CHAPTER 268: TRUTHBOUND
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║TRUTHBOUND║
⧼Grade-9 ⧽ ⧼Variant Category ⧽
* For every hour the Host remains truthful, Stamina, Spirit Energy, and Health receives an increase by 1%, up to a maximum of 900%. Any falsehood resets all accumulated bonuses.
* The Host’s words carry binding weight. Every word that comes from Host becomes a “woe” that must be upheld. Breaking a woe results in scaled penalties, severity depending on the breach:
Light Penalty: 10% reduction in Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy for 1 hour
Heavy Penalty: 50% reduction in Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy for 1 hour.
Deadly Penalty: 90 % reduction Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy, severely weakening the Host for 1 hour.
Innate Exclusive Skills: Yet to awaken
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Jay watched as Lokesh took in the details of his newly enhanced Innate Talent, his expression a mixture of satisfaction and quiet determination. Beside him, Kay couldn’t contain his excitement, his eyes practically glowing as he grinned at his cousin.
“Lokesh, this is incredible!” Kay exclaimed, leaning closer to the projection. “Do you realize what this means? You can stack up to nine times your Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy just by staying truthful! Others might struggle, but that’s a piece of cake for you. This puts you two tiers above your own in terms of those three crucial resources. You could basically spam your strongest attacks without worrying about running out of them before your opponent does!”
Jay nodded in agreement, “Kay’s right. The potential is amazing. But don’t overlook the penalties. Still, knowing you, Mr. Honesty—I’m pretty sure you’ll manage.”
Eager to know more, Jay called out, “MJ, come over here and break down the penalties for us.”
In response, a small, floating figure dressed in a sharp suit materialized out of thin air. MJ, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the boss baby, hovered in mid-air and gave a respectful bow to both Kay and Lokesh. “Greetings, Mr. Kay and Mr. Lokesh. It’s an honor to assist.”
Before MJ could continue, Lokesh waved him off with a chuckle. “No need for the formalities, MJ. Just call me Uncle. After all, Aunt’s made it clear you’re basically Jay’s kid so that makes us family. Let’s keep it casual.”
MJ blinked and sneaked a glance at Jay for approval. When Jay gave no objections, MJ’s face lit up with a cheerful smile. “Got it, Uncle Lokesh.”
Kay smirked, clearly amused by the exchange between them. MJ straightened his tiny suit and cleared his throat, ready to dive into the explanation.
“First, there’s the Light Penalty. This one is triggered by minor lies or unfulfilled statements—things that may seem trivial but still violate the truth. For example, if you casually say you’ll be back in ten minutes and end up returning a bit later, even if you intended to be accurate, your Innate Talent will consider it a broken ‘woe.’ As a result, you’ll experience a 10% reduction in Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy for an hour. Now, that might sound like a minor inconvenience, but when those resources are critical in battle, even a small reduction could put you at a disadvantage.”
MJ paused, letting the implications sink in before moving on. “Next is the Heavy Penalty, which comes into play for more significant lies, betrayals, or promises that hold serious weight. Let’s say you make a commitment in the heat of the moment—like promising to protect someone or accomplish a key task—and then fail to follow through. This level of violation would lead to a 50% reduction in Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy for an hour.”
MJ continued as his voice dropped to a more intense tone. “Then there’s the Deadly Penalty—reserved for the most severe breaches. This is when you lie or fail in a way that’s truly critical, like breaking a vow that could decide life or death, or outright betraying someone’s trust in a dire moment. When this penalty triggers, you face a 90% reduction in Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy for an hour. Your Health will be critically low, making it easier for enemies to bring you down. Your Stamina will be severely limited, meaning you’ll tire quickly and struggle to maintain prolonged combat. And your Spirit Energy, which powers your abilities, will be so diminished that using advanced techniques or sustained skills will be nearly impossible.”
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MJ floated closer, emphasizing another point. “Moreover, Uncle, the truth here isn’t just based on what you believe—it’s based on objective, universal reality. For example, if the actual time is 10:00 and you claim it’s 9:59 because that’s what your watch shows, it still counts as a lie, and your accumulated bonuses will reset. Even small slip-ups like this can have a ripple effect.”
Kay, with a thoughtful expression, added, “It’s true. This ability can make you incredibly powerful, but it comes with a steep price for even the tiniest misstep. The boosts are incredible, but if you’re not careful, one wrong word could throw everything off. You’ll need to stay on your toes and be deliberate with every promise and statement you make.”
Lokesh nodded slowly, the seriousness of his new ability settling in. “I really have to be careful with what I say… even the smallest things could cost me.”
Kay’s eyes lit up as a thought struck him. He turned to Jay, curiosity evident in his expression. “Wait a second. Since you share the abilities of Lokesh’s Innate Talent through the Sigil, does that mean you’ll have to follow the same rules? If you slip up and say something careless, won’t that reset Lokesh’s bonus streak or trigger penalties for both of you?”
Jay shook his head with a confident smile on his face. “No, I can choose when to access a Sigil holder’s abilities. I’m not bound to them unless I decide to tap into their talent. So, if I know I’m going to need TRUTHBOUND, I can will it and benefit from the accumulated bonuses. But during that time, I’d have to be careful with my words—or just keep quiet altogether to avoid accidentally triggering the penalties.
Kay stroked his chin in thought, “It’s a pretty solid setup, then. You gain the advantages without having to constantly worry about the downsides.”
Jay simply shrugged at Kay, as if to say, ‘It is what it is,’ before turning his attention to his cousin.
“To unlock your first Innate Talent, you’d usually have to take down a monster first. I’ll be returning to the Trial World soon, so I can take care of that for you. But once it’s unlocked, the hard work is all on you. Mastery training is key. If you put in the effort, you should be able to reach Stage-3 within a week, which will unlock more Innate Exclusive Skills for you.”
Lokesh nodded firmly, determination gleaming in his eyes. He was set on pushing himself to be ready for the Beta Program in 20 days—a chance to join Kay and Qew in helping Jay take down their common enemy.
Jay could sense the resolve in his cousin’s thoughts but chose not to comment. He had his own plans in motion, and his priority was clear: eliminating Urzo before the Beta Program began, no matter the cost. For that, he needed all his cards in place.
Both his Origin Energy and the║HEAVEN BREAKER║were powerful assets, but they could only be utilized in║INVERSE║mode—a mode that had remained locked ever since his last brutal encounter with the Plasma Predator.
However, there was still a way for Jay to access║INVERSE║mode. It required him to remove the bond with his Armor and other Spirit Equipment, reducing his overall stats below 1000.
But Jay didn’t act on that option immediately, choosing instead to reserve it for absolute emergencies. In the meantime, his focus remained on gathering enough Achievement Points to acquire the ORIGIN GLAIVE he had been eyeing for a while.
He knew clearing Obelisks would grant him far more Achievement Points than simply hunting down scattered monsters in the Trial Regions. It was the fastest path to strengthening himself and preparing for the inevitable confrontations ahead.
As the clock ticked closer to midnight, Jay waited for Day 11 to begin, knowing very well that acquisition of the Obelisks was the key to gathering the resources needed to push Earth to the forefront of the race, creating a safe haven for Earth’s Beta and Gamma Chosen, ensuring the foundation needed for the challenges ahead.
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Just a heads-up: there will be a time skip in the next chapter, jumping directly to Day 19. I realize the chapters have been a bit slow as we’ve only covered the first 10 days, but rest assured, I'm picking up the pace from here on out. And guess what? In the next three to four chapters, Jay is finally going to experience what he’s been waiting for. Exciting things are ahead, stay tuned!
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