Chapter 37
Alex's group traveled through the Kingdom to the Aldeca Empire in just four days,
before resting in a town that spanned 6 to 8 square kilometers, almost qualifying as a city.
They had entered the Fourth Monarch's territory,
and as Alex surveyed the vast expanse,
he wondered if three more days would be enough to reach their destination within a week.
Considering the formidable enemy he was about to face—
an A+ rank being whose strength vastly outmatched his own—
Alex debated whether to head there immediately.
His chances of defeating an A+ rank were virtually zero,
and
he was reluctant to rely on [One Strike], an ability capable of killing anyone below the Saint King level.
[Stats]
Strength: C (300 Arcane Energy to upgrade)
Agility: C- (150 Arcane Energy to upgrade)
Endurance: C- (150 Arcane Energy to upgrade)
Sense: C- (150 Arcane Energy to upgrade)
Alex realized he couldn't improve his strength by upgrading with Arcane Energy, nor could he train his body to achieve significant improvements in such a short time.
Thinking about the distance they still needed to cover, he began considering alternative solutions.
Using his Soul Skill [Soul Emperor], he could temporarily reach a B+ power level in a matter of minutes.
However, even at that level, he couldn't truly claim to be B+ rank.
According to his calculations, breaking through to the next stage would require at least a month or two.
Devouring souls was another option, but wandering around killing powerful individuals wasn't exactly a viable choice.
Left with limited options, he turned to Agnes for advice.
"Hey, Agnes, what do you think I should do?" Alex asked.
[If it's about getting stronger, there are many different paths you can take.
For example,
you could connect yourself to a spirit like Lisa,
visit a store to find martial arts techniques that can be converted into skills,
learn more about Arcane Mana control, improve your swordsmanship to enhance your sword intent,
or
even become a bounty hunter like Bloodsucker to devour the souls of evil and corrupt individuals while using your Zero identity.
The list is endless, Alex.
Stop worrying about small things and start focusing on improvement.]
Alex chuckled. "Thank you, my wise and beautiful master."
Agnes chuckled as well. [You've never seen me to say that.]
"Just a guess. But from what you're saying, are you that horrendous?" Alex joked, only to feel a sharp stinging pain in his mind. "Argh!"
[Hmph.] Agnes pouted.
"You know I was joking. Anyway, as we're on the subject, can you manifest an appearance?"
[Well, yes,] Agnes replied.
"I thought you were the system or part of it," Alex questioned.
[Yes and no. I have some authority over the system, but I'm not part of it. I'm just a soul caged within another soul.]
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Alex asked.
[Upgrade the system to gain more authority over it. Once you have authority, you can release me, but only when you've prepared a body for me,] Agnes explained.
"Then I promise to help you, even if I'll miss hearing your voice in my mind," Alex said.
[I'm already connected to your soul at a deeper level than even Stella, so I'm like your first wife. Speaking telepathically will always be easy for us,] Agnes teased.
"Never let Stella hear that," Alex muttered.
[Hehehehe. But I've always wondered—why haven't you taken Lisa as your woman?] Agnes inquired.
Alex chuckled. "In due time, I will make her mine. And you, being deeply connected to me, already know that I won't let anyone touch what is mine."
[Such possessiveness is dangerous. It could cloud your judgment in the future,] Agnes warned.
"Well, I don't care. Future me can deal with that. It's not my problem right now," Alex replied.
[Hehehe,] Agnes laughed.
Alex looked up at the illusory screen that appeared before him:
[Arcane Energy: 350]
[300 Arcane Energy consumed]
[(B-) Blink – Allows the user to instantly move to any visible location. The cost of Arcane Mana depends on the distance traveled.]
Agnes chuckled, commenting, [This skill is practically a cheat with your eyes capable of seeing at least 50 kilometers away, although you're limiting your insight.]
The next day, Alex went with Lisa and Luna to a store, while he sent Kevin to the guild.
Luna hid in his shadow as Alex bought every book that could potentially be turned into a skill.
Some books focused on lightning and flames, but not all of them could be converted into skills.
Fortunately, Alex's source of energy—Arcane Mana—was a thousand times more versatile than standard Mana, allowing for greater improvement.
Alongside these, Alex also purchased books on Arcane Mana control, fire elemental control, lightning elemental control, and various historical topics.
Here are the skills Alex learned:
[(D+) Recorder – Allows the user to replay anything they have seen.]
[(C) Obscure – Covers the user in Arcane Mana, rendering them transparent.]
[(A-) Raging Thunder – Creates extremely condensed lightning that decimates everything within a 15-meter radius. Cost: 10,000 Arcane Mana per second.]
[(A-) Everlasting Spear – Forms a spear of eternal flames that relentlessly hunts its target until it hits. Cost: 10,000 Arcane Mana per spear.]
[(A+) Devastation – Summons destructive lightning and eternal flames from an unknown dimension to obliterate enemies. Cost: 50,000 Arcane Mana per second.]
[(C+) Lightning Flash – Covers the user in lightning, increasing their speed by 300%. Cost: 2,000 Arcane Mana per minute.]
[(B) Auraless – Completely hides the user's aura. Cost: 5,000 Arcane Mana per hour.]