cerim
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Chapter 728 - The most beautiful woman to ever live
🕑 Added 2025-11-04 09:41:26 +0000 UTC“So you’ve been watching us the entire time?”
“Of course I did. You’re mine after all. I’m just greedy like that.”
“There have to be some protections against that. System privacy rules, and stuff.”
“None at all.”
“Well, one of these days there’ll be an attendee labor union to fight for those rights. By the way, I have a question.”
“The answer is yes. I already know what I want in exchange for helping you save your beloved disciple.”
“Not that, but since you brought it up, go ahead. What is it you want?”
“Call me Ruby.”
“That’s it?”
“What else can you offer me that’s truly valuable, beyond things like that? I want you to call me that, but not just out loud. Even if it’s difficult, I want you to think of me as Ruby, because that’s who I am before I’m the Ruler of Greed.”
“I see. I’ll try then, Ruby.”
“Thank you. Now then, what would you like to know?”
“You seem to be enjoying this situation. Did Lily’s handler screw up that badly?”
“Her handler is Wrath, by the way. He either didn’t bother to check the quest properly or didn’t have anyone else do it instead of him. We have some basic protections in place so that while attendees can be sent on dangerous missions, it’s at least within reason. Especially for someone like her. As he likes to do, he ignored it all. Let me tell you, most of the Rulers aren't very good Handlers.”
“Are healers really that valuable?”
“Healers in general? No. Healers like her? Yes.”
“And all that stuff about her being the most talented since Kindness?”
“...”
“Please stop laughing.”
“...”
“I’m getting annoyed.”
“Nathaniel, there’s a reason why you and that Savant guy are both so very wrong. Yes, Lily’s talented, very much so. I’m sure that in a few decades, maybe centuries, she’ll become an impressive healer, possibly one of the most gifted of this generation. But comparing her to Kindness? There’s so much you don’t know about that pitiful woman.”
“Then tell me.”
“Is that what you really want to know? I won’t be able to tell you much else if that’s your choice. Even though it’s not a secret in the strictest sense, it’s still about one of the Rulers, so it carries weight.”
“It’s fine. I want to know.”
“As expected of you. Anyway, I’ll keep it short. There are parts of her past that only she can tell you, and some things she told me will die with me. Kindness and the Cinderbear, before he became Charity, were both there when the system first began expanding into our universe. During these early millennia. The lights in the sky and the mana rains you saw on the first floor came from that time, and were signs of the system spreading. When Cinderbear became Charity, he just chose that era for his floor, and we had to heavily modify his floor. Some say he chose that time because those were his last peaceful days before Kindness found him, and by studying his body, became what she is now.”
“What…”
“Don’t ask. I’m not saying more. Even this hint is very valuable, so think of it on your own. This is just the setup, a short introduction. If you meet Kindness again, she’ll likely tell you more if you ask. But what I can say is that she grew stronger and stronger after meeting Cinderbear. She experimented, learned from his body, and that phase of her development lasted a long time. Later, she even cooperated with Pride for a while, and some of today’s races are their creation.”
“What…”
“I told you not to ask, and just take the hints I am giving you. And yes, I’m saying some of this just to torture that curious little brain of yours. It’s fun watching you squirm and seeing your head almost smoke from trying to piece it together.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Of course you will. You’re petty like that. But as I was saying, a very, very long time passed, and she decided it was her time to die on her planet, surrounded by her beloved King and his warriors. It must have been beautiful, her empire, I mean. I’ve only heard stories and seen fragments of old records. Dozens of planets under her rule, from before she became a Ruler, because she didn't want to and instead lived as an Absolute. Her healing aura spread through all of these connected worlds, and her people lived free of illness, with lifespans multiplied many times over.”
“She was that powerful?”
“And much more. She outlived the rise and fall of entire civilizations. Some even worshipped her as an immortal deity. The most beautiful woman to ever live, they said. But for a reason I will keep to myself, she’d decided she had enough and tried to take her life. She destroyed her brain, her heart, everything she could reach, and closed her eyes, thinking it would be the end of her long life. Yet her talent and power would not let her die. She fulfilled some twisted condition that evolved her abilities into [Immortality], merging several of her most beloved skills into something monstrous. It took away what she loved most. Healing and helping people.”
“Ah.”
“Yes, ah. She woke up years later to find her world and all its connected planets turned into death traps. Her healing aura, once miraculous, had twisted into something no one could stop, killing billions. You’ve probably wondered about that, but some of the floors, even though they’re based on the Rulers’ histories, are heavily modified. Otherwise, no attendee would survive them.”
“I thought as much. And what did she do after waking up to all of that?”
“I’ve been thinking while talking to you about what I could tell you, but how about I show you instead? I’ll create a small window so you can see what the truly powerful Rulers are.”
“You know I won’t say no.”
“So be it. Just look… and see what she’s asking you to destroy.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Do you see now? Do you understand how foolish your words were?”
“...”
“Do you have no words at all?”
“H-how… What is… What am I looking at?”
“This is Kindness. Or at least, what remains of her original body.”
“That thing? That can’t be her.”
“Unfortunately, for her, it is. Tell me, Nathaniel, describe for me what you see.”
“How the hell would I describe this? You opened a window to space, and we’re looking at a black hole surrounded by a halo made of flesh, bones, and… god knows what kind of unholy gore orbiting it. There’s so much of it, enough to make multiple planets. The sheer scale is impossible to grasp. That can’t be her.”
“But it is. What you’re looking at is the Black Hole Forge that the Corporation now operates with the permission of Kindness herself, who still hopes they’ll someday find a way to kill her.”
“How is that even possible?”
“Time. A lot of time. Someone like Pride or Elf could probably tell you exactly how long, maybe a few others, too. But honestly, I think most people would rather not know. When her world ended and she failed to die, she spent ages trying to end it again. She cast herself into blazing stars. She battled dragons. She awakened forgotten gods and hunted the Old Rulers across dying worlds. She faced many ancient beasts and challenged Pride again and again.”
“This is so fucked up.”
“It is. I agree with you. Every attempt only made her [Immortality] stronger. What used to be an active skill she could control turned into something else entirely. Now she serves as an eternal warning for anyone chasing power, a reminder to be careful with the highest grade skills. So, in the end, she risked it all and hurled herself into a black hole, but even that went exactly as she feared it would. I don’t even want to imagine how long she was tortured there. Broken and restored all over with pieces of her devoured in or thrown out. Just how long did it take? Tens of thousands of years? Millions? Her body refused to die, endlessly regenerating until it grew into the abomination it is now, crawling its way back out of the black hole with no one knowing how much is still inside of it. Some say even the system pitied her, allowing Cinderbear to become Charity just to save her, and put it to a stop. Maybe Cinderbear pitied her too, since it was from him she learned the secrets that led to her [Immortality].”
“Is there really no way?”
“Maybe one day. Trust me, there’s no being in existence hoping for that more than her. What you saw orbiting the black hole, all of that is her flesh, bones, nerves, skin, organs. Quantities even a Ruler can barely comprehend. Her body floats there, left for the Corporation to harvest. Most of their strongest items are forged from that same flesh and bones, and she allows it. In exchange, every hundred years, they must attempt to kill her again. Ninety percent of their entire budget, and incredible resources, go into those efforts, under the contract she made with them. I oversee it, and my Master of Greed, the High Director of the Corporation, too, to make sure they actually try, not just pretend to not destroy the source of their wealth and power.”
The window closes, cutting me off from the horrific view. I look at Ruby, who now seems more solemn than before, and I can’t help but feel some of that weight settle on me too.
“You should go now,” Ruby says, waving her hand.
And just like that, I disappear.
Appearing in my residence, I take a moment to look around before moving to the terrace. I sit down in a chair and let my eyes drift over the city below. It is night outside, and the streets are lighting up gradually, one by one, until the view glows like veins of gold across the dark.
For a while, I let myself relax, to truly rest, but even that is impossible to do completely. My body still complains under the strain of mana refilling my system, forcing me to use Mana Cycling to keep it moving. Compared to how it usually feels when my mana is full, this is easier, almost soothing. It has been a long time since I could feel that.
So I just sit there, watching as the city fully lights up. An hour passes, then another, then two more.
Only then do I stand and head for the door, moving without kinetic energy or any mana beyond what is needed for cycling. I walk at the pace I would have before the tutorial, slow and human.
I have about three days left since the quest was meant to last seven. There were no rewards, but I am sure what I did will count toward my Beyond rank calculation and my goal of reaching S rank, even if it is just for bragging rights. With the option to take S rank Beyond quests as an A rank, I am confident I will get there faster than most people. Well, except monsters like Nyssa.
Maybe I could speed up my schedule and head to the fifth floor early. Or maybe there is something else. The best move now is to check with my guild, so I do exactly that and make my way to our local branch.
With people here barely needing sleep, the place is just as busy as during the day. There are even faces I do not recognize, probably night owls or those on shifted schedules.
I find one of the Vice Guild Master’s assistants, assistant of that Local guy who keeps the Primordial Knights running smoothly, and give him a brief report. He writes everything down carefully. I have learned that doing things like this helps when it comes time to renegotiate contracts, better pay, fewer responsibilities, and the usual perks.
In the end, I am assigned a short three day mission that fits neatly into my freed time. When I hear the details, I almost groan but manage not to show it. The Vice Guild Master’s assistants are sharp, they pick up on irritation easily and remember it for later use against you.
With the new mission in hand, I move to one of the guild lounges to wait for my partner for the duration of this mission.
To wait for the most demon demon to ever demon. Morwag.
I will be joining him on a mission to kill the Guild Master of the Eternal Court and wipe out what is left of their forces hiding in one of their secret bases here on the fourth floor of Beyond.
Comments
Moon Winchester
A black hole enhanced by a system. Also, I’m not saying it’s the most dangerous but I think it’s the thing to finally trap her.
ED
I think Lily will be the one to end up killing Kindness. We already know her [Disintegration] is one of the most powerful offensive skills, and it would be narratively satisfying for our healer to surpass the previous best healer.
Octaeon
that's cool. but are black holes really the most destructive and dangerous objects in the universe? i would've thought in a world like this one there would be more dangerous places than 'just' black holes.
Audrey WJ
Maybe because she's a sorta kinda undead idk.
Borbino the great
He’s long since surpassed them
TheOne320
Why can Kindness not get Healing again? Nat throws away Mana Manipulation every 5mins and just gets it back 5s later.
im_among_you
Maybe a higher-tier [Perception]? Like something more abstract, like [Observe]?
Kradish
Nat is the future Ruler of Pettiness for sure.
rams
you misspelled pettiness :)
Manther
"And yes, I’m saying some of this just to torture that curious little brain of yours. It’s fun watching you squirm and seeing your head almost smoke from trying to piece it together.” Cerim, 2025
Manther
Kindness: "Alright, I wanna die now" Her body and skills: "Noooo! I wanna live!"
Ivan Jelenić
Is Nat going to make a new Ruler position for himself? E.g. "Ruler of Creativity".
Ivan Jelenić
I just realized that Nat basically figured out Nyssa's [Weapon] skill ('as if a weapon were pointed at me') because he has [Perception], and at a decent level, at that. If he just had [Mana Perception] or something, he wouldn't realize it, but [Perception] perceives everything, not just one thing. I'm guessing at [Perception] level 99 you could see most skills of almost everyone, or at least have a good idea about them.
P K
I really don't think throwing yourself in a black hole and becoming a eldrich meat oblisk revolving around a black hole is the classic trope with immortality sucking, but indeed her situation does suck
Krish Gupta
You know, back when cerim made the joke SCP chapter about biscuit, i'm not entirely sure it was a joke...
Malestan
It was great, for real ! :D Poor girl tho :( What a true tragedy her story is
Malestan
Equally as interesting doesn't equate "equal". Biscuit is not (yet :3) at the level of Ruby and Lissliss
Malestan
For fun ? Most rulers seems bored out of their minds ^^
im Panda
It's not. It was just a creative way to show Nat having monsterous control in response to the Absolute threatening the people he cares about. The guy said he might just kill everyone that was in the bubble and nat was about to channel that entire ball of black Mana to fight against it
Marshall
So Lilly has wrath sub class, and has the ruler of wrath for her handler. I'm surprised about that. Why help someone who is on the path to challenge you for your job?
Andrew
Thank you!
Chocolate
Dark Matter has absolutely nothing to do with black holes.
Kirin
Thank you for the chappie!
Krzychu0304
A kill mission? While Nat is trying not to level up? That seems a bit contradictory... +What about the Absolute Candidate mission (and was the part about fighting the champion completed), he didn't want to complete it before level 350? PS: Important note to the earlier chapters; did you notice that the hornless demon mentioned Biscuit as if he were equal to Ruby and Liss? PS: II: I really wanted to write something about kindness and the black hole, but I really have no idea what new content I could add that hasn't been mentioned in the earlier comments...
MrSlouch
Tyftc
Josh Betts
She out regenerated a black hole ability to atomize things and became a pseudo enstiens ring/ photon ring so that means black mana is probly the dark matter version of mana
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Morawg is like a pimp named slick back" please say the whole name when you refer to him 😂😂
Nemesis
Pretty sure that warning was just Envy being a dick
Nemesis
Their existence is the joke 😜
Death56
Well I assume cinder bear has nats thermal trait on crack since he went into suns when he woke up. Kindness is why nat got that warning about level 90 skills and honestly I don't think he cares
Arnon Parenti
He dragged her out of the black hole so her body could regenerate, probably by eating and pooping her like he did the other Ruler.
M van Dongen
Holy Carp!
Arnon Parenti
Eternal Clowns apparently told one joke too many.
Moonfrost
aside from whatever she experienced since the destruction of Eladore, she fused with the memories and experiences of F2 Ruby, so pretty similar
Thedevilsdemon
Can somebody explain why / what cinderbear did to Kindness to help her? I dont get it?? I have somehow the impression that the timeline is not lining up? Help pleas :3
Fdrugc
How similar is Ruby to the one from the tutorial?
Fdrugc
Woohoo Morwag!!!
Fdrugc
Ruby is waiting for nat to figure it out himself in a previous episode She instantly thought of multiple solutions for it
zoarian
I wonder if Black Mana reaching towards Nat (seemingly without his conscious input) is a similar sign to what Kindness experienced with the skill going rogue. Obviously on a much smaller scale, and it's not a skill, but it may have a similar status in terms of being ancient, etc.
Val the mysterious Jedi
Dang classic why immortality sucks, hope kindness has a happy end
Val the mysterious Jedi
The point greed was making is her skill is beyond broken, that no one can comprehend how to kill her, it's not as easy as drain her mana
Baelmoul
It would be really interesting to see how a black hole could be destroyed—or even what happens when something gets close to one.
Jeb
"Now she serves as an eternal warning for anyone chasing power, a reminder to be careful with the highest grade skills." Key term "highest grade skills" not highest level. Mana manipulation is a basic skill. Nat's Manifestation skill might qualify as a highest grade skill though.
Adrian Rake
That story of Kindness is dark and scary as fuck! I will have some nightmares tonight, for sure 😔
Baelmoul
To destroy a black hole, I would have guessed one would need to be a ruler. But she tried to throw herself into the sun, hoping to die. That suggests the rulers aren't—or don't believe they are—stronger than the sun. So that would mean Nat can't destroy a black hole, even if he were a ruler. ps: Black Holes are stronger then stars
Compendium
Lol inconvenient went he's trying not to level
Borbino the great
I actually feel so bad for kindness I hope Nat can find a way to either kill her or fix her
Lance Beam
TFTC. Wow, Cerim answers the cosmological equivalent of what happens when a irresistible force meets an immovable object? What happens when a singularity meets immortal Kindness?
Joe Woodhouse
Nice of Greed to tell him that Charity holds the answers to how to fix what he's done to his body with all the Constructs.
frankie doerr
So first things first Nat’s going to have to find a way to destroy the black hole so he can get her body back and best way to kill an immortal is to make them mortal
Nemesis
I think we are starting to reach the tipping point in the story where power is consolidating and more running story threads are getting closed. Most stories start with a lot of mysteries and questions, which get answered over time. New ones do get added, of course, but if you have enough threads as you get through the early stage then you start having a stream of answers and new revelations coming in
Bladehawk256
What...
Nemesis
Theoretically, shouldn't Kindness become much easier to kill if all her mana is drained? And she has black mana, how insanely tough is she if even that didn't work for her?
Sir Supports Alot
Cerim is spoiling us lately I wonder what's up
Peteski
"..."
Wasim Petersen
Holy shitballs on a salted cracker! The scale keeps on growing. I can’t even begin to fathom what it would take for Nat to grant eternal mercy to Kindness. I always thought Envy’s warning not to let a skill reach level 99 was coming from a place of envy and not wanting Nat to reach the heights he and the other rulers had. Now it seems like there was some merit to that warning. This makes me wonder what Nat’s first lv 99 skill will be. Mana manipulation seems the likely choice, but how would that end up backfiring as I’m sure this chapter is alluding at. Will our boy Nat find himself in some sort of Mana stasis waiting for Vega, the most Minion Minion to ever Minion, to somehow bail him out? Only Time will tell.
James Skinner
Well that's a terrifying cautionary tale right there.
Gravitea
In three days lol! Thanks for the chapter!
James Skinner
Birth of? That's his main persona.
Nemesis
Are we going to see the birth of Pettythaniel? A segment that records all the petty slights ever suffered and plots appropriate retribution?
Rene Duvall
TfTC!
Michel Kommers
Third!
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
vEnviouz
TFTC!!!
