True Level

The Spirit of the Mountains?

Linsey had only recently heard of this title.

That was something I learned from Red Moon; it was one of the enemies, gods, that had been defeated in this world.

A rock giant stood before him.

They were once an enemy that threatened the entire world?

The idea had barely crossed her mind when Linsey quickly dismissed it, for the sake of time.

This can be learned from the words of Sura Mo, the Spirit of the Mountains.

It was once allied with humanity, and that was tens of thousands of years ago! That's a long enough period for Civilization.

Whether it's the classics of the School of Death or the books in Finn's Cottage, they are at most records from two or three thousand years ago.

Humanity has lost its records of the Elemental Realm.

So when the Expedition Team arrived in the Elemental Realm 120 years ago, they regarded it as a completely unfamiliar world and named it the Hidden Borderlands, even temporarily identifying it as the edge of the universe.

The history of gods enslaving the masses, only to be ultimately overthrown by humans.

It is much later than the story told by Sura Mo.

Linsey understood the sequence of events.

Faced with this ancient Elemental Lifeform who was willing to explain his doubts.

His first question, however, was not to satisfy his own curiosity, but rather to concern the future of the Hidden Borderlands, or rather, the question of humanity living in the Elemental Realm.

"Lord Sura Mo, the Dragon Beast in the neighboring Black Mountain World is attempting to advance to the Eighth Stage. The impact of its advancement is also seriously threatening the normal development of the Elemental Realm. As the restorer of this world, what are your thoughts on this?"

"..."

Upon hearing Linsey's question.

The ancient Elemental Creature remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly sensing the interference the Dragon Beast was causing to the world.

It quickly reached a conclusion, affirming Linsey's assessment. "A restless force is indeed threatening the normal development of the Elemental Realm."

"But I have become one with the earth of this world, and I cannot escape this state until I have completed the restoration of the world."

Sura Mo is not a simple question-and-answer machine.

Although its long slumber had slowed its reaction time, it still understood why Linsey had asked the question.

The ancient Elemental Creature then countered, "You and your kin are trapped in this world, facing the threat posed by this Dragon Beast. Are you seeking help from me?"

Faced with something capable of repairing the world, Linsey had no intention of using words to deceive anyone.

"The enemy who threatens our lives lives next door and doesn't allow anyone to leave."

"No one in the world would remain indifferent to this situation."

Sura Mo gave a regrettable answer:

"Linsey, I can't help you."

"If that Dragon Beast were to enter the Elemental Realm on its own before successfully advancing, I would have a way to subdue it, but my power cannot leave this world."

Undeterred, Linsey instead confirmed with Sura Mo:

"You also need to ensure the normal development of the Elemental Realm, right?"

"As I said, I am powerless to do anything about this. I can only guarantee that we will take other measures after the World repair." Sura Mo's voice was deep and confident. "Moreover, the Dragon Beast is ultimately made of flesh and blood. He may live for several thousand years, but he cannot surpass the grandeur of the world. After he dies, I will set the development of the Elemental Realm back on track."

Linsey put forward a bold hypothesis:

"What if there were an opportunity to resolve this problem ahead of time?"

"Hahaha--"

Sura Mo laughed, deeming Linsey's proposal a pipe dream:

"I can sense everything on the earth. Of all the creatures standing on the ground, none can defeat a Seventh Stage Dragon Beast."

"Even if your skills reach the Fifth Stage, it's impossible for you to do this."

"..."

Sura Mo's statement, however, confused Linsey.

His Attribute Panel clearly shows his skill level, which has absolutely nothing to do with the number five!

"Me... Fifth Stage?"

Linsey's surprise was not loud.

But Sura Mo, which is almost equal to the earth, still clearly heard this astonishment.

Its enormous head nodded in confirmation:

"That's right, Fifth Stage. Your physical condition is very special. According to the classification of humans, you should be an Ascender One. But the skills that should have been sublimated have not been integrated with the Essence. It's as if you automatically learned the relevant skills after you were born, but never had any contact with the Essence."

"Even in my lifetime, I have rarely seen this happen to people."

Speaking of which...

Sura Mo was also curious about Linsey's situation.

It carefully examined the tiny human in front of it, then fell into deep thought once more.

Faced with these ancient Elemental Creature, Linsey had already realized where the problem lay.

The Attribute Panel actually explains it quite clearly.

Next to your skill level in the Game Player, it will display "[Game Enthusiast (Stage 2) / (Stage 5)]".

This does not mean that Linsey's ability ceiling is only at Fifth Stage.

Rather, it refers to the gaming skills he honed throughout his past life, skills that ultimately led to his death. In the current world's standards, these skills have reached the Fifth Stage! Essentially, he is a Fifth Stage Ascender.

However, what is lacking is the influence and transformation of the body by the Essence during long-term training.

This is why he never encounters bottlenecks when breaking through, unlike other awakened individuals in the town.

The memories of past lives that come with awakening.

This not only gave Linsey a special personality and understanding of the world, but also gave her a unique position in the Awakener system.

Linsey felt a pang of emotion.

If it weren't for this Nature Spirit of unknown power who revealed the truth in a single sentence.

He probably won't realize what happened to him until much later.

"You possess a rather unique power."

Just as Linsey was inwardly wryly smiling, Sura Mo finished his thoughts and spoke again:

"But that doesn't seem to be a reason for you to defeat Seventh Stage Dragon Beast."

"Because I have something special!"

Linsey sensed the curiosity and hesitation in Sura Mo's tone. Having already risked negotiating with him, he naturally couldn't miss this opportunity again. He immediately pulled out the Glorious Bullet: "If we use this as a basis, would you be willing to make a deal with me?"

"..."

What do you want?

Sura Mo was undoubtedly moved.

It can wait thousands of years before slowly changing this Elemental Realm, but if that time can be brought forward to the present, then there is absolutely no reason to refuse.

At this moment, Linsey glanced at her map.

He saw that the symbol of Sura Mo had changed from neutral yellow to friendly green, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips, "I'm ready to embark on a journey to slay the Dragon Beast."

"But in exchange, I hope you can protect their safety during the foreseeable winter."