NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Retribution
I left Desbera and Christopher to their devices and made a plan to return in the morning for the boxes. I made it into my apartment and flopped onto the bed. The soft mattress felt like heaven and a part of me wanted to go straight to sleep. I had a few things to do first though. I pulled up my status screen and reviewed my improvements.
Name Amari Jackson
Level 26
Class [1-Epic]Psionic Paragon
Species [2]Human
Affiliation Earth
Manual [1]Ethereal Codex(22%)
Titles Beloved by Tao, Big Game, Chosen, First to Ten, Leader of the Pack, Monstersbane, Overlord Slayer, Overpowered, Perfect 100, Prime Hunter, Tutorial, Voyager,
Limited Titles Pinnacle
Tao Strand of Adamance — Comprehension: Low, Strand of Lucidity — Comprehension: Low
Agility 124 (Increase:65%. Potency:120%)
Constitution 124 (Increase:65%. Potency:120%)
Intelligence 148 (Increase:70%. Potency:120%)
Luck 135 (Increase:85%. Potency:120%)
Perception 120 (Increase:65%. Potency:120%)
Strength 101 (Increase:65%. Potency:120%)
Wisdom 273 (Increase:75%. Potency:120%)
Free Points 0
System Credits [1] 16,000,000
The grinding and the battle with the giant ape was lucrative. I now sat on a massive nest egg but I had no idea what to buy with it. Assuming the boxes didn't cost something ridiculous I would need to decide what to buy. More medicine was of course important but there was another option. The system shop allowed you to convert credits into stones at a massive loss according to Desbera. Unfortunately, I couldn't get second realm stones. With my level and titles making it harder for me to level 1st realm stones might as well be a currency in of themselves. I could grab a handful of the auxiliary skills Desbera mentioned but even that seemed reckless. The problem was that nothing I purchased would immediately make me more powerful. I sighed separated ten million credits and apportioned them to Saanite to spend as the need arrived. The last six million I decided to save until tomorrow. I would likely buy a spell or two with it but for now, it wasn't needed. I reviewed a few more things before closing my eyes. I was asleep within moments.
The next day I pulled up my quest log and confirmed the completion of the level 25 spell quest. I braced myself to be drawn into another vision but nothing happened. The familiar burn of a new sigil planting itself into my channels passed through me but that was it. I closed my eyes and focused on the brand-new spell. I was not disappointed, not at all. The sigil was a beautiful design that almost floated in place. It was hard to put into words which somewhat felt the spell. The spell was called Realm of Consciousness and it would create a domain that would weaken my enemies while making it easier for me to keep going. It was a peak quality spell which should mean that it would be more than worth it. My palms itched to try it out but I knew better. There was no way for me to know what it would do nor could I tell just how big the domain would be. I would be an asshole if I opened it and nearly killed the people who lived here with me. I pulled up the spell's window hoping it would give me some more details.
[1] Realm of Consciousness - Proficiency: Novice. The Domain of Thought, Enlightening and Enrapturing. Upgradeable.
The spell window wasn't much better than the sigil but that was fine. I would get the chance to try out the spell soon enough anyway. I gave my stats a review I went down and took care of a few last-minute concerns including the treasure boxes. Once everything was dealt with I stepped outside and checked my map. It was time for me to head toward that new city and hopefully meet some more cultivators. The run through the city was much less interesting this time. There were only a handful of monsters that avoided me which was a shame when compared to the literal stampede from last time. That being said it was much more conducive to what I needed to do.
I continued for around four hours before I was finally attacked. This time it was a bipedal lizard that looked like a cross between a crocodile and a komodo dragon. The entire thing was about ten feet tall and as wide as a car. The whole thing kind of looked stupid. It was perfect for the test I wanted to perform. I pushed energy into my newest sigil. The lizard let out a snarl and rushed me. I hadn't managed to cross half the distance when a cloud of grey mist exploded outward from me. The mist spread out in every direction like a sea but it did nothing to mess with my vision. Instead, I became even more aware of everything. It was as if the mist itself had become my eyes and ears. The lizard wasn't as fortunate. I hadn't moved yet somehow it had gone off course and ran into a wall.
The mist had grown to a radius of 150 feet in seconds. A trickle of mental energy flowed into my mind a second later. I hadn't lost much from the spell's activation so it didn't make much of a difference but what would it do when I was in battle? If I were fighting multiple enemies? This domain would amazing its only weakness was that it relied on me being alone. As far as I could tell the mist would obscure the senses of everyone but me. It also hurt the lizard. Or rather it reduced the lizard's abilities by about ten percent. I couldn't tell if it was applied to its mind or its attributes and it didn't matter. Most things on the planet weren't strong enough to fight me at their full power. Losing ten percent of their abilities and then fighting me was out of the question.
I didn't think the Giant Ape would be able to do much if it had to fight me like this. The lizard started attacking at random. It tore through cars, mailboxes, and glass windows in its pursuit of me. After a few minutes, it began to sway on its feet almost like it was drunk. I didn't think the mental energy drain would be lethal to it even if I left it alone forever but it would certainly make avoiding attacks nearly impossible. Next, I tried to infuse the spell with either of my tao and failed. The sigil refused to let them inside and I wasn't sure if it was because of something I did wrong or if there was some sort of additional requirement. Either way, I didn't care. I rubbed my hands together, grinned, and formed two blades of psychic energy. As soon as I unleashed them the fog parted and the lizard caught sight of me. It was too late and far too slow to avoid either blade. As soon as they hit I stepped back into the fog and waited for the lizard to lose me.
The process repeated itself for a few minutes before the lizard collapsed and I received its kill energy. Just as I expected the mental energy stream ended with its death. I made a mental note to test it out on enemies with proper mental defenses. I needed to know if something Intellect Fortress would reduce or even stop the drain. Or if it would protect them against the actual effects. All in all my new spell was pretty damn good. It wasn't hard to see that my main method of attack was meant to be Psychic Mastery and then Psionic Rain would be the kind of big attack. If I were a bit more normal I would probably travel with a guard or squad of guards who would make sure I didn't get hit while I destroyed my enemy. If I were to focus on fighting smaller enemies like a reasonable person I should be able to deal with them in one to three hits. Psionic Rain should be a one-shot for most things. Of course, I also had Psychic Aegis and Psychic Blast. My offensive skill set was pretty well rounded even without a single ultimate blast.
It still wasn't good enough for me to relax. The ape was a threat and I doubted it was the only powerhouse in the world. Then I would have to deal with other humans. Bullets weren't a problem yet but what about bombs? Missiles? Chemicals? What about enemy arrays? There was also the System itself. There was no way it would just let me relax and take it easy. Lastly, I had to turn my attention to the stars. Was I strong to other species? Other humans? What about the rich kids who could afford treasure, elixirs, and whatever else existed? I balled my fingers into a fist and shook my head. The moment I started to think I was enough was the moment I died. I chuckled and pulled up my map. There was no good in getting too distracted by the future. For now, I needed to reach that next city and start growing my force.
It only took me an hour to reach the city and what I saw made me regret coming. The city was a large neighborhood surrounded by a large metal fence. To be more accurate someone had taken large pieces of sheet metal and embedded them in the ground next to one another. Most of the walls had holes in them that varied in size. Which told me that bullets and then spells were used against them at some point. The tops of the wall were wrapped in razor wire and from the looks of it, at least some people had tried to climb it. Scattered remains of fabric hung like macabre flags. None of that was what made my stomach turn though. Someone had decapitated people and left their heads on stakes in front of the gate. As if someone was living their twisted medieval fantasy.
The whole thing made me want to wipe the city off the face of the earth but I didn't. The people walking in front of the gate made me stop. They weren't soldiers. Some of them had weapons that were little more than wooden poles. I sensed nothing from them. No pressure, no killing intent, not even a dull sense of danger. These people were likely still level fucking one. I wasn't sure how I should proceed. I could open a portal and just step through but then what? Did I want to conquer another town? Even if I did could I hold it? I shook my head. None of that mattered. I needed to first find out why the city was like this. After that, I would kill whoever I had to and then deal with whatever came next.
I activated Apportation, aiming for another large building in the distance. The portal opened, I stepped off of my tree branch and was inside the city in less than a moment. Being inside the city was so much worse. The city had gone back to the dark ages. A river of filth passed through the sides of the street. A testament to the death of sanitation now that literally, no one seemed to to care. Children and the elderly scurried about as if terrified of being in the sun for too long. My thoughts were interrupted when I caught sight of a metal color with a dense sigil around the necks of the man and woman pair. The sigil was a dark red color that made me think of a burning brand.
My breath caught as it felt like someone had set my skin on fire. Slave collars. Someone had started enslaving people. The very thought felt anathema to me. As if I had become the heavens and its very presence was an affront to me. Before I could stop it my killing intent exploded out of me. The shoddy buildings seemed to scream in response as if even they were afraid of the fury and judgment that I would bring. I didn't even remember stepping off of the building before I was in front of the pair. My killing intent surrounded us in a howling bubble of tempestuous fury. I wasn't sure how I was keeping myself from killing them and everyone around me but I was. The pair flinched and dropped to their knees when I appeared. Their bodies were so malnourished I could see their bones. It hadn't even been two months. It didn't even take two months before we were doing this to each other.
"Who did this to you?" I tried to make my voice calm but based on their reactions I failed. They recoiled as if my words were physical.
"I—I am sorry. Whatever we did. We apologize please don't." The man moved in front of the woman and started begging. Every one of his words felt like I knife to my hard. I reached for them intending to undo the collar only for the man to fall to his knees. The disgusting ground stained his face and his words were lost. I turned toward the large houses in the distance. Spiritual energy surged into my feet and didn't so much as step as rocket in their direction. The terror in their faces engraved itself into my mind and ignited a flame in my soul. I slammed into the ground like a rocket. The neighborhood was some sort of suburban cul-de-sac with its gate.
A trio of guards stepped in front of me. All three were cultivators and wore some kind of leather armor. The one in the lead said something but I didn't hear it. I didn't care either. A pulse of mental energy shot toward him in the next second and he dropped dead. For the first time, I didn't feel regret or excitement at a kill. The man's death felt like an affront. The other two screamed. They should have attacked. In a near copy of what the Giant Ape had tried to do to me. I blurred and slammed a fist into the next man's chest. I felt his ribs shatter. I grabbed him around the neck and launched him into the third man. The two of them were sent flying into the gate. The gate was forced open and the two skipped across the ground like stones. I looked down at my fist confused. I didn't even remember infusing them with energy. I activated Apportation and stepped through the portal before anyone else could arrive.
I stepped into the living room of one of the three houses. The idyllic scene made it seem like the world outside was a lie. As if I had stepped out of a dream. The scene was like pouring gas on a raging flame. Two people came down the large marble staircase with guns raised. Literal guns. Psionic Rain brought their deaths before they had a chance to raise them let alone shoot me. Watching them die so peacefully grated on my soul. I made my way up the stairs chasing the sound of voices. Every time my rage began to falter I reached for the face of that couple. The collars around their necks. Their emaciated bodies. The staked heads. I kicked a pair of double doors open only to be greeted by a storm of attacks. Lightning, Fire, and wind. My robes redistributed the impacts the best they could but I felt them tearing. I considered using Psychic Aegis to defend me but I decided against it. I wanted them to fear me.
The attacks finished and I placed two healing pills in my mouth. I stepped into the ruined room only to find a trio of cultivators in various states of undress. At the foot of a large circular bed were another four people, two men and two chained to the bed by their ankles.
"Who are you." My head snapped toward a tall woman with half her head shaved. Lightning danced in the palm of her hands as she tried to push her fear down. I stared at her for what felt like an eternity as I searched for the words. It was as if my anger had stolen my ability to speak.
"She said who in the hell are you—" I shot a blade of mental energy into the man who spoke's chest. He dropped dead in the next second prompting a scream from everyone else.
"I am Amari. The strongest person on this planet. Imagine my surprise at how far things have fallen."
"You were at the tutorial same as the rest of us. We have every right to do what we want." The woman spoke up again her resolve growing with each word. "This is a world where the strong make the rules."
I nodded although I had already dismissed the woman from my thoughts. I stepped over to the bed and snapped the chains holding the others. They looked at me with a mixture of relief, fear, and apprehension. As if they couldn't determine if they had been saved or if they had just switched one tormentor for another. "Go and find every other slave, captive, or whatever else they are called. Free them."
The group ran from the room as fast as they could. I wasn't sure if they would actually do what I told them and honestly, I didn't care. I didn't need them to listen it wasn't like anyone in this forsaken place could stop me. That realization felt like lightning through my veins. I turned back to the trio who had managed to get their clothes on. "I believe you said that this was a world where the strong make the rules."