Chapter 125: Another Eye - XX

When I said that the Walvaskaz Empire was going crazy, of course, I only meant it in certain pockets of chaos.

Isolated systems and constrained regions where power was concentrated.

The Empire was simply too vast to be thrown completely into chaos.

However, because of <Fate’s> threads entangled around me, my every movement created ripples—

Ripples that brought foes to my doorstep one step at a time.

"Tsk," I couldn’t help but click my tongue when hundreds upon thousands of people noticed my every <Warp>. First, it had been those SSS-Rank entities. Now, somehow, a lot of people had coincidentally spread their senses towards their immediate environment.

The spatial fluctuations of a mage were always points of interest to such people, as they were both a threat and an opportunity.

To them, <Warp> was always a spell made with ample preparation, transporting a large group of people.

Right now, at least, I’d only been targeted by some random organization and not by every single person who noticed my movements. Though thousands took notice, not all of them were free enough to meddle in my affairs.

As for that organization... Well, they were valid.

My <Warp> had intruded upon their territory.

Of course, I knew that it was theirs even beforehand, and that they were a bit sensitive about intruders—like little porcupines who minded their own business for a while.

However, <Fate> was arranging my presence here by revealing the presence of an Eye of Bhulmasine. This one had already been taken out of its corresponding legacy chamber and was now a few purification rituals away from being absorbed by someone else.

It was unexpected, but I had more than a single reason to intrude.

—BOOM!

Tearing through the micrometer-wide weakness in their barrier, my [Warp] rapidly expanded and devoured the surrounding enchantments. Kuvie and Reazue stumbled upon our arrival.

A chain reaction occurred, and the barrier exploded. The blue sky above my head shattered, revealing the true, cloud-filled sky beyond.

With the barrier down, I located an optimal fortress to hole up in. My senses blanketed my surroundings, completely embracing the enemy organization’s territory.

"Oi... Aventine, where are we?" Reazue asked.

"Urgh..." Kuvie just groaned.

I ignored them as I hurriedly analyzed the upcoming battlefield.

Pathways and secret tunnels were laid bare before me.

Traps and hidden enchantments weren’t so terrifying anymore.

Then—

"Aha,"

[Warp] twisted our surroundings with a miniature wormhole.

"Oh... dear gods—" Kuvie passed out under the pressure of twisting space.

First, I deposited Gron in an empty room. The white marble flooring was incredibly bright due to the lack of any decorations.

With a wave of my hand, I placed a few items down simply because. I also spent a second taking out a bed for Gron, Kuvie, and—

—Thud.

For Reazue as well.

The recent rush must have been hard on them. Enemies were swiftly converging upon this location.

’After taking the Eye of Bhulmasine, I’ll hole up here and wait for the three to recover.’

Light-attributed mana could heal physical wounds, but it wasn’t that effective on one’s mental state. Usually, a Hero of Leisha would have the <Indomitable Human Spirit> to fight off any mental attacks.

Thus, I had to let them sleep. Any more <Warps> or any exposure to hostile auras could shatter their psyches.

I knew what a shattered consciousness felt like.

Thus, a vague emerald colored Magic Circle appeared at my feet. It was the 5th-Circle Spatial Magic spell,

[Blink].

Moving through space once again, I exploited the pinpoint accuracy of [Absolute Awareness] and appeared before a middle-aged Beastwoman, whose pure black fur had taken on a few wisps of grey.

In her hand was a red, bloodshot eyeball, gleaming malevolently as if it bore a hundred terrifying curses.

No wonder they felt like they needed a purification ritual.

I knew better.

—FLASH!

A blast of radiant light flooded the surroundings the moment I appeared, blinding every person conducting the ritual. At least a dozen B-Rank mages and about three A-Rank warriors were forced to react.

Despite the light, two of the warriors had already attacked. The Beastmen brandished razor-sharp claws of different styles. It seemed that their claws were a big part of their identities.

—Swish.

Still, I acted faster.

The <Sword of Light>, coated in its elemental mana, tore through the air. The middle-aged Beastwoman did what her instincts told her to do:

She guarded her heart and her neck, with half a leap backwards as she extended her claws.

But I wasn’t after her life.

All that mattered to me—was the eye in her hand.

—Splurt!

A stream of blood and a shattered bone.

A severed hand flying in the air.

...And a powerful gust of wind in my direction.

In but an instant, the ordeal was completed. Now, I had to retreat swiftly with the item I wanted in my hand.

[Warp].

As swiftly as I arrived, I left. After consecutive high-cost scans using [Absolute Awareness] and the earlier expenditure to erase the mark on my body using a costly 8th-Circle spell...

I was running low on mana.

Luckily, it was <Fate’s> arrangement for this organization of Beast Humans to merely be home to A-Rankers. None of them had undergone Evolution and stepped into the endless pursuit of S-Rank and beyond.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have bribed me here.

I could simply choose a much safer location, away from all chaos.

From here, I just needed to keep an eye out for the other players of the Game of Walvaskaz... And it wasn’t looking good for me.

I guess that was what happened when I somehow escaped the tracking of the SSS-Rank Arvishue’rre despite being a mere A-Rank. I had overstepped, somehow, and now, there were a bunch of curious probes snaking after me.

Even though they could not pinpoint my whereabouts right away... They could still infer and gather information through other channels.

It was only a matter of time before they discovered me and sent over waves upon waves of ambushes and schemes.

Such was the meticulous wariness of those above.

—Thud.

I reappeared in the empty yet ornate room. The crystalline ceiling and the marble floor truly made for an ostentatious sight to behold.

Kuvie, Gron, and Reazue were all passed out on different beds.

[Power of Death].

I placed a veil of shadows and darkness over their sleeping forms, hoping that some insidious mode of attack would avoid them.

[Absolute Awareness] was great when I wasn’t being targeted, and even better when I was.

Now, however, I had to deal with the anxiety of possibility. Because I knew so much, I worried about anything and everything.

Included in my worries were powerful Psychic Techniques that could turn those three into puppets without me realizing it right away.

I would have to constantly monitor them... and right now, I did not have the mana to do so.

The <Power of Death> was a good remedy in that regard.

—Splotch!

I crushed the Red Eye of Bhulmasine. Feeling the bursting eyeball in my hand with such clarity I would rather not revisit, I shuddered as blood and eye matter splattered onto my clothes.

In the next instant... My mind opened up further than I thought possible.

"Ah..."

I almost let out a pleasant moan.

The mental relief that I just gained in this moment—

Getting the B-Rank <Trait>, <Parallel Thought>, was going to be worth all the blood I was about to shed in the coming hours.

This was how I took another step forward in completing Bhulmasine’s <Deduction>.

"Haaah,"

Unfortunately, I did not have the time to relish in my current achievements.

[Moving Meditation].

[Mana Manipulation].

[Manakinesis].

I hurried to refill my mana reserves.

Then...

[Parallel Thought].

With another mental <Trait> supplementing me, I split my consciousness into two perfect halves. One was in charge of rapidly regenerating my mana, while the other looked into something that had been pending for a little while now.

I summoned the Gaea System’s screens to appear before me and moved the relevant messages into the center of my view.

[You have reached Level 10! You may attempt an Awakening to gain a new Trait!]

[You have reached Level 20! You may attempt an Awakening to gain a new Trait!]

[You have reached Level 30! You may attempt an Awakening to gain a new Trait!]

...

...

...

[You have reached Level 130! You may attempt an Awakening to gain a new Trait!]

I had thirteen chances to attempt an Awakening!

This was a benefit that only those Hunters with the Gaea System could enjoy—and it was frankly insane.

After all, if one made it to SSS-Rank with a Level of 10,000... How many <Traits> could that journey have given any one Hunter? A thousand?

’Well, that should be the case of a 100% <Trait> awakening rate...’

...And no single individual was capable of such perfection.

At least, no Hunter at the moment had a 100% awakening rate. As for what the criteria were for one’s awakening...

"Huh..."

I suddenly felt curious about that.

Thus... thanks to the <Trait> I gained from the second Eye of Bhulmasine, I could look into it with my extra river of consciousness.