Chapter 171: Chapter 171: The Path Above All
Inhaling sharply, Artorias’ head lowered slightly as he glanced at his hands. Once pristine and immaculate, they were now covered in blood.
His blood.
Lifting his head, his gaze fell on the youth before him. Not much better off, the only difference being the shit-eating grin plastered across his face.
To an ordinary observer, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a standoff. But Artorias couldn’t accept that.
Wouldn’t.
Every second that passed in this battle, he could feel the weight of humiliation pressing down on him.
A B-rank being reduced to this?
By a mere D-rank?
Artorias exhaled heavily as every detail of the battle replayed through his mind.
At first, he had held a clear advantage. The youth’s raw force was slightly superior, but his combat style had been rough and unpolished, an amalgamation of experiences that should never have been enough against a B-rank who had refined his own techniques for decades.
With that in mind, Artorias had gone with the flow. He wanted to see the limits of the youth. All the secrets he kept hidden before swooping in for the winning move.
But that had been a mistake. A grave mistake.
Barely a few seconds into their exchange, he could already sense the subtle changes within the youth. Unnoticeable at first, but soon impossible to ignore.
The little brat was growing stronger mid-battle.
A little expected, given he had already appraised him as a monstrous anomaly. But that wasn’t all.
He was observing him. Copying his moves. Modifying them. Improving them. Integrating them into himself before using them against him.
Decades of grueling effort, blood, and pain spent building his combat experience were now being deciphered in a single battle. The very core of his strength was being turned against him.
It was almost enough to make a B-rank being cry.
All his life, he had heard of geniuses. Seen them. Taught them.
But never once had he encountered a figure like the dark-robed youth before him.
Could he even be called a genius anymore Or was he something far beyond?
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. His fists clenched tightly, nearly reopening the fresh wounds on his torn hands as he lamented inwardly.
Why must the heavens be so unfair?
Every bit of power surging through his body had been earned through hard work and decent talent. Nothing had been handed to him.
And to a certain extent, it had given him a quiet sense of pride.
But all of that came tumbling down the moment he learned more about the youth.
Almost every minute, he uncovered another mind-boggling aspect of his power.
Did the youth even know the potential he wielded? The heights he could reach if his abilities were cultivated properly?
Artorias didn’t know. But one thing was certain.
He appreciated the youth’s talent far more than the youth ever would. Letting out a slow breath, a listless smile formed across his face.
He could see now why the youth didn’t want to join an academy. At least not a top-ranked one.
With the power he had displayed, he already rivaled low-ranked instructors back at the academy.
And this was only the beginning.
His formative years.
The stage where his talent was only starting to bloom.
***
Still, that didn’t mean Artorias was giving up.
If anything, it only fueled his desire to recruit him.
Trying one last time, he chose a different approach.
Smiling faintly, he stared at the youth.
"It seems I underestimated your power," he began. "Why must you throw it all away? Come with me, and you’ll have everything you could ever wish for. Great riches... knowledge... you’ll even be hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius."
Artorias continued.
He didn’t doubt that once the dean and the other instructors witnessed the depths of the youth’s talent, they would deny him nothing.
Still, worried by how unfazed the youth remained, he quickly added,
"If you want, you can have as many women as your heart desires."
Given the youth’s full-blooded nature, it only seemed natural that such an offer would tempt him.
And sure enough, his eyes lit up with interest as a thoughtful look crossed his face, as if he were genuinely considering the proposal.
At the side, Ulric raised a brow, suppressing the twitch at the corner of his lips.
He was beginning to find the grey-robed figure a little presumptuous.
He spoke as though he held Ulric’s life in his hands and could take it whenever he wished.
What gave him such confidence?
Did he possess some powerful trump card?
Ulric had a few of those himself.
Still, he gave Artorias’ words some thought.
Perhaps a regular genius, or even a prodigy, would leap at such an opportunity.
After all, benefits like these weren’t offered every day.
But Ulric remained unfazed.
They were all just too... Dull.
Worldly rewards were destined to fade with time. Only power endured.
The final offer, however, was mildly interesting.
Given that much of his growth stemmed from the Corruption System, it would undoubtedly accelerate his progress for a while.
Though he doubted a place like that housed any extreme outliers whose abilities he could replicate.
Supreme academies, however... They were different.
Those places gathered the greatest geniuses in the realm beneath one banner. There, he could acquire so much more.
Perhaps even bloodlines that the system shop valued at astronomical amounts.
A man could dream.
After weighing everything, his answer remained unchanged. Not that it had ever wavered.
"My heart aspires only for the grand path of power. The peak where no one stands above me."
At the youth’s words, Artorias released a heavy breath.
He had anticipated the response. Yet hearing it spoken aloud still stung. His thoughts drifted briefly before his eyes hardened.
One final move. A single exchange to determine the victor.
After this... There would be no going back.
Things were no longer that simple. Even if he acknowledged the youth’s talent, he couldn’t simply walk away.
He had aggravated him. Whether it seemed so or not, he had made an enemy.
Leaving him alive would be no different from leaving behind a ticking time bomb.
Soon enough, the youth would grow strong enough to seek revenge.
He couldn’t leave anything to chance.
With all these thoughts circling through his mind, Artorias nodded slightly as his expression turned grave.
Instantly, his bloodied hands rose into the air, flicking through multiple strange angles as he formed a series of incantations.
With every gesture, the air screamed as mana churned violently.
Then, clasping his hands into the final seal, the mana condensed.
Instantly taking shape. A giant phantom appeared behind him.
If one looked closely, they would notice it resembled a colossal version of Artorias seated in a lotus position.
The moment it formed, his once-depleted mana reserves surged back to full capacity.
The aura radiating from his body became increasingly oppressive as his strength more than doubled.
Finally opening his eyes, a blue sheen flashing within them, his gaze settled on the dark-robed youth as a smirk spread across his face.
How would he react now? When he felt this crushing power? Would he still stand by his decision?
Or would he come begging to be taken in? His answer arrived soon enough.
Though not quite in the way he expected.
What was he doing?
Artorias stared blankly, his brows furrowing in confusion.
The dark-robed youth had his eyes tightly shut as his body moved through a series of strange motions.
At first glance, it resembled some kind of battle dance.
But as time slowly passed, Artorias found himself drawn into it.
A flicker of confusion appearing in his eyes.
It felt oddly familiar. Yet he was certain he had never seen anything like it before.
So what was it?
Just as he racked his brain for an answer, he suddenly froze.
His eyes widened as a realization struck him like a war hammer, sending countless fragmented observations rushing together into a single, terrifying conclusion.
He could see it now. With every movement the youth made, the environment around him responded as though obeying his command, bending ever so slightly to his will.
At first, it had been subtle. So subtle that even someone of his caliber could have easily overlooked it amidst the chaos of battle. But now it had become impossible to ignore.
The way the wind flowed around him. The way the earth shifted beneath his feet.
The distant rumbles rolling across the sky. The flashes of lightning dancing through the clouds.
Light bending into darkness. Water rippling through the air itself.
As Ulric fine-tuned each phenomenon with meticulous precision, the pieces finally clicked into place within Alaric’s mind.
Then, his eyes suddenly snapped open. No longer crimson. But a blinding gold.
At the same time, he pushed Limitless Force Refinement to a temporary twentyfold enhancement.
Locking eyes with him for a brief moment, Artorias froze.
An insane thought formed in the back of his mind.
"I see..." he muttered beneath his breath as an indescribable glint flashed across his eyes.
The reason he couldn’t sense any elemental affinity from the youth...
Was because he embodied them.
