Chapter 122: Another Eye - XVII

Images, faces, and names continued to flood my senses.

SSS-Rank Prince of the Underworld.

SSS-Rank Dragon Ballenvauch.

SSS-Rank High Winged Lion King Arvishue’rre.

SS-Rank High Elf Afira.

After these four, I was able to peer into the information of other players of the Game of Walvaskaz.

All of these players had either made a move to influence the recent destruction of the Living City of Hispe or benefitted from it somehow.

SSS-Rank Abundance Hydra Ki

SSS-Rank Angel Suriel

SS-Rank Draconic Serpent Vastha von Vielour

SS-Rank Demon General Incisius

One familiar face appeared among the new. It was Clementine’s ancestor and the manipulator of her branch of the family. Apparently, the destruction of Hispe had its merits in damaging me?

’Ah no, is she benefiting because of my increase in strength instead?’

Sifting through the massive number of images with a Mind stat of 985, it felt like I was wielding a computer in my own brain:

I watched her orchestrate something behind the scenes of the upcoming Snakespawn conference.

Over the years, there had been many favors here and some instructions there. A bunch of Snakespawns were born and raised before assimilating into the Empire’s society.

Vastha had also appointed more than a few acquaintances while also sending out missions to hire certain adept and inept people. These people would then be nudged in certain directions to create various organizations and events, both good and bad.

As well as Vastha’s own Serpent Sorcerer Association infiltrating the previous Snakespawn conferences both out in the open and in secret...

Suddenly, I understood what might happen—it was directly related to Clementine’s performance. With me breaching SS-Rank with my attributes alone, and with Lillie overtly wielding her S-Rank aura, there was no challenge her supporters could fail.

With all of Vastha’s pawns in play, Clementine would most certainly be tested.

’Perhaps <Perfect Estimate> and the other <Trait> currently hiding within the Vielour legacy chamber near her family’s compound would be integral to completing Vastha’s challenges...’

And since I already had <Perfect Estimate>, Clementine had no way of retrieving it. Hell, she hadn’t even known it was there!

’I’ll have to take that second Eye of Bhulmasine soon.’

My eyes flashed with a certain gleam.

All of these threads of <Fate> were related to the players of the Game of Walvaskaz.

What did that mean?

[Absolute Awareness]!

—BOOM!

Just moments after I released my senses, I had summoned the strength of two of my A-Rank <Traits>.

[Power of the Sky]!

[Power of Death]!

—Crack!

Details rapidly filled my mind.

[A-Rank. Earth-attributed mana affinity. Currently connected telepathically to three others of its kind.]

A rabid Minotaur, much bulkier than Hau’goth, crashed into the space in front of me. It stood at exactly ten feet tall, with sinewy shoulders at least two meters wide. Its hulking frame barely fit into this particular corridor of the Layers Beneath.

It had only been a few seconds since I used <Warp> to bring Kuvie, Reazue, and Gron along with me.

Clearly, my magic was being tracked.

Why?

Well, I knew why. All I needed was a glance to see it:

The strings of <Fate> revealed its connection to a familiar High Winged Lion King. All that benevolence in its aura was but a pretense to hide its insidious ways. King Arvishue’rre had probably noticed my magic and thus sent his underlings out to probe.

—Whoosh!

My muscles tensed as I rushed forward. Winds swirled in my wake as every single step created forces that shattered the stone floor. The surrounding darkness veiled my movements, ensuring that my approach would bring about a great surprise.

In only three steps, I bounded my way forward, arriving in front of the Minotaur whose eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness of the current layer.

—SHING!

In a single motion, I unsheathed the <Sword of Light>. Its blade had yet to experience blood on my hands, but we were but a few split seconds away from a big change.

[Manakinesis].

[Mana Manipulation].

Several hundred points of light-attributed mana surged and condensed upon the blade. Then, it compressed by itself and sharpened the already-vorpal <Sword of Light>, extending its reach by a whole meter.

A blinding flash of light drowned out the darkness. The Minotaur’s eyes burned as the <Sword of Light>, clad in its element, tore through its neck.

—Swish!

The Minotaur’s head was separated from its body.

But no head flew into the air.

Nor did its hulking frame crash onto the floor beneath its feet.

When the light faded and Kuvie and Reazue regained their bearings, all that was left was a hole in the ceiling and four distinct impact craters.

The A-Rank Minotaur died in an instant, and I stored its sad corpse in the <Sub-Dimensional Ruby Ring>.

My magic was already being tracked.

I could not leave more traces for them to use against me.

"Kuvie, Reazue! Take Gron and move deeper. We’re being pursued."

After saying that, I summoned the full power of my winds and rushed through the Layers Beneath. Inwardly, I was analyzing the reason why only an A-Rank Minotaur squad had been sent to pursue us.

’My outward aura is that of an A-Rank. Even when I utilize my vastly superior stats, it is clear that the aura I release is still that of an A-Rank.’

In a way, I hadn’t truly broken through to S-Rank and increased the quality of every stat point I wielded.

’Odd... Could this be a characteristic only I have?’

Due to the Gaea System, I gained Levels if I killed enough otherworldly beings. Furthermore, for every Level I gained, I would also be awarded additional stat points for each attribute I had.

Earth had a very straightforward numerical system. The higher the level, the more the stats, and the more power these stats actually exert.

On Fleim, it was a constant pursuit of qualitative changes. The difference between A-Rank and S-Rank had the most obvious shift.

It was simple:

Evolution.

"Hmmm..."

I squinted as I rushed towards my next target.

[Absolute Awareness].

With an influx of information, I learned that the Hunters of Earth also underwent a special change after hitting Level 200. In a way, Level 199 signified the limits of one’s biology.

Evolution was therefore a shared occurrence.

A certain portion of my suspicions suddenly grew.