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Chapter 313: Comprehending the "Disintegration" Profound Concept
🕑 Added 2024-10-09 05:27:45 +0000 UTCTucker stood firmly on the other side, completely focused, as he continuously drew arrows from his quiver, pulled back his bowstring, and loosed his shots, each one claiming the life of a beastman.
[Family member defeated an enemy of higher rank, Destiny Points +1]
[Family member defeated an enemy three ranks higher, Destiny Points +3]
[Family member defeated an enemy two ranks higher, Destiny Points +2]
A barrage of notifications appeared before Rhett's eyes, one after another, ceaselessly for the next several minutes.
Rhett monitored the changes in his Destiny Points until they finally stopped at 22,813. At this point, the beastmen's screams had grown faint, and all that remained were lifeless bodies strewn across the battlefield.
"Thirteen nightcats are feigning death on the left side. Finish them off, and this battle will be over," Rhett said, casting a glance at the nightcats lying under the bodies of a few minotaurs, holding their breath to avoid detection. He patted Tucker on the shoulder and pointed them out.
"Curse you, humans! Our chieftain will not let you get away with this!"
"Roar! The beastman army will eventually trample every inch of the Kingdom of Gillon! Avenge us!"
"Mew... Gaaah..."
The last sounds were cut off by strangled cries as the nightcats were skewered by earthen spikes that burst from the ground, piercing their throats. Their faces contorted in agony as they glared at Rhett, unable to utter another word.
Thwip, thwip, thwip…
Tucker mercilessly fired a series of arrows, each one striking the nightcats squarely in the eye. The venom of the Giant Python’s Kiss quickly spread, and the nightcats' fur rapidly lost its vitality, their eyes growing dim.
"Commander, are there any more?" Tucker asked, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. After such intense and prolonged combat without rest, he was beginning to feel fatigued.
"No, that's the last of them," Rhett replied, glancing at Tucker. Sensing his son's dwindling stamina and weakening aura, he pulled a large package of dried meat from his spatial ring and tossed it to him. "Eat this quickly and restore your strength."
Rhett then turned and, with a steady gait, approached the soldiers, who looked at him with a mixture of awe and reverence. He swept his gaze over them before addressing Heisent and Laedros in a firm tone: "Have our soldiers rest and replenish their strength. The beastmen sent a formidable force to attack just our flank, which means the main battlefield is likely to be even more overwhelming. We may be facing a tough battle ahead."
"You're right!" Heisent's expression grew serious as he turned and walked toward the troops. Laedros, whose injuries had almost completely healed, followed suit, heading in the opposite direction to gather the soldiers.
Eventually, the two armies merged, left and right, under the orders of their respective commanders, and the troops sat down to take a brief rest.
Light-element mages moved quickly among the ranks, casting healing spells that rained down like holy light. The wounds sustained in battle began to heal rapidly, and the entire army gradually regained its strength.
Rhett, taking advantage of the brief respite, opened his system, preparing to conduct a simulation. It had been over four months since his last simulation, during which numerous battles had unfolded, resulting in countless changes. With a crucial battle on the horizon, it was imperative to run a fresh simulation.
[Would you like to initiate a text-based simulation? Each year simulated will consume 5 Destiny Points.]
"Yes, simulate one year."
[Year 482 of the Gillon Calendar, April 7th: You received orders to assist the Sixth Legion in flanking the beastman army, as they launched a sudden large-scale attack. That evening, while en route to the battlefield's central area, you encountered the Eighth Legion engaged in battle with an elite beastman force. Your support turned the tide, leading to the beastman force's defeat, but you were unable to prevent the escape of a peak Shadow Tiger.]
[April 11th: While marching, you encountered another elite beastman force that included over a hundred Shadow Tigers and Half-Dragons. You and the other commanders engaged them in fierce combat. However, the enemy's strength was overwhelming, with over a dozen high-ranking beastmen and two peak beastmen. You quickly fell into a disadvantageous position. After several minutes of fighting, your army was completely slaughtered. Unable to escape, you fought to the death against the royal and high-ranking beastmen, eventually exhausting your mental energy and dying on the battlefield.]
[Text-based simulation ended. Would you like to simulate again?]
"No!"
Rhett clenched his fists and furrowed his brow as he read the outcome.
When the light from the display faded, Rhett took a deep breath and sat on the ground, contemplating deeply before entering a state of meditation.
"I'm going to break through. Make sure no one disturbs me!" His cold voice carried back to the troops, causing a ripple of excitement.
The soldiers remained disciplined, refraining from loud chatter, though many exchanged shocked or thrilled glances and whispered among themselves.
Heisent, Balu, and Laedros exchanged looks of surprise, with Laedros, who thought he knew Rhett well, exclaiming, "Another breakthrough?"
Noticing the curious glances from Heisent and Balu, Laedros chuckled and explained, "Rhett is extraordinarily talented. Just a few years ago, he made a breakthrough, and now he's doing it again. I must admit, I underestimated him."
"I see. Regardless, this is excellent news for us. The beastmen are determined to crush us, and we must not show any weakness. The stronger we are, the better we can handle the challenges ahead," Heisent said. He was under the impression that Rhett was progressing from the peak of the eighth to the ninth level of Grand Magister.
Balu, standing nearby, looked at Rhett with admiration. He had heard of Rhett's accomplishments and knew that for someone of Rhett's relatively young age, such achievements were extraordinary. There was a real possibility that Rhett might one day reach the legendary Saint Realm!
"Laedros, you're only an eighth-level Sky Knight as commander of the Sixth Legion, but soon your vice commander will surpass you. How does that make you feel?" Heisent teased, elbowing Laedros.
"Haha, it doesn't bother me. If Bormir agrees, I'll gladly step aside for him. It doesn't matter whether it's me or him leading the legion," Laedros replied with a relaxed smile. He then fell silent, his gaze growing deeper as he watched Rhett.
As someone who had spent the last six months closely working with Rhett, Laedros knew that before their departure, Rhett had only been at the peak of the seventh level. The limits of elemental control at that level were clear and undeniable. Yet now, not only had Rhett displayed the power of an eighth-level peak Grand Magister in today's battle, but he was also preparing to make another breakthrough. It was impossible for Laedros to remain unaffected.
In Laedros' view, after about half an hour, Rhett opened his eyes, which now held a subtle, aged quality, as if he were a tree that had stood alone for decades.
"Rhett… have you already completed your breakthrough?" Laedros approached, scanning Rhett with an uncertain tone, though he subconsciously suspected it was true. Rhett's aura had become indiscernible, and the surrounding mental fluctuations had almost entirely vanished.
"Yes, thanks to the world's favor, I've broken through," Rhett replied with a hint of joy in his eyes as he began walking forward. As he passed Laedros, he murmured, "Let's save the explanations for after the battle…"
Laedros stood frozen, a gust of cold wind brushing past him while his heart burned with excitement. He watched Rhett's back, a thought roaring in his mind: "Could Rhett reveal the secret to rapid advancement after the battle? It's unbelievable, but with our relationship, he might help me as well!"
Taking a deep breath, Laedros suppressed his excitement. The possibility of faster advancement was an irresistible temptation for any extraordinary individual!
But… everything would have to wait until they survived the battle ahead.
"For the kingdom, for myself, we must win this fight!" Laedros resolved, striding forward with renewed determination, vowing to protect Rhett in the upcoming battles.
Rhett took a few steps and looked up, his calm gaze fixed on the sky. Although he had broken through, he wasn’t sure if his ninth-level Grand Magister strength would be enough to lead the legion to victory in the encounter from the previous simulation.
Therefore, he felt it necessary to run another simulation to find a stable path forward.
With that thought, Rhett opened the system once more.
[Would you like to initiate a text-based simulation? Each year simulated will consume 5 Destiny Points.]
"Yes, simulate one year."
[Year 482 of the Gillon Calendar, April 7th: You broke through to the ninth level of Grand Magister, standing on the brink of the Saint Realm. Congratulations.]
[April 11th: While marching, you encountered another elite beastman force that included over a hundred Shadow Tigers and Half-Dragons. You and the other commanders engaged them in fierce combat. However, the enemy's strength was overwhelming, with over a dozen high-ranking beastmen and two peak beastmen. You quickly fell into a disadvantageous position. After several minutes of fighting, your army was completely slaughtered. Unable to escape, you fought to the death against the royal and high-ranking beastmen. Facing a dozen high-ranking royal beastmen, you unleashed all your power, managing to kill four high-ranking beastmen as your three teammates fell one after another.]
[The peak Half-Dragon hounded you relentlessly, and as it pushed you to the brink with its relentless attacks, you felt a surge of destruction well up within you. In the face of this deadly crisis, your spirit transcended, and a new power emerged from the world's Earth elements. This new force brought with it a profound understanding.]
[But as the crisis struck, you, with your body exhausted, used this new power. You abandoned all defensive magic, allowing the peak Half-Dragon to close in. Then, with one final Stone Spike, you impaled both yourself and the Half-Dragon, unleashing a disintegration force that obliterated the Half-Dragon's heart. At the same time, your last bit of life force also faded away. You and the Half-Dragon perished together.]
[Text-based simulation ended. Would you like to simulate again?]
"No!"
Reading the results of this simulation, Rhett immediately dismissed the idea of running more. His gaze, fixed on the sky, grew brighter.
His heart swelled with joy. A new profound concept—the Disintegration Concept. Who would have thought that a desperate situation could become a moment of enlightenment!
"It seems King Milan’s analysis was quite accurate. The stronger one is, the deeper their mark on the world. In other words, the higher one's weight in the world, the better the rewards…"
Reflecting on what King Milan had said, Rhett nodded to himself, increasingly convinced that it was true, or at least close to the truth. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why, under similar circumstances, as a ninth-level Grand Magister, he had just comprehended the "Disintegration" Concept. It indicated that his separation from the world's essence was gradually diminishing, while his affinity with it was growing.
"Now that I’ve grasped this power, I’m more confident in facing that group of beastmen!"
"However, I shouldn’t get overconfident. I need to keep things natural and avoid the mental bias brought on by foresight…"
"Next, I’ll work on fully understanding the Disintegration Concept. I don’t need to risk doing it in reality; I’ll refine it through the simulation first…"
With a smile on his face, Rhett composed himself and opened the system once more.
[Would you like to initiate a real simulation? Each day simulated will consume 1 Destiny Point.]
"Yes, simulate six days!"
As a ripple spread before his eyes.
Rhett quickly approached Heisent and Balu, asking, "How are the soldiers doing?"
"They’re fully recovered and ready to move at any time!" Heisent replied. "When do you think we should set out?"
"Now. That peak Shadow Tiger seemed vengeful. It will likely lead a team back to ambush us. Especially after realizing your strength, it won’t leave our unit alone. Officers who have mastered profound concepts are always a priority target for the beastmen," Laedros interjected, offering his analysis.
"That makes sense. No time to waste; let’s head to the main battlefield!" Rhett urged.
"If we encounter the beastmen again, we’ll protect Rhett. This is a land battle, and you have a significant advantage against the beastmen," Balu said optimistically. With Rhett on their side, the pressure of the upcoming battle felt much lighter. In his view, unless they faced a Saint-level enemy, their legion was unstoppable!
After discussing a few tactical details, the four reorganized the troops and set out once more toward the west!
The stars were sparse, and a dark mist veiled half the sky, casting a particularly gloomy hue.
In a valley about twenty meters deep, the army, like black dots in the night, moved swiftly, the oddly shaped peaks on either side reaching out like claws in the fog. Occasionally, a cold wind howled through, sounding like the wails of ghosts.
At the front of the formation, a medium-sized figure kept his senses on high alert. Although he might not detect the presence of peak-level beastmen, on the battlefield, they were never alone. Even if they were well hidden, the surrounding army would be like beacons in the night.
At this moment, Rhett sensed the foul stench of the beastmen, advancing from the right flank. Agile nightcats and Shadow Tigers led the way, scaling the northern side of the valley ridge.
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