Survival in this universe is a precarious thing; any civilization could be suddenly destroyed by descending natural disasters—a legion of mechanical constructs, the remnants of the Bug King, the destructive Antimatter Legion, or the blessings of the Abundance. If one's luck were bad to the extreme, like Izumo and Takama-ga-hara, they would be completely swallowed by a black sun, and even assembling the power of the entire universe would make it difficult to drag anyone back from those shadows of nothingness into the real world.
After the Penacony arc, a four-person team in the game could put together a series of dark comedy jokes: Aventurine was the last of the Avegians, Kafka was the last of the people of Izumo, Firefly was the last of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry, and Boothill was the last of the Apacheng. With the four of them standing in the same party, anyone with even a shred of moral baseline wouldn't dare utter a single greeting to someone else's family or relatives, because just opening their mouths would cause them to be crushed to death by guilt.
Kafka's homeland of Izumo had slaughtered its way through the entirety of Takama-ga-hara, making them a civilization not considered weak by any stretch in the stars, yet when they ultimately encountered IX, they were still reduced to bubbles beneath the shadow of nothingness.
Survival was by no means an easy task; relying on others would ultimately only reduce one to a living beast or a walking battery. Let us not forget that seven hundred years ago on Jarilo-VI, there was still a massive, unpaid debt owed to the IPC.
If a civilization or ethnic group failed to take the initiative to grasp their own gun barrels, then they were utterly hopeless.
"Stepping onto a Path is rather troublesome, and everyone's success cannot be completely replicated. Why not try another system?"
This bunch of people in the universe were on a completely different level from the glass-cannon folks back in his hometown; their average lifespans and vitality tiers vastly exceeded those of ordinary people. Regular kids around Hook's age seemed to run at a level close to professional athletes. If this was the baseline, perhaps he could try developing Nen; who knows, meaningful Nen abilities might manifest, and by then his Master of Stealth would also have room to shine.
Although Master of Stealth has been somewhat localized, it seems to have no effect on those who have stepped onto a Path. It can work on certain techniques that are not Nen, but it cannot steal the Path itself. As expected, that's because the authority of a Path is actually held in the hands of the Aeons. I wonder if the Path power of fallen Aeons can be stolen.
However, matters like this can wait until I have a chance to study them later. For now, I should find a few locals and test whether opening the aura nodes for Nen works as expected.
Chapter 29: Who Are You Calling a Loser? (1/4)
The threshold for Nen is actually not that high.
It merely judges the level of potential aura based on a person's physical fitness. Those with high potential aura do not necessarily possess an absolute advantage; after all, if their aura volume is too high during the awakening process, their mental power will fail to successfully bind the life energy, causing them to die of exhaustion.
Conversely, people with excessively low potential aura cannot even reach the critical point of awakening, failing to touch that threshold. Even if they somehow managed to cross it, an aura volume too weak to perform ability development and usage would still render it a useless, chicken-ribs power.
Yet despite having certain screening conditions, Nen remains a remarkably universal track. Unlike the magic system, which has a rigid demand for Mage Circuits, or the chakra system, which requires chakra seeds, it only requires you to pass the trial of node-opening and self-discipline over your life energy to become a Nen user.
While Nen doesn't hold much meaning for someone like Herta, it is undoubtedly a good path for those who haven't stepped onto a Path.
For existences like Herta, who have already walked the Path of Erudition to the level of an Emanator, developing biological energy from scratch holds very little practical meaning. Wasting effort in that direction would be better spent researching other things.
However, back at the space station, when Herta was helping him develop certain abilities, she had mentioned that her main body had already completed self-node-opening, proving that the concept of "aura nodes" actually existed.
Natasha should be considered the most suitable candidate, but... I still have to find a way to get her to issue a commission.
Explicitly telling the other party to commission him might cause her to turn the tables and take advantage of him. Commission farming is commission farming, but he had no intention of randomly becoming an errand boy for others.
Why was that well-behaved and lovely younger sister of his hunted down by the Einzberns for years? Wasn't it precisely because the Divine Child possessed the ability of a wishing machine? Although she could later block other people's wishes to avoid being directly used as a wish-granting tool, the existence of this capability still resulted in her being relentlessly hunted by the Einzberns.
Physical kidnapping is a form of abduction, but isn't moral kidnapping the same?
Therefore, Mr. Emiya would never explicitly state his abilities in front of anyone. Even if others guessed something, he wouldn't spell it out directly. Smart people always knew how to maintain boundaries, while fools... didn't need to be paid attention to.
Just as he was pondering how to give Natasha a hint to issue a task commission, the leader of Geofire sought him out alone, having presumably already finished discussing things with her faction.
"Mr. Emiya, we've thought it over. We need that Endless Rice Bag, and we have the determination to keep it in our hands."
Straightforward as always, her lack of hesitation and crisp decisiveness felt very comfortable. After discussing it with Seele Vollerei and the others, she no longer harbored any doubts, her pupils hiding something resembling a lion within them... Of course, this was not calling her a loser.
"As for the intelligence on the Stellaron, we will do everything in our power to collect it for you."
"However, I must state one thing to you: compared to the Silvermane Guards, our Geofire members possess no advantage whatsoever aside from also having a single life."
"Therefore, besides the Endless Rice Bag, we also need to purchase other things from you..."
Hearing Natasha's words, Emiya remained silent for a moment before suddenly clapping his hands with a loud laugh.
"Good, very good, exceptionally good! Miss Natasha, I am growing more and more fond of you. As expected, it was the right choice not to deal with that Supreme Guardian up above."
"A smart person knows what kind of demands to present in front of what kind of people, while a fool... always smugly hides secrets, thinking they are the only clever person in the world."
"So, please help us once more. What we need is not merely food; the things we require... are the knowledge and power on how to survive in this world. We need to understand the meaning and rules represented by "Nameless" or "City Builders" like you within this cosmic starry sky."
You have received a new commission!
Armed Forces (Client: Natasha): Help the Geofire organization build up an armed force, ensuring at least that the opposing side possesses a certain degree of self-sufficiency in production.
Reward: 120 points + random weapon gacha pool unlocked for a limited time
Difficulty: 1-Star
Logistical Needs (Client: Natasha): Help the Geofire organization accumulate logistical strength, ensuring at least that they possess enough food to sustain two people for half a year.
Reward: 120 points + random ingredient gacha pool unlocked for a limited time
Difficulty: 1-Star
Survival Conditions (Client: Natasha): Help the Geofire organization popularize basic information regarding cosmic constituent factions and Paths outside of Jarilo-VI, letting them understand the basic conditions for survival in the universe.
Reward: 80 points + random book and blueprint gacha pool unlocked for a limited time
Difficulty: 1-Star
That's right!
This is so right!
This woman understood all too well what he wanted. Perhaps she didn't understand that Emiya needed commissions to obtain rewards, but she grasped the meaning behind Emiya's previous words: this person hoped they would stand up and resist rather than letting others handle the matter for them.
"Ms. Natasha, you are very smart. You not only want to acquire armed forces, but you also wish to understand extraterrestrial information. This shows that you have completely recognized the current reality."
"In that case, whether it is the "Nameless", the "Stellaron", or the "City Builders", I will inform you completely of all this information. If you were to blindly take action without understanding the hazards of the "Stellaron" and the might of the "Antimatter Legion", by then... you might have to bear an even more tragic price than the current situation."
"Someone from my hometown once said: weakness and ignorance are not the obstacles to survival, arrogance is. This phrase is an equal truth when placed in the universe."
"That sentence is thought-provoking, and I will engrave it in my heart."
After Natasha nodded, Emiya began to recount the major factions in the universe and their corresponding Aeons to this Geofire leader who already possessed true leadership qualities.
"The Hunt", "Xianzhou", "Sea Rangers", "Nihility", "The Destruction", "The Abundance", "IPC", "City Builders", "Klippers"...
In this vast and boundless universe, treating worldly heroes as mere drops in the river would be putting it far too modestly. Driven by ideologies, interests, religions, ideals, ethnicities, nations, survival... countless races and factions were encompassed within it, falling under the paths of various Aeons. Countless ideologies, much like an amplified version of the Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought, created the current macrocosm environment where ten thousand living creatures vied for freedom under the frosty skies.
"The "Stellaron" possesses individual consciousness and even life, and it can be confirmed that they possess sentience and wisdom. They function similarly to a wishing machine, responding to the wishes of others, but the way these wishes are realized tends to be destructive and irreversible."
"What can be confirmed is that the outbreak of this "Great Cold" is most likely someone's wish, and that person probably learned of the "Stellaron's" capabilities and, over the course of the following seven hundred years, completely isolated its existence—perhaps wanting to keep it for themselves, or perhaps wanting to cut it off from the world."
"Based on the current reality, I can roughly determine that the location of the "Stellaron" is inevitably linked to that very top "Supreme Guardian" in Belobog."
"If the secrets on the Supreme Guardian's body are not completely dissected, the probability of your civilization experiencing a revival is practically zero."
Chapter 30: The Power Disparity Between the Upper and Lower Cities. (2/4)
The Stellaron bewitches the human heart.
Generation after generation of Supreme Guardians began to require facing the brainwashing of the Stellaron head-on after succeeding to this administrative seat.
Early Belobog was by no means an era lacking in brilliant heroines.
Three generations of Supreme Guardians were all individuals of exceptional ability, political acumen, and deep craftiness.
Had it been merely a normal disaster, with three successive wise rulers holding the post generation after generation, forget the revival of a single city, the grand revitalization of an entire nation and ethnic group would have already been accomplished.
Unfortunately, what they faced was an aggressive natural disaster possessing wisdom like the Stellaron. Having wise rulers in every generation merely barely maintained the normal operation of the city, leaving them forever unable to expand outward by even a single step, at most digging deeper underground.
However, the occurrence of successive wise rulers was, after all, much like a gacha game, fraught with too much uncertainty.
Especially when someone like Cilia Rand, the eighth Supreme Guardian, was pushed up as a puppet—a single generation was all it took to deal a heavy blow to Belobog.
And now, the eighteenth generation taking over Belobog could not be said to be riddled with a thousand holes, but at least it had reached an era verging on total exhaustion.
The power of the great cold was declining, and the proliferating void creatures were further encroaching upon this final stronghold. The resources that could be produced underground were depleted, coupled with the ceaseless, day-and-night bewitchment of the Stellaron. The inner heart of this Supreme Guardian was already on the verge of collapse; compared to the lack of hope itself, visible, endless despair made one feel even more powerless and painful.
Under such circumstances, she was lured by the vision promised by the Stellaron and ultimately walked to the opposite side of the planet. Considering all conditional aspects, her corruption could be understood, but... it was by no means a reason for the sufferers to forgive her.
"The Supreme Guardian."
Having been most directly informed of the enemy they needed to face at the current stage, Natasha's expression also showed a rare trace of distraction. In fact, apart from the administrative decrees sealing off the Upper and Lower Cities, Natasha herself held no particular malice toward Cocolia, the current Supreme Guardian. But... now there were actual, solid clues pointing to her actions possessing tangible "malice."
"I can resolve the weapon logistics for you, but you need to accomplish the intelligence-gathering yourselves."
"That is only natural."
"Speaking of which, besides weapons and equipment, I can also provide a type of power to you. This power does not fall within a Path; it can be considered a technique for developing biological energy."
On the Xianzhou, there were actually some martial arts manuals. Developing the biological energy within the human body was by no means a rare thing beneath this cosmic starry sky, but in impoverished regions like Belobog where even staple foods could not be satisfied, there was simply no soil for excavating biological energy.
"As long as more than ten people can develop this ability, you should have the strength to fight the Silvermane Guards."
The number of Pathstriders in the Upper City was not large, but it was still greater than that of the Lower City. Among the Silvermane Guards alone were people like Gepard, Bronya, and Pela—and this was only the portion Emiya knew of. Much like the various characters who only appeared in the later stages of the Xianzhou, Belobog might very well harbor hidden characters as well.
Aside from those three, Serval, Lynx, and the likes of Cocolia should guarantee at least six Pathstriders.
The moment anyone mastered "imaginary energy," their life energy tier would leap into a new bracket. At the very least, ordinary small-caliber firearms could not break through their defense. Fighting a hundred alone—given enough time—was entirely feasible.
Furthermore, imaginary energy didn't merely possess the function of self-enhancement; whether their abilities were used to strengthen allies or crush enemies, those were properties of an overwhelming tier.
Conversely, looking at the underground, it was impossible to actually send the girl Hook onto the battlefield. The remainder consisted of merely three people: Seele, Luka, and Natasha. For the Masked Fool Sampo not to drag them down from behind would already be considered a stroke of immense luck.
Seele was the first limited five-star in the game, but in reality, she was just a young girl who learned a few unorthodox scythe techniques and relied on imaginary energy for fierce speed acceleration. Meeting trouble that speed couldn't resolve meant she would immediately crash.
Being a five-star Hunt character alike, the Arbiter-General could hack Abundance fiends until they cried for their mothers and fathers, whereas this one could at most bully vagrants and automaton units.
You can fool your brothers, but make sure not to fool yourself.jpg
If the Upper and Lower Cities really clashed now, there would truly be zero chance of winning. Unless a batch of Titan Mechs or Gundams were directly arranged for the Lower City, they honestly stood no chance against the Upper City.
"Ten people can have the strength to fight the Silvermane Guards?"
Hearing this, Natasha's eyes immediately lit up, and she quickly spoke,
"The technique for developing biological energy—in other words, this power does not require the infusion and replenishment of any external objects?"
Belobog's territory could already be called a remote and barren backwater. The Upper City wasn't exactly wealthy, let alone the Lower City, which was equivalent to a poor household bullied by a local village tyrant.
"Two prerequisite conditions: at least being strong-built young people with relatively ample physical stamina, preferably having undergone a certain amount of professional physical training; and secondly, needing people with tenacious personalities and relatively strong self-discipline."
Strong self-discipline and a tenacious personality were also manifestations of mental power. Such people consistently possessed endurance and execution abilities superior to ordinary people, giving them an advantage in the test of gathering life energy.
As for the first condition, it went without saying: aura volume was also a threshold for Nen.
Hearing the two conditions put forward by Emiya, Natasha's enthusiasm instantly subsided somewhat. Finding people meeting both of these conditions in the Lower City was truly rare; although the Geofire organization lacked no individuals with tenacious personalities, the condition of being strong-built filtered out many.
"Then please instruct me in practice first."
You have received a new commission!
Emiya glanced over the commission page. Teaching Natasha to acquire Nen was a 1-star difficulty and not too high... Hm, it seemed like a pretty good screening method.
His eyes lit up slightly. Judging from the commission tier, the other party's latent aptitude for practicing Nen seemed promising.
Moreover, through this method, he should be able to acquire quite a few commissions.
Postscript: The rewards for this task can only be completed ten times per tier.
Seeing the postscript below, Mr. Emiya couldn't help shrugging. The system still didn't have that many loopholes for him to exploit, but ten tasks weren't bad either—at the very least, it was already a round of ten-pulls.
Adding 2-star and even 3-star ones... But those would consume a fair bit of energy, which was slightly not worth the loss. Completing them later when there was time would be more appropriate.
"Fine."
Herta was a special anomaly; those monsters of the Genius Society were eighty-four individuals selected out of the vast, boundless, infinite galaxies. And though Herta only ranked 83rd, she was an existence who had repeatedly had audience with Fuli and saved the Azure Star from world-ending disasters multiple times. Forget mere Nen; she could probably replicate all those products of Ultraman Powered and hand them over to you.
Yet casting aside monster-level individuals like Herta, Emiya was also somewhat curious about how ordinary Pathstriders like Natasha would perform in Nen development.
"I am not good at step-by-step teaching, so the next method will be a bit rough. You need to mentally prepare yourself."
"No questio—"
Before the words finished, the man within her field of vision abruptly seemed to transform into a savage, ferocious beast. An unusually dangerous sense of oppressive weight was transmitted from every inch of his skin, and the surrounding air felt as if it had congealed solid, causing her body to instinctively begin trembling.
I'm going to be killed!
Chapter 31: Natasha's Resolve. (3/4)
I'm going to be killed!
The threat and oppressive weight transmitted from that figure made her feel as though she had been plunged into a world of ice and snow, with a terrifying, irresistible beast standing right before her eyes.
The oppressive weight being transmitted was not killing intent.
If it were genuine killing intent, Natasha had no doubt that her tense spirit at that moment would completely snap, causing her to lose control like a trapped beast and launch an attack against the man before her.
"Nen is a power that excavates life potential through willpower."
"The moment I truly regard you as an enemy in the truest sense, you can clearly capture my "Nen" and understand that my life energy tier is above yours—much like how herbivores generate an impulse to flee the moment they perceive the field of vision of a carnivore."
Before you continue