Chapter 65: Playing 4D Chess(Part 2)
--- Akira ---
["They have been spying on me for a while now"]
A few minutes after dealing with those fuckers, my ring buzzed with a message, and a smirk crept onto my lips.
It appears Zenon Griffey has decided to pursue Alexia.
"How many of them?"
["At least 6"]
He's still being careful, I can use that to my advantage.
"I see..."
Sending people after me while attempting to kidnap Alexia, possibly aiming to have me take the blame in the process. Zenon Griffey sure knows how to multitask.
While tending to my power-boosting experiments, I seized the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Timing my absence from the Academy grounds perfectly aligned with Shadow Garden's impending crackdown on the Cult. They're about to show their true colors.
Shadow Garden is poised to cleanse the Capital of the Cult's influence, and what happens when a wolf bares its teeth just as the hunter is ready to strike?
The answer is simple – total annihilation.
My goal is crystal clear: eradicate every trace of the Cult's influence from the heart of the Midgar Kingdom. I need a secure space to hone my strength without any looming threats.
"Well, Alexia. You claimed you were willing to be a part of my plans, but will you truly obey my commands without hesitation?"
["...Yes, I will."]
Sensing the resolve in her response, a smirk played on my lips.
"Say, have you ever cross dressed before?"
Silence lingered for a moment, broken by a hesitant voice.
["Are you suggesting... you want me to...?"]
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking.
If my target was only Zenon Griffey, I wouldn't bother with such complexities. But what I'm after is the puppet master pulling his strings.
If they want to come after Alexia, they can come after me instead. I'm confident in my ability to slip away from any situation, given my accumulated knowledge from the First Trial.
I didn't spend months glued to books for nothing.
Even if things take a turn for the worse, the Trial won't be jeopardized.
That's my bottom line. As long as the Trial is secure, everything else is expendable.
["But that's dangerous..."]
"I don't see it as that big of a risk. You're aware of how much my strength has grown recently."
Even though I tend to overlook it, my Growth Skill is constantly enhancing my strength, and when combined with my [Perfect Human Body] passive, it amplifies my strength to a significant degree.
I wonder what the distant future holds for me. Will I eventually become invincible if I just bide my time?
While I haven't had the opportunity to put it to the test yet, I have a strong feeling that with a single punch, I could obliterate an entire castle at this point. Even if I were ensnared by some magic chains, my physical strength alone would be sufficient to shatter them.
In reality, the risks seem minimal, and she's likely aware of that as well.
["But even so..."]
"You did express your desire to be part of this, right? Follow my plan, or I'll have to come up with an alternative that doesn't involve you."
["Fine."]
With her reluctant agreement, a sly smile crept across my face. Time to play the damsel in distress.
---
It wouldn't be too challenging of a task. As I delved into experimenting with strengthening my [Turtle Shell] using my [Mana] Talent, I found myself lost in contemplation.
Could [Turtle Shell] be the only skill influenced by my [Mana]?
Naturally, I wasn't keen on tampering with my skills related to my physical body itself.
Setting all those aside, which accounted for roughly 90% of my skillset, there remained another skill I hadn't yet explored: [Mirage Veil].
An essential clause stood out in the Limitations.
Those who can wield magic can easily see through this skill.
I decided to put it to the test with Alexia. Despite her being significantly weaker than me, she effortlessly pierced through the illusion. The skill dissipated upon her revelation, yet the skill neither strengthened nor evolved like [Turtle Shell] did.
It was a foundational concept present since its inception, but was there any room for improvement?
My initial inclination was to utilize my [Skill Tickets], and with a total of six at my disposal, sacrificing one wasn't a significant concern.
After all, this skill was the only one explicitly stating it could be altered using skill points.
Despite being well aware that this was likely a foolish endeavor, I still felt compelled to explore the possibility of modifying a single clause and assess how much it would cost.
[Mirage Veil]
.
.
.
[Limitations: Mirage Veil is partially ineffective against those with Combat Prowess 2 stages higher than yours. For those with Combat Prowess 3 or more stages higher, its secrets are laid bare before them. Beware, for the discerning eye of magic users [2 stages higher than yours](NEW!) can pierce through its illusion easily]
[Skill Point Cost: 50]
.
.
Well, that's a load of garbage.
I could've settled for a lower modification cost, but it seemed pointless by then. Currently residing in the [Low] Combat Prowess range, I'm uncertain about the number of stages beyond [High] Combat Prowess.
Who's to say there aren't suddenly five or more stages between [High] and [Extreme]? It might sound ludicrous, but it's not a possibility to be easily dismissed.
At the very least, this adjustment would render [Mirage Veil] effective against foes up to the peak point I achieved in my First Trial, which isn't too shabby.
Well, since the initial approach proved to be a bust, why not attempt to disrupt the skill using [Mana]? Even though Alexia's attempt failed, perhaps mine will yield different results.
As anticipated, however, the skill [Mirage Veil] remained unaffected by my manipulation of [Mana]. It operated as usual, with no interference from the two conflicting forces.
It's as if there's a built-in restriction measure preventing them from clashing.
'Hmm, so that's how it is.'
I stole another glance at [Turtle Shell], noticing how it continued to fortify itself, taking longer and longer to break even under the influence of my Magical Power now.
'You're really bending the rules here.'
While pondering this, a new idea sparked in my mind as I observed the ring on my finger.
This thing shares a link with the other ring. It can share Magical Power, Skills, or even thoughts through it.
That's why I mentioned it could rival an artifact.
But if Alexia were to use a skill transmitted through this link, would it be considered mine?
This question held immense importance. If I could manipulate it in this manner, perhaps Alexia could use my Magical Power to indirectly trigger the mutation. Since it wasn't technically Magical Power under my direct control, maybe the restriction wouldn't kick in, allowing me to achieve my desired outcome.
The latent scientist within me practically itched to put this theory to the test.
I refrained from attempting this before because my Magical Power is too strong. If Alexia tried to control it once I sent it her way, she'd be instantly overwhelmed and killed, which is why I've held back.
But what if I transmit the now reinforced [Turtle Shell] to her, making my Magical Power temporarily harmless to her as she concentrates on wielding it?
I just needed to tread carefully not to strain the link too much, or the rings might implode under the pressure...
Naturally, I took the time to caution Alexia about the risks involved in this experiment. I emphasized that if she wasn't comfortable with it, I completely understood. However...
"Let's give it a shot. If it can enhance your abilities, it's worth exploring. Besides, I have faith in you."
Her trust is reassuring, but it wouldn't hurt for her to weigh the consequences more carefully before agreeing. It's frustrating when she jumps to conclusions without even fully grasping the situation.
Though I know the reason, I will use my right to remain silent on that matter.
---
Author's Note:
I know I said in this chap the fight would be more explained and all, but... yeah, sorry. When I started this chap I had all the intentions to write the final part of their fight, then I got caught up in explanations and ended up with too many words to include the fight as well :(
(This chapter alone is 1500+ words)
Next chap is the real one. But at least now you should have understood what's happening here lmao. Yeah! They are both using [Mirage Veil] and cross-dressing as the other gender LMAO.
Akira's Magical Power has also grown strong and robust enough to accomplish this kind of thing now.
You could tell something was off when the chap's name wasn't "Akira vs Zenon Griffey" :P That's because it's not Akira who's fighting with Zenon lmao.
Bro skipped the mini boss to head to the main one directly.
After this mini-arc is done(within the start of next week), we will have the first not-so-small time skip of this novel.
It's really starting to show that Akira cares about Alexia.
I believe they're growing into a fine couple as of now, but what do you think? Is their relationship likeable?
Also, you can notice he's growing colder and colder about quite anything else, even his own life, as long as it doesn't jeopardize the Trial. But that is not something Akira himself is aware of just yet.
Weekly Power Status
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