cerim

Chapter 162 - Because of unexpected occurrences

"So you beat Maya, and that did help her improve?"

"Yup."

"Why do you sound so proud, Nathaniel?"

"Tess, look, we improved her [Focus] by three levels. She's also more used to getting hit, so she's not twitching every time something touches her."

"Nat, she came to me, nearly crying, asking me to stop you."

"Wow, does she have no pride? She's like 5 years older than you."

"It's also terrifying that her skill went up by three levels. I know h...

Chapter 161 - Giving a little push

That's quite a rude thing to say, Haddy. I just introduced you to the mighty Absolute – a woman with the ability to mess with the system and thousands of years of experience. Yet, you're talking about burning her and asking me a question with such a rude tone?

When I met her in her new form, I showed her the utmost respect, and.... Hey, Izzy, what are you doing? Are you seriously going to burn her?

I quickly stand up and disrupt Isabella's mana which has already started turning ...

Chapter 160 - There's no way

So, a person would think that my passive would fully take care of my mana, right? Its description goes like this: Mana-Fortified Resilience (Rare) - The user's resilience strengthens with their current mana reserves, boosting resistance to physical strain, and also enhancing resistance to various energies.

What a bunch of crap!

The passive most likely doesn't negate the effect of too high mana fully, it might be because it's of too low rarity. Sure, it he...

Chapter 159 - Official challenge

It's such a nice day, even this fleshy abomination on the floor won't ruin my mood. My mana doubled. The weather is as nice as it can be here on the third floor, and that improves my mood slightly. My mana doubled. I survived the first phase, floor, sorting test, or whatever of Beyond. My mana doubled. Thanks to that, my stats went up quite nicely.

I also improved my skills a lot, dealt with a few people, and gave Tess a gift. My mana doubled.

Did I forget something?

Oh yeah...

Chapter 158 - Stage 1/3

So, for my next class upgrade, I'm pretty sure I will be offered a class called "Advanced Body Pillow."

Also, what the heck, am I making a friend here? Sure, I knew Tess from before, but our relationship is quite... well, complicated.

But here, I've noticed that I've started looking after Lily already, and it's not only because she's a healer. There's no love or anything; it's just that I'm weak against people who are nice to me without expecting anything in return.

Maybe Li...

Chapter 157 - Veiled Vulnerabilities

Oh boy, this will require a little bit of thinking. Once I pick my path, I won't be able to change it and will have to walk this way up until the end. The good thing is that I can pick the attribute upgrade that I like and then complement it with my future Traits or even Skills, creating the best possible combination.

I love it; I like theorizing. And yes, a bit more info would be nice so I can make the best possible decision, but that's not how the system works.

Just wait until I...

Chapter 156 - Unallowed Interference

Everything slows to a crawl. In the black-and-white world of focus, only mana continues to hold its vibrant color.

The raindrops in a massive area stop in the air as if someone paused time.

The heat disappears from the air.

The giant bear in front of me stops moving.

In just a split second, a massive chunk of my mana disappears.

Then I take a step towards the monster, and the ground under my feet cracks as I transfer all the energy I hold into kinetic, infuse it ...

Chapter 155 - Beyond the limits

Flashback - Tess Hansen - 12y old

"Some kids broke it, again. It's happening like every two years at this point," the boy in front of me says. He is slim, yet his body is athletic. He is around 2 years older than me and he is showing me his right arm in a cast.

"The weird thing is that it's the right one, not the left one again."

The fun part is that while saying this, he is smiling, not bothered at all by the broken arm that is now in a cast.

He looks...

Chapter 154 - Relying only on yourself

It feels as if time has slowed down as both warriors dash at me, and the shamans start mumbling something. I see mana collecting in their hands.

The warriors reach me, and the first shaman finishes his casting. The area around me changes. It's as if I was thrown into the deep mud, and the harder I try to move, the more difficult it becomes. It's the same field the Goblin shaman on the first floor used.

But not this time.

My mana resonates against the field around me. I take ...

Chapter 153 - Frozen

The dagger was poisoned because, of course, it was, and I already feel it affecting my mana. Just barely over 3 minutes in. But that much is fine; it's nothing unexpected.

The problem is that I can't perceive the little green monster that much. I don't feel its movement, I don't feel its position or mana no matter how much I try.

So, I do the smart thing.

I let the small green jerk stab me again.

As the dagger pierces my side, I clench it to hold the dagger inside the ...

Chapter 152 - Phantom

The pressure on my body intensifies even more as multiple Cinderbears attack. I slip into [Focus], and [Resonance] activates at the same time. The air, the space around me resonates according to my will, and I change its frequency multiple times until the effects of the attack disappear and I'm freed.

Just in time, I redirect as much kinetic energy as I can towards the ground under me, making it explode as I push myself high in the air. I quickly move t...

Chapter 151 - First trial

That's kind of unexpected. I don't mind free gifts, but I barely get any time to be happy about my new skill, and now the system is throwing this at me?

So the last requirement was to combine skills? Is it always this requirement, or does it differ from person to person? Knowing the system, I won't get any answers anytime soon.

But there is something that interests me even more.

You can enter Beyond once every four months.

First, the difficulty higher ...

Chapter 150 - Four conditions fulfilled

Did I lose consciousness?

NOPE!

Am I happy? Yup. That's kind of rare. Also, my left arm didn't explode. Sure, there are some massive bruises, a few cracked bones, and a missing pinkie on my leg. One missing eye. An ear that nearly tore off. Plenty of hurt inner organs.

But! Look at this.

Lvl 111
Strength: 43
Dexterity: 41
Constitution: 112
Mana: 327

Strength, Dexterity went up by 10 p...

Chapter 149 - Active tempering

Lissandra is built differently, oh, I don't mean her current state she is in right now. Nope, the woman shares with me multiple ways to manipulate my mana to be able to go through what she called active tempering.

I don't understand at all.

She continues to dumb it down more and more to the point where she complains that even animals could do it.

I won't refute that. I know multiple deer, bears, and one corgi that would totally be able to do that. I've long known that the mo...

Chapter 148 - Imprint

I did have my suspicions, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I did hope it won't be like this.

Obviously, I ended up being right.

"How much do you know?" First, I need to find out how much she knows, and how much she is under the influence of the system.

"Little pup, I'm absolute of my planet. Obviously, I know a lot," she answers once again. This time I observe it a bit more and find out how terrifyingly difficult what she does is. She uses the tiniest amount of...

Chapter 147 - Shall we talk?

Okay, this is creepier the more I observe it. The thing, the item, is covered with my skin and veins covering its surface and in a few places, I can see my bones poking out. The entire surface is covered in circuits, as well as the inside of the item.

It's oval, similarly shaped to the original Peacemaker, and its size is the same as well. When I look closer, I notice that it's moving slightly, as if breathing.

Damn, should I burn it?

I totally should burn it.

What the...

Chapter 146 - Lesson

So, what now? I move mana through my body and strengthen the pulses of my Kinetic Mana Heart. The bear tilts its head and tries to copy me. It fails, and energy continues to destroy its body while green mana continues to restore it.

It's now confirmed that the bear will die on its own after its mana runs out.

But we can't have that! What about my experience points? You won't take them away from me!

But one thing is interesting, the bear learns, slowly but surely. So...

Chapter 145 - Envy

I glance at my severed left hand and burn the stump with thermal energy to stop the bleeding, immediately after I form a hand made of mana. Testingly, I move the fingers and increase the density of the mana.

For now, this should do. I can't have Lily restore my arm in the state she is in now.

Now then, since I've calmed down a bit, I should pick my rewards, right?

The kill of the level 159 deer got me a whopping 2 levels and I also completed my Side Quest that required me to...

Chapter 144 - Peacemaker

Down below, we find the others, most of them in a terrible state and herded to one place by Hadwin who doesn't seem that hurt even after falling from such a height; his [Strengthening] is probably good enough to help him endure.

Sophie and Isabella are also fine, but the last member of Hard Difficulty, the Icy guy, is really hurt. Both of his legs are broken, an arm twisted and one of his eyes is blind.

Maya is in a similar state with bones poking out of both of h...

Chapter 143 - Undead Bear - Lvl ??

The monster pulls itself higher, and finally, even others notice it, a few shouts sounding into the surrounding.

Kinetic energy turned into flames hits the head in the form of a bright yellow flame that I continue to strengthen with each passing second as my heart pumps more energy through my body. Soon after even Isabella's blue flames join them and start to burn the monster, the disgusting smell of burned fur and flesh hitting our noses.

Tess also used her lightning attacks, Kim...

Chapter 142 - Undead Deer - Lvl ??

"Stay on the wall," I shout and propel myself far away from the others, right over the edge of the wall, and I start falling to the place in the city where we came from. Right in between ruined houses and empty streets.

The deer's mana starts to swirl around me, and I feel my shadow expand more and more, and soon enough the deer steps out of it and starts falling towards the ground together with me.

In quick succession, Tess's javelin filled with lightning stabs itself into its ba...

Chapter 141 - Two question mark monsters

Tess receives five javelins made from my mana. I made them a bit denser this time so they should last around twenty minutes. She says they're a bit harder to control because they're made of mana that isn't hers, but it's not that bad.

I also give around a hundred small orbs to Kim, which are also made of my mana, and Hadwin gets a mace. That's how we reach the wall and stop in front of it.

I can feel mana all over its surface and it's towering like a skyscraper over us, all around...

I have warned you

So, one of you guys wrote this:

There are few sentences in the english language more horrific than I require sustenance, and imagining a corgi floating on 8 semi transparent human hands saying it is downright junji ito levels of horror. For all that is holy, never commission art for this scene. - Mircea Popescu

Enjoy the pictures.

P.S.: Not lore accurate. The pictur...

Chapter 140 - Selling the corgi

"What are you even—" he pauses, sighing as he looks up at me.

What? Why is everyone sighing so much around me?

"You are ruining this corgi," he says, stepping closer. I notice he is holding a nicely crafted shield, and I can even feel some mana emanating from it.

I'm not ruining Biscuit! He was ruined from the start. Moreover, I have to do things like this once in a while. It continues to make me feel better, even though it might seem silly.

But now, "Show me your sh...

Chapter 139 - Group 4 Reunion

Flashback - Nathaniel Gwyn (11 years old)

A young boy, barely over ten years old, slowly opens the door to the apartment. It squeaks as he closes it and locks it. His face bears no emotion as he looks around.

After checking the floor and not seeing another pair of shoes, a small smile flashes on his lips. He quickly takes off his old, battered sneakers and removes his bag from his shoulder. The entire time, he is careful to use only his right hand.

Then he r...

Chapter 138 - Hypnosis

POV Kim Min-Jae

Nathaniel, laughing, looks so different from his usual self. His face seems softer, friendlier. He even appears handsome now.

This time Cipher seems to seriously panic and quickly starts talking, “I'll do everything you want. I won't ever talk back to you. I'll do anything, just let me…”

“Shhh,” Nathaniel just lifts one of his fingers and Cipher stops moving. Only his eyes continue to tick from side to side. The man is terrified. Na...

Chapter 137 - What are you doing?

Sophie tries to catch the sparrows with her [Manipulation], but unfortunately, she was unsuccessful. The moment her mana reaches towards them, they fly away.

On the other side, I was able to kill multiple of them, yet every time not much was left of their bodies. My attacks needed to be too fast in order to kill them, obliterating them in the process, barely leaving anything behind.

When I try weaker attacks, they just bend around the birds or miss them. The sparr...

Chapter 136 - The Wall

Congratulations, you have fulfilled three out of four conditions required to use the %e^*@d D#ff!culty entrance token!

That's it, just one single sentence.

It almost makes me want to scream. All this time, I thought I would just get an upgrade change token that would take me to a higher difficulty, always luring me to use it. Yet, I was bamboozled.

Goddammit.

The only change is that both of my tokens are gone, replaced by this:

[%e^*@d D#...