Path to Transcendence

Chapter 506: Too Many Choices

He laughed loudly at what he read. He didn’t get a detailed explanation of all of the options, but just going off the names, he could tell that they were pretty decent rewards. He was suddenly very glad that he had chosen to go through with the modified challenge. If this was what he would get all the time, he hoped for more opportunities like it in the future.

Challenge Rift reward generating… Successful.

You may select one of the options…

Drop of Pearlescent Resolve (Consumable Item)Ruinflame Crown (Soul Bound Growth-Type)Superior Epic Skill (Willpower Affinity-Based)Tier 4 Advancement Pill (Pinnacle Grade)
“What?” Aubrey asked loudly, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Did you get your reward?”

He nodded, and she smiled widely. Thankfully, he didn’t have to tell her that he needed some time to think about it, and she let him be for the time being.

I like this new Aubrey, she is much more patient nowadays. The old Aubrey would have tackled me and demanded that I tell her all of the options I received, he commented to himself.

He carefully went through all of the options.

Drop of Pearlescent Resolve (Consumable Item)
The first item was already something that caught his eye. He was already pretty confident that it was an elevated version of what Aubrey had received. However, instead of a marble, it was a drop of something. He assumed it was a liquid, but who knew what it could be in a world of magic.

It was almost certainly a consumable treasure that would help him improve his willpower. That was something he liked the idea of immensely, given his already intense willpower. However, it was also the reason he felt some doubt about whether he should even consider it.

His willpower was already quite monstrous, especially when you compared it to his tier. As a Tier 3, he hadn’t come across anyone who had as strong a will as he did. Not even close.

With his reincarnation, his soul had already been given a pretty huge boost. The way he went about his training was also a massive reason his willpower was at its current state, probably more than anything else, if he was being honest.

It helped that he had a healing skill that enabled him to push himself, but he had to give himself some credit. It still required some effort on his part.

Taking all of this into consideration, his willpower was already pretty excessive for his tier. And that was before he considered his second soul evolution. That pushed it from being excessive to being functionally impractical.

There was only so much pure willpower could help him with before it didn’t grant him any additional use. However, there was also a more important reason why he didn’t think grabbing the Drop of Pearlescent Resolve was the option for him.

He could improve his willpower on his own. He could keep training his will without any external aids.

Sure, it would help him, but it wasn’t something he needed, especially with how far ahead it was compared to some of his other abilities.

With that being thought through, he took a look at the other option.

Ruinflame Crown (Soul Bound Growth-Type)
This was something that he was very interested in right away. He had not previously appreciated the value of items offered as rewards. He thought that overrelying on them was a demonstration of weakness. However, that was an immature and stupid oversight.

The fact of the matter was that soul-bound items, especially ones that were growth types, were some of the most unique items in this world. Very few master craftsmen on the entire continent were able to make such items. Not to mention an item that fits the person perfectly.

It wasn’t something he could get with some training or hard work. It was something that was only offered by the Words of the World.

He liked that the name implied that it was already connected with his ruinous aura. He had been trying to fuse his destructive aura with his flames in hopes of getting an advanced flame that way, but had yet to be successful.

Perhaps this item would help him do so, or at the very least allow him to train his fire to get there on his own.

The only thing he didn’t like about the item was that it was a crown. From the sounds of it, the item was likely very flashy. He didn’t know if he wanted to be seen wearing a crown. It felt pretentious.

He would almost rather the item be an ugly hat made of the dead hide of a rat. Still, he was well aware that it was a silly reason, and he forced himself to consider the item seriously.

He glanced at the third option and pinched his lips as he reviewed it.

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Superior Epic Skill (Willpower Affinity-Based)

He wanted to choose it because he loved his willpower skills. They were something that went very well with his monstrous willpower more than any of his other skills. For example, his [Inexorable Aura of Ruin] skill was something that was only possible because of his massive willpower controlling it. That was the same way for his body enhancement skill and focus skill.

[Sage of Savagery] relied heavily on his Will Concept and willpower, which wasnʼt a surprise. But his body skill also relied heavily on his willpower to keep it under control.

It didn’t bother him as much anymore, but when he had first gotten [Pyrokinetic Embodiment of Ruin], it had been a truly tiresome skill. It hurt him and others around him with annoying persistence. But while it seemed like a curse at first, he got control over it, and it became one of his favorite skills he had ever gotten.

The token he used to get it also came from a Challenge Rift. However, he was beginning to realize that the Challenge Rift he had just experienced was of a lesser tier than the one House Easten had under their control.

The rift was way less complex than the one in Blumand, so it also made sense. Furthermore, the Marquis House was a powerful family, and having a top-tier rift was somewhat expected. Julius believed that the modified conditions were the reason why he was even being offered such amazing rewards in the first place.

However, as much as he wanted another willpower-based skill, he understood it probably wasnʼt the best decision. He already had those three skills that relied so heavily on willpower, and at least three more that had a deep connection.

He needed some diversity. He didn’t know what yet, but he would keep looking for it.

Furthermore, an even bigger reason was that he already had too many skills to focus on. [Kinetic Refinement] still hadn’t evolved yet, and he was already so busy trying to get his other nine epic skills to legendary rank. He had a lot on his plate and didn’t want to fill it with more food until he knew exactly what it was.

It was only then that he looked at the final and probably the most intriguing reward out of all of them.

Tier 4 Advancement Pill (Pinnacle Grade)
He had heard about rewards like these. A way to advance to the next tier without any waiting. He knew that people who were bottlenecked would often choose these items to advance. Not everyone was like him, and did not have a relatively simple way to the next tier.

He chuckled to himself. He said it was simple, but it was far from that. While he had almost all the requirements to advance, he was still worried about some complications. For example, Cain and Freya were pretty sure that his advancement would be a rough one.

That was why they wanted him to get his second soul evolution beforehand. This way, his soul would be able to handle the extraordinary amount of power that came with his advancement. However, his body and mind were still a worry.

His healing skill wouldn’t make things that much easier, either. If anything, the skill would only hurt him. According to Cain, a self-healing skill requires its user to undergo more demanding body evolution as they advance. In Julius’s case, his healing skill was so powerful that it was going to be hard on him.

He wouldn’t usually be tempted by something like this, especially with how close he was to advancing naturally, but the pinnacle grade part of the description really drew his attention. What would his advancement be like if he took this pill?

He understood that people often took these pills when they were left with no other option. After they consumed such a treasure, they would likely reach the end of their path. It was only on very rare occasions that they were able to advance again. That was the reason why some elites scorned such actions.

However, he didn’t think that applied the same way to a pinnacle grade treasure. He remembered that the pinnacle-grade combination token was so great because it had no downsides and was specially created by the Words of the World to help him combine various skills into one cohesive ability.

He had a feeling that it was the same thing for the advancement pill. He had no way to prove that, of course, without asking someone himself.

He spent some time thinking about his choices, creating a soft little hammock for him to swing in. Rocking back and forth.

Aubrey must have realized that he was lost in thought and had already given him a lot of space. She went off to do her own thing for a little bit, and she made sure to stay close, though. It would be easy to lose each other in this mana-restrictive forest.

Now that he was actually inside the forest, he realized that it actively impeded anything mana-related. It was like a forest-wide disruptive effect. His construct attempted to fight him, actively trying to fall apart all on its own.

He didn’t allow that to happen, of course, but the effect was still quite extreme.

He eventually came to a decision he was happy with after half an hour of thought. As he swung in the hammock, he opened up the notification once more.

The first one was thrown out simply because he didn’t find the consumable item to be the most useful to him out of all the rewards. Plus, it was something he could do with some time and training.

It was for those reasons that he got rid of the skill option as well. He didn’t see much of a need for another skill; nevertheless, one that specialized in willpower. He could also gain a willpower skill himself, as long as he put in the time and effort. Freya and Cain would be more than happy to help him.

That left the Ruinflame Crown and the Tier 4 Advancement Pill. He already knew what he wanted and understood the best choice. However, he couldn’t help but wonder what the pill could do for him.

With that being said, he was more than fine with advancing on his own without any external aid. He actually preferred it. If he couldn’t advance on his own, then he didn’t deserve it.

He also couldn’t be afraid of what might happen during the advancement. Still, fear was the mind killer, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen.

So before he could overthink it, he made his choice and selected the Ruinflame Crown.

He felt a slight disturbance in the depths of his soul. It was like something was being unearthed. He was worried for a few moments until he finally received the notification.

Congratulations, you have received the Ruinflame Crown (Growth Type). This item is also Soul Bound. This means no matter where you are or how far away, this item will always find its way back to you. It is connected to you on an intrinsic level and, as such, has the potential to grow alongside you.

—

Soul Bound Item: Ruinflame Crown (Growth Type)

He couldn’t help but grin like a little kid when he read the notification. He just hoped that the item would be as unique and extraordinary as his lunch box.