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The beast struck much harder than the specimen from his first quest. However, Nil had grown significantly since. The blow barely filling Brutal Battery’s stores halfway was a testament to how much stronger he was now. Supercharging durability gave him some degree of security as he grabbed the creature’s extended arm and struck the elbow. Instead of punching or releasing energy as the usual explosion, he emitted it from the outer edge of his right hand and cleaved through the joint. 

A deep roar burst from the monster. It unsteadily spun, moving much faster than a beast of its size should. For the first time after months of training, Nil successfully activated Absorb just after the moment of impact, moving with the blow. Supercharged durability and his trust in the new ability gave him the confidence to use the tactic comfortably. It still hurt, and Nil was sure he’d suffer a titanic bruise, but he successfully pulled the unstable beast off balance and onto its side.

Absorb has progressed to Iron 3!
Brutal Battery has progressed to Iron 3!

All but the fallen pugilist capitalized on the opening. They dove onto the beast’s exposed abdomen and lower jaw, attacking with all of their might. Meanwhile, the flesh and hide around its stump bubbled, and a fleshy, boneless appendage began to solidify in its place. The Cursed One didn’t take the beating lying down. It thrashed, and the bony growths retreated into its body before shooting out like spikes on pistons.

The young spear-wielder took a bone spike to the shoulder. A grazing blow ripped the sleeve off her robes and left a light graze on the muscle. The flesh around it started solidifying and crystalizing straight away. She screamed, staggering back and scratching at the wound.

“Take care of her!” Nil yelled, taking the blows with Absorb as he tried to pin the monster. He only managed to keep the pinned tail immobile. His ability failed to rob the giant creature of its momentum.

The swordsman didn't need to be told twice. He picked up the teenage girl and retreated. A moment later, Nil heard a sizzle and a scream. Energy Instinct detected a rapidly fading arcane fire. He guessed the man had cauterized the wound.

The Cursed One proved smarter and more magically gifted than the specimens Nil had faced before. Silver light arced between the tips of the bony protrusions and he knew at a glance that Absorb and supercharged durability would do nothing to protect against the coming attack. Nil leaped a dozen feet back with a single bound just as a nova of energy burst from the creature. All wood and organic material turned into jagged crystals, carrying the noxious pink and purple shades of Cursed Energy.

The creature rolled onto its front, retreating to the wall and keeping its head low to the ground. The silver energy retreated back into the Cursed One's body before an orange glow filled the back of its throat, and Nil heard the fighters behind him scatter. He refused to do the same. Only a handful of minutes had passed since the Summoning, but that was a significant time in battle. The Cursed One hadn’t stilled since—until now.

It can't move while charging the breath attack!

Supercharged speed helped Nil close the distance as the glow intensified. An empowered haymaker got the beast to slam its mouth shut. Teeth audibly shattered, and bones noisily cracked. The expenditure emptied his stores, but then Brutal Battery’s evolution from the ascension kicked in. The energy refilled to ten percent almost instantly. He pressed his index finger between the beast’s eyes and unleashed all of he had through the digit’s tip, piercing hide, bone, and all tissue within. 

The teenager appeared out of nowhere and tackled Nil, pushing him away from the Cursed One. Then, its head, neck, and chest exploded, unleashing a torrent of concentrated Cursed Energy. It turned the surrounding flesh into translucent pink and purple crystals. The hardened pieces chipped away, and new tissue grew in their place almost instantly. 

It seemed they had less than a minute before the monster recovered. The sword-wielder got to it before Nil could. He plunged his weapon through the open neck and chest cavity, and azure flames burst from within. Nil didn’t think it would work since the creature’s insides were full of orange slag and tar. But Energy Instinct told him that he was wrong. The attack disintegrated the Cursed One’s core.

Everyone collapsed, panting and nursing their injuries. The side of Nil’s right hand and the index finger burned stung. He was glad to have supercharged durability just in time. Instead of blackened skin and flesh, the areas were dark brown with charred flecks, and the surrounding skin was angry and red. The nerves were still ablaze, but the discomfort wasn't as bad as it once was.

“Thank you for saving us, honored Summoned,” the teenager said after catching her breath. She kneeled before Nil, bowing her head. The swordsman followed suit while the pugilist didn’t rise. Energy Instinct detected no arcane presence around him, and his forearms shrunk to ordinary proportions. “The demon would’ve prevailed without your assistance.”

“Please rise,” Nil said. “It was a team effort. I wouldn't have succeeded without either of your contributions.”

“Your arm, my lady.” The swordsman kept his eyes low as he approached the teenager, holding out a palm-sized wooden box. “This humble swo—”

“None of that nonsense, Kim Hwan. Everyone is dead. You can drop the tiring titles and prefixes. Tend to the Honorable Summoned’s wounds first.” The young woman smiled at Nil. “I’m Song Yun.” She nodded at the heavy metal gates on the other end of the courtyard. Energy Instinct detected the more powerful arcane presence he had detected, leaking through the cracks. “That’s my sister Song Yi ascending in there.”

“Sister?” Nil’s eyes widened. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but when I heard of someone ascending to immortality, I expected someone significantly older.”

Song Yun nodded. “If sister successfully transcends, she’ll be the youngest in a millennia to transcend. The youngest on record was a hundred-and-eleven when he ascended from the Platinum Realm. She’s only sixty-nine.” The woman studied Nil for a moment before continuing. “I’m only twenty-five and just made it into Bronze Realm, if you’re wondering. We, cultivators, age slowly once our body tempering passes the Mortal Ranks. Some just have their breakthrough earlier than others.”

Of all the alien worlds Nil had seen, his current location appeared to have the closest progression system to what the Schema offered on Earth. He had heard the word cultivation thrown around before but didn’t quite understand what it meant. Given the natural arcane energies flowing through the ambient air, Nil guessed it had something to do with assimilating the world’s magic to empower oneself.

The swordsman, Kim Hwan, bowed before tending to Nil’s hand. He studied the burns closely before scrubbing them with a rough stone that emitted a warm green presence. It was uncomfortable but not enough to make Nil flinch. Afterward, he rubbed a stinky red ointment on the wounds. It wasn’t as instantaneous as Symbiotech’s creators, but he could feel it working already. The nerves calmed, and the tightness faded. 

Meanwhile, Song Yun gave him a brief update on the situation. None but her sister’s closest circle knew of the ascension. The Song siblings and their top guards—two dozen Silver Realms, six Gold Realms, and several miscellaneous Iron and Bronze Realms support staff—had secretly retreated to the mountain estate so Song Yi could achieve immortality and Song Yun Bronze. They had ensured the information didn’t get out as each ascension took more time and left the ascender cut off from the world and vulnerable to external threats. 

Someone had betrayed the sisters. Several Scourge Champions and their agents had found the hidden mansion, and they had dealt with non-stop attacks for the past week. Each confrontation cut their numbers down more. Song Yun was almost sure that all the Scourge Champions had fallen, but only the cultists and their controlled Cursed Ones remained. They only needed to hold out for a few more hours. Her senses told her that Song Yi was on the cusp of breaking through.

Unfortunately, none of the current survivors were mages or had access to powerful artifacts and spells. So they did the best they could with the manuals, scrolls, and gems they had available. It explained why Nil, a mid-Iron Realm, had received the quest offer.

As they talked and Nil learned more about the world and power structure, Kim Hwan tended to his fallen comrade. The man had suffered a significant head injury but wasn’t dead. Neither he nor Song Yun had any ‘healing techniques’ and hoped the man would survive until Song Yi finished her breakthrough.

“Hit me,” Nil said once they were done talking. He had studied his surroundings, and all the stairways were in tatters. “Both of you. Hit me as hard as you can with whatever physical techniques.”

“What?” Song Yun demanded, frowning. “Why?”

Kim Hwan looked equally bewildered. “My ability—I mean technique can absorb whatever you throw at me as long as there is no non-physical element. I need the energy to get to the roof. The pair of you can take turns resting, and I’ll watch our surroundings from above.”

“I’m fine, Honored Summoned,” Kim Hwan said. “I cannot rest until my duty is done.”

“Both of you look like you’re on the verge of collapse. Even if it's for a few minutes, close your eyes and gather yourself. A tired body and mind won’t help you do your duty any better. I have a detection technique capable of seeking out arcane presences and is especially good at detecting Cursed Energy.” Nil paid the visage attention for the first time since his arrival to the alien world. It already stood on the building’s roof and stood in the distance. “We’ll keep an eye and alert you if anything comes by.”

Kim Hwan looked to his superior for permission. He attacked Nil with overhand swings when she nodded. It took sixteen blows to refill Brutal Battery. Afterward, he retreated to the metal doors, sat cross-legged in front of it, and closed his eyes. Energy Instinct highlighted the ambient energies—including those leaking from the protected room—as they swirled around the swordsman before flowing into his body. Nil could feel the strands coalescing and gathering around his solar plexus.

“Don’t waste your energy,” Song Yun said. “I’ll take you to the rooftop.”

The young woman wrapped an arm around Nil’s waist before slightly bending her knees. Red light gathered around her feet and the butt off her speer. They burst free, cracking the flagstones just as she jumped, carrying herself and him up three floors. 

“I know it's not graceful, but the technique is excellent at vertical mobility.”

“Graceful or not, that was impressive nonetheless,” Nil said. “Most of us Summoned don’t get such varied techniques like you. We’re limited to the abilities the Schema gives us and the few with gifted minds who can learn spells and magic.”

“Does your world have no natural Qi?” Song Yun looked and sounded shocked at the prospect.

Nil shook his head. “We didn’t have anything until about seventeen years ago. There was a cataclysm that almost broke our world. The Nexus came to our rescue, glued the shattered pieces back together, and gave us the strength and resources to fight the dangers that came with the disaster.”

“And you serve as Summoned in exchange?”

“That’s the deal,” Nil replied, nodding. He turned his attention to their surroundings. The estate’s exterior and surroundings were as scarred as the courtyard. Nil saw mountains of beasts, Cursed Ones, and human corpses. It looked like a small army had attacked the mansion. Traces of arcane energies lingered at the epicenters of faded explosions and dying fire. “Every quest we complete and the battle we win in the Apocalypse Arena wins our world arcane resources to improve our lives and prepare for when the Scourge inevitably finds us.”

“Arena?” Song Yun raised a delicate eyebrow. If Nil hadn’t seen her fight, he would’ve never imagined the delicate-looking young woman was anything more than she appeared. She looked more like an actress in Eastern fantasy shows than a real warrior. The Schema hadn’t altered her body as she ascended, providing toning or muscles. Whatever enhancements she got from her ‘body tempering’ was internal. “I’ve heard great tales about it. Apparently, the gods promised Sister that she would give us access to the fabled arena and inter-dimensional markets if she achieved immortality and purged the Scourge from the island. Have you fought in the Arena?”

Nil nodded. “We don’t have Qi for cultivating the Scourge or Cursed Ones to fight and grow stronger in my world. Quests for the Nexus and Apocalypse Arena is how we—”

Movement in the distance stopped Nil mid-sentence. Energy Instinct had a limited range, and he never got the chance to test its limitations. Obstacles weakened its abilities, and Nil mostly used it in built-up areas. For the first time, he got a chance to push his abilities to its limits, and the Schema rewarded him accordingly.

Energy Instinct has progressed to Iron 0!

Your detection range and control over internal energies have increased.

Would you like for the Schema to modify Energy Instinct and adapt it to Brutal Battery?

Current functions might be lost or altered, but synergy with your ability, future sub-abilities, and a compatible soul weapon will improve.

Nil gave the Schema his silent approval and swiped the interface aside. The catalyst of the growth looked more prominent. It wasn’t just moving trees and a dark patch that he saw in the moonlight. Pink and purple flecks rose from the trees at the base of the mountain.

“Rest. Cultivate. Do whatever you need to, Song Yun. We’ll have company soon, and your assistance will be vital.”

The young woman’s eyes darted between Nil and the spot where he focused. She nodded and sat down cross-legged next to him with her spear across her lap. Nil instantly felt the dormant energy inside her swirling, and the birthed vortex drew in the ambient magic. He hoped it would be enough for whatever was coming. It was more than a single Cursed One—or demon as the locals called it—coming their way. He needed everyone well-rested for the coming battle.