Markus ascended the lift back up the academy.
Markus scanned his student badge on the digital system.
"Beep"
[Tier 2 Portal Maintenance Mission Complete]
[Contribution Points: 640+50]
Markus headed towards the exchange counter to restock on potions.
Tier 3 Health potion x 5 – 75 CP
Tier 3 Mana potion x 5 - 75 CP
[Contribution Points Remaining: 540]
Item list updated:
Meteorite Ore – 1000 Cp
A fragment of a meteorite containing unknown properties.
(Yeah, I definitely need this item, time to grind academic tasks)
Markus left the exchange counter and took the underground railway system towards West Point City.
Markus took a second to marvel at the majestic underground railway system.
Before the apocalypse, it was called Grand Central Station.
However, after the Valerians rebuilt it, it was the Royal Capital Underground Metro (RCUM).
It was the most common type of transport for everyday travel.
Travelling by plane is exceptionally expensive due to the cost of mana crystals.
Markus scanned his student badge at the terminal gantry.
[Please proceed to platform 9 ¼]
Modern trains are far more developed than those built in the 21st century.
Sections of the train can individually separate and travel to its destination.
Hence, passengers board separately in different sections of the train.
[Platform 9 ¼ Bound for West Point City]
[Last Call, Departing in 5 minutes]
Markus found himself a comfortable seat, furnished with beast fur.
He shut his eyes for 5 minutes, waiting for the train to depart.
The train glided above the underground tracks; its magnetic levitation technology provided a smooth ride throughout its journey.
[Pssssh]
The train decoupled at an intersection, heading northwest towards West Point.
[West Point City in 1 minute]
[Passengers, be ready to alight]
[Thank you for riding with RCUM]
[We wish to see you again]
Markus opened his eyes; the short meditation allowed him to perceive the space he passed through.
57.5miles, 1 minute 52 seconds.
[The fact that Markus can calculate the exact distance (57.5 miles) and time through meditation shows that his brain is starting to process reality like a supercomputer.]
(Mana engineering sure is a marvel.)
**
[Markus departed on a portal exploration mission in the Blue Mountains region.]
Yusef saw the notification on his digital watch.
"Sigh," Yusef boarded the RCUM and made his way, hunting Markus.
Sylas Vane anxiously paced around his office after sending Yusef Markus's mission details.
Sylas had spent a great deal of resources to avenge his grandson's humiliation.
Going so far as to bribe a staff member of the administration hall in the Royal Academy.
Frustrated, he left the office and headed to the Valerian PGA course to relieve some stress.
**
Markus tapped his student ID as he exited the train station.
[Contribution Points: 535 Remaining]
A 1-way trip cost him 5 points.
"Hey, Student, come here and browse our wares!!" A street-side shopkeeper hollered.
It is commonplace for shops to peddle their wares to passersby in the streets.
"MAKE WAY!"
"MAKE WAY!"
A mechanical carriage pulled by Tier 2 Azure Flame Stallions drove on the cobblestone path of the city.
"Who are they?" Markus mumbled.
"They are the overseers of this city, distant bloodline of the Valerian Royal family," a merchant close to Markus whispered to him.
Markus activated his fate's eye and scanned the goods displayed on the street.
An inconspicuous bookstore had a mild golden glow.
Markus stepped in, and a young lady, about his age, was flanked by two security guards.
Markus passed them, making his way to the second floor.
A tattered book shone gold.
A bright light in the depths of old parchment and weathered oak.
Markus stroked the spine of the book.
[Time, an eternal construct]
[To Unlock: Comprehension of space 100%]
(Interesting, to find something related to my sealed law of time, fate works in mysterious ways)
Markus went down to the counter, presenting the book to the storekeeper.
"That would be 20 credits, young man," the old bookkeeper threw a glance at Markus.
"HEY! I want that book!" the young lady shouted across the room.
"I'm sorry miss, I took a liking to it first," Markus politely apologized.
"I'll pay you double!" she offered.
"I sincerely apologize, but it's not for sale anymore," Markus transferred 20 credits to the storekeeper and left.
A palm pressed down on Markus, "My young lady would like this book, boy."
[Spatial Domain]
"And I said it's not for sale," Markus walked away. Intense spatial laws pressed down on the security guard.
His body crumbled under spatial oppression.
After Markus walked 200 meters away, the spatial pressure was gone.
The bodyguard was on his knees, sweating, nose bleeding from the intense pressure.
The young lady, starstruck from the display of strength by a boy of her age, stared into the distance.
Her legs were trembling with excitement.
"Go find out who he is," she commanded her other security guard.
**
Markus left on foot, eastwards towards Blue Mountain.
He took his time to admire the view, having lived in the city for years, it was his first time exploring the world on his own.
He took several pictures of the mountain view around him and sent them to NOVUS.
NOVUS would then display Markus's messages on the home system for Isolde and Sloane.
After 30 minutes of hiking through the mountain range, Markus arrived at the portal destination.
This portal glowed purple; it had upgraded from dark blue, last recorded from the mana signature in the Academy's system.
Markus took a picture of the purple swirling portal and sent it to the Academy's AI system.
[Task upgraded to Tier 3]
[Would you like to proceed?]
[Y/N]
Markus selected [Y]
[Contribution Point Reward: 1000-3000 Cp]
(SWEET! I can redeem the meteorite ore with this mission completion.)
Markus stepped through the portal, transporting himself into a volcanic underground terrain.
"Holy smokes, this dungeon zone is cookin!" Markus exclaimed.
[Spatial Bubble]
Markus conjured a thin film of spatial energy surrounding his body.
Relieving himself of the intense heat in the atmosphere.
"Damn this place still feels like an oven!"
Markus ran through the cavernous dungeon, and large molten turtles emerged from the ground.
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 32
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 32
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 33
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 33
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 33
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 34
[Magma Snapping Turtle] Level 35
Markus unsheathed his sword.
[Vorpal Strike] x7
The long-range attack augmented by spatial laws barely dealt a dent against the beast's defenses.
Frustrated, the heat was bothering him, in addition to the beasts closing in on him.
[Spatial Ascension]
[Level Up]
Markus waved his hand over the fallen beasts, retrieving his spoils into his inventory.
(Finally, some loot with flame attributes for Grandpa, he's been sulking recently.)
**
Yusef stepped off the platform as he faded into the shadows.
Sprinting towards the portal location.
"Oh, it's a purple portal, I can mask this as an accident easily!" Yusef laughed; it seemed that he had been rewarded with a stroke of fortune.
Stepping through the portal, he immediately swore, "FUDGE, HOW IS THIS DUNGEON SO HOT?!!!"
He deployed his stealth techniques and started tracking Markus's traces.
**
Markus deftly leaped over magma pools.
Collecting Flame elemental herbs and minerals.
An ominous aura bloomed from his back.
Someone entered this dungeon with malicious intent.
Markus jumped through space and found the boss room.
[3-Headed Cerebus] Level 42
Health: 170,000/170,000
[Lava Hound] Level 37
[Lava Hound] Level 37
[Lava Hound] Level 37
[Lava Hound] Level 39
[Lava Hound] Level 39
..
(Sigh, this is definitely a purple portal on the stronger side.)
[Spatial Bubble]
[Spatial Domain]
Markus overlapped his defensive spells.
[Vorpal Strike] x3
[Lava Hound] Level 37 Slain
Markus ran in a zig-zag pattern, weaving through the boss room.
[Meteor Strike]
[Lava Hound] Level 37 Slain
[Lava Hound] Level 39 Slain
[Meteor Strike]
[Lava Hound] Level 37 Slain
[Lava Hound] Level 37 Slain
[Spatial Ascension]
[Lava Hound] Level 39 Slain
[3-Headed Cerberus] Level 42
Health: 165,000/170,000
..
Yusef watched Markus from the shadows.
A young first-year fledgling dispatched multiple level 30+ beasts with grace and ease.
(He needs to be eliminated quickly; given more time, he would grow into an overlord of a region.)
Yusef pulled out 2 throwing knives coated with basilisk venom from a tier 4 dungeon.
"Hiss"
"Hiss"
Two knives whistled through the air, stopping short of Markus.
The protective spatial bubble hovered an inch from his body.
"There you are," Markus snapped his head towards Yusef.
He lost his element of surprise.
"ROAAAARRRR!!!!"
The 3-headed Cerberus roared at his attackers.
It launched three fireballs from each of its heads.
One at Markus
Two at Yusef
Sensing the level disparity between the two, it judged Yusef as the primary threat.
[Spatial Domain]
Markus held Yusef in place for a mere 3 seconds, enough for the fireballs to strike true.
Yusef
Health: 150/11,000
Yusef was on the brink of death.
As an Assassin class, he was not built for direct combat.
He had focused most of his stats on Agility.
[Vorpal Strike]
Yusef was 1 step too late; the blade energy severed his head cleanly from his shoulders.
[Level Up]
Yusef, a veteran who likely spent decades reaching Tier 5, was undone by his own arrogance and Markus's 3-second crowd control.
This officially ends the Assassin's Guild threat from the Vane side, as Yusef was their primary "Solo" hope.
"It's just you and me now," Markus retrieved the 2 throwing knives and sent them towards the dungeon boss.
It struck true; on its front paws, the basilisk venom took effect immediately.
Turning its front paws into stone.
[Meteor Strike]
-7,000
-7,000
-7,000
-7,000
-7,000
[3-Headed Cerberus] Level 42
Health: 137,000/170,000
[Bleeding effect]
-17,000
Health: 120,000/170,000
[Spatial Ascension]
-20,000
-20,000
-20,000
-20,000
-20,000
-20,000
-20,000
[3-Headed Cerberus] Level 42 Slain
Health: 0/170,000
[Level Up]
[Markus Blackwell]
[Level: 36]