Remember how I kept complaining about my horrid smell?

Well… I'm glad to say that is no longer the case. Of course, I still feel some slight discomfort in this slightly overweight body, but I certainly no longer stink.

One of the major causes of the horrible stench was my beard. There had to be food residues within it that had been there for weeks.

I even saw maggots crawling in them at some point.

Can you imagine that??

I had to trim my beards.

I contemplated shaving everything, but I left a nice sideburn, goatee and mustache to give me a refined appearance.

Overall, while I wouldn't call myself handsome by any means, I certainly appear more refined.

Now that I have taken care of the preliminaries, I believe I can now move on to urgent matters. Now that I can properly think, there's something that keeps appearing in my mind.

No Man's Land!

How exactly do I progress in my Trial Scenario if we remain in this place?

Sure, there is enough food and water to last us for an extremely long time. In fact, it can cater to our needs for our entire lives.

But I can't think along those lines.

There's no way I could be comfortable in this place. As real as it appears, this is still a simulated reality meant for my ascension.

I am not an Imperial Knight.

My name is Javier Aditi and I am currently undergoing Apotheosis.

I have to remember that.

'So what should I do?' I ask myself silently as I sit upright in my room.

Looking around, the place has a basic structure, with a standard measurement of 50 square meters.

Not bad by any means, but I already feel like a prisoner in this stifling place.

I need to get out.

Thankfully, there are all kinds of Potions, Special Resources, and Armaments in this place. We can start developing our strength within the Sanctuary… in preparation for our future plans.

'The Imperial Family has confiscated all of those items and is currently hoarding everything. Although there's enough space in the golden wing to occupy everyone, we Imperial Knights have to stay far away in this Servants Quarters and endure these limited spaces…'

None of the other Imperial Knights complained, but I can't help but feel dissatisfied by our treatment.

It must be because I have tasted the privilege associated with being a Leviathan.

I don't think I would have minded that much if I were still a normal Knight.

Oh well…

'If I take the Magivores roaming around No Man's Land into account, I should be able to harvest their Special Resources as well as find deposits of other Special Resources. If I'm fortunate, I could even find a Resource Point.'

The question is whether or not to inform the Imperial Family of this plan.

On one hand, the Emperor will likely seize any discovery of mine for himself and his family. On the other hand, he has very few supporters and will have no choice but to rely on my assistance and the expertise of others.

'Enryndal and Tyrrion weren't famous for Fabrication, but they had some background in it, so I'm confident that they could make Armaments of low grades with the Special Resources in this bunker. As for Potions, I can make them up to Grade 3 since I am an Intermediate Alchemist. That might not seem like a lot, but it is actually a great accomplishment in this world.' I rub my chin while falling into much deeper contemplation.

Essentially, making Potions and Armaments will take priority with the presence of Special Resources.

Once the greed of the Emperor wears off, he will notice this and give in to rationality.

'I can also use the Special Resources to use Shamanic Arts… though I only know one Spell, which Ruthina and Fernand taught me.'

So… should I inform the Imperial Family?

Honestly, I think I should.

There are no long-term benefits to hoarding my abilities when I will clearly reveal them with time as I try to fulfill the purpose of this Trial Scenario.

Besides, proving my loyalty and competence to the Emperor will make me privy to a lot more information.

Come to think of it, I still haven't seen the Imperial Family.

'Could they be Leviathans?'

A part of me wonders this silently, but since I cannot confirm it, I let the thought slide.

Unless I see them, I won't be able to confirm it anyway.

'I'll let the Imperial Family know that I'll be hunting down Magivores and harvesting Special Resources so that we don't easily run out of these resources. Unlike our food and water supply, the Special Resources, Potions, as well as Armaments, are in limited quantity. While they exist in varieties, we need even more.' I nod slowly, making up my mind with a sharp look in my eyes.

If I find a Resource Point or have fortuitous encounters out there, it will only help in advancing the mission.

Then, once we have gathered enough resources, we can finally leave this place and begin our travels yet again.

Until then, for safety reasons, I will take on the role of exploring this land.

'I may need to be away from No Man's Land for several days at some point, but let's start with a curfew for now. I'll slowly increase the duration as time passes.'

Unlike before, when I had people watching over me when I slept, I'll be traveling on my own so that I am not slowed down.

That means I won't have the same benefits.

'No. I can let Magivores guard me. But I haven't controlled them for an extended duration. Will Existential Resonance still work on them when I am asleep?'

I have no idea about this.

It should work in theory, but I haven't tested this out yet.

Thus—

'It looks like experimenting with my powers is also something I'll be doing in this place.'

All this aside, I still have to talk to the Imperial Family first. I am still an Imperial Knight, which means I have to inform my superiors of my activities.

Considering all the benefits involved, however, it's safe to assume what the answer will be.

*********

"No…?"

I am truly shocked.

My surprise is evident on my face as I stare at Enryndal, who gives me a sympathetic look while sighing deeply.

"The Emperor really refused my request?" I mutter aloud, still dazed by the results.

"Why?"

"He wishes for you to stay here and protect him. According to him, the outside world is too dangerous, and we can't lose someone as competent as you are."

"But we have to consider the future."

"There are more than enough resources in here for now. We haven't reached a desperate state which would force us to look beyond the Sanctuary for assistance. Those are the words of the Emperor."

'The fuck?!'

To think I am serving such a spineless man. I truly cannot believe so many men died because of this coward.

I know he is most likely frightened and downtrodden after losing his Empire, but how illogical can he be?

What does he need my protection for in such a place?

If there is anyone capable of breaching this place, then what can an Imperial Knight like me do to stop them?

Besides, my proposed mission is important.

Don't we need to map out this land?

We need to understand our surroundings and exploit as many things to our benefit. I shouldn't even have to be the one suggesting this. If this Emperor were a visionary, he would have already considered this.

'Looks like I will have to change my plans a little…' I sigh to myself, shaking my head in disappointment.

It appears I cannot rely on the Emperor.

Unfortunately, I cannot leave the Sanctuary without the Imperial Seal. Even if I manage to leave, I cannot get back in without the Seal.

That means one of two things.

I either need to steal the Imperial Seal or find a way to coax/coerce the Emperor into giving it to me.

But how should I go about this?

'I can't just directly threaten him… especially if I need him for a much larger role in the future. If I bully him at this lowest point of his and he eventually regains his former status, that will backfire spectacularly on me.' I think to myself.

I need something better.

'Ah! That should work!'

A broad smile forms on my face as I quickly excuse myself and return to my room.

Then, using Tracing, I disappear from my position and appear in the store where the Special Resources, Potions, and Armaments are being placed.

The shelves are quite stacked, but I imagine that they will grow more and more empty as time passes.

'Although I don't require any Potion for Existential Deficiency when undergoing Apotheosis, I can still see countless uses for these items even if we are in the bunker.'

The truth is… this Sanctuary isn't perfect.

Ever since we entered, it has started operating at full capacity, and that requires fuel.

Fuel to power the air filtration and conditioning. Fuel to preserve the food and water. Fuel to regulate temperature. Fuel to conceal our presences. And so on…

All of this energy comes from somewhere.

Fortunately, the method to make this fuel is indiscriminatory.

Honestly… any Potion, Armament, or Special Resource will do. All we have to do is throw it down a hatch, and it immediately transforms into sustenance for the Sanctuary.

Essentially, our current supplies also serve as our lifelines.

'It's also why finding external resources is so important. We can't only focus on self preservation but also improving our situation.'

Before we arrived here, this Sanctuary had been largely inactive for over a hundred years. Only the preservation function was active, and that was to prevent the food from wasting.

Yet, we can see from the records that the fuel consumed was still sizable.

This place was chock full of Special Resources before our arrival. Although there are still many left, the amount is incomparable to before.

'Since the consumption accounts for over a hundred years of partial activity, it makes sense. But now that we have fully activated the Sanctuary and it is performing so many functions at once, I can only imagine how long this place will be able to last.' I sigh deeply.

Based on my limited understanding, I think the intentions of the previous Emperor have become clear with this predicament.

He never wanted this to be the final resting place for his descendants.

This is merely a checkpoint.

A temporary haven.

But the current Emperor is treating it like his new home.

We'll have to change that.

'I already confirmed that there are no auxiliary-type surveillance Armaments in this place, so I don't have to worry about getting caught…' I proceed to the Special Resources section and begin to interact with them.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of Special Resources that exist in Eariel.

Each has their functions and their effects, many of which are unknown to us. In fact, I'm not confident I know up to one percent of Special Resources, and even among the ones I can recognize, I am not aware of all their effects.

That shows just how limited my knowledge is.

'But thankfully, I recognize some of these…' I have a deep sigh and gather the ingredients I require.

We have too few people here, and since this place is locked away from the reach of everyone except the Imperial Family, there is no need to keep inventory.

Even if there was a need, who would do it?

Only the Emperor and his three children have access, and they likely wouldn't do something so bothersome.

'The reason I can come here is due to what happened on our first day. We all explored the Sanctuary together since we didn't know what lurked inside. So, I actually came here back then.'

It's been a few days since that affair, but I have made an effort to come here at least once a day so I will always have access.

No one else knows this.

'I'll brew a Grade 3 Potion that will poison one of the princes. The antidote won't be among the Potions stored inside, and the Special Resources won't be the required ones to cure him. The only way to save him will be to let me go outside… hehe…'

My eyes flash with ominous light once I gather the materials and tools I need.

In a flash, I vanish from the storage area and appear in my own room.

'Let's begin!'

The process takes a few days due to some failures as well as the crude nature of the equipment. Honestly, I had to make two more trips to the store to gather more resources so I could make it work.

Getting used to these old and archaic models of Alchemy tools is a real pain.

Especially when it comes to distilling the Special Resources for their Essence.

But… who am I?

Of course, I eventually succeeded!

'Hehe…!' In my hand is a Grade 3 Potion vial that will get the job done with a single drop.

All that's left is to feed the target.

'Let's see if you'll be able to stop my plans now!'.

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