Adam suddenly felt his consciousness waning after a surge of energy from his phone entered his body.
Hot…! FIRE!
Maybe he should've listened to the PIXIE more and thought things through before tapping the screen.
But it didn't look like there was any time for regret.
He could hear Hyuk sighing from the background.
His mind gradually became empty, and all those memories of his past were completely erased.
Then, his perspective had changed…
…..
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..
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In the secret history buried by time, there was an aristocratic family that was different from the norm.
Many had prided themselves on their ancestor's achievements, but the Pine Household only cared about the present. They desired supremacy more than even a greedy king, to the point of insanity…!
Clarissa Pine was nurtured as such a successor.
"You must sharpen our Gift. Don't let it rust or vanish." Was what her father spoke with pride.
But she could tell that his eyes held an irrational fear. Scared that their family's ability might wither.
Their rise to nobility was a stroke of luck, so it wasn't easy for them to bravely believe in dreams.
The ancestors of other family miraculously gained abilities like 'Mighty Emergence', 'Flame Concentration', 'Spirit Giantification', etc. Each having their own ranks and derivative abilities.
However, Clarissa's family was different.
They came from a long line of 'Grandmaster Fencers'. Western swordsmen rarely appeared even in the golden days of knighthood, and the original Pine Family used to be a vassal lineage.
They were extras that would be in the background of tall tales. Cannon fodder in Arthurian Legends.
But that changed once the swordsmanship of their family reached the point of becoming a true 'Gift'.
Able to be passed down from each generation.
The inheritance was called 'Cleaver Edge'. It was the ability to imbue energy into the sword's edge.
At first, it didn't seem that strong.
There were many superhuman abilities that could do this and much more. Their Gift wasn't special.
But that was until it started to… 'grow'.
It didn't seem significant at first, but due to the war torn era of the past and their family being vast, this Gift had changed hands many times. Each one having to remaster this ability bestowed to them.
Such a passing of inheritance caused it to evolve.
They became a stronger lineage. Holding onto the now renamed Transcendent Gift 'Heavenly Blade'.
But even after reaching such a great height, the fear this ability would vanish only strengthened.
They weren't sure what would happen if one of their successors failed to master this Gift.
Would it start deteriorating and vanishing?
They couldn't let their ancestors hard work, and the only evidence of their lineage, be erased.
Which was why they had gradually become a reclusive family dedicated to the arts of battle.
Clarissa had given up many things to become the newly appointed successor of the Pine Household.
All to retain their honour.
So how was it that her family had fallen in her generation? Why couldn't things be different?
Her heart was regretful…
The straight-laced girl's story started when she had just mastered her Gift to become a successor.
Behind her was a metallic doll with a perfectly clean and circular hole thrusted through the chest.
She cleaned herself up and straightened her battle garb. A dress that was paired with some pants.
Both flashy and adaptable.
There were no servants to help her, nor did her family retain any land to still be considered nobility.
It wasn't like they could be like the others.
"Hah… Hah…" Her breath was becoming unstable.
Clarissa Pine knew that the more the Gift had evolved, the higher the ceiling for mastery became.
Countless relatives and siblings had died to this Gift's hands. It had taken away a decade of her life.
She was a prodigy.
In the last three generations, it was thought of as impossible to improve their Assault Gift any further.
But this only made her family more fearful.
Scared that the War God would abandon them.
It had swallowed up many geniuses of the sword throughout her family. Breaking them into nothing.
Or maybe it was the fault of the household.
If they could only be content with the blessings they had, then maybe no one would have died.
Still, Clarissa's heart felt pride.
'I… have finally protected her.' She thought while falling to her knees. Finally, it had been completed.
She not only fully mastered the 'Heavenly Sword' Assault Gift, but had evolved it to suit her body.
The energy of the blade filled up her entire being.
SHE had become the sword.
*Swish* With a slight tug of her sword, there was an inconsistent sound of air being heavily chopped.
In the next moment, the metallic training dummy behind her turned to dust. Leaving only bits of ash.
Almost as if it had been burned by a flame…
Her knees buckled once the strength left her entire body, but was too ecstatic to let it weigh on her.
She wasn't sure what to call this new evolution, but it was clear that her family's curse had now ended.
This was because she had felt her life force strengthen. Allowing her to break limitations.
With an undying holder of the 'Heavenly Blade', no one would ever have to die for this Gift ever again.
"Abigail…" The name of her little sister she hadn't seen in years left her lips. She left to see her.
For years, she had not been able to see that little girl in her memories due to going into isolation.
But now, she could leave to see live with that girl.
"Abigail…" Saying her name filled her with unknown strength. How small was that child when she left?
There was only a two year age gap between the sisters, but she'd always saw her affectionately.
She left the mountains where she'd trained and went directly to the city nearby with great speed.
Superhuman qualities of each Successor.
Finally, she arrived in front of a familiar home that had black suits constantly watching for intruders.
Of course, Clarissa boldly entered the front.
Her eyes made contact with the bodyguards at the gate, and they vigilantly looked at her approaching.
Perhaps it was only natural. Her scarred face and torn physique made her seem like a wild animal.
But she didn't hesitate.
"I've returned." A special badge revealed on her chest. The design specific only to a Successor.
"…Yes, Mistress!" Perhaps it had been a long time since their last meeting, but the guards bowed.
'Why are they afraid…?' Clarissa felt a bit cautious.
However, now wasn't the time for her serious face.
She needed to check on Abigail to see if everything was alright. How had she grown up all this time?
A smile appeared on her face while walking through the flowery garden. There were crimson red blooms. Roses. The scent wafted her nose with an exquisite fragrance special only to her home.
This was where she belonged.
But the further she walked, the more many loyal guards of her family's longstanding comrades lowered their eyes. The shame she saw suddenly caused a drop of anxiety to appear within her.
What happened when she left?
"Sid… Sidmund… Why…?" She heard a voice that was barely familiar to her with her sharp hearing.
Her hand brazenly opened the door to see the sight of a girl. One that auburn hair as in her memories. The only thing different was the bright light in her eyes had faded, only to replace with longing. Madness to the point of destroying herself.
"Who dares-?!" When the figure saw her older sister for the first time, she suddenly felt shocked.
But that disbelief was swallowed by a yearning.
"R-Rie…" It was a familiar name her baby sister always called her through her misaligned teeth.
But now the 18 year old said it very clearly.
Clarissa looked at her sister that dove into her arms, and felt overwhelmed by her warm touch.
It should have been a happy reunion, but…
"S-sister, you have to help. I… I lost everything we had. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Abigail wailed in agony.
Unable to control her emotions.
She was wearing nothing more than her pyjamas and didn't seem to have bathed for a few days.
Unless she had gone in and out of this state, then whatever incident must have happened recently.
The smell of alcohol ruined the scent she'd been so awaiting to experience from the garden outside.
Making her feel like she should have come sooner.
The more she listened to what had happened from the girl's mouth, the more she felt powerless.
A few days later, she met the man whose name would unconsciously drop from her sister's lips.
Sidmund Tailor…
Impeccably stern in disposition. The type able to distinguish private and personal matters easily.
But that only made her despise him even more.
Because it was clear her sister was only a pawn.
Moreover, the person who was even more deserving of her ire grasped onto her weakness.
"From now on, Blade Security is directly under my management. Your sister signed the paperwork to hand it over to me." The blonde woman waved some papers in front of her after an invitation.
An aggressive show of dominance.
Clarissa sat there silently…
Without her family business, her household would fall into dept and lose everything in an instant.
She knew this wasn't a place of negotiation.
These people had been aiming for her from the start. Her sister was only damage in the way.
"I hope my sister can live in peace." A dangerous look appeared in Clarissa's eyes at that moment.
An overwhelming killing intent burst out of her.
Both Sophia and Sidmund felt like they could feel the woman's intention to cut off her necks visibly.
To the point of seeing an illusion of their deaths.
Sidmund stepped back a little.
Clarissa looked ready to pounce and rip him to shreds. It made the man unconsciously back up.
Only to be brought back by Sophia grabbing his hand. Breaking the illusion cast on the man.
"Loyal dogs shouldn't bark, right?" The knowing smile on Sophia's face made the girl back down.
It was the start of Clarissa's long 'partnership'.
One that would eventually make her wish she had a Gift less focused on battle and more on 'Control'.
Because if she had more of it, her firm wouldn't be dealing with gangsters and selling of illegal goods.
They'd dipped their toes too far into the rabbit hole. No longer able to return from their fall.
Clarissa becoming the head of Sophia's operations.
…..
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..
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When Adam opened his eyes, he saw himself floating in a vast sea of stars. Each one had a Gift.
Powerful Gifts such as:
[Gift Name: Arms Chevalier (Krotus, The Son Of Pan)
Description: Able to master and combine all forms of weapons. Imbue any element onto said arms.]
And…
[Gift Name: Double Trouble (Caster and Pollux)
Description: Speed Deviant and Whirlwind Eye can be shared between two mentally linked users.]
Along with a curious Gift such as…
[Gift Name: Dhampir Blade (Pan)
Description: A blade with both the Vampire Genome and Ghoul Ectoplasm. The living will be transformed into Vampires, while the dead shall transform into Ghouls. Their bodies will change traits via Gift, without any control embedded.]
That last part probably meant that he could likely give other people superpowers, but not have any method of controlling them. Adam considered this the last type of ability he'd pick among these Gifts.
There was better ones like 'Abundant Might', 'Direct Assault', 'Neurotoxic Mist', 'Technique Thievery', 'Complete Restoration', 'Continent Sword', 'War Hysteria', 'Instruction Following', 'Trait Collector', 'Almighty Boon', 'Item Wielder', 'Thought Wolf', etc.
There were more than 20 Gifts and each one sounded impressive (except that 'Instruction Following' one). The even better part about all this was that he could pick two and fuse them together.
This should have been a no-brainier.
Choose the one with most broken abilities. Like…
[Gift Name: Thought Wolf (Shamaah)
Description: A wolf is born inside the mind. It is able to telepathically link and dominate others through multiplying. Those bitten can be turned into Betas or Omegas that serve the Alpha.]
With this, he could create an army of servants that would obey him without having to do much himself.
However, what he saw before crossing over to this place made him rethink his initial thought process.
Forceful domination had limits.
There was no way a strong-willed individual wouldn't eventually break control and kill him.
That's why he needed a more discreet ability.
One that wouldn't seem to have much of an impact at first, but would become beneficial down the line.
It was this sort of ability that he needed…
Thus, Adam looked for an ability that seemed less likely to arise unwanted suspicion if used correctly.
He eventually came across a pretty strange ability…
[Gift Name: Venom Vixens (Hydra)
Description: Can turn girls into 'contracts' that would activate when signed by contractors. Those who accept the user's terms are unable to take back their words. Venom Vixens are the mediums.
Venom Vixens will retain poisonous traits. They can control and utilise poisons. Ability holder will gain immunity to all forms of drugs and toxins. Cannot force oneself onto Vixens, or risk self-detonation.]
Wasn't this the ability of a pimp?
It literally put 'bindings' on those who slept with women who were being affected by his ability.
Although he couldn't do any sexually deviant acts on them, it wasn't like he was thinking on that anyway. The best part of this ability was that it seemed specifically tailored to be used on women.
And ONLY the opposite sex.
He didn't see any ability to control the 'Venom Vixens' just like the 'Dhampir Blade', but it at least gave him some amount of control over those who had sexual relations with those under his influence.
It was at this point he started to think what would have better chemistry amongst the many abilities.
'Clarissa Pine…' After seeing her memories, he had a better idea on the people surrounding his home.
They were the remnants of the aristocratic families that had been destroyed by Sidmund's seductions.
Women gathered from all over and inducted into Clarissa's family business… the Blade Security.
It meant that he was surrounded by dozens of Gift Holders who each had their own inheritance.
If he combined what he saw in the alternate Sidmund's memories along with Clarissa's, then he could infer many things about why they were gathered together. Along with Sophia's intentions.
The only thing he needed now was conviction.
There was no such thing as a perfect plan, and it wasn't like he could predict everything from this.
But he at least knew enough to create new plots.
The only question now was… did he have the courage to put those dastardly schemes in motion.
Adam smirked, then chose a familiar Gift.
[Gift Name: Dhampir Blade (Pan)
Description: A blade with both the Vampire Genome and Ghoul Ectoplasm. The living will be transformed into Vampires, while the dead shall transform into Ghouls. Their bodies will change traits via Gift, without any control embedded.]
With the two abilities chosen, he let them blend.
[You have chosen 'Venom Vixens' and 'Dhampir Blade'. Fusion and refinement will be done at once.]
[Recalibrating… Systemising…]
[Both abilities have a layer of synchronicity due to having similar manifestation types of the effect.]
[Restriction to be used only on women retained.]
[Evolutionary traits are altered.]
Adam suddenly found a blade materialising in front of him. A pink blade that glowed an amorous light.
[Fusion and refinement success…]
A pop up was shown before the new details of the ability that had reached a grade beyond imagining.
[Gift Name: Toxic Blade (Hydra of the Wild)
Description: The blade can convert blood into venom. Contains the Succubus Genome and Sila Ectoplasm. Both types gain the 'Poison Girl Divine Physique' and can become mediums for contracts.
User gains immunity to mental status ailments and poisons. Will reconstruct the body of any medium.]
He felt like there was more to this ability, but found it was better to return to reality first to talk to Hyuk.
There were things he was a bit curious about.