Chapter 900 - It's been a while

Congratulations, you have acquired a new skill!

[Mana Manipulation]

[Mana Manipulation - Level 0 > Mana Manipulation - Level 87]

Huh, this is new.

Then I get another pop-up.

Congratulations, you have acquired a new skill!

[Attunement]

[Attunement - Level 0 > Attunement - Level 16]

For a while, I stare at these notifications before I shake my head and reach into the basket, scraping the bottom to take out some sort of bowl filled with red jelly. I create a spoon out of mana to eat it.

After taking the first bite, I look at the dark blue spoon I manifested. I’m fairly confident it’s comparable to some arcane weapons, and I could probably kill a Hard difficulty attendee with it.

Then I take another spoonful of the jelly while looking at the open notifications in front of me.

I long since realized that I’m not that great with [Perception]. I rely too much on my eyes and on sensing primordial energies, so a general skill like [Perception] just isn't that good for me. Overall, I am not a very perceptive type either and often rely more on my reactions, or my trusted way of taking a hit to return an explosion.

Of course, some Beyond attendees would weep tears of blood if they heard me say that, especially since many of them barely have any skills at level 60. Yet, my standards are different. I’m actually surprised I got it to level 80, which is why I decided to combine it, just to ensure the best result after breaking through that bottleneck.

And in combination with a skill as high leveled as my current-

[Mana Manipulation - Level 87 > Mana Manipulation - Level 88]

Here we go.

So, in combination with a skill as high-leveled as my current [Mana Manipulation], I trusted the result to be good. The System likes these things, and it likely took my performance into consideration. To strengthen and evolve what already exists, that’s what it does.

As for my new skill, there is no description as always, but just from the name it’s possible to partially guess what it will do. In my case, it will also likely be the most useful for mana-based stuff.

Maybe I could attune myself to the area around me to increase my perception? Or attune more to my body and mana for better control? Or attune my attacks to the enemy to make them more dangerous? Use it with my eyes and attune to my opponent to predict them better? It just sounds like it will work the best in combination with my traits and the other skills.

There will be a lot of testing before I return to the 5th floor, but I’m not disappointed at all. One of the main reasons is that I think this skill would be incredible to combine with one of my other abilities.

Well, multiple of them, actually.

I could combine it with [Mana Manipulation] for some of what we pro Beyond attendees call "casual System trolling." But as good as that or the other options would be, I think it would be incredible in combination with [Selective Adaptation].

Though, I could probably start using them both at once to see if I can manage it manually. That would be nice.

I notice a local child passing nearby. It’s a lynthari dressed in expensive looking clothes and followed by two bodyguards.

Looking at her, I take the last spoonful of jelly, change the properties of my manabloc spoon, and then take a bite into the spoon itself, eating it bite after bite as well. Inside my body, I break it down into particles that I absorb back into my system.

Her bodyguards mutter, quickly pulling her away while she stares at me with wide-open eyes.

Jumping from the bench, I activate [Attunement] and let some of my mana run loose, escaping from my Mana Cycling. I don't activate my healing passive when it starts damaging my body, instead, I activate [Selective Adaptation] to adapt to that damage, while at the same time I try to perceive my mana and... well, attune to it.

[Attunement - Level 16 > Attunement - Level 17]

It seems like this is going to work. So I let even more of my mana loose and double my efforts, still taking it step-by-step as I use my subminds to observe and understand the skill while I pack up the basket.

Then, holding it in one hand and grabbing the clone in the other, I head back to headquarters, where I need to put three more low pristine weapons into the auction, and continue to hope Ruby isn't checking what the hottest item in the Megacity's biggest auction happens to be.

Three days later, I find myself pulled into Ruby’s Sanctuary out of nowhere for no reason at all. Kidnapped, actually.

As I pick myself up off the floor from the weirdly rough teleportation, she’s standing there, leaning against her old, trusty, way-too-expensive-filled-with-Spatial-Cache-style-drawers table, her eyes never leaving me.

“I want 90 percent,” she says out of nowhere.

“10 percent.” I counter.

“95 percent.”

“Ridiculous. 30 percent.”

“98 percent.”

“Okay, okay, damn it. 50 percent.”

“Deal,” she says and initiates the trade in some sort of special system-tax-avoidant way. It doesn't even take a 10% cut for the transfer.

And just like that, half of the 50 million shards I made from the auction disappear. Yes, selling a piece of a sleeve made me more money than most of my life or death efforts combined.

Honestly, it’s ridiculous.

“Stop making that face,” Ruby warns. “You make me want to punch you. It was one of the Handlers connected to Lust who bought it. That bitch always wanted to get her hands on Urasic thread, and I bet she’ll try to replicate it now. You’re extremely lucky I only took 50 percent. Diligence will be complaining and turning into a pain in the ass for a while, but I’m annoyed with him, so I’ll use this to piss him off.”

“You know what? I think if you left me 90 percent, it would piss him off even more. Do it. Anger the ant.”

Out of nowhere, Ruby smiles beautifully and closes the distance between us, stopping just a half step away. Her eyes trace a path up my neck before locking onto mine, her smile never fading as her hands reach up.

She touches the collar of my shirt, her fingers tracing the fabric as she fixes it, adjusting it with slow care. She gently brushes away invisible dust, her fingertips grazing against my skin as she smoothes the surface.

Only when she seems satisfied does her gaze meet mine again. “Being an ass in my grand presence will cost you one million shards. Transfer them to me.”

Without much hesitation, I do so, taking the transfer fees on myself at the last moment and even adding 100 thousand extra.

When Ruby notices it, I smile at her. “As an apology.”

She places her palm on my chest, and I begin to feel myself falling, pushed right out of her Sanctuary as her words follow me: “This time, I’ll take it as an entertaining little show of your greed and an amusing joke. But if you ever do it again, I’ll feel like you’re taking advantage of me, and I will kill you.”

To me, it sounds like she’s saying those words partly to convince herself.

After that, I’m gone, falling right into the lap of some random thylarin man sitting on a bench watching the fountain.

He shouts in surprise, and his wife next to him screams, while I utter a quick apology and teleport away before her lightning coated hand can cut off my head.

Appearing back on my feet, I begin walking through the crowd of people towards the headquarters of Crimson Forge to continue working on The Chestplate, as well as delivering some materials I received in exchange for one of the already sold low pristine weapons.

The very next day, as I promised, I head towards the inn Big T reserved in my name and paid for out of the guild’s pocket. The man, the legend, was able to use a clause in my contract that allowed him to log it as a business expense.

After all, what else is meeting nearly all the Earth attendees currently in Beyond if not a business expense meant to forge connections with talented people?

Jean is there, and I can hear him laughing the moment I enter while his muscular frame towers over Savant, who just listens and nods. Near them is Sophie, sitting suspiciously close to Savant.

Lily is in the corner, offering a plate of various foods to Tacita, who stares at them like a suspicious stray cat while Fuci takes a bite out of each one. Leticia and her golden retriever, Luna, are near them, with Luna talking in her usual creepy way, mouth wide open, sounds just pouring out.

In another part of the inn, I see Tess speaking with Victoria and Gloria, as well as Gareth, whom I haven't seen in a really long time. The older man isn't wearing his usual armor, but rather some fitting black clothes that contrast with his graying hair and emphasize his muscular body. His chin makes him look like some sort of superhero. Somehow, he looks even better than the last time I saw him, back after some of his group members died. He seems more lively.

Further away, I spot Derick and his wife Noele. There’s also that kid with the weird void shadows named Maxim, and even Yama, who gives me a strange look.

Otherwise, no other King is present, but there are a dozen or so more Beyonders.

All combined, that’s a decent number, considering there can only be 100 Beyonders per planet and they would need to reach the 4th floor, which is the Megacity. I'm again reminded that Earth's Beyonders are well above average, whether in power or in sheer numbers.

Once again, I glance over at Jean speaking to Savi, curious to see his reaction to Sophie, but he doesn't seem to be as mad as I would have expected.

“They almost fought earlier, and I don't think their hatred for each other has lessened at all,” Derick says to me as he joins my side, noticing where I'm looking. “It didn't escalate into a full fight, but it was close.”

He’s still as slim, red-haired, and heavily tattooed as I remember him. I can even feel the pull of his tattoos and their attempt to disrupt any mana moving through the area. These passive efforts even reach toward my body, though they fail to break through my natural barrier and the defensive layers I've learned to keep up almost permanently.

“Good, because I don't think either of them would have enough shards to pay for the damage to this place,” I snort. “And you? All good?”

“Not bad at all.” He gives a polite smile and looks around to make sure no one is listening before adding in a lower voice, “I got the product.”

Carefully, he reaches into his pocket, taking out a small case with a few glass vials clinking against each other inside.

When he presses it into my hand, we instinctively execute a synchronized pivot to block the line of sight from the rest of the inn.

“Tough to source,” he mutters out the side of his mouth. “Top-shelf stuff. Had to go through some dangerous people.”

“I see,” I say, keeping my voice down as well. “Did you tell anyone?”

“I made sure to keep it secret from your group, but the price went up. Quality like this isn't cheap.”

“That’s fine, I need it. I’ll pay up,” I say.

With a nod, he lets go, and I slide the case into my pocket. As he initiates a transfer request for over a million, I look at the number in surprise, but quickly pay it, taking the transfer fees on myself and assuming he factored his cut into the price.

Now I just need to sneak off, find the Doc, hand over this prime leviathan spinal fluid, and get my hands on more of those spicy syringes.

“What are you guys doing over there?” Leticia calls out from the side, drawing unwanted attention to us.

“Nothing,” I blurt out, probably way too quickly, and grab Derick’s hand for a totally natural handshake, and we immediately break formation and walk away.

While he heads over to Leticia with a smile, I walk toward Gareth.

“It's nice to see you, Nathaniel. It's been a while,” the man greets me, and I shake his hand as he grips it enthusiastically.

“Just a few months, I think, but yeah, good to see you’re doing well. Tess mentioned you had some trouble with one of the guilds?”

“It has long since been solved. There's still some life left in this old body.” He chuckles, and as he does, the fabric of his shirt stretches to reveal a fit, muscular chest.

Yeah, I've seen young men with far less life in them than this "old body," grandpa.

We exchange a few more polite greetings, and I listen with curiosity to his story about some selari who has apparently been going from Earth attendee to Earth attendee, trying to buy information on our planet and a few of us.

Annoying, but it's likely just an info guild gathering intelligence to sell later.

Glancing at Tess, I notice her eyepatch is now over her other eye. I narrow my eyes in slight confusion, but decide to ignore it for now. She likely knows what she’s doing.

Then, all my attention shifts to Victoria, who sits with the poise of an elegant noble lady despite wearing fairly common clothes. Of course, I’d heard more about the stigma of the Starless Sky she received, but this is the first time I actually get to see it.

Her entire right arm is black, tinged with a deep, velvety indigo color. It stretches all the way from her fingers up to her shoulder.

Ignoring the others, I sit down next to Victoria, pushing her so she makes space for me in her armchair. I then take her hand in mine, instantly feeling the effect it has on me.

It is so bitterly cold that I'm forced to rapidly surge thermal energy inside my body just to stop my hand from shattering. Even then, the heat isn't as effective as it should be. Just a touch, a simple proximity to that black hand, suppresses my mana and primordial energy in a way I've never experienced before.

I could ask Victoria about it, but I don't for now. Instead, I curiously observe the effect and come to two conclusions.

Seeing how it affects me right now tells me that Victoria can't fully control it or can't control it at all.

And as my mana and thermal energy are suppressed, causing my arm to freeze up and shatter into pieces, I realize that the longer the contact lasts, the more powerful the effect becomes, scaling upward at a rapid pace.