Ryn
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Chapter 225
🕑 Added 2024-12-09 19:00:06 +0000 UTCIt wasn’t that shocking that this particular orb was the most worrying out of the three epic skills. There was a reason why he had been wanting to save this one for last.
However, he wasn’t going to hesitate this time around. He knew what he was going for. He wanted to reach Tier 3 with three Concepts and three epic skills. There wasn’t anything that was going to stop him. He would do it or die trying.
He cranked up [Sage of Savagery] to its absolute max. It was so intense that he almost felt like he blacked out, but after reining himself in, he was prepared.
There was only the orb and himself present at the moment. With a resolved reach of his arm, he touched the orb with his fingers.
He didn’t have a fighting chance.
Nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught of power that was unleashed. It completely overwhelmed him and he felt his soul begin to burn.
Nothing he could do would stop it. It wasn’t like this was his actual body, this was just a metaphysical representation of it. Therefore, there was nothing for [Phoenix Renewal] to heal.
His soul was literally being burned to ash.
He could only desperately fight with everything he had as he watched his soul burn one inch at a time.
Still, no matter how bleak it looked, he made sure to keep fighting. It didn’t matter how dire the circumstances were, he wouldn’t give up.
With that being said, the power of the Phoenix Concept ran over any of his efforts like it was nothing. Inexorable Will wasn’t able to hold it off.
He had known that this had been a possibility, but he had been expecting that he would have been able to handle it as long as he tried his hardest.
The frustrating reality was that his body and soul weren’t able to handle the assimilation. They weren’t properly prepared to handle such stress.
Despite his best efforts, he could only watch in bitterness as he felt his grip on his soul start to slip away.
***
Reinera POV
She let out a rasping breath. Those final steps had been the most difficult, much more difficult than she had expected. Not even Amelia’s or her family’s warnings had been enough to prepare her for her advancement to Tier 3. Assimilating her Concept took all of her will.
However, in the end, she managed to overcome her trial. She was now officially a Tier 3 and had even managed to advance with a Concept to boot. Something that not many people could say they have done.
She couldn’t help but feel proud of her accomplishment. It was a testament to the hard work she had put in these past several years.
She hoped her mother and father would be proud of her as well.
Although, she winced at that thought. Perhaps that was a bit of a stretch and wishful thinking on her end.
In all honesty, they would probably be furious that she had advanced without their say-so or their supervision. They likely had an entire chamber built just for her to breakthrough to Tier 3. Still, she has talked with Amelia about how prepared she was. That was why she had been assured about taking the next step.
She did feel bad about not letting Amelia be here for this moment though. If there was one person who deserved to be by her side, it was Amelia.
Shaking her head, she took a long deep breath. Although, that was a huge mistake. She instantly choked on the stench that invaded her nose, gagging as she was assaulted by the odor. She simultaneously smelled rotten fish and sweet fruit for some reason.
The combination was unusually deadly.
Then she looked down and realized that she was coated in a very thin spotted layer of dark gunk.
I guess there were more impurities in me than I thought, she thought with a frown.
Initially, she believed that she had done a good job purging any impurities and cleansing herself before she advanced, but it seemed like she was wrong. She had consumed a Crystal Spirit Lotus every month for the last year in preparation for her eventual advancement. It had been with the hopes that it would hasten and ease the process.
They were expensive too. Each lotus was worth around a Tier 5 core on its own.
That said, they did work at least. The amount she released was way less than people would normally exude. She could only imagine how many impurities she would have had if she hadn’t taken the Crystal Spirit Lotuses.
It wasn’t like it was necessary to do so, but it would help immensely with the coalescing of one’s core and soul with their body. The fewer impurities there were beforehand, the less work it would take to remove them during one’s advancement.
She immediately went over to the hidden washing area in the corner of the room to turn on the shower and give herself a good scrub, making sure that she held her breath until all of the gunk was nowhere to be seen again.
It was only after she was clean that she changed into a clean pair of clothes and removed a piece of cake from her storage ring. It was the same one that Julius had introduced her to all that time ago. She had been saving a piece for this very moment.
When the taste of rich chocolate and bitter espresso hit her tongue, she moaned in delight. It was just as good as the first time she tried it. She was glad that she had decided to keep a piece stored away for such occasions.
It was just another thing that she needed to thank Julius for.
Speaking of Julius, she wondered how he was doing.
With a quick thought, she removed her timepiece from her ring and looked at the date and time.
She stopped chewing for a moment and frowned. According to the device, it said that it had been over three days since she went inside the room. That was more than what she had been expecting.
From her perspective, it had only felt like a few hours at most. The fact that it was days since she began her advancement was a bit of a jarring realization. However, she calmed down once she began chewing again. The delicious flavor flooding her mouth distracted her wonderfully.
As she was enjoying her treat, she also looked down and gave her empty fist a hard clench. Her body felt amazing. Every muscle felt so strong, dense, and full of hidden power. She could no longer sense her core and instead felt all of her mana running through her flesh in a complex weave of threads.
Every breath she took absorbed the ambient mana and her body processed it automatically. She no longer needed to use her core to do it.
She reached out with her [Radiant Light Arts] skill and created an orb of light floating in the palm of her hand.
The difference was outstanding. All the mana flowed so much more smoothly and more importantly, faster.
The amount of mana one could produce in a single moment was one of the most limiting aspects of being in Tier 2. Since there was still a core, it took time to channel mana from it to one’s body or for external manipulations.
However, that was going to be less of an issue from now on. She had always felt like mana listened to her, more so than most people. Despite that, it has never felt more responsive than it did at this very moment.
She just laughed and giggled as she spent a lot of time just playing around with her mana, grateful that she had made it to Tier 3. Not even noticing the notification that had appeared.
***
Julius POV
After he had blacked out, the things that followed were like a blur. He didn’t remember anything, all he could recall were vague memories and sensations.
It was like waking up from a dream but not knowing what you were dreaming about.
The only thing he did know was that he survived. Or at least he thought he did. He couldn’t see anything or even open his eyes as of yet.
His mind and body didn’t seem to be on the same page. It was like he was back in his body, but not really.
Things were still a bit hazy and he needed to gather himself. Thus, he tried to evaluate his situation.
First, he was no longer inside his soul space, that much was clear. It was a sensation that was very different from when he was in his soul space.
However, what was more worrying than not being able to open his eyes, was that he wasn’t able to use any of his skills at all. It was like some sort of connection between him and them was cut off. That meant that he wasn’t able to use [Spatial Perception] to get a feel of what was around him.
That left him completely blind for the first time in what seemed like forever. He had gotten so used to being able to see everything around him that once it was gone, it was like he was trapped in a void of darkness. Not knowing what was going to happen or what was around.
It honestly made him feel a little bit helpless. But instead of panicking, he reminded himself to stay calm and give it some time.
He assumed that he was still in the cultivation chamber, but he wouldn’t know until he could confirm it.
He just laid where he was for a while, not moving a muscle and just patiently waiting to see if anything in his condition changed. However, once a good amount of time passed and he didn’t feel anything getting better he decided he wanted to try something.
While he might not feel the connection to his skills, he still vaguely felt the connection to his mana. Although it was hard to reach out to it. Leading him to really focus and try to grasp whatever he was able to.
Unfortunately, no matter what method he tried and no matter how determined he was, it seemed like the mana kept slipping through his fingers. It was frustrating to an absurd degree, but he continued to persist.
His stubbornness was way stronger than whatever was preventing him from connecting with his mana. There was no way anything was going to take that away from him.
Eventually, after what felt like days, he was able to wrestle control of a single crumb of mana. It took so much effort that he wanted to scream in excitement, but he maintained his poise so that he didn’t lose control of it.
However, it seemed like that was all he needed.
Mere moments after he took control of the small bit of mana, he felt everything snap back into place. A large pulse of something exploded out of him like a bomb.
It was only then that he was able to open his eyes and move his body around. Even the connection to his skills was reestablished. His mind was back to operating like normal.
However, there was a massive difference.
He no longer was able to sense his core. Instead, all he felt were intricate circuits of mana weaving through his body. It was like all of the mana that had been in his core beforehand, plus more was now constantly surging through his body.
Speaking of his body, he distinctly felt the difference in the raw power in his muscles and his bones. He revealed an elated grin. He couldn’t wait to test it out later.
It would seem he had advanced to Tier 3. Although he couldn’t recall the final moments, the evidence would suggest that he had been successful.
He made sure to double-check his body and his soul, and from what he was able to sense, nothing was wrong. Matter of fact, he had never felt so great.
The only thing that was unusual was that his eyes were a bit sore for some reason. It was like they had been dilated and were extra sensitive. Other than that, he felt amazing.
However, it was only after his excitement slowly calmed down that he looked around the room. Finally taking the time to observe the chamber and his mouth opened wide in astonishment.
For some inexplicable reason… the entire room was covered in ash.
Comments
Kevin O'Malley
Tyftc
Hamfist
It's tier 4 when things change for most people. These two kids already have concepts so they are doing more like a tier 3.5 advancement. In the previous chapter Julius started the process by absorbing his rare skills and that part was very easy and comfortable for him. For 99.9999999% of the population that would be the end of the process because those are the only skills they have. Getting as far as tier 3 is basically just a matter of time even for the most untalented and unmotivated people. Getting to tier 4 is a true achievement because it requires that you develop at least one concept + epic skill and go through the difficult absorption process described in these most recent chapters. The majority of the population never accomplishes it, but these two have already done it a tier early. I wonder if they will develop sort of a pseudo-authority since they've gone through the tougher advancement.
Hamfist
He said in one of the previous couple chapters that kinetic aug felt like it was waiting on a different/new concept. The aura skill Empowerment of Will might evolve to epic now, though.
greg
I do. He did die and reborn in soul, mind, and body. That's Phoenix concept. Like the ball say. Touch me, die, and life again, this is the blessing and curse. Hohoho
ThoMiCroN
It feels like tier 3 does not belong to the same power system as the two previous ones. It’s kind of surprising there isn’t a different scale from that point on.
Kyfe
Or metaphysical, like in Millennial Mage (where Thea had more impurities than the total volume of her body, lol).
Kyfe
She might already have gained her 11th Skill slot. Julius gained his when he gained an Epic Skill, and she had one, too. Maybe her soul wasn't strong enough at that time, but I'm guessing it was. If there's a difference in soul strengths, it's probably that she's not going to get an additional upgrade now that she's officially in Tier 3, whereas I'm betting Julius just might get another one. Dunno.
Hamfist
maybe the transformation to true phoenix started with his eyes?
Derek Walker
He should be ready for slew of notifications. Sage of savagery should go up a few levels, and it seems likely he should get an epic upgrade for kinetic augmentation now that his body is infused with his concepts.
Len
And mostly dead is somewhat alive.....love that movie.
Thaabit Rivertree
Who wants to bet he literally died and was reborn... again. Maybe with a pbeonix concept something like that is natural, or necessary. Either way, my bet is he did die lol, in a manner of speaking.
Etia
I'm pretty sure the concept itself is burning his soul as the skill assimilates into it. It's like balancing a soup with salt vs adding salt at the end.
ZeroL
Chapter 175 “What was Lily going to say? Her friend's ashy remains laid in front of her and it was partly her fault. She had been the one who pointed those men in Julius’s direction. She had been the one who let them battle it out. There wasn’t even a body left to retrieve.” Body completely burned, impurities would be mild/nonexistent right? Unless they are physically manifesting from the soul
ZeroL
Of course if there were any they would be ash, i am just wondering if there any to begin with
Zach
HAHAHAHAAHAHHA LETS GOOOOO
Read Isekai
The timer may not activate till you read the notification? 🤞
gray matter
Yeah I was wondering about this as well and I agree. If it is something that’s on a timer without even acknowledging it, I feel like the Marquis’ house would’ve reminded them about it because this would be something that was so impactful to not notice and would be drilled into every Scion during preparation and before entering the chamber as ritual and not just something they would forget to warn them about.
Fenrys .
I assumed he wasn't able to heal himself because he wasn't really being "damaged" and that it was a natural process that needed to happen because he was incorporating a Phoenix concept into himself.
Nim
Door was locked and no one could go through his pockets for loose change
Connor Hinrichs
Damn, I hope Reinera's 5 minute timer on the notification will only activate when she opens the notification, otherwise that is totally not fair
Orthneil Kelley Jr.
Thanks for the chapter! Stoked to see them fight at Tier 3
PatronTurtle
Just flames instead of eye balls. He'll have to make fakes from his solid mana to try and blend in more
gray matter
He was only mostly dead
Cory
Loved the chapter, still neeeed mooooooorrreeee 😭
Xepen
Nah, he’s entering the realm of Priam and his revivals 😂.
Kevin McKinney
Nice! I have to wonder what burnt “impurities” smell like, too
PikaAndrew
Tftc
Hamfist
Shit, you're right that she missed it. As I recall the selection is random if you don't make a selection in time. Maybe she'll get lucky?
Read Isekai
I had asked Ryn previously about the timing of soul evolutions and what they said was that for most people soul evolutions come a while after they advance to T3, but for the elite it can happen shortly after their advancement. This was after I had questioned how useful the concept enlightenment would be if people got the soul evolution shortly after advancing, when they wouldn't yet know if they needed it or not
Hamfist
It bugged me too. Best I think of is that it couldn't heal him because it (and the concept it includes) was the source of the damage and/or it couldn't function while it was being absorbed
Voral
Dude legit burned alive while instinctively regenerating for a whole month until the whole room was filled of his ashes bet
Adoltin
I don't think she'd make a bad decision either, the problem is the 5 minute time limit and that it was stated that she didn't even notice the notification.
Pigmonster
My bad. I misremembered it as it being something that the really talented ones had happen before tier 3. But I double checked, and even the elites only have it happen when they advance (end of ch. 137).
Hamfist
Julius got the soul evolution when he got his first epic skill but he also had other things adding to his soul strength so it is possible that she didn't get it until now. Having said that, his friends seemed to think it was common knowledge that you should take the extra skill slot so I doubt she'd make a bad choice, whether it is now or in the past.
Raymond Mouton
Thanks for the chapter. Loved the details, next, for numbers go brrrr…
Hamfist
Whatever impurities he had would be part of the ash covering the room
Adoltin
But isn't the Soul Threshold reward normally gotten after advancing to Tier 3? Julius had an abnormally strong soul even before he hit the Threshold, I don't think just having a concept would be enough to qualify for Normal people.
Profile Name
Tyftc! cant wait for someone to come in and react to this mess
Hamfist
The room is covered in ash? Sounds like he cremated himself. Again. And it felt like hours to her but was 3 days. If it felt like days to him how long was it on the outside?
Read Isekai
Also, girl you have 5 minutes to make a choice 🤦♂️
Pigmonster
She most likely has it already, since she has a concept her soul would be strong enough that the system already rewarded her with the extra skill slot. Edit: ignore this, I didn't notice the end of her section with the notification
Sean
His soul burned up and he revived again didn't he? Dude's in the running for revival 'kinda being his thing' along with Jason now.
Dylan Sutton
He totally just phoenix’d himself. I wonder what spooky new eyes he got.
Read Isekai
So wasn't the whole reason he got the phoenix concept so that he could heal his soul damage? It's a bit strange talking about it as if it can't heal the soul at the start when it definitely has that ability... or am I missing something?
Celas
Ashen Rebirth of course it is.
Nim
> The only thing he did know was that he survived Or died, and just got better....
Adoltin
Reinara is going to lose out on her extra skill slot isn't she. Oops, her family is going to be pissed.
RedLeaf
Thanks for the chapter! Looks like Julius had his soul burned to death, and then resurrected. He has to have moved closer to being a true phoenix after this tier up ... although I expect becoming an actual phoenix won't happen until Tier 6 at the earliest...
Quentin Cozzi
Thanks for the chapter!
ZeroL
Wooo new chapter! Was just looking for it! Now that I have read the chapter I wonder whether he had any impurities since he had recently died? I cannot recall whether the body was destroyed completely in the nuke incident.
