Description World Domination System

      [*Ding*

     World Domination System booting up.

     Current World: Unknown

     Host Status: Near-death

     Current Goal: Survive

     Overall Goal: Dominate and Conquer the world!]

     A college student struggling for cash opted for an experiment which was advertised as safe but paid a lot of money. As soon as he was strapped to a chair and had electrodes placed on his...

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     401 Art of The Withering Leaf

      The Valley of Mist's status as a forbidden zone had become all the more famous recently due to the existence of a new species of blood drinking mosquitoes that had inhabited it recently.

     Before, some people had used to enter it as it looked harmless from the outside, but now, seeing the mosquitoes that were clearly visible even if someone was a kilometer away, no one dared to enter.

     Hence, when a hooded man walked inside quickly, there was no one around to see him enter.

     After going inside, he took off his hood to reveal a face with a bulbous nose and thin lips.

     Of course, this was Daneel, who had donned a different disguise on the off chance that somebody might be watching the Valley.

     However, with the system constantly scanning around, he was happy to see that there was no one.

     Using the Hidden Item detection tool, he quickly made his way to the headquarters of the Withering Leaf Sect which remained untouched since all those months ago when he had come here and obtained that technique which had helped him so much in his training.

     After all, he had placed numerous formations and trinkets to detect if anyone stepped within a few kilometers of it, and they had not been activated over all this time.

     Preparing to upgrade them, he collected all of the ones he had laid down before on his way inside.

     Passing through the library, he finally reached that spot near the sect leader's chambers where he had been stopped before.

     According to the system, this was where the heart of the formation which protected the sect was present. Before, he had been told that he needed to upgrade the system if he wanted to take control of it.

     Well, he had the upgrade now.

     Telling the system to begin analyzing the formation, Daneel thought back to the meeting he had had with the Watcher before leaving the sect.

     Ashahell. He knew that he had heard that name before, and when he had sat down later to think on it and make the decision regarding the Watcher's request to infiltrate the Big Four, he had let himself recall the moment where it had been mentioned.

     A black-robed man, speaking with rage and frustration due to the fact that he was going to die soon.

     Indeed, during that fight in the ancestral grounds of the Black Raven Kingdom where the Matron had intervened to protect him from that Black Robed man who had secretly been in charge, his last words had been regarding this Ashahell.

     He had tried to recall the exact words, but facing difficulty in doing so, he had simply asked the system to replay the man's statements regarding.

     [Affirmative. Checking memories. Two statements found. Replaying first statement:

     "It's because you are foolish to think about the future when there will not be one. The Church cannot be stopped, and when they come, Angaria will bleed and die. When that time came, I wanted to go over to the other side after breaking through to a Champion so that I can have more authority. Why do you think I was fighting with Ashahell in the first place? Do you really think he just found me in that place after I had killed those 10,000 people? You fool, both of us had the same plan! He helped me, but betrayed me and fed me to the Council after sealing my mouth. If I hadn't managed to get away with this chamber and the seeds, I would have died already. Corruption has seeped so deeply into each of the Big Four that it doesn't matter even if they realize it now. Angaria will fall. Anyone who believes otherwise is just being wishful."

     Replaying second statement:

     "There's no chance of that. The moment I appear in front of Council, the restriction he placed will trigger and I will die. You know there is no way to stop that. Just kill me. All my life, all I wanted was power. For power, I was ready to do anything and everything. Curse my luck for being born in the same time as that man, who is a thousand times more ruthless than me but still adored by millions. He will betray the continent. If you fools continue to trust him, you will only be led to ruin. End it."]

     Daneel remembered that the first statement had been said in response to the Matron asking how the man had dared to use demonic plants which would ruin the land forever.

     The second, was his response to the Matron's request to testify in front of the High Council.

     Going through his words, Daneel felt that same panic from before when he had heard that the Church might attack in just a year.

     He knew that he couldn't trust the words of that black-robed man either, but something told him that someone like that wouldn't lie, especially when they were going to die.

     After all, it fit. Someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill 10,000 people to break through was definitely capable of siding with the church and helping them for his own hidden motives. Also, the man had stated that Ashahell would betray the continent, just like the Watcher claimed.

     Right now, Daneel was inclined to believe them both, as he just couldn't risk ignoring this threat.

     The best case would be if he could somehow verify everything with his own eyes, and for this to happen, what he needed to do was clear:

     He needed to accept the Watcher's request, and infiltrate the Big Four.

     Actually, he also had another motive in wishing for this – data.

     The Big Four would definitely be the place with the most comprehensive collection of information in the entire continent, so if he managed to infiltrate one of them, it was possible that he might be able to empower the system with the data it needed.

     The way he saw it, the best decision was to trust the Watcher for now and at least go and find out for himself just what kind of man this Ashahell was and what he had in place.

     However, he needed to be stronger.

     Hence, he had made his decision.

     He had told the Watcher that he would infiltrate the Big Four, but he needed some time before he could embark on that mission.

     Time to break through to become a Warrior.

     Of course, the Watcher had been more than happy to hear this, and had told him to just go and come back when he was ready. Apparently, he had been planning something like this for a long time, and had a foolproof way of sneaking him inside and giving him the opportunity to achieve what he wanted.

     All in all, Daneel's excursion to the Hidden Kill Sect had been very fruitful.

     Not only had he taken control of it, obtained an inheritance and upgraded the system, he had also figured out a way to possibly get the all-important data were also obtaining the opportunity to foil the Church's early attack on Angaria, if that was true. Of course, before leaving, he had also earned a fortune which would go a long way in furthering the plans he had put in motion in Lanthanor.

     Now, he had just one goal: uncover all the secrets he could using the upgraded system, and rush through to the Warrior realm.

     Too long had he been stuck as an Exalted Human, unable to devote too much time to training while taking care of so many vital things.

     Thankfully, it was now time to change that.

     Hearing the sound of something shattering, Daneel looked up to see that his way was unobstructed.

     This was the highest tower of the beautiful Withering Leaf Sect, and as he entered the sect leader's room and viewed the breathtaking scenery, he smiled to himself.

     The stone room had many bookcases and paintings, but using the system's instructions, Daneel walked to a specific painting of a very exquisite leaf.

     Lifting it up, he punched.

     The formation had already been deactivated, so all that remained was a wall stopping him from his goal.

     As expected, the stones parted to reveal a hidden space, in which there was a small velvet pouch.

     Picking it up, Daneel quickly opened it and saw that it contained numerous cubes, which looked like data trinkets.

     Going through each one, he smiled with satisfaction due to the fact that he had found what he wanted.

     [Partial Inheritance/Spell Technique: Art of the Withering Leaf found. Using the concept of a leaf's ability to sustain itself and survive despite the harsh conditions it is subjected to, the spell technique allows its user to absorb magic attacks up to a certain threshold before shooting them back with multiplied power. Because the inheritance is partial, only 2 attacks up to the level of an Exalted Warrior can be absorbed and returned. Factor of Power Multiplication: 1.5x. It is expected that the full inheritance has the capability of absorbing more than two attacks up to Exalted Champion level before returning them with a power multiplication of at least 2.0x.]

     Yes!

     Another inheritance, and a very practical one at that.

     In fact, Daneel had seen this one at work when the vice sect leader had used it against the ex-King of Lanthanor and the Grand Court Mage. They had only been able to watch in horror as their attacks had been returned towards them, shooting past them to kill the members of the Royal Family.

     Now, he was capable of such an incredible feat too.

     Humming to himself merrily again, Daneel teleported away to his next stop.

     Only, he couldn't have suspected that his act of breaking through that formation had alerted an enemy whom he had forgotten about.

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     402 Training Begins

      In the ancestral grounds of the Black Raven Kingdom, Daneel was standing at the spot where the black-robed man had placed his Natural Energized Training Chamber before.

     He had definitely been a man who knew a thing or two about energy concentration, as according to the system, this was the place where energy was at its highest.

     He had come here to find out the core of the formation so that he could see what he would find inside, but to his puzzlement, the core was already open.

     It was just lying there-in the form of a shiny, lustrous feather that was constantly glowing.

     Daneel hadn't seen this on his trip before, as it had been hidden underground.

     Now, he had dug it up on the system's directions, even though it had told him that there was no benefit in finding the core and taking control of it.

     He had just wanted to see it for himself.

     Standing beside him, Faxul shook his head and said, "I just asked him. There's nothing inside. The Protector Raven tells me that the core was never unmastered. It's always under his control, and he's sure that his ancestor said nothing about objects being hidden away."

     Right! The Raven!

     The Black Raven Kingdom was unique in the fact that it's core formation was controlled by a sentient, living being instead of some inanimate formation which needed mastering.

     Clearly, the parameters here were different.

     However, Daneel couldn't help but feel disappointed.

     3 forces, 3 inheritances.

     He had hoped that he was on a roll, but that was obviously not the case.

     Even now, he could wrest control from the Protector Raven, but he saw no point in it as just like it had said, there was nothing hidden anyway.

     Something felt wrong. As if he was missing a piece of a puzzle.

     This feeling infuriated him, but Daneel had already promised himself that he would move on if he didn't find anything, as time was short.

     So, bidding goodbye to Faxul and deciding that he would get back to this matter as soon as his other pressing engagements were handled, Daneel headed to the Kingdom of the Elves.

     Same as in the Black Raven Kingdom, there was practically no formation that could stop him.

     By now, one thing had become clear: with the system at the Champion level complexity, he could go anywhere he wished in the Central Continent.

     After all, the highest level of formation that was present here was at the Exalted Champion Level, meaning that the system could analyze and deconstruct it to find its weaknesses.

     So, evading any and all manners of detected, Daneel made his way directly to the core of the formation in their palace.

     Faxul was a friend, so he had given him the courtesy of calling on him when he had gone to his Kingdom.

     Eldra had no such relation with him. In fact, he knew that she had even entered that oath with reluctance, meaning that if she had a chance to circumvent it, she would take it in a heartbeat.

     It was unavoidable. The oath was the only way he could use to ensure loyalty, but he didn't like it at all.

     So, now that he was here and because he had the capability to do so, Daneel decided to place a countermeasure, just he had done in the Black Raven Kingdom before handing it over to Faxul.

     But first, he needed to check out the core.

     Alas, it seemed that he was destined to be disappointed again.

     So far, the cores of all the major formations he had seen so far had been in the body parts of mythical creatures.

     In the Kingdom of the Elves, it was different.

     The core was a fascinating cube which emanated golden light. As he heard the system's analysis of it, he grew shocked.

     [A highly sophisticated trinket that was built to mimic the role of a mythical beast's body part as the core of a formation. Although the effect is not as good as the former, it comes close. With the enchantment capabilities of the current age, it is impossible to create such a trinket.]

     This made him get a clue regarding what was going on.

     Where the other Kingdoms must have obtained body parts of mythical beasts, the elves of the olden times must have pooled together their knowledge in order to build something to mimic those cores.

     It sounded like something an elf would so, so Daneel felt that he was right.

     Although he was very interested, again, Daneel left more speculation for another day. He needed to focus on getting stronger now, and that meant not going on tangents whenever he found an interesting mystery.

     The disappointment was due to the fact that the system had just told him that there were no objects inside.

     Another dead end.

     It seemed that his luck had completely run dry, but Daneel really couldn't complain.

     He had already found three inheritances that anyone would kill to have, and he had also had an ultra-high grade energy source which allowed the Natural Energized Training Chamber to chug out Ker Gems.

     With all of his stops done, Daneel headed back to Lanthanor, which would be his training site.

     After making sure that no one knew he was here, Daneel secluded himself in the underground room where he had found the core of the formation and the mysterious items.

     Back in that spot in the ground where the Ker Gem mine had been found, the rate of production had been 1 Ker Gem every 50 days, which had already seemed like quite a good number.

     After all, Ker Gems were just too valuable. He had the unlimited supply of blood of mosquitoes, so he had hoarded the gems for occasions when he couldn't use the blood.

     The problem with the blood was that it was slightly slower than training with Ker Gems. He could afford for this slight loss usually, but now, he was in no mood to give anything up.

     Besides, he was excited to see just what the rate of production of Ker Gems would be at this new location.

     With high expectations, Daneel opened the door of the Chamber, and gawked in surprise.

     It had only been 2 days since he had left.

     2 days!

     But already, there was a Ker gem forming on the ground.

     He had observed one in this stage before when he had gone to pick up the gems from the chamber when it had been in its previous location, so he could estimate that the Ker Gem would finish forming soon.

     Wait, he had the system to do these estimations, and to give him the answer he needed.

     [Ker Gem production rate: 1 Ker Gem every 20 days.]

     Almost a 3-time increase in speed!

     It seemed that the tag 'ultra' wasn't there just for show, after all.

     Seeing that he finally wasn't disappointed about something, Daneel asked, "What is my burn rate of Ker Gems? How long would I take to consume one if both me and the clone trained together?"

     He knew that training along with the clone meant that he would burn resources at a much faster rate, but it seemed that he had underestimated just how much of an Energy-guzzler it was.

     [1 Ker Gem every 10 days.]

     Daneel had known that the rate of resource consumption would increase with his level, but he could never have expected that it would be this much of a rise.

     Of course, there was also the consideration that it was said that Ker Gems were wasted on Humans, as they would only increase the training speed. Warriors were the ones who could use the gems fully.

     Still, he couldn't believe that he now needed to absorb the equivalent of 10,000 Ether blocks every 10 days.

     He could still remember a time when just a single Ether block could last him for hours.

     Right now, he couldn't decide whether to feel happy that he had come this far, or scared just how much this rate of consumption would multiply into the more he grew in power.

     Regardless, it was useless to think about it now.

     As his rate of consumption of Ker Gems exceeded the rate at which they were being produced, Daneel had no option but to rely on both blood and the gems to carry out his training.

     Sitting down in the center of the training chamber, Daneel asked, "System, show me my status."

     It was about time he found out exactly what kind of timeline he was looking at.

      [Host status updating. Please standby.

     Host status:

     Host Fighter Level: Human-8(54%)

     Host Mage Level: Human-8(92%)

     Host Body Potential: A+

     Host Comprehension Level: ????

     Host Condition: Nominal]

     Before, the two levels of Fighter and Mage had been equal, as his techniques trained both aspects of his body equally, and he had had equal levels of talent in them both.

     However, after that incident with the remnant spirit when he had broken through to some unknown level of comprehension, his mage level had started to exceed his level of a Fighter.

     He had regularly been training every night, and this was the result.

     Daneel was almost at the peak of the Exalted Human realm.

     All he had to do now was sit down and train continuously, day and night.

     No matter how monotonous or bored he felt, he had to just let the Energy flow through him, again and again, until his body couldn't take any more.

     It was going to be tough. Very, very tough.

     However, when had anything been achieved without going through difficulties?

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     403 2 Months

      "Miss. Eloise, you're a godsend! We don't know what we would have done without you!"

     "Don't thank me. Thank our King, who made everything possible. Now go home, Janice. Your kids are waiting for you. With this money, let the first meal you cook be for them. After that, I can't wait to hear great things about it from all of Lanthanor. You hear me?"

     "Y-yes! Of course! Hail King Daneel! Please thank him for me!"

     "I will. He is in secluded training, so that he can be strong enough to protect us when threats come our way. Go on. I'll come by to your restaurant later when I have the chance. Remember, don't trust the wrong people again. Harley, here, will help you with that. Ok?"

     "Of course! Thank you! Oh, thank you, so much!"

     Seeing the tears in the eyes of the woman who had been begging on the streets to feed her kids just the day before, Eloise felt happiness fill her heart.

     This woman had trusted her husband with years of savings that had been earned by being a maid in various restaurants. They were all so that she could open a small place of her own, as she had always been great with cooking.

     However, that man had fled with that money, leaving two young kids.

     She had been found by Maria, who had been in the poorest areas of the city as a part of her efforts in uplifting those who had been dealt a bad card in life.

     Her efforts had already been paying off big time, and she was called Mother Maria by all.

     Mother to not just the King, but Lanthanor itself.

     After tasting her cooking in her small, dingy shack without putting on any of the airs expected from the mother of a King, Maria had referred Janice to Eloise, who hadn't hesitated to give her the title of "Citizen in Need" so that she could be lent money in order to kickstart her business.

     Her days were usually spent in this way- taking care of a few things which needed her attention, while carrying out inspections to make sure that all of the King's plans were going on smoothly.

     Norcet was a phenomenal person who had helped her greatly in the endeavors which she couldn't pay her full attention to. While she took care of the bank, the network and the hospital, he was slowly developing the fleet of transportation units which were part of the King's plan to make a service that could deliver items to sellers in a cost-effective way.

     As for the business with the IDs, both of them regularly met to see how the trial run was going.

     So far, the success had been phenomenal. In a closed group, they had carried out mock scenarios where soldiers acting as those with malicious intent tried to breach the Kingdom to carry out their plans. Using the ID trinkets, those charged with defending the city could easily rule out the authorized citizens to focus on outsiders, and those who had managed to sneak in.

     As for the Bank, it was seeing a record influx of money. The King hadn't expanded it to the whole continent, but Eloise had been charged with making it so that when they were ready for that stage, there would no problems such as not being able to handle such a scale.

     Almost all "Citizen in Need" cases were profitable, and even in cases where the initial businesses had failed, the process of vetting individuals carefully had shown its worth. Even after failure, citizens tried again and more often than not, succeeded at least on the second try.

     These were all small businesses, like the restaurant in the case of Janice. Still, the sheer number of the cases made it so that the total amount that the Bank was earning was quite sizeable.

     Although none of them were at the scale of H&D, this was nothing to be scoffed at, as H&D was truly special.

     Since the Olympics, they had seen an influx of orders from all over the continent. Many spectators had zoomed in to see their logos on all the clothes worn by the participants, and this had been followed by an effective marketing campaign which let everyone know just how special this brand was.

     Helena and Dalia were shown as the perfect dream family who had overcome poverty through hard work, thus, they knew just how much quality was to be valued. Besides, they had many innovative and new designs, and they also seemed to have an unlimited pool of money to draw on to fulfill the orders, no matter how many came.

     Of course, the last one was due to the partnership that Helena had signed with Daneel, which gave her almost unlimited funds to invest in her business.

     All in all, H&D was slowly becoming THE brand to own in the continent.

     Eloise was really happy for them, as she knew that this was what the King had envisioned for the company when he had thrown his support behind them.

     She missed him. She really, really missed him.

     Although they had never gotten as close as she wished, she had just loved to be near him. Even now, the thing which gave her the most happiness was seeing his dreams come true.

     His last communication had been two months ago, when he had said that he was entering 'deep-state training', which meant that he wouldn't be able to respond to messages unless they were at the level where the Kingdom might be destroyed.

     Since then, she had had a weird itch, as if she felt him close. She knew it was false, but she just couldn't get rid of it.

     Every day, she took care of the Kingdom, she trained and she thought about him.

     Already, she was almost an Eminent Human, and this was astonishing given the fact that she had been an Amateur one just months ago.

     Clearly, the fact about her having top-grade talent was true.

     On this day, more than ever, she felt that the King was near.

     Little did she knew that she had just been scanned by him.

     ….

     Get gem.

     Get blood.

     Train.

     Absorb clone.

     Rest.

     Get gem.

     Get blood.

     Train.

     Rest.

     This had been Daneel's schedule, day in and day out.

     2 months.

     2 months of isolation.

     2 months of being cut off from the world, so much so that he couldn't tell night from day.

     If it hadn't been for the numbers on the status that kept going up, he knew that he would have lost himself long back.

     He lived for those numbers. Those tiny percentages which meant that inch by inch, he was crawling towards his goal.

     To be a Warrior.

     His food consisted of bare basic bread, as his body was already getting enough nutrition from the Energy. If he had to go to the bathroom, he would use magic to construct one.

     When he rested, he couldn't dream, as his mind was completely occupied by a singular feeling.

     The feeling of being changed, inside out, by Energy.

     He knew that if he broke off his concentration on that feeling, he might never be able to go through with such a long, continuous period of training.

     He knew that if he even heard others' voices, he would be tempted to leave, and probably never come back.

     He became sick of the blood that stank.

     He became sick of the dust that fell on his clothes when Ker gems dissipated.

     He became sick of himself.

     In these two months, Daneel got closer to insanity than ever before.

     If there was any other way to achieve his goal of breaking through, he might have chosen it.

     However, there was none.

     What he needed to do was get in a state where he would be able to keep absorbing, day and night, while taking only the briefest of rests.

     And that-demanded this kind of singular isolation, which was the longest period of torture that Daneel had ever felt in his life.

     Since entering that chamber, Daneel had followed his plan of pushing through. It had been so tempting. All he needed to do was think, and he could contact anyone he wanted. His mother, or his father. Eloise. Sister Xuan. Anyone.

     But no, he had resisted.

     Until today.

     Today, he had allowed the system to scan his surroundings, and let him hear Eloise and his parents talking above him in the Palace.

     Because he had hit a dead end.

     [Host status updating. Please standby.

     Host status:

     Host Fighter Level: Human-9(99%)

     Host Mage Level: Human-9(99%)

     Host Body Potential: A+

     Host Comprehension Level: ????

     Host Condition: Nominal]

     He was at the absolute peak of the Human level, but no matter what he did, he couldn't take that next step.

     It was as if his body and mageroot had become sieves, which let all the Energy out, no matter how much more he absorbed.

     Deciding that this approach and just sitting and training had taken its course, Daneel finally broke his self-imposed isolation.

     As he listened to their voices, tears came in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks, falling on his feet, which were quivering, just like his entire body.

     He was…back.

     He had grown a beard, which he shaved with a flick of his finger after managing to control himself.

     Right now, all he wanted to do was embrace his mother and cry. Cry with happiness that he hadn't become lost in that dark place where he had been in till now.

     So, he did just that.

     The King of Lanthanor, a man in command of 4 forces in Central Angaria, possessor of mage talent which surpassed that known to all in the Central Continent, Paragon, holder of a Tenebrous Flame, inheritor of the Ruler's Inheritance, inheritor of the Basilisk's Breath, inheritor of the Art of the Withering Leaf, Basilisk Rider and, last but not least, heir to the Anivron family, hugged his mother hard and found comfort in her embrace.

     He was all of those things, but right now, he was just a boy who had been shut in the darkness for far too long.

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     404 Befriending Isolation

      "Daneel, what's wrong? Are you in trouble, son?"

     Seeing her son, who was apparently supposed to be in secluded training since the past few months, appear at their door before entering and hugging her tightly, Maria was quite bewildered.

     Besides, his entire body was also shaking, as if he was either crying or about to cry.

     Robert, who had been in the balcony while looking at some cadets for the army, rushed into the room on hearing the commotion.

     Ever since he had regained his power, he had been instrumental in taking care of miscellaneous tasks to help his Kingdom. However, 2 months ago, he had officially been assigned as the commander of the regular Fighter Army, a post previously held by Luther. On asking, he had only been told by his son in a short message that Luther had to take up other duties.

     Of course, as the "Spear of Kindness" who was renowned among the regular soldiers for his caring yet strict nature even though he had departed from the army a long time ago, he had no problem taking up the post and the duties associated with it.

     Yet, today, seeing his son in this state, he was at a loss regarding what to do.

     Since all those months ago when his son had taken matters into his own hands and ascended the throne, he had been the proudest father in the whole wide world. He had always thought that Daneel was someone who required no help from others whatsoever, but seeing what was in front of his eyes now, he realized that he was wrong.

     The expression on his son's face was…fear. Fear of something that had almost happened.

     He had seen this particular emotion before-in the eyes of soldiers who killed for the first time, and had almost lost themselves in the bloodthirstiness.

     Yes! It was the expression of one who had almost lost themselves.

     First, he realized that they needed to stop asking questions. What he needed was their comfort.

     So, he immediately made a shushing gesture towards Maria, who had just been about to ask something else.

     After that, not wanting to startle his son, he made a motion of sleeping.

     Sleep was the best healer in these situations, in his experience.

     Although she didn't understand at first, his wife was an astute person, so she soon grasped his meaning and nodded.

     Her son was still shivering in her arms, but she slowly walked towards the bedroom, leading him slowly in its direction.

     After reaching the bed, she sat and made him lie on the bed, cradling his head in her lap.

     Everyone seemed to have forgotten that even though her son had so many responsibilities on his shoulders, he was still barely 18 years old.

     In many ways, he could still be called a kid.

     Gently, she started to stroke his forehead, which seemed to have a soothing effect.

     It seemed that her husband was right, as after a few minutes, the King of Lanthanor fell into a deep sleep.

     Getting up and laying his head on the cushion, she closed the door silently and made her way to her husband's side.

     Seeing the panic on her face, he said, "Don't worry. I think he just had some problem in training. I spoke to Kellor's master once, long, long ago. He was a mysterious old man who seemed to hold many secrets, and no one even knew why he had chosen to stay as the Court Mage then. I was still a kid then who had entered the army, unable to sit down without moving for 2 hours to absorb energy from Ether stones. He told me that mages who reached the higher levels had to befriend isolation, lest they lose themselves within it. According to him, they needed to sit with only their thoughts for months at a time, and many even crazy in that process. However, he said it was unavoidable. It was only on mastering that skill could one truly grow powerful in this continent. That tale motivated me to get through those two hours. I think our son might have gone through something like what he mentioned. He was supposed to be in secluded training, after all. But he didn't seem lost. Let's wait. If he doesn't wake up after some time is past, we can think about what to do then."

     It was said that parents understood their children best. This was clearly on display here, as both Robert and Maria had managed to understand their son's situation without him needing to say anything.

     Maria had also applied what her husband said to what she had seen in her son's face before, and she realized that he was right.

     Trusting her husband, she nodded before making her way back to the room.

     She missed her son, so there was definitely nothing wrong in wanting to take in more of him when he was sleeping, peacefully.

     ….

     Daneel was having the most relaxing slumber in his life.

     That comfort from hugging his mother stayed with him, and he felt protected, which was something he really needed right now due to the fear that had almost swallowed him before.

     He didn't know how much time had passed, but if it weren't for his complaining bladder, he wouldn't have chosen to wake up.

     However, when he opened his eyes, he received the scare of his life.

     4 worried faces crowded his vision, and because it was a sudden image that was quite odd, he yelped and pulled the blanket close.

     As he heard his father's chuckle in response, he finally regained his senses.

     Right. He was the respectable King of Lanthanor!

     There was no reason whatsoever to act like a scared kitten.

     It seemed that he had also startled the people to whom those 4 faces belonged to, as they stepped back in shock.

     Cassandra, Eloise, Kellor, and Maria. These were the four individuals who had almost given him a heart attack.

     Why had they all looked so worried? Hadn't he just taken a nap?

     Deciding to voice this query, he asked, "Why are you all looking at me as if I returned from the dead?"

     "Son, if anyone woke up after sleeping 24 hours at a stretch, I believe they deserve to be stared at with disbelief and doubt regarding whether they are alive or dead. Welcome back to the land of the living."

     Hearing this, Daneel also felt shock covering his face.

     He had slept for an entire day?!

     But…it had just felt like a comfortable nap!

     Deciding that the system definitely had the answers, Daneel decided to ask it.

     [Host's psyche was damaged due to the isolation. Host's actions and the long sleeping period have repaired this damage, and also strengthened the psyche on the whole. Such damage will not occur if host undergoes the same period of training ahead.

     Achievement: Befriending Isolation obtained.

     Befriending Isolation: Anyone who treads on the path of power and World Domination is destined to face the risk of being lost. To overcome it, one must constantly push themselves and eventually befriend that which threatens to destroy them. Congratulations on beginning on this journey!

     2000 EXP awarded.

     Total EXP: 5000.

     Additional discovery found by Phenomena Analysis Module. Would host like to hear about it?]

     "Yes!"

     [System has found that decreasing the break periods between training sessions leads to a cumulative increase in the rate of Energy absorbed by the body and mageroot. Body and Mageroot enter a state of flux where development using Energy is easier. This was noticed after host went through one month of isolation training. It is because of this factor that host has managed to reach the peak of the Human level in such a short time.]

     Yes! It all made sense!

     Originally, according to Daneel's estimates, it would at least have taken a few months more in order to reach this level and breakthrough. His hope had been to do so in 5 months, so that he would have a month to train in the inheritances.

     However, that had been cut down to just two months.

     It seemed that hard work and dedication really did pay off, and this time, he had really reaped a lot of benefits.

     Yet, if he remembered correctly, the system had said that he was stuck, and he also remembered just leaking Energy during training after a point. What was the reason behind that?

     [Host has reached the stage of saturation which indicates that a "Condensation Event" is required for host to enter the Warrior realm. Data insufficient to gather the exact conditions required to undergo a "Condensation Event". Reports vary. Some underwent one during combat, and others overcame this point using years of training. System recommends host to collect more data.]

     Wait…what the f@@k?

     Daneel had expected before itself that entering the Warrior realm would definitely not involve just sitting and absorbing Energy. If that was the case, with the high number of High-grade talents in the Central Continent, there should have been many by this point.

     However, the number of Warriors could be counted on one hand. So, there was definitely something stopped peak Humans from stepping into this incredible realm.

     He had wanted to become a Warrior to collect data…but he needed to collect data to become a Warrior?

     What was he even supposed to do now?

     ….

     Meanwhile, at a spot a few kilometers away from the headquarters of the Withering Leaf Sect in the Valley of Mist.

     A man stood in the foliage, wearing a green dress that allowed him to blend in and appear invisible.

     He had long hair that extended to his knees, and his face looked like it had been fair once, but it was now covered in dust and dirt, as if he had traveled quickly for a long time through the forest.

     Through the bushes, he could catch a faint glimpse of the sect where he had been born and raised.

     Everything, everything, had been destroyed by one man.

     All this time, he had been waiting.

     Finally, now, it was time for his revenge.

     If anyone could look at his eyes now, they would definitely have stepped back in horror, as they contained such a crazed look as if this man had long lost his sanity.

     His fingers, which were covered in blood, took out a pouch of trinkets.

     Slowly but surely, he started to arrange them on the Valley floor, all while smiling to himself in anticipation for what was about to come.

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     405 Condensation Poin

      "Sister Xuan is in seclusion training that has been ordered by the Matron. She cannot respond right now, but you don't need to bother, I know her answer. All sect members are forbidden from divulging any details regarding training techniques to outsiders. Any details. So, she can't help you in breaking through to become a Warrior. Goodbye."

      Hearing this response in a slightly harsh tone from Mulan, Daneel wondered how he had pissed that taciturn woman off.

      His first thought after becoming stymied due to the Condensation Point had been to contact everyone he knew who had already passed the threshold to become a Warrior.

      The first one that had come to his mind had been Sister Xuan, and if she was able to help, he might also get the best possible way from her, as after all, she was someone from the Big 4.

      Now, that route had been closed off with this reply from Mulan.

      His next option would have been that useless disciple Percy, but Daneel knew that it would be a waste of time as all sects in the Big 4 most probably had similar rules.

      This left the top assassins and the previous sect leader in the Hidden Kill Sect, but he wasn't very optimistic there either.

      He knew the training techniques that they all practiced-after all, he had gone through all the archives of the sect thoroughly. The source behind the system quoting the situations regarding the Condensation Point had definitely come from there.

      Still, he decided to give it a try.

      First, taking out the communication trinket that he had given Luther, he contacted him.

      "How is everything? Have you settled into the sect? Is anyone giving you any trouble?"

      It had been two months, and he was eager to know whether everything was well there.

      "It's good, Your Majesty. The tournament is to be credited for that. After seeing my performance, there have been few dissidents, and I've handled those using classic techniques from my time in the military. Of course, the top assassins are all angry at you due to the bet, and they glower whenever they are in my presence. Still, they haven't given me any trouble. Skkrag has been a big help, he has become close to me, and he insists on learning from me. We have resumed accepting contracts, but like you asked, I'm sending over a secret log to Eloise. In cases where our interests could be hurt, your instructions will be followed-either we can warn the target, or we can give an urgent contract to kill the contractor first."

      Hearing this answer, Daneel nodded satisfactorily.

      His estimate about the Hidden Kill Sect which had been drawn after his interaction with them after the incident with Axelor where he had been saluted was right: they respected skill.

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      One other thing which delighted Daneel was that Luther was no longer that reticent man who barely spoke a word.

      It seemed that resolving old problems really did have an effect on people's personality, as evidenced in both the cases of Luther and Faxul.

      "That's great, Luther. Anyway, listen. I need you to do something for me. I'm at the peak of the Human level, and I've hit a wall. I need to speak with Warrior level individuals regarding how they stepped past the threshold. Tell them that the Basilisk Rider asked them to impart their experiences to me, the Basilisk Rider's disciple, as he is too busy to do so. Also, I'm in a hurry, so this needs to be done as soon as possible."

      After Daneel got to the point behind him contacting Luther, there was silence from the other end.

      After a few seconds, Luther hesitantly replied, "Er…My King, I don't think that would be wise. Right now, they are really angry at your other identity for 'swindling' them of their savings. They will definitely not respond well to this, and I doubt that experiences imparted in that way will be useful. I have spent time with these people, and I think I understand them more now. Could you let me try something, My Lord? I will go with your plan if that doesn't work out."

      Daneel sheepishly rubbed his nose on hearing this, as what Luther said did make sense.

      He had heard their curses before he left, so he knew that they were definitely very, very angry at Master Novrain.

      Hence, they would definitely not be favorable towards his disciple.

      Daneel was curious regarding what his ex-commander's plan might be, but he decided to ask later. So, he just said, "Carry on!"

      This was the last lead he had regarding the Warrior level, so he really hoped that it would work.

      Leaning back on his chair, he waved to Eloise who was standing in the balcony while looking at him.

      They were in a small meeting room, and she had brought up to speed regarding everything that had been going on in the Kingdom.

      Daneel had gotten some new ideas regarding how he could bring over his experiences from Earth to Angaria, but he put them on the backburner for now.

      He needed to get to the Warrior level ASAP to stop that Ashahell. If not, all of it would be futile.

      A few minutes later, the communication trinket in his pocket vibrated with a short message from Luther, "My King, they wish for you to come here."

      …..

      Reaching the foot of the Hidden Kill Sect, Daneel put on an odd expression on his face, as this was supposed to be his first time coming here.

      He was wearing a hood to cover his identity, as it wouldn't be very wise for others to know that the King of Lanthanor had visited the Hidden Kill Sect.

      According to his spies, already, whispers had begun which called the King of Lanthanor a mastermind who was planning the unification of multiple Kingdoms. Thankfully, they were just whispers, as none of the watching forces had any actionable intel to base their suspicions on.

      After all, it was a coincidence that a long lost son of a Top Assassin had made his way to Lanthanor, right before a fleeing prince also chose this Kingdom as his destination.

      Yes, it could be a coincidence, but Daneel realized how flimsy it sounded when he thought about it in his head.

      It really was a coincidence!

      Hell, even he couldn't believe himself.

      Putting this matter aside for now, Daneel stepped back with mock shock when a reptilian appeared right in front of him, as if he had been there all along.

      Disguise was one of the key skills of an assassin, and there were many mage techniques in the archives which allowed assassins to hide themselves in plain sight if they could stay unmoving for long periods of time. It was a simple, but effective method, and to any layman, it would seem quite shocking, as there would be no evidence of movements of elementary particles after it was cast once.

      Of course, the system had spotted him ages ago.

      "Welcome to the Hidden Kill Sect, King Daneel of Lanthanor. Please follow me. The reputable assassins of our sect await you."

      Nodding, Daneel followed the reptilian and was led to that same teleportation door, after which he had to once again act startled when he saw the beautiful scenery of the sect headquarters.

      However, here, there was something which made him feel genuine surprise.

      5 individuals were standing in front of the pedestal which was the exit of the teleportation door with impatient expressions on their faces.

      Daneel, of course, recognized them to be the 4 top assassins excluding Agmar and the previous Sect leader.

      As soon as he appeared along with the reptilian guide, they rushed toward them.

      "Sir, I was going to bring him to you-"

      "SHUT THE F@@K UP! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! FOLLOW ME!"

      As Jaggrv shouted these words, the reptilian was shoved aside.

      Bewildered, Daneel could only watch as Stefan and Jaggrv caught one hand each and started to drag him towards a location.

      The other three were on the lookout, as if they were afraid that someone would come interrupt them.

      Daneel could barely keep his jaw from dropping. What the f@@k was going? What had Luther done?

      Were they possibly…so angry that they wanted to kill him, the disciple of the man who had cheated them?

      No, it couldn't be possible.

      In front of 5 Warriors, he was powerless, so he could only be dragged along like a plaything to a remote location on the mountain which was surrounded by a forest.

      Here, there was a stump of a tree on which Daneel was seated. Or, shoved onto.

      As panic really started to set in, Daneel was about to contact Luther or ask the system to activate the formation to save him, but he stopped when he saw all 5 assassins stare at him with manic eyes before each of them burst out with statements which shocked him so much that he almost fell off.

      "You're in luck, kid!"

      "We will make you a Warrior even if it's the last thing we do!"

      "F@@k that cheating sect leader! Either you become a Warrior, or you die trying!"

      "We have 5 different types of advice to get through the Condensation Point! There's no way you can fail!"

      "HAHAHA, I can't wait to see his face after we are done!"

      Wait…really, was he going mad?

      So they were all impatient to help him get through the threshold?

      What exactly had Luther done?

      Unable to take it anymore, Daneel asked this question through the oathstone, and the answer really did make his jaw fall to the floor.

      "Oh, it was nothing, Your Majesty. I…might have hinted that the sect leader, your other identity, is jealous of you for progressing so fast, and that he doesn't want you to break through so soon for petty reasons. So, I told them that he asked them not to tell you about their experiences properly. Also…I might have made it clear that you breaking through quickly before the sect leader returns will really piss him off greatly."

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     406 “Need“

      Watching as Stefan held an Ether block and Ker Gem in either hand, Daneel's eyes were as round as the moon.

     "Ah, I see you get the general concept. Now, all that's left is the actual act of condensing the Energy. Let's get started with Jaggrv first. He has the most usual method."

     Nodding, Daneel once again went through everything he had just seen.

     After his surprise due to the method that Luther had used had faded, he had felt quite indignant as he felt that he hadn't done anything deserving of such malice from these top assassins.

     Still, it was a fact that he was the reason behind them losing possibly decades worth of earnings.

     Seeing the anger and impatience on their faces, he had actually felt a bit of pity, and had decided to do something for them in return if he had the chance later on.

     Of course, only after he taught them a lesson for this.

     Regardless, he decided to be like a sponge to soak up everything they had to say when he had a chance so that he could rush through to become a Warrior right away.

     After all, the more time he had to master the inheritances, the better.

     The first thing that had been shown to him had been these two items: the Ether block and the Ker Gem.

     In Stefan's words, the change from being a Human to a Warrior was best shown in this way.

     The Energy in the Ether block was in the mist form, swirling around aimlessly while confined inside the rectangular shape.

     Meanwhile, inside the Ker Gem, a thicker material could be seen, which almost looked like a liquid.

     It was flowing throughout the gem artfully, and its beauty was something Daneel marveled at each time he held one to train.

     Condensation!

     Of course!

     Even before Stefan had spoken, Daneel had understood the concept by seeing these two.

     It turned out that he was right.

     The process of stepping to the Warrior realm meant condensing all the Energy absorbed by the body and mageroot into a higher form, so that an individual could accommodate more to proceed on his path of power.

     Apparently, the Energy which was absorbed had the weird quirk that it needed some kind of stimulus before it automatically condensed.

     There were conditions for the chance of this stimulus happening to occur: for one, the body and/or the mageroot had to be at the peak of the Human realm, meaning that further training was impossible.

     The second condition was the most important: there had to be a need for the Energy to condense.

     According to Stefan, this was where the method became fuzzy.

     This 'need' was difficult to put into words to explain to an individual, but Daneel actually found himself comparing it to something back on Earth.

     He had been reminded of the act of weight-lifting to gain muscle.

     The human body would usually not dedicate resources to build muscle unless there was a 'need' which arose when the individual tried to push past their limits.

     Of course, although there were other scientific processes involved such as the breakdown and rebuilding of muscle fibers, the essence was the same: 'need'.

     Clearly, the concept was similar. However, there, what needed to be done was simple.

     Here, that was not the case.

     One had to find their own 'need', and this could apparently only be done with time and experience, both of which Daneel did not have.

     Thankfully, he had 5 very eager individuals for that purpose.

     First up was Jaggrv. Standing in front of Daneel, he folded his hands and began.

     "Kid, listen up, I'll only be saying this once. My process was simple. I sat and trained. And I cursed at my body repeatedly, calling it weak. One day, I think I just made it fed up, because I felt all of the Energy converging on itself and changing into a higher state. I followed the same thing for my Mageroot."

     Seriously?

     As Jaggrv walked away, Stefan walked forward with a sheepish expression on his face.

     "That's the usual method?"

     Hearing Daneel ask this question, Stefan smiled helplessly and said, "Weirdly enough, yes. It is the method of self-motivation. By constantly scolding his own body, Jaggrv managed to create the 'need' to change."

     Well, that did make sense. After all, it was said that a good pep talk could do wonders before a game.

     However, Daneel got a query.

     "How long did it take?"

     "Er…2 years. That's why he went first. Anyway, Kerrt is next."

     Kerrt was the name of the introverted reptilian.

     "I…sat down with a singular goal and trained, even though the Energy kept leaving my body. In between, I slowly took contracts which tested me and pushed me a little bit more toward my limit each time. Eventually, I stepped through in a year and a half."

     This method made sense, too.

     By incrementally pushing himself continuously, Kerrt had become a Warrior.

     However, again, it was too time-consuming.

     Next up was the snivelly man who had rejected Daneel beforehand.

     "I fought with a Warrior level individual, the sect master during my time, daily. While doing so, I kept trying to copy him. His movements, his speed, his actions. All of them. One day, something just clicked. I only took 8 months."

     Imitation.

     By watching and going through the same motions, this reptilian had instigated the 'need'.

     Daneel couldn't help but be fascinated.

     Clearly, every individual who reached the peak of the Human level had the ability to step through.

     However, how they did so was so varied.

     However, after this, the two remaining people, Stefan, and the previous sect leader, stepped up together.

     The previous sect leader was the one who spoke.

     "Both of us have the same method, and it is the fastest one, but also the most dangerous. After we speak, you have to make a choice regarding which one you want to follow. We will not force you to pick any particular method; whichever one you choose, we will throw our full support behind your back. Our method was dying. During the time when we reached peak Human level, both of us chose contracts which were very difficult. During their course, we endured critical injuries. Don't be mistaken-these are two separate incidents, we did not go on the same mission together. The injuries almost lead to our death. In Stefan's case, even his heart stopped beating for a few seconds before he was resuscitated. Somehow, we fought through the pain and survived. This led us to break through."

     Breaking through on the border between life and death!

     Of course, this made sense most of all.

     An incident that almost claimed the life of the body had coaxed it towards the breakthrough.

     Daneel felt excited on hearing it, but what Stefan said next after the previous sect leader fell silent sent chills through his spine.

     "Don't get your hopes up, just yet. After you sent your request, I went and had a look at the medical records in the sect. Like us, there were 54 other peak Human level individuals in recent history who also sustained critical injuries before returning to the sect. I checked their cases personally; their level of injuries were almost similar to mine and his. Of them, 28 died, 10 lost their entire prowess, and except 5, the rest remained at their level. The success rate is very, very low, and we can't even judge what the criteria are for this method to succeed. It is certainly not willpower, as these individuals were each known to possess hearts that could withstand anything. So, it is up to you. In this method, time is not a factor. One individual in history broke through just a month after he became a peak Human."

     Hearing this, Daneel fell silent.

     Seeing that he was thinking, Stefan and the rest gave him some space.

     From everything he had heard, all the clues pointed to one thing: somehow, the body had to feel the 'need'.

     Time was short, but if he chose the route of critical injuries, there was a real risk of dying or losing power. After all, with the medical miracles that were possible with magic, the meaning of the word 'critical' must be terrifying.

     However, the other methods were too slow.

     After thinking for a few minutes, Daneel made a decision.

     He had no mood to play with his life, but as he had learned during the ordeal with Skrrag when he had obtained the inheritance, hardships were necessary to step forward.

     So, he settled on the plan to first try the other methods for a while, before proceeding towards the method of injuring himself, or getting injured in a fight, to try and break through.

     After deciding, he didn't hesitate.

     Daneel completely threw himself into the schedule prepared by the top assassins after he made his intention known.

     In the mornings, he would try self-motivation, followed by a session of futile training in the afternoon, after which he would spar with the assassins in the evening.

     In this way, days passed, but with each day in which there was no sign of a breakthrough, Daneel felt tempted to begin life-or-death sparring.

     A week passed, and with impatience, Daneel realized that these methods were just not working.

     Hence, he called the top assassins to announce that even if it meant facing death up close, he would fight with all he had and allow himself to get injured.

     They agreed, and this was followed by 3 days that Daneel would never forget in his life.

     Each day, he would be injured to the boundary between life and death. He had to allow this to be done while conserving his trump cards, as he couldn't let others know about them.

     Each night, he would be healed, but there was no change.

     Daneel was at his wit's end. But, with no other choice, he continued, as there was no other way.

     However, on the morning of the fourth day, one of his trinkets vibrated.

     Someone had step foot in the vicinity of the Withering Leaf Sect Headquarters.

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     407 Trapped

      The Withering Leaf Sect Headquarters?

     Daneel had just been there 2 months back, and there had been no movements at the place for months before that. Suddenly, someone had reached it?

     Due to the nature of the many traps placed inside the Valley, only someone who had knowledge about them, or someone who was powerful enough not to care about them would be able to reach the headquarters.

     In the first case, it could be a member of the sect who had survived.

     Back when he had forced the sect to flee, he had killed off a large part of them, but of those who escaped, only a part were accounted for. They had infiltrated the palace of Lanthanor and slaughtered innocent, before paying the price of their actions by turning into pools of blood.

     The rest were still out there, and they had always been on the back of Daneel's mind. After all, the grudge he had with them was something that could only be resolved by death.

     So, the main purpose of the trap was to notify him if someone came back for the techniques. If they did, he could kill them and decrease the length of his list of enemies in Angaria.

     However, if it was some Champion who was there for a different reason, Daneel might well get himself killed.

     Still, there was no hesitation in his decision. He had to go.

     Because the system was upgraded, he at least had a hope to escape before dying in case he really did meet someone he couldn't handle. Hell, he could even call on Marcus as a last resort, as the man had promised to keep him safe for 6 months.

     Besides, he was quite frustrated with these attempts to get into the Warrior realm. By all accounts, the best method was the last one, but it wasn't working.

     Clearly, something was missing.

     Deciding to think more on it after returning, Daneel told Stefan that he had to go handle some urgent business.

     Hearing this, Stefan sighed.

     "Kid, all of us like you. You have a singular determination, just like that ass-, cough, I mean, that master of yours. No matter what he did, he saved our sect. We have already given you all the information we can. The rest is up to you. If you wish to resume the attempts with us, come back any time. Here. These are our communication trinkets. If you are in danger, do not hesitate to call on us. Just…get to the Warrior realm fast, and be sure to tell your master that you couldn't have done it without us. Got it?"

     Understanding that he had given these 5 some very deep trauma, Daneel nodded and accepted the trinkets.

     Having a bunch of Warrior level assassins to call on was definitely a plus.

     Lead out by the reptilian who had helped him enter, Daneel made sure no one was watching him before teleporting away to get to the Valley.

     He had debated whether to visit the Watcher, but the man would also definitely be bound by strong oaths to not reveal anything regarding training technique. So, he felt that it was useless.

     After reaching the outskirts of the Valley of Mist, Daneel felt that something was wrong.

     Many times since he had transmigrated to this world, his guts had saved his life by giving him timely warnings regarding things he was going to face.

     Right now, they were screaming at him to turn around and run.

     The border of the Valley felt like the gaping maw of a gargantuan beast that wanted to swallow him whole, and as he took a few steps forward, it seemed to lean forward, eager to get started on its meal.

     For the life of him, Daneel couldn't understand what was going on. 2 months back, he had felt no such thing, except that small tingle in his back which was probably due to the existence of very dangerous traps.

     Once again, he debated whether to enter.

     He had all kinds of trump cards and now, even Warriors to call on, so it seemed foolish to turn back without at least investigating.

     After all, the fewer variables there were, the better.

     So, ignoring his guts which were still raging at him, Daneel stepped into the Valley and asked the system to activate the Hidden Item Detection tool as usual.

     However, when he saw the message it showed, he felt shocked before quickly moving forward as if everything was normal.

     [Host under surveillance. Direction of surveiller: North. Method of surveillance: formation maze. 2 formation mazes discovered in host's path. First maze has been laid down for a long time. Second maze has been laid down recently. The purpose of the second maze is to alert an individual about the whereabouts of a person using their presence. Second maze is at the Champion level.]

     Cold sweat appeared on Daneel's back as he realized that he wouldn't even have been able to detect the second maze if the system hadn't been upgraded.

     Clearly, someone wanted to track his movements in the Valley of Mist in the most covert way of possible. Usually, this would be enough to work on anyone in the Central Continent, including the Warrior level assassins he had just conversed with.

     Of course, Daneel was different.

     The one watching him couldn't know that they had been found out, so Daneel acted as if everything was normal. He started to evade the traps in the Valley while moving towards the sect headquarters.

     Even he didn't dare to teleport inside the Valley, as the formations here were rigged to attack the moment space elementary particles were agitated to cast a spell. With the sheer number of traps around, almost anyone would be consumed before they would teleport away.

     While walking, Daneel decided on his next step.

     One thing had become clear: this was a trap.

     The fact that this change had occurred in the Valley only after his trip meant that someone had planned it using all this time.

     Who could it be? Was it a member of the sect who had seen him?

     Regardless, the fact was that he was on someone else's turf. Even though he had the system, he had to be as careful as possible.

     First things first, he didn't like that he was following someone else's plan. If he continued, there would definitely be a surprise waiting ahead.

     So, he started to devise a plan.

     ….

     The sect leader of the Withering Leaf Sect had his eyes closed while controlling the formation maze which was tracking the King of Lanthanor's movements.

     He had waited so long for this day. Since that fateful moment in the Valley when those who had taught and raised him had perished in front of his eyes, he had vowed to take revenge.

     Now, it was finally time to appease them.

     Slowly, he started to move to intercept the King.

     His appearance was even more shoddy from before. What was most strange was that along with the red, bloody marks on his hands, there was a red stain around his mouth which looked eerie.

     His face had an even more crazed look than before, but he was in full control of his faculties right now, poised, waiting to strike.

     A single blow from a Warrior should be enough to put an end to an Exalted Human. Especially in the case of a Warrior in his present state, there was no chance of survival.

     In just one minute, his target would be at the optimal distance for him to attack. However, at this point, the King of Lanthanor stopped for a moment before continuing onwards again.

     Although the sect leader got a slight feeling that something might be wrong, he fully trusted the detection formation he had obtained after much difficulty. There was no way in hell that a mere Human level boy could fool a Champion level formation.

     So, telling himself that the pause was nothing, the sect leader resumed waiting.

     As the seconds ticked by, his heart started to beat louder in his chest, and he took out a trinket shaped like a needle before squeezing it and enlarging it.

     It really was a large, thick, needle-shaped object with a sharp end. On its other end was a handle, making it appear like some sort of weird weapon.

     5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

     Now!

     WHOOSH!

     With blinding speed, the needle glowed a faint red before being thrown in a specific direction.

     In a fraction of a second, the sound of it hitting its target could be heard, making the sect leader jump forward in glee.

     However, what he saw made him rip off his hair in frustration.

     The needle had indeed hit its mark, but while he watched, the King of Lanthanor's body dissipated. It had a smile on its face, as if it had accomplished some sort of mission.

     NO! His plan had failed!

     Well, it was a good thing that he had made many, as this was his only shot.

     Taking out a trinket, he said, "Plan B. Now."

     …..

     Meanwhile, Daneel was standing at a specific spot in the Valley with a small smile on his lips.

     [Surveillance Dissonance Spell Developed to counter the Formation Maze is active.]

     Indeed, he had simply used the system to fool his enemy for a very specific reason.

     "Is the simulation ready?"

     [Affirmative. Using the attack sustained by host's clone, system has created a simulation with the approximate power level of target. Estimated Power Level: Eminent Warrior.]

     Hearing this, Daneel was surprised but not shocked.

     However, just as he was about to ask the system to activate the simulation, a message sounded in his head which made slight worry appear on his face.

     [System has detected that individuals have activated Champion level attack formations on the borders of the Valley of Mist. Controller of the formations must be killed for system to obtain control of these formations.]

     Wait…he couldn't go out without killing the controller?!

     Clearly, the enemy's planning had gone above and beyond what Daneel had expected. Their intention was to trap him inside, like a lamb for slaughter.

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     408 Ambush

      Usually, if Daneel were stuck in a situation like this where the only option was to put himself in life-threatening danger, he would have been panicking by now.

     After all, the other party was an Eminent Warrior with unknown trump cards while he was still an Exalted Human.

     However, ever since he had gotten the message that someone had stepped into the vicinity of the Withering Leaf Sect Headquarters, he had gotten a suspicion that his method of going about becoming a Warrior was flawed.

     The experiences of the top assassins had been invaluable, but instead of sitting down and understanding them in-depth, Daneel had rushed into trying out a plan because of the urgency he felt.

     That had been his first mistake. The 'need' varied from individual to individual, but the moment of it appearing was never perfectly planned by anyone. If so, how could he have hoped to make it come by just directly applying what the others had gone through?

     Secondly, from his experience on Earth, Daneel knew that this 'need' might correspond to some evolutionary instinct of an organism to continue surviving.

     Although the method varied, stepping past the threshold was all about adapting oneself into a higher realm. That was the clue: to push past.

     If so, the end goal in his mind during his training had been correct, but his way of going about it had been completely wrong.

     A man who was in a fight would definitely not try to push his limits if he knew that there was no risk of him dying.

     It was very simple logic, but one that he had missed in his hurry.

     Regardless, he would soon have a chance to test his hypothesis.

     Closing his eyes, he entered into a state of meditation first, where he constantly told himself that he could rely on himself in the next fight. Either he would win, or die.

     If his opponent ended up being too weak, then he would just have to look for a different, stronger one.

     But if that was not the case, then he would either break through or die trying.

     The fate of Angaria itself rested on his shoulders, and as he realized it, his chest puffed up with confidence.

     For all those who were depending on him, he had to do it, no matter what.

     This self-hypnosis worked, as he felt his heart beat rising in anticipation of a blood-boiling competition.

     He would use every trick in the damn book. Nothing was off-limits.

     For once, he was going to go all out.

     …..

     As the sect leader wandered through the Valley, he kept trying hard not to let his mind stray from his goal of killing the King of Lanthanor.

     If he had succeeded before, he wouldn't have found himself in this position now, where he was constantly reminded of a few scenes in his mind.

     The first was always the same: it was the one where he could only watch as the elders of the sect were slaughtered before they made their way out of the Valley of Mist.

     The second, though, was very strange.

     It looked just like the first one, but it was morphed.

     Sect members had been slaughtered left and right, but instead of watching from afar, the sect leader was amongst them.

     He could see clearly with his own eyes how each of the bodies had a disbelieving and fearful look on their faces, as if they couldn't get themselves to believe who or what had killed them.

     Each body had a large hole in the stomach area, and they all also looked like their blood had been drained.

     Through all this, the sect leader was constantly walking between them.

     Women, children, teenagers. Whoever the culprit was, he had shown no mercy.

     There was one thing which was off: no matter what the sect leader did, he did not look down at his own hands.

     Repeatedly, he kept chanting the words "King of Lanthanor", the man he saw as the devil who had caused all this carnage.

     At the last moment, he was just about to look down at his body in his memory once again, but the sect leader shook his head, making that scene freeze while forcefully pulling himself back to the present.

     The King had done it all. He had slaughtered his sect, his family.

     He would pay.

     Just as he was about to contact the last few sect members alive whom he had positioned outside the Valley to activate the trap once again, the sect leader heard a few voices from a particular direction.

     It had been over an hour since that man had escaped his attack, and he had been frantically searching everywhere while expertly avoiding the traps placed at every step.

     It didn't make sense for someone else to have entered the Valley, and he had told his sect members not to enter at any cost. Besides, they didn't even know how to navigate through the traps, so they would have been mincemeat by now.

     Maybe that King had called for reinforcements?

     That didn't make much sense, as the sect leader was still constantly checking the formation. He couldn't even wrap his head around the fact that the King had escaped its surveillance, so he couldn't accept that even others in the Central Continent were capable of his feat.

     Regardless, anyone he didn't know were threats, and they had to be eliminated.

     Silently, he made his way through the bushes toward the source of the sounds.

     However, merely a few seconds later, when the voices became clear, the sect leader froze.

     They were familiar.

     Hauntingly so.

     "Jaqueline, run toward the front! You can get away, leave us be!"

     "No, grandpa!"

     "Throw all the young ones forward! They must teleport away! Even if we die, he will avenge us!"

     That voice…belonged to the man who used to bring him candy late at night whenever he fought well in the morning.

     As for the other man, he had carried him on his shoulders while taking him around the Valley.

     No! It was impossible!

     There was no method to record audio or video in the Central Continent that he knew of, so he couldn't make sense of what was happening.

     Besides, these things were what these people had said before their deaths.

     How could he be hearing them now?

     Unless…they had found out what he had done, and had come back?

     Whatever the reason was, crippling shock encapsulated the sect leader's body, making him stand still.

     His mind was blank, so by the time he heard a strange noise above him, it was already too late.

     Some kind of…object had floated to the spot right above him, before silently shooting forward 4 projectiles which all looked like eerie, green skulls that wanted to eat him, piece by piece.

     It was a trap!

     Wait…hadn't he been the one to trap the King inside the Valley? How the hell had the man laid a trap for him, instead?

     There was no time to think. Thankfully, he was a Warrior, so his body responded quickly, allowing him to jump away at the last moment.

     However, the 4 projectiles which looked like fiery cannon balls had been cleverly shot with the added effect of sealing off all escape routes, and they even seemed to be able to edit their paths.

     2 still managed to hit him, with one brushing past his shoulder and the other hitting him square in the back, making him thud to the ground before skidding on it.

     In the process, 3 traps activated, with 2 shooting ice shards at him and the third releasing some kind of poison.

     Facing so many attacks all at once, the sect leader showed his experience.

     First, he blocked off the air entering his nostrils before making barriers appear around him that stopped the ice shards. These were powerful traps, so he needed to conjure multiple barriers before the thick ice shards finally dissipated.

     Finally, he realized that the man problem was the green fire, which was slowly engulfing his whole body.

     It looked like it wouldn't stop spreading till there was nothing left of him, and it kept eating through every barrier he made.

     Still, he had managed to reach an equilibrium with it, so the next step was to look for a way to purge it from his body.

     His back had thankfully been protected by a Warrior level defense trinket, so he had only been hurt by the impact of hitting the ground.

     That had been…scary.

     However, just as he was about to snarl and look for his opponent, he realized that he had been surrounded by 4 more objects just like the one that had shot at him from above just now.

     Sh*t.

     BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

     As they all once again shot those devastating cannonballs at him, the sect leader at least had the chance this time to grasp a few items in his pocket.

     One after the other, Warrior level defense trinkets came into being which were supplemented by his own Warrior level barriers.

     As he saw the trinkets which were worth millions of gold coins that had been earned by the hard work of the sect members be burned away one by one, the rage in him once again increased.

     The caster of these things must be close, and as he extended his senses outward, he realized that his opponent was being very sly: he had hidden himself covertly on top of a tree just a few meters away. If it hadn't been for his skills that had been honed in countless battles and the secret techniques of the sect which had once been part of the Big 4, he would never have spotted him.

     However, now that he had, it was finally time.

     BOOOMM!

     At a speed that wasn't visible to the naked eye, the sect leader shot towards his target, but as he did so, the image he had been blocking in his mind finally became clear.

     He looked down in the scene in his memory, and he saw his clothes drenched in blood, while his fingernails had bits of flesh still stuck in them.

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     409 Who Will?

      All dead.

     By his hands.

     The entire Withering Leaf Sect, wiped out in a single night.

     For what?

     For this.

     As the sect leader neared his target, his veins started to pulse in a weird manner, alerting his opponent that something was wrong.

     However, he didn't care. It was too late already.

     If this kid had hidden in some bush while waiting for reinforcements, the sect leader might have considered changing his plan. He could have lain in wait, while carrying out a few massacres in the Kingdom this kid seemed to like so much.

     However, by choosing to ambush him while being the one who had been trapped, he had written his own death warrant.

     The pulsing of the veins was also accompanied by the entire body of the sect leader turning red.

     As he felt his power increasing quickly, the sect leader smiled in anticipation of wetting his hands in the blood of one more person.

     Along with his body, his persona seemed to shift. Before, he had at least been cautious of that memory, taking care not to focus on the truly gruesome parts.

     However, now, he relished those moments when he locked all the sect members in a room after making them believe in him, before killing each one and absorbing their blood.

     With each person whose blood he absorbed, he felt his power grow, leading him to break through from the Amateur Warrior realm to become an Eminent Warrior.

     Of course, that wasn't the only advantage.

     This 'bloodboiling' state was supposed to push his power to the peak of the Eminent Warrior level, further decreasing any chance of his opponent escaping.

     He really had to thank that man who had given him technique once again.

     All this seemed to happen over a long time, but the truth was, even a second hadn't passed since he had shot forward.

     Even as the expression of his target changed into one of horror, he plunged his hands through his body.

     Another clone.

     Well, no matter.

     Extending his senses in this state, the sect master quickly managed to find the real target: he was hiding in a bush around 100 meters away, and just as the clone dissipated, he took off running through the Valley.

     Seeing this, he smiled in a twisted manner before giving chase.

     ….

     Daneel's heart was beating so fast that it felt like it would hammer out of his chest at any moment.

     In his mind, he was cursing at this damn guy.

     He had anticipated all manners of trump cards, but a method to suddenly increase power by 3 levels was something he could never have expected.

     After that attack which had been foiled by the clone, Daneel had carefully practiced his approach using the simulation feature in the upgraded system.

     In it, the sect leader had been at the beginning of the Eminent Warrior level, and Daneel had devised multiple plans to kill the man.

     In the simulation, his current plan had worked 9/10 times.

     This was already good enough, as in that time when it didn't work, he had faced bad luck the likes of which never happened in real life.

     According to the system, this was normal, as the simulation could never really simulate reality. There could always be something unexpected.

     Like this.

     Feeling himself targeted, Daneel briefly looked back to see two mad eyes which sent shivers down his spine.

     This man had gone completely crazy. That was quite clear.

     [Host's enemy is using the blood he has absorbed/ingested to burn his Energy in order to output higher power. Effect limited to Fighter prowess. Enemy's mage level remains the same as before: Amateur Warrior level.]

     Well, there was the silver lining.

     His opponent was not a complete Eminent Warrior through and through; if that were the case, Daneel might have given up long back.

     He was still an Amateur Warrior mage, and with the system and Daneel's own power as a peak Exalted Human mage, he could at least match him and defend himself.

     The problem was with the sect leader's Fighter prowess.

     In the simulation, Daneel had had to go to great lengths to avoid getting into close-quarters with the man in order to kill him.

     That plan had hinged on him being at the beginner Eminent Warrior level, and even then, it had required very meticulous planning.

     However, that was no longer viable now.

     In the Warrior realm, it seemed that the difference between each individual level was much more pronounced than in the Human realm.

     Just by advancing 3 levels, this man was already moving 60% faster than in the simulation. If the same difference was there in the Human realm, he would have been at most 30% faster.

     While running for his life, Daneel tried to decide what the heck he was going to do.

     Fleeing was no longer an option at all; even if he called for reinforcements, he would be dead before they arrived.

     He felt like he was missing another option, but he had no time to think further down that line now.

     Either he came up with something right now, or he would be dead in the next minute.

     No saving Lanthanor. No saving Angaria. No saving anyone.

     Feeling the pressure weighing down on his shoulders, Daneel entered into a highly focused mode.

     He needed allies. Desperately.

     And…he actually had a ton of them all around!

     "System, call all the mosquitoes. As many as can be controlled. First, have them hold him off."

     [Affirmative.]

     Yes! He could use the mosquitoes to level the playing field, while looking for an opportunity to strike.

     Daneel knew that he only needed one chance to pierce the man so that he could send the Tenebrous Flame inside. After that, the Flame would do all the work.

     It was hard enough for someone to cast a barrier on themselves, as this required very minute control of elementary particles. After all, creating a balloon was much easier than creating a pair of clothes which perfectly matched a person's body.

     Hence, it was impossible for a Warrior to cast barriers inside their own body to prevent the flame from spreading and eating up their entire body.

     All he needed was one breach, and victory might be his, especially with the upgraded system controlling the fire to split it into numerous small tendrils that would infiltrate his body.

     Deciding on his plan, Daneel didn't hesitate.

     First, he took out all the Warrior level defense trinkets he had on him.

     He had won a few in his trip to the Hidden Kill Sect, and he also had others which were obtained by Lanthanor.

     These would be his last defense line.

     Activating them and keeping them ready, he watched as a cloud of mosquitoes quickly gathered at his area.

     He wondered whether to build any more constructs, but his best construct had already failed. He had even built those with a lot of concentration and time, two things he didn't have right now. So, it would be futile to waste his energy on that option.

     The Ruler's inheritance worked when he had people around him who followed him, but as he was just surrounded by mosquitoes which were only loyal to their next meal, it couldn't be used.

     That left the Basilisk's Breath and the Art of the Withering Leaf.

     He was going to use the former to preserve his life while looking for a chance, and he would use the latter at a critical point of time to get that chance, by hopefully startling the sect leader.

     His plan set, Daneel stood and waited.

     The mosquitoes were spread all throughout the Valley, and although Daneel had been regularly killing them to use their blood to train, they bred at a frantic pace. In fact, if the system wasn't controlling their rate of growth, they would definitely have destroyed the ecosystem of the Valley completely by now.

     Instead of that, they had assimilated themselves to become the top predator.

     Daneel didn't have to wait long. In 2 seconds, the sect leader arrived and launched an attack with a manic expression on his face.

     There were actually two attacks: one was a punch, and the other was a shard of reinforced, condensed ice.

     Magic attacks along with close-combat fighting: so this was the sect leader's mode of combat.

     This actually worked in Daneel's favor, as it was inherently weaker than the Hidden Kill Sect Assassin's method of merging the two to make one seamless, deadly attack.

     Of course, that required for the Fighter and Mage prowess to be at the same level.

     Daneel didn't even bother handling the mage attack by himself. Commanding the system to cast everything necessary to counter the magic, he busied himself with dealing with the punch.

     "Activate."

     Time slowed down, and Daneel made a clear mental note about the trajectory of the attack, while taking care not to move himself in that split-second.

     "Deactivate."

     Lunging to the side with reflexes that looked like they were predicting the opponent's movements, Daneel launched his own punch-a Hidden Kill one.

     It impacted the barrier surrounding the sect leader, leaving a small ripple on it.

     "Left side, attack."

     Before the sect leader could fight back, a dense cloud of mosquitoes attacked him from the left, making him growl with anger before casting a fire tornado to take care of them.

     Daneel used the opportunity to land 3 more punches, and they seemed to have some effect.

     The sect leader's body became bruised, but he seemed to have become even more angered in the process.

     In this way, the fight continued.

     The system would handle the magic attacks of the sect leader while controlling the mosquitoes to distract him, while Daneel would use the Basilisk's Breath to dodge and keep landing attacks.

     With each attack, there was a little damage, but it was minute.

     Occasionally, the sect leader would use the Art of the Withering Leaf to throw his attacks back at him, and Daneel would just have to cast more spells to counter.

     With each passing second, he felt his mageroot start to ache, while his fists started to leak blood to repeated impacts with the barrier.

     With each passing second, the frustration inside Daneel grew.

     If only he could punch just a little harder.

     If only he could move just a little faster, so that he would have more time to land more attacks.

     If only his magic attacks moved faster and had more power, so that he could hope to overpower his opponent.

     The frustrations built up inside him like a tower, all while he became increasingly fatigued.

     After just one minute of their fight, he endured his first injury.

     He had anticipated the sect leader's attack, but he hadn't been fast enough.

     As a result, the sect leader's punch connected with his shoulder, making him stagger backward.

     Even though his barrier blocked the majority, the impact he felt made his shoulder burn as if it was on fire.

     His left hand became slower than his right, making panic appear on Daneel's face.

     Still, he held on, somehow managing to dodge like the last struggles of a mouse whose eventual fate would be to be eaten by a cat.

     His shortcomings stood out glaringly, making him scream at them in anguish.

     His mageroot had also begun to burn, meaning that he was losing the battle on the mage front too.

     The mosquitoes were running out; already, they were taking care not to step in puddles of blood so as not to lose balance.

     Was he really going to die here?

     Daneel racked his brain for options, but except for that faint thought that something was eluding his mind, there was nothing else.

     His next injury was to his stomach, which directly made him spit out blood.

     The next one hit his chest, making his whole body seem sluggish.

     Slowly, the Warrior trinkets started to shatter one by one, until he was almost standing like a punching bag in front of the sect leader.

     His opponent seemed to be taking great pleasure, as with each punch that landed, his smile grew wider, until it covered over half of his face, making for a very creepy sight.

     With each punch and kick that hit him, Daneel raged at himself.

     The thought of letting down everyone and failing haunted him, making him feel disgust and hate.

     Disgust at his overconfidence, which had led him to take this fight.

     Hate at his incompetence, which was leading him to lose.

     And finally, rage.

     So, so much rage. Rage that burned to the heavens. Rage whose only target was himself.

     Why can't you be stronger?

     Why can't you be faster?

     He asked, but he received no answer.

     Each and every part of his body was leaking blood, as lacerations had started to appear due to the repeated impact.

     The blood loss was making him dizzy, and images he had long forgotten started to appear, such as the image of that smiling, kind old lady who had taken care of him in the orphanage back on Earth.

     Was this it?

     Was this where his tale ended?

     No.

     NO.

     He couldn't go down like this.

     He couldn't let some arrogant sect leader take his life, thereby ending the last hope for Angaria to survive the Church.

     He couldn't stand the thought of his family, friends, and citizens living with the fact that their King had died because he was too weak.

     For one, final time, he screamed.

     He screamed at his shortcomings, his weaknesses, his fears.

     He screamed at his incomplete life, his unfulfilled dreams, his inadequate power.

     He screamed until he didn't know whether he was screaming inside his mind, or out loud.

     Why can't I be stronger?

     Why can't I be faster?

     Why can't I fight back?

     Why? Why? WHY?

     A single image flashed in front of his eyes: the image of Angaria, which he had seen from above in his chat with the Watcher, turning completely red with the blood of the millions who inhabited it.

     The images of his friends and family dying didn't need to appear in his mind's eye. They were already visible in that image of Angaria, which represented them all.

     Still receiving no answer, Daneel changed his question.

     This question rose up from the deepest recesses of his mind, but it resonated with his entire existence.

     "If I can't save it, who will?"

     As Daneel started to realize that this was the question he would ask last in his life, his screams reached a crescendo, and he saw one final blow flying at his face, while the expression of triumph on his opponent's face was clearly visible.

     At this moment, as Daneel almost gave up and let the regret consume him before taking him away, something seemed to answer from inside his body.

     It answered the question he had asked before, but it seemed to have awakened due to the question he had asked last.

     Regardless, the moment it sounded, everything changed.

     "Why? Because you never needed it, that's why."

     CLICK

     Raising his hand in a smooth motion, Daneel caught the sect leader's punch.

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     410 Aftermath

      [Host status updating. Please standby.

     Host status:

     Host Fighter Level: Warrior-1(50%)

     Host Mage Level: Warrior-1(50%)

     Host Condensation Level: Ideal(Amplification: .2x)

     Host Body Potential: A+

     Host Comprehension Level: ????

     Host Condition: Nominal

     Subroutine Primary Outcome achieved. Canceling subroutine. Deactivating tool.]

     As the sect leader stared with wide open eyes, the system gave this message.

     Things he hadn't been able to think of before once again appeared in his mind, making a smile appear on his face.

     It was as if his persona itself had changed: from that scared King who had been running away with fear before because of going into a fight impulsively, to a World Dominator who always had everything under his control.

     This was the real Daneel, but if he hadn't been the former during that fight, he would never have broken through in this way.

     The sect leader noticed this, and his shock multiplied.

     It was as if he was seeing a completely different person. Before, the kid he had been fighting had been a flustered and angry individual who was regretting the fact that he had even entered that fight.

     Now, it was as if he was looking into the eyes of a mastermind who had engineered everything to play out in this way.

     No! How could this be possible!

     It didn't make sense. Was the King of Lanthanor crazy? Did he have multiple personalities?

     If so, how had no one heard of it?

     During the split second that the sect leader had before being blown back by a punch to his stomach, he asked these questions, the answers to which he would never find out.

     One thing was clear: this was not the man he had entered the fight with.

     Indeed, after catching hold of the sect leader's hand, Daneel had unhesitatingly launched an attack.

     This fight was over.

     Even his opponent seemed to know this, as was evidenced by the look of absolute shock and panic on his face.

     Before the sect leader landed on the ground, Daneel pointed at him.

     [Champion level Paragon Construct: Dragon Claw of Lanthanor forming]

     The sect leader couldn't believe what he was seeing.

     He remembered being witness to the image of a dragon in one of the books present in their archives, and he had marveled at their majesty and grace which somehow combined with overwhelmed power and ferociousness.

     Now, as he saw a gigantic dragon claw materialize in front of him to pin him down, he once again felt that awe, which was this time coupled with fear.

     Yes, maybe his opponent had broken through to the Warrior level at such an opportune time.

     However, how the hell was he able to cast such a terrifying spell?

     Objects like these were only said to be able to be conjured by Champions, and that too only by the most talented of them.

     How the heck was a Warrior able to do the same?

     The sect leader didn't understand.

     And his opponent didn't give him the time to think further.

     With astonishing speed, the King of Lanthanor used that second of time obtained by him using the Dragon Claw to rush forward and aim a punch at the Withering Leaf sect leader's head.

     He had calculated it perfectly: the Dragon Claw attack had shattered the Warrior level defense trinket on his opponent's body, so his punch made it's way through, knocking his opponent unconscious.

     Such speed and reaction time would definitely not have been capable of him just moments back.

     Seeing the sect leader close his eyes, Daneel, himself collapsed to the ground.

     His entire body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder, and the spot on his forehead where his mageroot was situated felt like it was being repeatedly pierced by flaming needles.

     "Kellor and Cassandra, move in with the army. There should be some sect members outside the Valley, too. Apprehend them. Use the map I will transmit to you shortly to reach me. Remember: follow the instructions as closely as you can, or you will trigger the traps. Disable the sect leader, and imprison him securely. Remember: he's a Warrior, so use appropriate shackles and equipment."

     By the time the last word exited Daneel's mouth, he was already half-unconsiousness. Sending the map relayed by the system, Daneel closed his eyes and crumpled on the ground, his blood pooling around him while the system continuously cast simple healing spells to keep him alive.

     2 men lay side by side, but their expressions were so contrasting that anyone would gasp with surprise on seeing them.

     One of them had an expression of absolute shock and fear, as if something truly unexpected had occurred.

     The other: he had the expression of one who was genuinely happy and satisfied that everything had gone according to plan.

     …

     An unknown amount of time later.

     Waking up with a start, Daneel looked around and wondered whether he was dreaming.

     Everything felt…different.

     Slowly, he raised his hand, awed at how…effortless it felt.

     He had felt that he was quite powerful and fast while being an Exalted Human, but now, when he looked back, it felt as if he had constantly been swimming through lead then.

     His bones, blood, organs: all seemed to be functioning more efficiently. In a way, it was as if he was a vehicle which had switched gears.

     He had felt this once before: when he had advanced on his path as a Fighter and Mage after entering this world for the first time.

     Now, he knew why it was called a different realm.

     Warriors couldn't be compared to Humans in any way, and this made him chuckle at that stupid decision to take that fight before.

     No matter which way it played out, he would have been killed.

     Leaning back on the bed and yawning lazily, Daneel recalled his plan.

     Before stepping out to face the sect leader after self-hypnotizing himself, Daneel just hadn't been able to do it.

     True, the simulation had shown that he might win 9/10 times, but his guts had been screaming at him continuously that this was a mistake.

     It had felt just plain foolish to ignore them.

     Besides, he had been through a lot to become who he was now. His smart nature, slyness, and intelligence as a King had been obtained after making mistakes and learning, and he hadn't been able to step forward and ignore all those.

     After all, this wasn't his last option. True, he had a deadline and he had to reach it, but if he died while hastily rushing to reach it, everything would be futile anyway.

     He could simply wait and train and put himself through other dangerous situations. He had 4 months of time! If he still didn't succeed, after that, he could simply go seek a fight with someone else as a last resort.

     Also, he had multiple Champion level trinkets on his body which he could use to take care of his opponent easily. After all, a Warrior couldn't hope to defend against multiple head-on attacks from a Champion, no matter what level he was on.

     So, no matter how Daneel saw it, he couldn't justify dumbly going out to face the sect leader, especially due to fact that he could beat the man by resorting to extreme means without risking his life.

     He wasn't truly trapped either. He could simply call his army, and even a Warrior wouldn't be able to defend himself against the bombardments of hundreds of soldiers.

     Hence, Daneel had once again stopped and thought about what to do, and it was then that he had hit upon this idea.

     The system was able to control his facial expressions by taking them from his memories. It could go through his memories to replay things, or analyze. Then, why couldn't it block certain things from him?

     On asking the system this, he had received the answer that it was possible.

     [Memory Smudger-1 Tool available for purchase. Cost: 5000 EXP.

     Memory Smudger-1: For a short period of time, certain chosen memories/knowledge/traits/experiences can be blocked from host's active mind. Specified memories/knowledge/traits/experiences can also be imposed. Please upgrade the tool to increase time of effect.

     Level-1 Time of Effect: 60 minutes.]

     He had been expecting the system to be capable of it by default, but Daneel had had no problem with the fact that he needed to spend EXP. He had a feeling that it would be incredibly useful in the future too.

     So, with 0 EXP in his pocket, Daneel had set about installing backup plans to save himself in place. The system was capable of carrying out simple pre-programmed orders, so he had ordered it to make a subroutine to send instructions and call the army to save him in case he was really about to die, and also to activate a Champion level trinket to stall.

     Kellor and Cassandra had been called over with elite Mage and Fighter units, and they had been put on standby.

     After that, it had been a simple process of using the tool to make himself think that he was truly trapped with no other way out, and that he had to fight the sect leader at any cost and win with his own power without relying on any outside help.

     If it would work, it would work. If it didn't, he would at least live to try again later.

     It had been close. Looking down at his body that was still laced with wounds, Daneel shuddered at the thought of going into that thought without all these preparations.

     And remembering that thought of "If I won't do it, who will?", he chuckled.

     Right now, he was just a nobody who couldn't do a single thing against the Church if it attacked. Compared to the many Warriors, Champions and individuals possibly above that level on this continent, he was less than an ant.

     Being so, it sounded naïve and preposterous to think that he was its savior.

     Of course, he was going to become someone who would save Angaria, but he was still nowhere close.

     However, the thought did sound...admirable.

     Just as he was about to inspect that strange line of information he had seen on the status, Kellor sent an urgent message through the oathstone.

     "My King! The sect leader just collapsed! Blood seems to be pouring out of his pores! We don't know what to do!"

     With alarm, Daneel rushed to the underground prison.

     He had a lot of questions to ask this man, but by the time he arrived, the sect leader was writhing as blood congealed around his body.

     His eyes were rolled back into his head, but he was sputtering a few words repeatedly.

     As Daneel heard them, he opened his mouth in surprise.

     "D-damn y-you A-Ashahell! Th-this wasn't written in t-the technique! I w-will have my re-revenge!"

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     411 Decision

      Ashahell again!

     As Daneel heard this name again, he felt as if this man was like a wraith that was everywhere.

     He had already caused great trouble for Daneel once by giving that mosquito to Axelor. Now, he had given some sort of technique to this sect leader?

     Daneel didn't understand at all. It was one thing if he was an evil character who wanted to end Angaria for his own selfish reasons.

     However, according to the Watcher, he was the head of the High Council of the Big 4. As someone sitting in such a position, how was it possible for him to do all these things and still not be found out?

     Daneel had many questions like these in his head, but first, he had to save this sect leader.

     Blood was oozing out of all of his pores constantly, almost as if he was leaking like a balloon. If Daneel didn't do something, he would be dead soon, and there would be no chance to find out more about this foe.

     So, unlocking the prison using the system, Daneel entered and laid a hand on the sect leader.

     Due to the blood, the sect leader was sticky and wet, but Daneel ignored the gross feeling and concentrated on the system's response.

     [Target is undergoing a violent reaction due to sudden catalysis of absorbed Energy. Target has absorbed a high amount of human blood, which has also made him unstable. Similarities found in target's technique with host's Blood Absorption technique.]

     "All that is fine, but how do I save him?"

     [All excess blood must be drained, and fresh, Energy-rich blood must be transfused, preferably from someone of similar level. Chances of survival increase if level is similar.

     Probability of survival if blood of Warrior level individual is transfused: 60%.

     Probability of survival if blood of Human level individual is transfused: 20%]

     What? He had to give this man his own blood to keep him alive?

     Daneel hesitated only for a moment, before commanding Kellor and the soldiers watching to leave.

     Soon, he was going to infiltrate the Big 4 to foil Ashahell's plan. It was best to know more about him before he did so.

     So, after he found himself alone, Daneel cut his arm using a wind blade and ordered the system to carry out the blood transfusion.

     The man had already been leaking blood for quite some time before Daneel arrived, so he didn't have to wait long until the process started.

     Sitting and seeing his blood going into the body of the man who had almost killed him, Daneel smiled wistfully before asking the system to show his status again.

     This time, he noticed the anomalies.

     Condensation level and amplification? What were those?

     And…how the hell was he already halfway to the second level of a Warrior already?

     The answer was a pleasant surprise to Daneel, and it made him feel very glad that he had taken that gamble before.

     [Condensation Level: This denotes the degree to which Energy has condensed in host's body and mageroot. After host's breakthrough, system compared host's Energy to other Warriors. In this process, it was found out that the degree varies, and this degree also allows for an amplification in training speed. Further data is needed to find the reasons behind different condensation levels. There is a probability that the condensation level might be tied to the degree of 'need'. Training method also plays a key role.]

     So, fighting on the line between life and death had paid off, after all.

     Daneel didn't care much for the rest of the details, except noting the fact that higher condensation level meant faster training.

     But, he did get a query.

     "What is the highest condensation level and amplification that has been detected?", he asked, as the system had said that it had compared his to others'/

     [It must be noted that only Warriors were scanned.

     Highest Condensation Level: Exceptional(2 levels above ideal)

     Amplification: .5x

     Target: The individual known as 'Sister Xuan'

     The training method of this target has brought about this level of condensation and amplification.]

     Hearing this, Daneel's jaw dropped.

     The top disciples from the Big 4 were able to train twice as fast as regular Warriors?

     Now, Daneel understood part of the reason why the Big 4 maintained their position.

     Not only did their disciples have top-notch techniques and resources, but they could also train faster!

     He had to get these techniques, one way or another.

     As Daneel resolved this in his mind, he heard the sect leader groan.

     As the man slowly fluttered his eyes and opened them, he saw a very strange sight.

     The one whom he had to sworn to kill, the one who was the reason why the Withering Leaf Sect members had been killed and drained of their blood, was sitting beside him and giving him his blood.

     This situation seemed so odd and ironic that the sect leader could only laugh.

     During their fight, he had come face to face with the fact that he was the one who had killed all of his fellow sect members. So, in a way, the other persona was no longer present, as its existence had been due to the fact that he hadn't been able to accept that fact.

     Now that he did, pain and guilt racked him, but more than anything, there was disappointment and regret that he had failed.

     Seeing him looking at him, his arch enemy turned around and…waved.

     This made the sect leader want to rip his skin open, so that he wouldn't have to accept this blood.

     However, suddenly, he found that he couldn't move his body, which made him snarl with frustration.

     The fire for revenge was still there, but right now, he was infuriated at that man from the Big 4 who had given him that technique.

     "Ya, ya, I know you don't want to be saved by me. Let's cut to the chase, as I have no time to waste. You are imprisoned here. Without my command, you cannot die, and you cannot leave. Just ask the Knight from the Church who's next door to you. The guy has happily settled in for the long haul! Of course, he's confident that the Church will come to get him. You, though, have no such luxury. So, I'll make it easy for you. Either swear an oath to listen to my orders, no matter what they are, or rot away here, waiting for a death that might never come. After all, I might find some way to control you in the future when I become a Champion. Anyway, first, if you don't want your happy stay to be marred by torture, tell me everything you know about Ashahell. I have some beef to pick with him, and I would love to know more so that he doesn't catch me off guard, like you almost did."

     Hearing his options clearly laid out for him, the sect leader knew they were the only ones he had.

     He had heard about these prisons that were there in all the major forces in the Central Continent.

     They were some of the only remnants from the old ages which still worked fine. If a Warrior entered, they would almost never be able to leave.

     Besides, even if he did somehow manage to escape, he didn't know when it would happen.

     As a leader of a large sect, he knew how to prioritize. Also, he did blame Ashahell for the deaths of his sect members, too.

     So, he might as well try to make it so that he could have his revenge on him while waiting for a chance to kill his main foe.

     Hence, he chose to speak.

     "You can forget about the oath. One day, I will have a chance, so I'll just wait for that, or I'll die in the process. I deserve to, anyway, for letting down my sect, but taking you with me would be best. About Ashahell, though, I will speak, because he is second on the list of people I must take revenge on."

     Daneel felt glad that the man was speaking, so he sat and let the blood be transferred while listening.

     "I met him while I was looking to buy Champion-level trinkets using the wealth of the sect so that I could trap you inside the valley. The seller was a black market dealer from the Big 4, and he asked me why I needed it. I told him the reason, as I felt that the Big 4 might offer help to me, as you are, after all, poised to possibly build something greater than a Kingdom, which is a known taboo. To my surprise, after he heard that you were my target, he told me about a discrete location in the forest west of the Black Raven Kingdom, and asked me to wait there. It was there that Ashahell came to meet me and give me this technique. I could tell that it was just his clone, as he was using trinkets to teleport instead of casting the spell himself. He only wished me good luck, and left, but I could tell that something was wrong. Yet, the technique was authentic. It required me to ingest the blood of beasts to train faster to break through to become an Eminent Warrior. It did say that human blood was best, but I had no intention of using that option. But…why did I? Why did I kill my sect and drink their blood? Something…changed after I started to use the technique. Like…I wasn't myself. Why did I do it?"

     Towards the end, the sect leader was mumbling to himself, making Daneel sigh.

     Clearly, this was just another pawn being used by this Ashahell to target him and spread chaos. But why? Why was he so interested in him?

     Daneel had too many questions, and too few answers.

     The only way to resolve them was to go to the damn Big 4 and find out for himself.

     Just as he was about to get up and leave this man to his rambling, a communication trinket on Daneel vibrated.

     Taking it out, he was surprised to see that it was the one he had given to Percy, that snivelly son of the Mad Doctor.

     Curious as to why he was contacting him at this moment, Daneel answered, and raised his eyebrows as he heard the message.

     "Master! I have important news about my father's plan to deal with my senior disciple! This time, cutting off his treasured part won't work!"

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     412 Information

      To the west of the Black Raven Kingdom, there was an abandoned forest with dead trees that few dared to travel through in order to get to their destination.

     In fact, only nothingness was supposed to be present in this direction, except for a few isolated towns which survived by themselves.

     This forest was said to have been the scene of a great fight between powerful figures, who had wrecked it in the process before moving upward to clash in the sky like gods. It was said that their power still remained, ready to harm those who dare to trespass.

     Standing in the middle of the forest, Daneel, who was in his persona of Master Novrain, looked around with interest.

     Before coming here, he had checked the spy reports about this place, and as the system scanned around him, he was surprised to know that those rumors might actually be true.

     [Remnants of Champion level energy found. Estimated time since effect: 180 years.]

     He couldn't believe his ears. Champion level energy was so potent that it could still be detected after almost 2 centuries had passed?

     Besides, what kind of power was it that had killed all the wildlife but not destroyed it?

     All the trees were blackened, as if they had had their life leached out of them. Also, there was an eerie silence, which frankly made Daneel feel that there might be someone behind him creeping up on him.

     As he heard a twig snap behind him, he hastily turned around, thinking that his suspicion was true, before seeing that it was simply Percy who had just arrived.

     They had decided on this meeting place, as the information that Percy had was too sensitive to be transmitted over communication trinket.

     The place had been suggested by Percy, and Daneel had agreed, as the kid had said that it was easy to get to from his sect.

     "Master!"

     Seeing him, Percy immediately knelt on the ground, making Daneel say, "Get up. You left without even saying goodbye to your master?"

     Standing up swiftly, Percy awkwardly looked to the side before saying, "I apologize, Master. We were all called back, as our leaders said that it is not safe for core sect members to be outside especially when there was nothing for us to do. After I went, I had to go through a session of closed-door training as was mandated by the leader. It was during that training that I got to know about this information, and I contacted you as soon as I could."

     Whatever this kid's intentions might be, Daneel needed to know this information as the first fight he would have after the six-month period was with the son of the Mad Doctor.

     Nodding, Daneel said, "All right, spit it out. If it's actually valuable, I even have a small gift for you."

     His eyes widening at the mention of the gift, Percy said, "My father is putting them through a forbidden training technique which pushes them to the peak of the Warrior level if they can endure the pain, while cutting off any hope of getting to the Champion level. It is forbidden not because it has side effects or that reason, but because it uses just too many resources which can be much better utilized in other ways. There are supposed to be other side effects, such as people going mad due to the pain, but pain is something that my father is very specialized in, and I suspect that he used some of his tricks to make sure that my brother and the others don't go cuckoo. Master, I would really like to suggest that senior disciple should hide, as someone who is not even a Warrior cannot hope to defeat a peak Warrior, that too from the Big Four."

     Raising an eyebrow, Daneel said in a displeased tone, "Really? So you doubt my ability in picking a disciple, and you think I'm not good enough to teach or instruct him to survive such an engagement?"

     Raising his head in panic, Percy shook his head hurriedly and said, "No way! Master is all-powerful, and I'm pretty sure that senior disciple will be given some method or idea to help him overcome this trial. I… Just hope that I can also get a part of that method."

     Seeing his shamelessness appear again, Daneel smiled before saying "Good job," and throwing a data trinket at him.

     Surprised that his master hadn't berated him and had instead actually given him something for the first time, Percy almost missed the trinket but got it using a spell before quickly examining it with excitement.

     "The – the Art of the Withering Leaf?! This is a tier 2 inheritance! Even though it's incomplete… It's something I definitely wouldn't be able to access anytime soon… Thank you, master! Your disciple is very, very grateful!"

     Saying these words with a tone of deep gratitude, Percy knelt on the ground once again, and to Daneel's surprise, tears actually came out of his eyes.

     What? Why was this slimy kid crying?"

     "Get up. This is nothing worth crying about. If you keep helping me, there will be many better things for you. Now, I need something from you."

     Nodding, Percy quickly got up and tried to wipe away the tears.

     If he was acting, that he was definitely a very good actor, at least as good as Daneel.

     After taking a few seconds and stopping the tears, Percy said, "Sorry, master. It's just that… No one has ever appreciated me or given me anything for my efforts. I was always the bastard son who had talent but who could be kicked around by all those with background. Thank you. Tell me what it is. Whatever it is, I'll do it even if it costs my life."

     Wait… Wasn't this a bit too soon to pledge his life?

     Either this was a very emotional kid who really had had a sad childhood and wasn't loved by anyone, or he was trying to get into Daneel's good graces to find out his plans.

     Daneel couldn't help but suspect him. No matter how sincere this kid acted, he just couldn't trust someone from the Big Four, which was supposed to be completely corrupted. For that matter, he didn't really trust Sister Xuan and Molan either.

     He had needed to give this kid something to string him along and make him want to be of service, and this something had to be quite valuable, as regular techniques definitely wouldn't interest somebody from the Big Four.

     The Art of the Withering Leaf was a game-changing inheritance in many ways, but it was nothing compared to the other two inheritances that Daneel had.

     So, he had decided to give it up to obtain something much more valuable.

     Information.

     "I need to know exactly where your elder brother and the others who had their organs severed by my disciple are training. And I need to know a way to access them. Are they training in the sect?"

     Hearing this, Percy nodded and said, "Yes, master. But I don't know where they are training. My father doesn't trust anyone, least of all the sect. He has important hideouts all over the sect grounds, and I know for a fact that he's using one of those to use the forbidden technique on all of those guys. The only reason I got to know about it is that my elder brother was given a break recently and he used it to come gloat at me before going off to find some maids for himself. No one knows where these hideouts are."

     This made Daneel frown and look down, as it put a wrench in a plan that he had just made. This plan was the reason why he had decided to use that inheritance in the first place, and he wondered now whether he had made the wrong decision.

     Percy seemed to understand this, as he quickly said, "Master, leave it to me. Like I said, I am ready to risk my life. I don't know what you have planned, but I'll help you no matter what it is. I'm confident that I can gain access to that hide-out by telling my father something or if necessary, begging him to take me there. He is always the one who teleports other people there, so we can't really tell its exact location. However, I will sneak in a locator trinket with me so that you, or anyone else can find out the location using it. However, it can only be detected inside the sect, as we have a formation which blocks such trinkets' signal outside. I'll think for some way to overcome this, too. Just give me some time."

     This made Daneel raise both his eyebrows in surprise, as it essentially meant that this kid was putting his life on the line to give Daneel what he wanted.

     He wasn't dumb. He must have guessed why Daneel was asking for it, but he still gave this option, which made Daneel admire him.

     Walking forward, Daneel put a hand on the kid's shoulders and said, "Good. I wasn't wrong to count on you. Don't bother looking for ways to overcome your sect's formation, leave that to me. Just get me their location."

     "Yes, master!"

     Seeing the smile on his master's face, Percy stepped forward to hug Daneel.

     Yup. Definitely emotional.

     Just before he touched his body, Daneel teleported away, making Percy lose balance and fall on the ground, face first.

     Appearing a little distance away, he said, "Kiddo, I'm not a hugging master. Get it done in a month."

     Leaving these words, Daneel again teleported away, this time leaving the location.

     Appearing back in Lanthanor a few seconds later, he had a wide smile on his face due to the plan he had just set in motion.

     He was going to infiltrate a sect anyway. Why not infiltrate another and kill those scum before they reached Peak Warrior level? A bunch of peak Warriors really would be very, very difficult to deal with even if he used all of his trump cards.

     After all, he wasn't a dumb hero in some story to train in the time he was given and meekly wait to fight.

     Chuckling, Daneel made his way to a training chamber to begin training in the inheritances.

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     413 Discovery During Training

      BOOM!

     "The King is at it again."

     As the security guard patrolling the corridors of the Palace said these words to the one beside him, both of them simultaneously closed their ears to brace themselves.

     BOOOOOMMMM!!!

     Just like the last time, a single, loud sound was accompanied by a much louder one that almost seemed to shake the entire Palace.

     This had been going on for a month. Actually, in the first 15 days, it had mostly sounds on the lower end of the octaves, but with each day, they got louder and louder, as if the King's intention was to make the loudest one possible.

     Afraid that their supervisor might berate them for putting on this unprofessional sight, they both removed their hands and quickly left the corridor, hoping that they could make it before it began again.

     Inside a large meeting room that had been cleared of all objects, Daneel was lying on the ground, sweating.

     However, his face had an expression of triumph on it, as he had finally done it.

     For a month, he had been putting himself through the most grueling of trainings, as he knew that he had to get as proficient with the inheritances he had as possible.

     He had targeted all three inheritances, as although the Ruler's Inheritance felt like it was useless when there wasn't anyone who was loyal to him nearby, he had found out that it still amplified his magic output by a not insignificant amount.

     According to the system, this was the 'passive amplification' that was accorded to him due to there being so many people following him in one way or the other.

     Of course, compared to the actual multiplication when he was in Lanthanor, it was quite minor, but it would still make a difference in the fight.

     If he had known this, he might have chosen to use it in his fight against the Withering Leaf Sect Master, but he was actually thankful that he hadn't done so as it still affected his mind.

     Only, instead of directly hearing the thoughts of those near him, they were like murmurings, as if he was surrounded by a gaggle of ghosts intent on entertaining him.

     If Daneel hadn't spent long amounts of time getting used it, he might have gone crazy again if he used it in a fight.

     Even now, he wasn't proficient in using the actual inheritance in Lanthanor for the 5x multiplication. The best he could do was keep it active for 1 minute, before the voices would become too much.

     However, at least now, he could keep the passive inheritance active for 30 or so minutes, before the murmurings would start to creep over him.

     All in all, he had gotten another power boost.

     As for the Basilisk's Breath, Daneel no longer had his arms and legs flinging around like a puppet every time he used it.

     After obtaining the full inheritance, there had been clear instructions regarding how to train oneself to make sure that that didn't happen.

     It all had to do with familiarizing oneself with the slowed down time, and to realize how each command to the body interacted with the different parts of the body.

     To learn this, Daneel had to spend hours and hours with the Basilisk's Breath activated while he tried to do the simplest of things normally: such as walk or punch something.

     Initially, it had been very frustrating, with him constantly tripping or hurting himself in just a few minutes.

     Yet, now, after a month, he could keep it active for 30 minutes, after which it became too taxing for his mind.

     After all, living in that state caused a dissonance with the normal state of existence, which might lead to serious problems if one stayed in it for too long.

     As for the Art of the Withering Leaf, he was much more adept at it now, capable of using it in the middle of fights to surprise his enemies.

     It was time to test it all.

     "Bring him in."

     As Daneel sent this message to Kellor, the Grand Court Mage who was waiting outside the cell of the Withering Leaf Sect Master opened it and lead the man out before he was trapped in a Dragon Claw immediately to prevent him from taking revenge on his captors.

     Of course, he had expected this, but he still grumbled repeatedly.

     Slowly, he was led to the room in which Daneel had been training all this while.

     As Kellor and the Withering Leaf Sect Master entered it, both of them astonished to see deep crevices in many areas all around, as if they had been bombarded by some sort of cannonball.

     Kellor could tell that this must be the reason behind the loud sounds that had been disturbing the sanctity of the Palace for a month, but he hesitated to ask the reason behind them.

     Instead, he asked, "My King, would you mind if I stayed to watch? It might help me in my attempts to break through to become a Warrior."

     Indeed, in all the time that the King had been absent from the Palace, he had been diligently training so that he could be powerful enough to help the King achieve his lofty aspirations.

     Just recently, he had reached the peak of the Human level, and he had begun the process of becoming a Warrior with instructions from Daneel.

     "Of course, I was going to tell you to do the same anyway. Stand to the side; I'll use a Dragon Claw to protect you."

     "I can use my own barrier, My Lord, it's all right."

     With a chuckle, Daneel said, "Oh, trust me, you need the claw. Go."

     Puzzled, Kellor nodded and went to a corner before a Dragon claw materialized around him, leaving a gap for him to see through.

     Why did the King think that he wouldn't be able to use a barrier to withstand just the aftershocks of the battle? After all, no one would be attacking him directly.

     "Sect leader. Care for a little spar? I gather it must be quite boring just sitting in the cell all day. Of course, if you swear that oath to me, you can live a much better one! What do you say?"

     In response to the King's words, the sect leader spit to the side, which made the King smile before making the Dragon claw disappear.

     As the sect leader fell to the ground with nothing constricting him, his first thought was to run.

     However, he knew that another claw would just trap him again.

     So, the best option was to fight and hopefully kill this King, so that the formation would become unmastered.

     Well, it was a long shot, but it was worth a try, along with the fact that it was much better than being cooped up in the cell all day.

     Besides, he wasn't injured now like before, so he should stand a much better chance at winning.

     Thinking this, the sect leader leaped forward with his hand extended backward.

     A large ice shard materialized beside him, ready to plunge into the King's body if there was an opening.

     However, what happened next made both the sect leader's and Kellor's jaws drop.

     The King moved after the sect leader had almost reached him, but in 2 seconds, the sect leader dropped to the ground, wincing.

     His ice shard had already fallen to the ground and started to disintegrate, as the sect leader was busy trying not to scream out loud from the pain.

     Watching the sect leader's body, Kellor could tell that he had been hit in 15 different places: all in the span of a fraction of the second, while the man was shooting through the air.

     He had no chance to retaliate!

     The King had moved so fast that the word "blur" wasn't enough to describe it. It was like he was in a different dimension of speed altogether-one which they could never hope to reach or even see.

     3x amplification. This is pure 2x amplification of Fighter power, mused Daneel, watching contentedly as the sect leader tried to get up.

     "Again."

     Gritting his teeth, the sect leader got up and launched forward again, but this time, the King stood still.

     A web of interlocking metal links materialized in front of the King, wrapping around the sect leader who looked around in horror.

     No…the speed of making something so complex and so strong was definitely not something capable of a Warrior!

     As the sect leader thought this, fire appeared on the cage of metal he was caught in, along with revolving metal cutters that would tear him to shreds.

     Right before they impacted his skin, they stopped, making him sigh in relief.

     "Again."

     It went on like this, with the sect leader being beaten down repeatedly, as if he was merely a kid trying to fight an adult.

     If anyone saw the fight, they would be unable to believe that this was an Eminent Warrior fighting against an Amateur one that had just broken through a month ago.

     Be it as a Fighter or a Mage, the sect leader was completely outmatched, and he could only fall on the ground, defeated before rising again because he couldn't stand the condescension with which the King said the word "Again."

     Finally, after half an hour and over 100 defeats, the King clapped his hands and said, "All right, final time. Let's get this over with. Come."

     The sect leader and Kellor both had a bad feeling, but the former leaped forward anyway.

     Finally, the reason behind the loud sounds that had shaken the palace became clear.

     With an expression of deep concentration on his face, the King Of Lanthanor raised both one hands with his palm facing up.

     A small particle of fire came into being, before enlarging quickly as more and more fire elementary particles were pulled towards it.

     As Kellor watched, in barely a second, a globe of the most concentrated fire he had ever seen came into existence above the King's palm.

     It was at such a high temperature that the air seemed to be warping around it, making it difficult to see.

     At the last moment before the sect leader reached him, the King seemed to take something red out of his pocket and drop it into the globe.

     BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!

     An explosion larger and louder than any he had seen in his life erupted in the room, and if it weren't for the formation protecting it, it might have made the Palace collapse.

     The King had made a Dragon claw appear around him at the last moment, so he and Kellor were safe.

     However, the poor sect leader endured the brunt of the bright explosion.

     A second later, he thudded to the ground, completely burnt black and barely breathing.

     While Kellor rushed to him to check if he was OK while wondering just what the King had done, Daneel had a complicated expression on his face.

     He wondered if this was how those scientists on Earth must have felt, when they saw the nuclear bomb they had built work for the first time.

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     414 Setting Off

      10,000 Ether blocks. Gone, just like that.

     Indeed, Daneel had just used a Ker Gem to power the explosion. The results were impressive, to say the least, but the burden they put on his pocket was too much to bear.

     After Kellor checked the poor sect leader's body, he looked up to say, "He's barely alive, My Lord. Can I ask what that was?"

     "Oh, nothing. Merely a trump card I plan to keep for extreme circumstances. Take him to the cell and heal him there. We can't afford to take chances with him."

     Understanding that the King was unwilling to say more, Kellor picked up the sect leader's body using telekinesis and led him outside.

     Sighing, Daneel looked around at the destruction that had affected the room.

     It had a taken a full Ker Gem to get this much power, but it had still been insufficient to kill an Eminent Warrior level Fighter at close range.

     Over the past month, he had been experimenting with parts of Ker Gems and Ether blocks.

     This had been his final test.

     This discovery had been the result of a small experiment that had been born after Daneel remembered a thought he had had long back.

     Ether blocks and Ker Gems were stored forms of Energy, which were found in nature.

     The principle of exploding trinkets was that Energy from mages was used to draw a special enchantment that made it so that this Energy was released explosively.

     This had made Daneel curious, as these forms of Energy reminded him of the explosive materials used back on Earth.

     Radioactive materials were just sources of immense energy which needed the right conditions to be set off to result in an explosion. If used correctly, they could generate energy to be used.

     Why couldn't Ether blocks and Ker Gems be the same?

     Hence, he had set out experimenting with the simplest method that was also used on Earth: using extreme amounts of heat to result in the explosion.

     Initially, there had been many failures, as he had been repeatedly trying things such as increasing the temperature while the Ether block was inside the globe of fire, etc.

     This had been his fascinating side project which he spent most of his time on when he wasn't training in the inheritances.

     In fact, it was during a session of training the Basilisk's Breath that he had noticed the method to excite and erupt the Energy stored inside the items.

     Using the Basilisk's Breath, he had utilized the slowed-down time to carefully examine each and every minute change in the swirling Energy in a Ker Gem while increasing the temperature around it.

     While doing so, he had noticed that the swirling waves tried to exit the boundary set on them by the gem as a reaction to the increased temperature.

     Only, the waves moved slowly, which Daneel figured out to be because he was gradually increasing the temperature around the Gem.

     It was like a wave of water whose power was higher the more acceleration it managed to achieve.

     And in this case, instantaneous acceleration was needed.

     After figuring this out, it was simple.

     Using the Basilisk's Breath, Daneel focused his mind to create a globe of compressed fire hot enough.

     Then, he created a hole to its center and threw the Ether Block or the Ker Gem inside, resulting in the explosion.

     Of course, the first time it worked, he had gotten his face completely blackened in the process.

     Still, his eyes had been shining bright with the delight of discovery.

     This whole process of finding something out by himself had been very rewarding and enlightening.

     All in all, it had made it so that his training wasn't monotonous in any way, and that he now had a very powerful, albeit expensive trump card tucked up his sleeve.

     Daneel didn't dare call it an "invention", because it was definitely possible that others might be aware, even though he was pretty sure that the inheritance was required to notice the minor changes.

     All in all, he decided to only use it in the direst of circumstances if he had no other option.

     As for the results of the training of the Ruler's Inheritance and the Art of the Withering Leaf, he was very satisfied with them as he had managed to beat the sect leader quickly before the man even managed to reach him.

     With everything almost set in place, Daneel set about finishing the last thing on his list before proceeding to infiltrate the Big 4.

     ….

     As a sudden announcement that the King would be addressing the people of Lanthanor after a long time became known among the public, it caused a furor the likes of which hadn't been seen in quite some time.

     Many rumors started spreading, ranging from the one that stated that the King would be announcing his marriage with the fair lady Eloise, to the one that warned everyone that the King was going to march on the other Kingdoms to wage war and conquer them.

     However, those in the know had already found out that this was regarding the recent changes and new policies and schemes that had been put into effect by the government.

     So, even though it wasn't as exciting as those two rumors, many still flocked to the front of the Palace as this announcement would set the tone for the near future of Lanthanor.

     At the point when the sun was highest in the sky, the King of Lanthanor appeared in the air with a smile on his face.

     Large display trinkets had already been deployed to aid the at least 2-million strong, so when they all shouted as one, it was as if their cheers could rend the sky itself.

     "All hail King Daneel!"

     Daneel had already solidified his standing in their hearts, from all of his actions for their good.

     Also, with his recent 'noble' act of saving everyone during the Olympics, he had also started to build an image for himself in the other inhabitants of Angaria.

     "My dear citizens! I trust you have been well!"

     Hearing the positive cheers below him, Daneel couldn't help but smile even wider.

     This, this was why he had become King.

     It all went back to that moment so long ago on the library steps, where he had been cheered for the first time for bringing justice to the commoners.

     That same happiness that had suffused him then coursed through his body now, energizing him and making him look forward to doing his best to make sure that he did everything in his power to ensure the happy lives of these people.

     It wasn't pleasure that came from being in control of them, or that which arose from a thirst for power.

     No, it was a humble feeling of joy seeing the smiles on so many faces.

     "Great! I'm here before you today to announce some very exciting things! First, I trust you all have heard about the Bank of Angaria?"

     "YES!"

     Almost everyone had heard about this mystical place which doled out money at very low interest, overall.

     Nodding, Daneel pointed to the side, bringing attention to around 100 individuals who were standing in the air with Kellor.

     "I trust you recognize these people? They are ones who have been uplifted with the help of the bank! And first and foremost are, of course, the continent-wide stars of our Kingdom, Helena, and Dalia!"

     This small family had changed so much since when they had initially forayed into the capital with the intent of finding revenge and closure.

     Helena looked mature and elegant in a flowing green dress, while Dalia was the very picture of youth, with her vibrant, red cheeks highlighted by her maroon dress.

     The best way to highlight any scheme was to show success stories. So, taking a page out of the most effective advertising strategies on Earth, Daneel had these now well-off citizens speak very favorably of the bank.

     By the time they were done, the eyes of the commoners in the crowds were wide open with dreams.

     "Today, I would like to happily announce that we are opening the bank to the entire Kingdom! Anyone can come in to apply for a small loan, and after a small selection process, they will be enabled to pursue their dreams! My fellow Lanthanorians, if you wish to fly, Lanthanor will give you wings!"

     As the cheering rose to a new level, Daneel swelled with happiness.

     He had high hopes for this scheme, as empowering the poor was the best way to uplift an entire nation.

     Only-such schemes were usually beset by cheats and crooks.

     Well, it was time to remedy that.

     "That also brings me to my second announcement. The bank is open to all, but only those who are verified and given IDs by the government of Lanthanor will be eligible to draw funds. Yes, you heard me right. The ID system that has been tested extensively will now be rolled out nation-wide. No more trespassers with malicious intentions will be tolerated! With this system, all outsiders can easily be caught, and all citizens will be protected! All hail Lanthanor! All hail Angaria!"

     Seeing the millions of citizens jumping on the streets, Daneel knew that things were progressing well for the Kingdom.

     Now, all that was left was to look for an opportune time to unite the Black Raven Kingdom with Lanthanor.

     Of course, everything was in place for that move, so it wouldn't take a lot of difficulty.

     After the grand success of this public address, Daneel had one last meeting with Eloise and Norcet to finalize details for their further plans, such as the one to set up a delivery system for the entire continent.

     Finally, with all his affairs set, Daneel secretly made his way to the Watcher.

     Sitting in that stone room facing that floating head, Daneel said, "I'm ready."

     Nodding, the head replied, "Good, the earlier you go in, the better. Be careful, young King. This will be your most dangerous travail yet. The name of the sect you are going to is 'The Hedonist's Abode'."

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     415 The Sect of Hedon 1

      The Sect of Hedon.

     The name itself caused an unpleasant feeling inside Daneel, making him wonder whether it was tied to the word "hedonist".

     Hedonists were those who prized pleasure over everything else, while also being ready to do anything and everything in order to get that pleasure.

     In other words, it could also be construed as those who were willing to stop at nothing to reach their goals.

     Seeing him ruminate over the name, the Watcher paused for a few seconds before continuing.

     "Your disguise is that of a disciple who was sent out on official sect business for a regular check on what is going on in the Central Continent. Here he is."

     Once again, a flick of a finger sounded in the room even though the Watcher had no body.

     An unconscious male appeared in the room, crumpling on the ground with no support to keep him up.

     He was blonde, with a slim build and freckles on his nose.

     "Meet Travis Eclair, your new identity. Just like you, he has also recently broken through to become an Amateur Warrior. It is best to not fake things such as power levels, as they can be easily monitored. I have a special spell which makes people lose their memory, so it is your duty to wake him up and find out everything about him so that you can impersonate him perfectly. Take special note of the mannerisms, so that those who are skilled in noticing such things will not see anything amiss. You depart in one week. Just like you, even I think that the sooner you go in, the better."

     His eyebrows twitching, Daneel got the feeling that this man had planned everything and kept it ready even though he had only confirmed now.

     "How did you know I was coming now? You couldn't possibly have kept this kid locked up for months altogether right?"

     Chuckling, the Watcher replied, "You should really think about putting in some sort of countermeasures to stop people like me from knowing almost everything that is happening inside your Palace. Of course, this time, I didn't even need to use the spies inside your Palace. I saw the proclamation, which was quite grand by the way, and I could tell that you would be coming soon. So, I took the liberty of nabbing this little kid. After you're done, come back here."

     Shaking his head, Daneel felt weirded out by this happiness that shone in the Watcher's eyes when he spoke about his actions of watching everything while sitting in his room.

     Clearly, he was someone who took pleasure in what he did.

     Taking the kid, Daneel headed back to Lanthanor, as he didn't want to risk someone finding him out in the Hidden Kill Sect.

     He didn't even know why he was calling him 'kid', even though they were both almost the same age.

     The Watcher had already given his word that this kid wouldn't remember anything, so Daneel just went ahead and directly woke him up.

     "Who – who are you? How dare you apprehend one from the Big Dour? I will make sure that everyone you love die a horrible death! Let me go right now!"

     Daneel had initially been planning on going easy on this kid, as he was probably just some innocent bystander that had gotten involved in this mission.

     However, hearing this clichéd line of someone who was definitely used to using his power for ill means, he decided otherwise.

     Unlike on Earth where there was no magic, special tools and skill weren't required to torture in Angaria.

     He simply flicked his fingers, and the kid started to scream out loud, as he was being subjected to the feeling of having his entire body being pricked by needles continuously. With each second that passed by, the needles moved further and further into his skin, until it was apparent on his exposed arms that they would soon break the surface and make the man bleed like a pincushion.

     It seemed that the kid also understood this, as he hurriedly said, "Stop stop stop, I beg you! I'll do anything you want that isn't forbidden by the oath! Anything! Please!"

     Stopping the spell, Daneel stared at the kid with a smile on his face.

     He had had the suspicion before that this was someone who had been sheltered all his life, so seeing him break already in such an easy manner, Daneel confirmed it to be true.

     "Oh, don't worry, you don't need to tell me anything that is controlled by the oath. Just… Tell me about yourself. Your hobbies, your pleasures, your life in the sect,…"

     "I'm sorry, but I don't swing that way! But I definitely know some of my brethren who do! I can get them outside if you want!"

     Hearing himself interrupted in this way, Daneel's lips pressed into a thin line as he realized that he had just been mistaken as some pervert.

     Of course, in a way, that conclusion made sense, as he was asking all these personal things about the kid.

     However, this knowledge did nothing in decreasing his irritation due to it.

     Without a word, he put on a bristling expression on his face and started the spell again, making the kid scream out loud, "Alright, alright! But please, consider the others, I'm sure they'll love it more! My hobbies are…"

     Marveling at this kid's ability to rat out his friends at the blink of an eye, Daneel shook his head and conjured a chair quite a distance away from him to not cause any more misunderstandings before settling in and starting to learn.

     …

     To the west of the Black Raven Kingdom and the north-west of the Kingdom of the Elves, there was a particular location where one would feel as if they were passing through some sort of veil when they progressed on their way towards the endless sea.

     Angaria was a landlocked continent with a stormy sea all around it, preventing ships from sailing and fishing, as the waves were too strong and would easily break any civilian boat.

     The only ones capable of traversing the sea were mages, but even the strongest mage had had to give up and come back due to a lack of seeing nothing no matter how far he went.

     Of course, they had to fly manually, as teleportation was very dangerous above the endless sea, due to the countless thunderstorms that would both interfere with teleportation and also add high risk to it as a mage could simply teleport into one and be burned to a crisp.

     And if they teleported too close to the surface of the sea, they might be dragged under.

     Even Champion level mages might not be able to withstand the full fury of nature if they weren't sufficiently prepared.

     All in all, all the general public knew was that the ocean was untraversable.

     Still, many loved to make their way to the scenic spots above the sea where the land ended, to gaze out at its endless lengths and wonder what was out there.

     As such, there were small autonomous villages and towns on the coastal areas, but there were no kingdoms.

     This invisible veil was something that all travelers went through on their way to reach the coast, but Daneel was now standing in front of it and pondering.

     He stepped forward, and back, multiple times, marveling at the smooth effects of the formation that was present here.

     The truth was that each and every traveler who passed through here was teleported more than a hundred kilometers forward, directly reaching the coast, after crossing the area where one of the Big Four was present.

     This was definitely one of the most ingenious hiding methods that Daneel had ever seen, and although he wanted to examine it more, he stopped himself as he might alert those who were usually on guard at the borders of the sect.

     Taking out a strange trinket that looked like a face with its mouth wide open, Daneel held it forward before using blood to draw some symbols.

     This part had been given by the watcher, as this was information that was hidden by the oath.

     Of course, the blood he was using was from the real Travis, who had become a veritable blood bag and had had multiple bottles of his blood drained just in case Daneel might need it when he was inside the sect.

     After doing so and seeing the symbols vanish into thin air, Daneel stepped forward and saw a different sight.

     A sprawling area with rich forests, with a singular tower far away in the distance reflecting the sun like a lighthouse.

     He couldn't see many buildings, but from what Travis had said, he knew that they were all spread out in these forests, which reminded him of the style in which the Withering Leaf sect headquarters had been constructed. Could these two forces be related in some way?

     Hoping that he would find the answer to this question and many more in this trip, Daneel nodded at a short watchtower nearby, where two mages were eyeing him idly.

     Walking forward to a stone slate, Daneel once again showed the trinket and said out loud, "Travis Eclair, returning from a routine investigation of the Central Continent."

     His voice was low but strong, and as the trinket touched the stone slate, a voice said, "Report your findings to the sect mission headquarters. This is your payment."

     A pouch appeared on the slate, opening which Daneel found five Ker Gems.

     Already, he saw the disparity between the Central Continent and the big four.

     A simple, routine job of touring the Central Continent and making sure that no major threats were present was given a payment of five Ker Gems which equaled 50,000 Ether Blocks, a staggering amount of wealth that he could only dream of back when he was a normal boy.

     Excited, Daneel stepped forward but was confronted by a familiar figure.

     "You-how's the situation in the Central Continent? Has there been anything happening in Lanthanor?", asked Percy, in a tone which made it clear that he was talking to someone inferior than him.

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     416 The Sect of Hedon 2

      Percy was here? Then this meant that… The Mad Doctor was also in the same sect as Ashahell?

     Initially, Daneel rejoiced as he realized this fact.

     His plan before had been to find a way to also infiltrate the sect that the Mad Doctor was in, in the case that it was different from the one into which he was going in as Travis.

     However, now that that wasn't in the case, he would be able to finish all of his objectives in one fell swoop.

     However, after that, as he heard the kid talking to him in his irritating tone, he almost felt like taking off his disguise then and there.

     Of course, this was only a momentary thought, before it was replaced by the action that Travis would usually do if he was confronted by someone of higher social standing.

     "Lanthanor? Everything remains the same, senior brother. If you wish, you can tell me what you want me to find out, and the next time I go there, I can definitely make some inquiries. After all, simple missions like these are best suited for weaker junior brothers like us. We are all depending on you to help us, so this is the least we can do to make sure that you can focus your time on training and becoming stronger."

     If he hadn't become quite an accomplished actor after coming to Angaria, Daneel would definitely have had great difficulty in reciting this line in front of the individual with the most punchable face in the entire continent.

     "Humph. If you get any news regarding the King of Lanthanor, just let me know."

     Leaving these words, Percy thankfully trudged away and teleported, leaving Daneel alone.

     Sighing with relief due to the fact that his disguise seemed to be perfect, Daneel started to make his way to where he was lodged.

     The Sect of Hedon was a very peculiar place due to the fact that it had no specific direction like the other three, at least according to what the Watcher had told him.

     The other three of the Big 4 either worshipped some specific entity, like the Goddess's Sanctum, or had a specialty, like one of the other big four which was apparently focused on only the path of Fighters.

     As for the Sect of Hedon, they only prioritized power.

     Their motto was "Power is King", so the entire sect functioned in this way.

     Incidentally, this was also the sect behind Axelor, because the long-standing wish of the Sect of Hedon was to conquer the Central Continent and take it under its wing.

     This was simply to satisfy the thirst for conquest in the leaders of the sect, and also apparently due to the fact that this sect had once ruled the entire continent for a time before crumbling upon itself due to various reasons.

     This was all based on the information that Daneel had gotten from the Watcher, so he decided to head to the library first in order to understand everything about the sect clearly.

     The Watcher had said that this was all hearsay that he had obtained from his colleagues, as he had never been very interested in finding out more about the outside world, instead focusing on 'Watching' Angaria on the whole in his post from which he had been kicked out mercilessly.

     This was a sect that reminded Daneel of the novels he had read when back on Earth, with a contribution points and mission system which allowed disciples to take on tasks to earn resources and give contributions so that they would be considered for more advanced training.

     The criteria to enter was also simple: one simply had to have high-grade talent in either the path of a Fighter or Mage.

     Daneel was quite happy that everything was progressing so smoothly, but he still kept his guard up as he never knew when something might occur which would risk him exposing his identity.

     In fact, he had already been scanned once by some sort of device which originated from the central tower of the sect, but because his camouflage technique had been upgraded along with the system's upgrade to be at the peak Champion level, he hadn't been detected.

     Teleportation was allowed in specific spots in the sect, which were indicated by podiums with teleportation doors on which one could stand and transport themselves to a different podium in a different area of the sect by selecting their destination from a floating stone slate beside it.

     If anyone teleported to anywhere else, they would immediately be apprehended and fined heavily.

     Although Daneel was quite impressed by this smart system, he found the first incongruity in the sect when he approached the podium and saw a kid around 17 years old sitting in front of it and barring everyone's way.

     "1/8 of a Ker Gem, you know the drill."

     Nodding, Daneel conjured a knife and carefully sliced off a part of his newly earned resources and passed it on, before being allowed to get on the podium.

     Here, strength reigned supreme, and only the strong could hope to retain all of their resources.

     People like these, who were usually on a higher level than the average sect member, would use their hard-earned power to run side operations like these where they could get extra resources to further their training.

     The one who had just taken the part of the Ker Gem was apparently an Eminent warrior who was known for his mastery of metal and gravity elemental particles. Travis had practically been the bottom feeder of the sect with his level as an Exalted Human before his recent breakthrough, and he had taken this mission right after as it was only allowed for Warrior level individuals.

     He hadn't had a chance to show his power yet, so he could only still act meekly in front of people like these.

     Besides, Daneel had no intention of drawing more attention to himself than necessary.

     His clothes were dusty from the travel, so Daneel first made his way to the dormitory where all sect disciples had single rooms.

     He was supposed to have quite a few friends, but thankfully, they seemed to have gone out to attend some lecture or the other.

     Lectures were frequently conducted by the senior officials of the sect, who expounded on the tricks and tips to manipulate elementary particles to output the best result.

     Of course, contribution points were needed to pay for these lectures, but according to what Travis had told him, there was a sort of black market where those with connections used communication eyes to transmit the lecture to display trinkets so that those who didn't have the cultivation points could still watch and listen after paying a small amount of money.

     Here, money meant resources, and the most common denomination was fractions of Ker Gems.

     Daneel was starting to get more and more surprised by this internal structure of this sect, where corruption was rampant everywhere. All of the core functionalities of the sect seemed to be compromised using such underhanded means, so how did this sect even function?

     Deciding to find out, Daneel headed to the library, where he once again had to pay 1/8 of a Ker Gem to access something that was supposed to be free for all disciples.

     As a warrior, he now had access to both the first and second levels of the library, with the second holding techniques to augment a warrior's output of strength.

     Daneel had already obtained many techniques like these, which was similar to the hidden kill fist technique that he had gotten so long ago. They all used one principal or the other to make it so that Warriors would not waste their strength when fighting opponents.

     For example, Daneel had just seen a fist technique called the "Dragon's Fist", which apparently used the concepts of a dragon's movements to make a Warrior punch with extra power by using a different kind of stance.

     Just as he was going through it, he heard a voice calling him.

     It had already called three times, but because Daneel still wasn't used to being called Travis, he had had to take this long to notice it.

     Now that he did, he looked up and saw a round individual with chubby cheeks and short hair striding towards him with a wide smile.

     This was Grod, one of Travis's closest friends.

     "There he is! Became a Warrior and set out without telling any of us? We of the 'Shameless Sect' were all going to have a meeting the night you left! We had to carry on without you."

     The 'Shameless Sect' was something that Travis and his friends had formed, as they were all background-less people who had entered the sect through their talent alone.

     Only, they didn't have very high talent, so they were used to being kicked around by those above.

     So, these 5 students had banded together with a single motto to help them meander through this sect:

     "When you can, bluster. When you can't, be shameless!"

     Clearly, this was exactly what Travis had been doing when he had been interrogated by Daneel before.

     "Oh? Yeah, I was completely out of resources, so I took that mission. So what did you discuss in that meeting, anyway?"

     Sitting down on a table nearby, the fatty gestured at him to come.

     Putting the technique book back, Daneel walked to the table and sat down, grimacing at the strong oily smell that was coming from the fatty.

     "This is top-secret! With you, we have 3 Warriors now. It's about time we set up our own side operation! There aren't that many gigs left, you know. Our goal is to get more resources and contribution points so that we can access more parts of the library and hidden areas of the sect! Do you have any?"

     Hearing this, Daneel was really taken aback.

     The things that the fatty had mentioned were exactly what he wanted.

     So, pondering after a while, he said, "Yes, but not here. I'll tell you when we are alone."

     While he was saying this, Daneel had a mischievous smile on his face.

     Corruption? Well, as someone from Earth, he was the forefront authority on the matter.

     It seemed that this trip might end up being much more fun than he had thought.

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     417 Mea

      Promising to come to a meeting of the Shameless Sect that was scheduled that night, Daneel shooed the fatty off before picking up the technique book again.

     Indeed, it was a very interesting concept to use a stance to output more power, but Daneel realized that his own fighting style of using the Hidden Kill Fist as a foundation was too familiar to him.

     He had no idea whether changing Fighting technique would have any effects on his overall power output, so he decided to try it after compiling everything in the library.

     The ideal thing to do would be to collect everything at once, but Daneel decided to act tactfully.

     After all, it would be strange for anyone to run their fingers on all the books, no matter how much they tried to make it look like a quirk.

     With no intention to court disaster, he partitioned the library into 8 zones, with each floor divided into 4 zones. It was a very large library, so this was necessary.

     Each day, he would be able to cover one zone.

     However, Daneel noticed a problem.

     If he had to visit the library 8 times, he would have to give up an entire Ker Gem as fee!

     As someone who had grown up from a frugal background, Daneel was loth to waste money. Even that experiment with the Ker Gem before had really hurt his heart.

     No. There was no way that he could allow this farce of collecting fee, at least from him, to continue.

     There were only two ways to get out of paying such fee: One, have a high enough social standing either using background or personal power.

     Two, have a side business whose services can be exchanged.

     The former was not possible right now, as a sudden growth in power from Travis Éclair would definitely result in scrutiny from higher-ups.

     So, the latter was the only option.

     Deciding on it, Daneel took his time and covered the first zone on the second floor, which had many techniques.

     Sadly, he did realize one thing: in the entire library, there were very few history books which pertained to that mythical time when the Sect of Hedon had seemingly ruled over the continent.

     Either the information was lost, or it was hidden to all but the higher echelons.

     Daneel had been really looking forward to finding some clues regarding the connections and similarities between the kingdoms in the Central Continent right away, but it seemed like he would have to wait.

     Nevertheless, the King of Lanthanor smiled to himself, as his opportunities felt almost limitless here.

     Corruption was truly something that he had seen a lot of back on Earth, so he felt like a fish in water in this place. Even though he abhorred it, he had to admit that he had a flair in getting ideas to carry it out, probably because his mind had been constricted all this while, only being able to think of 'good' solutions and ideas for the most part.

     Hence, looking forward to the meeting, Daneel spent his time taking out random books or touching them in one way or the other so as to feed their information to the system.

     ….

     A few hours later.

     As Daneel finally exited the library, he found that he was famished.

     Their meeting was two hours from now, so he had enough time to eat and explore a bit more.

     While heading to the cafeteria of the sect, Daneel asked the system, "Let me know if any important data is collected."

     A while back, he had already sat down with the system and clearly tagged all matters that he deemed "important", such as information relating to his talent in magic which exceeded the known grades, or anything related to the Central Continent.

     The objective of collecting as many techniques as possible was to later have the system extract the best parts to make something which suited him, so he didn't need to ask about it.

     The walk to the cafeteria would take 40 minutes, or he could pay an eighth of a Ker Gem again to teleport.

     Of course, as a newly ascended Warrior who closely guarded his resources, and as someone who just couldn't justify spending thousands of precious Ether blocks to just save himself some effort, Daneel chose the latter.

     The moon was out, so the surroundings of the sect were suffused in a warm light that brought out a unique beauty the likes of which Daneel had never seen before.

     The layout of the Sect of Hedon was in the form of wide walkways paved in among the grass amidst the vibrant trees that were everywhere. The walkway seemed to be made of some kind of marble, as it shone in the moonlight with a soft glow.

     Each walkway could accommodate at least 20 people side by side, so this made Daneel understand that the Sect must have once had a very large population.

     Buildings were in the style of the Withering Leaf Sect: with creeps gracefully augmenting their appearance, making them blend into nature.

     Daneel couldn't believe at all that such a beautiful place could be home to such a rotting sect.

     Shaking his head, he finally arrived at the cafeteria and saw to his surprise that no one was asking for a fee here.

     Well, it made sense. If even one's basic sustenance was denied, it was very possible for mass riots to occur.

     Only, when he entered, he saw that he had been mistaken.

     Thankfully, it was only slightly.

     There were 3 different queues for food, with the first having the most members.

     There was no one near the first queue, but from the envious gazes that were shot by those in this one towards the sect members in the other two queues, Daneel understood what was happening.

     Back during the episode with the Black Raven Kingdom, Daneel had reared a wondrous type of wheat in the farms in his Kingdom. Apparently, eating them would result in a boost in power, giving the effect of training for a period of time.

     Only, of course, the adverse effect of that plant had been that it ate away at the soil and made it barren.

     This was only one variety of the crop, so it only made sense that there might be others with lesser side effects.

     The second queue seemed to be the living proof of this: along with the food that was served in the first, a perfectly square shaped piece of bread was also given here to each member.

     Only, unlike the first which needed no authentication, each member of the queue in the second needed to show their trinket with the face and the open mouth.

     Seeing this piece of golden bread that seemed to shine, Daneel salivated, even though he didn't understand why he was doing so.

     He had a hunch that this bread was made of some type of Energy-rich plant, and he could tell that he was right.

     Wait, if this was already being served in the second queue, then what was being served in the third?

     Bending his head, Daneel noticed a strange metallic box beside the serving table for the third queue.

     The third queue had the fewest members, but each time someone approached the serving table, the metal box would be opened for the briefest of moments to remove a square-shaped piece of meat.

     It looked like it came from some kind of fish, and from the steam that escaped each time the door was opened, Daneel could tell what the cooking method was.

     He was completely entranced by this piece of meat, as it was the most perfect piece of food he had ever seen since coming to Angaria.

     He hadn't been that much of a foodie back on Earth, so this trait had carried over the Angaria. However, he really did enjoy the general cuisine in the Palace, which involved dousing meats from various beasts in flagrant sauces before serving them on a bed of bread or vegetables.

     This meat definitely wasn't from the beasts found on Angaria, as it was a fact that the meat of wild beasts had no beneficial effects for humans. Only their other body parts, such as their teeth and claws, could be used to make weapons or trinkets.

     It was pink in color, but it's hue looked so brilliant that one would feel like staring at it as long as possible, feeling reluctant to spoil its perfection by doing something as uncouth as cutting it apart.

     It shone with a bright luster, as if it were absorbing all the attention and light in the room.

     His eyes followed a woman who had just been served the piece of meat, who sat down at a table and picked it up before admiring it for a while.

     Yes, this was what it deserved.

     Daneel appreciated the woman, but after that, he felt horrified when he saw her swallow it whole.

     The juices flowed from the corner of her mouth as she munched on the meat with an expression of extreme delight, but suddenly, she looked at Daneel who stepped back with shock, as he had just gotten the feeling that someone had tightened their hands around his neck.

     His step back made him bounce on something soft, making him turn back and notice the fatty who was also looking at the woman eating the meat.

     Only, he was stealing glances instead of abjectly staring like Daneel.

     "The day I get the meat of the fish from the endless sea, I'll save it and eat it bit by bit, for a month. No, make it 6 months. A year it is! No one would be foolish enough to waste food that has more Energy than 100 Ker Gems combined."

     As the fatty smacked his lips while saying this, Daneel's eyes widened.

     …..

     2 hours later, in one of the rooms in the disciples' dormitory.

     Smacking his hands on the table in between the 5 people, Daneel, as Travis, said, "All right, we have to get an awesome side business to eat that meat! If any of you slack off, I'll bash your heads in!"

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     418 Plan

      Seeing the enthusiasm of their friend, all the members of the Shameless sect were quite surprised.

     What had gotten into Travis today?

     The fatty, being the one closest to Travis, asked.

     "We really admire your drive, but do you think we were just sitting around twiddling our thumbs in all the time you were gone? All the side businesses are already taken!"

     Hearing the fatty say this, Daneel came back to his senses.

     He couldn't help it; for the first time, he had a very strong craving to eat that meat.

     Of course, he kept telling himself that this was because he wanted to see if it would help in him training as a Warrior faster.

     Before, when he had been training as a Human, both the blood of the mosquitoes and the Ker Gems had accelerated his training greatly, as they were Energy materials used by the next level usually. When used by someone below the requisite level, even though some of their efficacy would be wasted, they provided a considerable boost in training speed.

     Now, having become a Warrior, Daneel no longer had that advantage. His progress had slowed down by quite a lot, so one of his other objectives had also been to find out what the next, higher grade of Energy was.

     After all, there were no Champions in the Central Continent unless one counted the Watcher, so there was no need at all for information about this Energy resource to be present here.

     Of course, just like the bread which was only a secondary item to increase training speed, the fish, which was miraculously from the endless sea which Daneel had thought to be uninhabited except by the corpses of those who had tried to cross, was definitely also a secondary item for Champions.

     Sadly, none of the others in the Shameless sect knew the resource for Champions, as they had no reason to know about it. They only needed to concern themselves with knowledge on their level.

     The other members of the Shameless sect were Clyde, Henry, and Jarred.

     Clyde was a lanky youth with short hair, while Henry was of a normal height with bushy eyebrows.

     As for Jarred, he had black hair and a short nose coupled with a double chin.

     These three were also from simple background just like the Fatty and Travis, so they were all united in the fact that they had clawed their way up the ladder.

     Clyde was a timid youth, but according to Travis, he was the first to become a Warrior among them, and he was also known to be ferocious when fighting.

     Jarred and Henry were both the only remaining Exalted Humans in the group, and they were apparently brothers who loved to do almost everything together.

     Seeing Daneel just sit and observe them weirdly after giving a statement like that, the fatty continued.

     "From the most profitable side business of reselling parts of Energy food given to stronger members of the sect, to the most despicable one of always interrupting youths during…ahem…special activities and demanding money, all of them are taken. We are called Hedons for a reason. We take pleasure in obtaining stuff, no matter what the route to obtain it was. We are the Shameless sect, but even the shameless side jobs aren't left for us."

     Hearing this, Daneel felt like gagging.

     Such a ridiculous side business existed?

     Daneel knew for a fact that the Sect of Hedon only accepted male disciples for some reason. As such, there were a large community of physical help, forest caretakers and maidservants which had sprung up around the sect.

     Some of the favorite past times of the active youth of the sect were to travel to these sections to partake in 'special' activities, as the fatty put it, but someone's side business was to interrupt even these moments of sacred pleasure?

     Despicable, indeed.

     Of course, on seeing this form of arrangement, Daneel had gotten the doubt whether the sect members might use force to solicit the services of the normal humans.

     However, apparently, such things were strictly forbidden, which made Daneel understand why the Mad Doctor's son must have been admonished when he engaged with the maids in unwanted advances, from what Percy had told him.

     All this was fascinating about the sect, but Daneel decided to get back to the topic at hand.

     Now, he had four goals:

     1) Find a way to access more information restricted to Amateur Warriors to find out the history of the continent.

     2) Find out Ashahell's plans to deliver something to have the Church come early, and find a plan to thwart them.

     3) Find where the Mad Doctor was training his son and the others, and kill them(this had to be done last, as a chase would definitely follow)

     4) Finally, find the resource that was a higher grade than Ker Gems, and find out the taste of the meat of the fish from the endless sea.

     Whew. Listing it like this, it felt daunting, but it all came back to utilizing the atmosphere of corruption to obtain resources and contribution points to be noticed by the higher echelons.

     So, coming back to his senses, Daneel banged on the table again.

     According to Travis, he was a spirited lad who rarely controlled his emotions.

     Daneel acted the part.

     "Shameless sect! How could you give up on such an important matter so easily? This concerns our future! Because we have given ourselves this name, then we must adhere to it faithfully! Tomorrow, we will take a complete tour of the entire sect and the sect rules to figure out whether my plan will work. I will only tell it to you after I confirm it. So, have a good night's rest, because we have our work cut out for tomorrow! Get out!"

     This was his room, so Daneel threw them all out with magic before they could respond.

     Banging the door on their faces, the King of Lanthanor smiled to himself, feeling happy that this was a day well spent.

     Meanwhile, outside, his fellow sect members grumbled that their friend had gotten even more insufferably dramatic after his breakthrough.

     ….

     The next morning, just like he had told them, the 4 gathered at the entrance of the dormitory before setting off on the walkways.

     They walked to each and every important part of the sect, and as the sect spanned over a hundred kilometers in area with a lot of empty space in between, they would all have dropped dead if they weren't at least Exalted Humans.

     Still, the Warriors in the group started to feel slight fatigue, while the Humans had already given up halfway through their quest.

     Of course, the most energy-filled one was Daneel, who actively led them everywhere.

     Each and every side business was analyzed and listed, along with the prices and the power levels of the individuals manning those side businesses.

     In some cases, even 'official' corruption was seen, like in the case of the sect member assigned to handing out tasks who reserved the easiest ones to those who paid the most.

     Before the real Travis had set out, he had apparently paid all of his savings to get that task.

     Finally, as the day neared evening, Daneel bade the tired fatty and Clyde off before heading to the library.

     Even though his heart hurt again, he paid the eight of the Ker Gem and covered another zone in the library.

     Finally, going back to his room, he assembled his thoughts for a few minutes, taking his time.

     When he was done, he called the four to his room using their communication trinkets.

     With an expression complete seriousness, Daneel began.

     "I have a series of plans for side businesses laid out, but they are in the increasing order of difficulty. In fact, if you hear the one on the top of the list, I guarantee that you will faint with shock. Anyway, we will start at the lowest and work our way up-"

     …..

     The next day, Percy was walking around the sect as usual when he saw many sect members whispering amongst each other.

     He had a weird habit of walking the entire length of the sect at a blazing speed each day, as he claimed that this helped him to increase his control over his power of a Fighter along with regular sparring.

     So, when he saw these murmuring sect members in a remote corner of the sect, Percy followed them silently without alerting anyone.

     On the way, he caught snippets of conversation.

     "Imagine it! If it's true, I can soar into the heavens at once!"

     "Exactly! And it's just 5 Ker Gems. It's not like we can't earn that back by working hard."

     "You heard him. It has all the right signs! Besides, he even guaranteed a refund! Even if there ends up being nothing there, we can just get our money back!"

     Getting more and more puzzled by the second, Percy noticed that the students were now coming out from somewhere inside the forest, off the walkway.

     Knowing that he had to satiate his curiosity, he covered his face and made his way inside, following the clues left behind by the excitedly chattering sect members.

     Finally, he came across a clearing where 5 sect members were sitting underneath words written in flames, answering questions from the crowd that had gathered.

     "Secret expedition to a place where I observed a phenomenon and got hints about a (possible)core inheritance! To follow, pay 5 Ker Gems! Refund if there's nothing there, but don't blame me if you aren't talented enough to comprehend the intricacies! Only for Amateur Warriors!"

     As Percy gasped on seeing this, Daneel, who was sitting below the words, smiled at the box in front of him which was filling up with Ker Gems.

     If there was one thing he had learned from the corruption he had seen on Earth, then it was that 'scams' were the most lucrative methods to earn money!

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     419 Percy“s Stinginess

      5 Ker Gems to be taken on an expedition to possibly get hints or clues about a core inheritance?

     In many ways, it was a steal, which was the reason why almost all the Amateur Warriors flocked here.

     Only, the problem was if this became too famous and alerted the higher-ups.

     The truth was that this wasn't the first time that something like this had happened.

     Many students had tried to scam out the resources from large groups of people, but their problem was that the group would end up ganging on them, making them cough back everything they had obtained.

     Everyone knew this fact, so there was little inhibition in taking such an opportunity.

     Besides, the person responsible for the operation himself was promising a refund, so it was unlikely that there would be a problem.

     As for the matter with the higher-ups wanting to investigate as core inheritances were essential resources for any sect, they had tried before in secret when the first scams had come up.

     However, seeing how things played out, they had started to ignore them, as if the expedition turned out to be a success, then they would be notified about it anyway.

     So, all in all, this was a perfect plan, if the scammer wasn't being disingenuous.

     All these thoughts passed through Percy's head, which made him walk up to the blonde kid who seemed to be in charge.

     Of course, this was Daneel.

     "Oh, it's you again. Sign me up, too."

     This was the attitude that someone just a step away from being an Exalted Warrior had to have.

     Only, after a pause during which the kid waited for payment but didn't see any gems, Percy could swear he saw an irritated and cunning expression on his face for a fraction of a second.

     "What's the matter? You dare to ask me for payment?"

     As someone who had clawed his way up from the bottom just like the Shameless sect, Percy's shamelessness was on a whole other level. He was stingy to the extreme, so he had no intention to pay.

     This slightly angry statement made alarm appear on the kid's face, before he said fearfully, "Not in a million years, senior brother! It's just that…this inheritance is weird. All those above the level of an Amateur Warrior get adversely affected on trying to obtain it. I know this, because when I first found it, it was along with another disciple from one of the other Big 4 who seemed to have arrived coincidentally. He gloated about his strength and tried to make me leave, but he immediately left after trying to understand the inheritance while saying weird things. I had already been comprehending it without any problems, so I realized that this might be the case."

     "Humph. You let me worry about that. I'm no ordinary Eminent Warrior. Just get me there, and maybe I'll help you and the others out with what I comprehend. Of course, if it turns out to be a scam, I'll be expecting additional payment from you."

     "How generous of senior brother Percy!"

     "Thank you so much, senior brother!"

     "You are a real role model!"

     As statements like these echoed from the Amateur Warriors nearby, Percy raised his head and stared into the distance as if he was some venerable sage who had descended to help others generously.

     So, he missed the expression of absolute mischief that passed across the blonde kid's face.

     After a few seconds, the kid replied, "Thank you, senior brother! We set off tomorrow at noon. Please meet me at the south exit 7 of the sect."

     Nodding, Percy left while maintaining his attitude.

     Seeing this sight, the fatty asked, "Travis, you're sure right? We will have to pay back everything with interest if you're not. Damn that 'senior brother'. He's just taking advantage of us."

     This made Travis chuckle slightly before replying, "Let me worry about that. Let's see who takes advantage of whom tomorrow."

     Leaving these cryptic words, Travis ordered the others to take down the banner as almost all the Amateur Warriors had already been tapped.

     While leaving to the library, he had a sinister smile on his face.

     Daneel was really looking forward to tomorrow.

     ….

     Meanwhile, at the very top of the tower in the center of the Sect of Hedon.

     To those inside the sect, it looked like this tower ended at a specific height in the sky.

     Very few that this was an illusion. In reality, the tower penetrated the clouds, coming to a stop at a dizzying height of 15,000 meters.

     At this altitude, only clouds could be seen all around, while the temperature also plummeted to such low levels that the real top was always coated by ice.

     Staring out at this endless sea of clouds at the top of the tower was a man wearing a peculiar attire.

     He had a small, globe-shaped earring on one ear, which was barely visible due to his long brown hair that fell to his shoulders.

     His clean-shaven long face had a calm expression on it, while his thin lips were pressed together.

     His black robes that had a gold trim in a few places such as the shoulders and the chest area glinted due to the light, and he seemed to be frozen in place, as if he wouldn't move no matter how many eons passed.

     Feeling a communication trinket vibrate, he sighed and teleported, reappearing in a grand hall on the lower level of the same tower.

     Around him were all the Champions of the Sect of Hedon, sitting in silence with respect.

     As someone who had shown enough talent and power to become the youngest leader of the High Council, he was their pride.

     However, all he felt was disgust when he saw them.

     "This is the routine report on the sect, my Lord Ashahell."

     As a Warrior-level scribe handed over a data trinket, Ashahell gave it a perfunctory glance before going through it idly.

     Most of the information was normal, pertaining to the recent breakthroughs and the general situation in Angaria.

     For some reason, when he saw the news about the King of Lanthanor's grand announcement to his people, he smiled, but that smile looked like it had no ill intentions.

     Instead, it was almost like the man who was known for his cold countenance was happy.

     Finally, he stopped on the news of the scam expedition that was going to set out the next day.

     Indeed, although it seemed to everyone that the sect was frivolous in nature, in truth, they kept a close watch on all the activities.

     News concerning an inheritance, even if it might be a scam and might not be a core one, had to be passed up all the way to the sect leader.

     Lounging idly in the high throne made of stone that looked like it had been made for a giant to sit on, Ashahell recounted his days in the sect when he had similarly gone on a scam like this.

     He had later been found out and reprimanded by his teachers who felt that it was a waste of time given his incredible talent, but it was one of the fondest memories of his life.

     Handing it back, he said, "Everything looks fine. As you were."

     Saying so, he teleported back to the top of the tower, leaving a host of Champions who all bowed reverentially.

     While gazing out once again at the clouds, he only had one though: Angaria was…so beautiful.

     Alas, what had to happen, had to happen.

     Taking out a communication trinket, he said, "Is the delivery on schedule?"

     "Yes, My Lord Ashahell. All will definitely go according to your plan."

     Nodding to himself, he let silence regain its hold on the room.

     If anyone saw this sight, they would remark on how lonely this individual looked.

     It was as if he was a lone boat struggling along in the middle of a calm sea, with nothing but water in sight.

     Waves of sadness and regret radiated from him, but there was an underlying sense of duty that could be detected.

     As he continued watching, he once again became frozen in place.

     …..

     That night.

     The Shameless sect had a lot of things to do to prepare for the excursion the next day. The 4 members were in charge of something…special inside the sect, while Daneel headed outside.

     He had expected that the exits might have some of the Amateur Warriors making sure that the 5 wouldn't run away with the gems, but seeing that there was no such thing, he let out a relieved sigh.

     Little did he know that the fate of someone who had tried that stunt the last time had ended in a desiccated corpse that couldn't even be recognized by his closest friend.

     Sect members were allowed to leave for a short period of time, but if it crossed the threshold, they would be called back forcefully using the oaths they had sworn.

     The threshold was one day, but Daneel only needed to be out for an hour.

     The Sect of Hedon was surrounded by a rich forest, so Daneel didn't have to search long before finding an underground cavern with a waterfall.

     Squatting in front of the surface of the small lake that had formed due to the waterfall, Daneel cast the spell he had prepared.

     A mysterious series of lights appeared above the lake, swirling around in random patterns and at times passing through the surface of the water.

     Checking 5 times to make sure that everything was all right and that he wasn't being spied on, Daneel smiled mischievously.

     It was almost time to watch a great show.

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     420 First Act of Corruption: Scam 1

      "Oh my god, he wasn't lying!"

     "Incredible! This is worth those Ker Gems!"

     "Everyone move away! I'll be going first!"

     "Travis, I'm sorry I doubted you! From now, I'll tell my big brother to give you free passage to the transportation door that leads to the dormitory!"

     As sentences like these resounded in the scenic cave, around 100 individuals were all milling around the lake above which bright lights were swirling around calmly.

     They had excitement in their expressions, imagining themselves comprehending a core inheritance and soaring to the sky in one go.

     Core Inheritances also had very strict criteria for one to comprehend them and be able to use them in battle, so all those with the capability to do so after reaching a certain level were treasured by the sect and given a high status almost equal to the Champions in the sect.

     So, seeing that their dreams might become true, some even started shoving forward.

     However, the by-now renowned Shameless sect, which had thankfully chosen not to disclose this name, had prepared for this.

     Magnifying his voice, Daneel spoke, the sound reverberating throughout the cave.

     "Everyone, listen up! I have done my part, now it's all up to you! Let me give you some warning beforehand: only one person can try to comprehend at a given time! So, I suggest that everyone form a line! When it's your turn, submerge yourself in the water and wait! Remember, pay utmost concentration!"

     These words calmed everyone down, making them assemble into a line.

     Some adopted a cautious attitude, as it was possible that there might be danger involved.

     Others were enthusiastic, as they believed that Travis had already entered the lake and received something or the other.

     So, after a little jostling around, the first one to enter was chosen.

     He was the person who had promised Travis that perk from his big brother before, and he was supposed to be one of the most talented Amateur Warriors in the sect.

     Only, both he and his big brother came from modest backgrounds, so they worked hard to gain power and use it to earn as much as possible.

     The difference between these brothers and the Shameless sect was that the latter were supposed to have lower talent than that duo. Also, pride had gotten to their heads, so they constantly liked to speak as if they were superior compared to those who came from completely normal backgrounds.

     Even before, when he had made that promise to Daneel, this kid had had a gloating expression on his face, as if he was doing him a great favor.

     Daneel observed this, and actually felt happy.

     It was time for the scam to begin.

     He was already 500 Ker Gems richer, so his first plan of corruption was already a success. Now, all that remained was to not arouse suspicion and ire.

     The best kind of scam was one where those being scammed had no idea that they were being scammed.

     So, he smiled and magnified his voice once again before saying, "One final reminder. Different people comprehend this phenomenon up to a different level. I would suggest that your specific level of and type of comprehension be kept secret. After all, there is no sense in helping others without profit. I can give one hint though: this inheritance has the miraculous effect by making one hyper-aware of their surroundings. Enemy attacks will seem clearer for a brief period of time, and one can use this time to counter-attack effectively. It needs great concentration, and it only works for very brief moments, but when used properly, it can tip the scale towards your victory. All right, good luck!"

     These words made the faces of those standing in queue heat up.

     An inheritance to become hyper=aware?!

     Such a thing existed??

     If so, then it was definitely a tier-0 inheritance, something so precious that only one who had given countless contributions could access.

     Today, they had the chance to learn it for a paltry 5 Ker Gems?!

     This was their chance!!

     But wait…how could they believe what this kid was saying? He could be lying, right?

     Daneel had already planned this part. After all, a scammer had to be prepared for moments when his prey might question him.

     As thoughts like these went through his head, he realized that he, himself, might have gotten corrupted by the environment.

     But…hadn't he been the one to burn food stores to eventually take control of the Hidden Kill Sect?

     Maybe a scammer had been there inside him all along!

     Chuckling softly to himself at this, Daneel took it in stride.

     Well, if saving Angaria required a few scams and a lot of cheating, he didn't mind.

      Besides, it was actually very fun.

     Daneel was only in the sect to quickly finish his objectives and leave. So, he was going to exploit the heck out of this corruption-fueled environment when he could.

     "I know what all of you are thinking. So, let me demonstrate to you all what I learned. Senior brother Percy, if you please?"

     Originally, the plan had been to use some 3rd level Warrior sect member. However, now that there was an Eminent Warrior present, this was the better option, as it would go a long way in convincing the others.

     Percy had been standing to the side and calmly observing everything as though he had something on his mind.

     Hearing his name called, he frowned and looked up to see the blonde-haired kid waiting for him.

     Reaching the raised stone podium-sort location where Daneel was standing, he waited for the kid to speak.

     "All of you know senior brother Percy is a peak Eminent Warrior. I'm just a 1st level Amateur Warrior, I stand no chance against him. Senior brother, as someone who has been an Amateur Warrior, you must know about the limits of our reaction speed, right? Could you please humor me by punching me fast enough that there would be no way for me to avoid it with my current level?"

     Hearing these words, the sect members looked on with interest in their eyes, waiting for the outcome.

     With a nod, still slightly annoyed at having his thoughts interrupted, Percy swung his fist and hit Daneel squarely in the jaw.

     He hadn't expended too much force, but his jaw still hurt like hell.

     Massaging it, Daneel grumbled inwardly that he would soon take back payment in full before closing his eyes and entering into a deep state of mock thought.

     He could feel their eyes on him, as they waited with bated breath to confirm that he wasn't lying.

     All of them had seen the speed of that punch: there was no way that any one of them could have dodged it.

     After taking 30 seconds, Daneel opened his eyes, which now looked like they shone.

     "Again, if you please, senior brother."

     Gasp!

     As they saw Travis lean back with panic on his face at the exact moment when Percy's fist had been about to hit him, they realized it: it must be true! With his hypersensitive sense, he had predicted the attack and dodged! Incredible!

     Similar thoughts went through the minds of all those present in the cave, including Percy, who was staring with shock at Daneel and the lights.

     This was a real core inheritance! This act alone would be enough to make the sect classify this spot as top secret!

     No, they couldn't know about it right away! First, he had to have a chance!

     He was just about to turn about and frantically run into the water to try and comprehend the inheritance first, but he was shocked when he heard a 'splash!' from the direction of the lake.

     This made Daneel smile surreptitiously.

     Scam: success.

     Saying that his job was done, he seemed to leave the cave along with his colleagues.

     …..

     After that demonstration, everyone was happy to see Travis and the other 4 leave.

     They had paid for this, so they were going to obtain it!

     However, no one knew what lay inside the lake and the swirling lights.

     Thankfully, the frontmost member had jumped forward.

     His name was Fryre, and he came from a relatively rich merchant family which made constant donations to the sect to procure their son better treatment.

     He had been completely amazed by Travis's performance, so he had directly jumped into the lake.

     Floating in it, he looked up to see the lights.

     Noticing their dizzying patterns, he suddenly felt drowsy, and entered into a half-asleep state.

     In his blurry vision, a figure materialized before shooting towards him at blinding speed and throwing a punch.

     "OW!"

     Fryre had thought that he was leaving, but he screamed with pain when the punch impacted hi stomach.

     However, looking down he saw no damage.

     Emboldened, Fryre tried to fight the figure, but no matter what he did, it was always one step ahead.

     His attacks would be dodged in the blink of an eye, and he wouldn't even be able to see when the other party swung their sword.

     After a point, bloodcurdling screams started to emanate from his mouth, as he had started to bleed in his half-dream state.

     The pain was too excruciating! What the heck was all that stuff about the inheritance? This was just plain torture!

     How was he supposed to leave?

     Thankfully, the moment this thought came in his head, everything vanished, leaving his body the same way it had been.

     That's it? He was supposed to get beaten up to learn the inheritance? What kind of sick joke was this?

     He wanted a refund!

     However, just when he was about to say something, Travis's voice echoed in the cavern again.

     "Your experiences in the dream-like state that you enter are the key to understanding the inheritance. The more pain you suffer, the more you might be able to understand! Good luck! I was able to only grasp a little, but all of you with great talent might be able to get so much more!"

     "Haha, we definitely will!"

     "You just meekly watch over there, Travis. Don't feel bitter later when you see us shine!"

     "Hehe, 5 Ker Gems was really cheap. I would have paid 50 for this!"

     Hearing statements like these, he suddenly wanted to go back in, but remembering the excruciating pain and shuddering, he gave up.

     As he got out of the lake and heard more excited boasts of his colleagues, he shook his head with a mysterious expression on his head and stood to the side when he was asked what he experienced.

     After all, why should only he have all the fun? They had to enjoy too.

     Besides, they had even made such proclamations. Surely, they didn't need a warning.

     At this moment, one of the most harrowing experiences that these sect members would ever go through began.

     The irony was, they had paid for it themselves.

     Watching this scene, Daneel laughed to himself again, feeling happy that things were going the way he had expected.

     However, when his gaze turned towards Percy, a slightly cold look entered his face.

     Now, how was he going to take revenge on this snivelly bast**d?

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     421 First Act of Corruption: Scam End

      As the gears in his mind turned, one sect member after another entered the lake and tasted the baptism of pain.

     Without fault, none of them managed to understand anything, but they still stood to the side in deep thought, as if they had comprehended something amazing and needed time to process it.

     After all, no one had asked them to make those statements before.

     Each sect member took around 2 minutes or so, so the line was moving quickly.

     One option for Daneel was to reveal his identity, and make the kid prostrate on the ground to his "Senior Brother", or even his master.

     However, he discarded this, as it was too risky.

     No matter how the kid acted, there was no reason to trust him completely yet. Hence, exposing the fact that he had infiltrated the sect might bring him trouble so immense that he would have no time to regret later.

     So, he had to do something else.

     After a few seconds, Daneel hit on an idea.

     Percy had been observing the proceedings in the cave with a frown. Although he also felt very excited about the inheritance, he calmed himself and chose to see how the others were doing before entering by himself.

     Yet, no matter how much he watched, he couldn't understand.

     All of them winced, and then acted as if it had been very 'enlightening'.

     After around 20 people were done, he couldn't control himself anymore and decided to cut the line to find out what was going on for himself.

     However, he found his way blocked by the blonde-haired kid.

     "Senior brother, your status is above us all. Why do you need to cut through these normal sect members? If you could wait till the end, you can spend as much time here as you want. Besides, whenever this phenomenon appears, it lasts at least for a day."

     Hearing this, he did agree that with his status, there was no meaning in taking the same time as everyone else.

     When such an easy fix was around, it didn't make sense to insist to make the others wait and grumble.

     So, nodding with an expression of dignity on his face, Percy walked to the side and leaned on a wall before closing his eyes, as if he was some cool master who had entered meditation.

     "Senior brother is so kind!"

     Even as Daneel said these words, he gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to punch this kid in his guts right away.

     With one thing ticked off his list of things to do, Daneel climbed on top of a rock from where he could view everything happening in the cavern.

     30 people were already done, so the next problem should be arising soon.

     Sure enough, the 33rd sect member, who was a large kid with bulging muscles, exclaimed, "What is this bullsh*t? I just got beaten up! There's nothing to learn in this! I still think you're scamming us! Maybe you learned that inheritance in some other way!"

     It was about time.

     Hearing this, the others who had been acting so far also started to erupt in protests.

     "Yes! This is still a scam!"

     "Out with it, Travis! How can getting beaten up help us to learn?"

     Hearing the commotion, Percy opened his eyes and glanced up.

     They were getting beaten up? How?

     Although he didn't understand, he decided to wait and watch like the 'dignified' senior he was.

     As Daneel was about to open his mouth to respond, one of those who had already gotten into the pool walked forward.

     He had stayed silent till now, but after stepping in front of the crowd, he hit his right palm with his left fist and exclaimed loudly, "I GOT IT!"

     This shout stopped the others, who were puzzled as to what was going on.

     The kid who had walked forward was named Keefer, and he was one of the more talented ones in the Amateur Warriors of the Sect of Hedon.

     After a pause, he continued.

     "Guys! Don't blame Travis, it's you all that need to change your perspective! When you are getting beaten, focus on how the opponent is doing it! I did that, and I think I almost grasped something! I'm not lying! Travis, this the correct method, right?"

     With a sigh, the blonde haired kid glanced at everyone and replied, "You are too impressive. I was hoping to hide this and charge extra for it. That is the correct way. Just focus like that, and you should be able to grasp something."

     As if on queue, 2 of the 30, who had been shouting before but had apparently sunk into deep thought on hearing Keefer, clapped their hands and thighs respectively as if they had realized something.

     "He's right! I realized something, too! That's the right way! I want to go again!"

     This settled it. As one, the others quieted down and began pondering again with renewed enthusiasm, while those in queue smacked their lips as if in anticipation and looked forward to their turn.

     Meanwhile, Clyde, who had been prepared beforehand, stood to the side and said, "If you want to go in again, pay 5 more Ker Gems here. You can try to say no, but if you do, Travis knows a way to make this entire thing disappear."

     This made everyone exclaim in shock, before they glanced at Travis as one.

     "Yes. I didn't mention it before, as you all needed to see that it existed in the first place. Please pay up. It's not like you aren't charged extra to enter the library even if you go out for lunch and have to go back in. Besides, the benefits are too amazing!"

     With this, it became clear that the crowd had two options: either risk it, or follow along.

     With the allure of the possibility of entirely changing their future, they chose the former.

     As they grumblingly nodded, some in the initial 30 started to walk up to Clyde to pay.

     "Great! Remember, use your time carefully. This phenomenon is somehow sentient- it appears and disappears in random places. That was why I advertised this expedition with caution, saying that it's only 'possible'. Who knows, this might be the last time it graces us."

     As a sense of urgency appeared in everyone's face, they started to try to spend more and more time in the lake.

     Percy was watching everything, but he chose not to comment.

     However, he was slightly impressed with Travis's tact which enabled him to milk this as much as possible.

     It was mostly the case that he was bluffing, but it had worked.

      As everything settled down once again, Daneel shared a look with the other 4 from the Shameless Sect.

     All of this was scripted, and it had gone beautifully.

     Last night, this was what the other 4 had been doing: they had approached those in the list of people who had signed up who were known for being opportunists.

     These people were charged to fake this, and they were promised simplified explanations of what Daneel had learned, and 20 Ker Gems.

     With such a large reward, and the possibility of succeeding using the explanation that had agreed.

     This was his second phase of the scam: when doubt arose, he would use it to convert it into more earnings.

     There were no risks, as it was impossible for these kids to comprehend anything without being beaten to an inch of their lives.

     As for those who had been charged to act, Daneel would be giving them a different technique altogether which had been created by the system.

     Only, it was barely on the level of an inheritance, which they would realize later and find out that everyone, including Daneel, might have been mistaken.

     All in all, everything went smoothly until everyone gave up all the Ker Gems they had.

     The actors were still posing, while the others were still puzzled.

     Of course, the actors were staggered, so new ones arose with time so as not to arouse suspicion.

     With everyone's pockets empty, Daneel was wondering just how to dismiss them so that he could end this first operation of his successfully.

     Thankfully, Percy helped him in this regard.

     Stepping forward in a stern voice, he said, "Everyone, go back to the sect. You can get more Ker Gems and come back later. Comprehension also takes time, so think hard and rest. According to Travis, this will stay here for a day, so you can come back."

     Hearing Percy say this, all of the sect members, who were already very mentally exhausted due to being beaten up continuously, nodded and made their way out.

     Daneel was delighted, but he kept it to himself.

     With an expression of reverence on his face, he gestured to Percy, who started walking to the lake.

     However, on the way, he said something that surprised Daneel.

     "I know that you bribed those few to act as if they understood. In truth, it takes a lot longer, right? You must also have promised them detailed notes about your experience. Hehe, don't be surprised. I've done my fair share of scams, so I know how things work. Good job. I think you'll definitely get away with this, until the sect seniors clamp down."

     Daneel was honestly surprised, so he hadn't hesitated to let it show.

     Following it up with an expression that made him look like all of his secrets had been exposed, he accompanied Percy to the lake and waited in silence.

     "I beseech you one last time, Senior Brother. I don't know what adverse things might happen. Please reconsider."

     In response, with a humph, Percy entered the lake.

     He knew what was going to happen: he was going to enter a dream-like state, and he would be attacked, but the pain would only be illusory.

     He was ready to endure as much as was needed, so he braced himself when that figure appeared in his vision after he felt drowsy on entering the lake.

     Initially, he wanted to just experience the blows and try to investigate using that, so he just waited.

     When the figure shot forward and punched him in the chest, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

     Pain! Waves of pain racked his body, but weirdly, it stayed.

     The others had been talking that the pain usually faded after the first hit, so what was this?

     Bang!

     The next punch was to his face, and it made his jaw sting like it was on fire.

     Again, the pain stayed.

     With a horrifying realization, Percy fought to regain consciousness, and when he did, he looked down to see the imprint of a punch on his stomach.

     He tasted blood, which meant that his body had suffered it too.

     What the f**k? He was being hit in reality?!

     As he tried to understand what was going on, he felt someone watching him and turned to see Travis standing on the shore and looking at him with an innocent expression on his face. He looked like he had just moved to somewhere else and gotten back, but Percy dismissed this.

     No. This needed to stop! Each punch hurt like hell!

     However, just when he was about to call out to Travis or try to exit by himself, he felt himself being dragged back into the illusion, where the punches and kicks resumed with full force, even as he started to beg for them to stop.

     Finally, 2 minutes later, he clawed his way to the shore and looked up at Travis, who was standing there with surprise on his face.

     As Percy heard him speak with innocent shock, he felt like crying.

     "Senior brother! Heavens! These are some REALLY adverse effects!"

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     422 Interrogation

      The next day, when Percy got up, he grimaced fiercely, feeling his entire body burning with pain.

     Looking down, he saw that he was in a healing solution special to the medical bays of the Big 4.

     Even though his flesh seemed to be slowly knitting itself together, it's mangled remains made him wince visibly and look away.

     What god had he offended to undergo this kind of torture?

     The last thing he remembered was hearing some word, which had made him feel so frustrated that he had promptly passed out.

     He was in a solitary room, so, with nothing else to do, he thought back to what had happened.

     Yes! He had been assaulted both in body and mind, and he had even been dragged back into that phenomenon!

     Hadn't that blonde-haired kid said that one could willingly leave it if they wished?

     Wait…he had also cautioned him not to go.

     As his thoughts turned awkward, he left that line of reasoning and shifted to the memories of being beaten up.

     There really had been…something peculiar in the way the opponent had moved.

     A secret seemed to be hidden behind a veil, and all he had to do was reach forward and remove it.

     Alas, no matter how much he tried, he got nowhere close to accomplishing that.

     He still kept at it, and just when he thought he was going to understand something incredible, a nurse walked in holding a data trinket in her hand.

     Rather than her appearance, it was what she said that affected him.

     "Percy, right? Due to the injuries you suffered, your body had an adverse-"

     ADVERSE!

     Yes, it was that damn word uttered in that damn innocent voice!

     Endless frustration blanketed his mind, making him faint once again and enter the land of dreams, where he, for some reason, dreamed of being beaten up by someone with blonde hair.

     …..

     Meanwhile, in the tower so high in the air that no living creatures seemed to be able to live around it.

     Ashahell was still frozen in place, as if he had become a statue that would only rouse itself if there was an absolute need.

     As he felt his communication trinket vibrate, he moved his hand, making dust fall to the ground before he answered.

     "Sect leader! There is an urgent report that that scam actually wasn't one! There are hints of a core inheritance of unknown level!"

     A core inheritance?!

     Suddenly, his countenance changed as he vanished from where he stood.

     Appearing in the lowest floor of the tower, Ashahell only paused for a second to get the location before setting off once again.

     The entrance to the cave that was referenced by the report made him pause, as it brought back many memories.

     10,000 people, most innocent, herded inside like lambs to the slaughter.

     A black-robed man, prepared to kill them to obtain absolute power.

     Him, arriving just a little too late to stop the massacre.

     So many dead bodies, littering the cave like they were nothing but useless garbage.

     Husbands holding wives, parents holding children, children holding their siblings.

     All lifeless- to result in that golden globe.

     In his fury, he had apprehended the black-robed man, but the power was just going to go to waste.

     So, because he had to give meaning to all these lives that were lost, he had taken it for his own, and it had changed his life forever.

     However, that was all in the past. Many things had happened since then, and he was now preparing to bring to Angaria a massacre the likes of which it had never seen before.

     Alas, if only it weren't necessary.

     Not letting himself be shackled by his memories, Ashahell put on a stern expression before entering.

     Inside, he immediately reached the lake using his advanced elementary vision to pinpoint all the historical changes that had occurred in the elementary particles.

     Indeed, there had been some kind of phenomenon here, and it was very likely that it was a remnant from the old ages.

     There had been more than a few inheritance sites found where those who had left them behind must have certainly been eccentric, as all of them had certain rules that had to be followed.

     Also, it wasn't strange to find inheritance sites that moved around.

     More than anything, the thing that convinced Ashahell that this was an inheritance site was the presence of hints of magic that was at the peak Champion level.

     Surely, no one could fake something like this, that too just to scam a few hundred measly Ker Gems.

     "Keep an eye out for the inheritance site. Take a full report of the one who found it. If he looks like he's lying, use the oath. But if he's not, leave him be after taking the report. Also, take detailed reports from everyone who was here."

     Sending this message, Ashahell sighed and looked around once again.

     Flashes of dead bodies once again appeared in his mind, but they were nothing compared to what was going to happen.

     Right now, the only thing he wished was that this would be over soon.

     "Send me the routine report on the King of Lanthanor."

     Sending this one last message, he traveled back to the top of the tower.

     ….

     As Daneel and the rest were happily recounting the Ker Gems they had obtained, they were shocked when they heard hard knocks on the door of the single room before hearing the words, "Travis Éclair? Open up! We are here representing the sect leader!"

     As all of their expressions first turned into those of thieves who had gotten caught counting their loot, the shameless sect initially tried to hide the bundle of Gems somewhere.

     Finding no suitable hiding place, they simply shoved it into a pile of worn laundry, hoping that no one would want to go through the stink.

     When the door opened, a strict man with buzzcut hair came into their vision.

     "Travis Éclair? Follow us to give a detailed report regarding the inheritance site you found. You can keep whatever you earned. The sect leader simply wants a full and truthful account of everything you learned. You will be compensated in return, too. As you know, you will be sitting in the 'Chair of Truth'. Lie, and we will have no choice but to use your oath to force you. Understood?"

     When the other 4 heard only Daneel's name being called, they initially felt relieved before feeling guilty due to this.

     However, before they could regain their worry and show their care for their friend, Travis replied in a strong voice, "Of course! Please lead the way!" before walking out without hesitation.

     Only, before he left, he left one line.

     "Touch my share, and you'll suffer the fate of Percy."

     With a gulp, none of them dared to touch the Ker Gem pile.

     ….

     Being lead to the tower in the middle of the sect, Daneel's eyes lit up with excitement, but he tried to cover this up.

     He had been hoping that this incident would make a situation for him to arrive here, as this was the destination he had to arrive at sooner or later if he wanted to fulfill his goals in the Sect of Hedon.

     That entire scam beforehand had been set up by having the system develop a spell for the simulation that it was now capable of. Any capability of the system could be made into a spell, and this had come in very handy for Daneel many times before, too.

     Because of the system's upgrade, the complexity of the spell was pushed up to peak Champion level, which actually made it feasible that there was no foul play on Daneel's part involved.

     As for the little fun he had with Percy, it was simply by manipulating the spell to trap him while happily going gung-ho on him with his fists.

     Entering the tower, Daneel asked the system to scan as much as it could.

     However, he was stumped when he heard its reply.

     [Complexity of formation exceeds system's complexity. Please upgrade system to rectify. Upgrade Cost: ????]

     Another upgrade!

     As the one who had been charged to bring Daneel saw the blonde-haired kid get an expression of deep frustration and hopelessness on his face, he wondered whether he was guilty of something.

     However, Daneel was just devastated due to the fact that another upgrade had popped up.

     And-it seemed that even the system wasn't aware of the upgrade cost.

     [Pre-requisites haven't been met for host to be allowed to upgrade the system to the next level. The upgrade is locked.]

     What the hell?

     Seeing that he was entering the tower, Daneel forcefully put thoughts like these aside.

     In a way, it actually made sense. He had needed an upgrade to take full control of the formations in the Kingdoms, and because the Big 4 were organizations one step above, it was logical that it might require another upgrade.

     However, he was too moody to notice this now.

     After being led to a solitary room, he was sat down in an ancient-looking stone chair.

     Thankfully, as he had expected, the system could control his heartbeat and other aspects about him so that the Chair wouldn't pick up that he was lying.

     After he was done giving a fictitious report about how he had found that spot by chance, he was made to wait in a room that reminded him of the interrogation rooms back on Earth.

     He asked who he was supposed to wait for, but those who had brought him didn't answer.

     A few minutes later, a man with a long face wearing black robes with a golden trim opened the door and sat down in front of him.

     Daneel didn't know why, but the hairs all over his body stood up in alarm when he looked into this man's eyes.

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     423 Meeting Ashahell

      A feeling of being threatened wrapped around his whole body, freezing him completely and even making him stop breathing.

     Only resuming after the man took a seat and looked at him, Daneel felt like he was between the crosshairs of the most deadly predator in the world.

     Thankfully, this faded away after a few seconds, after which the man smiled slightly and said, "I am Ashahell, your sect leader. I usually don't make public appearances, so you might not have seen me. However, I trust that you heard of me?"

     No. He had to control himself and act.

     Quickly, Daneel realized that he was in the most dangerous situation yet right now.

     Even though that feeling of being targeted had left his body, there was still a prickling sensation in his spine, as if he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

     The system's notification didn't help.

     [The person sitting in front of host is at Peak Champion Level. An attempt to check for disguise techniques was made, whose level came close to the system's.]

     Great. He was a peak Champion to boot!

     With all his might, Daneel assembled his thoughts and managed to make small changes to his facial expression so that it would only look like shock.

     After all, everyone had heard of the great Ashahell, who was said to have been born to save Angaria.

     Tales and legends were still told about him by the lecturers, with all of them regarding him as someone who had directly stepped down from the heavens to grace the Angarians.

     Thankfully, it seemed to have worked, as Ashahell only stared at Daneel with that small smile, not showing any sign that he was suspicious of anything.

     After a second or so, Daneel's spoke in a quivering voice.

     "S=sect leader! It's an honor!"

     Quickly, he stood up and prepared to bow.

     Of course, as this was the man who might potentially be the one who would cause the destruction of all of Angaria, Daneel had no want to give him any honor or respect.

     However, he wasn't foolishly proud to refuse to bend the knee even if it meant that his cover might be blown.

     Any sect member, especially someone like him who had no background, would prostrate on the ground if necessary when they were spoken to by the sect leader.

     However, just when he was about to complete his bow, a formless force seemed to hold his shoulders and make him stand up straight.

     "A member of the Sect of Hedon must always stride forward to take what he wants from life with a straight back. You don't need to bow to me. Sit down."

     His voice was genial, and if Daneel had had no prior impression of the man, he would definitely have been quite impressed by the wisdom and experience that it seemed to carry.

     However, all he felt now was wariness. Extreme wariness.

     He had expected Ashahell to be someone like the King of Axelor-proud, arrogant…basically like a typical evil character in a book or movie.

     Yet, the man in front of him looked completely normal, and even likable and followable, because of what he said next.

     "On behalf of the Sect of Hedon, I would like to thank you for being a part of us. By finding that inheritance site and letting us know about this particular inheritance that has never been seen before, you have done us a great service. Henceforth, your status will be upgraded to that of a 'Benefactor'. In essence, what that means is that you will be eligible for treatment that is one level higher. Do you have any questions for me?"

     Honestly, Daneel was pretty stunned on hearing this.

     He had been expecting suspicion and all kinds of questions, but all he was getting was a pat on the back.

     Also, from his words, this Ashahell appeared to be someone who was humble and honest.

     He still had to keep up his act, so stuttering with surprise, Daneel once again tried to bow while saying, "Sect leader! I am honored! Thank you so much!"

     Once again, that formless force stopped him, while Ashahell sighed and said, "Like I said, no bowing."

     Standing up, he laid an arm on Daneel's shoulder.

     This almost made Daneel flinch, but thankfully, he controlled himself at the last moment.

     Looking deep into Daneel's eyes which had varying amounts of relief from not being suspected and joy at being able to access better resources, he said, "Train well. Tough times are coming. It is likely that the war that everyone is preparing for might come sooner than anyone expected. When it comes, there will be many chances to grow exponentially. You must train well now, so that you can stand in front of our enemies later to defend Angaria."

     Leaving these words and sighing once again, Ashahell walked out, while Daneel was left just standing there, awestruck.

     The man had been talking sincerely: when he said the words 'defend Angaria', Daneel had seen a resolve that seemed no weaker than what he possessed.

     What the hell was going on? Wasn't this supposed to be someone who was hell-bent on destroying Angaria? Why did he seem so passionate about saving it?

     Such sincerity and passion couldn't be faked, in any way.

     His mind completely muddled, Daneel had to be called twice before responding and being lead out of the room.

     After exiting the tower, he couldn't resist but look up at it again.

     His clarity about what he was going to do was gone, replaced by a nagging curiosity.

     As his thoughts swirled, a horrifying possibility came to mind.

     Were…the Watcher and the black-robed man wrong? Were they framing this man whose only purpose seemed to be to save Angaria?

     Daneel had never really trusted those two's words, but he had been inclined to believe them due to the supposition that Ashahell had been the one to give the doom mosquito to the King of Axelor.

     However, this was also said by the Watcher.

     Which version was true? Which was false?

     He had no idea, but after a few seconds, one thing became clear:

     He could only continue his plan and strive to get more data so that he could find proof to confirm either possibility.

     ….

     After Daneel arrived at his room, he found it empty.

     Asking his neighbors, he found out that his friends had also been hauled away for questioning.

     He wasn't really worried about this, as he had only told them the 'truth' that he had reported during his interrogation, which was that he had only managed to comprehend what he did because he spent a lot of time alone at the site while being repeatedly beat up and enduring it.

     He had hit a dead end, so he had hatched this perfect plan to scam out Ker Gems.

     Since they weren't there anyway, he searched under the bed, and to his delight, found the sack with the Ker Gems.

     As he plunged his hand into it and felt the rough edges of the gems, he smiled with the happiness that came from accomplishing something.

     Hence, putting all his uncertainties and doubts out of his mind, he focused on the counting once again.

     The total came out to be a whopping 1250 Ker Gems, which was more wealth that he had ever seen or heard of in his life.

     Equaling 12,500,000 Ether blocks, this fortune might be enough to boost Lanthanor's growth enough to directly let him reach the next milestone for gaining EXP.

     Only, he faced the same predicament as the diamond merchants on earth: the risk of disturbing the fine line between demand and supply.

     Just like diamonds, these Ker Gems were rare and sought after. However, if they suddenly flooded the market, their price would definitely fall.

     So, stealing these away before leaving the sect wasn't an option.

     However, he could do one thing: buy that fish.

     The fish from the Endless sea was known for its exquisite taste whose intensity didn't recede no matter how many times one had it.

     One of the known ways of corruption was for those eligible to save away the fish they were given to sell them later for double the price.

     Hence, even though a single piece of fish only contained the Energy equivalent to hundred Ker Gems, one had to pay 200 Ker Gems to obtain them through other means.

     Quickly grabbing 200, Daneel made his way to the dorm of those who were close to becoming Champions.

     These were the only people eligible to get that meat for free.

     It was a pretty standard process, so by the time Daneel was back in his room, he was trying hard not to sniff that heavenly fragrance again and again.

     Closing the door, without any preamble, he dug in.

     Instead of the woman he had seen in the cafeteria, he took a bit, and he understood why she had eaten it whole.

     Juices which seemed to have been trapped inside the meat using some method flowed down his cheeks, falling on the floor.

     However, Daneel was too busy being lost in the explosion of flavor that was assaulting him.

     Sweetness, spiciness, tanginess, all flavors seemed to cycle through his mouth, making his mind go blank.

     It was like he was eating many courses at once, instead of only having a single piece of meat.

     By the time he swallowed, he opened his mouth with alarm to see the juices that he had wasted.

     Still in a daze due to that taste, without thinking too much, he bent close to the ground and looked for the drops to see whether he could still salvage them.

     Bang!

     When the door swerved open due to being kicked, his 4 friends found him in that position: his ass in the air and his nose to the ground, ready to lick the top of a thick drop of the juice which had a jelly-like consistency.

     If they could know that this was the honorable King of Lanthanor who presided over millions of citizens, they would definitely have made the news public, which would have become the talk of the continent.

     However, acting in a tactful manner, Daneel sat straight as if nothing had happened and said, "Our first scam was a great success. It's time for our second: create a problem, sell the solution."

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     424 Second Scam

      After hearing Daneel say these words, the 4 who had appeared at the door stared before breaking out into bouts of laughter.

     However, this laughter immediately stopped when they saw the piece of fish in Daneel's hands.

     It couldn't be mistaken for normal food in any way: the fish steak shone lustrously in the light, as if it were a treasure instead of food.

     The fatty was the first one to run forward and point at it before stuttering. "I-is that…"

     "Yes. Here."

     Sighing, even though he felt reluctant, Daneel handed over the piece of which he had only taken a small bite.

     After all, they had all worked together for it, and he actually liked these 4.

     They were simple, honest teenagers who just wanted to find ways to lead life more easily.

     With a flash, the fatty snatched it away and bit, but before he could eat more, he, too, entered a trance just like Daneel, savoring the incredible taste.

     This resulted in the fish switching hands to Clyde, who had the same reaction, and then to another one, before finally being finished by the last.

     As Kator saw his empty hands, he couldn't help but glare at the others while chewing.

     He had had the smallest piece!

     Seeing that they were done, Daneel said, "That price of that piece, we will cut equally from our shares. Like we discussed: I get 50%, and the rest of you share the rest among yourselves.

     Daneel had established this beforehand, as this entire thing wouldn't be possible without his involvement.

     If he wished, he could turn his back on the Shameless Sect and set everything up by himself, but he hadn't done so.

     So, they appreciated it and also respected him due to his decision, but that respect had mostly gone after the scene they had witnessed.

     Still, they held on to the agreement, as even the dumbest among them could guess that their friend had changed into a golden-egg-laying goose.

     After all 5 resolved to get more pieces of the fish soon, Clyde asked, "Why don't we take a break? We might draw too much attention to ourselves after this if we start a new gig straight away."

     The other 3 nodded, but Daneel frowned.

     He didn't have time.

     In the Sect of Hedon, everything was corrupted.

     So, there was also a price to pay to enter the secret archives of the Sect, which were located in the Central tower.

     No core inheritances could be obtained, but some very high-level techniques, along with the books regarding history which were locked to regular sect members, were available.

     This had raised a red flag in Daneel. How could the sect allow for something like this to happen? The secret archives must have had a reason to be…well…secret.

     Apparently, the one who facilitated this was a sect member who had entered the Central tower as the one who took care of the library.

     He needed a lot of resources, and according to him, getting access to techniques was hardly enough to reach the peak of one's realm. As for the history, his opinion was that what was dead and forgotten wouldn't affect the present too much.

     So, he allowed anyone in for a whopping fee of 10,000 Ker Gems.

     His customers were usually peak Warriors who hoped that learning a high-level technique which they would only be able to access when they reached the Champion level(which was whom this archives room was meant for) might help them in some way to either advance or fight better.

     Mostly, his constant customers were those who were stuck at the peak Warrior level, looking for any and all ways to find a chance to make themselves break through.

     All in all, it sounded legit in many ways, and even though it would be strange for someone as weak as him to spend everything to access the library, weirder things happened every day.

     As for finding out Ashahell's plans, Daneel had a plan for that too: infiltrate the tower first, and try to find a way to uncover what he was doing.

     All in all, he needed 10,000 Ker Gems, which was no small number.

     This scam had been wildly successful, with more gains than he would ever have expected. However, he only had around 700 Ker Gems now.

     "Pfft. Only."

     Hearing himself use that word to describe that many Ker Gems, he could only chuckle with resignation, as a change in the living atmosphere really did bring a great change in one's worldview.

      "No. We should do this now, before someone else thinks of it. Come on, where's your spirit? If we delay, who knows whether someone else will get the same or a similar idea and ends up eating our revenue…"

     As Daneel's sentence trailed off, the 4 looked at him with wide open eyes.

     He was right! They couldn't delay if it was that kind of idea!

     So, putting on ingratiating expressions on their faces, they said as one, "We are at your command! Shameless sect, arise!"

     …..

     The next morning, Percy had just returned to his dorm after spending 2 days in the medical ward of the Sect.

     He still had pain all over his body and his face had a haggard look, but he had insisted on leaving and taking bed rest instead of being in the sick bay.

     The problem with the sick bay was that there were just too many people who kept coming up to him to ask questions.

     He had always hated others snooping into his business, so this riled him up enough to decide to go home.

     His 'house' was on the top floor of the second dormitory, as he was the one right now with the most chance of breaking through to become a Champion.

     All he wanted to do was sleep, so that he could rest and get back on his feet as quickly as possible. After all, he still had that task he had to accomplish for his master.

     So, imagining himself being worshipped by millions of people, he closed his eyes with a smile.

     BZZZZZ

     A weird buzzing noise woke him up, making him look around with a puzzled expression before falling back asleep.

     It had stopped when he opened his eyes, but when he closed them again, it resumed.

     Once again getting up, Percy activated his elementary vision this time, ready to catch the culprit in case they were foolish enough to prank him again like this.

     However, a few seconds later, after he dozed off once again, that same BZZZZ sound woke him up, this time seeming like it had grown in intensity.

     Again he went out to check, and again, this time, he found absolutely nothing.

     Thinking that it must be some low-level insect which couldn't be found, he went back to what he was doing.

     This continued for a day, before a select few in the dormitory opened their eyes with huge bags underneath them.

     One such victim happened to be the one inhabiting the floor right below Percy, so he quickly walked up to him and asked whether he was experiencing the same things as me.

     However, finding out that the timings of hearing the noise and a few others were different, he kept quiet.

     The meeting was to discuss what to do about this menace, as this place was something run by the sect.

     After a discussion, it was decided that a peak Warrior level guard will be posted for an entire night.

     Hoping that it would make a difference and having a nagging feeling that it would not, Percy went back to his room and hesitantly tried to sleep once again.

     Yet, sadly, the buzzing was there to welcome.

     It didn't leave no matter what he did: stuffing his ears, begging, threatening-nothing was effective.

     He went and complained to the Sect, who assigned someone else, but they had the same report.

     All in all, this turned out to be the gossip of the sect.

     What was causing this?

     How did it choose its targets?

     How was one supposed to make it stop?

     All kinds of 'solutions' popped up, but nothing seemed to work.

     Finally, 2 days later, when it looked like all those affected might die at any point due to lack of rest, someone looked at them with a gleam in his eyes.

     This blond-haired kid smirked to himself before saying to the room he was in, "Watch and learn, boys. Watch and learn. Remember, be sure to cover your identity when you set up the stage. Go."

     ….

     Back at the top of the tower, Ashahell was standing while holding a data trinket in his hand.

     In it, detailed information about the King of Lanthanor's last seen action, which was the grand announcement to the people, was written.

     After that, it was reported that there were many eyewitnesses who had seen the King of Lanthanor enter his Chambers and stay there, as teleportation was impossible in the Palace.

     The King of Lanthanor could only at most be an Amateur Warrior. So, Ashahell believed this report as no one at that level would be able to master the teleportation of the Palace completely in order to be able to teleport out.

     While he flicked through the data, his usually deadpan expression was replaced by one of excitement, as if he had a great deal of interest in what he was doing, or what he was going to do.

     As many possibilities surged through his mind, he finally selected one before saying to himself, "King of Lanthanor, it's high time you know who I am."

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     425 Eavesdropping

      "Get your spell to sleep tight here! No refunds, but it has worked for 3 people!"

     "This is the real spell! You-you look like you haven't slept in weeks! Buy this now, or you just might die from sleep deprivation!"

     "Cheap solution: knock yourself out using this drug!"

     Shouts like these could be heard on the large walkways of the Sect of Hedon as students shuttled back and forth between the vendors, trying to decide which one to buy.

     This issue of not being able to sleep had started to affect the whole sect, but the problem was that none of the solutions seemed to be working properly.

     Among those walking around with red eyes and haggard faces, Percy was the one who looked most miserable.

     He had just gotten healed and needed rest, but the heavens had, for some reason, chosen him as the butt of all the misfortune that one could unluckily find themselves enduring in the Sect.

     Off to the side, under the shade of a tree, Daneel was standing while viewing the chaos with happiness.

     His second scam: "Create a problem, then sell the solution" was going well.

     It was inspired by many scammers from Earth, who used this same concept to steal millions of dollars yearly from rich, hapless citizens.

     For example, one could call someone rich, who had engaged in corruption, and tip them off that the government might be on their way to seize certain assets.

     At the same time, a solution could miraculously appear, which would seem trustworthy despite its timing.

     Using the rich person's fear, the scammers would manipulate him to accept this solution by only giving him little time to accept.

     After that, it would be discovered that it was all a ploy, with the solution being flawed in such a way that it stole away the rich person's wealth.

     Scams like these were very common, but Daneel had needed something he could affect the whole sect with.

     Thinking along these lines, he had ended up remembering that illustrious person who interrupted people

     's…special time to demand money so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

     Basically, there, he was taking advantage of an essential process that a sect-member engaged in.

     Thinking of other essential processes, he realized that sound sleep was something that was so crucial for a sect=member that it couldn't even be put in words.

     Absolute concentration was necessary for a mage to be able to manipulate elementary particles properly to cast spells, so they had to be at their top-state-well rested and well fed.

     The former mattered more than the latter, as most sect members were still Warriors who needed sleep much more than Champions, who apparently began to become people who did not need to satisfy basic, human needs to survive.

     So, after choosing sleep, it was simple.

     With the upgraded system, Daneel made a spell at peak Champion level which would make a buzzing sound effect anyone who was asleep.

     Then, he chose targets at random, targeting around half the sect's population.

     After all, if he went overboard and targeted everyone, it might bring down the higher-ups, which was something he didn't want.

     Right now, this was the second phase: allow others to make bogus products to rectify the buzzing, when only he had the real solution.

     Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for the small hiccup where he hadn't expected the sect members to be so capable of such out-of-the-box thinking as to suggest knocking oneself out using a specific kind of drug that was quite dangerous.

     Thankfully, this was only a temporary stopgap, as it would cause many physical and mental problems in the long run.

     All in all, when he would introduce his solution, which would simply just be a spell to differentiate people, he would ask the system to stop affecting those people with the spell.

     He had patted himself on the back for such a simple yet ingenious plan, but he also felt ashamed a tiny bit, wondering what his parents would think if they knew what he was resorting to.

     Just when he was going to return to his room to train with some of the Ker Gems he had acquired so that he would let the sect get more desperate, he saw something which startled him.

     2 black robed men with golden buckles, who signified the section of the sect in charge of keeping everything running smoothly, approached the walkway he was on before stopping an especially droopy sect member who looked like he might fall unconscious at any time due to exhaustion and sleep-deprivation.

     With stern expressions, they began asking him some questions, which made Daneel panic slightly.

     If someone sent over Champion level individuals to investigate, there might be trouble even though he was confident that they wouldn't be able to detect a spell made by the system.

     Deciding to find out what they were saying, Daneel asked if the system could eavesdrop, but he was told that he had to move closer.

     Mixing himself in the crowd, Daneel started to walk towards the two, but they seemed to have been done in merely a few seconds.

     Still, they were talking among themselves, so he decided to tail them anyway.

     After walking a bit more, although they were quite far away from Daneel, the system managed to pick up what they were saying as they weren't using any special means to hide their communication like anti-eavesdropping trinkets.

     "Figures. Whoever is doing this is quite smart to only target a few. Last time, that guy who did something similar chose to target everyone, and he paid for his greed."

     With shock, Daneel almost froze, but he continued walking so that he could keep hearing.

     "So what do we do? Should be trouble that old guy?"

     "He might be listening! You want to do solo training for a month?!"

     "Meh, I know he's heading out of the sect on some business-he's discussing with some other senior sect members about it now. Someone said he was headed to Lanthanor, that village in the Central Continent. I wonder what work he could have there. Anyway, you know the rules."

     "'Anything goes, as long as the core functionality and direction of the sect to obtain resources and grow stronger isn't disturbed'. Let's give it some time. If the one responsible is smart and has learned from his seniors who have done the same, he will stop the whole thing soon and get as much profit as possible so that we won't have to intervene. Let's come check again tomorrow. Wanna go grab some wine?"

     "It's the middle of the day! So, perfect time for wine, I suppose. Let's go."

     The conversation ended with them teleporting away using a podium, leaving Daneel with a stunned expression on his face.

     First and foremost, he quickly took out a communication trinket and said, "Cancel the wait! Begin selling the real solution in 6 hours! We have to cash in as much as possible by tonight! No questions, just do it!"

     Ignoring the fatty who started asking all kinds of questions, Daneel made his way to a teleportation podium.

     Although it made his heart hurt, he paid up so that he would be able to get to the podium which led outside the sect.

     The Sect of Hedon was covered by a very powerful formation which blocked all transmissions. This was why Percy had needed to exit the sect before to contact him.

     The news that Lanthanor might be visited by a senior member of the Sect of Hedon…was terrifying.

     Senior members were all Champions, and Lanthanor could practically be destroyed overnight if one really wished it.

     Trying not to panic, he tried to apply to go outside but learned that he had completed his opportunities to go out for the month, due to the expedition.

     Sect members couldn't roam in the outside world willy-nilly: occasionally, they could go out to look for inspiration or to try their luck for inheritances, but only once a month.

     Hearing this answer, Daneel felt so frustrated that his face became red, making the sect member in charge of approving requests ask if he was all right.

     Replying that he was fine, he first walked into the jungle, afraid that he might cause suspicion.

     After walking for 30 minutes and finding himself completely surrounded by vegetation, Daneel started pacing around and thinking.

     It was possible that it might be due to what had happened with the mosquitoes, as according to what the Watcher had said, Ashahell was responsible for giving the doom mosquito to Axelor.

     Or, it could be something more sinister.

     The problem was that he didn't have data. Realizing this, he looked up to see that tower which made him wish that he could smash through the entrance to find out more.

     No. He needed to enter through the proper channels, and he had to trust that that High Council or whatever it was that had the rule that people shouldn't be slaughtered, would stop the worst case scenario from being carried out.

     This scam would have to suffice! No matter what, he had to get enough gems to enter the central tower so that he could try to find clues in the archives to find a way to gain at least rudimentary control over the formation so that he could find out what the plan of those secret members was.

     This was his only hope, so he would have to step it up.

     The best way to do this was to jack up the prices, but this needed some kind of example to spur people to desperation, to buy the real solution no matter what.

     Going back to the walkway, Daneel looked around before focusing on Percy, who was still staggering around, looking exhausted.

     Well, he would have to do.

     Although Daneel felt a bit sorry for the kid, he hardened his heart, deciding to award him with something or the other later.

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     426 “Panic“

      A few hours later, in the early evening.

     As Nate walked to a specific house in the Sect of Hedon while hugging his arms for warmth, he wondered why he had gotten stuck with this duty.

     Every month, on a specific day, one of those who were employed by the Sect to handle miscellaneous matters had to stand outside this certain house and make sure that no one entered the vicinity.

     It was a boring job, but it paid well. All he had to do was stand, and shoo away the sect members.

     If he had known that it was the sect leader who was inside the house overgrown with creepers, he would definitely have taken the job more seriously.

     Ashahell was kneeling on the ground in front of a painting.

     'Photos' weren't a thing in Angaria, but top-level mages with their amazingly sharp brain could reproduce any sight in minutes on a canvas, provided they were at least a little talented in the area.

     In the photo were a smiling couple holding a baby boy, who was wrapped in a red blanket.

     Both of them had very proud expressions on their faces, as if they had accomplished something amazing.

     The woman had a long face, but she was very pretty.

     The man had long, brown hair, which almost looked to be moving due to the way the light fell on the painting through the window.

     The house all around looked like it hadn't been touched in ages, but there wasn't a single mote of dust anywhere. It was only the creepers outside which were an incongruity, as one wouldn't be able to make sense of how they had grown so much if someone was taking care of the inside of the house.

     With his eyes closed, Ashahell thought back to the only happy memories he had of his life.

     Rather than happiness, it was the feeling of…having someone who understood him.

     As his parents, these two were the only individuals in the world who loved him unconditionally and would have been on his side, together with him, no matter what happened.

     However, in a fluke accident during an exploration for a Ker Gem Mine, they had both passed away.

     Since that day, his solitary life had begun.

     This day was his birthday, and his parents had always made a point to celebrate it, no matter which month it was.

     Going through his memories, all Ashahell saw was him, standing alone.

     His training speed and comprehension made it so that he was lauded as the one prophesized to save Angaria, so he always had this halo about him which prevented anyone from getting close to him.

     Even if they did, they would soon leave, seeing how despite all the talent, he was just a quiet kid who pined for his parents.

     His ambitions, his actions, all construed the image of someone lofty, undeserving of nothing except praise and jealousy.

     He could find no one like him, no matter where he looked. So, he just slogged away at his goal all alone, disregarding everything that changed and always ready to do everything that was necessary to help him achieve his goal-to save Angaria.

     Usually, he stood this night vigil alone.

     However, right now, there was a small painting beside him.

     Of the King of Lanthanor.

     ….

     As Percy trudged through the street constantly cursing the heavens for causing everything that had happened to him, he saw the blonde haired kid who was partially responsible for everything that had happened in the cave approaching him.

     He knew he shouldn't blame him, as he had already warned him, but in his state, Percy wasn't thinking right.

     He started to head to the blonde-haired kid by himself, but to his surprise, he saw that the kid was approaching him.

     After he reached within earshot, he raised his hand and pointed a finger at him, before opening his mouth to rain down a hailstorm of curses so vile that it would definitely make him cry for his mommy.

     However, he suddenly felt woozy for some reason.

     His eyes spinning, his finger shifted towards the air before he swooned and landed on the ground.

     He could almost swear that he had felt that infernal buzzing briefly again, but that didn't make sense=the buzzing only came when he was going to sleep.

     "Someone help over here! Our respectable senior brother has collapsed!"

     This was the last thing he heard, before blackness covered everything in his vision.

     Meanwhile, after hearing the shout, a large circle formed around Percy and Daneel, who had run forward and bent to check with 'care'.

     "His breathing is shallow! He might be dying! Damn that bastard who caused him to be sleep deprived! It's all because of that! Damn him!"

     As Daneel repeatedly cursed with passion, the medics who had been alerted quickly reached.

     It wasn't safe, usually, to teleport someone sick, as the transfer through space could exacerbate any existing conditions.

     So, it was always best to wait for a medical professional to give the OK.

     In Angaria, that meant healers who had studied the human body.

     The healer who arrived first was a black-haired woman, who immediately bent and laid a hand on Percy's forehead.

     "He has fainted from exhaustion, but I don't know if he's completely all right. He's ready for transport. Let's go."

     "Miss Healer! Will he be all right!"

     "It's tough to say now."

     Leaving these chilling words, the healer teleported away with Percy while everyone watched in shocked silence.

     Everything had worked out like it was an orchestrated play, so Daneel was very happy inside.

     Fighting the urge to smile, he got up and left in a hurry, as if he was intent on following his senior brother.

     Of course, he had been the one to cause the fainting through the system.

     It wasn't easy at all to make such a strong Warrior faint.

     However, when said Warrior was already close to passing out, all it needed was a…push.

     Daneel had just made sure that that push came at the right time.

     Panic. All he wanted to cause was panic.

     It had already been a few hours since he had eavesdropped, and he had spent them setting everything up for this.

     As soon as people started to recover, as if on cue, one sect member shouted, "Guys, head to Clyde's stall over there! His solution worked, I just took a nap and came here to tell you all!"

     This was a true sufferer, who had been given the 'cure' by Clyde, the tall member of the Shameless Sect.

     He had timed this whole incident to make sure that it coincided with this sect member's return, and even if he hadn't exclaimed like this, he would have been manipulated into doing so by Daneel soon enough.

     Thankfully, that hadn't been necessary.

     The problem had been created, and it was now time to sell the solution and…profit.

     As everyone flocked to Clyde, who had surreptitiously set up his stall at a place quite a distance away so that it would be able to accommodate a large crowd, they were startled when they saw a weird signboard outside.

     "500 Ker Gems for the cure. Pay first. If you don't, I can just give you a fake one."

     After seeing the state that Percy had fallen to, all many did was glare before forking out the amounts.

     No one carried so many Ker Gems, so they exchanged anything they could: trinkets, contribution points, sometimes even free passage in some side business they owned.

     Daneel had mainly chosen Eminent and Exalted Warriors, with a few Amateur Warriors thrown in there to avoid suspicion, so that they would have the ability to pay such a sum.

     The first one who bought the 'cure' actually walked into the jungle and slept there after casting the spell, before coming back out and shouting, "IT'S GONE! IT WORKS!".

     After this, he promptly ran back to his room to sleep.

     As the boxes started filling up, Daneel left the scene, satisfied.

     Other people might steal the 'cure' and start selling it soon, but he wasn't very concerned about such bottom feeders who resorted to piracy.

     They were scum that would lower themselves to do anything anyway, so it was just a waste to try and stop them.

     SO, Daneel was only concerned about being the first mover and tapping the market as much as possible-something he had learned back on Earth.

     While walking to his room, he was reminded of a certain tech giant which created problems with its products which only it solved, while making a tidy sum in the process.

     Where he had used 'panic', that tech giant used 'need'. By making society think that those who owned their products were of a higher class, they successfully created the 'need' before fulfilling it.

     All he could do was try to take hints from such 'geniuses'.

     After reaching his room, Daneel laid down on the bed, trying not to fret about Lanthanor.

     He knew that he couldn't do anything before he got to the tower, but he felt restless.

     So, he started pacing back and forth again, while resisting the urge to go count the Ker Gems in the stall even while sales were going on.

     ….

     Meanwhile, in the sky directly above Lanthanor.

     2 individuals teleported to a certain location almost at the same time, before looking at each other and nodding.

     If Daneel were here, he would have recognized both of them: they were Marcus and the Matron, who had 'interrogated' him before.

     With panic, the Matron clutched Marcus's arms and said, "It's Xuan. She sensed something. She says Angaria is in grave danger, but she can't get anything else. She says…that all she sees is blood, with not a living soul left on the entire continent."

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     427 Windfall

      As Marcus saw the Matron utter these words in absolute panic, he widened his eyes before pointing in the air with his finger three times, making three consecutive anti-eavesdropping barriers appear around them.

     When talking about such important matters, there was no such thing as too much caution.

     Only after this did he relax, before taking a deep breath and sitting down on a chair which looked like it was made of the clouds surrounding them.

     The Matron had already let go of his arms, so when he pulled out a bottle of wine from thin air, she gasped and said, "Marcus, your addiction!"

     Raising another finger towards her to make her stop speaking, he conjured a glass and poured in the wine before bringing it towards his face.

     However, instead of drinking it, he merely smelled the wine and threw the glass in the air, setting the wine on fire.

     As the Matron watched this bizarre display from one of the strongest Champions on Angaria, she understood just how much this news had affected him.

     She, herself, had had to take quite a lot of time to assemble her thoughts before contacting Marcus and making her way here.

     After a few moments of silence, Marcus asked, "What do your records say about her ability?"

     "But don't you already know.."

     "Repeat it, please, for my sake."

     Nodding, the Matron replied, "When the 'seer' ability appears, it usually means that the land is in danger. It has appeared 5 times in the history of Angaria so far, and all 5 times, millions of people died. Seers have the ability to smoothly become Champions, regardless of what path they choose. No prediction made by a seer has ever been wrong: if they see something, then it is definitely something they will experience in their life. There are two problems with seers: one, it is difficult to ascertain exactly when the prediction will come true. Two, specific details are never visible in a prediction: only general details can be glimpsed. One seer's prediction came true 234 years after it appeared to him."

     As the Matron recited these facts with a single breath, Marcus stared aimlessly.

     The signs that Angaria was in trouble had been appearing for a long time, and this had already caused the Big 4 to aggressively recruit individuals even if they didn't meet the criteria.

     Regretfully, that was one of the only countermeasures that had been taken, as there was too much infighting between the members of the Big 4.

     All of them had different paths, so it was natural for them to have differences.

     Still, one would expect that they would put them aside in the face of a continent-wide catastrophe.

     Yet, the old geezers who had lived comfortably for hundreds of years had grown over-confident, and with the birth of Ashahell who was prophesied to save Angaria, their thought that drastic changes weren't required had been bolstered.

     So, this was the current state: all of the Big 4 were preparing for war individually, when what was needed was a joint effort.

     "We must take this to the High Council!"

     As the Matron said this, Marcus scoffed and replied, "You already know what they will say. The last time when a seer's prediction was not heeded, millions who could have been saved lost their lives. This time, we are already aware of the threat, and we are preparing. Those geezers who have gotten too comfortable will simply say that the prediction of many dying is true, and that the part about 'no living soul left alive' must be an exaggeration, as seers can only get general details regarding their predictions. It's useless."

     The Matron opened her mouth as if she were going to refute what Marcus said, but she closed it soon after, as she knew that he was right.

     Far too much time had passed since Angaria had had to rouse everything it had to defend itself.

     Almost all of those in the higher positions were in favor of using the Central Continent as fodder, and some were even suspected to be planning to escape.

     To where- no Champion knew.

     She knew that there was a different, very important reason for this, but she had yet to ascertain exactly what that was.

     It seemed that the longer one lived, the more they became prepared to do anything necessary to cling to their lives.

     Grimacing with frustration, the Matron almost shouted, "Then what are we supposed to do? Just ignore it?! They don't care about the Central Continent, but we do! It is just foolish to abandon it!"

     Marcus's response made the Matron get a hopeless expression on her face, before she also conjured a chair and sat down, as if she needed to rest to come to terms with what he was saying.

     "Abandoning the Central Continent means abandoning Angaria itself. We can only trust Ashahell when he says that he will save Angaria, and hope that all those rumors are false. There is no one else we can stand behind."

     ….

     In a particular room in the dormitory that housed the Amateur Warriors of the sect, the sunlight that was spilling through the windows had turned the walls red, because it was being bounced off a large pile of red objects in the center.

     Of course, they were Ker gems.

     All 5 members of the Shameless Sect were standing around it, staring with wide-open eyes, unable to believe that they had earned this in just 3 days.

     As one, 4 of them turned towards their friend who had made all this possible.

     The fatty, whose eyes were as wide as saucers, stepped towards Daneel before raising his arms and saying, "Never has there been anyone as shameless! You are henceforth declared the leader of the Shameless Sect! Your shamelessness knows no bounds! We hope that it flourishes forever, so that we can keep obtaining such shamelessly bountiful harvests! All hail the Lord of Shamelessness, Travis!"

     As Daneel heard this pretentious speech, he couldn't help but rub his nose with slight embarrassment.

     What would the honorable citizens of Lanthanor think if they found out that their King had just been crowned the Lord of Shamelessness?

     Well, his public favor would plummet for sure, so there was no way that all of this could ever be made public.

     For a second, Daneel even waited for the system to award him something, but when it didn't, he sighed with relief.

     After all, at least it hadn't acknowledged his scamming nature-

     [Achievement Unlocked: Dominating Scammer

     Dominating Scammer: A World Dominator must always be prepared to use any and all means available to him to reach his goals. By choosing the route of a scammer and successfully accomplishing your goal using it, you have become eligible for this title! Congratulations!

     2000 EXP Awarded.]

     "…"

     There is was.

     It was almost as if the system had chosen that exact moment to announce it, so that his embarrassment would grow manifold.

     Well, it was right. To reach his goal of saving Angaria, he was ready to do anything, so he had to own up to it.

     Putting his embarrassment aside, he kicked the kneeling fatty in his shin and said, "Shut up, and let's count."

     As if they had all been waiting for this, the 4 ravenously fell on the pile and divided it before starting to count with the expressions of those who were afraid that their newfound wealth would be snatched away.

     It barely took 10 minutes, but the final figure astounded them all.

     Of course, no one was as shocked as Daneel, who had come from the 'backward' Central Continent and had hence never been used to hearing about or seeing Ker gems in such large quantities.

     14,674 Ker Gems.

     Such a massive amount would definitely be enough to serve them even when they became Champions.

     Of course, in a way, this wasn't a very large amount, as just the piece of fish that Exalted Warriors were eligible to eat 2 times a day would bring their monthly expenditure to 6000 Ker Gems per individual.

     Reflecting that the disparity between Energy materials in the Central Continent and the Big 4 was so exponentially high, Daneel wondered why it was so, but his urgency to find out what the hell the Sect of Hedon wanted to do with lanthanor overrode all other thoughts.

     "Everyone, I know we initially agreed that I'll take 50%, but please let me take 10,000. I'll tell you why later, and I'll also be sure to pay an interest of an eight of a Ker gem for every gem I take from you."

     Hearing this sudden proclamation, the 4 who had repeatedly been going through the gems to make sure that they weren't dreaming looked up.

     After a few seconds of silence, they glanced at each other before shaking their heads in unison.

     Seeing this, Daneel sighed with sadness.

     It seemed that he might have to resort to force, as they looked like they were definitely going to reject his request.

     The Sect of Hedon really was a dog eat dog world, and no one completely trusted anyone, especially when the matter was related to such wealth.

     He had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but he had expected it. He had almost been seeing these 4 as his friends, but that was clearly wrong.

     Just as he was about to ask the system to knock them out surreptitiously, the fatty opened his mouth and spoke with a smile.

     "Just take how many ever you want, you idiot. We know that we would have nothing if it weren't for you. We were only helpers, and if it were someone else, they might just throw us the scraps. You don't need to pay any interest, and you don't even need to pay us back. Just promise us that you won't forget us when your shamelessness allows you to soar in the sect."

     As Daneel heard this, it was his turn to open his eyes as wide as saucers.

     Hurriedly asking the system to stop, he stared at all of them with shock as they smirked.

     He…had been wrong.

     Due to the impression he had gotten about the Big 4, he had unconsciously held a negative impression in his mind regarding its members, especially when this sect was the one which was being Axelor.

     However, clearly, these were just honest sect members looking to grow powerful for their own individual motives-they deserved to be trusted, and saved.

     Being King and suspecting everyone had clearly taken its toll.

     Realizing this, Daneel sighed and nodded, but as he was about to thank them, the fatty said, "At least now, stop licking fish off the floor."

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     428 Entering the Central Tower

      Walking to the central tower, Daneel was trying hard to curb his excitement.

     He had actually spent a bit of time with those 4 after glaring at the fatty with embarrassment and ignoring that...mishap again. They shared a bottle of wine, before he set off with the gems.

     He was finally going to uncover something that had been hidden from him for ages, and he was trying hard not to let his eagerness show.

     After reaching the central tower which went high up into the sky, Daneel went to the right, entering a secluded walkway that was smaller than the rest.

     These were the instructions he had gotten regarding the man who allowed people to peruse the secret archives in exchange for money.

     Walking towards the end, Daneel first saw a dilapidated house with creepers growing everywhere, but weirdly, it was protected by one of the strongest barriers he had ever seen.

     Through his elementary vision, he could tell that even a peak Champion might require quite a few strikes to get through it.

     What could such an old house be hiding for it to be protected with such extensive resources?

     Although Daneel was curious, he set it aside, as he needed to focus on his own matters.

     On reaching a small, single floored house a little distance away, he knocked three times-1 long, 2 short.

     After that, he directly made his way to the back of the house, where there was a small semicircular hole in the wooden wall, which almost looked like something a counter at some place which accepted customers would have.

     Surely, this wasn't designed for that, right?

     Proving his words wrong, a hand suddenly shot out of the hole, startling Daneel and making him take a step back.

     He had never been a fan of horror movies back on Earth, and such sudden things were still uncomfortable to him, even though he now had the means to protect himself.

     After extending outside till the elbow was exposed, the wrinkled hand which looked like it belonged to a man beckoned and made the universal sign for money-he rubbed his thumb and index finger together.

     Taking the cue, Daneel walked forward and slowly handed over a large bag, which was immediately grabbed.

     How was the hand going to fit the sack of Ker Gems through that tiny door?

     He received the answer soon enough: after hefting the bag 3 times as if checking weight, the hand dropped the bag, but before it hit the ground, it disappeared.

     [Based on speed of space elementary particle manipulation, the person in the proximity of host who has cast this spell is at least an Eminent Champion]

     Well, it made sense that someone in such an important post must have the power to back it up.

     It also explained why such an exorbitant fee was being charged: although it felt very high for them, it was pocket change for a Champion.

     After this, the hand returned inside the hole, which made Daneel a bit nervous, making him wonder whether he was scammed in return.

     Thankfully, a few seconds later, the hand returned, this time holding a key that looked special.

     When Daneel held out his hand to take it, he felt a small prick in his index finger, which made a drop of blood land on the key.

     "It'll work only for you, and you can stay inside for 24 hours at most. Use the back entrance. Pay 10,000 more to extend your stay. Get out before 24 hours, or the sect officials will throw you out."

     A gnarly voice said these words, before the hand disappeared after which the sound of footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door.

     Taking the key, Daneel noticed that it had changed color. Clearly, it was some kind of trinket.

     Wondering why this man seemed like such a weirdo, Daneel headed to the tower, as he had gotten what he wanted.

     The tower was made of grey stone blocks, which seemed to be melded together with almost no perceptible gap. They were rough on the outside, like regular rock, but according to the system, this was some kind of special material which was a lot more durable.

     The tower was at least a massive 30 meters in diameter, as it did contain the entire official wing of the sect. The front door was made of wood, and it was carved with flowers to lend it a touch of grand beauty.

     There were many other entrances to the side too which were also decorated, but the back entrance was just a plain door.

     It was hidden away from the others, and the back side of the tower had a jungle which made it easy for Daneel to make sure that no one was looking/

     Besides, he also had the system to check for eavesdroppers.

     Putting in the key, Daneel entered it just like a normal door, but the color of the key, which had been silver before, started changing slowly to green, which was what it had been when the man had held out the key.

     Understanding that this was some sort of countdown, Daneel put it away before heading down the stone passageway that he found himself in.

     The passageway was quite wide, and although it had chattering officials walking around, no one took notice of him.

     On the way, he saw quite a few interesting rooms, one of which was the armory.

     However, when he tried to enter, a formless force seemed to stop him from doing so.

     [The Sect of Hedon core formation is stopping host from entering places which host does not have permission to enter. Should the system begin to look for vulnerabilities?]

     Yes!

     Daneel had been very worried that the system might be completely powerless inside the central tower, but thankfully, it seemed that the situation wasn't that bad.

     "You said before that the formation can't be controlled right?", he asked, wanting to know everything the system could and couldn't do.

     [Core formation is already under the possession of an individual. Thus, brute force possession is impossible with system's current level. Vulnerabilities can still be found and used in certain areas that aren't prioritized very highly by the core formation.]

     This made Daneel rejoice, as it meant that he had a way now to try and find out what he wanted.

     If what he was thinking was right, then the core formation definitely only protected a certain core part, like in Lanthanor where the coiled dragon with treasures inside had been protected until Daneel managed to take full control of the formation.

     Giving up on trying to enter rooms where he didn't have the authority, Daneel headed inside the one that was titled "Secret Archives".

     Rows and rows of bookshelves greeted him, and as he counted, he realized that there were at least a thousand books here.

     It would take a long time to touch all of them.

     Also, there were people around, who glanced at him and got back to their books, so they would definitely notice when Daneel did something that ridiculous.

     Just as he was about to try and decide his next step, he spotted something familiar: a podium, which a sect member was holding with both his hands.

     Yes! It was a sect interface trinket, just like the one in the library of Lanthanor!

     After waiting for his turn, Daneel walked up to it and held it tight, as if nothing in the world could dislodge him.

     [1132 books found. Assimilating data.]

     As the system started absorbing all the information, Daneel looked around, wondering why no one was asking any questions even if he was someone new in the central tower.

     Everyone was busy with their own work, but Daneel saw two bearded men sitting side by side while talking to each other.

     Eavesdropping was something that had helped Daneel time and time again, so while the system carried out its task, he asked it to magnify what these two were saying.

     It turned out that they were talking about food.

     Well, not every conversation he eavesdropped on could be vital.

     Next, still bored, Daneel asked the system to magnify each and every conversation in the room while giving each 5 seconds.

     Most were casual, about the principles of elementary particles or the difficulties faced in breaking through a level.

     Some were talking about the menace gripping the dormitory, and how they would have to step in soon if it didn't get resolved.

     As he was flicking through conversations like this like one flicked through channels on a TV back on Earth, one caught his attention.

     "Yes, I'm not kidding! The 'seer' from the Goddess's Sanctum saw something. Their Matron is here to have an audience with our sect leader, as he is the leader of the High Council. Let's hurry, it's happening in the Main Audience Chamber."

     Daneel couldn't believe his ears. Hurriedly, he asked the system just where this conversation had been eavesdropped from.

     After finding out that it was between two people who had just passed the door, without caring about whether the data collection was complete, he hurried out while trying hard not to run.

     After exiting the secret archives, Daneel looked around before finding two people in black robes heading somewhere with quick strides.

     Following them, Daneel made it to a large door which was slightly opened.

     Each door was at least 20 feet wide, so that sliver was enough for people to enter through.

     As he tried to walk inside, Daneel was once again stopped, but this time, he asked the system to find the weak point before using it and casting a quick spell to enter.

     As soon as he walked inside the large, crowded room, he heard a statement spoken with such passion that he would never forget it.

     "This continent is my home, and I will definitely do anything and everything in my power to save it. Trust me. I. Will. Save. Angaria. No matter what it takes."

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     429 Ashahell Speaks

      If the room weren't so crowded, Daneel would definitely have been found out by now, due to how wide open his eyes were.

     The reason behind him being startled wasn't the content of the statement from Ashahell. After all, he had seen his intention to 'defend Angaria' before, during his first meeting with the man.

     No, his shock came from Ashahell's expression and the determination he heard in his voice, which made him understand that this was truly a feeling that was erupting from the bottom of his heart.

     Before, Daneel had at least doubted whether the man had been putting up an act.

     However, now, he was pretty sure that it wasn't.

     No one could be this good an actor. It was impossible!

     The room was circular, with gaggles of people standing all around while the central area was left empty.

     There was only one chair in the entire room: and it was very much like a throne.

     It did not have any decorations in the shapes of mythical beasts like what Daneel had seen in the other Kingdoms, but it was beautifully carved with flowing designs.

     The back of the chair made it stand out: it was at least 20 feet tall.

     The room itself had a very high ceiling at at least 50 feet, which gave it a very grand feel.

     After the impassionate statement, a brief silence had fallen over the room, during which Daneel continued to stare.

     His mind was muddled, and his thoughts were moving slowly, as if they were being dragged through thick mud. If Ashahell wasn't acting, then it meant that he truly wanted to save Angaria. Did that mean that the Watcher really was lying about everything, along with the black-robed man?

     No. Before he decided either way, he needed to observe more.

     The reason Daneel held off on making a decision was that his gut was telling him that there might be more to this man than what meets the eye.

     Back when he had met him, his entire countenance made him appear like someone who was…sad.

     He hadn't noticed this then due to the shock of meeting him, but when he thought back, this was what he felt.

     As Daneel finally began to return to his senses, he noticed with alarm that Ashahell was turning towards him.

     Due to long practice with the Basilisk's Breath, he had learned to notice moments where it was crucial that he use the inheritance.

     Like now.

     Quickly activating it, he ordered the system to change his camouflage to one of the bearded sect members he had seen in the Secret Archives.

     At the same time, he ducked, and because there were at least 3 rows of individuals in front of him, he went out of the Sect leader's line of sight.

     By the time he deactivated the Basilisk's Breath, Ashahell was already frowning slightly while looking at the position where he had been before, as if he had felt something and turned around, but there was nothing there.

     With sweat appearing on his forehead, Daneel realized just how much of a close shave this had been.

     The only way for a non-sect official to enter the central tower was through bribing that archive keeper, but that only allowed one to enter the room which held the Secret Archives.

     If he was found here, it would become clear that he had some method to circumvent the sect's formation, which would make him a prime target.

     Thankfully, his quick thinking had saved him.

     Also, he had been quite impulsive.

     What if entering the room had drawn the attention of everyone inside towards him?

     What would he have done- waved and said that he was looking for the bathroom, before walking out?

     Yeap. That would definitely have worked.

     Berating himself and making a mental note to think and act even if the stakes were high, Daneel blended in with the crowd and finally noticed that the Matron and Marcus were standing in front of Ashahell.

     The whispering from two individuals in front of him filled him in on the situation.

     "I heard that seers appear only when mass casualties are about to occur on the continent. That damn Church is invading anyway, so that's pretty obvious."

     "This seer is supposed to be pretty too. Her actual name is Xuan, but she is called 'Sister Xuan' on the orders of the Matron, 'cos she wants to protect her from distractions."

     "Do you think she's exaggerating when she said that there wasn't a soul alive on Angaria in her vision?"

     When Daneel heard this part, he couldn't help but take in a sharp breath, which interrupted the conversation briefly.

     Thankfully, they resumed after glancing at him.

     "Definitely. If it was that bad, the other sects wouldn't be so relaxed. They couldn't possibly send us all to our deaths, right?"

     As one of the two in front of him said this, weirdly, the other didn't say anything, leaving the first chuckling nervously before the conversation ended in this bizarre fashion.

     What could it mean?

     Putting that aside, Daneel focused on the information he had acquired.

     Sister Xuan, that bold girl, was some sort of 'seer' and had predicted something related to Angaria.

     The system had been gathering data for quite some time, so he asked it what a seer was on the off chance that this information might already have been absorbed.

     ['Seer's appear when Angaria is in grave danger. 5 seers have appeared in the history of the continent…]

     As the information about this ability flooded into his mind, Daneel realized why this news had warranted such a major gathering.

     Only, he was puzzled why this hadn't sent the entire continent into a frenzy.

     A few seconds later, he got the answer to this question.

     "As per your request, I have conferred with the other members of the High Council. They have denied the motion to upgrade the danger level of the continent to the highest level. The reason being recorded is that no prediction in the history of Angaria has ever been accurate, at all. Final vote: 7-2."

     Hearing this, the shoulders of both the Matron and Marcus slumped.

     From their expressions, Daneel could tell that they expected this, but it still came as a disappointment.

     However, the others in the room actually let out sighs of relief.

     "The High Council knows best! If they say that it's not necessary, then it means that they must be confident of protecting all of us, at least. If we don't die foolishly during the war, that is."

     "Although I doubt that, there is no way that I would train with those wenches from the Goddess's Sanctum. I would rather bend them over my leg than form a team with them. I can only say that I hope you are right."

     As Daneel heard these two statements from the two in front of him whom he had eavesdropped on before, he was trying hard not to make judgments without knowing all the information.

     He was the type who would consider a threat real and to be planned against if there was even a 1% chance of it happening, that too when the threat was on such a massive scale.

     So, from his viewpoint, it just seemed foolish for the Big 4 not to escalate their 'danger level', whatever that was.

     [Danger Level: 4 states of danger level have been decided on by the High Council-Yellow, orange, red and black in ascending order. Yellow is for situations where moderate loss of life is possible in the Central Continent. The rules state that secondary forces must be sent out to stop the threat. Orange is for threats to the stability of the Central Continent, which might lead to massive loss of life. All active duty personnel can be deployed. Red is for an active threat to the entire continent, which will definitely cause loss of life in both the Central Continent and the Big 4. Aggressive member hiring, trinket production, and strategical planning must be carried out. Black is for threats which will most possibly wipe out the entire continent. All of the Big 4 must unite, form combined armies, plan combined defense strategies and resort to extreme measures(including forbidden ones) to save Angaria.]

     As this long explanation rattled through Daneel's head, he got a better understanding of why the two in front of him had spoken in that way.

     Clearly, all this information was from the secret archive, which made Daneel feel relieved that the decision to gamble everything on coming here for data hadn't been wrong.

     As the whispering resumed, Daneel assumed the meeting was over, as the Matron and Marcus were just standing there, looking down with defeated expressions on their faces.