Chapter 365: Nervous and new stats

The story was simple enough to follow, especially when one considered the current state of the world.

Kyle had been raised in an orphanage that had been taken down several years ago, and he had only recently awakened. Now, Veronica, the officer who had detected his presence while he was in Montclair, was escorting him to the place where all newly awakened beings were trained.

The headquarters of PSC.

And the very place where Arthur resided.

Kyle knew exactly where Arthur was, just as he knew the location of the island despite all the security measures employed to keep it hidden from the outside world.

However, attempting to reach the island without an invitation or the proper permit would have amounted to little more than needless self-harm.

He was strong, but not strong enough to recklessly challenge hundreds of formidable warriors, advanced security systems, and countless other safeguards designed to ensure that no intruder could even lay eyes upon the island, let alone set foot on it.

So, for the moment, he was content to sit quietly inside the aircraft Veronica had requested, steadily approaching the place where Kyle intended to have a word with the strongest Nightwalker in Guhang.

[Are you nervous, host?]

Aleda’s voice suddenly sounded in his mind as Kyle remained seated in silence. He couldn’t exactly speak to Veronica either, not with several other officers present nearby.

’Not really. I’ve seen horrors that humanity would probably rather declare surrender against than even contemplate fighting. Compared to those things, this doesn’t feel like much.’

[Host... You should be at least a little wary. Your vessel is still human, and you can get hurt while your hearts remain locked. You also need to pay close attention to how you display your strength once you arrive. If you revealed even a fraction of your experience with this many eyes watching you, they would immediately place you under intense surveillance.]

That was, without question, going to be the difficult part.

Still, Kyle wasn’t particularly concerned. Considering how desperate PSC had become in recent times, he was confident he could manage the act without much trouble.

If they discovered that an extraordinarily powerful warrior had appeared among them as a newly awakened recruit, suspicion would likely have to compete with hope. And hope would probably win.

Before they could spend too much time questioning him, they would likely strap a vest onto him, assign him some sort of duty, and send him off on his first raid.

So yes, Kyle could rely on their desperation rather than worry about maintaining his performance.

A moment later, he asked, ’Tell me, how is it going? Am I adapting well? My eyes tell me that physically, I’m perfectly fine.’

[Indeed, host. Here are your stats:]

[Current Skills:

1. God’s Eye: Lvl 10 (Max)

2. Stalemate: Lvl 10 (Max)

3. Gravity Field: Lvl 10 (Max)]

[Blessings:

1. Mate of the Moon

2. The Devourer]

[Tools:

1. Aquila of Achilles

2. Scythe of Black

3. Red Elixir]

[Stats:

Str: 45 → 50 (locked)

Spd: 50 → 58 (locked)

Int: 60 → 63 (locked)

End: 55 → 56 (locked)

Gen: 200 → 3500 (locked)]

Kyle hummed thoughtfully as he took in the information.

Quite interesting.

He hadn’t been keeping track of his Genesis lately, but that wasn’t particularly surprising. He had been hunting frequently, and the carcass Ethan had delivered to him had contributed significantly as well. The steady accumulation had gone largely unnoticed until now.

At his current stats, Kyle believed, ’I can unlock another skill.’

So far, Aquila and his Gravity Field skill had proven to be remarkably useful. He also relied on The Devourer more often than the others, though it wasn’t exactly an offensive spell like his other abilities. Its purpose was fundamentally different, making it difficult to compare it directly with the skills he used in combat.

His decision not to use the Scythe was simple. He had yet to encounter an opponent who could justify drawing it, and besides, the weapon was far too grim to casually swing around as though it were an ordinary armament.

[Host... another skill... what will it be?]

Kyle faintly smiled at Aleda’s cautious tone before asking, ’Nervous that I might restore something too overpowering?’

He had thousands upon thousands of spells to choose from. Every skill, ability, and technique that had once existed in the world had, in one form or another, been a part of him.

Naturally, among that vast collection were abilities that could completely annihilate an opponent without Kyle even needing to move a finger.

[Not at all, host. The system merely wishes the host to pay greater attention to the limits of his mortal shell.]

Kyle sighed inwardly. ’I understand, Aleda. And forcing the shell to contain spells that are too powerful would create a hole in the veil itself. That is unacceptable.’

The veil was delicate.

So was the very fabric of reality.

The Field that Nightwalkers created was already a form of tampering with that fabric. It might not be enough to tear reality apart, but it weakened it all the same. Every disturbance left its mark, however faint, and Kyle had no intention of becoming the one responsible for pushing that fragile balance beyond its limits.

If he ended up creating a spell that was simply too powerful for this world to withstand...

Yeah, he needed to think carefully about his next move.

"Hey, you worried?"

The sudden voice drew Kyle’s attention.

The soldier sitting across from him was looking in his direction.

That voice...

Kyle remembered him.

Cooper.

"No, I’m fine."

The soldier nodded, seemingly accepting the answer without much thought. Then, after a brief pause, he said, "I bet your response would change once you look to your left."

Kyle didn’t need to turn his head to know what lay to his left, but he decided to entertain the man and slowly glanced in that direction.

And there it was.

Beyond the veil of illusion, concealed from ordinary eyes, lay the island.

The very place where everything had begun to go downhill.

Kyle’s heart slowed by the slightest degree as the sight stirred memories he would rather have left buried. It had been almost half a month since that incident, yet the events remained as vivid in his mind as though they had happened only yesterday.

His gaze lingered on the distant island.

He was again away from the people he wanted to protect. Even Veronica would depart for Montclair soon

But this time...

Despite how far apart they might be, ’I won’t let anything happen to them.’