As soon as I stepped on the circle, I instantly felt that someone or something scanned my whole body.
With the Domain of Valor opened infinitely through the use of Autoskill, my UPL had just gone over 650+. Upon reaching the 5th Realm, every progress equates to a bonus stat after all.
That's why, even when I still hadn't completed my Mortal Pathway, I was still gaining stats alongside the bonuses I was getting from those listed Support Individuals and my Companions. That's also what's going to happen when I begin treading a Transcendent Pathway.
At every step of the way, one's body was continuously being nourished by the Source Energy.
Among my Companions, Irja has the highest UPL. Without the bonus stats from my Support System, she's already at more than 500 UPL. It's now easy for her to assimilate the Elemental-type properties for her Transcendent Pathway thanks to assimilating an Elemental-type Mortal Pathway through the Flux Energy State. If the bonus was factored then she would be close to 600 UPL. Furthermore, if she was also buffed by the Domain of Valor, Enhancement Aura, Avelin's Necklace of Enhancement as well as Hikari's copied Domain of Valor, she would go over the threshold of the standard UPL of a Rank 3 Transcendent.
The second highest UPL among my Companions was Yuko because of the abundant bonuses of her Hero System. Following her were Sofiel, Fleur, Nysia and Yumiko. Their UPL were all close to each other.
Perhaps by the time we leave this place, most of them would get some equipment that would boost their prowess to defeat a Rank 3 Transcendent by themselves.
As for me, my UPL was now in the middle of my strongest Companions.
[Legendary Support System (80%)
Strength: 263.8 (533.7)
Endurance: 273.7 (559.1)
Intelligence: 36 (51.8)
UPL: 561.44 (Rank 2 Transcendent)]
Looking at this now makes me wonder why I am still at my Mortal Pathway. And these are my stats without factoring in Domain of Valor or any other buffing skills. It only consisted of my base stats and bonuses. Either way, it's all because of the cheat I brought back from my previous life. Without those, we would probably still be struggling to reach Rank 2 Transcendent in strength.
Anyway… What's happening here? After that scan, nothing changed.
I looked around the place and it was still filled with darkness. The flow of Source Energy was also not being disturbed by anything. In fact, it was too serene. The only disturbance in the surrounding Source Energy was around the circle and in my vicinity that was being subjected to my passive absorption.
After waiting for more than five minutes, I began walking out of the circle.
However, before I could step my foot outside of it, a deafening sound pierced my ears, followed by an embarrassed cough from the Artificial Intelligence.
[I apologize for the delay. This Formation was stocked for more than 5 millenniums that it has become too faulty. Without further ado, here's the result of the Screening.]
Faulty, huh? What did he do? Did he reroute more Energy Channels towards this space?
I could certainly feel that the density of the Source Energy in this room thickened.
Moreover, I could sense different types of Level 3 Source Energy coagulating at five corners of this huge space.
If I'm not wrong, whatever Formation it activated, it concerned another combat trial. He's creating Energy Clones or Incarnation of an expert.
And judging from the pressure that was slowly enveloping this circle, they're at least Rank 3 Transcendents.
[You passed the screening trial. You're eligible to take another trial before the real Legacy Acceptance.]
See? He shamelessly admitted that this wasn't the Legacy Acceptance yet. This was all prepared by him to make things difficult for me.
"Say, is there really a Legacy Acceptance that you prepared, or is it also this faulty that you needed more time to fix it?"
[Hmm? Why don't we start?]
"Don't dodge the question!"
[If you understand then please be patient. You needed Chaotic Energy, am I right? Besides, you're not going to come out empty-handed here. Just like those Mystic Gems you got earlier, I prepared more for you that you will need on your way to Sage Realm]
"Haa… Well then, let's start. You better make this worth my while."
[Obviously, who else will I want to own this place? There's only you and your group who can make it possible for me to leave here.]
"Your inner desire is showing. Own, huh? So that's the true point of that Legacy Trial."
To transfer ownership of this place.
[Pretend you don't hear anything. Get ready]
At the same time as the Artificial Intelligence said that, the dark room brightened and as I expected, five figures that were clearly made of particular types of energy.
The one who was exuding System-type Energy looked like a doom knight clad in pitch-black armor and was wielding a two-handed heavy sword.
The one who was exuding Physique-type Energy looked like a huge quadrupedal beast. It had blood-red fur and its eyes were also pitch-black. From its huge nostrils, violet miasma was being exhaled by it.
The one who was exuding Spirit-type Energy looked just like a huge Wisp. Its huge spherical body was colored blue as if it was a planet. Nonetheless, its pressure was as high as the others.
The one who was exuding Psyche-type Energy looked like a modern Earth woman wearing a modern extravagant, red gown and high heels. Around her, semi-transparent hands could be seen moving wriggling about. That's probably her unique ability.
The one who was exuding Elemental-type Energy looked like an elven woman complete with a bow and arrow as her weapon. Perched on her shoulders were birds of different colors.
Does he have a database of experts? In any case, this is better. Five Rank 3 Transcendents and none of them seemed like a pushover I could exploit.
However, that Artificial Intelligence forgot my specialty. Energy Control.
As soon as the circle in the middle disappeared, the Black Knight disappeared from his spot.
In the blink of an eye, I felt a huge shadow covering the light above me.
I looked up and saw that Black Knight was already about to stab me with his heavy sword.
To counter him, I conjured my Spirit Ocean and sent it upwards, submerging him inside it.
Naturally, he tried to slash his way out but with precise energy control, he was slowly being drowned inside it. Add to that the corroding properties that I tried to invoke to my Spirit Ocean.
However, the ground suddenly shook as the red-furred beast came charging forward.
I released control of my Spirit Ocean to jump to the side, evading the beast.
? But that's not the end, the Giant Wisp blinked from its position, arriving next to me. Like what I did to the Black Knight, this giant blob of light tried to engulf me with his gigantic body.
As my mind whirled on what to do, the two women also began moving. The modern woman sent her almost invisible hands to take a hold of me and the elven woman drew an arrow to her bow. The birds on her shoulders chirped and merged with the arrow before being released.
With these three ganging up on me, I was instantly placed in a predicament.
The Wisp was trying to suck me in its body and the invisible hands of the woman had already grabbed my arms, preventing me from pulling out my Willful Sword.
And from the corner of my eye, the arrow shot by the elven woman was triggering the red warning of my Adaptability.
Really… That Artificial Intelligence was truly pushing me to show the limit of my abilities.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶