Chapter 318: The Serum and the Civilization
Farrah sat behind the counter the next morning, still unsettled by Kai’s message. Soul Enhancement Serum?
She had never heard of such a thing. When she asked Kai through Guild Chat, his reply was straightforward...
[ Kai: It’s tied to the breakthrough. To reach Level 40, consuming one is part of the requirements. Without it, advancement is impossible. ]
The words weighed heavily on her.
After all, she would need this serum as well once she reached her limit, and it would happen really soon with the wealth they had accumulated.
’Since this shelter has people at Level 80, it’s not surprising if they have the serum here.’
Farrah mused. To be honest, she already had an idea where she could find it.
’The twelve factions must know a clue...’
Later that day, Cornelio Aries himself arrived at the shop.
He was calm, dressed in the insignia of the Aries Faction, and requested several Survival Clothing Sets.
It seemed that he found a Survivor Shelter with people only at level 10 and below... They seemed to need new clothing, and with the quality of their shop’s products, he decided to purchase the clothing sets here.
Farrah handled the transaction, but she knew that this was also a chance. Hale might visit her, but she had no idea when that would be.
Might as well ask this person who was also Level 80.
"Cornelio," she asked carefully, "this Soul Enhancement Serum... have you heard of? Kai mentioned it last night."
Cornelio’s brows lifted, and a knowing smile spread across his face.
"Ah. So someone on your side has reached the limit. Perhaps Kai himself, or maybe even you. That explains it."
Farrah leaned forward. "T-that’s right... So you’re aware. We can’t reach level 40 without it."
Cornelio nodded. "Exactly. The Soul Enhancement Serum is one of the keys to breaking through. But here’s the truth... only the twelve Zodiac Factions possess them within the City. If Kai wants one, he must either join a faction or find a way to locate it himself somewhere..."
Cornelio knew that they hated to be tied down.
It was quite normal since they had a huge wealth with the shop they had. Because of that, he knew that he should approach this differently.
They were unlike other organizations that would easily cave in...
"Ahem... I know you hate joining a Faction. Even then, joining the Zodiac doesn’t necessarily mean joining the twelve factions here in Cameron City. Those factions are just survivor‑made factions blessed by the Zodiac, but they aren’t the Zodiac itself."
Farrah frowned and paused for a moment...
She needed to process these words carefully.
"So reaching Level 40 forces survivors to be part of the Zodiacs?"
"Yes," Cornelio confirmed. "It’s inevitable. Obtaining a blessing from the twelve Zodiacs is the only way to break through. Still, there are benefits of joining a faction... My Aries Faction, for example, can provide the Soul Enhancement Serum. Consuming it is only possible within the faction. It cannot be taken outside. And there is a price... twenty missions must be completed to pay for it. Once that debt is cleared, the faction only requires one mission per month to maintain the bond. It’s quite lax compared to other Factions."
Farrah absorbed his words and nodded.
It was no wonder that the factions controlled this city.
Still, these serums must be extremely precious and limited since, if they weren’t, the other factions would just offer them for a lower price and grow their numbers...
’There must be more about it... But this information is already good enough. Kai can decide whether to join a faction here or not.’
Well, they also had to consider their relationship with the Aries Faction.
After all, there was no way they could open a shop here if not for their assistance.
’No... We can actually ally with other Factions now if they take back our store.’
Farrah smiled at the thought.
Still, she also realized that the shop’s survival and Kai’s advancement would most likely be tied to the politics of the Zodiac Factions.
Cornelio’s smile lingered as he packed the clothing sets. "Tell Kai this... the path to Level 40 is not just about individual strength. It’s about allegiance. And the sooner he decides, the better."
Farrah nodded slowly, already planning to relay everything to Kai.
***
Kai’s journey back to Cameron City was quite tense.
After all, he was alone, and he had no idea whether he’d be ambushed by an A.I. Army.
He had prepared several tricks to hide or even fight back, but since Atom was left at the Shelter, he had to be really careful.
Thankfully, he was able to arrive safely.
He was relieved to see that the city was not under siege by mechanical beasts. The last time he had passed through, towering machines, four to six meters tall, had attacked the city...
Those encounters were carved deeply in Kai’s memory.
Now, the gates stood firm. It was guarded, but it seemed that they were doing fine.
At the entrance, Kai presented his temporary residence permit, the one provided by the Aries Faction.
The guards inspected it carefully before waving him through.
As he stepped inside, he immediately noticed the crowd gathered near the gates.
"Hmm? Is there a festival? Wait... Are they going out?"
Dozens of survivors clustered together, and they seemed to be excited.
Kai slowed his pace, listening.
Soon, he realized what was going on. There will be a raid on a grounded A.I. Ship just a day’s journey from Cameron City.
The vessel was one of the floating cities in the sky, and it seemed to have crashed, or at the very least, it failed to retain its floating technology and had to land roughly...
Apparently, the factions were already preparing expeditions to strip it of technology, weapons, and rare resources.
"This might be an opportunity..." Kai muttered to himself.
The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.
Survivors spoke of advanced weapons, rare cores, and even rumors of experimental serums hidden within the wreck.
For many, this was a chance to rise in strength or fortune.
For Kai, it could be a chance to learn more about this continent... and Anima, the A.I. Civilization.
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