cerim

Chapter 505 - Three ways to clear this floor

We stop for a short break after a few more clashes. At this point, we have killed plenty of lurkers, so we have a lot of attention on us. As before, the lurkers are attracted to people who have killed a lot of them. Even so, the floor is huge, so it always takes a few minutes until we crash into another group.

Could we move without killing that many of them? Quite possibly, but even if we crash into a lurker like Whitey, I don't think it would cause us much trouble.

Surrounded by ...

Not a Chapter. Announcement – Book 3 Live on Amazon!

It’s here again! Book 3 is live and even longer than the previous one—this time it is around 780 Amazon pages!

The audiobook isn’t ready yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as it’s available!

As before, I’d be really thankful if you find time to rate the book or leave a review with your thoughts. You can (most of the time) rate and review even if you didn’t buy the book. If you have KU, you can download the book—just downloading it helps, as it counts as a sale!

Chapter 504 - Deeper Into the First Floor

We split the loot of these lurkers as well and head deeper into the 1st floor. Its destroyed environment with the ceiling high over our heads now feels familiar, but I don't let it lull me and stay attentive.

At some point, two lurkers reach Sophie—something Tess lets happen—and Sophie takes control of them. One is a vyssari man with flame attacks, and the other is a human woman possessing some sort of domain skill that reduces the effectiveness of healing skills.

Around that ...

Chapter 503 - Expedition like ours

After Tacita waves at me, the field around her changes to a version similar to the one during the tournament—one that we used for some playful training instead of going all out, where she tries to hide herself and I pierce through that field around her.

Yet, she hid from me. Quite easily too. It looks like someone didn't like nearly dying during the tournament and went on a training spree.

Jean swings his arm at her, but she vanishes, reappearing on his opposite side with incred...

Young minion and Biscuit

Hey! The promised art is here! This time showing young Vega and young Biscuit.

 It's not canon, but you could imagine that's how they looked a year or two before the tutorial started. I think it's called concept art or fan art.

I love the pic, and I hope you guys will like it too!

*Pls no spoilers

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 ski...

Chapter 501 - So devoid of passion and genuine effort

POV Myrra

“Did it work, Lady Lissandra?” I ask after a minute.

The silver-haired young woman in front of me looks away from an empty space in the air and nods, “It works as expected. I should soon be able to do the same thing with you. Because of the unfinished work on your status, we will be getting our own instance and will synchronize with little pup after you gain it fully.”

“Sorry for the trouble and thank you very much.”

She waves it ...

Chapter 500 - 7th Floor

I blink, and the Champion is gone. Instead, she stands near us, the remains of our defenses crumbling. She looks at the sky, the dust once again filling it, the light of the sun blocked.

The vyssari looks at Tess for a moment and smiles. "Good luck to you and your party, Tess."

With those simple words, she disappears again, moving at speeds that we can't follow, only a lightning trail remaining in the air behind her.

Just a few seconds later, lightning streaks across the blo...

Chapter 499 - Vyssari Champion

"I'm sorry!"

"Just a simple sorry won't cut it, Tess."

"I can clean your room a bit."

"Fuck off. If you so much as move a single book, I'll burn your ass so badly no healer will be able to fix it for the rest of your life. And why the fuck are you bringing so many people here?"

"You are using the word 'fuck' too often. Reduce it a bit, please."

"Fuck off, Tess."

"I'm sorry!"

The short vyssari jumps to her feet, carefully putting the book down before m...

Chapter 498 - Metal Cathedral

I sit in deep thought, watching as Lily goes from person to person, healing the serious wounds and letting natural regeneration deal with the rest. Everyone is battered, and my Ley Line snapping has sent us somewhere unfamiliar.

Tess says she might have an idea and she's confirming it with Maya and Min-Jae, both of whom have barely any mana left from the fight in the city. The same goes for everyone, whether from fighting against mind mages right after Framework ignition or fleshy golem...

Chapter 497 - Clash with the Devourer

All the sounds vanish, replaced by a silence unlike anything I've ever experienced. I can't hear my heartbeat. I can't hear my breathing. Nothing. Every color fades to black and white, except for the vibrant blue of mana.

In that world, the crown above my head appears darker than even the deepest shades of black around it.

My domain, enhanced by the additional effect of the Pride subclass, envelops me and the crown as I focus with absolute intensity. The crown absorbs all my mana,...

Chapter 496 - Threads of the Devourer

Passive Skill: Mental Attunement Loop (Mid Arcane) - The user’s mind functions in an unending attunement loop, immensely reducing the mental toll of continuous high-energy and mana usage, seamlessly sustaining even the most demanding skills and traits. This allows unrestrained high-energy and mana manipulation over extended periods without fatigue.

Close to five hundred thousand shards disappear, and the passive appears in my status. The description is simple...

Chapter 495 - Framework ignition

We have [Manipulation], we have [Connection], we have all my skills, and we even have Lily to heal if the pressure is too much and hopefully stop a brain or two from melting. Mine should be fine, but I am not that sure about the others.

Replaying up the entire process for a while, we get to it.

Sophie, me, and the twins start working on the Logic Core, inscribing its base into the highest quality mana stone we possess. The mana stone is surprising...

Chapter 494 - Car ride

Within my mind, we appear in my school this time.

Whitey is wearing the same clothes my physical education teacher used to wear. He’s got the classic look—plain gray tee, loose mesh shorts hanging to the knee, white socks pulled up mid-calf, and basic sneakers.

The damned demon still manages to look cool wearing that, even though these clothes reveal his not-as-bulky body and taut but compact muscles under his pale skin.

“Surprisingly comfortable,” he notes and stret...

Chapter 493 - Logic Core

I spend enough time in this damned tower to be able to temporarily take over the defensive array, especially now that Sophie has locked herself in her room and refuses to leave.

I also know I promised Izzy to wait but this is taking way too long already.

That’s why I’m now standing in front of the door to her room, taking control of the web and defenses to let myself in.

The door opens, and I enter. “I do realize you keep throwing ash on your head because you got trick...

Chapter 492 - Young white haired demon

My room is an even bigger mess than before. Most of the furniture—aside from the bed, a few armchairs, and the sofa—has disappeared along with the carpet. The floor is now covered in etched inscriptions, with some extending to the walls, accompanied by mana batteries powering them and more.

Once-functional protective arrays are reworked and Frankenstein-ed to work in the way I want. The same goes for the inscriptions on the huge windows on one side of the wall.

At the moment, ...

Chapter 491 - We don’t talk about sparring her

Back in my room, I walk in front of the mirror. My body is nearly restored. Just the right side, which got damaged by Fracture down in the tunnels, heals a bit slower, the skin still not fully regrown and parts of the bones visible through.

[Bone Knitting - lvl 22 > Bone Knitting - lvl 23]

The first somewhat proper test went really well. Thanks to having so many healing marks from Lily, I could let them hit me properly, and even though my flesh didn’t endure ...

Chapter 490 - Namior

“I think one of the things this floor is meant to achieve is to give people an opportunity to be declared Champion candidate.” With all eyes turned to her, Tess continues talking after revealing her title to everyone and short explanation.

Maya shamelessly smirks at me when I look at her, and Min-Jae looks a bit guilty for not telling me sooner, but I guess it was Tess who asked him not to tell. Likely waiting for a perfect opportunity to cause the most impact.

That's such a s...

Chapter 489 - Mana Weaving

“Are they your disciples or something? You got lonely without that cute half-demon, so you adopted these two twerps?” Maya continues to walk around in circles in the living room.

Dennis and Aaron are too busy dealing with experimental Burden Enhancement Inscriptions to answer, so I do it instead. “They would probably say I treat them like guinea pigs instead of disciples.”

“Probably in a ruder tone?”

“Probably in a ruder tone,” I confirm.

“So, what di...

More art!

I just realized I haven't shown you guys these two pieces!

The first one is a piece of Nat that one of you commissioned from an artist, and I really like this take on him.

The second one is fanart of Nathaniel and his very first minion drawn by one of the readers ( IG: @marina.plarido ), and I love it sooo much—I love seeing artists put their own take on the characters.

Chapter 488 - Craziest fucking human I ever met

The rest of the dinner is uneventful, and even though I am suspected of killing the servant, no one says anything other than simple complaints, and it ends there.

As we return to the tower with Sophie, I think about how strange it is. How would my two-years-younger self react to such situation? With that, I also think about what we’re doing. Currently, we’re planning to take over a city of mind mages. There’s no hesitation in any of us, and we’re all ready to kill just to reach ...

Chapter 487 - In that guest’s favor

(There are three bodyguards you should worry about. One of them isn’t here—the most powerful man in the city and someone Archon himself “caught” when that man was much younger. Archon really lucked out with that man. The remaining two will be at dinner tonight. One of them is the bodyguard of a man called Namior. He is not here yet and it's likely he won't come. His bodyguard is a vyssari woman. She possesses primordial thermal energy, but there’s a rumor she has one more. The s...