cerim
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Chapter 608 - Inseparable
🕑 Added 2025-04-29 08:38:30 +0000 UTCI must admit, this floor is becoming increasingly intriguing. There is the missing thermonuclear warhead that I still have not located, the mystery of the Ruler Candidate, and now the Champion has died without even destroying the entire Academy or the continent in the process.
Just a few minutes ago, passing by one of the glass statues, I noticed my reflection in it, and my lips twisted into what almost looked like a wide grin. Someone else might not notice the change, but I see my, according to some, punchable, face often enough to recognize the difference.
A feeling of wanting to fight, to level up, and to battle monsters or people has been replaced by sheer curiosity and intrigue. Fuck the system and tutorial, but sometimes the floors are very interesting. It makes me wonder if this is all or if there will be more twists.
Even the thought of heading to Beyond leaves my mind, and I decide to pay my full attention to this floor.
As I make my rounds around the Academy, sneakily searching for the thermonuclear warhead, I observe an extremely erratic mood. It is something you can almost feel in the air and see in the movements of everyone. The Champion is dead. He was one of the nine Champions of this planet and likely one of the ten most powerful people on it.
Just like that, with no fanfare, only for his cold body to be found somewhere.
I still do not have any additional information. I am curious about his condition, what killed him, where he was found, and dozens of other questions. But the information has not been shared at all. It is impressive that news of his death leaked at all; I would have expected them to keep it secret. That's what I would do, as the consequences of his death will likely be huge.
One thing I know, and that surprises me, is that I would have expected them to lock down the Academy so no one could enter or exit. Instead, they have locked the entire region, dozens of square miles, and everyone inside it.
There is already a huge barrier set around the entire area, and it is said that two Champions are present outside of the barrier.
And despite all that, life in the Academy goes on. Visits to nearby cities or smaller villages are still allowed; they do not seem to care about that kind of movement at all.
I'm also surprised the Champions aren’t here, inside of the barrier, and searching for the killer. What could be the reason? Politics? Are they scared of whoever or whatever was capable of killing the Champion so easily?
What comes to mind is the rumored weapon the Absolute left behind, said to be capable of killing even a Champion. Could it be? If so, what kind of maniac is the Absolute to simply leave behind such a weapon for anyone to use?
This is way too much fun.
***
Heading back to my office, I meet an interesting man.
We have already collected information on some of the more famous professors, and the man I bump into is one of them. I have forgotten his name, but I remember his appearance for a simple reason: he is a demon, one of the very few demons in the Academy and the only demon professor.
His horns are black with that typical texture I have observed in Vega or Lioren. They are also curved backwards, but differently from Lioren’s.
He appears older, maybe around forty years old. He has the same white hair and red eyes that most demons have. His hair is shorter and carefully styled into what is probably a fashionable hairstyle. I am not an expert in that. Tess could probably tell with how often she likes to change her hairstyle.
Another detail that interests me, and why I remembered him, is that he is rumored to possess three primordial energies, with the void being confirmed and the other two only the subject of rumor. Even here, it is viewed as something exceedingly rare.
As I notice the beat of his heart, he becomes aware of mine, and we both stop, staring at each other. So void, and on top of that, definitely kinetic energy. I can tell right away from his pulse. I spent nearly a year with one of the best and coolest kinetic energy users to ever live. It would be weird for me not to notice.
But he likely can discern the same from mine. He is a demon, after all, and these guys are attuned to hearts to an unhealthy degree.
He keeps looking at me, and I keep looking at him, both of us grasping the other’s power just from these small signs, but not pushing further. For a moment, his red eyes seem to gain that shine, and I almost expect him to smile in that demonic, maniacal way and trash-talk my heart or try to get into a fight.
Instead, he nods just once and then continues on his way in a very undemonic display of behavior.
I place back the seal on Ignition Heart that I partially lifted, and also stop generating kinetic energy, something I had almost not realized I was doing.
***
Back in my office, I sit in the chair and put my legs up on the remaining box containing the thermonuclear warhead. Then I open my status and choose a three skills combination token.
I could probably be more patient, but after nine days here, I have already gathered bits of information, especially with the help of the others. Plus, I would do it my way anyway, so there is no need to wait any longer.
“I want to use a three skills combination token.”
You have used an active skill combination token. Please pick three from the following ones that you would like to combine.
Warning: Combining three skills will reduce the level of the acquired skill.
Warning: A combination of incompatible skills can result in inferior skill.
Warning: After combining the skills, it will become extremely difficult to acquire the skills used for the combination.
Please select the main skill of the combination and two supportive skills.
List of available skills to combine:
Perception - Lvl 62
Mana Domain (Pride) - Lvl 61
Mana Crown - Lvl 55
Mana Manipulation - Lvl 67
Ley Line - Lvl 54
Knitting - Lvl 37
“[Ley Line] as main skill, and [Mana Manipulation] and [Mana Domain] as supportive.”
Congratulations, you have successfully combined [Ley Line], [Mana Domain], and [Mana Manipulation]! A new skill has been created.
You have acquired [Ur Line]
[Ur Line - Level 0 > Ur Line - Level 9]
The active skill affected by the effect of your subclass (Pride) has been removed. Please choose an active skill where to apply it.
“Apply it to [Eclipse],” I say, and the effect is applied.
Lately, [Mana Domain] and [Eclipse] felt similar to me, with the difference that [Eclipse] is clearly a higher tier skill, so I wanted to get rid of [Mana Domain] for a while. It will be more difficult to handle my mana without it, but it will be doable.
Before I examine my new skill, let’s try this. I create a single evil orb 3.0, inspired by Lissandra’s, and then modify it to the point where I begin practicing mana shaping, which even now gives me trouble.
Let’s see how long it will-
Congratulations, you have acquired a new skill!
[Mana Manipulation]
[Mana Manipulation – Level 0 > Mana Manipulation – Level 61]
Welcome back, baby. It seems like the two of us are inseparable. Nothing pleases me more than giving the middle finger to the system. Difficult to relearn? Yeah, no. I call bullshit.
Even now, I remain unstoppable! I have experience with the skill, and soon I will catch up and level it back up. I just need to prove my mastery to the system.
Impatiently, I use [Ur Line] for the first time, and the feeling is not dissimilar to [Ley Line]. Externally, I observe it slightly without digging too deep, but currently, it is hard even for me to perceive, and I am the one who created it.
It might be the effect of the skill, or it might still be low level, but it is my line, so it is there. Its color is not that pale blue shimmer as before, but something difficult to describe. I would not say it is colorless, but I also would not say it has any color I know. It seems to shift, while at the same time, it does not feel like it transitions through multiple colors.
Well, let’s examine this baby. I activate my Mana Wavelength Iris to the maximum and look into the area where I have created a short line.
Then I pass out.
***
I open my eyes, confused, staggered; it takes me a few seconds before I remember what happened.
What nonsense.
I activate my eyes to the maximum and raise the mana flowing through my body. I check just in case, and my passives are activated, all of them. Then I look at the same place.
The world turns black.
***
Once again, I open my eyes, staggered and surprised.
Right away, I activate my Mana Wavelength Iris, and a bit of my mana compresses and turns black, just enough to support my body and mind.
Then I look at the line. And it is beautiful: a short line barely as long as my arm waving in the air, unseen and undetectable to anyone without a high skill. Mana around it twists and weaves. Mana wavelengths and ambient mana react to it in such an erratic way that it seems impossible to understand or predict. The line itself feels unearthly. Colorless, yet beautifully enchanted. I am not a poet, so simply said, it is pretty and it looks cool.
Then I pass out again.
***
When I wake up this time, I keep my eyes deactivated and instead use only [Perception] to examine the line, and unsurprisingly, I do not pass out this time. My body does not shut down to protect me.
As expected, the problem is the Mana Wavelength Iris and the amount of information it has gathered, and my inability to process all of it. With my other weaker senses, it is fine.
The line is not as pretty, and I barely see the wavelengths. Seen this way, it looks almost like [Ley Line] to the point that it feels nearly the same.
Next follows testing. I stretch it over longer distances. I send mana through, teleport, and perform the basics I usually use it for. For now, I decide not to try materializing it. What I have seen with my trait suggests that it would be a very, very bad idea.
After a few hours, I also conclude that [Ur Line] handles anything I throw at it like a champ. Even this lower level version can transmit almost the same amount of mana as before.
It could probably be used to stun a perceptive type trying to observe me: just form it in front of me and then watch them overwhelm their senses. That could be fun.
I will also have to check it with Sophie and the twins to see how others can perceive it. It is more difficult even for me to notice, so it is likely better hidden than [Ley Line] – if I decide to keep it that way. I already know how to make lines more noticeable to others if I choose.
It seems like a straight upgrade of an already ridiculously powerful skill. There is also a feeling, and something else that the skill is hiding, but I am unable to perceive it without passing out.
Anyway, I will get to it later. But my idea of surrounding the entire Earth with permanent lines to create my personal teleportation network still stands.
***
Comments
Kevin McGuire
Oh God Nat is excited about the floor. Quick check for mind magic.
Sedjet
Yet another one for the Harem thst Nat is oblivious to.
Bob
The champions are not inside the locked area surely because of the system meddling. The setting is a nice "And Then There Were None" !
Edmund Dillon
Tftc!!!
Asterrahl
I feel a bit of pity for the Champion. He seemed to be a kind fellow and Cerim instantly murdered him ;) The rarified air at the top doesn't agree with nice people. See the Lumoran armor-champion as exhibit B.
Maniac000
Aww Nat had himself a little heart off with the schools resident demon. He better be careful next time it might be a female demon and she could try mating with him.
William Johnson
Nat: okay, let’s see what’s under the hood! Ur Line: @%#%$#$%%^ Nat wakes up: A wise guy eh?! Ur Line &$^%@#$ Nat wakes up: Why I oughta! Ur Line: #$%%&%^&^$#% Nat wakes up: Touche unfathomable depths of the multiverse, touche… Ur Line: …….. Never change Nat, never change. Thanks for the chapter!
zoarian
Yo, that's a banger of a skill name!
Jordan Jones
If he marries or at least has children with someone it’ll either be Lily or a badass demoness. I’m rooting for half-demon Natlings, personally. One mistake non-romance writers sometimes make, TBATE is an example, is torturously stretching out a potential pairing until all interest in it snaps. At this point, I do not want the thing with Lily to become actionable, hundreds of chapters after it became known as a potential. It would feel fake, and there simply is not strong enough narrative support from Nat’s POV to make it otherwise at this point.
WonderChimp
Can't wait for Nat to combine Ur Line (or its next incarnation) with Knitting to get something like Reality Fabric.
WhiteLeeopard
Unfortunately, the modern English language hasn't done any favours to the names of many ancient civilizations and cities, as many were simplistic or very weirdly named. Ur was a city in Mesopotamia belonging to the Sumerians, one of the oldest civilizations in the world that we know of and impressively advanced for it's time. Some ziggurats and palaces of Ur still remain today, even 6000 years later.
Max
Tftc!! Love the Demon stuff in this series, Nat's just the best (Human-)Demon of them all.
Zaim İpek
Not mana users, mana seers. Only special eye traits or cheaters like Lissandra can see the mind overloading effect of the ur lines. The vast majority of mana users are fine.
Zaim İpek
It would be very interesting indeed if he started rebuilding his internal constructs with Ur Lines. I wonder how the constructs would change in their effect from such a modification.
Zaim İpek
I think you are unfortunately correct. And he doesn't seem very focused on learning to understand it. Normally we would have seen several attempts by now to mimic the effect with just mana manipulation if Nat actually cared or found it interesting. But it seems like he just gave up on trying because it's too hard, which is very out of character for him.
SaltDILF
My boi Nat casually getting Ur line, which is most likely the progenitor of Ley Lines if it follows what "Ur" typically means.
Sye Olmstead
Questionable skill to create but that aside, Ur Line sounds really dumb. I saw someone said it means original or primitive, but why not change it to Primordial Line or something. I also notice the way he reacted to the demon almost like he has a piece of Lioren still within, I’d really like to see a future transformative ability that lets him turn into his white haired demon form on command as a way to keep Liorens memory alive
WhiteLeeopard
He needs to do something with Empyrean lance, as he will loose it otherwise when he changes class. Of course, I imagine that will be at LV 450, so plenty of time, but better do it sooner than forget it later. Empyrian feels like the skill he understands the least for now.
Devon Mclean
Nats argument would be I would totally kill him just not like that. There needs to be mana involved.
Ivan Jelenić
Lol
Ivan Jelenić
Max would be [Line], I think.
Ivan Jelenić
Why do I get the feeling that all these professors, that notice how op Nat is, will testify against him in court when someone accuses him of murdering the Champion? "He's clearly skilled enough."
jax rammus
Yeah but he might not have the mental passives for it. Remember, nat took those mental buffs specifically for MWI
Andrew
Thank you!
zoarian
Next evolution of Ur Line: Ur Mama
Kirin
Thank you for the chappie!
RingoSeto
can anyone imagine.... armor made of ur lines..... and his level of ur lines going up replacing his threads around his heart and constructs with it...... instant salvation....
Greendalf
Derrick, Samuel and co will spend the entire year training to counter Ley Line and then Nat just explodes their heads without them noticing anything
Funny guy
Danks fur da chappie! Interesting skill
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
It could be one of those old super strong skills like empyrean lance. It's absurdly strong and liss even told him to learn as much as he can from lance. This is also propably like that.
Belmont Igneul
Ur Line armor might be the best against mana users if they can’t look at it without passing out
Flippu
When you pass out just from looking at it you its the good shit
Jules Messelot
Maybe his professor will be able to process the amount of information from the skill since he has the same trait as Nat
Oaktree
Lol. We do need a chapter where nat either gains a phantom skill or one where his skills combine to be worse. Chapter name ( what have I done). I stare at the skill for a moment refusing to believe that its real, not only that but to be created by me. I close the menu, focus is used to the max leveling in the process as I try to calm down. Even then its not enough and I still destroy multiple buildings as I try to quell the rage inside me. The system is an asshole and the skill starting with [phantom] will never be heard from again. I immediately go back into my status to remove the skill.
Chun
Well he can still do that, and now presumably BETTER with Ur line
Oaktree
The name of this chapter refers to A) nat and mana manipulation, B) Ur lines ability to be destroyed, or C) nats need to try to pick a fight with someone. As much as this chapter seems to point to A, im starting to think an ancestor of nats was a demon the way he wants to fight everyone.
zoarian
Huh, interesting name. Per google: Ur as prefix means primitive, original, or earliest... Denoting someone or something regarded as embodying the basic or intrinsic qualities of a particular class or type.
John Anastacio
I wonder if Lioren is really as dead as he is supposed to be. Nat unsealing even partially his ignition heart while generating kinetic energy from his first heart seems rather demonic behavior to me. Some kind of challenge display.
BeepBoop
Carefull Nat, or you will end up with a phantom line
ChildConsumer
I was thinking he'd keep Ley Line and when he returned to Earth use it to create lines of power over the whole planet that he could use to channel mana through for literal world ending spells
jj
Bro, your dp is a catfish or what 🤣
jj
What Nat is doing with Mana Manipulation is likely what Lissandra thinks should be the ideal state of anyone with respect to their skills. The System skills are a crutch, a blueprint, and learning how to use that blueprint is more effective than just relying on it blindly. In direct contradiction, Nat might go without his Mana Manipulation soon because he doesn't really need the skill. Also, it's the Ruler candidate who killed this Champion in a challenge and it will be Group 4 versus everybody else in the Academy. The candidate could be Elian.
Val the mysterious Jedi
More like g acknowledging another og, since they know they will wreck everything if they fight
Adrian Rake
So, this is the combination which he has chosen 🤔
Oaktree
So this world has 4 confirmed races, yet on the 2nd floor we only saw humans, now there could have been others we didn’t see and we still know very little about the paring and what happens after. This world could also be like the 7th and be part of a collaboration of worlds and thats the reason for multiple races. But im starting to get the feeling that liss just annihilated the other planet. Seeing as she stated that she won the pairings with her power alone.
Zaim İpek
Seems like this might be a max level skill like Focus, Empyrean Lance, Disintegration, Control, etc. With mana domain as one of its modifiers, he should be able to use it as a method of area control by spreading it out in something like a grid around himself. He should be able to [Knitt] it into some interesting stuff. The Subclass boost to Eclipse is also quite good. That's one of his more useful skills. I wonder what he will get next to fill the empty slot.
frankie doerr
Did Nat just scare a demon away
blaw
This world seems too tame and to regulated for Lissandra and her time. Every champion that commented on her marks in Nat called the old fashioned and somewhat wild. I got the impression that the currently easier but weaker way to use mana came long after her.
ShockedCorgi
I love it TFTC!
Sondadir
Thanks for the chapter !
vEnviouz
TFTC!!!
Emmanuel Martinez
Cerim is building up the tension for the upcoming Thursday cliff: *Caresses tin-foil hat* Young Lissandra apears, already capable of killing a Champion sneaky-like, with the Absolute’s weapon in hand.
Gravitea
Thanks for the chapter!!!
Nerø
Another OP skill here we gooo
Venno
Pansy demon professor
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
Ciobi
Third...TY
Dictator911
Tyftc
Nerø
First! TFTC!!
