Chapter 103 - We May Not Be Ready … But Who Decided That?
Katya pressed the [Y] button without hesitation, and immediately, a cascade of windows and menus burst into view on the shop’s interface. Adam instinctively leaned forward, his usual habit kicking in as he attempted to read through every option aloud, processing the information as quickly as he could.
However, before he could even get past the first line, Katya did something that caught everyone off guard. With a simple motion, she spread her fingers apart over one of the floating panels as if she were zooming in on a smartphone, and to everyone’s astonishment, the small screen expanded into a massive, semi-transparent display hovering in the air. The entire interface had been stretched out, floating weightlessly like a massive digital billboard visible to all.
Adam’s mouth hung slightly open as he stared at the newly enlarged display. He blinked a few times, turning toward Li, whose expression mirrored his own shock.
“We could do that?”
Adam finally blurted out, his voice laced with disbelief. Li met his gaze and shrugged, his expression just as perplexed.
“I had no idea.”
He admitted, sounding almost frustrated at the revelation.
Now that the information was clearly displayed, everyone took a moment to examine what was in front of them. The massive screen was filled with several selectable options, each seemingly offering a different function:
[Welcome to the Advanced and Online Functionalities of the Shop!] [Please select what you’d like to explore] [Enter the "Trade Nexus" (Locked)] [Leaderboards] [Current Events] [Nexus News (Locked)] [Merit Merge]
For a moment, no one spoke. The sheer volume of new information had caught everyone off guard. Katya, however, let out a small sigh, already realizing that her original plan had just gone up in smoke. It took her a second to gather her thoughts before she finally spoke.
“Alright, listen up. I’ll explain what these are.”
She began, her voice carrying an air of familiarity as if she had gone through this explanation before.
“The ‘Trade Nexus’ is basically a neutral zone. It’s a place outside of any scenario where teams from all over can gather, trade, exchange information, buy and sell items—think of it like a massive shopping district where users hang out between missions.”
Before she could continue, Adam interrupted, his brows furrowed as he took a step closer.
“Wait, wait—hold on. You’re telling me there’s an actual… social hub? Inside this damn system? A place where people just… hang out, talk, and do business? After everything we’ve seen? … This system throws us into literal death traps, and you’re saying there’s a shopping mall somewhere where people just casually exist?”
His voice grew sharper with each question, his disbelief palpable. Katya exhaled, clearly expecting this reaction.
“Yeah, kinda bizarre, I know.”
She said, crossing her arms.
“But that’s just how it is. Some people say the ‘Trade Nexus’ was created by a user a long time ago, though no one really knows for sure. That’s just a rumor. What I do know is that I always had access to it from the moment I joined my previous team. I had no idea you guys had to unlock it first.”
She tapped a finger against her elbow in thought.
“That’s why I wanted to check it out—if we could access it, we might’ve been able to ask around and find out something about ‘Dragon Utopia’ or the other team.”
Li frowned at that, his body still visibly tense from the previous conversation.
“And what? Just walk up to someone and ask, ‘Hey, do you know anything about this team we’re up against?’”
He pointed out, his voice edged with skepticism.
“If it’s a place where all users gather, wouldn’t that make it incredibly dangerous?”
Katya gave him an unimpressed look before shaking her head.
“Not really. The ‘Trade Nexus’ has strict rules—no combat, no skills with harmful intent. If you break the rules, you get banned permanently, and trust me, that’s not something most people want to risk. Any fights or disputes happen in the battle arenas, not out in the open.”
Adam held up a hand, stopping her there.
“Okay, okay—save the details for later. It doesn’t matter anyway since we can’t access it yet.”
His tone was firm, cutting off any further discussion about the topic. There was no point dwelling on something they couldn’t even use. Katya clicked her tongue in mild annoyance but relented, stepping back with a small shrug.
“Fine. Maybe there’s another way.”
She muttered before swiftly selecting the next available option. The screen shifted instantly.
[▼Leaderboards] [Current Top 10] [Members of the following teams have an x10 multiplier to points earned.] [The members of the teams in the Top 3 have a special multiplier.] 1) Zenith x100 2) Aeternum Exilium x50 3) Hunt3rs x30 4) Chevaliers de la Mort Unis x10 5) Ctrl+Alt+Die x10 6) Sombra de la Muerte x10 7) RIP? Not in Our Vocabulary x10 8) Pandemonium’s Elite x10 9) Cryptic Covenant x10 10) Noob Reapers x10
The moment the names appeared on the screen, a suffocating silence filled the room. Li’s eyes locked onto the list, his expression darkening instantly.
A slow, quiet exhale left his lips, but there was no shock or surprise in his reaction—just something cold, something bitter. His fingers clenched at his sides as he muttered, voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying a weight heavy enough to silence even the most energetic among them.
“Hunt3rs.”
It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t an exclamation. It was a statement, a confirmation of something he had long feared but expected. His eyes remained glued to the third name on the leaderboard, unblinking.
“Of course they’re still here…”
He said, voice hollow. Kazue, who had initially leaned forward with excitement at seeing the leaderboard, had her enthusiasm quickly drained. She swallowed, her gaze flickering over the list with far less energy than before.
“So… those guys from your story, they—”
She hesitated, as if hoping for a different answer.
“They never stopped.”
Li interrupted, his voice carrying an edge of finality. His words were laced with something unreadable—anger, fear, perhaps even disgust. His grip tightened for a moment before he let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable.
The weight of his words settled over the group like an iron chain, but it was Katya who broke the silence.
“Huh. But sadly ‘Dragon Utopia’ isn’t here.”
She noted with something close to disappointment. Adam turned his head sharply toward her, incredulous.
“And that’s sad to you!?”
His tone was somewhere between baffled and irritated.
“I’d say that’s probably the first good news we’ve gotten since we started looking at this.”
Katya smirked slightly but shook her head.
“Not necessarily.”
She countered, her voice as casual as ever.
“If they were ranked, at least we’d know how strong they were. The fact that they’re not means we have no idea where they stand.”
Adam frowned, considering her words.
“How many teams are there, exactly?”
He asked, suddenly realizing a glaring issue.
“How many are we even competing against?”
Katya hummed in thought before shrugging.
“No clue. But definitely more than a hundred.”
A collective chill ran through the room. No one said anything for a moment, but the realization settled deep into each of them. More than a hundred teams—dozens, maybe even hundreds, of people like them, fighting, surviving, dying.
The leaderboards only showed the top ten. What about the rest? What about the teams that didn’t even come close to ranking? Were they just stepping stones for those at the top?
Kazue swallowed, shifting uncomfortably.
“That’s… a lot of teams.”
She murmured, the number sinking in. Gregor let out a deep breath, rubbing his chin.
“And we don’t even know where we stand among them.”
Chloe exhaled shakily, gripping her arm.
“We could be near the very bottom.”
She whispered, her voice barely above a breath. Drake crossed his arms, his expression serious.
“And there are teams stronger than ‘Hunt3rs’.”
The implication was terrifying.
Kurayami let out a low growl, his ears flicking as if sensing the unease in the group.
Adam ran a hand down his face, his mind racing. Hunt3rs was still active. That meant they were still slaughtering their way through scenarios, still earning points at an absurd rate. And worse, there were two teams even stronger than them.
Katya remained unbothered by the growing tension, as if the terrifying reality of the rankings didn’t faze her in the slightest. She glanced at Adam, then at the rest of the group, her sharp eyes scanning their reactions before she let out an exaggerated sigh, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the weight of their collective anxiety.
Without missing a beat, she turned her attention back to the glowing interface, dismissing the leaderboard and moving on to the next section. The holographic display shifted, revealing a new set of options before them.
[▼Current Events] [Treasure Hunt (Time remaining: 3 days) (Locked)] [x2 Bonus for User Kills (Active)] [Castle Defense Tournament (Time remaining: 14 days) (Locked)] [Novice Offer: Free ‘Ability Booster x1’]
Katya scanned the options quickly before explaining in a matter-of-fact tone.
"The system rotates events from time to time. Teams can opt-in if they want, and their next scenario will automatically be part of whatever event they’ve chosen."
She paused for a moment, tapping her chin.
"There are a lot of restrictions, though. I’ve never participated in one myself, but I’ve heard that the rewards are insane—items, skills, plot devices, things you’d never find anywhere else. So yeah, strong teams keep getting stronger. The system outright encourages players to kill each other."
She gestured toward the ongoing ‘x2 Bonus for User Kills’ event.
"Like this one. This is exactly why we can’t assume that even the third team in our collab will be safe to work with. This kind of bonus makes it too tempting for anyone to turn on their so-called allies. Why let someone walk away when killing them is worth twice as much?"
The room remained silent for a few moments as the weight of her words sank in. A bonus that literally rewarded killing other players wasn’t just a passive encouragement—it was a death sentence for anyone who wasn’t strong enough to fight back.
Emir, still hesitant about speaking up, hesitated for a moment before asking in a small voice.
"And… what about the last one? The ‘Novice Offer’?"
Katya blinked, then let out a small chuckle, running a hand through her hair.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that one since it doesn’t apply to me."
Without a second thought, she selected the option. The moment she did, a bright beam of light shot out from the screen, splitting into multiple streams that rushed toward the group. The golden energy struck each of them except for Katya and Li, seeping into their bodies before dissipating like mist.
Without warning, a series of bright system windows materialized in front of Adam, Kazue, Drake, Chloe, Sebastian, Gregor, and Emir, their translucent screens casting a faint glow over their faces.
[Notice: The effect of ‘Ability Booster’ is now active] [All your skills will be boosted for the next scenario]
For a moment, silence. Then—chaos.
Kazue flinched, her body tensing as she instinctively waved her arms, checking herself for any immediate changes. Her eyes flicked across the screen rapidly before turning to the others, excitement shining through her surprise.
"Wait, what? Did I just level up or something? Are my reflexes faster now? Do I get super strength?!"
She raised her fists as if testing them, then frowned when nothing obvious happened.
Adam, ever the analyst, adjusted his glasses with a furrowed brow, reading over the notice carefully. His fingers tapped against his arm as he processed the implications. "A skill boost, not a stat increase, not a new ability… just an enhancement to what we already have. But how much of a boost? This wording is vague."
He muttered, half to himself before sighing and rubbing his temple. He hated system mechanics he couldn’t quantify.
Drake, on the other hand, flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders as if expecting some kind of immediate difference. He exhaled slowly, then smirked.
"Huh. That was weird, but not bad. Didn’t feel like anything changed… but maybe we’ll notice it once we’re actually in combat, could be useful."
Gregor simply exhaled through his nose, his gaze locked onto the glowing text before him. His arms remained crossed, his expression unreadable as he let out a low grunt.
"No idea what this actually does, but I hope it’s worth something."
Sebastian, standing slightly apart from the group, examined his hands curiously before smoothing down his sleeves.
"A most peculiar sensation."
He murmured, his tone contemplative.
"It does not seem to manifest in any immediate way… perhaps a passive reinforcement? If so, its true benefits may only reveal themselves in action."
Chloe, who had been tense from the moment the light had struck them, eyed the notification warily before crossing her arms, looking visibly unsettled.
"I… really don’t like random system effects just hitting me out of nowhere."
She mumbled, her fingers tapping against her sleeve.
"It’s like someone injecting you with something and telling you to figure out what it does."
Meanwhile, Emir, the youngest of them, hesitated before glancing down at his arms, half-expecting some visible reaction. He turned his hands over, flexing his fingers experimentally, but when nothing changed, he let out a small breath of relief.
"I guess… this is good, right?"
His voice was quiet, uncertain, as he looked toward the others for confirmation.
Katya, however, was staring at them, her brows furrowed in clear confusion. Her gaze flicked between the glowing system notices and the group in front of her, her arms slowly crossing over her chest.
"Wait…"
She said, voice flat.
"Why did all of you get that? This is a novice offer. You’re not supposed to qualify."
Kazue, still caught up in her own excitement, tilted her head.
"Uh… okay, but what even counts as a novice?"
For the first time in a while, Katya’s expression softened, and she reached out to gently ruffle Kazue’s hair with an almost affectionate chuckle.
"A novice is a user who’s only completed three scenarios or less."
She explained, smirking slightly as if amused by the sheer absurdity of Kazue asking such an obvious question… A heavy silence fell over the group.
Kazue, Adam, and Drake exchanged glances before Drake let out a small, awkward laugh. He scratched the back of his head, shifting on his feet.
"Ah… yeah. About that."
He said, dragging out the words as if hoping they’d somehow soften the impact of what he was about to say.
"Turns out… the last scenario we did was our third one."
Katya’s entire body stiffened and her smile vanished. She stared at them, unblinking, for a solid three seconds before her expression twisted into pure exasperation.
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"What?!"
Her gaze darted from Adam to Kazue to Drake, her eyes narrowing in absolute disbelief.
"Three!? You’ve only done three scenarios?"
She repeated, her voice rising slightly, as if she couldn’t quite comprehend what she was hearing. Adam, maintaining his usual composed demeanor, adjusted his glasses and nodded.
"Technically, yes, this will be our fourth."
He confirmed in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. Katya opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. She seemed completely at a loss for words for the first time since they had met her. She blinked rapidly, processing, before finally managing to force something out.
"Are you kidding me?"
Her voice was incredulous, her fingers twitching as if she wanted to physically shake them.
"How the hell did you get this far in just three scenarios?! What kind of insane, bullshit luck—"
She stopped herself, dragging a hand down her face in frustration.
"You’re telling me, that in three scenarios, just three, you’ve already gotten strong enough to be in a collab with an advanced team?! You—do you even realize how impossible that is?! No one gets here this fast!"
Her reaction was so genuine, so utterly baffled, that even Li—who had been silent and brooding for most of the conversation—let out a quiet, amused scoff under his breath.
Kazue, undeterred by Katya’s outrage, simply grinned, flashing a peace sign.
"Guess we’re just built differently!"
She chirped. However, Katya let out a sharp breath, rubbing her temples as she took a step back, her fingers twitching in frustration before she turned to face them again. But this time, she wasn’t just exasperated—she looked genuinely concerned.
"This isn’t funny. This is not a good thing at all."
She said, her voice carrying a rare edge of seriousness.
Her eyes locked onto Adam, then flicked to Kazue and Drake, as if making sure they were actually listening.
"Do you realize what this means? If you guys have only gone through three scenarios but already got matched into a three-way collab, that means the system isn’t ranking you like normal. And that’s bad."
Adam’s brows furrowed slightly.
"Elaborate, please."
He said, crossing his arms. Katya exhaled, her arms folding over her chest as she explained.
"As far as I know, the way collab team matching works isn’t just about raw points or survival rates—it’s about growth speed and average potential rank. The system pairs teams that show similar progression trends. Meaning, if the team is here after only three scenarios, that means the system thinks you're on the same level as teams that have been at this for far longer. Teams that have survived dozens of scenarios, if not more."
A heavy silence settled over the group as her words sank in.
"Wait, hold on—"
Kazue frowned, shifting on her feet.
"Are you saying even the third team—"
"Could be way stronger than us, yes. And that’s a huge problem."
Katya finished bluntly. Drake, who had been listening quietly, let out a low whistle.
"So what you’re saying is, our rank doesn’t actually represent our strength, it’s just an estimate based on how fast we’ve been improving."
He mused, his gaze darkening slightly.
"Exactly, and that’s horrible. It means we now have literally zero idea what we’re up against. We can’t even rely on the idea that at least one team will be weaker than us."
Katya exhaled sharply, rubbing the bridge of her nose, her words hanging over the group like an oppressive weight. The lighthearted atmosphere had been completely drained, replaced with an almost suffocating heaviness.
Adam could feel it pressing down on him, an invisible force squeezing his chest, as if daring him to acknowledge the truth he had been trying to ignore. The reality of the situation was sinking in fast, and it was far from reassuring. Katya might not have known the exact parameters of the system’s matchmaking, but if her theory was correct, then their team was in far greater danger than they had initially thought.
If the system matched teams based on growth speed and overall potential, rather than just pure strength, then it meant that their absurd progress was painting a giant target on their backs. The parameters might say they were somewhere in the middle, but the system might have placed them against teams who had already outgrown them long before they had even started.
The implications of that realization settled like a stone in Adam’s stomach. His fingers curled slightly as he processed the thought, his mind racing through every possible scenario, trying to find a loophole, an angle, something that would allow them to prepare before they were thrown into the battlefield.
The problem was, they had no way of knowing who they were up against. ‘Dragon Utopia’ was stronger than them—that much was confirmed—but that didn’t mean the third team was weak either. In fact, if Katya’s assumptions were right, then there was a very real chance that even the so-called weakest team in their match-up was still stronger than them.
A low, frustrated exhale escaped him as his thoughts spiraled further into the abyss of uncertainty. They didn’t know anything. They had no information on their opponents, no clear understanding of what they were about to face, and worst of all, no way to influence their own placement.
Everything about this collab was out of their control, and that fact alone made his skin crawl. He had spent too much time letting things happen to him, too much time reacting to the chaos around him instead of trying to get ahead of it. He had let himself be dragged into situations over and over again, forced to deal with things as they came rather than setting the pace himself. The battle with Lord Varek had been a mess, barely won through a combination of quick thinking, sheer stubbornness, and luck. And luck was not something he was willing to rely on again.
His breath was slow, controlled, but beneath the surface, the frustration churned, burning against his ribs like embers waiting to ignite. His mind flickered back to the last scenario, to the moment where everything had spiraled out of control—Nikolai’s sacrifice, the desperate struggle just to stay alive, the sheer helplessness of being unable to stop what was happening right in front of him.
He had made a decision back then, a promise to himself that he would never allow something like that to happen again… And that meant doing something.
Without hesitating, he raised both hands and slapped his cheeks—hard enough to sting, hard enough to jolt himself out of his downward spiral. He inhaled sharply, pushing the suffocating weight of doubt and fear out of his system, forcing his mind to focus. The sharp noise startled the others, their gazes snapping toward him in surprise. He ignored it. His hands lowered, his fingers clenched into fists at his sides, his stance steady.
“That’s enough.”
His voice was clear, and firm, cutting through the silence like a blade. The weight in the room shifted.
He turned his gaze across the group, letting his eyes linger on each of them. Some were still caught in their own unease—Li, in particular, looked paler than before, his body visibly tense, his mind clearly trapped in memories of the past.
Chloe had her arms wrapped around herself, her expression hesitant, uncertain. Gregor and Sebastian were unreadable, their postures controlled but not unaffected. Even Kazue, usually so energetic, seemed far less animated than before. It was as if the very mention of Li’s past had planted a seed of doubt into all of them, threatening to grow into something that could break them before the scenario even began.
Adam refused to let that happen.
“The situation is what it is, we’re going into this collab no matter what. We don’t have the option to back out, we don’t have the option to pick different opponents, and we don’t have the luxury of knowing what we’re up against. Complaining about it, worrying about it, getting angry over it—none of that is going to change anything.”
he said while taking a step forward, his hands unclenching as he let out a slow exhale.
“So instead of wasting time panicking over what we don’t know, let’s focus on what we do know. We do know that we’re strong. We do know that we’ve improved. And we do know that we have time before the collab starts. So let’s use it. Properly.”
He didn’t wait for objections.
“Last time we trained individually, but that’s not going to be enough this time. We need to train as a team. We need to refine what we already have and buy what might boost us all, make sure that when we step into that scenario, we know exactly how to work together, how to cover for each other’s weaknesses, how to maximize each other’s strengths.”
His gaze sharpened, determination burning behind his eyes.
“That starts now.”
For a moment, no one spoke, but then, slowly, something shifted.
Kazue was the first to react, a small, almost hesitant smile creeping onto her face. She gave him a thumbs-up, her usual energy flickering back into place.
“I like the sound of that.”
She admitted. Drake chuckled under his breath, crossing his arms.
“Well, when you put it like that, guess we don’t really have much of a choice, huh?”
Li didn’t say anything, but his fists slowly unclenched. Adam gave a firm nod.
“First things first—please show me your status windows. All of you.”
One by one, the group complied. Transparent blue screens flickered into existence before each of them, illuminating their faces with soft light. Adam’s eyes flicked across them, scanning over the details—abilities, stats, recent rewards—taking in every piece of information he could.
Kazue's Stats:
⌠Name: Kazue Rima⌡ ⌠Age: 19⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank E⌡ ⌠Points: 5500⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank C x2⌡, ⌠Merit Rank B x2⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Prodigious Rookie⌡, ⌠The one with many soulmates⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Heavenly Demon Breathing Technique Lv1 ⌠Elemental Skills:⌡ ⌠Thunder Piercing Hand Lv3⌡, ⌠Enhanced Thunder Piercing Hand Lv3⌡, ⌠Electric Resistance Lv3⌡, ⌠Burn the Witch! Lv2⌡, ⌠Electric Ki Generation Lv6⌡, ⌠Elemental Affinity (Passive) Lv1⌡ ⌠Miscellaneous Skills:⌡ ⌠Soulbond Lv2 (with user Katya Nakamura)⌡, ⌠Synchrony Lv?⌡ ⌠Locked Skills:⌡ ⌠Imperial Ki - Dragon Ascension Lv10⌡, ⌠Heavenly Daoist Lv10⌡ ⌠Summoning Skills:⌡ Soul Pact: Voidshadow Abyssal Tiger - Rank B ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Enhanced Steamgear Knuckle - Rank D⌡ ⌠Atomclad Fist - Rank B⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡
Drake's Stats:
⌠Name: Drake Shaw⌡ ⌠Age: 24⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank B⌡ ⌠Points: 8680⌡ ⌠Potential: B⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank B x2⌡, ⌠Merit Rank A x2⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Heavenly talented Rookie⌡, ⌠Otherworldly Fanbase⌡, ⌠Foundations of an Immortal Body⌡, ⌠Bearer of a Treasure That Shapes the World’s Destiny⌡, ⌠Moderator Role⌡, ⌠Immortal Emperor descendant⌡,⌠Savior of Murim⌡, ⌠He who succeeds in the impossible⌡, ⌠Eldritch Slayer⌡, ⌠Lucky Cheater⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Class: Cultivator - Rank A+⌡ ⌠Class Skills:⌡ ⌠Heavenly Wind Step Lv2⌡, ⌠Iron Body Manifestation Lv2⌡, ⌠Silent Blade Technique Lv2⌡, ⌠Soulfire Meditation Lv2⌡, ⌠Lesser Imperial Ki Lv2⌡, ⌠Harmonious Energy Pulse Lv2⌡, ⌠Lesser Spirit Sword Manifestation Lv2⌡, ⌠Lesser Pill Creation Lv2⌡ ⌠Summoning Skills:⌡
Soul Pact: Eclipsed Vermilion Dracling - Rank B
Soul Pact: Voidborn Basilisk Hatchling- Rank B
Soul Pact: Obsidian Young Monkey - Rank B
Soul Pact: Auroral Emberling Phoenix - Rank B
⌠Racial Traits:⌡ Great Weight Control // Like a Fool // Poison Resistance // Poison Absorption // Single Step // Ki Generation // Heavenly Eyes ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Thaddeus's Railgun Revolver - Rank B⌡ ⌠Lesser Jade Spirit Sword - Rank D⌡ ⌠Martial Arts Outfit (Fancy Suit) - Rank E⌡ ⌠Dimensional Pocket Watch - Rank D⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡ ⌠Plot Devices:⌡ ⌠UR-rank Plot Device: Emergency Exit⌡
Li's Status:
⌠Name: Li Xie Jie⌡ ⌠Age: 36⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank E⌡ ⌠Points: 4650⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank F x2⌡, ⌠Merit Rank B x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Fake Wizard⌡, ⌠Lukewarm Veteran⌡, ⌠I have no Mana, yet I cast spells⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Dual Casting Lv1⌡, ⌠Lesser Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡ ⌠Spellbook Skills:⌡ ⌠Aagasu Winda Lv4⌡, ⌠Ganzu Metalo Lv3⌡, ⌠Physica Naguru Lv3⌡, ⌠Raajia Ignis Lv3⌡, ⌠Doruku Pantser Lv3⌡, ⌠Gigano Laser Lv3⌡, ⌠Begiru Rakketen Lv3⌡, ⌠Robo Bleek Lv3⌡, ⌠Shin Kuria Draak Lv2⌡, ⌠Ki Diaborosu Lv1⌡ ⌠Treasure Skills:⌡ ⌠Lock On Lv1⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Heretic Solar Grimoire (Replica) - Rank B⌡ ⌠Synthetic Eye - Rank B⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡ ⌠Plot Devices:⌡ ⌠SSR-rank Plot Device: Feigning Healthiness⌡
Katya's Status:
⌠Name: Katya Nakamura⌡ ⌠Age: 19⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank E⌡ ⌠Points: 5000⌡ ⌠P.O.I.N.T.S: 17⌡ ⌠Potential: C⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank C x1⌡, ⌠Merit Rank B x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Interdimensional Traveller⌡, ⌠The one touched by misfortune⌡, ⌠PKK User⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Tulpa Manifestation Lv6⌡, ⌠Summoning Augmentation Lv6⌡, ⌠Echo Projection Lv5, ⌠Asura Mode Lv1⌡, ⌠Lesser Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡ ⌠Summoning Skills:⌡ ⌠Incurable Wound Lv5⌡, ⌠Shared Essence Lv4⌡, ⌠Tulpa Shroud Lv6⌡, ⌠Corrupted Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡ ⌠Miscellaneous Skills:⌡ ⌠Soulbond Lv2 (with user Kazue Rima)⌡, ⌠Synchrony Lv?⌡ ⌠Locked Skills:⌡ ⌠Split Personality Lv4⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Tulpa Weaver's Band - Rank C⌡ ⌠Phantom Orb Amulet - Rank C⌡ ⌠Writ of Formless Bonds - Rank D⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡
Sebastian's Status:
⌠Name: Sebastian Rüegg⌡ ⌠Age: 61⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank E⌡ ⌠Points: 5250⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank C x1⌡, ⌠Merit Rank B x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Veteran Antiquarian⌡, ⌠Outstanding Rookie⌡, ⌠Interdimensional Inventor⌡, ⌠The one who hears the soul of machines⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Blessing of the Machine God Lv2⌡, ⌠Death to all Organic Life! Lv2⌡, ⌠Lesser Mechanomancy Lv2⌡, ⌠Ki-Forged Genesis (Aberration) Lv2⌡, ⌠Lesser Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡ ⌠Treasure Skills:⌡ ⌠Mimic Voice Lv3⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Ancient Aviatrix (Falk) - Rank C⌡ ⌠Steamtread Goliath - Rank C⌡ ⌠Portable Electromagnetic Shield - Rank D⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡
Chloe's Status:
⌠Name: Chloe Vanderlyle⌡ ⌠Age: 21⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank F⌡ ⌠Points: 5000⌡ ⌠Potential: E⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank B x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Lesser Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡, ⌠Pure Ki Regeneration Lv1⌡, ⌠Spirit Needle Therapy Lv1⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Ki-Infused Needle Set - Rank E⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡
Gregor's Status
⌠Name: Gregor Novak⌡ ⌠Age: 45⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank E⌡ ⌠Points: 5000⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank C x1⌡ ⌠Merit Rank B x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Outstanding Rookie⌡ ⌠The one who pacts with a Demon⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Lesser Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡, ⌠Lesser Heavenly Yang Meditation Lv1⌡, ⌠Devil Sect Iron Hands Lv1⌡ ⌠Summoning Skills:⌡ Soul Pact: Sealed Demon Ashmedra - Rank C ⌠Treasure Skills:⌡ ⌠Karmic Suppression Barrier Lv3⌡, ⌠Infernal Karma Manifestation Lv3⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Karma Devil Ball - Rank A-⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡
Emir's Status:
⌠Name: Emir Nassar⌡ ⌠Age: 13⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank F⌡ ⌠Points: 5000⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank B x1⌡, ⌠Merit Rank A x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Outstanding Rookie⌡, ⌠Scenario’s Natural Enemy⌡, ⌠The one who managed to trap a Demi-God⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Lesser Void Ki Manifestation Lv1⌡, ⌠Null Essence Wave Lv1⌡, ⌠Void Ki Convergence Lv1⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Interdimensional Containment Cube - Rank A x3⌡ ⌠Filled Interdimensional Containment Cube - Rank A x1⌡ ⌠Gacha Voucher x1⌡
The more he read, the more he realized just how much they had gained in such a short period of time. They weren’t weak. Not even close.
Even the newcomers—Gregor, Emir, and Chloe—had developed at an absurd rate for people who had only completed a single scenario. Adam let his mind process the data, filing away key points for later discussion. There was a lot to go over, a lot of things that needed fine-tuning, but one thing immediately stood out.
They all had a lot of merits saved up.
He frowned slightly. Merits weren’t something they had experimented with much. They had used them sparingly to exchange them for points, but they had never actually explored what they could do with them since the advance option was locked.
He turned to Katya, who had been silent for a moment, and motioned toward the screen.
“What do you know about the ‘Merit Merge’ option?”
Katya frowned slightly.
“Not much. I’ve never used it myself.”
Not exactly reassuring, but not surprising either.
“Then let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
Without hesitation, Adam reached out and tapped the option. Instantly, a new window expanded before them, revealing two sub-options:
[▼Merit Merge] [Merit Enhancement] – Combines merits of the same rank to create higher-tier merits. [Merit Advance Exchange] – Exchange merits for ‘Personal Subplots’ for the user.
Adam's breath hitched for a brief moment as his mind raced to process what he was seeing. If that second option truly functioned the way he suspected, then this wasn’t just some minor benefit or an additional resource—it was something far more significant.
This could be the key to pushing their team past its limits before the collab, an opportunity to gain something personal, something unique, something that could tip the balance in their favor. This wasn’t just an advantage—it was exactly what they needed.