State within a week or two, which would greatly increase my combat prowess. But if I reset now, I’ll delay progress on every front, while the Third Fusion Path would take me far longer than a week or two. And finally… after this stage ends, perhaps I will consider changing direction. My Awakening scales heavily with body strength, something the Pillar path does not provide and which is harder for me to pursue. I want to leave that option open—and perhaps aim for the Extreme Body States then.”

Imani knew he was lacking compared to Ayu, Chiara, and Alonso. The first two were prodigies in their paths, suited in traits, talents, Awakenings, and even personalities. The third lacked that natural affinity, but he had forged his own way, thriving in it—leaving Imani far behind. He knew it was too late for this stage, already approaching its final arc. But if they survived, if they kept pushing forward, then he too would have to find a path better aligned with his strengths, rather than the one he had been thrust into at the beginning of this stage.

Alonso looked at Imani for a moment and gave a small nod, perhaps the only one who truly understood the weight behind his words.

Lukas then locked eyes with the final member, who had remained silent in the corner all this time. “I suppose you’re interested in the Extreme Pillar Path, Mei?” he asked calmly.

The girl nodded, a bit nervous. “Yes.”

“Mei, there’s one thing,” Lukas said. “As I mentioned back when you took the wyvern’s orb, The Tower tends to favour the growth of seven elites—a pattern we’ve been observing for a while. And now… you’re one of us. That brings strength, but more than that, responsibility. Your growth matters. If before you gave it your all, now we need you to push beyond it.” He gestured to all of them. “We’ll have your back, and you’ll have ours. So—” he smiled, “—let’s climb this damned Tower together.”

Mei felt the pressure tighten around her chest, but then she breathed out as she saw Lukas smile. She almost bowed and said commander, but stopped herself. Instead, she straightened. “I will.”

Lukas’ smile widened as he turned to the rest.

“Right now is the time for growth, our final chance to reach the strength we need to clear this stage. And we will prevail, as we always have. We carry the souls of those who fell, and the hopes of those waiting outside. Their fate is in our hands, and that is our strength. One simple fact: we cannot, and we will not, lose. So we’ll push. We’ll push with everything we have. And we’ll show the Xok’al just how unfortunate it is…” he grinned, “…that we appeared in their world.”

“Like the meteorite to the dinosaurs,” Alonso mused.

“Exactly,” Lukas said. They all laughed—but deep inside, the fire burned hotter still.