It was impossible to say how much time had passed, but when Nova finally opened his eyes, for a split second, it felt as though he could see everything the world tried to keep hidden.

The sensation was overwhelming—far more intense than when he'd first reformed his Spinal Node. Now, it was amplified tenfold.

"Fuck," he muttered, clutching his head as waves of pain pulsed through his skull.

Several minutes passed before he managed to steady his breath.

'After all that pain, he thought, this Node better be worth it.'

With a flicker of intent, he pulled up the notifications he'd missed earlier.

[??? Perception Node (5.000.000/5.000.000)]

[??? Perception Node has been formed]

[??? Perception Node] (???. Mana Affinity increased. Resistance to illusion is greatly increased. +1000% Wisdom and Intelligence.)

As soon as he saw the Perception Node's description he couldn't help but think 'Status.'

[Status]

Rank: 0

Name: Nova Grey

Species: Human

Affiliation: None

Level: 27 (170/500)

Mana: Mana Core (Low) (1,004,971/100,000,000), ??? Spinal Node, ??? Perception Node

Class: None

Titles: Goblin Exterminator, Kings Slayer, Survivor, Spear Novice, Troll Exterminator, Orc Exterminator, Rune Novice, Mana Novice, Lord (Giants), Hunter, ???

Stat Points: 343

Attributes:

Strength: 232 (+1,521)

Vigor: 205 (+1,672)

Dexterity: 255 (+4,736)

Speed: 215 (+3,847)

Intelligence: 171 (+1,753)

Wisdom: 215 (+2,204)

Will: 12

Luck: 10 (+10)

Skills

Active: Spear Thrust (15) (2,671/16,384,000), Spear Jab (15) (69,684/16,384,000), Spear Sweep (16) (8,164,615/32,768,000), Spear Lunge (11) (584,102/1,024,000), Spear Overhead Strike (10) (814/512,000), Sword Slash (10) (641/512,000), Sword Stab (10) (267/512,000), Sword Chop (10) (197/512,000), Sword Sweep (10) (784/512,000), Sword Parry (1) (184/1,000), Sword Block (0) (497/500), Blacksmithing (11) (906,656/1,024,000), Woodworking (3) (338/4,000)

Passive: Regeneration (15) (791,048/16,384,000), Keen Reflexes (8) (3,907/128,000), Momentum Streak (15) (12,089,674/16,384,000), One with the World (Spear) (MAX), One with the World (Footwork) (MAX)

Satisfied with the contents of his Status window, Nova allowed a smile to creep across his face. He picked up the Array Basics booklet once more and muttered, "Let's see just how effective this Perception Node really is."

Wasting no time, he dove back into his studies.

With each rune he deciphered, his grin grew wider. Where a Rank 1 array—composed of just nine runes—had once felt complex, it now seemed almost trivial. Had he been starting from scratch, he felt certain he could master Rank 1 arrays in mere hours.

Such was the power of his newly awakened Perception Node.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Completely absorbed by the booklet, Nova lost all sense of time. Days passed without food, yet his mind remained razor-sharp, his body unbothered by hunger or exhaustion.

Only after two relentless weeks of non-stop studying did the fatigue finally catch up with him. His vision blurred, his head ached—a clear sign that even with his enhanced Stats he still had limits.

"I'm almost there," he whispered, swaying slightly but smiling through pale lips. "Just one more week, and I feel like I'll be ready to etch my first Rank 2 array."

Despite his wan appearance, the excitement in his eyes burned brightly.

A Rank 2 array may have only required 27 runes, but the leap in complexity was staggering. Each rune had to be perfectly inscribed and resonate in harmony with the others. A single imperfection could collapse the entire structure.

Without the boost from his Perception Node, Nova doubted he would've made even half this progress in several months.

Just as Nova set the Array Basics booklet down, the Distance Token vibrated again.

He picked it up, only to be greeted by an irritated snort on the other end.

"Finally decided to answer, huh? I've been trying to reach you for weeks!"

"Thomas?" Nova blinked in surprise. "Why were you waiting for me?"

Another snort. "That group Alaric warned you about—they're making a move. They wanted to meet two weeks ago. We've been stalling them until now."

Nova frowned, already stepping out of his room. "Why stall? I thought you could handle them on your own."

This time, Thomas sighed. "Jack thinks if they're bold enough to request another meeting after what happened last time, they must be confident they can take us down."

"It makes sense," Nova admitted, "but they don't even know how strong Alaric really is." Strolling through the corridor, he added, "Also, tell the others to try unlocking their nodes if they can. It might be harder for them, but it's worth testing."

"Why would it be harder?" Thomas asked, confused.

"Did you forget already?" Nova replied. "Jack's the only one of you with the 'None' class. I'm confident he can unlock his nodes, but I'm not sure it's possible for those who chose a class from the start. Just test it and let me know what happens."

"Yeah, yeah… fine," Thomas muttered, clearly not thrilled. "Anyway, you know where our base is. That group's coming here tomorrow. I'll call you if things go sideways."

His voice dropped to a grumble. "And this time, you better pick up."

Before Nova could respond, he heard Thomas shout, "Alaric!"—and the call abruptly cut off.

Nova shook his head with a faint smile. "Shameless."

He pocketed the Distance Token and turned toward the Gravity Room, ready to resume training—only to be interrupted by a sudden shout from outside.

"HELLO? I WANT TO TALK TO THE MANAGER OF THIS PLACE!"

Every captain near a window froze. Eyes turned. Heads leaned forward. One by one, they peered out toward the source of the noise, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Outside, a seemingly ordinary man stood facing the complex—plain grey T-shirt, relaxed posture, and a small, amused smile playing on his lips.

It was Micah, one of the eight leaders.

Spotting the growing number of curious faces crowding the windows, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled again.

"WHOEVER MANAGES THIS PLACE—COME OUT AND TALK TO ME!"

The commotion intensified. Murmurs spread like wildfire. Nova, who had hoped for a quiet training session, came to a halt and frowned.

'Why do I have to deal with lunatics right now?' Nova sighed inwardly, not knowing he was one of them.

Pulling out the Distance Token, he contacted Elric. The call barely connected and before Elric could say anything Nova said "Go check it out. Let me know if you need backup." He then tucked the token away and continued toward the Gravity Room without a second glance.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Elric let out a long, weary sigh and headed outside.

As soon as Micah spotted him, his grin widened. "Took you long enough. I was about to come in and drag you out myself."

'Is there seriously no such thing as a normal person around here?' Elric muttered internally as he approached.

"Well, I'm here now," he said. "What do you want?"

Micah gave him a quick once-over, then said plainly, "This area's being taken over. I'm here to let you know who you'll be supporting from now on."

Elric stared at him, dumbfounded. "Seriously? You came all the way here just to say that?"

Of all places, this was the one this lunatic decided to mess with? Thought Elric as he stared at Micah.

Still smiling, Micah said, "You might not realize it, but standing with me only brings benefits. All you have to do is answer when you're called. Honestly, I wasn't even supposed to be here—I was just bored so you should consider yourself lucky."

From the windows above, the captains watching the scene unfold exchanged glances, their eyes filled with pity. If Micah could've seen their expressions, he might have realized something wasn't right.

But he couldn't.

"Just go away," Elric said, already turning back toward the complex. He waved a hand dismissively. "I've got training to do."

Micah's smile froze. Surprise flickered across his face, then curiosity, and finally—anger. His jaw tightened as he watched Elric walk away without a second thought.

"These little shits actually think they can look down on me?" Micah muttered under his breath.

Without warning, he lunged at Elric and threw a powerful punch.

Caught off guard, Elric didn't have time to react. The blow sent him flying through the air, crashing hard against the complex's entrance breaking its doors. A groan escaped his lips as he hit the ground.

The onlookers' eyes nearly popped from their sockets. One of their strongest commanders—sent flying by this guy? Even if it was a sneak attack, only someone strong could have done that.

Micah smirked, looming over Elric. "What did I tell you? You'd be lucky to work under me."

Though Micah masked it well, the surprise bubbling inside him was hard to hide. Few truly knew his strength, and for a random person to withstand that punch with nothing more than a few bruises was beyond anything he'd imagined.

Elric pushed himself up, steady on his feet. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he wore a confident smirk that only deepened Micah's surprise.

"Looks like you do have some strength to back up all that noise," Elric said coolly.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a Distance Token with deliberate calm.

A grin spreading across his face.

"But you really came to mess with the wrong house."

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