Chương 49: Upheaval

Some considered Iguazu Falls the fourth most powerful new city on World 43. They boasted a total of one hundred and five people above level fifty; they were far behind the top four cities, but still well ahead of the smaller ones. That was, at least, until they made the foolish decision to try to claim the World Tree. Now, four weeks after the global message announcing its emergence, that number had dropped to a tragic one. Countless elite warriors now lay in a pile of bodies deep in the jungles of Venezuela.

Susanita sat alone in the city pillar room, rehearsing a message she was about to relay to her counterpart in New Eden.

"Dear New Eden and everyone else… Iguazu Falls has failed. Everyone is dead. Please send help." Simple and to the point. Nothing more needed to be said. __ Five days later.

"All reports calculate the losses somewhere above two hundred and fifty so far," the smartly dressed woman reported, standing to attention.

"Thank you, Carly. Dismissed," Felicia replied. Carly gave a quick nod and left the room, heading back to her duties. The death count had been steadily rising ever since the system's announcement. Felicia stood and made her way to the training grounds, where she knew Malcolm was currently overseeing drills with their top ten squads, one hundred of their strongest fighters. Possibly the strongest hundred in all of North America.

They were preparing to move out, heading to South America to stop the ever-increasing death toll. At the training grounds, she spotted Gus standing to the side, arms crossed as he observed the squads.

"Hey Fel, bad news again?" Gus asked as she approached.

"Same as before, just more deaths," she sighed. Gus nodded grimly.

"How are preparations going?"

"Almost complete. Everything is on track for our departure in two days." Felicia patted him on the back, then continued toward the far side of the grounds where Malcolm and Alice were issuing final orders to one of the squads. She waited until they were done, and Alice waved her over. Malcolm greeted her with a rare smile, which was a welcome sight. Lately, he'd had very little reason to smile.

"Felicia," Alice said, saluting playfully. Felicia returned the gesture, and they both chuckled.

"Any word from… You know who?" Alice asked with a raised brow. Felicia almost rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," Felicia replied, turning to Malcolm.

"I'm here to report that everything is ready for your departure."

"On schedule. We can't afford to be late. We need to get there before the first Kunlun and Changchun groups arrive," Malcolm said. The two Chinese Pillar Cities had already dispatched scouting teams toward South America, against the advice of New Eden, which had begun to create friction between the factions. Felicia knew this was inevitable. The peace that came when the City Pillars were first claimed, and all the prosperity that followed, would never last. She just never anticipated things falling apart so soon.

She secretly hoped the Progenitors would step in, take control of the situation, and claim the World Tree before things escalated. But, as usual, Joe was nowhere to be found, and the other two Progenitors had no interest in involving themselves in what they called a 'pointless conflict.' Their answer was always the same: Wait for Joe. He'll show up. He'll claim it. He'll fix everything. But where the hell was he? She forced herself to take a deep breath, calming her nerves.

Sometimes she regretted all the responsibility that had landed on her shoulders since she helped claim the New Eden Pillar. She missed her quiet life, working in an office for a congressman. Filling out tons of paperwork. Almost anything was better than what she faced now. But she just had to follow that man and be by his side. She was suddenly jolted from her wandering thoughts.

"Do you have to go?" Alice asked suddenly, voicing what they were all thinking.

"Can't we just leave them all to it?" Felicia appreciated her honesty. The question hung in the air for a moment. Malcolm, however, was unmoved. He was far too focused on maintaining order and unity, on trying to create harmony where none could exist. Felicia admired his optimism, but knew changing his mind was a pointless endeavour. The world already had too many powerful egos pulling in different directions.

And now, with Gao YuanYuan missing, there was no one strong enough, or willing, to rein in Kunlun or Changchun. Everything was spiralling toward disaster.

"We have to," Malcolm said, his tone steady.

"No one else can stop them all from heading straight to their deaths. If we keep losing our strongest, then how will any of us survive?" Felicia cursed because she knew nothing she said would change his mind. Confrontation was coming. She screamed internally. __ Sometime later… Hakeem sat aboard his flying ship as it crossed the coast and entered Brazil. The oppressive heat slammed into him like a wall. He cursed at it. Then he cursed the people who had convinced him to set foot on this forsaken continent.

And most of all, he cursed the bastard who always disappeared and left them to deal with the chaos stirred up by the idiots running the other pillars. Now known as the world's strongest man, Hakeem pulled out his massive broadsword and began sharpening it with slow, deliberate strokes. It was almost time to remind everyone why you don't ignore a Progenitor's advice. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. He froze. Something was watching him. He jumped to his feet and scanned the horizon, every instinct on edge.

"What the hell was that?" he wondered.

"What happened?" Vanessa called from behind.

"Nothing," he said after a pause, shaking his head as he sheathed his sword.

"Just my imagination." But he didn't believe that. He wasn't even close to Venezuela yet. There was no way the Beast known as Drok had just looked at him. Right? Impossible. __ Drok lay back down on the grass beside the sapling of the World Tree. Just another weak human, it thought, eyes closed. It had sensed someone, a faint trace of an E-grade stepping onto the continent, so it had looked. But it wasn't him. This one was a higher level than the one it had hoped for… but still far too weak to be of interest.

With a slow exhale, Drok let its thoughts drift. Would anything interesting ever happen again? __ Oblivious to the chaos unfolding in South America, a small red fox and a tall, muscular monkey entered a desert village, searching for clues to the second relic and second puzzle box on their quest lists.

"I hate sand," Joe muttered as he swung his staff at the giant rock monster that had formed from the valley floor. Thankfully, he'd picked up a new staff recently, its tip reinforced with metal. It let him chip away at the sluggish Beast, slowly draining its health bar until it finally crumbled into dust. The monster dropped a new mask. Joe gave it a quick once-over, tested the fit, then tossed it aside. Nothing useful. He kept his current headgear on.

"I take back what I said before," Gao said as she leapt onto his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're the one controlling the destined one." He couldn't blame her. The desert had quickly become a living nightmare. Rock monsters burst from the ground. Stone statues sprang to life and attacked him. It was relentless.

"It's definitely stressful," he agreed.

"But this body can take a beating. We'll keep pushing."

"Is Veda still sleeping?" Gao asked.

"Yeah. She is still just a salamander. She needs her naps." Gao was quiet for a moment, then continued.

"What do you make of her?" Joe paused, thinking over her words. What did he think of Veda?

"It's hard to put it into words. She… and I are connected. Like family, but even deeper than that. I honestly can't imagine her not being there."

"Like an older sister?" Gao asked.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," Joe said with a chuckle.

"What about you? Any family back home? Or someone close?" he asked.

"Family, yes; someone close, no," she answered. Her tone shifted, and Joe let the subject drop. A moment later, he raised a hand, signalling ahead. Gao leapt down and darted off into hiding. Joe moved forward alone, soon coming face to face with a massive desert rat. It shrieked and charged. He readied his staff, feet settling into a familiar position. Time to fight.

It took another two weeks of wandering the desert before they finally stumbled across a sand-buried village that seemed to hold a clue to their next destination. The problem, however, was that the information was locked behind a massive puzzle wall. Joe stared up at it, squinting in the harsh sun, unsure where to even begin. It was one of those sliding piece puzzles; move the tiles around until the image came together. Unfortunately for him, he had no idea what the final picture was supposed to be.

Thankfully, Gao stepped forward with a grin stretching across her fox face.

"Start by moving the gap to the bottom right corner and follow my directions," she said confidently. Since she had no hands in her current form, Joe was left in charge of the sliding. Under Gao's direction, the puzzle was solved in just ten minutes.

"Remarkable," Veda commented, impressed. Gao did a little shuffle and an odd, fox-like bow.

"I did these puzzles all the time as a child." A new pathway opened before them.

"Joe had absolutely no idea how to solve it. We'd be stuck without you, Gao," Veda added.

"Hey, I would've got it… eventually," Joe replied, sounding thoroughly unconvinced even to himself.

"Of course you would," Veda said in the gentlest, most motherly tone she could muster. Gao chuckled softly at their back-and-forth.

"Let's move on," Joe muttered, brushing imaginary dust off his hands as he turned toward the newly revealed path. One more week of puzzles and constant battles passed before the trio emerged into a secluded desert basin surrounded by steep, craggy mountains. At its centre stood a lone Ratman wielding a gigantic spear, clearly waiting for them. Boss battle time The fight didn't even last ten minutes. The Ratman collapsed to the ground, his spear clattering beside him as life left his eyes.

It was a total stomp, mostly thanks to Gao discovering a hidden side area with an item that nullified the boss's main ability. With that advantage, the battle became a mere formality.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Veda said, sounding almost disappointed.

"Better than spending three days in a sandstorm," Joe replied, stretching his arms.

"I agree. The sooner we gather these relics, the sooner we leave this place," Gao added. Joe couldn't blame her, after being trapped in the gate for months, she probably wanted out more than any of them. But then again, he himself was dying for this to be done already.

"Two down. Four to go," Joe announced, striking a heroic pose.

"Let's hit the road, mates."

"What are you doing, child?" Veda asked with a laugh. Gao chuckled as well, though she didn't comment. Joe took the silence as a win and led the way toward their next destination. The next two relics were collected in a similarly easy fashion. Joe fought, Gao solved, and Veda guided. The trio had become a force to be reckoned with. Their skills complemented one another so well they moved through the challenges in near-perfect harmony.

They uncovered every hidden path, cleared every mini-boss, and defeated the guardians of the relics with relative ease. Their only real obstacle was time. When they finally reached the fifth area, the location of the second-to-last relic, they had been inside the Inheritance Gate for nearly four months. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Are we there yet?" Veda groaned.

"Not yet," Joe replied mechanically, trudging forward. He understood her annoyance. The repetition was starting to wear on all of them.

"Just two left," Joe mumbled. Gao only nodded from his shoulder, conserving her energy for whatever puzzles awaited them next. They were currently climbing an enormous, snow-covered mountain, and Joe had already resigned himself to the idea that this area would take at least a month to complete. Thankfully, he had overestimated. They managed to clear the region and collect the fifth relic in just two weeks. The boss fight, however, was pure nightmare fuel.

It had taken nearly a full day to defeat the monstrous centaur-like creature, half-man, half-gargantuan centipede.

"That was horrific," Gao said, shivering as they huddled around a small fire on a beach, waiting for a boatman they'd summoned from the north.

"At least it only spat poison and not acid," Veda replied. Gao gave them a thoroughly disgusted look, and Joe couldn't help but laugh. He knew what Veda meant, those acid-spitting ant-beasts from an earlier zone were fragile, thankfully, but if a boss had been able to do that? Total nightmare. As they sat in the flickering firelight, Gao glanced at Joe/Veda with a thoughtful expression.

"I've been wondering. Why are you not on the level leaderboards yet?" Joe paused, caught off guard. He wasn't sure how to answer that. The truth about his dual classes was something no one else seemed to know about. And to be honest, he barely understood it himself. Was he the only one with two classes? Instead, he offered a half-truth.

"I had an experience penalty for failing a quest. Which stopped my class from levelling," he said, shrugging.

"The system does that? It penalises you for failing a quest?" Gao asked, surprised. Joe sighed, recalling the sting of losing a skill.

"It does indeed."

"The system is really mysterious," Gao murmured after a pause.

"Have you not found a good profession?" Veda asked, her tone curious.

"No. I was hoping I would find one here," Gao replied, a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Let's hope so. Having a profession before you hit level one hundred is always ideal," Veda said. Joe mulled over that for a moment before a thought occurred to him.

"Wouldn't it be better to level up a profession once you reach E-grade? Wouldn't getting double stats per level up be more beneficial?"

"Of course not," Veda replied, clearly exasperated.

"If stats were the only reason to get a profession, then everyone would wait until… the last possible moment. But there's more to strength than just stats." She sounded like she was explaining something obvious to a child. Joe didn't mind; he was used to it.

"Think about this. What do you think was the single biggest power increase you have received since the system arrived?" Veda asked. Joe didn't need to think for long. There was only one moment that truly stood out.

"Footwork," he and Gao said in unison.

"Precisely. Stats are important, you know that. But in terms of raw impact, footwork and martial comprehension give a much more dramatic increase in power. And the more time you spend perfecting your skills, the better." Joe nodded in understanding.

"You would advise gaining a profession early?" Gao asked.

"Yes, especially if you are a combat-focused individual. The system rewards those who seek it and earn their power. There is always the possibility that a common or uncommon profession can evolve into a much higher tier one." Veda explained. Gao eyed them for a moment, her fox lips parting subtly.

"You'll have to tell me how you know so much one day," she said at last, rising to her feet as the boatman approached. Joe smiled faintly. It was time to move on. __ Corel crouched behind a tent, eyes darting as she searched for signs of pursuit. A shadow passed nearby, and she raised her hand, signalling silently. She glanced back at Alicetia and Markkoko, swallowing the curse threatening to escape her lips. Now wasn't the time. Everything had been going so well.

For over a hundred days, peace and quiet had granted her the perfect chance to dive into integration competitions, gaining both resources and the time she needed to master her profession. She had grown complacent, drunk on the thrill of growing stronger. And in that bliss, she'd forgotten the most important thing. Pathfinder was no fool. He had come to her one night without warning.

"Corel, when were you going to tell me?" he asked casually. Her heart nearly burst from her chest. She tried to compose herself, feigning ignorance as calmly as she could.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"Don't play stupid with me," Pathfinder snapped. Anger dripped from every word.

"I'm talking about the fact that you have a legendary profession." She froze in despair. He knew. Panic surged through her. Her mind scrambled for an excuse, a lie, anything that might throw him off. But as she met his eyes, she knew. Nothing she said would change a single thing. It was over. So she did the only thing left to her. She attacked. The clash was brief and brutal. She'd poured everything into her first strike, but Pathfinder batted her efforts aside with terrifying ease.

In that instant, she realized how wrong she had been. She wasn't catching up. Not even close. Pathfinder wasn't just strong; he was a monster cloaked in Volduran skin. So she ran. She'd used every tool she'd gathered over the past hundred days, every escape method she had. And still, she had barely made it out alive. A sharp pain in her side flared as she touched the bandages wrapped around her torso. She was lucky; none of his strikes had been meant to kill. That was the only reason she was still breathing.

He still had plans for her. A light touch on her shoulder pulled her back to the present. Alicetia's gaze met hers, steady and silent. Corel grimaced, guilt tightening in her chest. She had dragged them both into this. Her only remaining followers, her only true allies. She motioned, and the trio darted into the shadows, disappearing down the pitch-black streets now emptied of life.

A day later, Corel and her two followers hid at the edge of a forest, a few hundred miles south of the capital, where Pathfinder and his hunters still searched for them.

"Shanshara, we should move on soon," Alicetia said gently. Corel nodded, casting one last glance at her quest screen. System Message He Who Comes: This is an event quest. A being of unknown origin will arrive in your world in sixty Multiversal days. He will herald a change that will affect every being on your world. As the Seeker, you have been tasked with guiding the being of unknown origin. Only you can prevent the destruction of your race.

Guide the being of unknown origin to lead your people to greatness, or fail and watch as your entire world is annihilated. This is a mandatory event quest.

"Move out," she said with a resigned sigh. The die had been cast, and time was slipping through her fingers. Sixty days remained, but how would she keep her freedom that long? With a flicker of determination in her eyes, she turned and set out. __"Aaahhh!" Joe roared as he slammed his staff into the shadow mutt before him. The beast exploded into a puff of dark smoke from the impact. He spun on instinct, leaping aside just in time to dodge a spear thrust from his right.

The man wielding the weapon was Erlang Shen, the final relic holder.

"You'll pay for that monkey!" Erlang shouted, hurling a crackling wave of lightning. Joe ducked and rolled, the bolt scorching the ground behind him. With a quick breath, he activated Cloud Step, vanishing from sight and leaving his clone behind. He darted around and launched a strike at Erlang's blind spot. The staff connected with his shoulder, and a scream of pain erupted from Erlang's lips. Joe jumped back as more lightning lanced down at where he had stood.

This was not the first time Joe had engaged with Erlang. It was the third and final attempt to take down the last relic guardian. He had failed the first two times; Erlang simply had too many tools at his disposal. The number of skills he wielded was absurd, and he seemed to have an infinite supply of mana. Lightning attacks rained down endlessly. Taking even one hit would cause Joe's muscles to seize up in agony, and defeat would follow soon after.

He learned after that first failure that he could respawn nearby, and each of them had three lives before they'd be ejected from the Gate in failure. Since then, he had moved with relentless urgency, never stopping, never giving Erlang the chance to land a clean hit. They only needed to delay a little longer. Gao was nearly finished setting up the trap they'd discovered in a secret area of the last mountain. It would nullify Erlang's lightning abilities, turning the battle in their favour. The catch?

It needed thirty uninterrupted minutes to activate, and it reset every time Joe died. Just five more minutes remained. So he ran, dodged, Cloud-Stepped when he had to. He burned through speed pills and mana pills; they were almost gone.

"Duck and then slide left," Veda shouted through the cacophony of sounds. Joe followed her voice, narrowly dodging two more strikes before creating distance between himself and Erlang. Hovering above, Erlang raised his hand once more.

"Perfect. It's the last volley, Gao!" Joe shouted. This attack sequence always took four full minutes to complete. All he had to do was survive. Just four more minutes.

"Compose yourself. Here it comes," Veda said calmly. Joe locked in and began the dance with death. Lightning cascaded toward him in a deadly rhythm. He danced through it, sidestepping bolts, ducking beneath arcs of electricity, rolling through the thunderous bursts of sparks and shattered rock. His movements were flawless. It reminded him of the Varonothray. Of how he had danced through that sacred domain with Rose.

He had always been a good dancer, but now, thanks to his boots and dance list, he was becoming something more. He danced like a master of the rhythm. Erlang floated above, raining hell down upon him and cursing the monkey's persistence. Then, after what had felt like an age, the storm stopped. Erlang slowly descended to the earth, his foot brushing the ground. The moment it did, everything froze. The trap activated.

"No more lightning," Gao said as four massive metal rods emerged from the ground. All of the lightning within Erlang lanced outward, drawn toward the rods and absorbed in an instant. Erlang screamed in agony. Joe moved in a blur. He pulled back his staff, charging his most powerful attack. The weapon glowed brilliantly as he flooded it with mana, stepping forward as he drew it back a little more. Then, with the full might of the destined one's body, he hurled the staff toward Erlang.

The moment it struck, everything went white as the energy exploded on impact. A faint ding echoed atop the mountain as Erlang Shen fell, the final relic materializing before the destined one.

"Yes!!" Joe shouted, grabbing the last relic and completing the Gate at last. A heartbeat later, Joe, Veda, and Gao vanished from the summit of Erlang's mountain. Joe opened his eyes, finding himself back in his real body. No longer a monkey. He stretched his arms and legs with a groan of joy, nearly crying at how good it felt. It had been nearly five months since he'd felt like himself, and it was glorious. He felt Veda hop up onto his shoulder.

"I am never entering another gate with you again," she grumbled.

"That was horrible. Monkeys smell so bad." Joe laughed.

"Is it finally over?" Gao asked behind him. He turned to see her, whole and healthy again, and nodded with a smile. It was almost a shock looking at her human form once again. They both stood staring at each other for a while. Neither felt uncomfortable as they shared a moment. If this Gate had done one thing. It had made the pair form a shared bond of sorts and an understanding of each other after spending so long together. Joe no longer looked at her as a stranger. She was Gao, someone he now considered a friend.

He held out a hand to her.

"To new friendships and shared experiences," he said. Gao smiled back at him as she shook his hand firmly.

"To friendship," she replied. Joe smiled a toothy smile back at her.

"Just so you know, next time I expect a hug. Friends get hugs." Gao laughed.

"Congratulations," came a voice nearby. Joe turned to see the same monkey from before, now seated behind a desk. The monkey smiled as they approached. Joe's eyes were immediately drawn to the adorned staff lying across the desk, Ruyi Jingu Bang, the legendary weapon of the Monkey King. His heart skipped a beat. It was beautiful.

"Your prizes," The monkey said, gesturing.

"Please take them all, and once again. Congratulations on clearing the legendary inheritance gate." With that, the monkey vanished, and a doorway rose from the floor behind where he had sat. Joe exchanged a glance with Gao.

"Ladies first," he offered. Gao nodded in thanks and stepped forward. Joe held his breath as she examined the staff, but to his relief, she soon moved on, her attention captured by the other treasures: scrolls, books, an orb, a cape, two rings, and a small locked box. As Gao continued sorting through the items, Joe stepped closer and laid a hand on the staff. Ruyi Jingu Bang (Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod) Sun Wukong (The Monkey King)'s legendary staff. This legendary staff is a one-of-a-kind item.

Wielded by Sun Wukong, he used this staff to create mischief wherever he went. This staff was forged from a pillar used to measure the depth of the cosmic sea and was stored in the Dragon King's Palace. Upon Sun Wukong's visit there, the staff chose him as its wielder. This staff is virtually indestructible and will bend to the will of its user. +200 Strength +200 Agility +100 Vitality Reflexes of the Monkey King (increase your reaction time by 25%) Joe didn't know what to say.

The staff was beyond anything he'd found before. Utterly incomparable to the loot he'd gained up to this point. He picked it up and gave it a spin. It felt incredibly heavy and dense in his grip, yet also light and responsive to the touch. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him or if he really felt two opposite feelings at the same time. A surge of energy pulsed through his body as he felt his will meld with the staff, and its stats and new skill settled into place within him.

The feeling was simply incredible. As he stared down at the staff in his hand, it took him a moment to realize that Veda's soothing voice was talking to him within his mind once more.

"That is an imposing weapon for an E-grade weapon," she remarked.

"You can see the grade?" Joe asked, blinking in surprise.

"I can feel it. I don't have any skills." Joe tilted his head toward her. That was the first time she'd ever mentioned not having skills. He'd just assumed she had some kind of identify skill.

"Oh," Joe said awkwardly, unsure how to respond to that bit of unexpected honesty. He returned his attention to the staff. So it's an E-grade weapon. He tried to focus on it and activated Mana Sight. He tried to feel it, like Veda had said, and similarly to how he could feel people's auras. It was surprisingly easy, as he felt a soft energy emanating from the staff, giving off a soft hum in his mind. With a smile, he turned to Gao.

"Good stuff?" he asked. Gao looked up, startled, as if she'd forgotten he was there.

"Yes. Everything here is amazing. I am at a loss for words," she said, gently placing the book back on the desk. She picked up the two rings. After a moment of thought, she held one out to Joe. He took it with a questioning look before inspecting it. It was a storage ring. His eyes widened as he looked inside. It was filled with herbs and plants they'd come across during their journey as the destined one. There was also food, and, most importantly, seeds. His expression lit up.

"You should take that," Gao said. Veda reached out her tail and tapped the ring.

"This is good," she agreed.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked, looking back at Gao.

"We agreed I'd only take the staff. I'm more than happy with just that."

"Yes, I am sure," Gao replied.

"There is a lot more here than I ever expected. It is not right for me to take everything for myself. Please look through it and take what you need."

"Don't be rude; you should do as she asks," Veda said before she jumped onto Gao's shoulder, and Joe saw them start to converse.

"Okay," Joe said as he looked at some scrolls. The scrolls were skills, and so was one of the books. He ignored the lock box and the orb. He saw Gao's reaction when she touched those and knew she wanted them. Joe picked up one scroll, the skill of herbology.

"I'll take this; you have the rest," he said as he stepped back, putting the scroll and staff into his storage. He also put on the new ring and smiled as the seeds inside appeared on his seeds tab. Gao stared at him for just a moment before she gathered up everything else, and they all disappeared into her storage. She nodded and smiled. It was finally over; their time inside the inheritance gate had come to an end.

"Thank you, Monkey King, but also fuck you for keeping us here so damn long. Peace!" Joe turned with a wave of his hand.

"Ladies, let's get the hell out of here." With nothing else to do, the three walked through the doorway and exited the inheritance gate.