Psychic Parasite

Chapter 387: Layer 4
Jyorta was ignorant of the disappointment people directed at him. Even if he came to face them, he wouldn’t be affected much. If it was still the him that had arrived at the military academy, he would have moped about it.

But now, having fully comprehended both his past and present life, his character was firm, unshakable. His resolve was solid while his ego acted as a pillar for his choices, making him leave no regrets behind.

76 percent Sync Rate…76.1 percent Sync Rate…76.2 percent Sync Rate, Jyorta tossed in the final Tier 2 Heart Crystal to the River Whale’s Caterpillar, retracting his Soul Cornea. He wished to leave enough energy in it to siphon out during times of necessity. After all, he was about to head into battle next.

”It is really difficult to increase one’s Sync Rate, even with this method. Thankfully, my plans also made use of the Frenzy Beasts’ bodies. I got a lot of energy as a result.” Jyorta lay flat on the River Whale’s back, feeling tired. He had been exerting himself a lot, both mentally and physically.

He was just sitting on the River Whale’s back, but as he was constantly using his presence, the exhaustion seeped into his cells. After all, that is where his aura originated from. So, him using the aura to fight was the same as jumping around everywhere with his body to fight.

His psychic arms turned pale blue as they healed both his physical and mental exhaustion. It was the advantage of possessing Regen. Regen worked on both the body and the mind. Moreover, thanks to the instinct and guidance imbued in it, Jyorta didn’t even need to think while using them. It was so convenient that he praised its creator—Madam Mary—every time he used it.

”Unranked Skills are realistic cheats,” He laughed, gazing at the scene in layer three. The shallow waters were crystalline now, with every tinge of blood and flesh in it absorbed by the Rover Whale.

River Whales were capable of controlling water. So, while devouring the Frenzy Beast carcasses, it filtered out the water content it had swallowed and expelled it out as purified water. If the one performing the same was a being at Tier 4, then the water would be suitable for drinking. Moreover, the minerals in it would be beneficial for growth.

The River Whale was resting on the floor, the shallow waters only reaching a small portion of its height. To its left was the Rigordile, still like a log of wood, floating in the water. The Bundle Flea, for some reason, was breakdancing on its back, having the time of its life.

When Jyorta gazed its way, it immediately curled up into a ball. Jyorta’s eyelids twitched, ’It has quite the…character. Was it a change brought about by my aura personifications?’

”Come up now, we’ll head to the next layer.” Jyorta waved his hand, sending them a mental input using his aura. The Bundle Fish leaped onto the River Whale and slithered quickly before curling around Jyorta. It extended its head and rested on his shoulder, facing forward.

When Jyorta looked at it, it gazed it return, tilting its head to the side. After a second, Jyorta relented, ”Fine, you look cute. Do whatever you want.”

The Bundle Flea cackled like a baby, alarming him for a moment before he calmed himself down. Jyorta sighed, watching the Rigordile stand on the floor, helplessly staring at the River Whale’s body before looking at its claws.

Jyorta commanded the River Whale, watching it created a film of water around itself. It thickened it to the limit it could manipulate using its Trait. Now, even if he stood up, Jyorta would still be immersed within the film of water.

The Rigordile made a jump and swam through the film of water, soon arriving beside Jyorta. The River Whale took off to the air, feeling mild difficulty in moving due to the Rigordile’s weight. Its flight speed was slow, akin to Jyorta’s walking pace. Still, Jyorta didn’t seem bothered. There wasn’t much distance to traverse to the end of the layer, and he wasn’t in too much of a rush.

A minute of travel wasn’t much, considering all the advantages he reaped. ’If I consumed a Tier 4 Frenzy Fruit, I could only increase my Sync Rate by 0.1 percent per day. But now, my pace is many times faster.’

The River Whale approached the end of layer 3, adjusting itself to squeeze through the gap. Thankfully, the flight of stairs was replaced with a slope now and the path was wide enough for the River Whale to move forth. Otherwise, he would have to part with the River Whale, losing a massive advantage.  Jyorta heaved a sigh of relief, watching the River Whale pass through, albeit with difficulty. That was why he chose this River Whale in the first place.

It was an Esper, so its body was smaller than its Warrior counterpart. Moreover, it wasn’t at the peak of Tier 2, so it hadn’t overgrown itself to become beyond the size of the path between the layers. His considerations paid off.

Jyorta’s mood turned solemn, his stance alert. They were about to arrive at the fourth layer. The Labyrinth of Frenzy had distinct power differences between each level. Layer 1 only had Frenzy Beasts at the early and mid-stages of Tier 1. Layer 2 had Frenzy Beasts at the mid and peak stages of Tier 1.

Layer 3 had Frenzy Beasts at the peak of Tier 1 and the initial stages of Tier 2. There were numerous exceptions, even in his experiences. In his first exploration, he encountered a Tier 2 Crust-Mantle on layer 1.

In his second exploration, he encountered a Steel Porcupine at the peak of Tier 2 in layer 2. Moreover, it wasn’t a normal Steel Porcupine, but one that would qualify as a genius in its race. Relics were installed in the Labyrinth of Frenzy that would constantly urge the Frenzy Beasts to move based on their strength.

But, this urge could be resisted to a fair extent for a while. After living in the labyrinth for long enough, they had figured it out and used it to their advantage. They would move through the layers and take refuge in the upper layers whenever possible. It was something the military academy had left in place so that the students wouldn’t be accustomed to the difficulty of the labyrinth.

A constant threat would force them to think and always be on alert. It was an imitation of the uncertainty in the Wilds. After all, even if one were at Tier 2, there was a non-zero possibility of a Tier 5 being sneaking upon them. So, it was the academy’s way of training the students.

Finally, layer 4 was filled with Frenzy Beasts at the mid and peak of Tier 2. So, every Frenzy Beast would be a tough opponent to them. Jyorta dared not think of entering layer 5 unless he felt confident enough. He planned to see his performance in layer 4 and decide accordingly.

After all, in layer 5 existed Frenzy Beasts at the peak of Tier 2. Moreover, unlike the other layers, numerous Frenzy Beast races lived in layer 5. Every layer only spanned a height of 30 metres, but layer 5 spanned a height of 60 metres.

There was also one other fact that made it increasingly dangerous. Until now, Jyorta was walking in a path that was only 10 metres wide. So, he only had to guard against two directions—front and back. But, layer 5 was a maze that spanned the entire area of the military academy.

Adding on the traps and habitats created by numerous Frenzy Beast races, and the rare explorations by the students, it was mostly an uncharted region. The Frenzy Beasts in layer 5 had been living in it for a long duration.

Moreover, there was even a chance for a Frenzy Beast that had broken through to Tier 3 to appear there. So, Jyorta first wished to see his performance in layer 4 and judge if he was ready for the life-threatening exploration.

’I need the energy anyway, so I have no choice but to go.’ Jyorta clenched his hand into a fist, ’This is the only place I could farm for energy with relatively less risk. The Wilds I would explore in the future would possess too much uncertainty and risks.’

The River Whale bent its body a bit before squeezing out of the connect way, arriving at layer 4. The moment he saw the place, Jyorta scowled, commanding the River Whale to tighten its defences.

Layer 4 had a water environment similar to layer 3. But, it wasn’t as shallow. A constant depth surpassing 15 metres was maintained throughout. Moreover, bubbles formed on the surface, popping continuously, releasing a pungent gas into the air.

The air itself was dyed a dull shade of yellow as the mist swirled about. The air carried a tremendous presence in it that Jyorta was stunned, feeling his psychic energy drain at a rapid pace as his psychic arms filtered the air for breathing.

Even the River Whale felt some difficulty, firming the film of water around it, preventing the polluted gas from mixing into its pure water. Boulders were segregated all across the path, forming a foothold for one to traverse, spanning from one end to the other. But in actuality, they weren’t boulders.

”This terrain, dammit. I should have expected the academy to pull out something like this.” Jyorta cursed, slamming his fist on the River Whale’s back. The very air itself was toxic, not to mention the dangerous aura imbued in it. He would probably die within three breaths if he inhaled them.

The poison would rupture his blood vessels while the aura would burn his internals. Moreover, the temperature in the place itself was boiling hot. For, layer 4 was dominated by the Lava Turtles—all at the mid and peak of Tier 2.