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Chapter 760 - Pretending to talk
🕑 Added 2025-12-18 09:45:34 +0000 UTC“Want to show off and tell me how the fuck you did it?” I ask, sinking into the offered armchair.
To my left, a floor-to-ceiling window overlooks the night city. Skyscrapers outside the window glow like jagged teeth against the dark. A myriad of cars coil along the roads below, punctuated by parks full of greenery.
Adrian takes a slow sip of his drink. He closes his eyes, savouring the taste before speaking. “My tournament rewards included a Difficulty Change token. Usually, that’s the worst possible reward for someone from Hell difficulty or Beyond, but for me, it was something I wanted.”
“Yeah, and maybe the rewards you could choose from were influenced a bit by your Handler, or by mine, right? So you were trying to get more out of the tutorial?”
He nods. “Of course. As much as the system allows. To claw every advantage I can get. You would do the same, I believe. But when I used the token, the Ruler of Diligence was strongly against it.”
“I can imagine,” I snort.
I don’t know if he’s mirroring my feelings, but a sharp smile crosses his face. “Greed, Kindness, and Wrath were all for allowing me to start over from Floor 1.”
“But?”
“But the Ruler of Diligence invoked his veto. He gathered enough available Rulers to vote on it, and their side won in the end. They couldn't stop me from entering the tutorial, but they forced me onto the 13th floor to reduce my ‘cheating,’ as those bastards called it, to a minimum. So here I am, on Earth, after clearing the 13th floor of the tutorial.”
“Didn’t want to go to the 8th Beyond floor?”
“Oh, I did. I really did. I just don’t think it would be possible for me to reach it in my current state or anytime soon. In a decade or two, yes, or with one or two capable people, even sooner. But it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Adrian’s smile remains fixed. “You know, I really enjoy your emotions. It’s a fascinating feeling, sensing them like this even though your expression doesn't change. All these little impulses, and the other impulses controlling them. Your feelings constantly shifting as you feed yourself different thoughts for other feelings to overpower. Tell me, how much did Greed tell you about me?”
I sniff at the alcohol drink he has mixed before taking a small sip, “She hinted she would stick with you even if you slaughtered me or destroyed this entire planet. She told me about your [Mirror] and a bit about how it works, a bit about how you used to behave even as an Absolute, that kind of stuff.”
“So, a bit more than I’d like.”
“Probably. She doesn’t seem to like you very much.”
“A lot of people don’t,” he says, abruptly shifting the subject. “Do you know that the entrance to the World Dungeon appears only after the tutorial is concluded?”
“I know that.”
“Do you know that even though it appears, it is up to the natives to reach its entrance, and just that process requires some effort?”
“I know that as well.”
“So you didn’t rush here to try and become Absolute before I could?”
“If I were so misinformed that I thought I could do that, I would have come here much earlier, wouldn’t I? You know very well why I’m here.”
“I do.” He nods and stands up, gesturing for me to follow.
We exit the penthouse and step onto the terrace. The noise of the city rises up to meet us.
Adrian says, “I became quite wealthy before the tutorial. I have apartments like this all over the world. I spent a decade or two multiplying my wealth as much as possible. I think I just wanted to distract myself from the possibility that I had failed.”
“You sure like to show off.”
“I know,” he laughs shortly. “It is in my nature, and there are a few more bad habits like that. Nasty ones, but after how long I have lived, and with them still being here, I guess they are here to stay. I look down on people, I hate losing, I talk too much, I want people to acknowledge me, all these pathetic things that have stuck with me since I was just an unawakened human.” He waves a hand dismissively.
Then he looks down and pours the amber liquid from his glass over the balcony. “Sometimes I suppress them. Other times, I do not.”
I watch the droplets flicker in the air as the wind scatters them.
“Have you come here to try to gain the Fragment that Earth holds? The one here should be quite powerful and valuable.”
“You know I didn’t.”
He lets his glass fall. Both of us watch as it plunges toward the empty street below, and after several seconds, I watch it shatter.
“So you just wasted your Earth visitor token like that,” he says, and the mana around him begins to surge. The figure that had been floating invisibly behind him becomes just a tiny bit more noticeable, even to normal sight.
“You know I don’t give a fuck about rewards in certain cases. You seem to love reading my emotions, so why don’t you tell me?” I say calmly, despite the fury rising inside me.
“How would I not know?” Adrian says, straightening up and turning to me. His eyes glow with the same blood-red hue of the Wraith he absorbed, the figure that follows him like a permanent shadow. “But Nathaniel, your searing heart, all the mana you have transformed and gathered inside your body, all these currents swirling around you, your eyes, and your intent...”
As he speaks, his voice gains volume and speed. His gaze hardens as his voice turns into a deep, threatening rasp, with the figure behind him looking as if it is towering over the entire city, “HOW can you come here to beg, while pointing the equivalent of a loaded gun to my head?”
That deep red glow in his eyes intensifies, and his presence swells with it. Metal creaks, the air hums, and the sounds of the city below fade into a distant echo.
My mana surges to my fingertips, waiting for a single order to explode and start a fight, a fight where I wouldn't give a fuck about my or about the lives of the millions of people living in this city. Not even the slightest bit. I’m still like that.
These thoughts settle inside of me with a calm, familiar cold, and I hate how easily it fits. I let the mana coil tighter instead of releasing it, forcing my breathing to slow as the terrace groans beneath the pressure of two monsters pretending to talk.
I meet his glowing gaze without flinching, because backing down now would mean admitting loss. The city below keeps moving and breathing, ignorant and so very fragile, while two of us balance on the edge of turning this night into a catastrophe.
But the tension passes. As quickly as it arrived, the pressure he is releasing vanishes. Adrian smiles again, his eyes returning to normal. “Oh, to be young again. Want to hear something from an old man?”
“Tell me,” I say, my voice cold.
“I used to be just like this, up until one hundred fifty years ago. Greed’s weapon, just like you. For decades, we cooperated, with her knowledge and my abilities, and I grew even stronger. Up until the moment she threw me away like trash.”
“What happened?”
“She gave me a record of one of the Challenges against Pride. It showed one of her previous weapons, someone capable of making even Pride take things a tiny bit seriously. And I froze when I saw it. I got intimidated. She noticed that moment of hesitation and threw me away like a broken tool. A failure. All because of a single second of doubt.”
“Want me to be honest?” I ask.
“Be my guest. I promise not to hold it against you.”
“I admire that you tricked the system and did the tutorial all over again. Honestly, since I’ve learned how fucking impossible that is, I admire it. It’s a beautiful middle finger toward the system and all those assholes who call themselves Rulers.”
Adrian looks at me with genuine interest. “But?”
“But why the fuck would you trust Greed? Why would you think she wouldn’t just discard you again at any moment?”
The man in front of me smiles. “Did you not do the same?”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking.”
He doesn't answer and instead asks, “How does it feel, knowing she would throw your entire planet at my feet? All your family left for me to use against you while you’re stuck in the tutorial?”
“Very unpleasant. I expected some of that from her, but probably not to such a level.”
Adrian nods. “Blights and Radiances taken to their extreme are like that. Their Rulers are no different.”
“So, what now?” I ask.
“Now?”
“Are we going to fight to the death?”
“We can, if you wish. I can sense that much from the emotions I’ve mirrored from you. You, coming all this way for the simplest thing: to confirm your family stays safe. A single parent, from what I can sense. A mother, probably? Did you spend a few nice moments with her? One last visit before you came here, thinking there is a high chance you might die? Do your friends even know?”
I stay quiet. Adrian looks back over the city, smiling knowingly. “Since I know that much about you, I’ll tell you a bit about me. And also because I apparently like to listen to my own voice.”
“Go on.”
“I almost killed myself. You know, suicide, the last shred of control I felt that I had left. It was fifty years after the tutorial was supposed to start, and I even had cancer that left me with just a few more months of pathetic life. I don’t think I mentioned that to you yet,” he smiles weakly, and looks at his hands, turning them slowly, palms up, then down again. “Do you understand how obscene that felt? All of this up here,” he taps his temple, once, hard, “the knowledge, the plans, the potential, all of it trapped inside this.” His voice rises, faster now. “This fucking thing.”
His eyes gaze over his body with contempt as if remembering how it looked before the tutorial, “A sack of flesh and blood. Warm. Soft. Failing. Chemical garbage sloshing through veins, hormones hijacking thoughts. Signals crawling along nerves at a pathetic pace, milliseconds pretending to be speed, latency baked into my being.”
Adrian flexes his fingers again, harder this time, until the tendons stand out. His eyes don't see his current body, but the one he spent over 70 years in, “Muscles that need oxygen, that tire, that tear. Fibers that tremble under the weakest stress instead of executing my intent cleanly.” His breathing sharpens. “Every single action delayed. Every thought filtered through meat.”
The words come quicker, almost tripping over one another. “A disgusting, useless pile of flesh pretending it deserves to house a mind.”
He straightens abruptly. “I had already chosen the place. Mountains with clean air, and no people to witness my end. And then, right as I was standing there, right at that exact second, the tutorial started.”
"Such interesting timing," I answer while watching as he calms down and fixes his clothes. He doesn't even look at his body anymore.
Adrian agrees, "I don't believe in coincidences like that. Someone out there rigged it. Even I'm not narcissistic enough to think Pride did it, or that he’d show even a flicker of interest in me. But I will find out what happened."
He steps away from the railing and walks back inside the room. Septa quickly rushes to his feet, tapping against his leg a few times. Adrian smiles down at her. "I went to the moon, where she had been left without her master. Somewhere in between death and new life, I helped her shed her old skin, and now here she is. Not as powerful as before, but she will get there."
Turning back to me, he says, "You sure don’t talk much when you’re pissed off and ready to fight. So let’s make this crystal clear. As I said, I want you and Victoria to be my Champions. I won't hurt your friends or family, though things on Earth are going to change very much. There are people who need to die. Countries that will fall, and governments that need to be replaced."
He says it all with casual indifference. "At the start, humans will fight back. I know many will refuse to accept me. Those people will die. Tutorial attendees will fall into line more easily, they at least understand a fraction of the power we hold."
"I don't think there is anyone left to stop you, not until the tutorial ends."
"There won't be anyone, even after that," Adrian corrects me. "In just a few months, I will attempt to initiate an additional Pairing. With these old system logs still considering me an Absolute in the background, I might be able to pull it off, and I will try to take advantage of that. I’ll visit the Coordinates of planets I know I can handle."
Surprise washes over me, but I suppress it, and Adrian continues, "There are a few Coalitions Earth can join. After we go through these Pairings and the planet grows stronger, we can settle in and make our move to join one and...."
Finally, sensing my emotions, he shuts up for a moment, standing near the fireplace surrounded by his curated luxury.
Then he starts laughing.
At first, it’s like a child who has done something pettily wrong, but the sound swells, louder, more amused, as if he’s mocking the entire world, and mainly me.
When he stops, the aftereffects of the laugh still dance on his face. "I’m so sorry for teasing you all so much. The waves of your emotions are just so delicious. Here you are, ready to fight. There is that tiny amount of fear in you, that pride, the annoyance, worry for certain people, but not a single goddamn speck of intention to give up. I love that, and I fucking hate that about you. It makes me wonder what you would do in my situation, and in a way, it scares me to know the answer. I want to kill you and torture you, but at the same time, I want to keep you and control you."
He sighs, laughing again. "Ah, that was fucking fun!" He snickers before his voice turns sharp and direct again, as before during our standoff. "If you attack me, I will kill you, and then I’ll kill your mother and everyone else on Earth you’ve ever known. If you think you can win, do it. Challenge me. If there is even a small chance you’re right and you might defeat me, I would just run away. I'm more than capable of that. Then I’ll wait until you return to the tutorial, and I’ll crawl back here to slaughter your mom and everyone else you hold dear."
He chuckles once more. "Is it not satisfying to hear it all laid out? Does it make me a villain? If I stayed quiet and did not say what we both know as reality out loud, wouldn’t I still be one? Everyone in our situation thinks of similar options, probably even you. If that's the case, if you were stronger than me, would you be the villain from my point of view?"
I stay quiet. Adrian’s smile grows. "I won the moment I completed the tutorial before you. The moment you had something to lose here, under my control. And the most amusing part is that your handler helped me gain the rewards to return here, all on a silver platter. I told you not to trust that bitch."
Comments
I Is Patron
Will be cool if a Champion level Pride with no handicaps is on the 13th floor and floor quest is to hunt and kill him. I think I recall that the 13th floor of hell hasnt been completed in ages. If attendees who almost never reach Champion level need to kill a champion level Pride then it makes sense why almost no one has done it.
Nemesis
Has anyone ever considered that Pride may be in one of the existing floors from the tutorial? May be hard to find because he was just passing through, but Nat could run into him yet. Also, its possible the last floor (which is apparently insane to beat, I think someone said) may be something like one of the rulers remembering a time when someone challenged Pride, and what they were doing at that time. The objective could be something like 'survive' or 'acquire x before this planetary system is destroyed in the battle'
Audrey WJ
Liss side stories in general would pretty awesome.
Gwiddion
Doubt it. Ruby told Nat what Adrians plan was I think he was so open with his emotions to bait Adrian into acting foolish. Ruby gave him the hint that mirror can only reflect what is shown and can't feel every emotion like Izzy can. That's also most likely why nat waited to use his ticket. To make sure Adrian is on earth. My guess is ruby made sure enough rulers would vote to block Adrian from floor 1 so he would get to earth quicker. She voted for it so Adrian can try to use her against Nat while nat shows him his anger at ruby to reassure Adrian. I have a theory that Nat will issue a system challenge against Adrian. If Nat wins Adrian must leave earth for X years if Adrian wins Nat will accept him as his better.
Gwiddion
If u think that lissandravwill seek revenge Ur mistaken. She will see it as Nat having failed in his ambitious.
DrSubterfuge
He *acted* above board, but this is also the guy who backstabbed a friendly rival on his path to power. And then Nat used him to finish his Absolute Candidate quest and managed to lose without losing. He likes Nat, kinda, enough that he wants to control him instead of off him, even though Nat is a growing liability. He's just arrogant enough to think that Nat won't be strong enough to challenge him even after the rest of the tutorial.
Gavriel
Except um.... Yeah well... What a fools, he KNOWS that Lissandra is Nat's master, is he nuts? Lisa Lisa already absolutely murdered Envy. One more thing, Adrian thinks earth will give him it's fragment when he isn't even an earthling except according to the system... But Earth itself doesn't have to consider him worthy.
Scraser
1AM. Can't sleep. Mind rattling. Here's my prediction: When Nat gets back he will request a new handler. Maybe get Pride. He'll be pissed off at Ruby and may pick her as his new goal to kill. He did say before he would consider becoming Pride's best friend just to spite her and Lissa
Peter Smith
We know that ruby adores nathaniel. That was obvious from the conversation she had with generosity, hell it was actively stated. As for any plan ruby had in play for in case adrian succeeded, im pretty sure that went out the window the moment that she fused with tutorial ruby. Not to say that killing pride isn't her mission, but she is very clearly fighting her aspect of greed right now. Nat's family may not matter to her, but Nat does, and just like nat she is someone willing to do anything for those she cares for. So the question now, isn't "what is she going to do to help Nat?" The question is "how far will she go to get everything she wants without losing anything?". Or in other words, "how greedy is Greed herself?"
TAMSC
When Nat asked Ruby about Adrian’s plans she said "I can tell you, but if you’re not careful everyone you know will die.". I think Adrian wasn’t wrong, Ruby doesn’t care if Earth is sacrificed to kill Pride, but she also told Nat what was happening. I think she likes Nat in her own twisted way. Also, why would she support Adrian if she already gave up on him once. Got so,e confusing things going on and I think Nat doesn’t hate her ASmich as he lets on and is using Sneakythaniel to hide some things from Adrian.
Boyo
Welp, this was fantastic motivation for Nat to lock the fuck in. I am tremendously excited to read about the beautiful abomination that he is going to turn himself into
Sandra Bong
O.o! <3 <3 <3!
Marshall
I dont buy it. I'm likely wrong, but I cant help think Adrian's threats dont add up. This is a guy who actions, so far, have been above board. He has gone out of his way to be unthreatening. It's possible this is a motivation scheme.
Bob
One skill man
Morde24
This feels so in character for fraudrian, and also such an interesting plot point. Everything now hinges on how hard it is for Nat to go through floors 6 and 7, and potentially 8, the only real references we have for Adrian's current strength. It feels like clearly NATs pride allows him to say whatever he needs to in order to get away from this with his mother safe. Now all he needs to do is get strong enough in two years of no contact with Adrian to beat him, or save his mother.
AFunkyLad
Wow Nat is going to come out of this tutorial an abomination, he’s going to push himself so much harder
Audrey WJ
Yep,I knew he completed the tutorial and didn't use a token, nat can't do anything now other than prove him wrong, exit the tutorial at a power level that can challenge him and if he can't then make sure a team of people can, Adrian might not be a pride subclass but he still believes himself untouchable. Would be a shame if a bunch of ridiculously powerful champion grade lunatics returned from the tutorial and started ruining all his hard work.
Pararably
Also have yall thought about the chapter title? Pretending to talk? They did talk right so? Is that really Nat?
caeven
ruby and that dirty alien both fumbled. ruby likely ruined things beyond repair with the petties of grudge holders ever and adrian lost his tripe XP zone. nat can use these 2 years left to plan with his group and the other beyonders how to kill fraudrian. humanity is never better than when theres a tyrant for everyone to unite against.
Sr. Silla
I think they're talking about the absolute Earth fragment it takes to rule, right?
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Lol all Nat has to do is link up with Liss and tell her I need to be stronger than you in a year can you do it yes or no?
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Lol told he was a coward 🤣 why is he trying to help defeat pride when he has none?
Hms
I really want a challenger POV from one of the challenges against Pride. The one with Liss Liss would be ideal so it can be longer than a nanosecond. Think we should petition author for it.
Asterrahl
I approve of speaking out loud and clearly his position. I don't agree that he has "won" anything. He has exited the tutorial, so his gains within are over. He can grow even outside, of course, but not as quicky or as effectively. Nat can subordinate himself for a while, and then change his stance later. I don't see how acknowledging one guy is stronger than him could hurt his pride. Adrian is an ancient, former Absolute. Even Victoria might give Nat a good beating. Nyssa is strong, and Morwag. I also still don't see why Nat would want to be Absolute of Earth. It's a job! No thank you, but have fun! Adrian can do what he wants, so long as he doesn't make a move against Nathaniel, why would they be enemies? The universe is full of people stronger than Nat, and he's basically subordinate to all of them, in the sense that if they can kill him with no effort, what agency he has is what they permit him, even if simply because they don't know he exists or care.
Jonathan Nading
Bro, especially if that [Compounding] skill works out? Yeah.
Balsamic ThunderThighs
Off topic but.... I know there's supposedly going to be a battle against Pride in the future but it would be interesting if Pride turned out to be a chill guy who just likes to fight and never lose.
nosTa
There is a post in the chapter overview where he talks about his break. https://www.patreon.com/posts/146007153?utm_campaign=postshare_fan&utm_content=android_share
Ivan Jelenić
More than just Champion level.
Andrew Miller
Dang Nat is going to bring back a lot of tea for group 4. Something to light a fire under their asses. The compounding trick sounds like a good loop hole for some time dilation shenanigans. Nat has the mana, he just needs more time on how to use it.
Ivan Jelenić
Not combine, but maybe strengthen the effects of skills and traits? Maybe evolve them? If Compounding is high enough level and her understanding matches.
Igor Ekotov
Now Nat can finally tell everyone about Fraudrian
Brotato
The way Adrian is laying everything out for Nat here, he's making it sound like Nat's best option is to kill Adrian right here and now
Rodmin
Do you mean the ruler of dilligence os going to fuck up the tutorial?
Daniel Golding
Adrian is a fool. He can kill Nat's mom and everyone else. But Nat can go back to the tutorial and spend the next two years getting strong enough to kill Adrian. And then there is Nat's Master who he might be able to free and there is the best doggo in the beyond who will eat that fucking spider.
Rodmin
Oh, how did you learn of the retcon? Did cerim mention it somewhere or did you see it by chance?
Rocotrap
Well right now we know Ruby actually holds Nat a bit dear, but she's already stated that she'll even make things harder than necessary to him
Rodmin
He know there is already a pairing, that's why he said '*additional* pairing'.
Raymond
Is this our first time hearing of a fragment on earth? Definitely intrigued by that
Kirin
Thank you for the chappie! What a genuinely AMAZING chapter.
thisisniall
Some part of me thinks Greed actually set Adrian up as a whetstone for Nat, even though she’s got other irons in the fire. She’s fine with Nat hating her if that helps him be honed as a Pride killer. As Adrian possesses one of Prides skills (Mirror) he’s kind of a perfect test for Nat - if he can grow strong enough to beat a former absolute in a short time period it’ll validate him as a weapon. Earth is also *already* in the process of pairing and Adrian doesn’t seem to know this.
XPLili
I hope Master Lissandra will allow her dutiful disciple Nathaniel some peace of mind with the Adrian situation
Zeph
He is considered champion level, Nats absolute quest was to stand against a champion level being for 10 seconds alone, which he did while in the final fight of the tournament
Jinaden
Cerim, I want you on evey Best Selling list. You have a goddamn amazing talent. Keep grinding and killing us with your stories
Andrew
Thank you!
Jinaden
Yeah, as soon that path was explored AND knowing how our Holy Father Cerim never leaves loose threads hanging AND how much of a cheater Nat is, knew power up montage was about to start. Nat's only goal is to whoop Pride purely to ensure his peace of mind can never be threatened forever because of dad PTSD and to hug Biscuit for eternity.
Nemesis
Off-topic, do you think that Maya's Compounding skill would allow her to combine skills like a token does? Potentially for others as well (probably at higher levels)?
Nemesis
Do you think Adrian is an actual Champion, or just Champion level strength (apparently no one has ever become a Chamion inside the tutorial before)? If he isn't a Champion, is he an Absolute Candidate? If so, do you think maybe Nat could challenge him to a candidate duel, with say, all of their stats and/or skills as the wager? and then maybe Mirror will allow Nat to trick the System into believing Adrian accepted? At least then Adrian can't run. Maybe the duel could even be something that doesn't involve combat, something like a mana manipulation contest?
Memelord Steambath
Her greed sickens me
Michel Kommers
Cerim are you going to take a Christmas / New year break? Let us know before hand please.
Peteski
Lyssandra freedom from the tutorial will leave a wet batch formelly called Adrian for Nat to admire. Or group 4 will have a field day. One day. Pride has its patience too.
Michel Kommers
He saw that coming from start. Is expected of ruby, like she said, he is just one weapon of many.
Michel Kommers
Timed? When? As far as we know he just went there.
Michel Kommers
But let be honest here, there is nothing he can do. Not now. Cerim must be cooking something huge.
transcendingsquirrel
What was the point of saying that??? If you think it's a pathetic chapter, why are you reading it? Please don't make toxic comments like this... 0/10 ragebait
mitchell kaiser
CERIM YOU ARE EVIL, but god damn!!!! That will motivate Nat to get to level 500 before he leaves the tutorial. 10/10 chapter holy shit.
Krzychu0304
I'm curious about the reward Fraudrian is talking about. Could he be referring to the fragment of the first star that Greed stole from Nat some time ago? PS: I remind you that we have a tutorial member who was able to one-shot the champion quite a while ago. PS: We've had two redcons recently (nerfing skill fusion from 3 to 2, and adding a second reward for achieving the Candidate for Absolute title), which irritates me because it means the expectations I initially had are dashed.
Pararably
I don’t believe Nat would have came to this showdown without an ace up his sleeve. If I had to guess when Sophie got her mind fractured there was more than just one hiding part of her in his mind. The part of himself that is sneakynat and sneakysoph have already made a way to get into Adrian’s mind. At a crucial moment when nat is about to obliterate Adrian and Adrian casually deflects well he won’t be able to because the Trojan virus locks his mind for the slightest of seconds.
WINTEX
what a pathetic chapter
Malestan
Nah Biscuit shouldn't eat humans, they're dirty
TYRELL GRAY
You know what bro. I think ruby has to go. She couldn’t kill pride. And now she’s going around finding people to do the job. And when they are scared she throws them away. I can’t wait for nat to kill her. Because at this point I don’t care, about pride
Manaless
Poor Nat, nobody's on his side. He's alone and only depending on himself, as he should be. But Ruby is a cancer, she should die, her madness is sickening.
RJ Barnes
THE CLIFF HANGING IS TOO INTENSE
dampsey damamme
Ooooooh Adrian your dead and by that I'm mean really Dead. He will not even see his end coming. Nat is the most calm, enduring and pettiest caractere I've ever read (and I read a lot) loving it 😂😂
ShinyOtter
Hi
Nemesis
Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!
Nemesis
I think Nat has already hidden some of his intentions using Sneakythaniel, after all, Nat lied to Adrian and he didn't seem to notice. Pretty sure we were told that Ruby told Nat all of Adrian's plans for Earth. This suggests Nat has something up his sleeve? Maybe going to exploit mirror somehow (e.g.: low con stat?) We should also remember that Nat timed this visit carefully. He is expecting something. Or someone...
Lizy Flore
Chris said it would take decades as he is to complete the 7th floor quest to go to the 8th. For Nat, I’m translating it as it would take him one century and change. But. Remember what Sophie is working with Maya’s compounding ? (Is it the right name?) If she succeed before the end of their tutorial, he will have that century, and even more. And not only him, but all of group four. That’s how they are going to catch up. They’ll be monsters not because they’ll destroy the upcoming tutorial floors, but because they will have years of supplementary training.
TYRELL GRAY
Here’s my take on what’s going happen, it’s either nat, begs and take the knee, which he said he doesn’t mind, Because his pride is enduring and revenge. Or he will fight right here and now. And millions will die or he will fight in the future. But either, Adrian is a dead man.
Avedi Musungu
But I believe him capable and willing to do exactly what he promised. His goals are clear and reasonable. What I don't fully trust is what he tells us about potential allies like Ruby, not yet.
NoctisMi
Nat is going to fuck up the tutorial so bad that all the rulers will hat Greed for it
Baramus
Okay, so Nat has to become strong enough to kill Adrian right after the tutorial. I don’t think Adrian believes he’ll ever be that strong, or else he’d kill Nat right now, like he did Lioren. But that means becoming champion-level without “cheating”, in the space of two years…
Avedi Musungu
I'm glad Nate never truly trusted Ruby, though it seems like he expected better. Sad
Tsorov
Can you imagine? From Floor 13 Of Hell to Floor one of hard difficulty. And then all the boni stacked on top. Although we don't know if completing hard difficulty would compare to the reward of the 13 floor of Hell difficulty. And I don't think Nat would go to floor one. Adam only had that possibility, since he never completed any floor, because he started in Beyond.
The Arcane Emperor
Nat decided way before returning to Earth that he was going ko kill Cristoph, or at least die trying.
Baelmoul
Again one of the best chapters. and i loved the cliff.. not joking. What would you do or say if you were Nat? What would your plans be to stop Adrian? Can Nat trust him even when he is gone back? cant wait for tomorrow :)
Rodmin
Really intense chapter, loved it.
Rodmin
Oh haha, that would be really funny. That would be a nice idea for a what-if chapter or a fanfiction.
Death56
Ruby 100% did this to light a fire under nat she definitely feels partial to him from the memories she got. on top of just how he is he will 100% try to fight pride at some point and that is in her interest unlike the dude who she already wrote off.
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
Edmund Dillon
Nat better get his lick back haha, tftc!!!
Rodmin
Oh nice idea, but it wouldn't really change anything.
Sir Supports Alot
I like to think it was quite clear what the relationship was going to be when it was revealed he was the one who back stabbed lioren
TheOne320
It is also very hard to predict what will be happening in the future. Will Nat try to rush through the Tutorial? But then he will be too weak to do anything. Will Adrian successfully become the true Absolute of Earth? I hope not and I hope the Planet will notice that he is not worthy.
Jake Atwood
I agree but he could still easily kill all of group fours family and that’s the biggest problem weather it’s provocation or not doesn’t matter when he could just do it at no consequence ether nat submits here or he never will especially since Adrain can’t get any easy power ups anymore since he’s out the tutorial and nats got over a year more and he stronger than ever rn in a year he could be a serious issue for Adrain so in his eyes nat ether submits now or he tries everything he can to break him
Jaishel
Now you put it in my head, that Nat will try to do the same thing, reseting his tutorial to lvl 1 hard difficulty.
Terri Harris
Great chapter! Nice cliff. No clue where its going, but I have high hopes for Nat, and expect to be surprised like always. Thank you for writing so fast! And for keeping the story exciting!
Compendium
Say "Fuck you" then blow up the planet. It's the only way, light it up
Adrian Rake
In my opinion he is saying all that stuff to provoke Nat. To see clearly what kind of man he is. Adrian has also his own children on Earth and even grandchildren 🤷🏼♂️ He isn’t as bad as it looks.
M van Dongen
He recorded everything on the new cell phone.
Ethereal Sky Daddy
Considering there are about two years left in the tutorial and quite a few floors+beyond for Nat to clear. I can see him pushing like the first few floors for the best possible rewards/upgrades that he can manage. Adrian has pretty much sign his death warrant by threatening Nats mom
Gutz
Tftc! Is this a type of cruel arc or something ? 😂 I really feel bad for Nat here!
ED
I'm glad Christoph is now cemented as an antagonist. At first I thought it would be a sort of enemy/rivalry turned into ally situation like what happened with Savant, but that doesn't seem possible after threatening Nat's family. I hope Biscuit eats him.
frozzi
Nah, the ant just ain't racist and hates everyone equaly, respect for that. Can you even imagine what would happen if Adrian completed all floors with rewards? He would farm billions of shards and whatever juicy tokens they get and become impossible to beat for Nat
Rentaro Black
What if Nat challenges him and he has something like a Master summoning token. That would be funny as hell 🤣
Michael Williams
Damn, nat is probably going to have to agree to become fraudrians champion now or he will just have two years to hunt down and kill group 4s family and friends/basically take over the world. I suspect we will see channeller as a constant supporter of nat and group 4 though. Some sneaky plans from sneakthaniel incoming. Great cliff Cerim.
frankie doerr
Isn’t she locked behind floor 7 and up think the real reason christoph didn’t keep climbing the floors is that he felt her coming
Greendalf
Imagine if he was allowed into the tutorial again from the beginning but the cockroach kills him as soon as he shows up to the 2nd floor
frankie doerr
Nah I really think ruby and kindness really are in his corner or at least don’t want to mess with his progress too much we had that pov of ruby saying as much and she’s helping minion she’s too greedy to have anyone else have something over nat in my opinion
Sadyix
I miss Liss.
frankie doerr
What sucks is that he want to join a coalition that just shows how weak he is and why he never made it past absolute
The Arcane Emperor
I freaking love Christoph. He has clear goals he wants to achieve and does whatever he deemes necessary to achieve them, regardless of the moral implications, right or wrong. A merciless person through and through. Perfect. Well done, cerim.
Lance Beam
TFTC. Fraudrian laid it all out and became Threatdrian.
JennP
Man, what a douche. Windbag. Nat's gonna f him up one day
Fdrugc
Tftc i still ship Ruby and Nat also i wonder what governments Adrian ys going to collapse, also what economic system is he going to use?
Sushitrash
Damn and here I was believing a bit more in Ruby, I knew she was unhinged but now she just crossed the line smh
frankie doerr
You know diligence is an asshole I bet he did that to get back at Nat which is really funny cause Nat really got under a rulers skin/exoskeleton
blaw
Trouble with a capable manipulator, I still do not know which (if any) of the things he said are true. It is just too easy to chalk everything up as an attempt to manipulate Nat, or any observer.
jobe matula
damn
Ethereal
Damn
jax rammus
<3
frankie doerr
Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to see the cliff again …. The next two days are going to suck I have questions god dammit
Rene Duvall
The dreaded cliff arrives
Draikonis
Tftc
vEnviouz
TFTC!!!
Claro reyes
Tftc!!!!
Moonfrost
hi
