Carriages pulled by horses traveled along the roads. Each carriage stored several goods. Food, stone, wood, gold, etc. Half of the carriages headed in the direction of the city, while the other half traveled in each cardinal direction.
Jason looked east and found a large village a few miles away. A similar village could be found in the west, north, and south. After three months of real time, Jason now had five settlements. Four were developing villages, while one was a city, his capital. The capital was home to three thousand villagers, while the four villages each had one thousand.
His kingdom was coming along nicely. Though for a kingdom to actually come into existence, a castle must be built and a king or queen elected. A notification suddenly appeared in front of Jason.
As per your command, a castle was built upon reaching the required resources. You may now select a king or queen. Would you like to directly elect one, or would you like your citizens to vote for a leader?
Jason grew excited. Finally, after all this time, his kingdom was coming into existence. It was only from this point onward that his kingdom would directly benefit him. Unfortunately, even after all this time, Jason still hadn’t found a good candidate to be a leader, otherwise he would have directly chosen one. With no other choice, he selected the democratic process of electing a leader.
Your villagers have voted to elect 'Francis Moore' as King.
Your kingdom has been founded.
+10% Efficiency
+10% Stats To All Units
+10% Gathering Speed
+10% Production Speed
+10% Research Speed
Francis Moore? Jason pulled up the information of the new king, wondering what stats and skills he had. As he read through Francis’ stats, he was immediately stunned speechless. Francis had been a lumberjack since the beginning, and was normal in every aspect. That was, except for one thing. Francis had a skill that Jason had never seen before.
Luck - Level 3 - Apprentice
You have been blessed with tremendous luck. Good things will come your way.
How does this work exactly? The description of the skill was sorely lacking, so Jason couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Though, Francis did get elected king. Perhaps he would bring great fortune to the kingdom. Only time would tell.
Now that Jason officially had a kingdom, a unique building was unlocked. A structure that was of absolute importance to an ascender’s power. The only thing required to build it was a vast amount of stone, which Jason had plenty of, thanks to the ten mines he had running. As Jason selected the structure, his hands shook from excitement. The only suitable place to put such an important building was directly in front of the castle.
A statue in your image has been erected. Based on the population, prosperity, and strength of your kingdom, you may gain permanent stats.
Based on the current population, prosperity, and strength of Jason’s kingdom, he could gain an extra 26 points or 1% in any stat. He chose to put all 26 points into vitality. From this point on, the stronger his kingdom grew, the stronger he would become. In addition, the citizens of his kingdom could offer tributes to the statue. For example, if they offered a crude quality sword to Jason, it would be transferred to his inventory at the cost of some resources.
With a king in place, Jason could have Francis watch over the kingdom while he was out ascending the tower. There was a very complicated screen that allowed Jason to control Francis’s actions somewhat. After a few minutes of work, he set it so that Francis would focus on development and expansion, with military as the next priority.
With everything set in place, Jason contacted Roy and Olivia. Less than ten minutes later, all three of them sat in a private room at an inn on the thirtieth floor.
“What’s with all the secrecy?” Olivia asked solemnly.
Jason pulled out two boxes and handed them to Olivia and Roy. “Remember how I told you the mechanics of the bloodline floors and asked what bloodlines you wanted?”
“Is this?!” Roy quickly tore the lid off of the box, finding five dark red vials inside.
Olivia was calmer in her actions, but the excitement in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. Both of them inspected the vials, upon which a screen appeared, asking them if they’d like to absorb the bloodlines. Even though they hadn’t reached the thirty-sixth floor, a brand appeared around their wrists.
Jason watched silently as they absorbed their bloodlines. Roy’s bloodlines enhanced his skills, with a focus on mana and cooldown reduction. Olivia focused on her strengths: speed and critical attacks. In a matter of seconds, both of them grew much stronger.
“Thanks, Jason!” Roy ran up to Jason and gave him a bear hug.
After seeing Roy’s display of affection, Olivia stood up and bowed slightly. “Thanks.”
“No problem, no problem.” Jason laughed happily and stood up. “So, how’re your kingdoms coming along?”
“Great!” Roy’s face lit up. “I finally found the ocean and starting building ports. Adventure awaits!”
“Uh, it’s going all right.” Olivia glanced around the room awkwardly. For the past few months, she had spent all her time inside the colosseum. Her kingdom was basically still in its infancy. With the combination of her training with Jason and constant battling, she had finally reached the first realm. She was currently on the ninth challenge. On the other hand, Roy was stuck on the seventh challenge. He was at the border of the first realm, and had been stuck there for over a month.
“Good.” Jason gave a nod. “So, since you two already have your bloodlines, how about we head to the fortieth floor? It’s pretty easy. We should all be able to pass it. The forty-first floor through the forty-fifth floor is where the fun really begins.”
Roy rushed to the door of the room. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
A short while later, Roy, Olivia, and Jason appeared on the thirty-sixth floor. Roy turned to Jason. “So, what’s got you so excited for the forty-first floor?”
Jason pursed his lips. “Secret.”
“Aww.” Roy visibly deflated.
“I know what it’s about.” Olivia smirked.
Roy stepped in front of Olivia and clasped his hands. “Oh, dearest Olivia, would you please tell me?”
“It’s a secret, didn’t you know?” Olivia stuck out her tongue.
Jason gave Olivia a wink as he strode forward. “C’mon. Let’s go.”
“You two are combining forces, huh?!” Roy stomped his foot before following after them.
A few hours later, after passing through the bloodline floors, their party arrived at the portal to the fortieth floor. However, there was one problem. A giant man sat before the portal, blocking their path. He had a shaved head with a rugged beard, and a gigantic broadsword laid across his lap. It was Cheslov, the man who stormed away when he’d lost to Jason during a duel.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” Cheslov slowly stood up. Shockingly, the same broadsword he had struggled to lift with both hands was now being held with only one. With the way he held it made it seem as a light as a feather.
“Cheslov. I remember you.” Jason sized up the man who stood over seven feet tall. He was practically a miniature hulk.
Cheslov’s eyes were filled with stubbornness and resolve as he said. “I have a request.”
“Oh? Do you want a rematch?” Jason pulled out his sword and shield. Roy and Olivia glanced at each other in confusion, wondering what history these two had.
“No.” Cheslov shook his head. “I want to join your guild!”
Jason paused. “Huh?”
Chapter 16
Seeing the giant that Cheslov was, Roy excitedly rushed forward. “Of co-!”
Jason blocked Roy with his arm before glancing curiously at Cheslov. “Why would you want to join my guild? I’m relatively unknown, aren’t I? Compared to Vengeance, I’m not worth much.”
Cheslov pierced the ground with his broadsword and leaned against it. “I’
ve watched all of your duels. Famous? No. Strong? Undoubtedly. Compared to Vengeance’s guild master…” Cheslov squinted. “You’re stronger.”
Jason laughed lightly. “I have yet to fight your guild master. How would you know I’m stronger?”
“Instinct.” Cheslov stared at Jason for a moment before closing his eyes. “When I look at you, I see a weapon that can destroy anything.” Cheslov’s eyes snapped open. “A sword!”
Jason’s eyes narrowed as a terrifying thought flashed through his mind. Could he…? A few moments passed in silence. Roy and Olivia sensed that Jason reacted strongly when Cheslov said sword. Was there some deeper meaning behind it? They glanced at each other in confusion.
Jason suddenly pointed at Roy and Olivia. “What do you sense from them?”
Cheslov closed his eyes. Silence reigned as Jason waited patiently. After around a minute later, Cheslov pointed at Roy. “A light that embraces all.”
Roy was visibly shocked, but before he could say anything, Cheslov then pointed at Olivia. “A cold darkness.”
Olivia stiffened. Confused, Roy and Olivia glanced at Jason. “Has he been spying on us?”
“No.” Jason shook his head. After confirming his guess, a carefree smile spread across his face. “Cheslov, have you noticed that you react to danger before your peers? That you can sense things others can’t? That humans and monsters have unspoken thoughts?”
This time it was Cheslov’s turn to be shocked. This was an innate ability of his that he had kept secret. He had once thought it was normal, but upon asking his friends, he realized that the ability was unique to him. He staggered forward. “You! How did you know that?”
Roy’s eyes lit up. “Is he psychic?”
“He isn’t a psychic.” Jason glanced at Roy with a grin before turning back to Cheslov and raising three fingers. “Are you familiar with the three realms?”
“Of course I am.” Cheslov snorted with a frustrated expression. “The three realms might be strong, but they are nothing before absolute strength. I haven’t entered the first realm, yet I’ve beaten people who have.”
“Well, that much is true.” Jason shrugged. With a sly smile, he raised a fourth finger. “Then do you know about the fourth realm?”
Roy’s mouth formed an ‘O’. Both Cheslov and Olivia were in disbelief. “There’s a fourth realm?”
“There is. It’s called the heavenly instinct realm. This realm cannot be reached through training, only enlightenment.” Jason grew serious and pointed at Cheslov. “As for you, you possess the immature form of the heavenly instinct realm.”
Olivia stepped forward to stand in front of Jason, excitement coursing through her veins. “Does that mean I can enter the fourth realm without entering the previous realms?”
Jason nodded, though what he said next caused Olivia to be disappointed. “Theoretically yes, but having entered the three realms first makes one much more likely to reach the fourth realm. It’s nearly impossible otherwise.”
There are no shortcuts, huh? Olivia sighed as she thought to herself.
Roy jumped to Jason’s side. “Which realm is the strongest?”
“The fourth realm.” Jason said without hesitation.
Cheslov scratched his head. “I don’t recall being enlightened about anything.”
Jason crossed his arms and began to explain. “The fourth realm is related to the soul. Much like the five senses us humans have, the soul can sense much, much more. Only by being in tune with the universe can you enter the fourth realm.” Jason raised his eyebrows while looking at Cheslov. “I suspect you were born with this ability, yes?”
When Cheslov nodded, Jason sighed with envy. “How lucky. You were born with a rare gift. It is still immature, which is why it takes a long time to sense the things you do. If you had a mature heavenly instinct, you would instantly grasp these things.”
Everyone fell silent as they mused over Jason’s explanation. This was the first time they were hearing about the fourth realm. Jason was filled with jealousy and frustration as he looked at the muscle-headed Cheslov. He had spent countless hours trying to enter the fourth realm, but to no avail. This was the reason why he couldn’t beat the fifteenth challenge in the colosseum.
After several minutes, Cheslov stepped forward. “I am in awe of your knowledge. Now more than ever I want to join your guild.”
Roy awoke from his thoughts and tugged on Jason’s arm. “Please say yes.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “You’re the guildmaster, aren’t you?”
“Oh!” Roy blinked. He turned to Cheslov. “My name is Roy, and this is Olivia. With you, that makes four of us!”
Cheslov smiled widely. “Great. What’s the name?”
Roy nearly fell over. He coughed. “W-we don’t have a name yet.”
Cheslov shrugged indifferently. “It doesn’t matter that much.”
Jason clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention. “Well, Cheslov. Welcome to the guild. Have you finished gathering your bloodlines?”
Cheslov flexed his arm and clasped his biceps. “Of course!”
Jason nodded to the portal floating behind Cheslov. “The fortieth floor?”
Cheslov flexed both arms. “Done!”
“Hm.” Jason clasped Roy and Olivia’s shoulders. “We’ll meet you on the other side. It shouldn’t take too long.”
“Understood!” Cheslov gave a thumbs up before grabbing his broadsword and entering the portal. Jason, Roy, and Olivia followed after him.
Chapter 17
The Gluttonous Lion was the most famous restaurant in the Vistar Kingdom. Its patrons ranged from high-ranking nobles to powerful ascenders. It was rumored that even the king ordered take-out from here. When nobles filled the place, it was quiet and dignified. Not so for ascenders. As of this moment, shouts and laughter could be heard coming from inside. The restaurant was filled to the brim with ascenders wearing all sorts of powerful and glittering equipment. There was even a band playing rock music in the back.
A man wearing casual clothes walked through the front entrance. The linen clothing threatened to rip apart from his compact steel muscles. Most striking was his chiseled jaw. His brown eyes swept through the first floor of the restaurant.
“Cockroach, up here!” Roy’s voice came from the second floor. Jason glanced up, finding Roy waving him over while hanging over the balcony.
With a twitch of his eyebrow, Jason made his way over to the stairs while greeting his fellow guild mates as he passed them. When he arrived on the second floor, he found Roy pointing to an empty seat across from him.
Peter, the guild master of Skyfall, called out. “Jason, we already ordered your favorite meal. Come, come, come!”
Jason smiled as he made his way over and sat down. “Thanks, bro. Sorry I’m late. I had to go to the barber.”
As Jason dug into his meal, Roy slapped the table as Peter roared with laughter. “You are so obsessed with your looks.”
“He goes once a day.” Roy shook his head. “This pretty boy loves keeping up appearances.”
“Hmph.” Jason rubbed his jawline with a charming smile. “If you had this face, you would understand.”
The ascender on Jason’s left suddenly wrapped her arms around his shoulder. Compared with other women, Jason thought she was one of the most beautiful in the world. Her hair was lustrous and seemed to glow with light, while her face was something out of a fairytale. “Big brother Cockroach, won’t you date me?””
Jason snorted and pushed the woman away. “Who would date you, you pervert!”
The woman pouted before suddenly transforming into a thin black man. “Ah, how did you know?”
Roy shook his head. “Andy, you need to transform in moderation. Moderation! Anybody could figure out your illusions if they’re too perfect!”
Everyone at the table nodded repeatedly. “Right, right!”
Andy clenched his hands as he complained. “Alister, that schmuck, said the same thing. Nobody understands my vision!”
Peter whistled at Andy. “Damn, you got balls to call your god names.”
Andy snorted. “He’s the real pervert, not me!”
“Doubtful,” Jason retorted.
Everyone at the table burst into laughter. They were all familiar with one another, and as such ragged on each other any chance they got. Their bonds were forged through life and death battles, through victory and loss.
After multiple meals, Jason glanced around the table, focusing on each person for several moments. Waves of pain and sadness flashed through him. Roy noticed and asked. “What’s wrong, Jason?”
Jason shook his head with a sigh. He gathered his resolve and stood up. “It was nice to see you all again, but I must go.”
Roy was confused. “Go where? We are your family. Where else do you want to go?”
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Jason raised his hand and clenched tightly. A wave of battle energy flew out from his body, cutting everything to pieces. Before Jason’s very eyes, the entire world suddenly cracked before shattering into pieces. In the next moment, he found himself standing in the middle of a foggy world. In front of him was a blue portal.
A screen appeared before him.
As you have already unlocked the Willpower stat, you have instead gained +5 Willpower.
With a wave of his hand, he made the screen disappear. Jason stepped forward, unwilling to look back. He was afraid that if he did, he would be stuck in this illusion forever. When he arrived on the other side of the portal, he found Cheslov not far away. “Yo.”
“That was fast.” Cheslov glanced over and commented.
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