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Chapter 599 - Freedom
🕑 Added 2025-04-16 08:43:55 +0000 UTCAll of us sit around my trademarked thermal cube that, with the help of kinetic energy channeled through internal spaces, emits a crackling noise. The heat also fluctuates, sending waves similar to real, crackling fire, rather than being a stable source of heat.
Tess lifts her eyes from the cards she is holding, “They really made collection cards for high ranked attendees.”
“Yup!” Dennis nods excitedly. “Aaron and I have probably the best collection out of Earth´s tutorial. We even have shiny Noname!”
I lift my eyes off the orb I'm training with. Shiny what?
He shows Tess the card featuring a drawn sketch of my face, which for some reason looks extremely punchable. The artist clearly has a talent for caricatures, since I'm pretty sure my face doesn't actually look like that. Right? Aside from that, beneath the face is dense text, the same as I saw on my card earlier, with some new additions.
Even the alias "Noname" has been scratched over and rewritten to Nathaniel Gwyn. The card itself is of much higher quality than the previous version. It is made from some sort of very light metal with edges and a back that shines with a golden, metallic finish.
I hate it.
Dennis continues to blabber, “The creator apparently had enough time to make only five shiny Noname cards, so it's super rare! Besides that, I also got Shiny Tacita and Shiny Derick. Apart from that, I have all the normal ones for all the kings.”
“Dennis,” Tess sighs.
“What?”
“Please never change. Anyway, I already heard something from the girls, but I will look over the cards, as there seems to be useful information. But… Mana Daddy might be too much,” she giggles while saying so, “and what kind of "Note" is: can be lazy as fuck, likes to stay behind, charge his attacks, and then kill steal?”
“That one is very accurate!” Aaron joins the conversation, “I heard the creator discussed it with two experts from Hell difficulty.”
I turn away from the group and watch as Myrra walks further as well. She already said goodbye to everyone except one person, and now she just waits for Lissandra and for this floor to end.
The sky is dark, but high up there a pale blue color fluctuates in a manner similar to polar lights. Once in a while, earthquakes are sent through what feels like the planet itself. There seems to be some sort of field protecting us, as just a few miles away entire mountains crumble or the vegetation disappears under the influence of what feels like mana radiation.
Holding Biscuit in my arms, I stand up and head towards Myrra.
As I walk, the corgi in my arms suddenly twitches and opens his eyes. Surprised by the unfamiliar surroundings, he startles and starts squirming to get out of my grip. Then he sniffs the arm I'm using to hold him. Almost instantly, he freezes, and I can practically see him processing what he's smelling. After a moment, he closes his eyes again and goes still.
His breathing is different now, clearly showing he is awake and just pretending to sleep.
Damn it, Biscuit.
I don't say anything out loud and instead pull him closer to my chest, continuing to hold him while walking toward Myrra.
“Is this my goodbye gift?” she asks, glancing at Biscuit.
“Is the bag of deer jerky not enough?” I ask her, and the two of us closely observe the corgi in my arms.
He twitches once, twice, and even his eyelids move as if he is about to open his eyes, and I sense the faintest attempt at telepathic communication, likely to call me an asshole or something worse. But in the end, he continues to pretend to be asleep.
While I watch her curiously swaying tail, I ask, “Listen, Myrra, among lynthari, what kind of gesture is it to pull someone's tail, if you compare it to human customs?”
I don't tell her, but every time I see it, I get the feeling I need to pull on it. I think that's normal, totally normal. I just can't imagine anyone having a pet and not trying to pull its tail at least once. I pause my thoughts. Not that I consider Myrra my pet, of course.
The tall lynthari tilts her head and smiles, “I think for a human it would be a gesture similar to this.”
She takes a step around me and then slaps my butt. It is a perfect slap that sends the sound throughout the area. For the briefest second, she leaves her hand on it and even squeezes before letting go and moving in front of me.
There is no shame in her golden eyes.
“Did you just sexually harass me, Myrra?”
“Did I? Well, don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look at my tail. But since we won’t see each other for a few years, you can pull on it. I’ll allow it this time.”
“I have changed my mind.”
"It's for free."
"I'm not interested anymore."
“Come on, feral one.”
"I'm getting scared, please stop."
She laughs in her typical way, and her good mood is shown by her fangs appearing in that smile.
A notification pops up to interrupt us.
Alert: Narrative irregularity confirmed. Progression has deviated from the floor’s designated parameters. Escalation exceeds acceptable thresholds.
The current scenario is no longer compatible with the floor’s intended structure. Recorded wave completions have surpassed all historical data. The competition rate exceeds statistical maximums. The floor has been cleared with total efficiency, violating the expected range of outcomes.
All Rulers assigned to this cycle of the tutorials have been notified.
Unregistered influence has been identified. Identity does not correspond to any system-approved entity. No matching designations found across current or archived cycles. Origin point obscured. Interference trace persistent across multiple sectors. Behavioral pattern inconsistent with allowed roles.
Primary reward output has been adjusted and significantly reduced.
Additional interference detected. Initiating further reward reduction sequence.
Unauthorized entity presence is confirmed. Trace patterns do not match any known or permitted variables.
Administrative Rulers have been notified.
Automatic response protocols have been initiated. A containment model is being generated. Observation priority elevated. System integrity remains intact. The current result has introduced instability into the cycle's progression metrics. An internal audit has been scheduled.
All further actions subject to direct Ruler oversight.
Notice: Despite irregularities, the main quest objectives for Floor 7 have been fulfilled. Completion is officially recognized.
Even more, notifications appear after that, all in the same manner that shows how crazy and unexpected it would be for an attendee to kill the Absolute. More checks run, and after them, even more appear. As if the tutorial system itself were confused by Lissandra. That also clearly confirms what she has said to me before. It really seems that time is ticking down for her.
Part of me wonders why she still did that knowing what would happen, but as I glance at the rewards, I think I understand.
The rewards are incredible. Even after all those reductions, they're still way too good. It’s probably her parting gift, maybe even a kind of apology. It’s strange, really strange because I’m sure she would still have killed anyone from group 4 if she had to. I’m sure she would have let Tess die, just like she clearly told me before.
Maybe this is just how people work.
Another notification pops up.
Congratulations! You've successfully completed the 7th floor's main quest. An entrance to the eighth floor has been created.
That entrance appears and behind it lies a grand room, lit by soft, diffused light that reflects off polished marble floors and high, mirrored ceilings. Every surface is covered in detail, walls lined with velvet drapes, carved columns wrapped in gold leaf, and chandeliers heavy with crystal.
Inscriptions run across multiple surfaces. The walls, the windows. The furniture itself is oversized and sculpted, lacquered and cushioned in rich fabrics. Tables hold decorative pieces with no clear function: vases, jeweled relics, small statues carved from gemstone. Each item is expensive for the sake of being expensive.
“I have to go now, feral one,” Myrra says to me, and I follow her gaze to where Lissandra has appeared and is standing, waiting.
Before Myrra takes a step away, I call, “It would suck if you just died now.”
She stops for a moment and looks at me, “See you later, Nathaniel.”
I nod, “See you later.”
I then sense Biscuit connecting with her and also sending a message, which makes her laugh shortly. With a few nimble steps, she reaches Lissandra and puts her hand on the silver-haired woman's shoulder.
The Absolute doesn't even look my way anymore, and both of them disappear, entering Beyond.
I turn away to group 4, who are already standing up. The barrier Lissandra has put around the area starts crumbling, and the mana radiation that fills the continent, or perhaps even the rest of the planet, begins seeping through.
Looking at me, Tess nods, and together with everyone else, she starts stepping through the portal. I do the same and find myself in the same room I observed through it.
This time I reread the notification.
Welcome to the 8th floor: The Academy
For completing the 7th floor you have acquired:
Passive skill combination token (up to upper arcane)
1,000,000 shards
Communication with your disciple for 10 minutes
Send a single item to your disciple (up to epic rarity)
What incredibly ridiculous rewards. I wonder what they would be if we managed to kill an Absolute on our own and the rewards hadn’t been reduced.
Confirming that we are all here and currently alone in the room, I open up the new floor quest. I'm curious what this floor, called The Academy, contains.
Floor Quest:
Locate and protect the Ruler Candidate
Rewards:
???
Two 14 Day Beyond stay tokens
100,000 shards
Trait strengthening token (up to 2nd stage)
***
POV Warden of the Parallax Eyes, Kyralon
One of the oldest velnars in the system straightens without warning. His black eyes, shimmering with starlight, drift across unseen paths as he rises from the low table. Passing by he selects a single oval-shaped mana stone from the countless others arranged on the shelves and walks toward the balcony.
There, he sits in his chair. The mana stone in his hand unfolds, expanding into the shape of a transparent blue book. From a hidden pouch with a faint symbol of a black palm on its side, he draws a wooden pen that looks entirely mundane.
If any knowledgeable Absolute were to see it, they would recognize it instantly. They would recognize it as the wood of a remarkable tree that no longer exists. The pen itself holds enough value to be able to be traded for a smaller planet.
Kyralon comes to a halt. A layered field unfolds around him, enhancing the precision of his trait. His gaze remains fixed on the sky above.
Then he begins to write.
10:03 – A rogue imitation of one of the most powerful combat specialized Absolutes to ever live, Lissandra Hawthorne, entered Beyond alongside a fake Champion candidate from the 4th floor, Myrra. The handlers and Rulers overseeing this cycle were informed of their presence immediately.
10:04 – Ten handlers, all ranked Absolute, cooperated to block the two intruders from reaching the 1st floor and deployed spatial locks to contain them on the surface.
The imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne broke through the spatial locks and, together with the Fake Champion Candidate Myrra, reached the Entrance Floor before proceeding directly to the First Floor of Beyond. She then used [Spatial Leap] to appear at the center of the floor. Drawing on her mana, she created an array that covered the entirety of the First Floor. Its sole purpose was to threaten the lives of all attendees present, numbering in the tens of thousands.
10:06 – All attempts by the Handlers to contact or restrain the imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne were halted. Additional Rulers were informed of the situation. The Rulers assigned to this cycle of the tutorial have convened: the Ruler of Diligence, the Ruler of Envy, the Ruler of Greed, the Ruler of Kindness, and the Ruler of Wrath.
10:07 – The Ruler of Greed, the Ruler of Kindness, and the Ruler of Wrath have acted to prevent any further interference. It has been determined that, even with her powers restricted, the imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne could cause catastrophic damage before she could be neutralized.
10:18 – While remaining on the First Floor, the imitation expanded the killing array into the Second Floor. By breaking additional spatial locks and combining [Control] with [Spatial Leap], she reconstructed the same array below, increasing the number of hostages and beginning to push into the territory of the Third Floor.
Further discussion and voting took place among the Rulers present. Only the Ruler of Greed and the Ruler of Kindness opposed direct action. In conclusion, the Ruler of Envy was dispatched to eliminate the imitation, with authorization to use the main defensive array of Beyond to aid him.
At that moment, Kyralon pauses. The pen nearly slips from his fingers. A flicker of shock, followed by cold anger, crosses his face. His eyes remain wide as they stare into what looks to everyone else like a starry sky.
Then he writes again.
10:18 – The imitation of Absolute Lissandra Hawthorne issued a challenge to the Ruler of Envy. The terms were clear: she and a lynthari would be granted freedom, with all present Rulers required to intervene to ensure the terms were upheld. In return, she wagered her complete understanding of the skill [Control], along with the safety of the Beyond attendees and the structural integrity of Beyond itself.
For only the fifth time in recorded history, the system judged an individual capable of directly transferring their understanding of an Active Skill. The Ruler of Wrath and the Ruler of Greed accepted the terms of the challenge. The Ruler of Kindness and the Ruler of Diligence cast their votes in opposition.
Kyralon looks to the sky once more. The anger resurfaces. For a moment, it seems he may stop writing entirely, but in the end, he continues with a clenched hand.
10:18 – The Ruler of Envy initially intended to reject the challenge and deploy Beyond’s defensive array against the imitation. However, another Ruler intervened. The Ruler of Pride appeared briefly, issued a single instruction to the Ruler of Envy, and then departed without further involvement.
After a slight modification to its terms, the challenge was accepted, and both the Ruler of Envy and the imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne were transferred to the Eleventh Floor of Beyond, where the battle commenced. In accordance with the Ruler of Pride’s instruction, the defensive array was not employed by the Ruler of Envy during the confrontation.
10:21 – The Ruler of Envy died.
10:22 – The Ruler of Patience, the Ruler of Chastity, the Ruler of Temperance, the Ruler of Humility, the Ruler of Lust, and the Ruler of Gluttony entered Beyond. Their vote was unanimous: the imitations of Lissandra Hawthorne and the Fake Champion Candidate Myrra were not to be permitted to leave.
To avoid violating the previous vow, it was decided that, through a loophole, Myrra would be killed, while the imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne would be granted "freedom" by being relocated to the 12th Floor of Beyond, a floor that even the Rulers have yet to clear.
The imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne requested that Myrra not be executed and instead be permitted to join her. A coalition of Rulers agreed, on one condition: Lissandra must cripple her own mana heart and relinquish the dagger she carried.
Without hesitation and without protest, the imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne destroyed her mana heart and surrendered the dagger, solely to allow the Fake Champion Candidate Myrra to survive.
10:23 – Spatial locks were applied to the 12th, 11th and 10th floor to prevent further movement between those floors. The imitation of Lissandra Hawthorne and her now-disciple, Fake Champion Candidate Myrra, remain confined to the 12th floor of Beyond.
***
Comments
ZeahIsMyWife
Could not have imagined when Liss was first introduced that I would love her character so much. The single-minded dedication and determination she uses to pursue her goals is incredible. Seeing her, without hesitation, destroy her mana heart and get rid of the dagger for Myrra to uphold her vow to Nat so readily, even knowing her freedom is at risk, is awe inspiring. Each of the past couple books just keep getting better and better, so hype for what continues to come!
Bryan Estenoz
OMG this is peak fiction right here
Sushitrash
The absolute goat no doubts
Audrey WJ
I really dislike Liss but damn If she isn't cool af and a badass to be admired, I don't believe for a second that a floor the rulers have not been on and cleared will not result in her simply getting stronger and fixing any crippling she did to herself saving Myyra. .
Michael Deleon
Was envy the one from the third or 4th floor, also the one who is threatening discipline Chan?
PoeticSaint
Go Liss, fuck em up!
Sedjet
Yes. Just yes. Good fucking job Liss.
Eky
I think that dagger is special compared to others
Johnny
I never re read stuff but this chapter was so gangster I had to come back for a quick follow up while I’m waiting for Sundays chapter
Johnny
Yeah really hoping they team up for a rampage, surely her following thru with helping Myrra is enough to forgive all
ShrewdReader POV
Wow, even with all that we've seen of Lisandra I was still underestimating her. No shot she just no diffed the ruler of envy while being super under leveled compared to her prime self. Genuine monster. Kinda confused why the Warden was mad, but Im assuming it's something we'll be given insight into in the future. I hope Nathaniel isn't gonna go the whole hate his mentor and kill her route especially after this.
Balsamic ThunderThighs
Well. Envy died just like that. One less headache!
13L00D13ANE
Here is my theory; Envy is the Progenitor Mimic, and Liss just got good practice killing him from the past, so she would have info on him. I also couldnt imagine her being on par with rulers yet, so thats my only idea.
13L00D13ANE
Now we can only hope that Nat goes hard in Beyond and finds them
13L00D13ANE
Slight correction; he called the *original* Lyssandra Hawthorne master, and we all saw how Ruby reacted to the imitation. I think Subliminary is right and he strongly dislikes her.
Vladimir Khorikov
> I doubt Nat will meet her there... would be a gross power creep happening if Nat become a Ruler level person, even if he OFFICIALLY becomes a champion it would be too much. He can meet her there after the tutorial
Samdalorian
Sucks to suck Envy
Maniac000
The Rulers haven’t cleared the 12th floor of Beyond? Sounds like just the kind of place for Liss to discover something that can help her and Myrra.
RingoSeto
well min jae would be like i got this and future nat wouldnt care since he kept focus on emotion dampening
firte
All good brother it’s all just speculation
Kelto
One of the rulers (it's implied it was Pride) was against it and doesn't have a floor
LawBear2005
Charity for Liss would actually be pretty damn interesting. Liss initially seemed to view nat as lesser yet she still helped him in her own odd way. She even gave group four a little parting gift, and nat even said he found that odd. She might have her own little twisted form of charity, just like Nat with his pride.
LawBear2005
There might be a journeyman in between master and adept
LawBear2005
I wonder why the tutorial only has 13 floors. I thought it was that each ruler created a floor that represents them. Maybe sloth just skipped out or something
Tyler Engelke
She limited everything, including her own skills, presumably, to their levels.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
She might want the ruler title this time before fighting pride. It might have some advantages. Everyone gets only 3 options. Hers is pride, greed and something else. She chose greed because it has the highest compatiblilty after pride and she wants to kill Ruby. So 2 for 1 I guess.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Not disagreeing but I don't think he gets any exp.
Grappleshot
Hilarious. Envy dead just like that.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
She definitely chose greed. No way the literal ruler of greed wouldn't be able to tell if someone chose greed or not. Even adepts can feel other adepts. Then there is master above that and then ruler above that.
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
In his own thoughts or to others?
Nerø
He calls Lissandra 'master' tho
Nerø
Nope. The one that has 13 floors is the Tutorial. Beyond hasn't been explored that much yet in the story.
TBONEMAN
Lissandra killed Envy in 3 minutes. That is insane because she is underleveled and weakened.
Subliminary
Think he’s obviously an antagonist. From the first meeting it was clear he dislikes Liss and probably dislikes Nat as a result
Subliminary
Wouldn’t a future Nat know that Liss would easily kill a future Min Jae..? I do like this theory though
Subliminary
I presume she’ll stay sectioned off on that floor within Beyond until Nat arrives there eventually to help her both escape and possibly fix her mama heart. lol at them demanding she leave behind Nat’s black mana knife that he can make willynilly
Hardworking Guy
Dayum! Sometimes I forget just how ridiculously powerful Liss is. The fight she had against the Gwyn siblings made her look if not weak, beatable. Battle Absolute, that's why she's the GOAT, the GOAT!
Sargon Yami
no the black mana appears to be special in more ways than nat realices. every time Liss entered a new floor prior to making herself a fake member, she used the black mana dagger to do it. and let's not forget that the black mana is rarer than starting in beyond so there is that. i also would asume that she got passed all spatial barriers by using said dagger.
Sargon Yami
we know that not all absolutes are combat oriented. same should hold true for the different rulers. and envy does not sound like a subclass for combat more for manipulation and politics. i guess he was simply not that strong combat wise and lissandra was not weak to being controlled. Wrath and Greed send Envy to his death. my guess would be that both of them would have won against liss. unless wrath is a scolar that simply wants to destroy all unkown chapters in history.
Sargon Yami
it will only be able to attack earth in 8 years and might be as strong as an abolute... to be fair it only landing on earth should destroy like 99,99% of all life on earth. therefor i think they will go to the moon before the protection runs out.
Derze
She upheld her promise , holy shit
Johnny
This is pretty damn smart, but I hope it’s not true. The time travel stuff is meh, makes it all less impactful
Johnny
Holy fuck
Aaron Stewart
isn't there 13 floors in the beyond? What if the way for liss liss to get out is to complete floor 12 and when she completes floor 13 she can actually get out. The rulers don't know if it is possible to get out or what comes after floor 12.
Ansordia
I would think they "made" her a native... or we know that handlers can give stuff if they get leeway... I doubt if all rulers "Their vote was unanimous: the imitations of Lissandra Hawthorne and the Fake Champion Candidate Myrra were not to be permitted to leave." Would mean that all of them agreed on not letting them leave... and the best way to achieve that is to "lockdown" where the Coachroach is... also she is screwed... but if even the Rulers have problems with the 12th floor... Lissandra might get very good body parts that she can remade her earth with... yes she lost the dagger that was the biggest help, but I doubt she couldn't find anotherway. I doubt Nat will meet her there... would be a gross power creep happening if Nat become a Ruler level person, even if he OFFICIALLY becomes a champion it would be too much.
Joe Woodhouse
Hmm. If we think that one must be of the correct subclass to fight for a Ruler title, here's a wild idea: She picked Charity, the opposite of Greed, as a rebuke to Ruby. This would explain why Charity didn't show up: the only one who might have resulted in Lissandra becoming a Ruler. Of course the same reasoning could apply to Pride (seems legit - but I think Pride would welcome the fight)... or Sloth. No way she chose Sloth though. Perhaps to honour the pets of certain court ladies? :)
Sargon Yami
Well the could have both lied? Greed wants nat to help take out pride and liss could just play along. And why should she pick greed? Pride works more for her and if she trully wants to kill greed she can do so while herself having pride. She did it once allread,
RingoSeto
exactly... its possible that the reason liss didnt kill nat and they want to raise this nathaniel is because he can kill the current one eventually and perhaps keep his current friends to mellow him out ... i mean imagine if in the past he lost tess, lily sacrificed herself for him, and so on .... he would be traumatized... and perhaps go super hard training and become an emotionless machine to kill all .... becomes ruler of pride by killing last one just to ensure noone else is taken from him could be thats why ruby said dont become an emotionless monster like my master(liss liss) at the time
Sargon Yami
She said she picked greed but i am not buying it. Makes little sense for her to do. Even if her revenge claim is true (dont believe it). She can fight and kill ruby without a greed subclass. Hell she killed one ruler of greed before She killed one ru
Joe Woodhouse
Oh, nice. I'd thought about Pride is future Nat but it hadn't occurred to me that Envy would then be future Min-Jae. It could also explain why Envy took Pride's instruction... and why Pride didn't bother showing up to the collection of 11 Rulers.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Mana glazing?!! 💀
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
And the fact he said she would be stuck means either he's pushing for a bedt possible option, or he's trying to limit her. Also, he knows about Nats meeting with her. Either his eyes saw, or ruby tipped him off. He could be an antagonist then.
RingoSeto
death is a kindness after all....removal from suffering
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
It will be very interesting to know what it will do though.
RingoSeto
yeah but the level one would need to be ... pkus without much mana would be super difficult
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
They are still in the safery time period. So it's gotta wait it out before it can do anything even if it goes berserk.
tishane Imperial MageKiller
It's getting harder and harder to find top tier stories like this when I read other books I keep comparing them to this one based on application of power and abilities with common sense. this series is some hard-core shit.🤌🏿🇯🇲💯
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
That is a great idea. Otherwise why would he needs a special pen to write it with? For infinite ink? 💀
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
I know right but it's probably gonna be a super long time before we get any more story with her.
tishane Imperial MageKiller
Lol I've been wondering since it landed on the moon, I keep thinking Nat or someone is gonna capture it and make it make silk or endless minions 😅 for him to deal with annoying ppl or make some money making HQ clothes armor etc.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Also, I don't think you get exp from things like that because he makes mana orbs and shit that minjae uses for his telekinesis, etc. He doesn't get any exp from that or otherwise they would have noticed and we the readers would get to know about it too. Or it's like miwa said, you can get a very tiny amount of exp from selling weapons in the system shop right. I don't even know if that would apply because she basically stole control over his mana and modified it. It's not even a real weapon. So probably gets nearly no exp.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
The dagger from the bones of saint is already long gone. I think she got rid of it before nat left after training with liss after the 1st tourney. I don't remember exactly but it was gone a long time ago.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
The rulers wouldn't hold liss in the 12th floor if it was something the attendees could reach. It's something the current rulers with all their power can't beat including the current strongest character which is the ruler of pride. That's why they locked her there and expect her to die.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Also, they wouldn't hold liss in 12th floor if it's something attendees can get to. It's something rulers as they currently are can't beat including the current strongest character which is ruler of pride. Otherwise liss would just break out.
RingoSeto
just wow.... envy died just like that ... poor guy i have a theory** this may seem funny but** envy is min jae (future) pride is nat (future)
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Exactly
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Even if we consider the record got wiped, adrian is considered the most talented and that he completely wiped the floor with 2nd place. He still only got to 6th floor. At best, the all time record is 7th or maybe 8th if we stretch things a lot.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
I hope we get to know how he did it.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
She definitely picked greed because adepts (2nd stage) can feel each other. Master (3rd stage) which is what I assume liss to be can feel other subclasses too since she could feel nat upgrade his subclass when he refused to kill niall (5th floor champion). Ruby is the literal ruler (4th stage) of greed. The stage above master. She would definitely be able to tell. Especially when they are her own subclass.
Lizy Flore
I think she made the fight very quick on purpose. Mastery over power, yes, but if Envy had the time to rise that power to a higher level than Lissandra’s, i don’t think she would have won. I’m pretty sure there’s something like grade suppression, and even if there is not, the evolution and multiple bonus that comes with higher level would’ve suppress her. Something she knew, obviously. That’s why she made it very quick. That’s my take, anyway.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
I think that was always implied right. Nat even said that being a hundred levels down wouldn't make much of a difference when he was talking to kim minjae.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
She picked greed and yeah she probably needs to be max in subclass. I think it goes initiate, adept, master and then ruler. So rulers fight each other for the position I guess.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. What happens if she runs of stay tokens? Or did they basically give her infinite stay tokens?
Corac
That made me.chuckle because you know that's what nat would tell her just to piss her off
Bartlomiej Głowacki
I just realized something while rereading some chapters, what will happen with spider envy left on Earth's moon after he died. It will go berserk and attack Earth or something else?
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
Would explain why the Ignition heart does nothing to her. But then, that's not Mana glazing so idk how to feel about that.b
Zaim İpek
Liss has always been a woman of her word. She does what she says she will do.
Zaim İpek
It would require her having a Greed subclass and probably mastering the subclass.
Zaim İpek
Geed. She is the current Ruler of Greed.
Zaim İpek
Oooh, very interesting perspective. I like the way you think.
Brendin Olsen
WOW THATS A LOT THAT JUST HAPPENED. Control seems like a skill that is of the highest tier what if the advancement of mana manipulation is mana control, and then something like mana sovereignty. What happens when lissandra runs out of beyond stay? CERIM!!!!! PLEASE!!!! WE NEED ANSWERS!!!!!
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
At their speed 3 min might be completely different.
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
Guys. It seems obvious but... I don't think he's writting past event. I think he's writting future events. To try and push them to happen in one direction. One, the pen is super valuable. Two, he needs to clench the pen. 3 the sky is in anger. ====
Zera
Didn't Ruby become a ruler at one point? Which one?
bltth26
Dang there’s a lot in this chapter. Lol
Joe Woodhouse
Also... if killing a Ruler after a challenge is how one becomes a Ruler, doesn't that mean Lissandra is now the Ruler of Envy?? Although hmm, we know from Kyralon that the original Lissandra killed multiple Rulers and she was not said to have become a multi-Ruler, so perhaps only those with the right subclass are qualified. If that's right, then we know for sure than she didn't pick Envy in the tutorial. (I agree that I'm suspicious that she may have picked Pride again.)
Joe Woodhouse
One instruction, which was to not use the Beyond defensive array. Not "one word".
Cody
It is most likely because she can use it as an almost endless mana storage, as she showed during Nat’s training arc with her. It being able to absorb and hold mana is what probably led to that decision
Joe Woodhouse
You're right, we've seen that mentioned also.
Baelmoul
She kept her promise even it crippled her. She is very noble.
Ivan Jelenić
Some people are saying that the condition was "a lynthari" not necessarily Myrra, so that might have been the loophole to be able to kill her.
Ivan Jelenić
People are saying that Rulers weren't able to clear level 12 when they were inside the tutorial, not now when they are Rulers. But I don't think that's correct, otherwise it wouldn't make sense to put Liss there, as she could obliterate it.
Ivan Jelenić
Wasn't there also [Concentration]?
Ivan Jelenić
Did she wager it or just offered to explain it?
Ivan Jelenić
In the new level he will learn what it takes to become an Absolute Candidate from the Ruler Candidate. There obviously isn't any Ruler there to grant the Ruler Candidate the Candidate status, so the Ruler Candidate had to have become one on his own and knows how to become a Candidate solo. Then in the next level or two he will probably become one.
dampsey damamme
Sure it's them, they even dropped fake info like the long "charging time" of his attack while he have a pretty solid build he itcome to fast combat. So win win I guess.
Jordan Jones
I knew she was monstrously powerful not because of her level, but because of her, likely, nigh-flawless max level skill(s). But I still thought she would have to level up to challenge a Ruler, and I can’t see how she could be even level 450 yet, which I think is still Champion grade. I assume Rulers are well above level 500, unless 500 is the cap. I would have thought level 999 is the limit (like reaching level 99 in a skill). Now I question if the level 99 skill limit can be exceeded, and how powerful that would make someone even hundreds of levels below another. A Ruler died within three minutes of the battle commencing. That implies low difficulty…which means I couldn’t even imagine how dangerous she actually was this entire time. I was thinking she could kill Champions with a little difficulty, and perhaps weaker Absolutes with great difficulty. She killed a Ruler. I had discounted that entirely. Skill over raw power to the extreme. Kudos and gratitude for this, truly impressive, chapter. The word “impactful” isn’t enough.
Moon Winchester
I’m wondering, if instead of that dagger they were talking about the dagger made from the flesh and bones of the Saint
Moon Winchester
Holy shit she is a fucking monster. I love her.
SirWins
Lysandra is too badass
Lonnie
Every challenge that is overcome, exponential growth follows
Lonnie
What an absolute monster. I love it.
Jonah
Very good Info dropped. Also, are the two Hell difficulty attendees just the twins?
Zaim İpek
@TheOne320 I like the way you think.
SqrlyGrly
Nat formed the dagger on the third floor when he fought the king. Then he threw it as far as he could before he left the floor.
Borbino the great
I think it has to be talent like the system deems that person worthy of one day becoming a ruler
Memelord Steambath
It's child's play to do so, even pets of a noble house could do so.
TBONEMAN
She is definitely breaking the beyond in the future
Borbino the great
That would be sick angry kittens are going to all be rulers
ChildConsumer
AHHHH WHAT. THE. FUUUCK.
Dual.
Tftc!
Dual.
damn this was a wild chapter, ngl lissandra is 100% up to some wild shit, no way she wasn't aware of the loophole in the first place, this is definitely a setup for something crazy.
Sargon Yami
There are potentially parts on the 12 floor
M Schweibold
Brilliant writing
Andrew
Thank you!
13L00D13ANE
I believe the issue is she cannot make it out of nothing. She used a bunch of body parts to construct the last one, so i imagine she would need to do so again.
Woojoe
What a wonderful idea! But since he didn’t form the dagger he may not get full credit. But providing the mana ought to be worth something. Dang, she never did tell him what that mana was called
Woojoe
Yea. I remember it being somewhere in the middle between reality and tutorial. But I don’t think the residents can leave. It’s not stated directly, but it doesn’t make sense for people to stay in such a dangerous place where food and water are extremely difficult to acquire if they had other options
TheOne320
@Woojoe. I assume the same. It just meant that the Rulers while they were in the tutorial did not complete the 12th floor.
TheOne320
Would the spider die? Maybe it is just freed from its orders.
TheOne320
Crazy. I assume she can fix her mana heart as she did exactly that before.
firte
Since Nat created the black mana dagger he should be getting some exp for Lissandra killing Envy right? And creating a weapon capable of aiding in killing an absolute has gotta help him get a crazy class upgrade
blimko
Min Jae will be a ruler at this rate hell yes
Gio
She did envy Nat's determination.
Daniel is ŁØNE
I get what you mean about the challenge being edited but I feel like something like that should have a more obvious indication in the story. That said this is still one of the best chapters I've read so far.
Arnon Parenti
Lol giving up one mana heart after seeing a thermal and a kinetic hearts working together, take the stupid mana heart, nobody needs this weak thing.
Sargon Yami
The recordd get wiped after a while so adrians record was probably not the all time record and given that the first beyonder is the first for thousands of years... yeah he could probably beat it. But it would make no sense for nat to meet him in bexond the guy has a year+ head start and nat hasn't even beaten floor 1 yet
Rocotrap
Intent creep... good to have you gone, minion will not miss you
Sargon Yami
Nat should demand compensation for the dagger... or a leasing rate
Sir Supports Alot
Ruby had been one with original liss for sure, she did overpower nat and he had to cheat to win, but that was still just when she was an absolute candidate, nats got a few hundred more chapters before becoming one himself I reckon
Sir Supports Alot
If I recall correctly it kind of is, it's basically a large scale dungeon that somehow interacts with the tutorial
William Johnson
Bye intent bitch, you will not be missed! Everyone on Earth: why is that big spider dead now?
Husinay
Maybe the classic "death is a form of freedom" ?
Greendalf
Yeah but he wouldn’t say black mana he’d use the real name
blaw
The warden also explicitly mentions that she was a combat focused absolute. And Envy was possibly not in the combat line and maybe a crafter or manipulator.
Sail
Holy fuck
Joseph Serret
Holy fucking shit... she just... she just murdered a ruler... she went into his house. Said give me the keys or die. I knew she was strong enough to kill an absolute already but a ruler... He fucked around and found out...
Oaktree
Clearly black mana is op as even rulers are like nope you’re not allowed to have it.
blaw
Wasn't Beyond somehow outside the tutorial?
blaw
The dagger was made from Nats black mana.
Michel Kommers
Right? Loved that too.
Sargon Yami
But i am 100+% sure it was not envy...
Hubert Grabek
MOAARRRR
Funny guy
Danks fur da chappie! Holy fuck that was amazing
Al
In a previous chapter I think it was stated that although her overall power was definitely lower, Nat speculated she had significantly improved her active skills using the regenerative field of the tournament to protect her (like he was). It was also indicated from Nat’a fight with Ruby and our knowledge of her stats that her active skills must have been significantly advanced relative to her level, because she was punching far above what her level would indicate. All this together seems to imply that skill in abilities is superior to raw stats and level. And so if Fakesandra’s skill with her abilities had improved, she is likely much stronger than her raw stats would indicate. She’s also a tutorial attendee at the moment, and has basically been min maxing each round of the tutorial and exp farming (like in the 6th floor when she basically destroyed the whole prison)
Stephen E Wilson Jr.
Nathaniel is definitely going to the 12th floor of Beyond. It is chekov's gun here.
Greendalf
Would have been really cool of the warden if he wrote down why the dagger was special enough to take
J W
Wow. So they stole Nat's dagger. Seems like everyone likes taking his toys. And liss already made a new mana heart in this tutorial what's to stop her doing it again?
hdfgdf
Holy shit the pov switch was unexpected
J W
The wording was for "a lynthari" maybe she wasn't precise enough.
Andriy
That whole interaction with Ruby seemed like an act to me. She most likely lied, but what she actually picked is an open question in my mind.
Sargon Yami
Did she kill that instance of him or the entire ruler of envy?
Eike M
I also want to point out that Myrra's freedom was part of the challenge. So how would they kill her without violating the vow?
Sargon Yami
Nah she said she picked greed but personaly i think she lied and went pride again
David McCreight
Second this
Ronnel
I was literally slowing down and re-reading each line of the last POV. I didn't want to see in advance if there will be a cliff 🤣
im_among_you
it states a lynthari rather than myrra specifically
Rustem
He called him a pussy
Andriy
Lis will be the new ruler of envy!
Woojoe
I don’t believe so. It seems that Beyond is not challengeable without being an active tutorial attendee. So any rulers who attended the tutorial were unable to clear Beyond while being a tutorial member. I could be wrong but this makes more sense than having a tutorial attendee reach the power of a Ruler
Joe Woodhouse
Other than their instruction to Envy, Pride did not appear at the end, nor did Charity or Sloth. Sloth I can understand - couldn't be bothered. :) Pride I can understand - they did what needed to be done; acting like Rulers need to be protected from an imitation Lissandra is beneath them. Any Ruler not strong enough to face an imitation deserves to lose and die. But Charity... Charity's absence is unusual. Why no Charity? I also note that had all three appeared and sided with those bound to uphold the challenge it would be 7 to 6. We know of the original 5, 2 did not want to accept the challenge, and 1 is now dead... but the five (now four) were obliged to protect the terms of the vow,
nando daltes
Yeah even adrian someone whitey acknowledged only managed to reach beyond's sixth floor within the tutorial.
mathulu
So impressive. I love the way you've told this through the warden. 👏
vEnviouz
TFTC!!!
11335577
Fights should get shorter, the stronger the fighters. At ruler speed 3 minutes is an eternity.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
Wait, when did we get to know it's canon?
Adrian Rake
Will Nat meet with Mirra and Liss at the 12th floor of Beyond in the future? If so, it will be indication that he will be as strong as some of the Rulers 😳
11335577
She should be so much weaker now..
Joe Woodhouse
Oooh I forgot that. Ok, thank you!
DaWykitat
Am I reading it wrong or was myrra also supposed to get freedom as part of the vow?
Sargon Yami
Can we have "communicate with minion 10 min a week" as a reward?
Sargon Yami
I guesd it is either talent or drive that makes someone be declared by other for the system... maybe achivements? Nat defeating a champion should do it.
John Anastacio
Thanks for the amazing chapter cerim. I really wasn't expecting all that.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
I wonder if there's a way to become a ruler candidate without being acknowledged by the system or a ruler. I also wonder how strong a ruler candidate must be.
Eky
Lissandra is probably the coolest character in this story
Sargon Yami
Hmm i think lissandra used the dagger to get passed the spacial locks with other words nat could free them.
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
She killed 3 rulers before pride beat her. How is she winning lame? Edit : She also beat him in only 3 min lol. Didn't even realise that.
frankie doerr
I have a feeling the only reason pride won that first time was because he was older so had more experience but this lissandra seemed to have changed greatly from meeting nat who in her opinion should have died on the second floor
Sargon Yami
Interesting i suspect the ruler canfidate is not the one that became a ruler?
venkata siddhardha yarlagadda
She's on the twelfth and ain't nobody going to the 10th floor bruh. The beyond floors get exponentially harder I guess because nobody even cleared the 12th floor. Even if the rulers themselves had their own tutorial version help nat, they won't even be close.
Nerø
We don't really know for sure, since Lissandra herself said that it was one of her starting skills.
frankie doerr
I hope that Nat and the first beyonder become friends and meet liss on the 10th floor
frankie doerr
I think they were strong because they had to make the system acknowledge them kind off what Nat’s trying to do with being absolute
Woojoe
Wow! Just wow. Time for Nathaniel to enter true training mode. He is owed a tail pull and will do what it takes to acquire it!
nando daltes
Hm... maybe to wager an active skill you need complete mastery of them. meaning it need to be level 100?
zoarian
1mil shards... holy shit. Is that enough for a high arcane passive? Ngl, it's a bit lame a Ruler was killed by Fakesandra. They were built up as these summits of power and so far it seems like only Pride (and maybe Greed) are actually on that level. Or Cockroach is just that scary... I guess it makes sense if her perspective of Rulers being stronger back in her day is correct.
Ansordia
Owww okay! It might have just been my reading that twisted that... Now I understand that challenges that were accepted need to be upheld to the spirit of the letter even by Rulers, maybe highlight that Envy makes these changes or mentioned that they will give her freedom by death... Also how fucking scared do they need to be to not even TRY to give Lissandra "freedom" by trying to kill her... Intresting, anyway so basicly Lissandra is safe in beyond I'm guessing they turned her into a native.
Val the mysterious Jedi
Bro how does cerim keep hitting us with those haymakers that leave asking for more
anonymous patreon
they have some influence, but challenges are overseen by the system and even rulers need to follow them or bear consequences but as seen before - when eye champion on 6th floor rejected challenge from lightning vyssari, you can reject the challenge
Joe Woodhouse
I now wonder if [Control] is at the end of the path started by combining [Focus], [Manipulation], and [Domain]. We have previously speculated that [Mana Manipulation] can evolve into [Manipulation]. By similar reasoning [Mana Domain] might be able to evolve into [Domain]... perhaps by combining [Mana Domain] and [Dawn]? And we know Nat has been eyeing [Dawn]...
Ugo
One word from Pride to force Envy to act. Holy shit
anonymous patreon
you can reject the challenge if you want. also envy didnt accept right away and did some modifications to it before agreeing. also, giving myrra freedom only for her to be killed by some other ruler is also option, or maybe even after the modification the challenge did have "give them freedom" in it and they twisted to understand giving Myrra freedom as killing her, etc etc. there are a lot of way. or maybe there are consequences for twisting challenge like this and they put it all on Envy
Seijax
It's already canon that there's a "beyond the system" area with dangerous stuff in, so the rulers of it can't be absolute entities. Ok, i can see how this nomenclature is gonna be painful
Tsorov
They could probably break the terms since they are rulers. We already know that they are part time administrators of the system, since they created the tutorial.
zoarian
The presumption must be that she'll die to the floor before she manages to rebuild her mana heart.
Dregos
Love this story
Thedevilsdemon
And now IT beginns
Nikolas Maniotis
She used the dagger to do that so its probably much harder to do it again without it
Seijax
3 minutes?!? Ahahah rofl the creep got stomped so hard! Ahahahaah! Too bad that she'll have to fix herself again, won't be easy there, but giving her a challenge nobody else succeeded at before seems like they threatened her with a good time
le moi
Whelp nathaniel about to clear all of beyond
Kingcarn
So since the rulers have been cleared the twelfth floor does that mean that there are beings out there that are stronger than the rulers.
Edmund Dillon
Tftc!!! Im low key rooting for roach to succeed🙏🏿
Nerø
Read it 3 more times, and daaamnn one of the best chapters there is!! Lissliss is such a badass🥵
Alex O'Connor
Oooh shiiii!!! Once again, Cerim you are a genius 🤯
Test Test
Kills a ruler, cripples herself, leaves. Absolute menace
Rene Duvall
This chapter was amazing
Max
Tftc!!!
Sir Supports Alot
I guess there goes envy as a main antagonist well played
Nerø
Holy shitttt!!!!
Claro reyes
Tfta.
Claro reyes
Fuuuuuuuu. Didn't expect to see that.
Ansordia
... I'm sorry... WhAt!?!?! 🫠🫠🫠 OH MY FUCKING GOD The Rulers are pussies... Also isn't system issued challenges/trades mandatory to uphold? Doesn't it come with SEVERE consquences if you don't? How would killing Myrra even be an option if her safety was mentioned as a condition in the terms? Also Coachroach Lissandra already fixed her mana heart... Why only ask her to destroy the current one? Wouldn't demand that she not make a new one be inside it aswell? Even then she could step around that by taking a heart from someone else.... That isn't "making a new one"... Considering NOW we know that these system challenges aren't absolute! Also Nat is free from Envies influence which is cool I guess... 🤔
RadiantSpren
Yes
RadiantSpren
Bro
Leyphelio
RIP Envy, we won't miss you. May your pet spider die to Nathaniels hands
Spam X
Respect to Lissandra. Killing a ruler in 3 minutes and crippling herself to honor her words is bad ass.
pudge
Ruby is the ruler of greed right?
Venno
Bunch of cheaters these rulers are
Krzychu0304
gah never first
Niclas Elmers
Tftc
