cerim
patreon
Chapter 583 - My master
🕑 Added 2025-03-25 09:32:48 +0000 UTCI look at her for a while before asking, “Ruler of Greed?”
“From you, I would prefer Ruby.”
“The Ruby I knew died and you aren't her.”
“That's true, but I like the relationship you two had. I want it too.”
“So greedy.”
“Exactly.” She smiles at me. “Your disciple is cute, you know. I promised your duplicate so I'm making sure Envy doesn't hurt her. He even sent one of his vessels to kill her, but I dealt with him.”
“Thank you for that. If possible, I will pay you back.”
“There is no need to, I'm doing it because of the promise I made and because I want to,” she says as if remembering something, “oh, and Envy also sent one of his vessels to Earth.”
My train of thought stops there. “What? Isn't Earth protected while we are in the tutorial? Some lumorans also mentioned there is a non-attack phase for 10 years after the tutorial starts.”
“That’s true, but the vessel Envy sent isn't on Earth. Instead, it sits on your moon and observes the planet. He is a very childish man, isn't he?”
“I can only agree. And since I have you here, I will use this opportunity to ask something.”
“Please do so while we wait for her.”
“Is there a way to transfer Whitey's memories out of my mind?”
She understands immediately but shakes her head, “The rules were already twisted too much. There is no way to do it. As that person said to you, the only way is for the remains of the lurker to take over your mind, only to end up the same way as her and that lynthari. But…”
“But?” I ask.
“I like to be honest sometimes, so I’ll tell you this: even if there were a chance, I wouldn’t do anything to help you with it. Don’t ever think of me as someone altruistic.”
“I know.”
“Good,” she nods, still smiling.
“So we are waiting for her? Can she even get here?”
“Yes, I left a way in, so she should be able to make it. I’d be very disappointed if she didn’t.”
Just as she says so, a tear appears in the air. It is long, black, and jagged. From one end of it, the black blade of a dagger sticks out after cutting it open. From inside of it, a nauseatingly huge amount of mana seeps out, so dense it twists the air.
Like some sort of monster, Lissandra forces her way inside, stretching the tear open. Her mana constantly fluctuates, surrounding her like a flame refusing to die in a blizzard. She steps through, and the hole vanishes with an audible thump, leaving the air charged, like a forest after a storm.
Lissandra looks at me, but then her eyes move over and stop at the Ruler of Greed.
“You are late, fake one.” The Ruler of Greed still shows the same smile as she addresses Lissandra.
“You're calling me fake one? Ruby used to call me Master,” Lissandra asks calmly, not shaken by the situation at all.
And for the first time the Ruler of Greed shows a negative emotion. The smile on her face cracks, and underneath it anger appears—a deep, red-hot anger with a strong dose of hate.
“My master died millennia ago in the greatest fight this system has ever witnessed. She fell to the most powerful Ruler of Pride that ever lived, as no one else was able to match her at her peak,” she pauses, greater hatred radiating from her and twisting the space around, “but be sure I will kill that man and I will do anything to do so. And you, fake one, are nothing but an inferior imitation. A pathetic shadow of Master Lissandra's great self. So no, I won't call you my master.”
“Hoo?” Lissandra seems amused, and while the Ruler of Greed shows anger, she remains confidently calm, “Here I might agree with you. The disciple I knew is also dead. I ended her fake life by my hand rather than let her continue to live as a shadow.”
“All of you are just imitations,” the Ruler of Greed smiles out of nowhere, “yet, even master’s imitations used to be so powerful. Fake one. I remember well the day the other Rulers and I tore down the old tutorial floors and raised the new ones in their place. Even back then, Lady Lissandra’s imitations began to sense that something was wrong with this place and with themselves. They often slaughtered all the attendees. In other cases, they broke free from their floors and tried to escape the tutorial itself. To prevent that, we had to modify the second floor countless times.”
The Ruler of Greed smiles. She does so proudly, with memories flashing behind her yellow eyes.
“The others wanted to change Lady Lissandra's imitation, to modify it, strip away certain memories, and limit the abilities she possessed. After a few decades, I gave in and agreed, after she came close to breaking into the thirteenth floor. But you know what happened when we modified her imitation? Those altered imitations would simply sit and watch the attendees, and every time, they ended up destroying themselves while causing as much damage as they could. We lost hundreds of tutorials that way.”
She lets out a short laugh, her smile twisting into something almost unsettling. “It took a lot of attempts to come up with a version that would be even somewhat cooperative. We even changed the second floor itself. We built a setting with gods she believed were real and blocked her knowledge of the Rulers, along with several other things. And yet, even after all that, she still goes on a rampage from time to time.”
The Ruler of Greed looks at Lissandra. “Back then, I truly wanted to see her again. Maybe I even hoped she would escape when I chose the setup for my floor. Did I hope to have her by my side, or did I want to see her fight and kill that man I still cannot defeat? Did I want to give her a second chance against him? I was so young and foolish back then. But the more I watched, the more I realized that my master is gone. My master, with whom I spent so many years. My master, with whom I traveled through the system, fought wars, explored planets and our abilities, faced the most powerful Rulers and Absolutes, and caught glimpses of beings older than the system itself. I was curious what I would feel, meeting you like this. But you are just another one of those pathetic imitations. All high and mighty, without the slightest understanding of your place. A disgusting worm wearing my beloved master's form.”
Lissandra nods and asks simply, “Do you know what subclass I have picked?”
At that, the red-haired woman meets Lissandra’s gaze and nods. “Lady Lissandra used to be Pride, but yes, I know what you’ve chosen this time.”
Lissandra takes slow steps towards the red-haired woman, staring at her intently, “And do you know why?”
“Because you want to kill me, oh, fake one?” The Ruler of Greed spreads her arms wide in a slow, deliberate gesture of challenge.
A hint of her true mana leaks into the air. The ground trembles beneath it, and the space around her strains, as if the very fabric of this place is on the verge of tearing apart under the weight of her presence.
“Yes,” Lissandra nods, “I will kill a disciple of mine who is not truly a disciple of mine. I will punish her for what she has done and for allowing even an imitation of her master to be used this way.”
That makes the red-haired woman burst into laughter, but even that doesn't make Lissandra hesitate. Her determination doesn't waver at all.
The entire time, I sit there ignored, exhausted from the event, and with a confirmation of what I thought: the impossibility of getting Whitey out.
Yet these two ignore me, both facing each other with clear animosity.
Lissandra, who took Tess's life hostage. The Ruler of Greed, whose smile I saw when she was talking about Vega. She knows how much I dislike the fact that Vega is left at her mercy; just her leaving Vega alone would probably allow Envy to kill her, and I see how much she enjoys it.
Just as Tess was taken hostage by Lissandra, Vega is taken hostage by the Ruler of Greed.
The more they talk and bark at each other, the more I feel that anger well up inside me. That anger has been there ever since the start of the tournament, ever since the 5th floor where I had to endure all this.
And even now, with the Ruler of Greed merely using this setting as a chance to speak to Lissandra, something begins to snap as they hurl insults at each other.
"Do you ever stop?" I mutter, mostly to myself. But as they keep talking, I finally snap, my voice rising. "Can’t you just shut the fuck up?!"
The conversation ends in a blink, and both of them turn to me with evident surprise and I continue with my voice rising further “I don't know how you guys or how that huge, starry-eyed hikikomori asshole in his tower do the system oath but this is mine. If you continue to threaten me or the people around me, I swear I'll dedicate my life to being a dick and doing the exact opposite of whatever either of you wants or hopes for. I don't give a single flying fuck about how I look now, how childish I am, or how petty it might be. If anything happens to Vega, I swear I will make sure that Pride dickhead lives forever. You said you want to kill him, right? Yea, no fucking chance. I will dedicate my life to keeping his ass alive; hell, I will become his best fucking friend, I will learn his favorite colors, and I will call him on weekends just to spite you. And you, fucking cockroach? Oh, we are not done yet. You have a word to keep, and I don't care how unfair it might be or whether it's your fault; if anything happens to Tess, I will make sure you pay. Because fuck you two assholes.”
Breathe in, breathe out.
“Good? You understand? Great, fuck you. I'm tired of this bullshit. I'm done here. Bye and Fuck you.”
I destabilize my mana and it runs rampant as I allow it to happen and even help until it blows off my head. Then I find myself back out in the common area, feeling the same anger.
“Feral one?” I hear a worried voice next to me. Myrra stands there, her Aurora Glass creating a barrier around both of us, glimmering.
Only then do I realize it's my mana seeping out into the air. The mana I raised to the extreme to endure the pressure the two women were radiating even while just standing there. Beyond Myrra's barrier are dozens of unconscious people and hundreds more dead and regenerated by the system. Even though I can't hear anything through the barrier, I see some of them cry, others shake or writhe on the ground.
There would be more of them and only the Aurora Glass barrier around us stops my mana from passing further, and even that barrier starts breaking and cracking.
With a single thought, all my mana stops and freezes, taken back under my will. Then I pull it all back inside myself and start using Mana Cycling again to move it through my body, none passing outside beyond my skin.
“Your face too,” Myrra says.
I reach out and touch it, feeling my twisted expression of anger.
This time I don't use any skill to limit my emotions to quickly get rid of it. I just take a shallow breath in and force myself to calm down, suppressing these emotions beneath the surface.
Myrra smiles, and her barrier disappears, letting in the sound of people screaming, coughing, and crying, but she forces me to pay attention to her only, “It's back to normal. Do you want to spar, feral one?”
“I do not. I will be going and working on items.” I hesitate and then ask her, “Want to watch?”
“Feral one, is it similar to when humans ask if someone wants to come and have coffee late at night?”
“What? No. Where do you even get all these things from?”
“I'm fairly popular, you know, and people teach me a lot when I ask.”
I lift my hand, and she places hers in mine. I teleport us away. The sounds of the crowd vanish behind us, but the bad feeling lingers.
We start walking towards my workshop. Myrra doesn't ask anything and just follows me, with her tail slowly swaying from side to side and a gentle smile on her face.
"This place, these people, the system. All of them are very intent on fucking us over, aren't they, feral one?"
To that, I can only agree and nod.
***
Comments
Ronnel
I love this chapter☢️ cause I have a few moments at work where I just want to blow up and leave.. at least until I calm myself down and remember that I need it to pay for my subscription here. 🤣
Daniel is ŁØNE
I'm fairly certain Nat isn't oblivious, despite his extremely low social battery I get the impression that Nat is actually very socially intelligent and can easily understand and read social cues, he just doesn't care to do so.
Sedjet
Read it more like, "I'm stating it in this specific way because I have to, but in doing so telling you there is a way"
Madje Tobi Marc'Avent Tchona
The issue is powerful people do not need to pretend in front powerless people. Envy aside, because he enjoys playing with his prey’s emotions and plotting (sadist). Unless there’s something about Nat that is unique and special and important, aka ( a prophecy or some sort of hidden op skill), there’s literally no need for Ruby and Liss to cater to him. He’s basically a worm in terms of power compared to them and of course they would treat him as such and of course Nat’s pride would react badly to that. This scene makes sense to me cos of that. Maybe Nat is a special existence in the system which we prolly think he is as readers, but don’t know if the system acknowledges until now, if Ruby and Liss are “acting”. Or this highlights how insignificant he is still considered (him and his problems) on the grand scale of this world.
Madje Tobi Marc'Avent Tchona
Hmm . I dunno. I wonder how much “harder” you can try than Nat is right now? Dude trains every waking second, pushing himself to the brink of death, looks for every loophole/ shortcut he can, regardless of risk. How much harder can you train before it gets too hard and you start getting bad outcomes?
Gwalmeich
I can relate to Nat blowing his own head off. If I had that power, I would definitely have used it by now to escape a few particularly annoying people.
Rocotrap
I need a POV of the central area for when they're back in their senses
Vigli2020
Liss' reaction falls in line with the ending of the second stage. The only thing leaving me wondering is that she somehow got the information of her being in a tutorial and more from at least two rulers, one of them being envy, since she made a deal with him to get Nat being her disciple.
Woojoe
I think I agree with you. The scene doesn’t make sense if it’s not a ploy to piss off Nat. First he nearly gets his butt kicked by someone 50 levels lower than him. Then Greed pulls Nat in and treats him like a trophy she wants. Then she drops that Minion would be dead without her protection and Envy has an avatar on the moon. Then after Liss arrives, Nat is treated like a forgotten toy while the grownups fight. If it was just intended to be a confrontation between Liss and Greed, then there’s no point for Nat to be there. It doesn’t even make sense to pull him out of the Tournament area unless there’s something he needs to know. So yea, it has to be some sort of head games they’re playing with him. With that said, I have no doubt that Lissandra meant what she said about killing Greed. Perhaps Ruby accepted this as being a necessary sacrifice if it brings about Pride’s downfall.
Hugh Peeble
I do think they somehow staged their interaction to push Nat in some way so that he will continue to strive harder to be top of the top in the Earth tutorial. His threat to be extroverted as someone else mentioned in comments outlines how serious he was in his reaction/promise/threat of consequences though.
Johnny
I’m a fan of Nat and Ruby, and I know she’s holding Vegas hostage in a sense but she’s also protecting her whatever u wanna call it! Hope they can get past it. And bang
Johnny
Makes sense, but don’t like the idea that emotionally controlled Nat is that easy to manipulate. Maybe not easy but that he wouldn’t see thru it…either way I wanna see the rest of their convo now
Johnny
I thought it was a hint that while she won’t help him there IS a way
Johnny
Holy shit this type of chapter is as fun as the absurd duel last chapter. The enraged “fuck you”’s, love it. Wonder if Cockroachssandra and Ruby are bonding after everything over troublesome Nat
Johnny
Wait what?
Madje Tobi Marc'Avent Tchona
But then Vega would exist already? Maybe as a ruler as well? Would Min Jae then be envy? Somehow I’m not convinced
William Johnson
Nate is not happy about any of these assholes.
13L00D13ANE
She better watch out for Lily!
13L00D13ANE
Same. Id LOVE to have one from like DARPA or R&D for the military all serious about testing magic and they give it all super technical names and over-think everything. Then like Nat said in one of the recent chapters, a hell difficulty attendee gets back home and tells all of them, 'idk man, i just.. like.. *feel* it. And its all.. smooth flow maan'. XD
13L00D13ANE
The more i hear this theory the more i like it.
13L00D13ANE
I read that differently. I see her saying, 'theres no way, but even if there were, i wouldnt help you. Im only doing all this to amuse myself'.
firte
Damn I wonder if Miwa is gonna count Nat’s slip up against him
Moon Winchester
Finally
CptJimmy42
No, she just mentioned they fought Absolutes and Rulers as they traveled and even saw beings older/beyond the system itself. She mentions have the Rulers had to change and remake the tutorial because Fake-Liss was always escaping, or just obliterating whole tutorial lobbies, or messing with it in some way they couldn't control.
Slycerr
Didn't Ruby just reveal that the rank between Absolute and Ruler was made up so Copysandra wouldn't try to escape/destroy the tutorial?
zoarian
Unlike others, I'd prefer it if Ruby and Liss actually had beef with each other. It shows that regardless of how powerful they've become, they're still human.
Mark Bullock
Thx
David McCreight
Greed says that if there was a chance, she wouldn’t help Nat with Whitey. That could be a hint that even though she’s saying it’s impossible he shouldn’t trust her word.
Hugh Peeble
Side question… is anyone tracking all the girls in love with Nat that he is oblivious to?
Hugh Peeble
This. My coworkers think I am insane now from the snort laugh this comment triggered.
Hugh Peeble
I had a moment while reading this chapter where my brain went full inception/conspiracy theory mode… Nat is the Ruler that Lissandra and Ruby were trying to kill originally and they are all caught in the tutorial reliving different versions of events that led up to that happening… this was the triggering moment for Nat to ultimately push towards being that Ruler but none of them realize it.
CptJimmy42
@Aaron, I can't believe I didn't even consider this. Liss probably gave her a deal like "If you don't attend this tournament, I'll give you this OP skill knowledge, and you must keep it a secret." Knowing Tess, she would agree on the condition Liss would either record or take a picture of worried Nat so she can tease him about it later, and Liss would love this idea about tormenting the ignorant Nathaniel.
Ivan Jelenić
I mean, that's supported by the fact that she would have already removed Liss long ago, including with system's help/blessing, if she truly didn't care about her and did her duty.
Ivan Jelenić
I prefer the peanut gallery reactions over Lissy and Ruby. Earth reaction to those that finished tutorial and what the finishers are doing is also great. They're one of the best parts of the story for me.
CptJimmy42
Champion -> Absolute ->??-> Ruler? (All the information we got so far)
Ivan Jelenić
Hmmm I guess the next step is Ruler Candidate?
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Shit I would have snapped Too smh, these Old Broads arguing over Fuckery,🤣😅
Jordan Jones
I mean, that would be a lot more satisfying than this pettiness. I dislike when villainous motivations are simple, but I also recognize that can be hard to relate. Still, some complexity is always preferred to none.
CptJimmy42
"Well if you two fuck with me, I'm going to be an extrovert now!" - Pissed off Nat "It'll be a problem for future Nat, cause fuck that guy..." - Nat a few seconds after yelling at them
CptJimmy42
He is Prideful
TreeReader
Aaron I wondered this too lol
Aaron Stewart
What if tess doesn't even have a mimic in her but liss told her not to go.
Andrew
Thank you!
Snake With An Aurora Borealis
YEAH
Carnaza
Agree, still think this was a play and they are working together.
Aaron Stewart
I think the cockroach and ruby don't actually hate each other, but were trying to get a rise out of nat to get him to his next stage of pride. This is definitely working on it. When he leaves they actually talk about things they wanted to talk about.
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
Good the reaction wasn't in this chapter. Consistent tone and all. Ruby and Liss reaction, should be first, then maybe peanut galery idk.
RnR_ RnR
"Oh you hate pride? We're gonna be best friends now!" Nat is such a spiteful dick, I love it. Im sure biscuit will end up saving the day. Being gluttony and all.
Clown Quest
Damn liss getting more badass
Winston Farris
Did Nat just threaten to be social!?!? That’s a whole different level of pissed off.
Kelto
She is greedy like that
RingoSeto
They know it will make him super upset.... but they are using it anyway to help him get past his supposed champion limitations
Augustus
Ya there is no way greed is not secretly happy about this situation if she did not want cockroach trying to escape they would have deleted lissanda before when she was causing the issue she just talked about and then patched the fact she was missing that would be far more effective for the purpose of the tutorial and prevent any twisted clone of her master from existing. But nope the greedy b***h wants her master back and will use the tutorial attendees to do it.
Funny guy
Danks fur da chappie!
CptJimmy42
Nat finally popped, bet Liss and Ruby are proud/pissed at their little Pride Champion.
Brandon
Intense!
Adrian Rake
He just couldn’t resist himself 😂
Peter Stawiarski
Can we have Myra POV after watching Nat having his coffee late at night? 😉
Woojoe
Oh man oh man oh man! Not the chapter I expected but the chapter I needed!
Venno
What a chapter!
Max
Tftc!!
Dr.Awkward
Tftc! I love seeing Nat blow a gasket. Feels like true righteous anger with some toppings of childishness
Ansordia
Fuck the system! Also I thought for a second Greed wasn't that of a dick... But basicly dangling Vegas safety like some carrot was moronic... while yes Nat is less then a insect he will fucking go ham for those he loves Ruby or Greed better fucking hope he won't figure out the cordinates of Vega's planet... Oww right shouldn't he check the store if he can buy that?
Oaktree
Are we sure that nats starting skill wasn’t “spite”?
Blaxxun
Well he had quite a bit bottled up, seems like a good release I still want their reactions tho
Borbino the great
I did not expect to see that outcome between lissandra and ruby meeting but it does make since id be pissed seeing a loved ones twisted clone
Florian
Please dont let us wait for ages to read their reaction to his rage.
Claro reyes
Tftc
Leyphelio
Nat's rant was pure comedy gold
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
Oaktree
Moon spider envy’s vessel?
Belmont Igneul
Huh. So that’s why the spider is there.
vEnviouz
TFTC!!!
