Free Web NovelChapter 37: The Market
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[Abyss System]
Name: Rios Astar
Race: Tree of Abyss (Mutated)
Roots: 20
Flexible Branches: 100
Forms:
1. Tree of Abyss
2. Elf
Bloodlines:
1. Abyss (Immortal)
2. Life (Immortal)
Laws:
1. Derivation (1) 0% (Cosmic)
2. Life (1) 0% (Cosmic)
Level: Master (3)
Progress: 100%
Evolution Requirements: Comprehend the first level of the law + 10M points
Points: 40M
Skills:
1. [Summon Abyss (Immortal)]
2. [Power of Abyss (Legendary)]
3. [Flexibility (Legendary)]
4. [Armament (Legendary)]
5. [Abyss Cloud (Legendary)]
6. [Pulse of Life (Heaven)]
7. [Blessing of Life (Heaven)]
8. [Seal of Life (Heaven)]
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Rios looked at the status panel and frowned when he saw the progress rate of his laws.
Knowing that he possessed talent in two Cosmic Laws while his comprehension of them had not even reached one percent was both frustrating and discouraging.
But Rios had no other choice. Comprehending laws was never easy, and anyone needed an enormous amount of time to truly understand them.
"It’s fine. I only have one quest left to complete. Once I seize complete control over the City of Light, I’ll have all the time I need to study the laws and handle everything else," Rios muttered to himself before shifting his attention back to the system.
"System, is there any way to speed up the evolution of my original bloodline and raise the Abyss bloodline skills to the Heaven rank?" Rios asked with visible frustration. The thought of waiting at least twenty years for his bloodline to mature from a child to an adult and finally reach the Heaven rank was unbearably irritating.
[It is not impossible, but it is extremely difficult. There are many rare treasures capable of accelerating bloodline evolution, though those effective on Immortal bloodlines are among the rarest of all. Naturally, the host’s current world possesses none of these treasures. However, the host may find them after entering The Eternal Night Heaven. I should remind the host that such treasures will be extraordinarily expensive, and the weakest one capable of affecting your bloodline would be at least of the Heaven rank.]
The system answered in its cold, mechanical tone.
Reading the response, Rios let out a disappointed sigh. With a wave of his hand, the dome woven from branches vanished. He looked up at the sky and said,
"Alright. It seems we should finish this quest first and secure absolute control over this city."
.
.
.
Hour after hour passed.
Morning faded away, and a gigantic crimson sun stood directly above the City of Light.
It was noon.
The midday weather in the City of Light was pleasantly mild, allowing everyone to continue shopping and attending to their daily affairs.
Rios and Elena both wore long robes with wide-brimmed hoods that concealed their faces, while Elena also covered herself with a semi-transparent black veil.
Their robes were old and covered in dust, making them appear to be of humble means.
Such attire was hardly unusual. Many people throughout the market were dressed similarly.
Rios looked around, observing the merchants and customers haggling over prices, the endless flow of footsteps, and the soldiers shouting as they struggled to regulate traffic and maintain order.
Then his gaze shifted toward the alleys between the buildings.
There, he saw countless women, children, elderly people, and the sick dressed in torn clothing, their thin bodies begging for food and water yet finding no one willing to provide it.
"It seems your city has been facing quite a few crises lately," Rios remarked sympathetically as he turned toward Elena. frёeωebɳovel.com
"It certainly has. It’s a miracle it has managed to endure after all the wars it fought over the past thirty years."
Elena gazed sorrowfully at her helpless people before turning back to him.
"And besides, it isn’t just my city anymore. It’s your city just as much as it is mine now."
In response, Rios continued surveying the city and its people, paying little attention to anything else until he noticed something unusual. His brows furrowed as he asked,
"Why are there so few men in the market? No... throughout the entire city, actually."
Surprised, Rios used the abilities of the Life bloodline to perceive the surrounding plants and trees.
Within the marketplace, the men consisted almost entirely of soldiers and a handful of merchants. Everyone else was either women, elderly individuals, or children younger than twelve.
As for the city as a whole, the situation was even worse. For every twenty women, there was barely one man.
"The city has fought countless wars in recent years. We barely managed to preserve the scholars and children needed to raise a new generation, but that came at the cost of sacrificing most of the men to hold back our enemies."
Pain flashed across Elena’s face before she paused and quietly continued,
"But even among the women, we’ve lost the majority. More than half of those who remain have either fallen ill or become homeless."
Forcing a bitter smile to hide her weakness before the fate of her people, she added,
"And the most tragic irony is that most of those still alive—whether men or women—are talentless people incapable of awakening their power."
Rios listened attentively and waited until she finished speaking before asking about the detail that had caught his interest the most.
"How exactly do you awaken your powers?"
"It’s neither difficult nor the same for everyone. Every race has its own method, and even each city follows a different process. Each method is capable of awakening a certain percentage of one’s bloodline."
Elena patiently explained before continuing,
"When a child reaches the age of twelve, they drink a sip of water from the Well of Cradle, which is saturated with energy thanks to one of the roots left behind by the Tree of Cradle after it reached the fourth level. If the child possesses talent, one of the seven Elf bloodlines awakens: Fire, Water, Light, Darkness, Wood, Wind, or Lightning. Afterward, they join the clan corresponding to their awakened bloodline."
"Of course, in extremely rare cases, a child is born with an already awakened bloodline."
Elena smiled as she pointed at herself, then glanced at the many Elves with dark brown-black hair walking through the marketplace.
"And if they have no talent, they simply remain ordinary Elves."
Rios listened with interest and was about to ask another question when a voice suddenly called out from behind him.
Read your fate, mortal... so that when the inevitable" comes to pass, you shall understand why!"
