Chapter 190 - Unraveling the Truth (1/2)
”Due to the manipulation of an external entity, the skill [Illusion Nullification] of the C-grade Transcendent level has been instantly enhanced to [Undeceiving Sight] of the C-grade Divine level.”
”Due to the manipulation of an external entity, the skill [Undeceiving Sight] has fused with [Unified Soul Control], forming the hybrid skill [Penultimate Veridical Spirit].”
”With the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], all falsehood shall be negated in front of the user.”
”Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the [Spirit Clone] skill has been revealed, its name being [Spirit Imbuement].”
”Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the clone 'Argentum' has been revealed, reverting all of the progress it has made at the Animate existence level.'
”Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the clone 'Argentum' has been revealed, its true existence level being at Normal-grade Pseudo-Animate.”
”What…?” Hearing what the feminine-sounding voice was saying, Aurus was in utter disbelief. ”What do you mean by that…?”
Even though Aurus asked the system what it was saying, the system continued to list down the changes brought by the upgrade of the system's OS in an indifferent manner.
”Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the clone 'Argentum' has been revealed, its true species being Wind Elemental.”
”Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], all clone-related skills have been adapted to the user's Pseudo-Animate body.”
”Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], all illusions cast on the user has been removed.”
”…” Aurus was at a loss for words, a feeling inside him gradually bubbling up as he continued to listen to the feminine-sounding voice of the system. Eventually, the feeling had reached its peak, bursting out of Aurus as he shouted, ”System, what the f.u.c.k do you mean by this?! My clone isn't a real clone?”
Surprisingly, this time, the system responded to Aurus's question, the same feminine-sounding voice resounding within his mind as it replied, ”Indeed, User. Due to some illusions cast by an entity, the system has been fooled into thinking that the user's clone is of the Animate existence level. Not only that, but it also seems that those who have come across the clone have been fooled into thinking this as well.”
”Fooled into thinking?” Aurus could not help but ask, knowing that the skill was given to him by Kevin as he had predicted that Aurus was going to be in danger in the future. He then continued, ”I used up over 5000 FP to cast the [Spirit Clone] skill, and you're telling me that my clone isn't…an…Animate…”
”Wait a second.” After Aurus thought about the premise of the [Spirit Clone] skill Kevin gave him, the more he thought that it was odd. A single stat point of an Animate is equivalent to 100,000 of an Inanimate's, which meant that the cost for creating the clone would be incredibly high right?
With this in mind, he muttered, ”Now that I think about it…it does seem odd. Only using over 5000 FP to craft a clone at the Animate existence level, even though the difference power between the two existence levels is akin to night and day…system, could you bring up the description for [Spirit Clone]…no, wait…[Spirit Imbuement]?”
”As you wish, User,” the system soon acceded to Aurus's request, a slightly corporeal screen appearing in front of his field of vision not long after. Due to the upgrade the system had undergone, a soft voice was reading the words written on the screen while Aurus was skimming through it.
Ding!
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[Spirit Imbuement] (Level 1/2)
Grade: Transcendent (S)
A skill crafted by those well-versed in the art of manipulating spirits and bodies as a way to replace the normal creation of clones. This skill is mostly used by those with weak constitutions, possessing a body that has great strength to balance the weakness they had while their original body continues to exist. This skill allows the user to possess any body with a soul as long as the user has enough energy to do so, as well as sacrifices that would increase the speed of assimilation.
Maximum number of clones: 1
Maximum existence level that could be possessed: Pseudo-Animate
FP Cost: Depends on the strength of the body that is being possessed
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”I see now…” Aurus muttered after reading through the description of the skill, letting out a sigh of disappointment not long after. A few seconds later, he started to lightly chuckle, which then turned into raucous laughter. Fortunately, he was inside the Tower of Seclusion, which was rarely occupied by the members of the alliance, allowing him to continue raucously laughing without a care for the world.
If one listened closely to his laugh, there was a hint of a mocking tone in his laugh. A mocking tone that seemed to be directed at himself. Eventually, Aurus stopped laughing as he muttered, ”How foolish am I to believe that I could get an Animate body with just 5000 FP. Sure, I do want to experience the feeling the Transcending Comprehension Leaf had given me, but never did I expect that Kevin has shrouded this 'clone' of mine in a web of lies.”
At this point, Aurus felt some hatred towards Kevin, who he used to think was someone who truly looked out for him. To think that his clone's existence level was false all along, he could not help but wonder what would happen if Kevin suddenly dispelled this illusion in an important fight, removing all of the strength his clone used to have.
He then let out a sigh once more, feeling slightly more grateful that he had upgraded the system's OS. If he had not done so, he truly may have fallen into danger in the eventual future with what Kevin did. Nonetheless, he felt slightly melancholic at the fact that his clone had reverted to a level where it was not weird to say that his original body was stronger than his clone.
Fortunately, he hastily removed this pessimistic mindset, thinking about the reverting of the clone's existence level from an optimistic manner as he said, ”With the clone at the Pseudo-Animate level, I can amass more strength than before. There's a single level of difference between the Pseudo-Animate and the Animate existence level, but that alone would allow me to possibly make me invincible at the Animate level.”
”Speaking of which, can I even evolve to the Animate level?” Aurus could not help but wonder, remembering very well that those that evolved to the Pseudo-Animate level as an Inanimate did not have any way to evolve to the Animate level, deciding to reach the peak level a Pseudo-Animate could reach.
With this in mind, Aurus could not help but let out a sigh as he continued to rummage through his memories. ”Well then. By the looks of it, I'm stuck at the Pseudo-Animate level until I reach the Divinity existence level. Then again, undergoing Power Baptisms is far easier than undergoing Existence Tribulations and Principle Formation…”
Just as he was about to give up, a memory that exactly answered Aurus's query surfaced in his mind, his mood taking a 180-degree turn as he was filled with hope for the Pseudo-Animate clone. ”It seems the heavens doesn't close all paths of progress. With this method, I can create a body that's far superior to a normal Rank 0 Animate.”
”A Super Animate.”
”I guess this was just a lucky coincidence,” Aurus said as he recalled who told him this method of allowing a Pseudo-Animate being to ascend to the Animate existence level. ”The Goddess of Ruination, a Power Rank of 7…the legend of a Pseudo-Animate being defying all odds and becoming an incredibly rare Super Animate…”
As he remembered this, he could not help but wonder as he muttered, ”I wonder where Erea is at right now. She's probably trying to reach a higher level of Divinity right now for sure.”