Chapter 1237: A Week

The effect of the [Higher Lifeform Suppression] overlapped with his former [Serpent Dominance], which had now evolved into [Serpent Annihilation]. Moreover, [Serpent Annihilation] encompassed everything that [Higher Lifeform Suppression] could achieve, rendering the latter redundant.

He also possessed [Life Retribution], a trait he had obtained from Lady Echidna. This trait was the very foundation of his [Divine Retribution] armor. The armor amplified the effects of [Life Retribution], causing every attack he managed to endure to be converted into power. As for his other traits such as [Thread Forming] and [Black Orc’s Solid Body], they had likewise undergone significant enhancement.

Souta then turned his attention to his newly acquired traits.

[Bloodline Eclipse], [Primordian Sense], and [Primordian Strength].

These three traits existed to fully draw out and utilize the Primordian within his body. The Primordian was a newly formed organ that manifested when he became an Eternal Eclipse Primordian. It was located directly beneath the Monster Orb at the center of his chest. The two were interconnected, functioning in unison with Monster Orb as an additional energy core.

In total, Souta now possessed three energy sources: the Monster Orb, the Nebula Heart, and the newly formed Primordian. His total energy reserves were already comparable to those of an advanced fifth-stage monster.

For an initial fifth-stage monster to possess energy reserves on par with an advanced one, such a phenomenon was nothing short of absurd.

However, the Primordian was far more than a mere energy source. It embodied the power of the Eternal Eclipse Primordian itself. Countless functions could be unleashed in tandem with his three Primordian traits, and its true might would only be fully revealed the moment he opened his third eye.

Souta shifted his focus to the remaining system notifications.

[Every time you level up, you will gain +500 Health, +80 Energy, +80 Stamina, +200 Strength, +120 Agility, +120 Dexterity, +120 Vitality, +120 Intelligence, +30% Physical Damage, +30% Energy Damage, +30% Physical Resistance, +30% Energy Resistance, +80 Health Recovery, +80 Stamina Recovery, and +80 Energy Recovery]

From this point onward, every single level would grant him this amount of power.

It was utterly absurd.

The Eternal Eclipse Primordian was simply on another level. Souta could still remember the days when gaining even one point of Strength per level felt significant.

His attributes had already surpassed those of his character, Blood. The only thing Blood still held over him was the sheer accumulation of blessings and skills. That disparity was understandable. After all, Souta had only existed in this world for a few years. Moreover, there was a huge difference between the game and reality.

He glanced at his experience bar. It was already close to being filled. Another level-up was imminent.

Souta let out a soft chuckle before checking the next set of notifications.

[You have completed the Crisis Quest.]

[You’ve obtained 40 Skill Points, 40 Free Attribute Points, 40,000,000,000 Experience Points, 3 Random Cards, and a Shard of Origin Seed]

In truth, Saya had practically completed the quest for him. He hadn’t wanted her to go that far but it was already done. At the very least, he had managed to prevent her from completely disappearing.

His gaze settled on the rewards.

The first thing that caught his attention was the Shard of Origin Seed.

An Origin Seed already resided within his body, having fused with him to form the power of the Douion. His Douion had reached Stage III, becoming one of his greatest assets. With it, he could manifest an environment perfectly suited to himself while gaining countless enhancements.

And now that it had reached Stage III, the possibilities had only multiplied.

For example,

Souta casually waved his hand. The ravaged landscape instantly reverted to its original state, as though his clone’s devastating attack had never occurred. Then, with a flip of his palm, an entire mountain materialized in the sky.

He could freely transition between reality and dream. Even without relying on spells, traits, or external techniques, he could effortlessly trap an expert of the Eight Shackle Realm within a dreamscape.

As for the shard of the Origin Seed... Souta wondered what kind of potential it might reveal to him.

"I’ll study it later," he muttered.

He then shifted his attention to the three random cards. To be honest, his luck with card draws had never been particularly good. More often than not, he failed to obtain the cards he actually wanted.

He activated them, and three cards materialized before his eyes.

[Level-Up Card]

[Frozen Hand Card]

[Skill Level-Up Card]

Souta raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"A skill card... not bad."

A skill card was a rare item that stored a skill within it. Once used, the player would instantly acquire the skill it contained. In this case, the stored skill was [Frozen Hand]. Gaining new skills was always beneficial. After all, that was precisely how Blood had become so overwhelmingly powerful.

Information about the skill flowed into his mind. [Frozen Hand] was a passive skill that granted +100 Health and +10 Vitality, along with a minor resistance to ice-element attacks.

The skill itself wasn’t particularly impressive. However, its value lay in the fact that it was passive. It required no activation, consumed no resources, and permanently increased his attributes even if only by a small amount.

"Good..." Souta chuckled softly. "If I stack twenty or thirty skills like this, the cumulative boost would be enormous."

Even then, thirty such skills would only amount to roughly a quarter of what the character Blood possessed.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention to his remaining skill points. He hesitated, weighing his options. Should he save them to unlock an Archetype or spend them to promote his Battle Mage class?

Promoting his class would immediately and directly enhance his combat strength. As for the Archetype, he already had other plans for it. If he unlocked it, he intended to integrate it with his current Archetype and forge something entirely new.

However, that process would require a significant amount of time.

Souta shook his head. He would decide later. There was no way to know what awaited him beyond the Land of Fire Light, so for now, he chose to conserve his resources. Truthfully, he wanted to promote his class. It had been a long time since its last advancement but impatience had no place in his current situation.

"I’ll explore other areas first," he decided.

He knew he couldn’t contact Lumilia and the others. His talisman had already been destroyed. As for Vashno and the rest, they were still alive. Through the King and Queen Parasites, he could sense the presence of surviving parasites scattered across the land.

Kessa and Yuko were safe as well. His connection to them remained intact, and he could summon them at any time. For now, however, he chose not to.

First, he needed to settle everything within the Land of Fire Light.

Souta bent his knees.

In the next instant, he shot into the sky.

Boom!

...

Another week passed.

The reconstruction of the Everlasting Kingdom progressed smoothly. The King had recovered from his injuries and formally reclaimed his throne, resuming full control over the kingdom.

Though the kingdom was no longer as powerful as it once had been, it remained the dominant force within the Land of Fire Light. After all, it was the only organized power left on the massive island.

Tens of millions had been reduced to mere hundreds of thousands.

Humans. Demis. Monsters.

They were the survivors of the calamity and they would become the foundation of the new Everlasting Kingdom. Souta and the King had already discussed this future. The King would focus on expanding the kingdom’s influence while training a greater number of high-level experts.

Preparations for the next calamity had already begun.

Once the Land of Fire Light was fully secured, they would begin expanding into the surrounding waters. The expansion would not be overt; it would be carried out in secrecy. They had no intention of alerting the other factions of the Imperium. Moreover, the island’s isolation made it an ideal location for a hidden stronghold.

Souta now possessed enough power. Compared to before, he was a true fifth-stage monster, one of the most formidable lifeforms in the world. His strength was more than sufficient to establish a powerful faction with far-reaching influence. Even so, he had no intention of revealing himself to the world just yet.

He would bide his time until he had fully matured.

Thus, Souta became the shadow leader of the Everlasting Empire.

Only a select few were aware of his existence.

Within the throne room of the newly built Royal Palace of the Everlasting Kingdom.

Souta, Angus, the King, and the Princess sat around a long table. The King of the Everlasting Kingdom was Tasman, while the Princess bore the name Luella.

At this moment, the four of them were engaged in a serious discussion, laying out plans to rapidly strengthen the kingdom and prepare it for the trials yet to come.

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