Chapter 30: | Aspiration Under the Sun
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The sun shone brightly overhead, the wind whispering through the trees as the rustling of leaves mingled with the steady rhythm of boots pounding the earth.
Footsteps of hundreds of mercenaries echoed across the trail, a caravan of steel and chatter winding through the forest path.
Teenagers clustered together, laughing and chatting among their groups, while older mercenaries trudged silently, grumbling about life and aching joints.
The caravan buzzed with noise and motion, hired to escort unknown goods from the County of Seth to Radiant Harbor.
No one knew the contents of the wagons, and no one asked.
Mercenaries were paid to protect, not pry.
It had been days.
We'd traveled thousands of miles, across treacherous forests, arid deserts, and then forests again.
We'd faced bandits, fended off monsters, and survived ambushes.
But today was strangely calm.
No attacks.
No danger.
Just a breeze and a quiet road.
This was the Western Continent, an unfathomably vast land stretching millions of miles.
And I, Jack, was just a boy chasing a dream.
I aspired to become a great Sun Holder.
That's why I joined the Red Wolf Mercenary Group.
Not as a fighter, no, I was just a porter for now, but through this group, I could reach Radiant Harbor safely, and from there, chase greater ambitions.
The land we lived in was ruled by a single emperor and countless vassal states, each managing millions of citizens.
I admired the Emperor, the god of our continent.
A man who singlehandedly conquered and unified the Western Continent through the terrifying might of his Ascension Skill.
Ascension X, 10 Star, Tier 10.
And a skill that had evolved ten times.
Its name.
Miniature Sun.
I couldn't even begin to imagine the power it held.
Rumor had it that the skill alone could annihilate everything within hundreds of thousands of miles.
A single attack capable of turning a region into a wasteland.
Because of that terrifying might, His Highness Surya reigned unchallenged.
He was more than a ruler, he was divinity incarnate.
There were currently only nine Sun Holders in the entire continent, nine pillars who guarded strategic points against internal unrest and external threats.
One of them was stationed near this very region, guarding the forbidden mountain range.
The locals called it the Great Mountain Range.
Legends whispered of an ancient dragon champion that slumbered there, unchallenged, undefeated, waiting.
As I mused on all this, a rough voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Jack! Stop dawdling and help unload the cargo!"
I turned and saw James, a burly mercenary, fellow member of Red Wolf, and one of my closest friends, waving at me impatiently.
A burly black man grinned, he approached and slapped my shoulder, inspecting it like a proud trainer.
"Good! Looks like you're actually exercising that twig of a body."
It was tan, he flexed, then picked up a crate with ease, grinning like a fool.
I sighed.
These lunatics knew how dangerous this life was, yet they pursued it with the zeal of madmen, driven by power, pride, or dreams.
Still, I grunted as I bent down and hoisted a heavy crate.
"Damn, this one's heavy… I wonder what's inside."
James leaned closer, whispering with a mischievous smirk.
"Maybe it's gold. Maybe we should steal a bit for ourselves."
I glared at him and raised a hand, shaking my head.
"Do you have a death wish? If we get caught, we're not just getting jailed. We'll be tortured. And worse, we'd be putting our families at risk."
James rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if weighing the risk against some imaginary reward.
Then, with a dramatic stomp, he lifted another crate and shouted with mock seriousness.
"Last one to the manor calls the winner Master!"
He broke into a sprint, laughing like a child.
I groaned and stepped quickly along the pebbled road, trying not to smile.
"James and his damn games… Wait for me!"
---
Days passed like a breeze before I finally awakened from a deep slumber.
My form had grown stronger, new mutations had taken root across my body, but I didn't pay them much mind.
In the end, they would become raw material for my next fusion.
Nothing more.
Then there was Liora.
I had caught a glimpse of her earlier, moaning quietly, clearly caught up in… whatever girlish ritual she had going on.
I didn't care.
I had more pressing matters to deal with, especially the fact that I was lost… and starving.
I silently glided through the water, aimless and tired, when Liora suddenly leapt onto my back like nothing had happened.
"Hey, did you see me earlier?"
She asked with a mischievous tone.
I gave a subtle nod, unsure what she expected.
She just smirked and waved off the gesture.
"Well, what could a child possibly understand? And even if you've got the mind of an adult… I don't see the problem. What's a little performance in front of a monkey?"
Then she laughed and sprawled across my back, lounging without a care in the world.
What the hell is happening right now?
Why is she so… insatiable lately?
Is it her cycle?
Elara did explain how those things work, and it shouldn't be that.
Maybe she's just… naturally like this?
Horny but not thirsty?
The silence thickened.
The only sounds were the gentle parting of water as I drifted, and the rhythmic swaying of flora across the cavern walls.
That's when I sensed them, Stage 1 monsters.
Strong to most, but to me?
Insignificant.
I ignored them and pressed forward.
My thoughts wandered back to the eel.
That lightning attack, was it an Ascension Skill?
I couldn't determine its exact stage, but it had to be one.
That eel was something else.
If I compared it to Vinley… physically, sure, it was weaker.
But in terms of sheer destructive power?
The eel reigned supreme.
This isn't favoritism for lightning, it's a fact.
How could I almost die while Blooming Colossus Bastion was active?
It nearly cornered me with nothing but combat IQ and skill synergy.
I only survived by pushing my body to its absolute limits, nearly tearing myself apart.
Only my absurd regeneration saved me.
Still… maybe I'm being conceited.
If I fought it again, in my current state, I might win without nearly dying.
Maybe.
My mana had grown significantly more potent since then.
I should be able to wield it better, launch volleys of projectiles, bombard my enemies with force.
But if it were truly that easy, wouldn't I already be using those spells against the weaklings I'd just passed?
The truth was, my mana pathways were a mess, inefficient, unstable, inconsistent.
I needed to build a better structure.
Something more streamlined.
Maybe I could mimic how I controlled aura in my past life.
But with this body, this fish-like form, it wasn't as straightforward.
I lacked limbs.
Lacked the human frame.
Could I even replicate it?
Only if I were insane enough to risk unknown consequences… the kind that came from reckless experimentation.
Like a child licking a knife.
Then, her image flashed into my mind again.
Liora caught in the act.
Damn it.
Why didn't she at least have the decency to hide?
Now I couldn't scrub the memory from my brain.
First, she walks around with no clothes.
Then, during most fights, she flashes her folds like it's nothing.
And now?
She just casually masturbates in front of me.
Truly, Liora was unhinged.
And I hated her for it.
For heaven's sake, cleanse this filth from my mind.
I am a man of focus.
Of purpose.
I cannot handle this madness.
Heaven bless this poor, tormented soul.
---
Yet another day passed, just like the one before it.
Liora awoke, did the deed, and now?
She shamelessly flashed to me without a second thought.
Every time she did it, I felt like I was ascending to the heavens, and not in a good way.
Damn it, Liora, what did I ever do to deserve this mental torture?
You need to stop.
But I couldn't shout.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't even cover my damn eyes.
I was helpless.
Another hour passed.
Then, again, the sound echoed through the waters.
Wet.
Rhythmic.
Inescapable.
Fuck.
This has to stop.
My tendrils lashed out, wrapping around her limbs to halt her in the act.
Liora pouted, her cute little face twisting into mischief.
"Why are you stopping me?"
She asked.
I shook my head, glaring at her.
Liora simply chuckled, amused.
"Bwahaha! Maybe I've been teasing you a little too much… Alright, alright, I'll stop."
I retracted my tendrils, but of course, a few moments later, she moaned again.
Truly… she was unhinged.
I couldn't escape it.
Couldn't unsee or unhear it.
Her moans, the motions, the scent, it all drilled into my psyche.
Slowly but surely, my mind was corroding.
Or maybe… this was training.
Maybe this was the path to enlightenment.
Resist temptation.
Endure it.
Survive it.
This was my test.
So I listened.
Listened to every breath, every wet shift of her body, the sound of fingers on skin, of warmth battling cold.
And I resisted.
Day by day, my mind strengthened.
This was the fourth day now, and although Liora's routine had only grown more intense, I remained steadfast.
I could finally ignore her.
Finally push the thoughts aside.
In a way, I'd attained something close to nirvana.
And strangely enough… I was grateful.
Grateful for the trial she unknowingly gave me.
A way to train my mind while traversing the frigid abyss.
Perhaps she wasn't doing it out of lust.
Perhaps it was simply her way of resisting the cold.
A survival instinct.
Even with my powerful core and mutated defenses, I still felt the sting of the deep.
Liora, shivering constantly, used every method she could to stay warm.
Feeding on Stage 1 monster corpses.
Warming herself through friction.
Innovative, in a twisted sort of way.
Ahem.
Let's… not dwell on that further.
I turned my focus to what truly mattered.
The fusion table.
I had already lined up every compatible skill, calculated every possibility, and arranged them neatly.
The time had come.
A smile crept across my face as I hovered over the confirmation icon.
And then, I confirmed.
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[Would you like to combine these skills?]
• † Fleeting Aegis + † Glide-Fin Mutation
• † Glide-Fin Mutation + † Fleeting Aegis
• † Boulder Crush + † Boulder Rush
• † Lightning Horn + † Arclight Horns
• † Grasp of the Matron + † Tentacular Conduit
• † Compound Perception + † Predator Lens
• † Stonehide Aegis + † Spined Bloom Growths
• † Voltage Dive + † Coiling Ambush
[Yes / No]
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