cerim
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Chapter 537 - End of the Chase
🕑 Added 2025-01-13 09:37:22 +0000 UTC[Greater Mimic - lvl ???]
[Greater Mimic - lvl ???]
The Mimics following us do so even now, and they seem to be excellent trackers or have marked us in some undetectable way. It’s hard to estimate their level, but what’s annoying is that they can order some lesser mimics and mimic spawns in the area to wake up and attack us.
After a day of flying through the snowy region, unwilling to risk a prolonged fight with them in case more Mimics joined, I level up once while fighting the weaker ones.
[Lvl 303 > Lvl 304]
Sometimes I also teleport us, but I do it less often, worried that it might seriously hurt Leth.
At least I know no Champion grade Mimics will come our way, and I know where to head, thanks to a small compass-like device pointing us out of the Second Front and into lumoran territory.
Speed is more important than my frustration with these two Greater Mimics following us. I’m sure I could deal with them if needed, but protecting Leth in the process might be tricky.
So we fly. I carry Leth like a princess, supporting him with two more mana limbs I create. Heat radiates from my body to keep us warm, and a barrier surrounds us, ready to deflect attacks and shield us from the wind. My mana gets drained at a rapid pace, but it also regenerates fairly quickly. The result is that it still goes down between flying, heating, defending, and fighting weaker Mimics I can kill quickly, but with my reserves, I’m not worried.
Once in a while, I check the Community, and even though there’s plenty of trouble, Group 4 seems to be doing as well as they can. Another member of their evacuation convoy was killed, caught while trying to destroy their supplies.
I also wonder if, at the speed I’m traveling—even after the five days I spent with Kyralon—I might leave the Second Front faster than they will. It’s quite possible.
***
During one of our brief breaks of a few minutes, Leth sits in the snow as I expand my barrier to deflect it and block the wind.
While I keep an eye on our surroundings and track the Greater Mimics, Leth sits there quietly. He no longer cries.
“He was like an older brother to all of us,” he whispers. “His body was frail, and that illness weighed on him… but he never showed weakness. He tried to hide it, ashamed to let us see, but we noticed. And the funny thing is, we admired him even more for that determination.”
“From what I gathered talking to him, he seemed like a good man,” I answer.
“Better than any other lumoran I knew. None of the lumoran Champions has… had such loyal people as he did. But why, why would he…”
“All the answers should be with you.”
“I know! You said that already! I… I just want to know if it was worth it.”
“You can only wait and see.”
***
After another day, the blizzard weakens, and far fewer mimic spawns and lesser mimics attack us.
The Greater Mimics trailing us push hard and try to catch up, with what feels like deep desperation. But there’s no way for them to do so, and there doesn’t seem to be any Champion Mimic nearby—or maybe it hasn’t received the message. It seems the lumoran Champion took care of that.
Actually, how many Champion grade mimics and hosts can mimic forces have? Wouldn't Champion Feroy killing six be considered a huge loss?
***
One more day passes, and the snow gradually disappears. The terrain shifts into hilly, cold land with short, hardy grass and similar trees. There are plenty of lakes in the area.
We have exited the Second Front, yet our pursuers do not stop and continue trailing us.
Just a bit farther, and I’ll get rid of these two.
Through the Community, I learn the others are still in the snowy region, and we receive a new notification:
Warning! The 2nd wave is now in progress.
As before, there is no immediate change where I am, but I don’t let my guard down.
***
Leth stands beside me as I watch two Mimics gradually come closer—two massive lumps of tentacles, mouths, teeth, and eyes. At some point, it’s almost impressive they managed to track me for so long, but enough is enough.
I prepare for the fight and fire an [Empyrean Lance] I’d been charging, then deploy a simple web of Ley Lines over the area.
The lance reaches one of the Mimics in a split second.
Okay, let’s follow up and finish…
[You have defeated Greater Mimic - lvl 375]
[Lvl 304 > Lvl 305]
Uh, what?
The other Mimic, a stadium’s length to the right of the fallen one, stops. I could swear it looks with all its eyes at where its buddy was. That one now lies dead, unmoving, the lance having torn a hole clear through its durable body with ease.
Well, if it works, why not try again?
Before the mimic moves, I form another lance and pump more into it to strengthen it. Since I’m doing it faster, it’s not as heavily charged as the first one. It slowly spins on its axis, the golden-white core glowing from within.
[Empyrean Lance - lvl 13 > Empyrean Lance - lvl 14]
The Mimic rushes at us, trying to evade a few Ley Lines I materialize in an attempt to slice it or slow it down. Its movement tears chunks of rock and grass, and there’s weight behind that charge, like a car traveling at incredible speed.
I know it’ll try to dodge, so I bide my time, storing more and more kinetic energy.
“Nathaniel?”
Closer.
“Nathaniel!” Leth shouts.
Just a bit more.
The Mimic reaches the spot I want, and my domain expands. With it, [Redistribution] activates to slow the enemy. Even so, the Mimic barely slows, and I can feel its monstrous strength and powerful body.
Maybe my first attack was just a fluke.
The Mimic changes direction and charges straight at us, dozens of tentacles swirling in front of its body to block incoming attacks.
I get ready to teleport away and release the lance.
The shockwave of its lunge makes Leth stagger, but the Mimic itself staggers too. A hole as wide as my torso is pierced through its body.
[You have defeated Greater Mimic - lvl 378]
That body keeps moving another second from momentum, then comes to a stop.
A level 14 skill.
I let my usual mana projectiles weave around my shoulders. I compress them until they’re dark blue, then launch them at the corpse with a similar amount of kinetic force as the lance before.
Several shockwaves push Leth back while he curses, demanding to know what the hell I’m doing.
I move closer to the body and examine the damage. The projectiles I made penetrated its hide and embedded halfway into the corpse. I could probably make them pierce further with more compression, which would somehow—don’t ask me how—make the mana heavier. In the best case, I could probably pierce all the way through a mimic’s body.
From previous observations, I know how durable these creatures are, and that “dumb lance” just sliced them apart.
Curious, I examine the residual hole and the field it creates, watching how it interacts with the Mimic. I know this field should gradually dissipate, but I think the higher level it is, the longer it will last.
It’s something I really want to experiment with and maybe train under. The thing disrupted Whitey’s kinetic energy, so it fascinates me.
I spend a few minutes pulling several of the mimic’s teeth, carefully avoiding its toxic saliva. Then I store them in a square of canvas that I tie up with mana thread, which should last a few days even without “restoring” it.
After checking the Community, I pick up Leth and continue in the direction indicated by the compass.
***
POV Myrra
“Beatrice! Get your ass over here!” I shout toward the tower. Almost immediately, that pink woman rushes outside, followed by her bodyguard.
“Lady Myrra! I’m so sorry for being so slow to respond,” she apologizes right away.
“Sure, sure. My master said—”
“—Didn’t she explicitly say she’s not your master—” Beatrice tries to interrupt.
I ignore her and continue, “My master said to tell your father to stop messing around. Apparently, his attempts to sneak the Framework back are annoying, mostly because they’re so unskilled. Yada yada, noble ladies’ pets, little kids could do better, you know the drill.”
“I… I apologize. There must be some misunderstanding, but I’ll speak to my father right away, I promise.”
“Good! Because I don’t think there’ll be a second warning.”
Under different circumstances, I’d probably feel bad bullying someone like this, but these silly mind mages surely deserve it. Even now, I feel her trying to manipulate me.
I could probably tell Lissandra and let her handle it quickly, but what am I—a baby lynthari who can’t deal with this weird pink human?
To push it further, I turn to Beatrice’s bodyguard—the man who used to have that crown over his head, rumored to be able to destroy this city ten times over if Beatrice died.
The crown that Lissandra snatched, leaving all these people flapping like fish out of water.
Surely one of my favorite memories.
“Little fishy,” I call to the bodyguard, “my master Lissandra is asking how long you were filling your crown. A year?”
“I… a few decades.”
I shake my head. “Tsk tsk. So lacking. How did you guys even plan to break spatial locks with skills like these?”
Before Beatrice can speak, I interrupt her. “I have to go, you know. The important stuff is waiting for me. Later then, little fishy—and pink bitch.”
I wave them off, and no words follow. I could really get used to this. I almost feel a weight dropping off my shoulders after months with that silver haired monster.
Continuing to juggle multiple orbs I’m training with under my control, I hop onto one rooftop and then another, sometimes even onto a tower, before reaching ours, near the exact center of the city. I think it used to belong to someone important, but Lady Lissandra took it for us.
There are no guards. Not even defensive arrays. She just has no need for them.
As before, I find her at the top of the tower, doing all kinds of things I can’t comprehend, with dozens of mana stones around her, and the tower’s surface carved and inscribed. The [Impact Crown] that once belonged to the bodyguard now floats nearby. It’s almost amusing, considering what it’s capable of, to see it tossed aside like a toy a child no longer wants to play with.
“They should stop now,” I tell her before sitting at my usual spot, resting my back against the wall.
“Little kitten,” she says, “if they were at least doing something interesting or using that cheap plan to take back the Framework just to hide a real ploy… But no. These people have no idea what they're doing. They probably didn’t come up with this themselves—the prisoner inside the Spatial Locks must have shared it with them.”
“Some inscription master?”
“I wasn’t curious enough to check. Let’s test something: repeat what I said—7th floor, 2nd tournament.”
“7th floor, 2nd tournament.”
“Good. The progress on status transfer is going well, and we should be done soon.”
“There are so many things I want to ask.”
"Take your time, little kitten. I'll tell you everything I know."
“As always,” I growl, my tail twitching in frustration, “these brutes don’t even have proper shampoo I could use.”
“I believe you’ll survive.”
“Lady Lissandra.”
“What.” She pauses and looks at me—somehow managing to appear vaguely threatening—and I know I only have time for one question.
“What were your two starting skills?”
"Such a question is considered extremely rude in every civilized nation, little kitten," she says before turning back to her work.
“I’m curious. Plus, all these Rulers watching us probably already know, so I can’t be worse than them!”
“That’s a terrible jump in logic. [Mana Manipulation] and [Control].”
“What the hell? I’ve never heard of anyone with [Control]. Wouldn’t that be insanely strong?”
"I thought you would have learned by now that it's rarely about the skill itself. I've met people with powerful skills, little kitten, but many couldn't fully control them. They seemed destined for greatness, envied for their potential, yet they hit a limit they couldn't surpass—like children given a sword too heavy to swing."
“I see. Aren’t you going to ask me about my starting skills, Lady Lissandra?”
With a sigh, she turns to me again. “What were your starting skills, little kitten?”
I pretend to be shocked, covering my open mouth with my hand and widening my eyes. “H-how could you? Do you know how rud—”
Before I can finish, a pulse from the crown floating nearby pushes me right over the tower’s edge.
Still in midair, I twist, reorient myself, and land on my feet.
Then I notice that in that split second, the silver haired monster managed to modify the orbs I’m training with, increasing their difficulty immensely.
I plop down on my butt, unable to concentrate on standing while trying to keep them from bursting.
***
Comments
Jayson J
I really want to see a scene where Lissandra enters beyond for the first time and meets a handler and see the handler's reaction
Jayden Martinez
Its funny that dogs are usually the hyper and clingy ones while cats are usually the independent and cold ones
Zaim İpek
Magic
monsieurTNT251
How can you heal the brain? it's infinitely more complex than limbs. And what if that disease is present all over the body, in every cell?
Chopper
I still think its absurd there can be any uncurable diseases in a world where you can regrow limbs with magic, surely you could just tear out the diseased parts and regrow them? Even if its the brain.. It's not as though a newborn baby has any information in its head worth saving, just remove and regrow. I could see someone make the argument that healing can't fix genetic issues. However, in order to allow a person to surpass natural limitations and gain abilities, the system would be manipulating people on the atomic level, which means they could manipulate genes easily enough.
Nisheeth Pandey
If she reaches that floor while the rest are already there, she’ll join them. If all of them have left, she’ll get a new instance
Nisheeth Pandey
Much better. Definitely the skill she used to use other people’s skills.
Belmont Igneul
She seems like a dog person
Zaim İpek
😏
Zaim İpek
What's not to love?
Belmont Igneul
Oh lissandra adores her
STLCharles
Tyftc! I probably wouldn't survive meeting her, but lady lissandra is awesome
Kevin McGuire
Thanks for the chapter
Johnny
Love it. Nat progression And cockroachsandra-Myrra interplay…pretty ballsy to mess with a monster like that but you can tell Liss secretly is amused
Max
Tftc!!!
Zaim İpek
I'm pretty confident Myrra is a Ruler, but I can't figure out which one. I really have no idea what her subclass is. Liss calls her lazy, so maybe Sloth? It would fit the cat aesthetic. Cats love to take naps as much as dogs love to eat.
Ray Mo
Uhh nice some reference to how nat is storing the items, i like it cerim 😁
Zaim İpek
She will do what she always does. Point out every mistake, then insult him with comparisons to some noble Lady's pet, then torture him until he meets her standards. His new abilities just mean he is making new kinds of mistakes that she will have to correct.
Zaim İpek
They definitely play off of eachother. It's similar to when the twins are together and somehow amplify eachother's cheekiness. But I think the writing for Myrra is even more naturally funny. Myrra has more charisma.
Zaim İpek
Nah, Myrra was always like that.
luke D
Infusion
Poutine Au Syrop d'érable
Noble ladies parts or Noble Ladies pets?
Val the mysterious Jedi
Seeing how roachsandra handles the mind mages vs group 4 was the best
Lorevi Q
Pretty sure sophies starting skill was just manipulation, (as in a generic version that could be used for a bunch of shit but she focused on minds). Can't remember the second skill but I don't think it was control.
Brendin Olsen
Hahahahah sarcasm 1 roachsandra 0
Krzychu0304
It was a long time ago, so I may not remember it well, but; -I'm not sure if the tutorial people even had starting skills, I remember that Nat's first skill was Focus (I don't remember if he just got it as a starting skill or if he had to do something to get it), and the second was Mana Manipulation (I'm sure he had to practice/meditate to get it) -Do I remember correctly that Sophie's first skill was Control and Mana Manipulation?
David McCreight
So will they get their own 8th floor or join the dream team?
Kirin
Thank you for the chappie! Myrra seems to be progressing towards becoming an Absolute candidate. I do wonder how Lissandra will go about Nat when she meets his upgraded self in the tournement or floors.
Dual.
Lmao tftc!
TBONEMAN
I assume control is a better version of manipulation
Andrew
Thank you!
CptJimmy42
Granny Lissandra can't help but pick up the annoying strays. First a anti social pup, now a taunting kitten.
Lonnie
The myrra chapter is great. Liss said boop out the window you go, cheeky kitten
PendejoDeMexico
I thought it was on purpose
Asekhan
Because Cockroach's status is pretty much completed
Rubeno
You aren't wrong but my point still kind of stands regarding skill upgrade as Kinetic Distribution was one of MC firsts
Nerø
Huh. It was one of the first skills that he learned, but it was not his starting skills tho. Focus and Mana Manipulation were his starting skills and he hasn't upgraded any of them yet. I think.
David McCreight
Impact Crown is interestiiiiiiing
anonymous patreon
Yooo
11335577
It should be the reason she can use the skills of other people. Ir how she can take control of that impact crown.
Funny guy
Danks fur da chappie! Nat's rubbing off on myrra XD
David McCreight
TFTC! Curious, why did they get their own instance of the floor? I thought the last floor was an exception because of the discipleship, but this floor would sync with then again making it the one where all of the champions got loose.
Rubeno
[Resonance] -> [Eclipse]
Scraser
No, leave it, it's funnier that way XD
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
John Anastacio
Editing note - noble ladies’ parts -> pets Very nice chapter, thank you.
Rocotrap
And he asked if it was possible to take it out of someone... ugh
Rocotrap
Noooooo don't put that thought in my head! Now I know it's actually true
Seijax
The scariest thing to me is that her other skill is a Manipulation, and it sounds like they could be made to have some overlap
Rubeno
Starting skills are just starting skills and they can be upgraded. After all haven't MC upgraded measly Kinetic Distribution into goliath of a skill Redistribution that allows him to utilize 2 primordial forces at the same time with all their facets? In comparison Whitey before his training arc needed all 10 skill slots to utilize kinetic force at the same level.
William Clark
Myrra's starting skills were [Sass] and [Cat], very powerful
Erebus
Thanks for th r chapter
Erebus
I am shivering in the cold, but still fun to read
Pletter
Mimicked twin would be the most evil thing for Cerim to do. So I would guess that.
Jeb
No one because The Greatest Doggo of the 7th floor ate the mimics.
Leyphelio
Oh hey, Control is one of my favorite games!
Lee Joseph Rosales
Sandra is so rude
zoarian
Man, I love how well the starting skills represent their bearers. It really feels like they're "pulled out" of the people somehow - like they're part of a person in a fundamental way.
Ethan Stout
Their dynamic is so funny
jj
Is Lissandra an Empyrean? Or, at least, following their way of doing things? Considering that she was around for a long, long time and she dislikes how helpful the current system is and how much it coddles the Champions on Floor 6, which itself might be pretty old.
Elijah helewa
Yah
Moonfrost
Liss's biggest regret will be catching up to Group 4 cause then she'll have to deal with the Nat-Myrra dynamic duo of sass
ProfessorCat
Tftc. It seems like Myra is pretty strong now, and definitely bolder than before.
Sir Supports Alot
Control is wild
Sailesh Kumar Kumar
TFTC
Graceling
Nats checking the community a lot. Who do you think got mimicked?
Venno
Another great chapter
Justin B
Now I'm curious what Control does. I hadn't even stopped to think about her two starting skills before. TFTC.
JTP
Lol , I love this dynamic
Nerø
Naw
Elijah helewa
First
