'He' was an unremarkable guy.

As an insignificant little cog in the great machine of society in modern Earth, he was fed up with the constraints of rules and regulations.

After he reincarnated here, he took up a new name and identity, Viers Isuel. He wanted to have something he didn't before, freedom, unfettered freedom. And have a prosperous, long, exciting, good life.

He realized he was in a xianxia-esque world where someone could become a superman if they have the will, talent, opportunity, and luck to struggle for that position.

In the novels, he often read something along the lines of ‘with one slash of his sword, XXX killed millions’.

Viers didn’t want to become among the millions in that sentence, to become mere statistics. That was why he needed strength to be able to defend his own life. Strength was a prerequisite for freedom and the good life he sought. Just as important as food and shelter.

Viers understood the journey to the summit of power wouldn’t be easy. Xianxia novels with almost unending chapters taught him so.

Must he become a cultivation maniac forgoing comforts and pleasures of life until he reached the peak of might? In closed cultivation for tens or hundreds of years like a hermit?

If that was the only path before Viers then he might do so.

But because he met Clarissa and the Lamia Queen, Viers had the idea of forging a brand new path.

The Lamia Queen’s trials would give a certain boon to those who passed with flying colors. The rest would receive treasures of different quality depending on the trial result. Those treasures were from the Age of the Gods so even the mediocre ones were really, really good for today’s standard.

It was the ‘only-the-strong-but-virtuous-shall-pass’ kind of trial. Since Viers wasn’t virtuous and he couldn’t lie in the trials, he failed.

Viers only got 25 points out of 100.

Using those points Viers picked an affinity raising treasure. Because of pity or whatever else, Clarissa got him a better treasure than his points were able to get.

Viers never forgot her kindness.

And then, about a month ago at winter’s solstice, Farley’s father Sebastian, sucked the souls of all the residents of Luxore town to sacrifice them to Dumuzin, the Devil he worshiped.

More than 3000 lives were lost.

Viers survived because he made extensive preparations. When Benjamin was basking in his success, Viers obliterated him.

With Benjamin dead and the ritual to send the souls to Dumuzin stopped, the souls were floating aimlessly.

What Viers didn’t know before was that the treasure from Clarissa could also bestow the user with new affinity according to the provided ‘catalyst’. It reacted to the souls.

Viers didn’t hesitate. He used the souls to ascend to affinity 5 soul attribute. Along with the water affinity of 4, Viers now became a dual attribute Pathseeker.

Using his new mastery over souls, he kidnapped Clarissa and took the most valuable treasure of the Lamia Queen, a heart of ruby which she saved for ‘the worthy’.

Viers gave the queen the middle finger to her judgment of him before he took the treasure and used it for himself. Like Sun Wukong stealing and eating the pills of immortality.

Clarissa already explained that the treasure would bestow an Aspect to the user. She further explained that Aspects were something of a miracle ability Pathseekers forged when ascending from Level 5 to Level 6, when they were breaking through the limits of mortals.

When forging that Aspect, Pathseekers could make any ability they wished as long as it was in line with the ‘essence’ of their being. A killer could only make an Aspect with ability related to killing. A protector could only make an Aspect suitable for protecting others. Every Aspect was different from person to person.

When Viers claimed his Aspect, he chose the concept of ‘newness’.

He still remembered the exact words he said.

“I am a seeker of the new! Experiencing something I never have, and enjoying the wonder that comes with it! To accomplish that I need power! And by broadening my horizon, power I shall have!”

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“Every experience in my life shall fill the water of my well of power. Everything I have done, and everything I will do! By doing things I have never done, my power will grow! Every new food I eat shall make me stronger. Every new book I read shall make me stronger. New sights I see, new places I visit, new people I meet, new knowledge I understand, new items I touch, new sounds I hear, new friends I make, new enemies I kill, anything and everything new for me shall empower myself!”

“The name of my Aspect is Horizon! If what people can experience in the world is truly infinite, that limitlessness shall be my power! That is my prayer… That is my wish. Now! Grant it… Incubator!!”

It was the high point of his life.

After quoting Tyrael and shoving an ‘I am justice itself’ down the Lamia Queen’s throat, he copied the line of a certain magical girl before she became a god.

Kyubey wasn’t there, it was just Viers being Viers. He actually said it to the heart of ruby but his wish was granted all the same.

If Viers experienced something ‘new’, his power would rise.

The Aspect was a game-changer to Viers’ life from that point forward. His Intio was added with the Aspect. He felt it clearly, like having a growing sun inside himself.

For reasons unknown, the Aspect quantified itself by using percentage numbers. Perhaps it was because of Viers’ lingering wish of some sort. He didn’t get a system when reincarnated so the Aspect manifested as a pseudo-system instead.

In the beginning, it was at 0% but it rose quickly.

The effect was simple. If Viers used an Arte, an extra power was added to the Arte depending on that percentage.

Currently, Viers has around a 50% boost. If Viers used an Arte with the power of 500 he would get 50% extra because of his Aspect so the released Arte power was 750.

When he reached 1000% boost then using an Arte with 500 power would become 5500.

It was nothing less than a divine ability.

To increase his Horizon, he must experience something new. Viers then experimented with a lot of things.

Turned out, almost everything was new all around him.

Just by walking the town and seeing the sights, his Horizon would rise. Not to mention interacting with new people and killing monsters he had never before.

Even by sleeping all day locked in his room, Viers’ Horizon would rise.

Because even if he had slept ten-thousand times before, then this sleep would be the ten-thousand-and-oneth time. The air he took into his lungs by breathing was different than the air he took one breath before. The planet was spinning and orbiting the sun so his existence in ‘space’ was different even if he didn’t move away from his room. Even walking the same road every day would be new as long as he stepped the ground with a one-millimeter difference.

However, the increase from doing such trivial things was marginal. After some testing, Viers found that the increase would be high if he truly experienced something new and whether that newness was significant or meaningful to him.

Viers took the words ‘broadening one’s horizon’ to a whole other level.

It was the missing piece of his ideal build.

Since Viers reincarnated in this world one year ago, he had five crucial power-ups in his life.

The first was finding a mysterious flower when he was at death's door. It saved him somehow and now resided inside his Intio. The flower gave him his healing factor and the ability to gain life energy by consuming high vitality ingredients. Viers felt this flower still had other hidden capabilities.

The second was meeting a godly bull. It was a Rank 6 or above sentient monster, similar to the spirit beasts in xianxia stories. Viers guessed it was some kind of river or sea godling. When he met the bull, it only had one breath left inside it. The bull offered to be his spirit advisor, its soul taking refuge inside him. Viers refused and the bull died. Viers ate the bull’s flesh and gained the ability to transform into water attribute monsters after absorbing their core and gained super senses. The life energy he got from the bull was massive.

The third was press-ganged by Farley to join her cult. He was weak back then, without backing, resources, and influence. His powers had not matured and not as varied, he couldn't refuse. As a result of joining, after paying a suitable price, Viers’ water affinity rose from 2 to 4. The rise was crucial. From a below-average practitioner, he became a skilled one. He later found out it was only temporary but he still had time before it expired. Viers also saved quite a lot of money during his time with the cult.

The fourth was gaining the soul affinity of 5 during the calamity of Luxore town. The rare and mysterious mastery over souls opened a lot of doors previously closed for Viers. He also gained Paina, Farley, and Clarissa’s support because of this, whether they were willing or otherwise.

The fifth was obtaining his Aspect.

Everything he experienced would make him stronger and so the longer he lived, the better for him. His first and fifth improvement complemented each other like a match from heaven.

With all the factors combined, Viers had the perfect build for enjoying life and getting stronger in the process without becoming a cultivation maniac.

Therefore Viers prioritized survival above all else.

However, life was certainly filled with the unexpected. His encounter with Sigma forced him to make a judgment call that had a far-reaching effect and he almost died in the process.

He admitted it could be done better.

But so what?

He would not waste a reincarnation into a fantasy world to be a powerless, cog in the machine once again.

Which MC protagonist did not take risks in their journey? Which of them did not elude death multiple times in their journey to become the strongest? Did they all make a 100% perfect call every time a choice presented itself?

People could make mistakes and could learn from them.

As long as he did not die then he was the victor.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Viers Isuel was the living embodiment of that sentence and he would become stronger still.

Because there was a limitless horizon before him.