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Chapter 533 - Demon vs human

It’s amusing how a big part of my arsenal doesn’t work against him, as he doesn’t even bother to use mana beyond what’s absolutely necessary. Almost all of it is turned into kinetic energy.

I deploy my own Resonance Flow, and a big part of the sea’s surface immediately becomes calm. Whitey’s field and mine collide against each other as both of us fight for control.

He stays in Pulser Stance, while I shoot mana projectiles, conjure exploding orbs, and create lances that...

Chapter 532 - In the middle of the ocean

“I have a skill called [Empyrean Lance]. Do you know something about it?” I ask Kyralon while sitting on the ground with my legs crossed.

On my lap, Fracture is in its cracked sheath, and that dangerous energy is partially leaking through. It’s wrapped in my mana to somewhat slow it down, but without proper materials, I don’t think I can fix it much.

Plus, my right arm doesn’t help. Sure, as it happened plenty of times before, I can surround it with weav...

Chapter 531 - Questions

“What is your name?”

“Nathaniel Gwyn.”

“Do you have family and what are their names?”

“Sister Victoria and mother Thalia.”

“Your father?”

“His name was Robert. He’s dead.”

“I’ve noticed your mood shifting and your body tensing when you talk about him. Did you have a bad relationship with him? Also, you can refuse to answer these questions.”

“There’s no need. And yes, our relationship was bad most of the time.”

Book 5 cover

The cover for Book 5 is finally finished!

I'm considering a few changes—like removing the cockroach, zooming in on Nat, and adjusting the layout. It's something I'll decide later based on what I like the most.

On the cover, you can see Lissandra, the black mana dagger, the dagger made from Saint Absolute’s flesh and bones, with the 5th floor Champion’s eye imbued into it. And more!

While it’s not 100% lore-accurate—Nat has too many arms, Flamebearer could be more d...

Chapter 530 - Among Us

“How do you obtain food on your planet?”

“Usually from the shop for money.”

“Ah, by paying with dollars you mentioned before?” Kyralon asks.

“Yes. Some people are more self-sufficient and raise animals or farm to have varieties of foods.”

There are questions after questions. When I think he might slow down, he just asks for more. Some of the questions are likely things he’s heard many times before if he put up a request for an attendee previously—wh...

Chapter 529 - Beyond Quest

POV Nathaniel

There are no more stairs. Through the hallway, lit by a gentle orange glow, I pass multiple doors until I reach the one that stands open. The room beyond is shaped like a half circle, and within the wall opposite the outer curve, another door stands open, leading to a vast loggia. From there, I can see into the darkness, filled with shards of the broken moon and countless stars. There is a strange sensation in the air—so tangible it almost seems to slow ...

Chapter 528 - Warden

I continue walking through the hallway. Even though it’s likely very old and neglected—judging by the thick layers of dust—the floor, walls, ceiling, and ornaments show not a single sign of wear. They are perfectly preserved.

On one side of the hallway, there are doors leading into rooms behind them, each in a different color. Greens, blues, yellows, reds—they all mix in a way that surprisingly doesn’t look ugly. On the other side are windows, each covering the entire wall, th...

Chapter 527 - Four options

I open my mouth to try to talk to them, to make them stop, to wait, or to explain, but a single glance at the lumorans’ faces tells me enough. And I know the rules.

There is no talking the moment someone is identified as a mimic.

The attacks get pulled and pulled to the crown, none reaching me at all, so with eerie efficiency they switch—melee attackers rushing toward me.

Some of that absorbed mana channels through me, powering [Redistribution] and ...

Chapter 526 - Not lighting up

POV The First Disciple of Nathaniel Gwyn, minion Vega

“You shouldn’t do that. Your master set it up in a way that works best for your growth.”

The red-haired human woman appears again, as she likes to once in a while.

“Creepy woman!” I call out to her.

As always, I can’t feel her heartbeat, and she insists it’s because she’s just a projection. But could it be that she’s actually sick, hiding a weak heart out of shame? My master told m...

Chapter 525 - 7th floor’s monsters

Three days pass and it feels like the weather becomes colder and harsher; the snow, even though cleaned often, collects against the tents. It’s darker outside and often you can see only a few steps ahead.

Yet we continue as before.

Sophie, Aaron, Dennis, and me helping in the workshop and getting access to more and more advanced parts and information while absorbing all the knowledge we can.

Lily, guarded by the others, is often called to heal as more and more smaller expe...

Chapter 524 - Signature Isolation Framework

We are let into Workshop number 2 the next day.

No test needed and leaving both Hed, his group, and the trio of thylarin behind in Workshop 3 even though they are just that little bit more experienced.

I enter it expecting something different from Workshop 3, but it’s mostly the same—the only big difference being many more war armor parts and more level 8 technicians. Even Leth, who guides us in, seems to have a lot of respect.

I look around, hoping to see Ardenyx, but t...

Chapter 523 - Assistant Nathaniel

After the usual “keeptheevilswordsleeping” maintenance, I’m one of the many people out here shoveling the snowdrifts. The higher-ups have decided we should do it manually to prevent any unnecessary mana leakage, so for now, we can only use mana inside these incredible tents.

Naturally, I wonder if there’s some fantastic device to handle these drifts—is there a piece of equipment that can just blast them away or evaporate the snow with minimal mana? Maybe a blower that barely n...

Chapter 522 - Ardenyx

The other day the system probably judged we had slacked enough.

Warning! The 1st wave is now in progress.

Just that single message and then nothing. Lifting my eyes from the Fracture in my lap and the Logic Core I’m working on, I look at Min-Jae sitting opposite me in the living room.

“You too?” he asks.

“Me too!” Izzy says from nearby.

We join the telepathic link the twins upkeep and exchange a few warnings. After that, I...

Chapter 521 - Training room

POV Aaron Dalton

Three days, and I'm already sick of this goddamn cold. The snow keeps blowing into the camp, and sometimes, to save mana used for war armor maintenance, they send us outside to clear it ourselves.

Dennis and I have always preferred warmer weather, and even though we got some clothes from the lumorans, it’s not helping much. Sure, these clothes help a lot, but they’re bulky and annoying to move in.

Nat claims it’s because they’re savi...

Chapter 520 - Disconnected

"Yo, Nat, you alive?"

Huh. That sounds like Dennis.

I open my mouth. "Fuck off."

"He’s fine," Dennis confirms.

"He is NOT fine! He’s bleeding all over, and even from here, I can feel how hot his body is! I swear I can see something moving under his skin!" Kim shouts.

"Kim, my boy," Dennis replies casually. "That is just Nat being Nat, this is probably his optimal state. I’d be more worried if he didn’t hurt himself for more than a day or two. Right, Nat?"...

Chapter 519 - Cyclist Destroyer

It’s early morning the next day when I wake up after my usual few hours of sleep. Ever since the body upgrades and everything that came with them, going days without sleep hasn’t been a problem. Still, I’ve gotten into the habit of sleeping 2–4 hours most nights whenever I can.

I’ve noticed that when I get some sleep, I’m less irritable, make fewer mistakes, and even find training easier. Surprise—it’s just like how normal people feel when they get enough rest.

Sti...

Chapter 518 - Exoria deployment camp

Tess, Lily, and I return to our current base, where everyone is already waiting—packed up and seated in my trademarked manabloc Chairs v3.1. We join them.

I let a minute pass before saying, “So, second front?”

“I’m thinking, Nat.” Tess waves me off.

“What do you mean by the second front!?” As expected, Sophie is the first one to complain, “You said we would be going to the 6th.”

“I know, Soph. It seems something changed on the 2nd front and they n...

Chapter 517 - Lumorans

If you are a true man, there is no way you wouldn’t get excited by a cool thing akin to some sort of fantasy mana-or whatever else-powered power armor. We have seen it before: the Valorplate during the 4th floor—living armor that took over the body of a dead Champion and used his damaged heart to power itself for hundreds of years.

Even now, I have my own ideas to create one when I get to Earth. Something capable of resisting Champions and stuff. Not because I want it as a source of...

Chapter 516 - A mercenary group called Angry Kittens

The setup of the 7th floor is fairly interesting, especially the fact we can leave any time. Taking into consideration there are two ??? rewards in the floor quest it surely means these rewards can end up being 1 shard, knowing the system.

After a week since we returned from the Beyond expedition, we have more information and should be able to move and do stuff without a high chance of Champion rank monster popping up and killing us all in a single attack.

The event here isn’t P...

Patreon Memberships Upgraded!

Hey! I planned to upgrade memberships closer to Christmas, but I decided to be generous and do it now—so Tier 3 can skip the cliffhanger, lol.

Anyway, I want to thank you all for your incredible support, whether here or on Amazon. Your help has allowed me to go full-time as a writer, and I’m truly grateful for that. Thank you!

Please, no spoilers!

Tier 3 - Increased from 40 chapters to 45 chapters

Tier 2 - Increased from 20 chapters to 22 chapters

Tier 1 - I...

Chapter 515 - Tournament winner against Tournament winner

Mana seeps out of my body, and for the first time in so long, I let it, even helping it with my Mana Cycling.

My body reserves, doubled by an attribute upgrade.

My Reservoir that triples all that mana.

Mana from my crown.

Jean isn’t breaking easily as others do and there is no need to be worried about teammates nearby.

My mana floods out in waves, swirling, radiating, crashing against his body. The raw force of it.

And something about his body resists. Hi...

Chapter 514 - Jean Durand

Flashback Jean Durand

A young man, no more than seventeen, victoriously thrusts both arms into the air with a loud, primal scream. His muscles tense as he basks in the exhilaration of winning, of competing, of putting everything on the line to test the limits of his body.

That victorious feeling, the reward for all the effort, etches itself deeply within him—something he will strive for the rest of his life to experience again.

Nearby, on the judges’ pan...

Chapter 513 - I will crush your pride

I rest against one of the huge pillars and apply pressure with my hand on the wound on my stomach to keep my organs inside. There are no more healing marks to activate, so I cycle some thermal energy through my body.

One day I will find the person who caused my healing passive to be left behind at only mid epic grade.

The most annoying part is that I can't even use proper armor or weave mana because of the grown mana and still applying mid-arcane passive. I think I might have been...

Chapter 512 - Bye Bye Focused Channeler

We hide inside one of the huge stone pillars connecting the floor with the ceiling. They are surprisingly durable, and only with great effort do we carve a way inside, Sophie manipulating stone to close behind us while my tiny black orb destroys all the signs of our mana before crumbling away.

With our signatures hidden and the area shielded by webs and multiple arrays, we sit around the gentle light of a normal candle that burns surprisingly brightly in the dimness of our hidey-hole—...

Chapter 511 - Primary class upgrade

It seems like arcane Primary classes are on the menu, and I'm here for it. I might have hoped for something like that, but seeing that none of the classes are below arcane means... well, likely a lot.

I send the message through the link, and while Tess keeps an eye on the monsters and the group, I go through the options.

Mana Reforger (Arcane)

An advanced class specializing in augmenting and transforming both body and equipment through intricate energ...

Chapter 510 - Reanimated Remnants

Duncan starts ordering some natives around and threatening them not to steal anything. He promises them bonuses paid in shards or materials, all drawn from his 10%, which will also cover various fees along the way.

It all seems too easy. He smiles, he curses at them, he threatens and offers bonuses—all while quickly reacting to anything the natives have to say. He even uses the presence of our group to his advantage.

I think these guys might be scared of Lily, who is already dig...

Chapter 509 - Pale blue

I hope I’ll never be as easy to provoke as this guy. Now, with the strongest of them dead, this should be doable without anyone on our side dying.

Wraith Dance brings me to the side, into the path of the demon who still holds the corpse of the first one. I switch to Breaker Style and release the kinetic energy I was collecting.

He, in defense, thrusts the body he holds into the way of the attack, and with its lowered natural defenses it explodes into flesh and bones but blocks m...

Chapter 508 - Our fish

Even before it fully climbs out, I slide into [Focus]. [Eclipse] activates, reaching towards the fish, and Ley Lines surround the area. The pressure just feels that strong.

Sophie deploys her web structures; Luna grows to the size of a big horse, nudging Leticia to climb on her back, who forms a bow made of mana in her hand.

Lucien quickly repositions, and Tess grabs him as she runs by, both of them keeping their distance.

Gareth steps ...

Chapter 507 - Fish

The Lake City is quite basic. There are no walls or protections, only locks on some houses and arrays to prevent break-ins. It seems no one even considers the possibility of a lurker attack or the monsters in the lake.

All of the houses are made out of material reminiscent of frozen water, but it's not cold and there are no sharp angles. Instead, it feels weirdly warm to the touch and comfortable.

Some of these houses are unlocked, likely serving attendees, while locked ones proba...

Chapter 506 - Lake City

Even though I don't have time for a full lesson, I make sure to visit the guest in my mind space.

This time, Whitey sits in the well-kept garden, surrounded by towering, elegant bonsai-like trees. Nearby, cherry trees scatter their pink petals. In the distance, the bamboo thing collects the water and makes that typical noise when water empties and hits the stone.

There are even cicadas rounding up the extremely cliché environment.

Additionally, Whitey is dressed in a white ...