Chapter 502 - Again into the Beyond

With the acquisition of the new skill, my preparations for the primary class upgrade are complete.

I have acquired as many powerful passives as I can, I have strengthened my traits, and I have plenty of powerful skills at high levels—not to mention the body modifications Lily and I have made. Then there are the things I did that should count in, killing—with big help—a Champion and stuff.

The upgrade better be good.

As always, there is no description for the active skill, so I conduct my tests, checking whether the effects of previous skills are missing or have changed.

“Hey, Maya, create some weapons with [Armament].”

After a confused look, she creates a dagger, and as I gesture, she throws it at me.

My skill activates and eyes as well, reading all the information required. I use [Eclipse] and take over as I would with [Resonance].

The effect is mostly the same, yet it feels different. Instead of altering and modifying my mana to connect with it, it feels as though I’ve taken control. There’s a stronger sense of ownership.

Looking at the dagger now, it doesn't seem that impressive or useful to take over it.

“Javelins?” I ask.

With a sigh, she uses her skill again and starts forming weapons floating over her shoulders. Using the new skill, I connect to them, resonate with them, and take over, Maya finding herself cut off.

I stare at that. Once again, not that useful.

“Barrier?”

“Nat, I fucking swear if...”

“Please.”

“Damn it,” she curses, but a spherical barrier appears around her body.

My skill activates again, and I put my hand through that barrier with ease, adapting to its frequency.

I still try to grasp that feeling. The best way to describe it is that my control overshadows hers as I infuse myself into the skill, resonating deeply with it.

There’s still a sense that I can disrupt her control over mana as I did before. Even at this low level, it feels almost strong enough to rival the previous version. However, there’s something different about it now, and I’m finding it difficult to fully grasp.

I’m sure the skill will truly shine in a fight. It also means more testing, and I feel that familiar excitement I get whenever I have a new toy… or, in this case, a new ability. I’ve thought about it recently, considering the difference between not using upgrade tokens on my skills and acquiring new ones in this way, and I’ve come to a conclusion—there is a difference.

Upgrading a skill feels almost like cheating, an easy way out. But combining skills and creating a new one is different. Sure, at first, I let the system guide me and show me how to use it, but I always strive to master the skill on my own and push it to its limits. With more powerful skills, this approach becomes even more valuable.

As for [Eclipse], its name feels odd—similar to Savant’s [Dawn] or the [Regalia] I had before. It also makes me wonder about the naming of skills and how those names are decided.

Thanking Maya, I move back to my corner and increase the output of my Restrictive Training Emblem for now, putting testing of [Eclipse] to a bit later.

It takes me only a few hours, but I'm soon done, and the mana stone I was making is fully inscribed, containing all the training for seven stances from Whitey, starting with basics and more advanced stuff locked behind mana locks that require certain mastery over mana to get through.

That should make it so my minion doesn't start with dangerous stuff and will work on her basics first. And also that she won't forget her mana training.

My Mana Wavelength Iris activates again, and I stare at the stone in the palm of my hand. I watch it very closely, mana wavelengths around it, its movement, [Perception] works at full force too.

Only then I say, “Send it to my disciple by using my token meant for that.”

I don't even blink, and the mana stone is gone. It disappears in that crazy scary way the system likes to make them disappear. The way where I can't sense anything at all.

But I will get there.

Then, while RTE keeps crushing my body, I grab my mana and start moving it using Mana Cycling.

***

It's the hour of our Beyond expedition, and all of us are gathered in the room. On purpose, I have not examined this floor too much, knowing it would only make me curious the entire time I would be in Beyond.

So that's where I rely on Tess and others who make sure it should be safe for us to go for a few days. I especially know Sophie made as sure as possible her sister would be safe.

I wait for the others to say goodbyes and return the ones I get.

With that, I use my token and the others as well, all of us moving to our handlers.

***

POV Maya Jones

The moment they disappear, Biscuit opens his eyes and yawns. He turns to Izzy, who carefully puts him on the ground where he stretches and yawns again.

“What?” The confusion in Kim's voice is something I share.

“It's fine! Biscuit pretended to be asleep. He woke up after we came to this floor!” Izzy says somewhat happily, and she gets on her knees, letting Biscuit sniff her hand. “Isn't he cute?”

“You knew, and why would he...” Kim doesn't finish his words when Biscuit looks at him and floats into the air, stopping in front of the boy.

Biscuit moves through the air much quicker than before, and honestly, seeing a two-month pup float like that is way too cute. His fuzzy tail trails behind and his legs hang down.

Biscuit starts sniffing curiously, but there is no typical message sent through.

Izzy explains, “He just likes when Nat carries him around, pets him, and cares for him. That's why he pretended to sleep! He also still has some trouble getting used to some of his abilities and can't talk.”

I want to shake my head, say something, but I can't.

What Izzy said right now makes a lot of sense, and I find myself thinking about it that way with this crazy situation.

***

POV Nathaniel

As always, my handler sits on her wooden chair and behind that wooden table.

This time I move closer and shamelessly take one of the papers off it, curious to look at its contents.

The paper is blank.

When I put it back on the table, the text appears.

So I lift it again to look at it, and it disappears again.

I put it back on the table and then lean closer until I almost start to make out words, and it turns blank.

I step back, and even though using mana this way isn't my specialty, I strengthen my sight and stare at it, the paper turning blurry and the text disappearing again as I do so.

“Annoying, isn't it?” my handler watches it all with curiosity.

Instead of answering, I reach to grab one of the mana stones but find myself unable to pick it off the table no matter how much I try. Even as I try to peek in, it seems empty.

Disappointed, I create a manabloc chair and sit down, “Any news?”

“It seems like you have been already warned about the guest in your mind. Other than that? Enforcer Guild was looking after you because of the contract but have stopped after a few months—mostly because it didn't seem you broke it, and the people who died weren't that important, and the contract was of low tier.”

“That's good.”

“They are just leeches, so if they become annoying, fuck them up. If you haven't signed an A or S tier contract with some of the top guilds, they won't even bother sending someone powerful. Currently, they have two or three such people, but they won't move for lowly contracts.”

“Will keep that in mind. I probably can't ask much, right? About Beyond?”

“It would get censored, and I will tell you important bits and leave the rest up to you. The rest of the information allocation I'm saving for the big ones like the one I gave you before. You liked it, right?” She interlocks her fingers and rests her chin against them, a bright smile on her face. “Do you already have theories who the Rulers could be?”

“Well, for the First, Cinderbear, for third, I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of those damned sparrows, otherwise Edwal, or the King even though they seem unlikely, getting stuck at the same level over millennia, so maybe the Saint?”

I look at her, trying to read something of her expression. I even use kinetic energy to track her movement, but she notices it well. She doesn't block my probing, but there is absolutely nothing I could track.

Her smile widens, so I continue, “Fifth, I don't know. Gaiathra? Niall? Some other Champion I have missed? And for Sixth, there are too many possible candidates to guess.”

"No guess for the second floor?" she asks.

"There is no need to, right?"

“I see, I see,” she nods with a smile, “In exchange for your answer to my curious question, allow me to tell you about something exciting to look for...”

“So being polite pays off?”

“Rarely,” she shakes her head, still amused, and I feel myself disappearing.

This person really seems to like to time our conversations that way.

She waits a second longer, “Starting now you can take Beyond quests, and I will tell you more the next time we meet.”

“Sounds cool?”

My handler shakes her head, black hair with a tint of red flowing around her, and she watches me for reaction, the information probably so juicy for her to want to.

“Beyond quests allow you to leave the tutorial for a certain time, usually a few days, to work on a quest someone outside commissioned. I have gone through some of them; there are a few you might like, all with really nice rewards. If you reach a higher rank in Beyond, you'll gain access to better quests—and some of them are truly fascinating. These include quests that no Beyond attendee has completed in a hundred years, thousand-year-old challenges, and many more.”

Well, she got me again.

She seems to notice it as well as her smile brightens, and then I disappear, appearing back on the entrance floor.

***

The price to use the teleportation array to different Entrance Floor's outposts is 10,000 shards. After you do it, that entrance floor becomes your “starting” floor the next time.

That's why it sucks to be Lily and Tess, both of them having to use their shards. Lily should have plenty of them because of the mana desert white sand item selling spree, but it must hurt Tess a bit.

Yes, even if you are from the same group you won't appear in the same outpost and instead, you are split in between god knows how many others. For this information, I thank Duncan as well as something akin to coordinates or the address of this outpost—something he asked 1,000 shards for.

For that man, the grind never stops, I guess.

After finding Sophie at the outpost near the smithy, where I told her to go if she arrived first, we head toward the teleportation array. When Lily and Tess rejoin us, I cheer them up again.

This time they get to pay for getting identification tokens.

Really authentic Beyond experience. A first impression is important, so they must realize how this place is.

I teach them how to activate their identification marks, and when they do, my ivory white C rank contrasts nicely with their obsidian black D rank. Not to show off for too long, we head to the spot where our Earth expedition formed for the first time while ignoring others around. A group of few people already waits there.

The winner of the 1st round's 1st tournament, carrotCake aka Jean. Big bulky mountain of muscles with that annoying little jerk next to him, Lucien, who I still have no idea how he passed through Beyond trials being a healer and not showing any fighting capabilities.

That mountain of muscles seems to be training or something as the skin on his body tears at places and a focused expression on his face. That immense pressure of danger radiates from him.

My respect towards the guy grows seeing the damage he causes to his body.

Meanwhile, Leticia jumps to her feet with a happy smile, “Noname! I thought you would make it! Luna, I won the bet, you owe me 5 thousand shards!”

Leticia stops in front of us, the golden retriever following behind her while complaining, “First impressions are important, Leticia, please don't make me ashamed and tone it down.”

The golden retriever takes a quick step and grows till her head is at the height of Leticia's chest and shoves her to the side while stopping in front of Tess, “I'm sorry for my companion. You three must be Noname's friends, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Luna, and that silly woman is Leticia. She is like this, but she is more reliable when it becomes dangerous, I can promise.”

With a laugh, Leticia jumps on Luna's back and puts her hands around her neck, which forces Luna to grow bigger.

“Four people out of the same group in Beyond is crazy.” Leticia nods seriously.

“It somehow worked out like that. I'm Sset, it's nice to meet you Leticia, and Luna as well. This is Grumpy and Soph.”

As they are introducing themselves, I notice Jean stopping with his training and his attention full on Sophie.

There are no senses, no perception, or anything. It's more akin to the instincts of a wild animal. The longer he looks at her, the more his expression contorts.

I let kinetic energy and mana collect in my body. An amount that cannot compare to what I could do before the mid-arcane passive. All of it handled by my mind with ease, roaring forces threatening to destroy my weak body, yet held at bay by my control.

Jean moves at the same time I do, and before he can reach Sophie, I stand in front of him, the incredible power of his attack absorbed by Counter Flow and partially by my unique passive, a huge chunk of mana added to the Mana Reservoir.

He moves his hand and grabs me in an attempt to throw me off his way, but I bury my feet into the ground, move my body, and my palm hits his chest, sending kinetic energy I absorbed into the attack while adding some of my own.

A short shockwave reverberates the air, and the man staggers back.

Not even damaged, he shakes it off, the pressure of danger felt from him increasing, and his face turning darker, “You know what ability she has.”

“Yes.”

“People like her need to be killed.”

“That's your problem. She is in my group.” I emphasize the word 'my', being sure he will understand.

Jean observes me for a moment as if confirming my words and then nods in acknowledgment.

I raise up my energy at the same time he does. Both of us are ready to jump into the fight, with Sophie, Tess, and Lily behind me, as well as Lucien connecting his healing to Jean.

But before any of us can move, Jean and I both freeze. My eyes shift at the same moment as his, landing on the figure that suddenly appeared to his left.

It’s a young woman with messy brown hair, an extremely thin frame, ragged clothes, and a small backpack slung over her shoulder.

She holds a dagger in her hand, its tip gently piercing Jean's chest, just above his heart. The young woman is much shorter than the man, so she has to lift her arm to do so, yet she is still smiling.

None of us sensed her appear. Not even Luna. Not even Sophie. Not even me with my improved sense of movement.

Tacita smiles brightly and waves at us.

***

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