Chapter 330: Looking for Treasure
Kai’s eyes lit up at Cornelio’s words.
The Soul Enhancement Serum, one of the breakthrough requirements he had been chasing, was finally within reach.
His mind immediately recalled the notification he had received before...
[ Current Level: 39 (Max Experience Reached) ]
[ Quest: Forge Your Legacy ]
Requirement 1: Strengthen your foundation further. Possess at least 8 Gene Skills upgraded to Level 7. (Progress: 2/8)
Requirement 2: Possess at least 5 Fused Gene Skills created through Skill Fusion. (Progress: 4/5)
Requirement 3: Consume a Soul Enhancement Serum to unlock higher compatibility with advanced systems. (Progress: 0/1)
[ Reward: Evolutionary Ascension ]
Unlock Veteran Physique Evolution: advanced stat growth, high resilience against elemental hazards, and compatibility with higher‑tier Gene Skills and Zodiac Enhancement.
Title upgrade: ’Expert Survivor’ into ’Veteran of Humanity.’
[ Warning: Survivor will remain capped at Level 39 until all requirements are fulfilled. ]
Kai’s heart pounded.
So this is it... one step closer to ascension.
"Do I have to join the Aries Faction? Will I be tied to your organization?"
Kai immediately asked as he was worried that once he got tied down to a faction, he wouldn’t be able to maximize his talent.
After all, with his Infinite Gift Pack, he really desired to form his own powerful organization and be capable of protecting himself and those close to him. He didn’t want to be at someone’s beck and call of some other organizations that would just benefit from his talent.
"No... This will be special... As long as I give my recommendation together with two of my friends, you can receive the serum without being tied to our organization. You only have to pay for the cost... That would be 20,000 Credits inside the Perfect World."
As saying this, Cornelio noticed more enemies coming...
Though the Citadel’s A.I. had already stopped working, these A.I. Soldiers were still following the last command given to them...
Unfortunately, they were facing a Level 80 Augmented Human!
Cornelio started cutting down the last of the remaining constructs with effortless precision.
His strikes were clean, his movements were swifty, and his aura radiated dominance. Kai couldn’t help but watch in awe.
"See, Kai," Cornelio said, his weapon humming as he cleaved through another Adaptive Construct.
"This is the strength of Aries. Ahem... We don’t just fight... we overwhelm. Our Zodiac trait allows us to double our impact in battle. Every active skill we cast can be repeated once, free of Spirit cost, within three seconds. It’s what makes us unstoppable."
Kai’s eyes widened. "Ah? A free casting of Gene Skill? Wait... So... The Shockwave Slash you used, for example... You can cast it twice in a row?"
Cornelio smirked. "Exactly. Normally, that Gene Skill has a fifteen‑second cooldown. But with Aries’ trait, I can unleash a second strike instantly, no Spirit consumed. It’s devastating in combat. Stonebreaker Impact, Momentum Crash... all of them can be chained. That’s the power of Aries."
Kai was impressed. He recalled Cornelio’s status...
[ Name: Cornelio Aries ]
[ Title: Veteran, Conqueror, Anima’s Target, Aria’s Enemy. ]
[ Level: 80 ]
[ Health 12,500 / 12,500 ]
[ Spirit: 920 / 920 ]
[ Active Skills: Stonebreaker Impact Lv4, Shockwave Slash Lv3, Momentum Crash Lv5 ]
[ Passive Skills: Hardened Spirit Lv6, Precision Hands Lv5, Indomitable Will Lv7 ]
But what the status didn’t show was the unique Aries trait...
It only showed Cornelio’s last name...
Nonetheless, the ability to duplicate active skills without cost was just too incredible.
Kai realized that every Zodiac faction had something equally extraordinary.
Aries was definitely amazing...
Others, like Pisces or Cancer, surely had their own unique advantages.
Cornelio turned to him, his expression firm but encouraging.
"Kai, you’ve proven yourself today. You shut down Citadel‑09’s power, weakened the Ascendants, and gave us a chance. You did this while still capped at Level 39. That’s remarkable. Aries could really use someone like you. I won’t force you to join us, but I hope you view us positively."
Kai hesitated, gripping his lance tightly. "He was really quite tempted after learning their unique traits...
"Joining Aries... huh. I’ve seen your strength. It’s impressive. But I still have my own path... I’ll probably study all the Zodiac Factions first."
Cornelio chuckled. "Fair enough. But remember, Aries is more than just strength. We are the shield and spear of humanity. If you join us, you’ll gain access to resources, tonics, and training grounds or sparring partners... It wouldn’t be bad to have people around you who understand you."
"I’ll think about it more once I have the Serum." Kai replied.
Together, they eliminated the last remnants of resistance inside the fortress.
Cornelio’s blazing aura tore through constructs, while Kai supported with his remaining grenades and some lance strikes.
The chamber finally fell silent...
"Should we begin looting this place?" Kai asked.
Kai leaned against the wall, exhausted but exhilarated.
Cornelio stood beside him, calm and composed, his aura fading as the battle ended.
"Alright... I’m no longer sensing any enemies. The others are also starting to loot whatever they can above us. Since we’re deeper... We might have a better chance of obtaining decent weapons aside from the ones dropped by the Sentinels. This will probably take some time since, before the shutdown, this fortress closed every door, so accessing the treasures wouldn’t be easy."
"That’s true..."
"Let’s meet outside... I’ll be looting the cores of the Adaptive Constructs that we eliminated. Do you want to follow me?"
"N-no... I’ll look around myself." Kai replied.
Soon, Kai watched Cornelio leave, his crimson aura fading as he moved deeper into the fortress to loot the Adaptive Constructs and harvest their cores.
The veteran’s movements were swift, almost casual, as if dismantling the remnants of units was nothing more than routine.
Then, Kai whispered softly to the pendant. "Chamber... can you open the locked doors he mentioned? Ahem... If Cornelio’s going after the cores, I want to know where the real treasures are."
The pendant pulsed faintly, its voice calm but inquisitive.
[ Define ’treasure,’ master. What do you consider valuable? ]
Kai blinked.
"Treasure? Well, you’re right... There aren’t any gold bars here, that’s for sure. I mean anything useful..."
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