Mila

“So, even if you are up against a C rank, the System has a loophole to allow your master to protect you from soul possession?” Isaiah sounded confused as he worked to roast monster meat in one of the fire pits of the Gale Clan’s former camp, looking to Mila, who’d just told him what had happened in the inheritance. “Even if your master is a former A rank, that seems a little too convenient. Aren’t apocalypse style integrations supposed to be challenges for F ranks?”

“Exactly.” Aalam, who was studying one of the golems he’d brought out of the inheritance next to the fire, didn’t look up as he answered. “And a C rank being shouldn’t appear in an F rank challenge. But, even out in the wider world, there would of course be protections against possession. If I were going to make a universe wide training program like the System, I’d also set up some backdoor loopholes to help protect my descendants as well.”

“What?”

Isaiah looked at Aalam, but Mila, who was still using one of her other minds to continue trying to charm the Shadow Thief’s soul fragment, answered instead. “Our current assumption is the System was set up to create the ground rules for competition between our universe’s gods, so none of them would go overboard and not be able to fight against foreign invaders, while also serving to train up future subordinates for them as well. And, if this is the case, it would make perfect sense for the gods to deliberately add in loopholes to allow them to protect their own descendants and subordinates.

“Descendants of gods would likely have the best bodies and be the most at risk of soul possession attacks, so, if the loopholes in the System were deliberately put in, it makes perfect sense they would add several to protect genius cultivators of lower rank from soul possession.”

Isaiah had a look of realization on his face, which was matched by his aura, and Mila again confirmed her assumption that Isaiah was ignorant, not stupid.

There was silence in the group for the next few minutes, but then, in her mind, Mila heard something she’d spent the last three days waiting for. “Mistress, what can I do to please you?”

After continuously using Evil Eyes - Lust on the soul fragment of the Shadow Thief for over 72 hours, it seemed she’d finally charmed it. She’d had to continuously tap into Aalam’s larger reserve of psyforce and she’d been beginning to wonder if it was worth it, but Nana Xara had designed the cage to only allow the fragment to be able to talk to her once it was fully charmed. And Nana Xara had been one of the foremost experts in the aspect of souls in the entire universe, so it was very unlikely the full soul of a C rank would be able to play any tricks, let alone a fragment.

“Where can I find the better treasures you stole during your lifetime? Your warehouse only seems to have normal treasures.”

“There are three separate secret rooms in the inheritance.” The soul fragment almost sounded like it was breathing hard. “One holds higher grade materials and artifacts, the entrance on the roof of the inheritance’s main room, where my orb was located. One holds the skill orbs and information orbs I found more valuable and is located behind a wall in the third largest room in the warehouse. Then, finally, the most valuable treasures, and any natural items I deemed worthy of preserving, are located inside my personal spatial storage ring and time sealed by a Temporal Pedestal in a small room behind a wall in the largest room of the warehouse. All three rooms are sealed by powerful obfuscation formations and are locked by relatively simple runes. The password runes are…”

Mila was able to confirm the third rune was exactly the rune Aalam had used to get into the third secret room and then she asked about any other defenses, the soul fragment giving her the instructions for unlocking her spatial storage ring.

“Okay.” Mila then said out loud, Isaiah and Aalam both looking at her. “There are two other secret rooms we hadn’t found. Let’s go check them out before unlocking that ring.”

The two men both got big grins on their faces, and Isaiah even abandoned the meal he was cooking for himself as all three of them ran back to the inheritance.

The first secret room they entered was the one with the entrance on the ceiling of the inheritance’s main room, all three of them flying up to the ceiling with Telekinesis or, in Isaiah’s case, Storm Steps. Given the right location, Aalam’s sensory skills allowed him to see the section of Phase Stone and, already knowing the rune to get through, it took Aalam only a minute or so to verify the rune was correct with the seal he was seeing and then a few seconds more to draw it.

They rose up through the phase stone and found themselves in another room about the size of the main chamber, and it was filled with shelves of materials and artifacts all at least at the Legendary grade, though it was far less full than other parts of the inheritance.

Nana Xara described each item to Mila and she in turn gave that information to Aalam and Isaiah, both of whom seemed to find the experience far more impressive than Mila did.

There were only thirteen artifacts total in the room, including one giant evil-looking altar, but mostly they were weapons, yet none were spears and only one could be used at F rank. It was a Legendary grade sword which consisted of just a handle which could emit a blade of condensed fire and light, kind of like a lightsaber. Neither Mila or Isaiah could use the weapon, as it required fire, light, and space element Law Eggs, and Aalam seemed more interested in taking it apart and learning how it worked than actually using it as a weapon, as its cutting power seemed less than the Epic grade bastard sword he’d been training with.

Other than the Condensed Flame Blade, the room held absolutely nothing they could use during F rank, which was the main thing Mila was focused on, but the materials were more abundant than the artifacts and there were quite a few Heroic and even Fabled grade materials for making E rank artifacts, as well as more than half the materials Aalam would require to upgrade the Left Hand of the Runescribe to E rank, which would save them quite a bit of time and effort.

Aalam began asking Isaiah what he wanted in a spear as they went back down through the Phase Stone section of the floor and Isaiah’s expression lit up like a Christmas tree as he began describing his powers and what he needed from a permanent weapon.

While Aalam was getting Isaiah’s information the old fashioned way, Mila instead just took another look at Isaiah’s status, which she could access as Aalam’s chamberlain.

Name: Isaiah Gale

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Level: 12

Race: War Dragon Hybrid (F-Legendary)

Bloodline: Phantom Wolf (Fabled)

Abilities

Iron Skin (Epic)

Silver Body (Legendary)

Active Daoist (Legendary)

Troll Heart (Legendary)

Class: Rapid Spear Guardian (F-Legendary)

Skills

Storm Steps (F-Legendary) 92% mastered

Power Attack (F-Legendary) 88% mastered

Guardian (F-Legendary) 83% mastered

Kinetic Senses (F-Legendary) 93% mastered

Dragon Drive (F-Epic) 100% mastered

Laws

Law Larvae:

Storm Speed - Early

Iron Defense - Early

Blazing Destruction - Early

Stats

Strength: 593 (+37.5% + 25% when holding a spear)

Agility: 769 (+62.5% + 25% when holding a spear)

Endurance: 449 (+0% + 25% when holding a spear)

Toughness: 601 (+37.5% + 25% when holding a spear)

Vitality: 473 (+6.25% + 25% when holding a spear)

Perception: 585 (+200% + 25% when holding a spear)

Magic: 375 (+0%)

Spirit: 307 (+0%)

Soul: 279 (+6.25%)

Aura: 28 (+0%)

Attunement: 27 (+6.25%)

Luck: 13 (+0%)

Free Stats: 0

Soulstructures:

Lower Dantian: 1 Colossal Core Container

Middle Dantian: 4 Large + 2 Huge Mana Wells

Upper Dantian: 1 Large Mental Forge

Uniqueness:

Perception Prince

Boons:

Personal Servant of the Heavenly Spark Soul King: Increase the effectiveness of the Soul and Attunement stats by 6.25% and raise affinity with all Laws by 12.5%.

It was rather telling he had no wealth whatsoever, but Isaiah was truly a natural born talent. His Core Container was one size larger than hers and Aalam’s; his Mana Wells, while not as numerous, were also a size bigger; and his Mental Forge was only one size smaller. Then there was his uniqueness, which she could only see on his status because he had intentionally revealed it to her, which was at the same grade as both of hers. While it didn’t provide any additional benefits like protection from divination or the opening of a metaphysical third eye, it tripled his effective Perception stat, and that was far more practical.

It was his race, bloodline, and racial abilities, however, which were truly impressive.

War Dragon Hybrid (F-Legendary)

The offspring of a human and a war dragon or the offspring of a human and a half dragon who has started on the path to slaughter

Racial Abilities: 4

No limits, but a higher chance for abilities which raise the effectiveness of physical stats

Max stats:

Strength: 4032

Agility: 4032

Endurance: 4032

Toughness: 4032

Vitality: 4032

Perception: 4032

Magic: 2592

Spirit: 2592

Soul: 2592

Aura: 2592

Attunement: 3456

Luck: 3456

Stat Growth Per Level:

Strength: 9

Agility: 9

Endurance: 9

Toughness: 9

Vitality: 9

Perception: 9

Magic: 6

Spirit: 6

Soul: 6

Aura: 0

Attunement: 0

Luck: 0

Advancement Criteria:

Kill 144 cultivators of your own level along with 1 cultivator of a level higher within 1 hour

Requirements:

???

He’d naturally been born with a Legendary grade race, and he hadn’t advanced its grade when raising it to F rank, but it was a truly powerful race for a warrior, and it was all thanks to his father. His bloodline, however, he’d inherited from his mother.

Phantom Wolf (Fabled)

Awe inspiring speed, devastating attack

Effects:

Increase Strength stat effectiveness by 25%

Increase Agility stat effectiveness by 25%

The flow of qi is faster with better burst potential

Strength +6 per level, Scalable

Agility +8 per level, Scalable

Perception +6 per level, Scalable

Spirit +3 per level, Scalable

Unlike her or Aalam’s bloodlines, it didn’t provide a unique ability, but it made Isaiah faster and stronger and the increased stats at each level would continue at the same rate at least until he hit B rank, scaling to give extra stats at each higher rank, and this was quite rare.

It was his racial abilities, however, which Mila was particularly jealous of, as she didn’t have a single racial ability which increased the effectiveness of any of her stats.

Iron Skin (Epic): Increase the effectiveness of the Toughness stat by 12.5%.

Silver Body (Legendary): Increase the effectiveness of the Strength and Agility stats by 12.5% and the Vitality stat by 6.25%.

Active Daoist (Legendary): Gain insights into Laws more easily through combat, but less easily through meditation.

Troll Heart (Legendary): Qi is passively drained whenever injured to boost the healing of injuries.

Silver Body especially was a quarter grade higher than most racial abilities, which Nana Xara described as incredibly rare, while Troll Heart was from one of the three most sought after racial ability lines for warriors in the universe.

Finally, Isaiah’s class, unlike either of hers or Aalam’s, was all about battle.

Rapid Spear Guardian (F-Legendary)

You move fast, stab fast, and have the toughness of steel

Effects:

Increase the effectiveness of the Agility and Toughness stats by 25%

Increase all physical stats by 25% when wielding a spear

Skill slots:

6

May not learn skills of the following categories:

Crafting

Psychic

Stat bonuses per level:

Strength: 16

Agility: 24

Endurance: 16

Toughness: 24

Vitality: 16

Perception: 24

Magic: 8

Spirit: 8

Soul: 8

Aura: 0

Attunement: 0

Luck: 0

Requirements:

2 high grade Law Eggs on the paths of Speed and Defense, the Storm Steps (G-Epic) skill, the Guardian (G-Epic) skill, an Epic grade or higher Weapon skill, Agility greater than 72, Toughness greater than 72, has spent an average of 94 minutes or more training with the spear every day of his life

“Nana Xara,” Mila sent as they approached the location of the second secret room and Aalam started the process of unlocking it, “in your opinion, what would be the best possible last skill for Isaiah? I’m sure you have a thought.”

“If he continues working with you and Aalam, probably a Legendary grade Knight skill. If what the War Dragon King was after when he killed the Shadow Thief is what I hope, and you allow Isaiah to use it, the Knight skill would open up a very powerful class line while also allowing both you and Aalam to communicate with Isaiah telepathically from afar.

“Were he not working with you, however, I’d probably suggest a passive skill to help him control his destruction Law. Those are usually more trouble than they are worth and he probably would have killed himself already without his Troll Heart racial ability.”

Aalam opened the second room and all three of them went inside.