Chapter 254: What should I do?

The void stretched endlessly in every direction, a suffocating expanse of nothing that had become Nathan’s entire world.

Time had lost all meaning. He had stopped counting the seconds, the minutes, the hours. They bled into each other, leaving only a vague sense of duration that felt both infinite and instantaneous. His body floated in perfect suspension, neither falling nor rising, simply existing in the space between spaces.

But he wasn’t alone.

’Master, I am bored.’

Nathan felt the corner of his mouth twitch. Even in the void, even in this sensory wasteland where nothing existed except darkness and silence, Mirko’s voice cut through the emptiness with the force of a battering ram.

’You have mentioned that seventeen times in the past hour,’ Kuro observed dryly through the link.

’I am merely stating a fact! This Knight was not designed for inactivity! I require challenges! Adversaries! Something to stab!’

’There is nothing here to stab, Mirko.’

’Then I shall stab the void itself!’

’You cannot stab nothing.’

’I can try!’

Nathan let out a breath that wasn’t quite a sigh and wasn’t quite a laugh. The mental link pulsed with familiar warmth—four distinct presences that had become as essential to him as breathing. Mirko’s fierce, burning energy. Kuro’s cool, analytical calm. Shiro’s regal, unwavering loyalty. Ororo’s gentle, soothing patience.

They were his anchors in this endless dark.

’How long has it been?’ Shiro asked quietly. Her voice carried the weight of formal concern. ’The Young Lord has not moved in some time.’

"I’m not sure," Nathan admitted aloud. His voice sounded strange in the void—muffled, like speaking through thick cloth. "Time doesn’t work here. Or maybe it works differently. I can’t tell."

’we are safe within the summon space,’ Ororo said softly. ’but the same cannot be said about you master.’

Nathan closed his eyes. The darkness behind his eyelids was indistinguishable from the darkness around him. "I know. You guys safety is the only thing keeping me sane right now."

’You are not insane, Master,’ Mirko declared with absolute certainty. ’You are simply trapped in an endless void with no exit, no enemies, no challenges, and no food. This would drive lesser beings to madness. You are our master, you do not break.’

’Your confidence in the summoner is... noted,’ Kuro said.

’It is not confidence. It is fact. I have witnessed the Master overcome impossible odds. A void is merely another obstacle.’

Nathan opened his eyes. The void stared back at him, indifferent and eternal.

"Mirko’s right," he said quietly. "I can’t just float here forever. I need to figure out where I am. Why I’m here. And how to get back."

’The throne,’ Kuro said immediately. ’You touched the throne. The same moment Smithy and Goliath did. The light consumed all three of you.’

"I remember." Nathan’s jaw tightened. "Smithy was trying to sacrifice himself. Goliath was already dead but the Tower was puppeting his body. And I..." He trailed off. "I couldn’t let either of them take that seat alone. So I reached for it too."

’Three hands on one throne,’ Shiro mused. ’Three claimants. The System may not have known how to process that.’

’Or it processed it in a way none of us anticipated,’ Ororo added.

Nathan nodded slowly. "The question is—where did it send us? And why am I the only one here? Where are Smithy and Goliath?"

Silence.

’The Young Lord should not dwell on what cannot be answered,’ Shiro said gently. ’Focus on what can be done.’

She was right. Nathan took a breath—or the approximation of one—and forced his mind to shift gears.

"Okay. Training. I can’t move. I can’t fight. But I can practice."

’Practice what, Master?’ Mirko asked, her interest piqued.

"Overlord skills." Nathan raised his hand. The void didn’t care. But his System interface flickered to life, pale blue light cutting through the darkness. "I’ve been relying on the same four copied skills. I need to understand the class better. How it works. What it can do."

He swiped his hand and opened the subclass panel.

---

[Sub-Class: Overlord]

[Class Skills]

· [Copy] — The ability to replicate and utilize skills from other classes.

· [Overlord’s Authority] — Temporarily enhances a chosen weapon’s performance. Scales with magical power and weapon rank. Limited duration. Significant cooldown.

[Copied Skills]

· [Impenetrable Fortress] — from Mirko

· [Invisibility] — from Kuro

· [Tyrant Dragon Fist] — from Shiro

· [Healing Field] — from Ororo

[Overlord Points (OP): 1200]

---

Nathan stared at the glowing text below.

Overlord Points.

He had never seen that before.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

’Master?’ Mirko’s voice was sharp with concern. ’What is it?’

"There’s a new section in my subclass panel. Overlord Points. One thousand two hundred of them." He paused. "I’ve never seen this before."

’Perhaps the Lord Creation incident unlocked it,’ Kuro suggested. ’The Tower was a soul-forge. It may have interacted with your Overlord class in unexpected ways.’

’Or perhaps the class simply matured,’ Shiro offered. ’The Young Lord has used the Overlord abilities extensively. It may be evolving.’

Nathan nodded slowly. That made sense. The class had been dormant for months while he hid it from everyone. But during the tournament, and especially during Lord Creation, he had used it openly. Repeatedly. The class had been exercised. Stretched. Perhaps it had unlocked new features.

He tapped the Overlord Points section.

---

[Overlord Points (OP): 1200]

[Description: OP is accumulated through the active use of Overlord-class abilities. Points can be spent to permanently acquire skills from the Accessed Skills registry.]

[Accessed Skills]

Nathan’s breath caught as the panel expanded. And what he saw made his stomach drop.

---

[Accessed Skills — Registry]

Skill Witnessed From Cost (OP) Compatibility:

[Unbreakable Will] Arthur Reinhardt: 5000p, low compatibility.

[Glacial Lance] Elise Winterhart: 1000p, Moderate compatibility.

[Impact Strike] Garrett Voss: 500p, High compatibility.

[Thunder Edge] Dillon Briggs: 700p, Moderate compatibility.

[Sword Saint’s Domain] Kaito Shimizu: 4500p, Low compatibility.

[Spirit Merge] Amara Okoye: 6000p, Very Low compatibility.

[Flash Step] Dillon Briggs: 800p, High compatibility.

[Mana Shield] Elise Winterhart: 600p, Moderate compatibility.

[Chi Reinforcement] Long Wei: 3500p, Moderate compatibility.

[Shadow Lock] Kuro 0 — Summon High

[Gigantification] Mirko 0 — Summon High

[Dragonification] Shiro 0 — Summon High

[Negate Ailment] Ororo 0 — Summon High

[Aegis Strike] Mirko 0 — Summon High

[Assassinate] Kuro 0 — Summon High

[Blind] Kuro 0 — Summon High

[Dragon King’s Ascension] Shiro 0 — Summon High

[Magic Aura] Ororo 0 — Summon High

---

Nathan stared at the list.

It was a catalog of every skill he had ever witnessed. Every ability he had seen used in combat. Every technique that had been deployed in his presence since the moment he awakened the Overlord class.

Arthur’s [Unbreakable Will] . Kaito’s [Sword Saint’s Domain] . Amara’s [Spirit Merge] . Long Wei’s [Chi Reinforcement] .

And his summons’ skills. All of them. Listed. Priced. Available.

"What the hell," Nathan whispered again. "This is... this is insane."

’What is it, Master?’ Mirko asked impatiently. ’You are being very dramatic and not explaining anything!’

Nathan swallowed hard. "The Overlord class. It’s not just about copying skills from my summons. It’s about copying skills from anyone. Anyone I’ve ever seen use a skill. The class records them. Files them. And I can... buy them. With Overlord Points."

Silence.

Then, from all four summons at once:

’WHAT?!’

---

Nathan explained. The registry. The costs. The compatibility ratings.

’So you can steal anyone’s skills,’ Kuro said slowly. ’As long as you have enough points.’

"It’s not... stealing," Nathan said, though the words felt hollow even to him. "It’s... replicating. The System offers it as a class feature. It’s not theft if it’s a legitimate mechanic."

’The Young Lord is correct,’ Shiro said. ’The Overlord class was designed by the System. If it offers this ability, it is intended.’

’Intended by whom?’ Ororo asked quietly. ’The Shepherd used this class. He was a Lord. A parasite. Perhaps this ability is not as benign as it appears.’

Nathan was quiet, because she had a point.

The Shepherd had consumed worlds. Absorbed civilizations. He had taken everything from everyone and left nothing behind. Was this registry just a smaller version of that? A way to take what wasn’t his?

’Master,’ Mirko said firmly. ’You are not the Shepherd.’

"I know."

’Do you? You are hesitating and feeling guilt for something you have not even done yet.’

Nathan let out a breath. "It feels wrong. Taking skills from people without their permission. Even if the System allows it, it feels like... a violation."

’Then do not take from the unwilling,’ Kuro said simply.

Nathan blinked. "What?"

’You are not required to purchase every skill in the registry. You are not required to purchase any skill. The choice is yours. If you feel it is wrong to take skills from strangers, then do not take them. Simple.’

’Kuro speaks wisdom,’ Shiro added. ’The Young Lord’s strength comes from his choices. Not from this borrowed power. If acquiring a skill would compromise your principles, then the skill is not worth acquiring.’

’But,’ Ororo said gently, ’there is no shame in using what is freely offered. Your summons, we gave you our skills willingly. You did not steal them. You did not violate us. We offered them because we trust you.’

Nathan looked at the list again.

His summons’ skills were marked as "0 — Summon." Free. Because they were his. Because they were family. Because they had given themselves to him willingly.

The others—Arthur, Kaito, Amara, Long Wei, Elise, Garrett, Dillon—were different. They had not given him anything. He had simply witnessed them. Recorded them. And now the System was offering to let him take what they had earned.

"One thousand two hundred points," Nathan murmured. "I could afford Elise’s [Glacial Lance] . Or Garrett’s [Impact Strike] and Dillon’s [Thunder Edge] combined. But Arthur’s [Unbreakable Will] costs five thousand. Amara’s [Spirit Merge] costs six thousand. Those are... expensive."

’The prices reflect the power of the skill,’ Kuro observed. ’And the compatibility.’

Nathan nodded. "[Impact Strike] has high compatibility. [Flash Step] too. Those are skills that fit my fighting style. But [Spirit Merge] ? Very low compatibility. I could buy it, but I wouldn’t be able to use it effectively."

’Then the system is balanced,’ Shiro said. ’Powerful skills cost more. However, compatibility might affect the skills to cost less. It rewards thoughtful acquisition.’

’So what will you do, Young Master?’ Ororo asked.

Nathan stared at the list for a long moment.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "Part of me wants to buy everything. To be ready for whatever comes next. But another part of me..."

’Hesitates,’ Mirko finished. ’Because you are not a thief.’

"Yeah."

’Then do not buy anything,’ she said simply. ’You have us. You have the skills we gave you. You have your bow. You have your mind. That has been enough for every challenge so far. It will be enough for the next one.’

Nathan closed his eyes.

She was right.

He didn’t need to take from others. He had his own strength. His own skills. His own family.

But...

"One thousand two hundred points," he murmured. "That’s enough for [Glacial Lance] . Elise gave me that skill. Not literally, but... she taught me what it meant. Precision. Control. Power used with purpose."

’Elise cares for you,’ Ororo said softly. ’She would not begrudge you the skill.’

"I know." Nathan opened his eyes. "But I still want to earn it. Not buy it outright."

He swiped the interface closed.

The void returned, dark and endless.

"I’ll keep the points," he said quietly. "For now. Maybe when I’m faced with a greater obstacle, I’ll buy the perfect one that fits the situation."

’A worthy goal, Young Lord,’ Shiro said approvingly.

’And what will you do now?’ Kuro asked. ’We are still trapped in a void.’

Nathan looked around at the endless dark. The stillness. The silence.

"I’m going to practice," he said. "The skills I already have. I can’t move, but I can still focus. Still channel mana. Still train."

’Then we shall train with you,’ Mirko declared. ’The Bunny Girl Legion does not rest while its Master works!’

’We will support you,’ Ororo added.

’Always,’ Shiro said.

’Through the void and beyond,’ Kuro said.

Nathan smiled.

Four presences. Four anchors. Four embers in the dark.

"Okay," he said. "Let’s get to work."

He raised his hand. The void didn’t care. But the System flickered to life, and his copied skills hummed with readiness.

[Impenetrable Fortress] . [Invisibility] . [Tyrant Dragon Fist] . [Healing Field] .

Four skills. Four pieces of his family.

He would master them. Perfect them. And when he finally escaped this place, he would be ready for whatever waited on the other side.

’Master,’ Mirko said softly. ’We are with you. Always.’

"I know," Nathan said. "That’s what keeps me going."