Extra's Descent

Cavern's Peak.

February 2, 2150.

Brandon ran around the mountain's cliffside, looking for any signs of Androxus.

But there was nothing.

All he could see were the other wyverns flocking around the sky, as they were the last time he was here.

They all looked so carefree. As if they had no problems at all.

Which was most probably true at the moment, considering the theory he had wrapped around his mind regarding the elves and the wyverns.

"Wonder where he is."

Standing still by the cliff–side, where he had once trained with Androxus two months ago, Brandon sat down soon after.

As always, the mana in the vicinity was dense.

"Hoo…."

For him, it was the best place to condense and circulate his mana core.

The sixth tier was still far from his grasp at the moment. If rushed it, it would implode on him exponentially.

After all, it took time for a mana core to settle within the body after ascending to the next tier.

If he were to rush the process, and started building another layer—the sixth tier, there was a chance he would damage his core permanently.

Of course, the potential for each mage was different, and soon after, they would come to realize the bottleneck of their potential.

It was for that reason, why barely anyone attained the eighth tier in Holy Britannia.

Those individuals, regarded as the SS rankers.

In total, there were about twelve Holy Britannian descended rankers who reached the heights of SS rank.

The people he had met that had reached those ranks so far were only two.

Bellion and Evelyn.

The other SS rankers on the other hand, were scattered all over the world, doing their own thing—while their top priority, as is most rankers' priorities, were investigating the Wraith Cult.

Hopefully, due to the trial, which was broadcasted throughout the entire world, it would somehow help in their investigations.

"Huu…."

Sweat tricked down his back, feeling the mana in his body condense rapidly.

His brows twitched, feeling a slight migraine. Directing the mana's flow required meticulous focus—often straining one's mental power, after all.

It was a strenuous task, and mages and duelists were often advised to only undergo this process once a day for two hours at most.

Exceed and face the backlash.

But Brandon didn't care.

While his progression was remarkable for his age, he knew he didn't have enough time.

[Sovereign's Descent: 11%]

While most of his system's details had been tampered, the quests, the Wraith's descent especially, being manipulated by the tome by Ciel, the only detail that seemed to move, regardless of any third party interference, was the [Sovereign's Descent] bar.

There were certain days where it subtracted itself, but he knew that wouldn't be for long.

Someone was interfering with their descent, and it was most likely Jin, who was nowhere to be seen the entire year.

Jin, who had continuously progressed in the past, had always failed.

Despite the difference in strength in each progression, he had always failed.

That much was certain.

For that reason, Brandon avoided all of his methods in this progression.

But he began to wonder.

'Am I really doing that?'

It felt like he was making mistakes regardless—evident by Evelyn's death.

"Haaa…. H-haaa…."

His body jerked, feeling a sharp pang in his muscles as he continued redirecting the mana into his core.

He continued pondering once more.

He recalled the entity a month back.

The person who had always whispered in his ear.

Jin—Lumian—whoever the hell it was.

A figment of his imagination?

Or was there something more?

He had accepted it like it was nothing, too tired to even retaliate or fight off the voices in his head.

But what was it truly trying to tell him?

He couldn't tell the difference at all—except the permanence in the sudden change his appearance took.

The ink—black hair that was even darker where the sun didn't shine.

His eyes, which remained hollow and black—resembling that—of the [Curse] affinity's hue.

If anything, he felt like he was assimilated permanently with the [Curse] affinity.

And with the [Curse] affinity, he felt his mind numb.

Or rather—he wanted his mind to stay numb.

Allowing it all to open again would tear him down from the inside.

His mind was barely holding on.

It had always been barely holding on.

But after Evelyn's death, he didn't know what to feel anymore.

While it still seemed to strike a chord in his heart, that was all there was to it.

Tears?

Sorrow?

He felt like he had forgotten the meaning of those words.

For that reason, he had come to a conclusion.

'I'm fine.'

That he was fine.

That everything happened for a reason.

'It is what it is.'

That it didn't hurt anymore.

And so, he could put on a smile for everyone.

He could mingle with everyone normally.

Because he was fine.

Everything was fine.

His thoughts weren't in disarray.

He was holding on.

"Hoo….."

He could smile.

He could still work–hard.

He could still focus.

He could still retain his demeanor in front of everyone.

That was why he didn't want to see anyone, right?

That was why he had gone off the grid from his friends, because he wanted to gather his thoughts at the moment, right?

'I'm….'

"Haaa…."

Unable to hold it in anymore, the mana released from his body, as sweat continuously trickled down his forehead.

'I can do it.'

He clenched his fist.

He was desperate.

Desperate not to lose himself in the process of preventing the world's destruction—to finally end the progression cycle.

After taking a break for thirty minutes, Brandon sat up again.

"Huu…."

Drawing in a sharp breath, Brandon focused on the magic circuits in his body, redirecting the pathways once more.

But this time, focusing on the affinity he struggled with.

Brandon sat in silence, letting the cool air wash over him as he focused on the magic circuits in his body.

His mind wandered to [Permafrost], the affinity he struggled with the most.

Brandon closed his eyes, drawing his mana inward and focusing on the chill within.

His mana pulsed in sync with his breathing, moving through his circuits like a steady stream.

He needed to control the flow, to direct it into the proper pathways.

"Huu…."

Sweat trickled down his forehead as the air around him grew colder, the temperature dropping in sync with his mana flow.

Notifications flashed in his vision.

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

.

.

He was close.

∟ [Eternal Glaciate] 97.23%

'Just a bit more….'

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

∎| [Permafrost] Proficiency + 0.1%

All of a sudden, his focus broke.

A voice echoed from behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

Brandon abruptly opened his eyes and glanced back.

It was Androxus. Despite the change in appearance Brandon took, Androxus was immediately able to recognize him.

However, the moment their eyes met, Androxus looked taken aback for a moment.

"You…."

"....?"

"Nevermind."

Brandon seemed unaware of it, but for a flicker of a moment, Androxus saw it.

'A Sovereign's Will?'

No, not quite.

He had seen it before, but it wasn't in the past as it was now.

While it was a Sovereign's Will, it wasn't the conventional 'will' he had seen in the past.

"Help me."

Brandon asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

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