25 Volume 3 - Chapter 1 (2/2)

He had started a mental list with Cameron's name at the top, vowing to never forget him, or anyone else he failed.

Micheal rubbed his forehead, wanting nothing more than to lay down and rest. For him, it had only been a few hours since Cameron died.

In that time, he had spawned a new Life Orb, written out several long messages for Shin and Sophia, a private message for the Seer, and one for Doctor Isaiah as well. There was much that needed to be done on the First Layer still, but it was now within very reasonable levels. He had laid a powerful enough foundation, especially for the billions of people that had yet to arrive.

Humanity would have a very real chance this time around.

The others could finish it up, especially with Shin and Sophia behind to handle those last few tasks. He, in the meantime, needed to move on to the Second Layer. He didn't have a minute to waste, not if he wanted to stop the Great Disaster. There was much to do before they came up and rejoined him.

After walking for a few miles, Micheal passed several large crowds of humans standing around a stage. There were hundreds of similar stages set up at various spots within the Spawning Grounds, each one with several speakers talking into a microphone.

New Chosen that had just reached the Second Layer would naturally congregate there, full of questions and worries. No one that made it to the Second Layer was naive, and many were suspicious. However, the idea of free information on an unknown, and likely dangerous world, was a draw few people could ignore.

Micheal ignored them completely as he walked directly past several groups, his eyes zeroing in on a small, stone wall in the distance.

This wall encircled a large 'Camp' or basically a village where new Chosen could stay after they arrived in the Spawning Ground. The wall was well maintained, but only 3 meters tall, making it very clear that it wasn't a serious defensive wall. It likely only kept out small animals and nuisances.

The Spawning Grounds were huge, one of the few strongholds of humanity on the Second Layer. There were hundreds of these Camps spread out along the Spawning Grounds, each one able to hold tens of thousands of humans if need be.

'It's not enough for the Fourth Wave.' Micheal frowned when he realized that. Humanity was woefully unprepared to deal with each increasing wave, especially as billions of people began pouring through.

He had come early compared to most Fourth Wavers, but these facilities would likely reach their maximum capacity in just a few months, perhaps sooner.

As Micheal kept walking, he began to adjust to the gravity of the Second Layer.

His body felt heavier, every movement taking more energy and effort for the same result. If the gravity of the First Layer had been roughly equivalent to Earth's, the gravity of the Second Layer was around 35% stronger.

It was a very sizable increase for people that weren't used to such changes. Regular people would likely find it intolerable and develop all sorts of health issues. But as long as you had some physical boosting ability from the Shop, Ki Cultivation being the clear winner, it was bearable.

This 35% change had to do with the law of gravity itself, and how the math of gravity worked, however, and not with the size of the planet they were on. Scientists had done a great deal of research when it came to this problem, eventually determining that the laws of reality itself had changed.

They were in a 'higher' reality now, where gravity was naturally more powerful. It was hard to wrap one's mind around the concept, so Micheal typically just accepted it for what it was. He left the researching to the researchers.

'The air…' Micheal thought, waving his hands slightly.

It was rich in energy, decently more so than the First Layer. Here it should be possible to naturally cultivate to the Sky Tier, even if you weren't an abnormal freak like Director Prime. It still required a lot of talent and was very difficult, practically impossible for most.

'But it's not enough. If I recall, the maximum one can normally reach is the Middle of Sky Tier. It's almost impossible to reach the Late Stage, and essentially impossible to reach the Peak Stage.' He nodded to himself as memories of the Second Layer rushed over him. It was only on the Third Layer that one could reach the Lord Tier of Ki Cultivation. The Second was still limited to Sky Tier.

And worse, for many people, was that you couldn't buy Sky Tier Ki Cultivation here. You actually had to achieve it with your own effort.

The Points Wall sat at around 500,000 Points, give or take 25,000 Points. Buying Sky Tier Ki Cultivation in the Shop cost 606,500 Points.

'I wonder what my Points Wall is at?' With a Soul Quality that reached 3 Stars, the limits of his Points Wall should've risen considerably. He didn't quite understand how it worked, but it seemed that a higher Soul Quality allowed him to ease some of the restrictions reality enforced, letting him raise his Points Wall.

'Also… will the Champion's Gift affect my Points Wall?' He looked down at his leaner body, unsure of how it might transform in the future. He also noted that the poison he'd taken had made all of his muscles look noticeably thinner and leaner, though their strength and power was unaffected.

While the effects of his Champion's Gift weren't usable currently… they would be in the future. And when they did activate… Micheal's excitement for this 'gift' was one that had reached extreme heights.

His mind flashed back to the text of these rewards, the details he had gone over so many times already.

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—-Reward Obtained—-

Reward: Champion's Gift

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—-Champion's Gift—-

You have become a hero of ages, a Champion for your race. As a conqueror, you will destroy your enemies while reaping the benefits.

You may gain the Attribute of any race whose essence you absorb. (Limited to one use)

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He could only use the reward once, but that didn't matter to him because of the word 'Attribute.'

This was a very specific word that was only discovered later on in the Seven Layers. It was how the '7 Layers,' or the being that created the 7 Layers, referred to the unique aspect of each race.

Humanity had its 'Shop' as its Attribute. Every race had its own Attribute. Many were boring, like low-level unique Physiques, while others were complex systems of magic or sorcery. There were at least as many Attributes as there were races, meaning a veritable font of them.

And according to this reward, he could gain an entirely new Attribute as long as he could find the 'essence' of another race, which Micheal understood to mean the remnants of, like a corpse.

To Micheal, this changed everything. His future plans, the powers he might choose, the goals he had set. This was an incredible reward, for one very important reason.

He could steal the main Attribute that made the 12 Tribes of Deities so overwhelmingly powerful...

Their precious 'Titles' system.

And even better than that…

The essence of a Deity… he could find it on the Second Layer.

For, to its inhabitants, the Second Layer was known by a different name.

The Ancient World.

And it just so happened to be a world that one of the Tribes of Deities had inhabited, long ago…

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