Reborn: Apocalypse

Warm sunshine wafted in through a shuttered window, the early gleams of dawn softly breaking the horizon. This light shimmered in the air as if in delight, dancing right next to Micheal.

"In… out… in… out…" Micheal muttered a mantra repeatedly, the air around him visibly glowing with Earth Tier Ki.

He was currently sitting on a plain wooden bed and mattress, tucked up against the side of a small bedroom. A small desk and a drawer were the only other pieces of furniture in the room.

Unlike the First Layer, which was full of modern amenities, the Second Layer was much more restricted. If you wanted to find anything like a toilet, a car, an air conditioner unit, or more, you had to buy it yourself from the Shop.

And, given how gravity was 30% heavier, there was no guarantee that the bought objects would last as long or work as efficiently, even if purchased from the Shop.

Within Micheal's body, green energy was constantly cascading through his veins. Every time the energy fully circled his body, from his heart to his feet, his body would grow a tiny bit stronger. His bones grew sturdier, his muscles more tensile and durable, and his vision and senses more adept.

Each 'cycle' brought out only a small amount of change. However, when repeated over and over and over, for days on end, it would gradually strengthen Micheal's body significantly.

"Ahh…" Micheal let out a breath of air, his body shivering as he exhaled a small cloud of green energy. He opened his eyes after that, smiling slightly.

"Status."

.

— - Status — -

Name: Micheal Care

Points: 75,391

Race: Human

Age: 18

Physique: 1 Star

Soul Quality: 3 Star

Strength - 80

Endurance - 56

Recovery - 55

Soul - 36

Abilities - (5/7)

Life Orb Master

Ki Cultivator (Earth Tier - Early)

Grandmaster Sword Mastery (1/5)

Impact Release

Ceaseless Mind

.

Apart from the large amount of Points he'd gained from defeating Head Cameron, there was no discernible change from the last time he'd checked his Status. Still, he could still feel the small increase in his cultivation. He could also get a general idea of how fast he was growing.

At this rate, if he cultivated each day at the maximum he could achieve, he would reach the Middle Stage of Earth Tier in around three weeks.

By any normal metric, that was insanely quick. It took him more than two and a half months to go from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage in his first life. The huge difference was mostly because of his lack of experience when it came to handling Ki. This time around, every cycle Micheal made was perfect, stretching out his progress to the absolute maximum every day.

His 1 Star Physique was also helping, slightly, but it wasn't having as big of an impact. He felt it more in how he could get more stats from each Stage.

'It's not bad. But it's not fast enough. I need to up my Physique again.' His eternal irritation haunted him either way. He was still too slow.

His current physical stats placed him as an average Third Rate Warrior here on the Second Layer.

The ranking system for warriors on the Second Layer wasn't that different from how humans were rated on the First.

Micheal mentally went over it as he finished his cultivation, compiling his plans.

Normal people, and weaker humans, or people of other races, didn't get any rating at all.

Third Rate Warriors were the starting line for people that actually held some amount of power. Around 90% of the warriors on the Second Layer were Third Rate Warriors. With a Strength stat of 80, Micheal was strong enough to be rated a Third Rate Warrior.

Second Rate Warriors were the starting line for the elite. Showing power that surpassed the vast majority of other beings, Second Rate Warriors could be found among the leaders of guards in large cities, dangerous assassins of deadly repute, experts that had trained for many years, and were able to become 'Outer Elders' in any of the Six Great Sects.

First Rate Warriors were the elite among the elite. Possessing power that could directly change the scale of a battle on their own, First Rate Warriors were deadly forces of war. They were typically only found as 'Inner Elders' in any of the Six Great Sects, or Sect Masters in smaller scale Sects.

Micheal's current Soul stat was already at the level of an average First Rate Warrior.

And after First Rate Warriors came the final normal tier: Supreme Warriors.

Supreme Warriors were experts that had reached the apex normally achievable on the Second Layer. They were the Sect Masters of the Six Great Sects, and a few rogue experts that existed in hidden organizations or wandered the Second Layer seeking enlightenment. Most people viewed them as practically unstoppable, geniuses that went unrivaled except by each other.

A First Rate Warrior could be stopped if you threw enough Second Rate Warriors at them. A Supreme Warrior, however… only another Supreme Warrior could face them.

As of right now, none of the other races openly had a Supreme Warrior expert. Humanity's Four Barons were all extremely strong 'First Rate Warriors' but they hadn't quite reached the level of a Supreme Warrior.

'Well, the Farians have a Supreme Warrior. But no one knows that yet.' Micheal tossed the thought to the side as he continued to ponder.

Third Rate, Second Rate, First Rate, and Supreme. These were the four normally achievable tiers of the Second Layer.

'Normally, that is to say.' Micheal wrinkled his nose slightly.

There were two other tiers apart from these four. One that was a step above, and one that was a step to the side.

A 'Master,' a tier or title given to those warriors that had reached the Master Tier of Sword Mastery, or any other Weapon Mastery Ability. The Second Layer was a world obsessed with martial arts, and while experts that reached the Master Tier were extremely few and far in-between, they still existed, especially among the inhabitants of this world, the Byrens.

Some Masters were able to use Master Tier Sword Energy to become deadly Supreme Warriors, while others just knew the rudimentary basics and were only very strong First Rate Warriors.

And other than the Masters…

There were the Six Lords.

It was a unique name for a tier of experts, namely because the tier itself was unique.

There were Six Great Sects on the Second Layer. They controlled most of the world and, currently, most were at war with one another.

And in those Six Great Sects, there were six Lords of inordinate power. They were so monstrously powerful they could not be approached logically for a single reason.

On the Second Layer, it was physically impossible to cultivate to the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation. It didn't matter if you were a genius, it didn't matter what resources you used, it didn't matter how special your powers were.

None of the races here were capable of achieving this feat. Even Director Prime… well, Micheal wasn't quite sure about anything when it came to that man. But Micheal was well aware that it would be completely impossible for Micheal, himself, to achieve Lord Tier here.

However, there was a single, or rather, six, exceptions to that rule.

The Six Lords that backed each of Six Great Sects… not only were all six of them in the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation, they were also all at the absolute Peak Stage of the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation.

How that was possible had much to do with the history of this world.

'Still, they aren't my target for now.' Micheal rubbed his eyes as sighed.

He looked around his room for a few seconds before he got up and began to prepare for the day. He took off his old clothes and changed into a new set of the same green robe, wrinkling his nose slightly as he looked at them. He didn't smell horrible, but he definitely wanted to take a bath or shower.

"I'll do it later." After spawning in and munching down a quick breakfast from the Shop, Micheal left his room and walked down a long, wooden hallway to a small staircase. He followed it downstairs into a small, Inn lobby.

It had a quaint look to it, with a small couch and some pillows set opposite of a wooden counter. A young man stood behind that counter and gave Micheal a friendly nod as he walked past.

When it came to the 'Camps,' all of the new arrivals were allowed free use of any of the Inns for the first two weeks they were here. This was one of the few things humanity had gotten partially right, giving the new people an easier chance to get a foothold.

A large part of this had to do with how the Second Layer worked. The first two weeks that any new Chosen spent here were considered special.

Unlike the First Layer, if a human killed another human that had only been here for two weeks or less, the killer wouldn't get any Points from killing that person. It was only after the first two weeks had passed that a human was considered 'fully arrived.'

There were many theories on why this kind of 'grace period' existed. Some researchers thought it had to do with how the Shop, and our Souls, operated. They believed it took time for our Souls to fully unite with the essence of the Second Layer, making it impossible to absorb any Points from someone without a fully integrated Soul.

This theory was strengthened by the fact that the reverse was not true. A person that was within their first two weeks here could still kill other humans and obtain Points from them. The energy transfer would work one way, but it wouldn't work the other way.

Every Layer worked like this, though each adjustment period was different.

After the two weeks were over, however… that 'grace period' would end and you had to join one of the Syndicates or one of the smaller organizations that were allied to the 4 Barons, or leave the territory of the Human Alliance.

Micheal looked up and down the street as he casually left his Inn, scanning his surroundings. After he didn't find anything out of the ordinary, he began to head up the street to the north. His Inn, the Jeston Inn, was located in the northern sector of the Camp.

"The Hanmind Fire Spears are recruiting Ice Ability users to hunt Giant Blaze Lizards!"

"...Casandra I have had enough lip from you, you can consider yourself removed from the Blue Lily Society-"

"You're selling Winter Wolf Fangs? Do you take Alliance Points?"

The hubbub of life in the Camp serenaded Micheal, various men and women speaking, bartering, and arguing, reminding him a bit of the Open Markets on the First.

As he moved, he constantly paid attention to his movements and his surroundings, trying to fully adjust to all of the changes he'd been through.

After his Soul Quality rose to 3 Stars and his Soul stat rose to 36, Micheal's perception of the world had changed substantially. His 3 Star Soul Quality mostly affected his 'talent' or growth rate, while also boosting the past results of his Ki training, and helping contribute to why his Soul stat rose as much as it did.

Because of this, his ability to detect the presence of other beings through his Soul had greatly increased. If he focused, he would be able to innately sense the presence of anyone within roughly 23 meters of him, even if they weren't focused on him. Part of this had to do with his vast experience at detecting enemies around him, but part of it had to do with his upgraded Soul.

Of course, if someone had a much stronger Soul or special Abilities, they would still be able to hide. But for the majority of foes he might encounter, Micheal was practically immune to a close-range ambush as long as he was careful.

He would also be able to more easily flood an enemy with his own killing intent, something he could use as a type of mental weapon.

Apart from that, his perception of time had undergone a period of rapid growth. He could now perceive things at a rate roughly ~26-27% faster than a regular human. His consciousness automatically adjusted for people speaking and most things, but the jarringly fast change was still overtly noticeable.

It made it easier to dodge attacks, easier to detect enemies, gave him more time to think and focus, and let him react faster. The results of raising his Soul stat so intensely were slowly beginning to show their value.

While it was something he had experienced a couple of times before, the feeling of such an abrupt change still took time to fully adapt to.

Micheal quickly crossed through the Camp. He passed by more groups of men and women talking in the streets, comparing weapons, and moving back and forth with purpose. The town was filled with life as people went about their business.

There were no beggars lining the streets nor were there cripples crying for help. The Camp was a picture of safety, of wealth, of law and order. A veritable utopia.

'Well, the Camps next to the Spawning Ground are still the same.' Micheal grimaced as he saw this. No matter how much the timeline of the First morphed, it seemed many things on the Second remained unchanged… including some of the darkness that lay beneath the surface.

Soon, Micheal reached the northern gate to Camp Maybell. The rather steely presence he gave off prevented anyone in the town from approaching him, making it easy to avoid any interaction. He passed through the gate after a brief discussion with the guards, with a reminder, of course, that he needed to make a choice in 13 days.

Micheal then found himself in a large, open field of grass. Off to his right, the Spawning Grounds spread out, while a few Camps could be seen in the distance to the North.

Micheal began to run northward and slightly to the left, loping along at a rapid speed as he put some distance between himself and the Camp. He kept a careful lookout as he ran, though he didn't feel or see anyone following him.

There were people traveling between Camps, and he could also make out several large groups of people moving in various directions. The land near the Spawning Grounds was one of the more crowded areas.

'I'll need to run for about an hour till I can use my shoes.' He thought as he glanced down at his Cloud Stepping Shoes. Apart from that, the only other Artifacts he wore were his Mid-Tier Spatial Ring, his Aura Nullification Necklace, and the basic sword he'd strapped to his waist.

He had no intention of running everywhere, nor did he have any intention of wasting any of his Points on a vehicle. Once he got far enough out of sight, he would break out his Life Orbs and take to the sky with his Cloud Stepping Shoes or just soar along near the ground.

He needed the practice to help adapt his Soul to the changes it had undergone, and could use the time to think things over. There were so many things he wanted to do, he would need to narrow down the most optimal choices.

'Alright. The Big Plan: Part 1.' Micheal took a deep breath as he went over the first couple of plans he'd propped up, based on all the information he had from the future, as well as his own experience and needs of the present.

'The first two things I need to do…' His eyes gleamed.

The first was obvious.

'I need to activate my Champion's Gift as soon as possible.' If he could steal the Deity 'Title' System, the chances he had at stopping all of the Vile King's plots would explode exponentially.

The second thing was, to him, also obvious.

'I need to stop Myla Hannis from getting assassinated in 21 days.' He would also need to get her to agree to help him. Part of the reason he'd been so frantic to leave the First Layer had to do with this incident here.

Micheal felt rather lucky as he considered this. He could do both of these things in close to the same area. It would save him quite a bit of time, though there was bound to be a huge amount of danger. If things went wrong, the consequences would be devastating.

In addition to that... there was also one rather significant complication Micheal would need to address.

Myla Hannis absolutely must not die. She was the key to stopping the Vile King's Great Disaster, a sequence of events that would devastate the Second Layer and cause hundreds of millions of humans to die.

However…

Myla Hannis… wasn't a human.

She also wasn't a Byren, the one race Humanity currently had a peace treaty with.

Instead, she was a Farian.

A race Humanity was currently fighting a war with.

After jogging for roughly 40 minutes, Micheal reached a point where there was no one else in sight. By then, he had crossed away from the Spawning Grounds, but was still in the vast, grassy plain.

This territory had been mostly unoccupied before humanity arrived. It was nominally the territory of the Divine Might Sect, but in actuality abandoned and left to the wilds.

This region had a rather special climate that made it difficult for most kinds of crops to grow, rendering much of the land useless. Ferocious beasts didn't see much value in the land either, making it a sort of safe-haven, but the uselessness of the land itself led to it being abandoned.

The Spawning Grounds had magically arrived alongside humanity's presence. Seeing as humans could survive using the Shop, without the need to grow crops of their own, an area like this was a perfect match for humanity. Magic Beasts, a source for Points and rare resources, could be found in several large forests that were located nearby, making this area practically a safe haven for the powerful.

The Divine Might Sect that owned this land was part of the Six Great Sects. Each of these Sects controlled roughly the same amount of land, around the size of a mid-sized country on Earth. The continent that the Six Great Sects lived on was called the Asora Continent, and was shaped like a large, wobbly circle. These Sects were the 'Superpowers' of this world and each individually held an enormous amount of influence.

Each Great Sect bordered two to three other Great Sects, and typically housed a number of smaller ones, creating a balance that prevented any Great Sect from going all out and attacking one another. Doing so would leave their home base relatively unguarded and vulnerable, encouraging others to attack them in their moment of weakness.

The Divine Might Sect was located directly on the East side of the Asora Continent, with the Ground Demon Sect to the South of them, the Silent Sword Sect to the North, and the White Mountain Sect to the West. As for the two other Great Sects, the Heaven Slayer Sect and the Evil Light Sect, the Divine Might Sect didn't share any borders with them.

Humanity's Spawning Ground was located in a Northeastern region of the Divine Might Sect's territory, tucked up into an unimportant corner. If Micheal had wanted to, he could've traveled East for a few dozen miles and hit the Grand Ocean.

It was currently the middle of Spring, or Winwarm as the Byrens called it, on the Second Layer. That meant it was a decent temperature out, not too hot nor too cold thanks to where Micheal was located. Micheal didn't care too much about the temperature, but did care about which season it was, largely due to the weather.

Weather on the Second Layer was known to be rather haphazard, especially during the 'Summer' and 'Winter' months. Spring was slowly drawing to an end around now, meaning Micheal had plenty of time to act before having to deal with any annoying Magic Storms.

After reaching a place where no one could see him, Micheal had called out his two Life Orbs and jumped upon them. His green robe was long enough that it could cover the Orbs up, though he wasn't particularly worried about being spotted out here. If he ran into anyone, he would just switch over to his Cloud Stepping Shoes.

He then began to zoom off on his journey, continued North as he gradually headed towards the end of the land that had been, in part, ceded to humanity by the Divine Might Sect. The air whipped past him as he flew, staying low to the ground as he practiced using his newly strengthened Soul.

He constantly worked on rotating his Life Orbs, manipulating them in odd turns or abrupt reversals, and all sorts of patterns designed to experiment with his Soul. He needed to adapt quickly to the increased power, knowing that it could make all the difference in battle.

As he grew more adept with the increase, he could also feel something unique about his Life Orbs.

They almost felt like they had grown… sturdier, as if they became more durable as his Soul grew stronger. They felt like they could endure more powerful blows, though that was something he wasn't likely to test, not if he was trying to stay disguised.

Alongside that, Micheal also vaguely felt as if something else had changed. He couldn't know for sure, not for a couple of days…

But he had a feeling that the number of Life Orbs he could create, in total, had increased.

If his guess was right… then he could now store one extra Life Orb, which meant he had an extra life when push came to shove.

'Man… the power to die and come back to life…' He shook his head slightly at the thought, still incredibly pleased. After his duel with Prime, a thought had become cemented in his mind: This Ability was truly mind-bogglingly powerful. While he now knew it couldn't heal injuries to the Soul, the fact that he could disregard injuries to the body was already incredible.

He could really see why users with this power were famed for being unkillable.

Micheal began testing his Cloud Stepping Shoes as he flew, getting to a point where he was comfortable with his Soul. Unfortunately, he quickly found an issue with them.

That issue wasn't something he could solve: the enhanced gravity. His body, as of right now, wasn't super powerful. Physically, he was on the level of an average Third Rate Warrior, something that wasn't anything special.

If he wanted to use his Cloud Stepping Shoes to jump high into the sky, and then use that height to glide long distances, his physical strength currently wasn't quite enough.

Just jumping that high, alone, would be extremely exhausting. While his Strength stat was at 80, his Endurance and Recovery stats were only in the mid-50s. His body would grow tired long before he reached anything approaching a decent height.

Such exhaustion would ruin any potential perks he might gain from being up so high, leaving him vulnerable to attack. His Life Orbs could restore injuries, but they couldn't restore spent energy. Exhaustion was a poison he would be unable to shed through normal means.

As a result, he stuck to just soaring along the grass, only half a meter or so above it. He made fast speed and kept up his practice, blazing along steadily.

The farther from the Spawning Grounds Micheal moved, the more and more rugged the landscape had become. The grassy plains where nothing seemed to grow gradually faded into the raw wilderness. Hills, forests, and a mix of wild territory spread out before him, dotted with wild animals, though he had yet to see any Magic Beasts.

And it was here that Micheal finally saw his first 'Slum.'

He spotted it in the distance as he flew up one particular hill.

It was a large, motley collection of tents, houses, and shoddy walls covering an area of several kilometers. Some of the homes seemed well constructed while others were in disrepair and falling apart. Garbage littered the nearby area, some of it half burnt, as if people had attempted to clean up but given up halfway through.

In this meshed together attempt at a Camp, Micheal could see hundreds of figures resting or moving about. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on them, a frown appearing on his face.

Elderly folks that seemed too brittle to have even made it to the Second Layer, crippled or horribly disfigured warriors that were barely making it by, those of weaker mind or those that had suffered severe shock…

After two weeks, every Chosen had to make a choice to join an organization within the Human Alliance. When you did that, you had to meet certain goals to stay within that organization.

If you were unable to meet those goals multiple times, you could be expelled and banned from staying in, or near, any of the 'Camps' that protected the 'useful' humans.

In other words, these people were abandoned. Too sickly, too useless, too injured, too dumb, there were a variety of reasons that someone might be rejected from one organization or another. Very few people would be willing to take care of invalids in this horrible death war with other races.

Micheal turned and spat to the side, a vile taste filling his mouth as he looked away. He could see people literally collapsed on the sides of the road, begging for anything.

It cost a few Points a week, at most, to live here on the Second, even in these barren lands. Yet, for someone that shouldn't have made it here in the first place, or was too injured to care for themselves, that could be an unreasonable burden.

'It was like this for a while in the beginning.' In Micheal's first life, the harsh Slum/Camp system existed in his time as well, many months down the road. This setup was cruel and heartless, and ended up costing countless lives, an unacceptable loss in Micheal's eyes. It was also stupid, at its core. Humans could only have a limited number of Abilities, it made no sense to just throw people away. There could be so much value in every single person!

It was actually the Purgatory Church that first made major moves to fix this system, setting up food and care kitchens and hospitals in all of the shanty towns that began to develop, especially as hundreds of millions of people reached the Second Layer. Things got better, but not for a long time.

As Micheal looked on at this horrifying facet of reality, a feeling of helplessness began to fill him.

'How would I fix this..?' As he confronted the issue, he couldn't help but feel useless.

He was no genius when it came to management. What he knew best was combat, battle, swordsmanship, and training. He knew how to kill his enemies and develop complex battle plans, to take out anyone that was going against him.

But he couldn't stab starvation to death with a sword. He couldn't heal the injured with a dagger. He couldn't solve poverty with his fists.

Micheal sighed and looked away.

It was an issue that needed work… but it wasn't his top priority right now. He had a few ideas on how to approach it, but none that could be implemented immediately.

The First Layer had been handled, especially with the messages he'd sent to his various allies before he left. What he needed to focus on, for now, was handling the things that needed immediate attention here on the Second.

The Slums could wait a few more weeks.

Saving the Farian that could stop the Great Disaster could not.

And to save her, Micheal first needed to reach the territory of the Silent Sword Sect.

.

Micheal passed by the Slum, avoiding any interaction as he continued to soar along the ground. Whenever he saw a party or group in the distance, he made immediate detours and went out of his way to avoid contact. While this corner of the Second Layer wasn't very populated, bands of humans roaming about were not at all uncommon to see.

This wilderness abounded with wildlife that was much stronger than that of Earth. Deer, mountain lions, wolves, many of the animals Micheal knew from Earth were common here, but in much stronger forms. They weren't at the level of a Magic Beast, but were powerful enough to make them difficult for regular humans to hunt.

As he moved, Micheal was aware that whatever he did here could potentially leave a trace that others could track. His new identity as 'Legion' would need to be completely separate from his identities of 'Heron' or 'Micheal.' At the bare minimum, there would soon be millions of people after his head.

After all… when word reached the Second Layer that he had killed the Godfather… Well, it wouldn't be pretty. Even though this was the Second, many people here still appreciated and respected the Godfather Organization of the First. There was a reason no infants or young children had been spotted in the Slums Micheal had seen.

Very few young humans existed on the Second Layer, and most of those were only from being born here on the Second. Most children lived on the First Layer within the Godfather Organization. Very few people would begrudge someone for taking care of lost siblings or family members, especially as they realized how terrible this reality was.

The Vile King couldn't know exactly what happened thanks to Micheal's efforts in the battle with Cameron. The longer Micheal could prevent him from knowing that he was actively working to stop Constantine's plans, the bigger Micheal's advantage would be. Being forced to hide his identity, especially as hundreds of millions of people began to pour through to the Second, was a small price to pay.

The lands around him continued to return to the wild, the grassy, peaceful plains long forgotten. In this abandoned corner of the Divine Might Sect's territory, only humanity and Magic Beasts could be found.

And as Micheal travelled farther northward, he spotted his first roaming Magic Beast.

Most Magic Beasts lived in mystical looking mountain ranges or blessed forests. Such places were not uncommon on the Second Layer, and were, in fact, almost commonplace. There were tens of thousands of fog-shrouded mountains, faintly glowing forests, or magical lakes, each packed full of magical creatures of varying power.

In these areas, Magic Herbs or very rare Helion Treasures could be found and eaten, a staple of a Magic Beast's diet. These magical plants or fruits would reappear after being devoured in an inevitable cycle, one of the special aspects of the Second Layer.

Still, some of the weaker Magic Beasts might find themselves unable to compete for enough food in their vast enclaves. Creatures like this would take to roaming the outside world, looking for prey to hunt on. Byrens, Humans, or regular beasts, it mattered not to them.

The first creature of this kind that Micheal spotted was a beast he found roaming only an hour past the Slum.

A large, one and a half meter's tall wild dog, with spiked black fur that fluttered faintly in the breeze. Bulging muscles could be seen under its sharp-edged fur, giving it a primal appearance. Its eyes glowed with faint, blue light, while its deadly teeth gleamed white.

It was a Black Needle Dog, a Low-Tier Magic Beast.

When Micheal spotted it, he slowed down slightly. He eyed the creature from the air, around 200 meters distant from it. The beast was currently munching on a white deer's carcass, one of the many normal animals that inhabited the Second Layer.

Low-Tier Magic Beasts would normally require a team of Third Rate Warriors to take down. Even Low-Tier creatures were ferocious monsters that contained a huge amount of strength.

However, taking down Magic Beasts came with ample rewards. Their bodies were magical, containing resources that humans could only buy from the Shop, including some materials that couldn't be purchased at all.

In addition, every Magic Beast came with a Spirit Crystal embedded within them. The Crystal operated as the 'battery' of a Magic Beast, a type of tough organ that stored their energy. Just like humans, Magic Beasts cultivated a type of energy that was roughly equivalent to Ki.

When regular Byrens killed a Magic Beast, they would remove this Spirit Crystal. They could then slowly absorb energy from the Crystal to help further their Ki Cultivation. In this aspect, Byrens had an advantage over humans.

When a human killed a Magic Beast, the energy in that creature's Spirit Crystal was automatically absorbed and converted into Points. There were few exceptions to this rule, and because of this, it made it very difficult to acquire Spirit Crystals through any means other than trade for humans.

The drained Spirit Crystal dissipated into dust, becoming mostly worthless. The other materials that a Magic Beast contained, however, were still worthwhile. These were the main tools humans used for trade at this time.

As Micheal scanned the Black Needle Dog, he roughly gauged its power.

'It's stronger than an Abnormal Morenkai, but not on the level of a Monster Class Morenkai.' He could tell this with a simple glance. Its physical power wasn't bound to be too high, nor was its physical defense.

However, when it came to Magic Beasts, raw strength wasn't everything. Most of them contained weird abilities or powers that set them apart from each other.

To humans, these marauding Magic Beasts were a plague that took countless lives. After all, if it took a full team of Third Rate Warriors to kill one, then groups of humans that weren't at that level, or individual Third Rate Warriors that weren't with a team, were easy prey.

Micheal hadn't encountered one of these before, but could remember reading a vague description of the creature thanks to his Ceaseless Mind's perfect memory. The fact that it was covered in quills and spikes likely meant it had a defensive or close-range offensive power, something the description he'd read confirmed.

After scanning his surroundings and noting that no one was nearby, Micheal began to approach the Black Needle Dog.

He didn't hide his presence nor did he set up any special traps. Instead, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and simply flew forward.

It took only a couple of seconds for the Black Needle Dog to notice him.

The dog had been in the middle of chomping down on a large deer hind leg when it froze, its nose twitching. Its entire body shivered as it turned to look at the fast-approaching Micheal, a low, rumbling growl echoing out.

Micheal ignored that as he continued to fly forward. He bent his knees slightly as he moved, his gaze calm and steady.

The wild dog's growl evolved into a roar as the Magic Beast dropped the deer leg and took several steps towards Micheal. Its fur spiked up even further, making it look painful to touch.

By this point, Micheal was just a dozen meters away. He had leapt off of his Life Orbs and was sprinting forward, his every movement measured and precise. The tension built up as the roaring wild dog prepared to launch itself at Micheal, its white teeth gleaming.

Just before the Magic Beast leaped, just before Micheal was about to make contact…

Micheal's eyes glowed as he stared at the Black Needle Dog and unleashed his full killing intent.

An invisible wave of emotion, conducted by the power of his Soul, washed forward and encompassed the Black Needle Dog. A feeling of overwhelming bloodlust and intimidation, borne from more than a decade of brutal warfare and combat at the highest level.

That invisible wave of emotion slammed into the Low-Tier Magic Beast and froze it in its tracks. Its entire body grew still in terror as it felt this pressure land, neutralizing its attack before it could even get started.

By the time it even tried to recover from that shock, it was already too late.

In the split second that it stood there frozen, Micheal decapitated it in a single slash. His right arm had struck forward lightning-fast, Advanced Tier Sword Energy coating his blade as he cut through the Black Needle Dog's tufted fur like it was paper.

A wash of red blood spattered out as the Magic Beast collapsed, killed instantly.

.

—-Points Obtained—-

Points: 267

.

Micheal flicked the notification to the side as he smoothly spun around, sheathing his sword in a graceful movement. He eyed the Points total, sighing slightly.

It was a travesty that humanity abandoned so many of their own to various Slums, not when Low-Tier Magical Beasts could provide so many Points. This was enough to provide a basic meal for at least a hundred humans. People's appetites grew stronger as their bodies became more powerful, but it wasn't at anything approaching a high level here on the Second.

After a second, he gazed down at the corpse, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"It's no good." He frowned as he stepped forward and grabbed ahold of the wild dog's body. He picked up the pieces and quickly stored them in his Mid-Tier Spatial Ring, saving it for later.

Low-Tier Magic Beasts were ferocious, but Micheal's skill level vastly outweighed his own body's strength. That, combined with his abnormally strong Soul, meant that no Low-Tier Magic Beast was bound to be a match for him, no matter how powerful or odd their abilities might be.

Advanced Tier Sword Energy, in his hands, was deadly enough to shear through the skin of any Low-Tier Magic Beast with ease. His physical strength was enough to carry him for now, and he could always use the Bracken Enhancement Fluid if he truly needed to, giving him the versatility he needed to handle most situations.

As well, while he wasn't at the level where he could use Master Tier Sword Energy without serious injury, his powerful Soul was almost at that point. If he could get just a few more points into his Soul stat, he would be able to freely use the lowest level of Master Tier Sword Energy with minimal injuries.

With the experience he had as well as the fact that his Soul was already partially adapted to Master Tier Sword Energy, once he reached that point... he wouldn't be at full strength, but he would pretty easily be a First Rate Warrior.

These were all huge positives. Unfortunately, one very serious negative existed.

Micheal's best method of attack was, of course, with raw swordplay. However…

If he wanted to maintain his disguise, he couldn't show most of that outstanding sword skill. It would be laughably easy to trace him to 'Heron' of the First if he showed even an inkling of his Sword Mastery prowess.

Right now, it was very important that he remain undercover. He couldn't let the Vile King know of his true identity and he especially couldn't let the man know that Micheal was targeting him. Not yet.

There was also the problem that if he got discovered, no doubt hordes of angry warriors would come after him because of his actions on the First Layer. It would take a while for the truth to sort itself out down there, and that was something he could not wait for.

The 12 Tribes of Deities were doubtlessly growing insanely powerful on their own Layers as time went on. Micheal needed to prepare humanity as quickly as possible. He already knew what would happen if he didn't interfere.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he closed his eyes as he began to ponder what he should do. He needed to find a different weapon to use, and he needed to use a different type of combat style. It had to be something unrecognizable, something no one would see and think of 'Heron' or 'Micheal.'

As he considered this, a memory from his past life popped up into his head.

Micheal slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, an idea beginning to form…

.

Towering, thick oak trees dominated a large, sprawling forest. These trees were abnormally thick compared to normal oak trees of Earth, stretching five to six meters across in sheer width. They had more in common with the giant redwoods of Earth than the oak trees they appeared to be.

Atop one of the branches in the midst of these towering giants was a green-robed figure slowly strapping on a glove.

Micheal frowned as he adjusted the black hand cover, making sure it was tucked in tightly. The glove was ornate, with five dull silver lines tracing his fingers on the back, and a grey upside-down triangle on its palm. Small black stones could be seen, woven into the tip of each finger.

Only a single hour had passed since he killed his first Low-Tier Magic Beast. In that time, he'd made fast progress, rapidly leaving the territory that was inhabited by most normal human groups. The sprawling forest he'd found was one he remembered from his first life, the O'Shack Grove. It was a massive forest, but not a magical one, meaning the strongest Magic Beasts you'd find would be Low-Tier.

From down below, Micheal faintly heard monstrous growls echo in the air and a few deathly hisses that resounded in his ears. Apparently there was some type of snake infestation nearby, something he noted down absently.

"There we go." Micheal muttered, a small smile appearing on his face.

Micheal stretched his right hand and wiggled his fingers, moving each digit precisely. He studied the black glove he had just put on, examining the intricate bindings, the symbols woven into its palm, and the small, black gems set at the tip of each finger.

This Artifact had cost Micheal a very pretty penny in the Shop, at 55,300 Points. It was a Silk Strider Glove, a powerful tool that had some very specific powers.

Its durability was rated at a very high level, largely because of its purpose. If Micheal put it to the test, the glove itself would endure even an attack imbued with Advanced Tier Sword Energy for a couple of seconds. Longer than that and it would inevitably be sliced in twain, but just the fact that it could hold at all showed its defensive prowess.

More importantly, the five magical Spider Gems set at the tip of each finger, imbued and attuned with the glove, showed off the Artifact's true strength.

These black gems had the ability to absorb many types of metal. In turn, that metal could later be spat out in the form of thin, but extremely durable, metal threads. The stronger the metal, the more durable and tensile each thread.

The main uses for this Artifact were to help set traps, to help create temporary shelters using the metal threads to strengthen walls and doors, for use in scaling or climbing dangerous heights, and so on. It was a versatile tool-centered Artifact.

For Micheal, however… this Artifact reminded him of a routine he had used to train his concentration and manipulation of Sword Energy, many years into the future.

Micheal never had an official 'Master' to guide and teach him. He attended several speeches and demonstrations given by Master Tier Swordmasters, and even a few by Grandmaster Tier Swordmasters, but had never officially followed someone.

Most elite warriors required certain things from anyone wishing to learn from them. Some of them required certain magical contracts, others had expensive fees, and still others wanted rare items.

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Micheal had been fiercely determined to stay independent in his first life, especially as he went further and further along in the 7 Layers. His trust had been rapidly whittled away as he was betrayed again and again, contributing to that ideal.

As a result, however, Micheal was forced to cobble together multiple techniques to train himself through his own merit. The fact that he managed to reach the Grandmaster Tier of Sword Mastery entirely on his own, while starting several years later than most of the elite, was a testament to his determination.

Micheal's research into training methods didn't rely solely upon the human race, either. He researched all ways to train his Sword Mastery, ways to increase the power of his Soul, and ways to grow stronger while being unable to change his Physique.

One of the routines he had discovered that could help with training one's Sword Mastery was a method used by a race he encountered on the Third Layer. It involved using a tool known as an 'Iron Strings Gauntlet.'

Micheal held out his right hand, focusing on the Silk Strider Glove. In his mind, he could feel an innate connection with the Artifact through his Soul, allowing him to activate it freely.

Slowly, five thin, titanium strings emerged from the gem tips. Each thread was small, about a third as thick as his finger. They emerged limply, as if waiting to be tied up to something. They slid out for a full meter before Micheal stopped activating the glove.

Micheal took a deep breath as he looked at the threads. Then, slowly, he began to push out a wave of Advanced Tier Sword Energy.

The red energy glowed darkly as it spread out along the black glove and then followed the five metal threads, moving all the way up and down the length of each thread. The small width of each thread meant the energy could easily cover the thin lines, creating five, faintly glowing metal strings.

'Hmm…' Micheal stared intently at the creation, feeling everything keenly.

The threads were made from regular titanium from Earth. Unlike the Iron Strings Gauntlet Micheal used on the Third Layer, this glove wasn't built with extremely rare and powerful metals. The original purpose of this Artifact wasn't for combat, but for crafting and utility.

He would've preferred to use the Iron Strings Gauntlet he'd used in the past, but that Artifact wasn't something the Shop sold. Micheal had personally commissioned it on the Third Layer with materials and skills that didn't exist here on the Second.

The Silk Strider Glove also needed a huge amount of metal absorbed into it to be useable. After all, it wouldn't have unlimited metal, and if Micheal ran out in the middle of a battle, it would be rather serious.

Micheal's Points total after buying the Silk Strider Glove was just enough to get it a sizable amount of titanium, leaving him with a mere 200 Points left for emergency situations. He would've used more powerful metals if he could, but he simply hadn't had enough Points.

He hadn't even been able to buy a second glove to use for his other hand.

Still, even with all of those issues, Micheal couldn't help but smile as he wriggled his fingers again.

Slowly, the metal threads on the ends of each finger began to twitch. His finger movements, combined with the constant manipulation of his Advanced Tier Sword Energy, caused the threads to rise up and shift into the shape of a triangle.

Micheal twitched his fingers again. The threads morphed and shifted once more, this time taking the shape of a large circle.

"Excellent." Micheal laughed out loud as he saw how smoothly it was working.

Advanced Tier Sword Energy couldn't be manipulated outside of a weapon like Master Tier Sword Energy. However, if he used this Artifact, propped up by his abnormally powerful Soul, he was able to come up with a near-replacement.

Slowly, Micheal began to lengthen each individual thread. Soon they stretched out to two meters, and then to three, four, five, and six. After several moments, he stretched them out to a full 10 meters in length, covering a huge amount of ground.

A sheen of sweat covered Micheal's forehead as he manipulated all five metal threads at ten meters of length. Each thread twisted and rolled in the air like long, living snakes, under his complete control. Micheal could feel their presence with his Soul, allowing him to control each one with a very high level of focus.

Micheal made the metal threads twist in the air and, with a few small hand movements, abruptly surround the tree he was on. As he did so, he raised and opened his right hand, his eyes gleaming with the Ki Energy inside his body. The threads were constantly pulling and tugging at his body as he moved, meaning he had to carefully control the strength of his body to not get sent flying.

Then, he clenched his fist.

The metal threads whipped forward in a cascade, cutting into the huge tree from every single direction. In just a single split second, the tree was cut into more than 20 pieces, literally shredded before Micheal's very eyes.

Micheal backflipped off the tree, using his Cloud Stepping Shoes to jump to a second large tree as the first collapsed. Leaves, branches, and split pieces of wood cascaded in the air as the giant oak fell to the ground, smashing down with a rumbling groan.

"Not bad… not bad at all…" Micheal muttered as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The power of the metal threads was considerable, especially when he used all of them. They offered a huge amount of range and versatility, and would be extremely difficult to defend against.

The only problem with using them was the extreme amount of focus required, as well as the huge strain on his Soul.

Micheal's Soul was very powerful for his level, absurdly so for someone that had just been here a few months. Despite that, he already found it strenuous to use Advanced Tier Sword Energy to manipulate just 5 threads at 10 meters. He had made the threads as thin as possible, but could already tell that this style of combat couldn't be something he drew out. He also might need to shorten the technique's range by a few meters.

Advanced Tier Sword Energy simply wasn't made to be stretched out so far. There was a reason Micheal had used the original Iron Strings Gauntlet for training, and not for combat. It was excellent at splitting his focus between combat and the manipulation of Sword Energy, but the sheer amount of pressure it put on him was monstrous.

That said… Micheal had a considerable wealth of experience using a similar Artifact, built up over several years. He knew how to actively use it well and, while the focus it required was extreme, Micheal was able to meet that extreme.

"That'll do." Micheal nodded his head. He had found his alternative combat style, one no one could possibly trace back to his previous identities.

In the background, the tree Micheal had felled finally finished collapsing. The tree he was now standing on shuddered slightly at the impact of the fallen colossus, slowly returning back to a sense of stillness.

With this issue finally settled, Micheal returned to his journey. Instead of continuing to travel North, however, he headed deeper into the O'Shack Grove, jumping from treetop to treetop in a blur.

On his way to the Silent Sword Sect, he was making a small detour.

The O'Shack Grove was a normal forest. Humanity had done plenty of research on the specifics of the Second Layer, defining everything to a science.

The worlds of the 7 Layers all had different concentrations of energy propping them up, built upon the stronger laws of reality. The higher up you went, the richer the energy in the air was, allowing one to cultivate to greater heights.

Official Magic Forests contained naturally higher concentrations of energy, granting an area magical properties. The forests themselves weren't that magical, but the space the forests occupied was. This was why Magic Herbs and Helion Treasures grew on their own, reappearing over and over.

As Micheal flitted through the forest, he could feel that this place was normal. He passed by a couple of Low-Tier Magic Beasts, but most of the animals in here were completely ordinary.

There was nothing special about it.

Nothing special yet, that was to say. For, there was a reason Micheal had been here before, back in his first life.

In the future, the O'Shack Grove would become a huge Magic Forest, full of rich energy, Magic Beasts, and rare treasures. It became one of the most popular hunting grounds for humanity, abounding with wealth.

But Magic Forests didn't just appear out of nowhere.

There was a legend related to the O'Shack Grove and how it became such a giant Magic Forest. A legend of a group of bandits and thieves that had made the deepest center of this forest their hideout. A legend of how these thieves had stumbled upon a fantastic treasure ground, using that to grow to power.

The legend of the Rury Gang, a notable group of outlaws that had grown to infamy in Micheal's time. Each member of the gang became powerful, gaining a myriad of strong Abilities, rare Artifacts, and accelerated Ki Cultivation.

The Rury Gang plagued humanity for a long while before their eventual destruction at the hands of the Four Barons. After their defeat, the Four Barons took control of that treasure ground, using it to grow more powerful.

The leaders of humanity growing more powerful was normally something Micheal would support. However, on the Second Layer, everything was a bit different.

At least two of the Four Barons were being manipulated by Constantine's Seeds.

Micheal wasn't sure which two. History wasn't sure about everything that took place down here, the records containing incomplete and unclear information.

But what Micheal was sure about was the treasure ground the Rury Gang found.

The bandit gang discovered the location of a Fallen Deity's Inheritance.

.

As Micheal quickly traversed the forest, he kept his eyes and senses wide open. He looked for even the slightest sign of habitation, not allowing anything to slip past his gaze. He moved past several small beast colonies, three pits full of snakes, a dozen packs of wolves, and several Low Tier Magic Beasts, ignoring all of them.

By the time any of those beasts realized he was there, he was already gone, vanishing like the wind.

His feet rapidly ate up the miles as he jumped from tree to tree. He found this method of movement faster than just soaring with his Life Orbs, letting him rapidly reach an area close to the center of the forest.

'It should be somewhere near here…' The thought was on his mind as he looked around, after leaping about for around 40 minutes. The forest was huge, but his movement speed was also quite fast. Without any powerful beasts to force him to be careful, the progress he made was immense and unobstructed.

Micheal took one final jump and landed down atop the branch of a large oak tree. As soon as he landed, however, he ducked back to the side of the tree, his eyes piercing forward as he hid under some cover.

Roughly 70 meters away from Micheal, he could just barely see two humans casually conversing. Both were male, dressed in rugged leather clothing with blades on their hips. Both of them were young, white males in their early twenties, with scruffy beards and untamed hair.

Micheal strained his ears as he studied them, his eyes cool.

His powerful senses spread forward as he zeroed in, just barely allowing him to pick up what they were saying.

"…but the size of that Red Hand Snake, it must've been as big as my thigh!"

"Yeah, I don't get why they call it a Red Hand Snake. Red Leg Snake sounds kinda dumb though."

"That's a fair point."

Micheal wrinkled his nose as he listened to their conversation.

'Who are they?' Meeting a group of humans so deep in the forest, quite close to the location of the Fallen Deity's Inheritance…

'Oh. Right. The Rury Gang.' Micheal blinked and then flicked himself in the forehead. Obviously they had to be the Rury Gang.

But this point in time was well before the Rury Gang rose to their high levels of infamy. After all, they didn't start to appear until after Micheal first came to the Second Layer. And, in his first life, that time was still many months away.

From that, Micheal could conclude that this area must've been their hideout for a long time. It wasn't a bad choice, all things considered. The O'Shack Grove was secluded and had few things of interest within it.

For a group of people that killed other humans to gain large numbers of easy Points, it wasn't a bad deal at all.

Micheal's eyes darkened when he considered that.

Bandit groups like the Rury Gang were not at all an uncommon sight. While most humans fell in line with the Four Barons, some humans that came to the Second Layer chose to walk their own path. This became vastly more common as hundreds of millions of people swarmed into the Second Layer in the coming months, greatly weakening the control the Four Barons had.

The Rury Gang was a rather unusual bandit group, given the history that Micheal knew. They were described as an infamous, murderous plague that only the Four Barons had been able to handle, but that infamy, itself, was a rather curious thing in Micheal's eyes.

Most bandit groups avoided fame like the plague. After all, one's survival often depended on how well hidden one's Abilities were, or how well one covered their strength up, only unveiling it in times of need. The Rury Gang, on the other hand, seemed to have embraced their infamy.

It was a slightly unusual point that didn't seem that important. After all, there could be a plethora of reasons that could explain why this was. Most people would've just ignored this tidbit, yet Micheal couldn't help but find it something that stuck out like a sore thumb.

Micheal crept forward silently as he moved past the two sentries. He stuck to the highest point of the trees, using his Life Orbs to silently glide.

He didn't attack the two sentries yet, but instead chose to ignore them. He wouldn't strike without first being sure this was his target. And, in the off case that there was some type of alert Artifact or Ability active on the two, he might as well play it safe.

Unlike the First Layer, the Second Layer had a far wider selection of Abilities available. Micheal's actions from this point forward would need to go under much more scrutiny. He couldn't charge in with guns blazing like was possible in the First Layer, though he hadn't done much of that then either.

From tree to tree, Micheal flitted through the tops of the forest, quickly slipping past two other sentries. In no time at all, he arrived at a large, tucked away base.

Around three dozen stone buildings dotted a small clearing. A small river ran through the middle of this clearing, next to a large mound of rocks. The rock huts all had slate roofs and looked to be created entirely out of different types of stone.

Micheal's eyes glinted when he saw this. One of the people here, likely several, must have the Stone Shaper Ability. It could be used on a mass scale, with the right Artifacts, for the creation of temporary or even long-term shelters.

Activity dotted the enclosure as various men and women moved about. Off to Micheal's right, there was an open training area in the clearing, where a dozen warriors were practicing combat. There was a notable gender discrepancy, with about three-fourths of the people present being men.

Micheal stayed put, hiding atop a tree as he studied everything. His eyes continued to scan the clearing, zeroing in on the large stone mound next to the river.

After staring at it closely, Micheal could make out what appeared to be a small opening near its base, one that appeared to dive into a dark cave.

'Is that it…?' He thought, his eyes narrowed. If this was the Rury Gang, the Fallen Deity's Inheritance grounds should be located in or near their home base.

After thinking it over for a few seconds, Micheal hid himself slightly more within the leaves of the tall trees and settled in to wait. He assumed a meditative pose, relaxing his body as he blended in with the world around him. He didn't give off a hint of energy, instead focused on becoming as passive as possible.

Seconds dripped into minutes, and minutes drizzled into hours. Micheal's eyes were calm and placid as he remained absolutely still, moving only slightly with the rustling breeze that swept through the O'Shack Grove's tall trees.

Beyond just avoiding detection, there was an important reason Micheal decided to wait till nightfall. According to the legends he knew… the Fallen Deity's Inheritance could only be interacted with after night descended.

While Micheal was in this meditative pose, he studied his surroundings keenly. He gauged the power of all of the warriors here, gaining a rough understanding of their forces. While he couldn't detect their Abilities, he could somewhat guess how strong each person was, based on the power of their physical body and Soul.

'At least 34 unrated humans, 15 Third Rate Warriors, and 1 Second Rate Warrior.' Micheal's eyes missed nothing as time flew past, daylight rapidly fading to evening.

His eyes were that of a predator, hungrily searching out every detail. His ears picked up a great deal of casual conversation, though he didn't discover anything of note. His targets weren't so kind as to spout important plans out in the open.

By the time evening arrived, Micheal had gained more than enough information about the group before him.

They were, indeed, the Rury Gang.

After hours and hours of waiting, the proof of that finally lay before him, even now, as his gaze landed upon a woman standing alone in the dying evening light.

A pale woman with a scarred, disfigured face, long red hair, and a muscular body. She was dressed in a set of tight brown leather armor, with several metal scales covering both of her arms.

Simone Alto, the 'Boss' of the Rury Gang, the only Second Rate Warrior Micheal had seen thus far. In terms of physical power, she was on the level of one of the stronger Supreme A Rankers from the First Layer. It was more common to find male leaders of gangs or violent organizations, but female warriors could be just as effective.

By this point, most of the other men and women had retired to their various homes to sleep. Several groups of warding sentries had been sent out, but there was a very relaxed feeling to the camp. No one expected any sort of trouble.

Micheal took full advantage of that as he slunk up to the edge of his branch. He took several more studied glances around the bandit hideout, tracking where every possible set of eyes and ears were located.

He found a couple moving off towards an outdoor lavatory in the woods, a few men drunkenly passed out outside of one of the stone huts, and several large dogs tied up to a stone post in the south of the outcropping.

Apart from the distant sentries, the only person actively outside, in this exact moment, was Simone Alto.

Micheal's patient waiting had finally paid off.

After he reached the edge of the branch, he used his Cloud Stepping Shoes to fling himself in the air. He then brought out his Life Orbs to silently glide downward, controlling his movements extremely precisely. He made not even a hint of noise as he acted, everything completely within his control.

In the darkness of the dying sun, Micheal descended upon the bandit enclave like a silent god of death.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Simone sighed as she looked out at the first of the Second Layer's two moons. She never got used to such a sight, the odd juxtaposition of two enormous celestial bodies set so far away.

Around her, the rest of her gang was retiring into sleep. Today had been an average day for training, but all things considered, that was okay in Simone's book. Her gang was growing stronger every day, something she felt eternally grateful for.

The day she began to wage her war for revenge was not long off. It wouldn't be within weeks, maybe not within several months. But it was going to happen, all thanks to a random cave she'd discovered, just a couple of months ago.

She turned and glanced over at the rocky opening, just a few meters from her, smiling slightly. She then looked up at the night sky, staring at the unfamiliar stars that dotted the Second Layer.

After a moment, she frowned.

Above her, she could see a rather irregular splotch of darkness that appeared to be expanding. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at this curious sight, wondering if it was some type of unfami-

Her thought process was abruptly frozen as a set of long, metal threads slammed into her.

Two of them circled her throat, cutting down and circling her tender neck without giving her a chance to resist. Two others lashed down onto each of her arms, circling them several times and forcing them to remain held down. One last thread slammed into her waist, limiting her movements.

Simone's eyes grew bloodshot as she prepared to resist, energy rising around her body as she simultaneously prepared to activate several Abilities. She tried to jerk her hands up, doing everything she could to rip off the metal threads.

Before she could do anything substantial, however, she froze once more, her eyes widening in terror.

For, those metal threads had suddenly become ferociously sharp. Blood dripped down from her nec