NABC Chapter 444: 'I’m rather greedy.”
Chapter 444: 'I’m rather greedy.”
Chapter 444: “I’m rather greedy.”
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Warning!
External Influence Detected!
Offender Identified! A̸z̸a̴—̸
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A̴g̶r̵i̶v̴a̶ ̴E̴k̸l̷a̸ ̸K̶i̴r̷
. . .
Z̷o̵t̵a̷n̴ ̷F̷e̶l̵k̵a̷
S̶̵̷y̵̶̴s̵̵̷t̵̴̷e̷̷̴m̷̸̸a̷̸̷k̶v̶a̸
. . .
L̸o̷r̶o̴s̵
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Alert!
The Offender Has Withdrawn.
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Warning!
Mind-Immunity Has Been Nullified!
Eye of Symphony is not responding! Reboot Sequence Interrupted!
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The Host's Mind Has Been Damaged!
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Warning!
The Harvester's Soul Is Weakening!
The Host's Soul Is In Peril!
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Fear Resistance has leveled up! 5x
Fear Resistance Has Excelled!
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The Title, Chalice of Wishes, is protecting you!
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Fear Resistance has been corrupted into Arch Madness!
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The Host has died during the Simulation. Confirming the Scenario's End...
Pending Decision... Complete!
Transferring Host.
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Rakna woke up. No sound left his mouth. He let go of everything. In the blink of an eye, his aura filled his view. His spiritual energies escaped his body, unfettered, and combined into a disaster that could and should have erased even himself.
He felt the urge to scream, flee, and tear off his own head all at the same time. It was nothing like pain. It was nothing like fear. It was nowhere near despair. It was worse. Far worse.
"Settle down."
A serene tone reached his ears. As if the voice itself was a spell; Rakna stopped. His rational mind banished away by the madness regained control and repaired itself.
Rakna collapsed on his knees, sweat literally both boiling and freezing on his skin. With dilated pupils, he panted whilst staring at the ground. Little by little, the Lunisolar Blaze, Soul Flames, Star Energy, Spiritual Intent, Mana, Ki, and Aura returned inside.
The therian didn't even dare to move afterward. His brain was still in a state of shock. There was no fear to speak of. He didn't know why; his fear didn't exist anymore.
All that was left was madness. He had looked too deep. His memories were falling apart and then reconstructing themselves repeatedly. They were not even deteriorating; every time the process repeated itself, he felt memories from even before his infancy gain clarity.
He calmed down. But the madness wouldn't go away.
"It is normal."
Rakna snapped his head to the right with a glare. There, in the training room of his house frozen in time, the Sage stood unfazed. He slightly leaned on his cane and gazed back.
"To resist the madness, you naturally have to be afflicted as well," he said. "Do not worry. There is a fine line between madness and sanity. And often, there is no line at all. It will be beneficial to you in the long term."
Rakna gnashed his teeth and looked away from the Sage. His gaze drifted to a pair of silhouettes on the ground and his eyes shook. Without hesitation, he rushed to check on both. Both women were unconscious and similarly in stasis due to the Sage's presence.
"Astraea... Lilith..." He muttered in surprise.
Astraea, he could understand. She was the product of a summoning spell and linked to himself as far as the System cares. But Lilith was pulled out of the Dream. Was it because of the Karmic Link they had established? Tarnished Death had been quick to praise it, after all.
Or was it because he was holding her while channeling his Nephilim Authority?
"...!" As realization struck him, he looked around. There was no damage to be seen anywhere on the walls, floor, or ceiling, but his earlier outburst should have inflicted some. It might even have killed them since they were near.
The therian ultimately turned toward the silent man. "...you saved me from the Dreamer."
"Yes," the Sage responded candidly.
"Did you also restrain me just now? Did you actually stop time?"
"Yes. And no."
"..."
"All I did was use a power you own; control the Reverse Side," the Sage stated. "One day, you will also be able to do this. Even now, you got closer after finishing this Simulation."
The Path Skills. Rakna promptly understood. He had only glanced at the notifications, but it had been enough to read them. "Should I thank you?"
The Sage chuckled light-heartedly at that. "Of course not."
You are exhibiting overwhelming emotions.
Your Sub-Path, Nephilim, is reacting.
Your Title, Chalice of Wishes, is reacting.
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You have obtained a new Ultimate Excelled Skill; Passion of Mammon!
Tenth Tail of The Sage Nephilim [Imperfect] has assimilated Passion of Mammon! Whatever you covet will not escape your grasp. New effects have been added.
You have awakened the Extra Magic; Greed!
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Kaelith let out a chuckle despite herself. "Of course. There's only you to awaken a Sin right in the middle of a conversation," she shook her head sarcastically. "I should have expected it. But... this is not enough, wolfy," she muttered with glowing eyes.
Nine-colored flames erupted from around her and turned into blistering chains, grappling the air itself and transforming the room into a paradoxically cold prison. The constructs shackled the energies within their hold and the very fabric of space.
"The Cager," Rakna huffed smilingly. Without the chains even touching him, he could feel himself being trapped in place. His wings and body's dimensional energies were being wedged. Even his mana was being chained.
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The Spell Craft, Cage of The Nine Flames, is chaining down the World around you!
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The Title, Limitless Traveler, is resisting the effects!
Your skill, Arch Madness, is ignoring a part of the effects!
Your skill, Rift Shuttle, is weakening the effects!
Your skill, Authority of The Law-Breaker, is resisting the effects!
Your skill, Philosopher's Ardent Soul, is weakening the effects!
Your Internal Art, Rippling Ghost of Rupture, is resisting the effects!
Your high proficiency, Mana Rule, is weakening the effects!
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Tenth Tail of The Sage Nephilim is overflowing with Pride and Greed.
The effects have been significantly weakened.
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One after the other, several skills and titles were triggered in response, making the chains grind and tighten. The corners of Kaelith's lips were lifted bitterly. "Seriously, wolfy... I'm not holding back here, you know? You shouldn't even be able to move a single point of mana."
The therian shrugged. "What can I say? I'm that good," he joked and deployed his Stellar Aura. In the blink of an eye, the transmutation copied the signature of Kaelith's magic.
The vixen pursed her lips when she saw her Nine Heavenly Flames appear inside his aura. One part of her wanted to be surprised, but frankly, she almost expected that kind of thing. And with that, he escaped from her Cage even more.
Could she make it stronger? Of course. Could she attack? Of course. Could she stop him? Yes.
Would she do it?
"...you're annoying, wolfy," she pouted.
"Says the one who's casually sitting down while casting this overpowered skill," Rakna retorted.
"I don't want to hear that from you."
"Point taken."
"...don't die," she whispered.
"The Sage already assured me I would."
"Well, I don't trust that shady guy," the vixen scoffed. "And honestly, at this point, I don't think I should trust you either when it comes to your own safety."
"Ouch."
Honestly, Kaelith wanted to tackle him and tag along. If she couldn't stop him, then she could at least stand with him. But she knew her limits. She was stronger than him from a conventional perspective, but he eclipsed her in many other aspects.
There was no way to tell what would happen if she encountered the Dreamer. Unlike him, even if the Outer God didn't try to harm her, she didn't trust herself to be able to come out unscathed of his gaze. She didn't have any last resort insurance like the Sage of the Crystal Mountain either. If she lost herself, all she would achieve is hurt the one she loved instead.
Rakna smiled softly. "I'll be back soon. I would make a promise, but I'm on a really bad streak for that right now," he shot an apologetic glance toward Astraea.
The vixen harrumphed. "Yes. I suggest that you give up on making promises. It's not your thing, wolfy. Somehow, I would feel much more at ease if you didn't make any."
"As you wish," he huffed in amusement and his wings enfolded his body. Silver dust gushed out from the tip of the feathers and created the illusion of a revolving light. "See you later, foxy."
Kaelith watched intently as the feathered cocoon created a glittering aura and 'spun' fast enough to be unrecognizable. Then, in the blink of an eye, it shrunk to nothingness, producing a flash in the shape of a four-pointed star signifying the teleportation's success.
With a sigh, the vixen snapped her fingers and the chains dissipated into embers.
"Are you really fine letting Master go?" A disembodied voice asked right after. Fiora stepped into view out of thin air and stood to the side with a tilted head.
"Hmph," Kaelith stood up, dusting her dress and tails. "Then what? I'm not a shallow woman. It's not right for me to stop him when I already accepted that part of him. That would make me an obstacle in his life. I don't want that. Also..." She scowled at the Qilin. "He knew you were there. If he had given the order, you would have happily suppressed me, wouldn't you?"
"W-well, p-potentially~!" Fiora looked away with a very fake whistle.
"She would have," Oz's voice sounded as he stuck his head out of her shadow. "The second that she found out what was happening down here, she literally tripped on me in her excitement," the elemental wolf revealed with a blank expression.
"B-Boss! Don't tell that to the Madam! She won't like me now!"
"Stop calling me boss..." Oz grumbled and plunged back into her shadow.
"Aah..." Kaelith sighed at the sight. "Wolfy seriously lucked out encountering a fanatic like you..."
"Fanatic is rude," Fiora smiled and placed a hand on her hip and chest. "I am devoted!"
The three girls in the room silently stared at her.
"Right. Anyhow," the vixen turned around. She pulled something from her storage and tossed it to Artemis. The latter caught it and looked at it in confusion; it was a cubic object radiating some strange energy. "That's a Type-R Transpith. Use that on the other girl. It will regrow her arm and most of what she's missing internally."
"Oh? Fascinating technology. Right away," the goddess of the hunt nodded.
"After that, you can take her upstairs. I'll call the others so we can interrogate her together when she wakes up. You don't have to participate, so take care of Astraea afterward."
"Eh?" Artemis exclaimed in confusion. "Interrogation?"
Kaelith smiled sweetly. "To establish ground rules in this house."
Svanya, the ever-so-unnoticed beauty, nodded in understanding. She was impressed. Truly, what she had heard from Gray about her new guildmate was completely right. Without him even here, his girlfriend was already planning the growth of his harem.
"...hm?" She then felt a gaze on her. She looked up and saw Kaelith looking at her. "...?"
The vixen simply 'smiled'.
"Oh..." Svanya realized her intention. She nodded again. "Me too, I see. Truly impressive."
Rakna was unaware that someone had just developed very misguided respect for himself.