Chương 51: Teleportation Practice

Joe was guided into the room that housed the city pillar in South Africa. His arrival had caused quite an uproar. With his identification block still active, the people he encountered had initially assumed he was a Beast in disguise. He'd been forced to unveil his aura for the first time in weeks, shocking them into submission and finally convincing them of who he was.

"This place is a mess," Veda commented as she glanced around. She wasn't wrong. This city was nothing like the other pillar cities he'd visited. There were fewer buildings, and the entire area looked barely maintained. It seemed they'd struggled without a strong leader to guide development.

"It's not great," he whispered, careful not to be overheard.

"Hey, can you tell me who is in charge here?" Joe asked one of the people hurrying through the pillar room.

"Sorry, sir, but I do not know," the man said before darting off. Joe sighed. That was the third person he'd asked, and the third time he'd gotten the same answer. He had initially stopped by the pillar to check out the shop, but now he regretted the detour.

"Progenitor?" A timid voice called. Joe turned to see a woman bowing deeply.

"The pillar is free for you to use now," she said politely. Joe nodded and stepped over to the main panel, scrolling through the shop list. A few moments later, he sighed and turned back to the woman with a small nod of thanks before walking away.

"Well, that was a waste of time," he grumbled as he stepped outside. No one even seemed to notice him leaving. Veda just shook her head. Joe quickly exited the city and headed north toward the first of the five remaining Boss Beasts in Africa. __ Corel ducked as an arrow whipped past her head, missing by a hair's breadth. She activated her skill Seekers Void Step and instantly blinked a hundred metres ahead. With every step she took, grass spread out beneath her.

She glanced at the mini-map in the corner of her vision as she ran. Five dots were in hot pursuit, and two were stationary up ahead. Thankfully, the two ahead were Alicetia and Markkoko. They were preparing a trap. As soon as she came within range of her companions, she activated Seeker's Void Step again and vanished from the sight of her pursuers. She stepped straight into an invisibility array and veiled her Aura as she ducked behind Alicetia, who was already charging an attack.

A moment later, Alicetia released it, and an explosion of air thundered from her bow, the arrow shrieking toward the five Voldura chasing them. Despite the surprise attack, they reacted quickly enough to raise their shields. Only two were caught off guard and died instantly. The rest dropped back, hiding behind hastily summoned barriers. Markkoko stepped forward as Alicetia retreated to Corel's side. He raised both hands and activated his skill.

A massive tornado spun into being between the two groups, battering the enemies with howling winds and flying debris. Corel and her two followers again slipped away using the chaos as cover. A few hours later, Corel sat inside a small tent hidden by a suppression array, grinding her teeth in frustration.

"How do they keep finding us?" Alicetia exclaimed. Corel shook her head. She was wondering the same thing. No matter where they went or how well they hid, they could never stay in one place for more than two days before being forced to move again. They had even abandoned most of their gear, carrying only the bare necessities to remain undetected. But still, the pursuers always managed to track them down. Corel was lucky if she got more than a few hours' sleep every four or five days.

She was grateful that her stamina reserves had grown since she gained her profession. But Alicetia and Markkoko didn't have the same advantage. They were slowing her down… She pushed the thought away. They were also the only reason she still had her freedom. The only reason she hadn't been captured yet.

"It's the Auger," Corel responded.

"He must be divining our position. Whenever they search near us, they never know our exact location. It's the only explanation." She hoped it was the only explanation. The alternative was far more unsettling. Her gaze shifted to Alicetia, who stared back at her in silence. Then she turned to Markkoko, his eyes closed in exhaustion. Corel shook her head.

"Both of you sleep. I'll take the first watch," Corel said. Markkoko lay down immediately and drifted off without a word. Alicetia, however, lingered, watching Corel a few seconds longer before finally lying down and closing her eyes. Corel knew what she was thinking. Corel had been watching every moment she could. She had found nothing, no signs of betrayal. She believed in him. She had to. She sat in silence, forcing her thoughts elsewhere. __ Four days had passed since Joe entered Africa.

He now stood on the northern tip of Morocco, staring across the Alboran Sea toward southern Spain. Africa was clear. Only one more Boss Beast remained, in southern Spain, before he'd have to head across to the Americas.

"Are you ready?" Veda asked.

"Yep, you think this is a good idea?" Joe replied, raising an eyebrow. Veda simply nodded.

"Okay, hold your breath," he said. Joe had discovered that holding his breath just before using Space Jump stopped the nausea. It made the whole thing far more manageable. He felt Veda tense on his shoulder as he activated the skill. They blinked into existence high above the sea, between Morocco and Spain. Immediately, Joe focused on a point ahead and activated Space Jump again, just before gravity pulled him down. It worked; he jumped once more.

He managed three more clean jumps before he lost focus for a split second and began to fall. Glancing down, he triggered the skill one last time, appearing just above the water's surface. They hit the sea with a splash. Swimming to the surface, Joe pulled out his boat and jumped aboard.

"That was pretty good for a test run," he said, pleased. Veda shook herself off and curled tighter against him.

"You never mentioned the sea being so cold," she complained. Honestly, it hadn't even crossed his mind. He forgot sometimes that she wasn't from this world.

"Oops," he said, spinning on the spot like a human tornado to shake off some of the water. It helped a little. Eventually, he gave up, pulled off his soaked clothes, and hung them up to dry in the midday sun. The clothes he hung up weren't his system gear with stats. They were just typical Chinese robes he had picked up in Kunlun. He decided it got a bit boring always wearing the same clothing, so now he hid his gear and tried different styles as he travelled.

Veda hopped down from his shoulder as he stripped and sat quietly, staring at him. Joe would never consider himself bashful, but her intense gaze made him wish the clothes would dry faster.

"What?" he asked, finally cracking.

"Is there something attached to me?" He twisted his body dramatically, pretending to inspect himself. Veda blinked, curled up, and closed her eyes without answering. Curious now, Joe pulled out a large mirror he'd swiped from his room back in India. He decided to have a small moment of vanity as he stared at his fully naked body. His muscles were thick, sculpted, and defined. No fat. No love handles. He smiled appreciatively as he flexed. A low sound broke the silence. Veda was either coughing or laughing.

He couldn't tell. He shrugged and went right back to admiring himself.

"Can I scar? Or does my new body not get any scars?" Joe asked as he space-jumped onto the beach somewhere in southern Spain.

"I think one of your profession's skills has been healing your scars. Only those in the B grade or higher don't scar," Veda replied. Another benefit of his profession? He was not about to complain at all. It was nice not worrying about getting giant scars all over his body after a hard fight.

"So don't stress about marring your pretty little face," Veda added teasingly.

"Aww, you think I'm pretty?" he grinned.

"Not as pretty as that, Hakeem. He was…"

"Okay, stop," Joe cut in.

"You just couldn't play along for once, could you?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Veda said in mock innocence.

"Bah!" he exclaimed.

"Hold your breath." Without waiting for her response, he activated Space Jump. __ Leonardo and Antonio stared at the massive mushroom cloud rising before them. A split second later, they both covered their ears as a deafening sonic boom hit, knocking them off their feet and shaking the rooftop beneath them.

"Tony!" Leonardo shouted.

"What the hell was that?"

"I think it was the Terroroice Turtle," Tony replied, getting to his feet as he stared at the gigantic column of dust and fire.

"Yep, that is definitely the turtle." Both men spun around as the captain arrived on the rooftop behind them.

"What happened?" __ Joe waved his hand before his face, trying to clear the dust. It wasn't working very well. With a sigh, he pulled out Jingu Bang and began spinning it rapidly in one hand. The swirling motion whipped up a breeze strong enough to push the dust away, gradually clearing the air around him. The shell of the massive, dead turtle loomed over him.

"That was foolish," Veda said flatly.

"I know. I won't do that again," he admitted, more embarrassed than anything. He looked around at the devastation he had accidentally caused. What had once been the city of Seville was now a scorched mess. In all fairness, he hadn't expected the turtle to suddenly erupt like a volcano. Combine that with its size, and he wasn't sure he could have avoided this mess to begin with.

"You should probably loot it and leave before anyone shows up," Veda added. Joe raised an eyebrow.

"That sounded like something Esha would say." Still, he looted the turtle. He received a strange, unmarked book he couldn't identify. Then, without hesitation, he activated Space Jump and vanished from the scene. A day later, Joe stood on a beach in Portugal. It was time to head to North America. He glanced at the quest one last time. Quest - Kill all 100 Gate bosses to restart Integration into the multiverse. Quest progress - 97/100 Time limit of Quest - 7 months. Only three left.

Veda sat perched on his shoulder, staring at the quest screen. She rubbed her head against his cheek.

"Are you ready?" she asked. Joe nodded and pulled out his boat. Facing west, he leapt aboard and set off towards North America. During the sea voyage, he used the time to practice Space Jump. With the autopilot engaged, he left Veda resting below and jumped around the boat, testing how many consecutive jumps he could make and how accurately he could land. He aimed for just above the deck, and missed, splashing into the ocean. Landing on a moving boat was harder than he expected.

Still, he didn't let the failure bother him. He swam forward, climbed back on, and kept at it. Only when land appeared on the horizon did he finally stop and settle beside Veda, catching his breath.

"Not long now," he said. As he sat down, Veda flashed over and curled up onto his lap. He had removed his regular clothing for practice, sticking to his system gear, which, he discovered, could be instantly dried by dismissing and re-equipping it. When he complained to Veda about not telling him sooner, she simply replied that she wanted to see him naked. He changed the subject and never brought it up again. Then… ding! Joe pulled up the quest screen.

Quest - Kill all 100 Gate bosses to restart Integration into the multiverse. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Quest progress - 99/100 Time limit of Quest - 7 months. Someone had just killed two more bosses. Only it was left now.

"Don't worry, you are ready," Veda said, reassuredly.

"Shall we do some power levelling?" Joe looked at her, saw the fire in her eyes, and grinned back. He dedicated an entire week to practicing Space Jump. He didn't make any revolutionary breakthroughs, but he did manage to shorten the activation time. He no longer needed to stare at a location; just a glance was enough now.

"Once you master the skill, you won't need to look at all," Veda explained.

"You'll be able to jump with just a thought."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Joe asked.

"What happens if I jump into a wall, or worse?"

"I don't think it would activate in that case. Or it would change your trajectory slightly, put you near the wall instead of into it. I'm no expert on space skills, though," she admitted. Joe contemplated what she said. If the skill had some kind of built-in fail-safe, something to stop him from instantly killing himself by mistake, that would make experimenting with it a lot easier. He was just considering how to adjust his training when the communication cube in his storage began to glow.

A notification popped up.

"Gao just sent a message," Joe said. Veda immediately perked up.

"Well, hurry up and bring the cube out," she said, visibly eager. Joe pulled it out and sent a small pulse of mana into it. The message began to play.

"Joe, I have news. The situation in Venezuela has changed. A barrier has appeared around the Beast's domain. It has your name on it. Where are you? Head to the nearest city pillar marked on your map. I will be waiting to talk. Gao." Joe exchanged a look with Veda as he pulled out his map.

"You think that is a bad sign?" A few moments of silence passed before Veda half responded.

"I think the system…" Veda jumped off his shoulder and walked away a short distance, sitting silently for a few minutes. Unsure what was going on, Joe was about to approach her when she suddenly bounced to her feet and let out the loudest roar he had ever heard. He clapped his hands over his ears and instinctively activated Mana-Coating. Even then, a trickle of blood ran down from his ears as his eardrums exploded from the pressure. Her roar didn't stop for a full minute.

When it finally ended, Joe just stared at her in silence, as his ears slowly healed. __ Veda sat on Joe's shoulder, listening to Gao's voice. Oh, how she missed the woman. She hoped they would meet soon. Her attention returned to the message.

"... It has your name on it…" Veda blinked, and suddenly, a wave of dread washed over her. No, no, no, no… She started to panic. She knew what this was. She tried to respond to something Joe said, but stopped halfway through. Then she jumped down and walked a short distance away, needing space to think. How? There was only one explanation. This was a bloodline domain. This was a bloodline battle. An image flashed through her mind: Catalina Terravignion's first husband. The only Mortifi she had ever truly loved.

He had died inside a bloodline domain. Veda roared. The memory crashing over her like a tidal wave. She roared in pain and fury until there was nothing left in her. Then she collapsed, panting, tears streaming down her face. Not again. No. This time would be different. She wouldn't lose someone so important to her. She felt the memory start to fade from her, as most of the rest of Catalina's had faded. She was no longer part of the God of Eludia. She was her own being. She turned and looked at Joe.

She wished she had a voice, a real voice. She would yell at him to run. To flee. To never enter that damn domain. __ Joe sat beside Veda, silent. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say. He had felt her emotions when she roared, raw, overwhelming grief. He had never felt such sorrow from her before. What had caused that? A memory? The message from Gao replayed in his mind. The barrier. The one with his name on it. It had to be something to do with that. He slowly reached out and touched Veda's tail.

She recoiled. He pulled his hand back.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, still unsure of what was running through her mind. After a pause, her tail whipped back and gently rested against him.

"It's not your fault," she said in his mind, her voice heavy with pain. They didn't speak again for a while. Eventually, he stood.

"Let's head to New Eden," he said quietly. Veda leapt up and wrapped herself around his shoulder, not saying a word. Joe's visit to New Eden was subdued and awkward. As soon as he arrived, a group that recognised him greeted him and escorted him straight to the pillar room. The atmosphere was tense, and Joe couldn't hide his mood. No one approached him as he waited in silence. He spoke to Gao, who told him everything she knew. Then, she informed him that she would be heading back to Kunlun to train.

She wished him good luck and gave him an uncertain look before ending the hologram call. Joe left New Eden without saying much else. He had no desire to talk. He climbed onto his boat and went in search of Beasts, driven by a single thought: get stronger, as fast as possible. This time, there would be no distractions. No detours. It was time to train, without interruption. Over the next six weeks, word spread across World 43: only one Beast remained before integration would begin.

Groups departed from all the pillars, gathering as many people as possible to bring them to the safety of the cities and prepare for what came next. No one knew exactly what was going to happen, only that they needed to be ready. Mana combustions began erupting across the world, and with them came new Beasts, ranging from level fifty up to level seventy. This surge in power led to a boom in growth among the strongest people on Earth.

The leaderboard changed daily as new elites emerged, carving out their place by proving themselves in battle. Not everyone could handle the sudden increase in Beast power. Hundreds fell, slaughtered in the chaos. Four weeks passed before the first person reached the fabled level of one hundred, entering the E-grade. It was a surprise to all when an unknown man suddenly shot into the number one spot: a man named Devotion. He had claimed the pillar in Australia and named it Rarohenga.

Progenitor Hakeem was the second to reach level one hundred, only two days after Devotion. Then Gao YuanYuan followed as the third.

By the end of the six weeks, the leaderboard had changed dramatically: World 43 Leaderboard: 10 - Ryuhei Matsuda level 92 9 - Kairos Athanasiou (Progenitor) level 93 8 - Kane Dupree level 93 7 - Luo Yinxi level 93 6 - Divine Sword Malcolm level 94 5 - Song Weilong level 96 4 - Esha Bakshi level 100 3 - Gao YuanYuan level 101 2 - Hakeem King(Progenitor) level 103 1 - Devotion level 103 But it wasn't just the leaderboard that changed during these six weeks.

Heliopolis declared it would no longer work with or communicate with New Eden. The announcement shocked many, though not those in charge of New Eden. The Divine Sword knew exactly why. His actions in Venezuela had caused a rift. He had tried to force Hakeem to invade the Beast's territory, against his own wishes. The fallout led to Hakeem leaving the continent and returning to Heliopolis.

Eventually, once the strange barrier appeared around the Beast's domain, all major pillar teams pulled back to protect their own cities from the sudden Beast surges, leaving Venezuela empty once again. Kunlun surprised many by declaring an alliance with the newly named city Rarohenga, establishing it as one of the top powers in the world. None of these events mattered much to one man. A man, now sitting quietly on a boat, surprisingly surrounded by some of the most powerful people in the world.

The large vessel hovered in the sky, one mile above the beaches of Venezuela. Joe sat at a table, looking at the people he had gathered: Esha, Gao, Hakeem, Malcolm, Kane, Song, Ryuhei, and Devotion. Eight of the top ten highest-levelled people on World 43 were all waiting in silence for him to speak.

"Thank you all for coming," he began.

"It is a pleasure, Progenitor," Devotion said. Joe looked at the strange man. He wore plain brown robes and looked every bit a monk: clean-shaven head, calm expression, and a faint but unmistakable trace of suppressed E-grade aura.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have gathered you all here today for a specific purpose. So, no one could accuse me of leaving anyone out. You all represent the major pillars and cities," Joe continued.

"A bit dramatic, Farmer. Some things never change," Esha interrupted with a smile. Joe tried to suppress a chuckle, but failed.

"Dammit, Esha. Now I owe Veda an hour of back rubs. I thought you'd at least let me go five more minutes." A few of the gathered people exchanged puzzled glances.

"Anyway," he said, shifting into a more serious tone, "as I was saying… It's time for me to face that bastard." He gestured southward.

"I'll be real with you. I have no idea what is waiting for me inside that barrier. All I know is that it is something called a bloodline domain." The Divine Sword shot to his feet.

"So you do have a bloodline?" he nearly shouted. Joe caught the way Hakeem clenched his fists in the corner of his vision.

"Yes. But that is not the point," Joe replied calmly.

"The point is… so does that Beast." That statement silenced the group.

"How do you know that?" Hakeem asked. Joe paused.

"A feeling." Hakeem nodded in understanding.

"Can you win?" Esha asked.

"Not sure," Joe admitted.

"I will, of course, try my hardest. But I have no idea, which is why I want you all to prepare for the worst. We still have four months before the quest ends, and the Tree needs to be claimed. So, train and prepare."

"We will, Progenitor," Devotion said, touching his heart.

"You better not lose Farmer," Esha added.

"I will be coming with you." Joe looked up, a little surprised.

"Sure, but obviously, you won't be able to enter the domain."

"That's fine; someone has to keep Veda company," she replied with a shrug.

"Who is Veda?" Kane asked, speaking for the first time. He was a new face to Joe, someone who'd made a name for himself during the recent Beast surges.

"My sister," Joe said simply.

"Anyway, I also asked you here to hand you these." Eight booklets appeared in his hand. He passed one to each person.

"Just some information I thought would help you all before I go. Now, is anyone hungry?" Only four chose to stay and share a meal with Joe. The others gave thanks and departed for their boats, heading back to their pillars. Joe, Hakeem, Devotion, Esha, and Gao sat around the table, enjoying a simple meal and light-hearted conversation. Veda joined them soon after, introducing herself to a very surprised Devotion. Then, claiming 'lady talk' was overdue, she disappeared with Gao and Esha, leaving the three men alone.

Joe was just glad to see her mood improving. Eventually, Devotion departed, leaving Joe and Hakeem at the table.

"Who was that guy?" Joe asked, leaning back.

"Dude. Devotion," Hakeem replied with a laugh.

"Right. Right. You cool, though? I sensed some tension."

"It's fine. I dealt with it." Joe nodded.

"So what are you gonna do? Head back?"

"Might as well. No need to sit around waiting for you to do something stupid." Joe chuckled.

"True. How's Kai and Sarah?"

"They're fine. Things are pretty busy, but they said something about the city pillar reaching level ten and a ton of new stuff opened up. Mostly defensive stuff. The wall around the city is pretty nuts now. We even have these crazy laser guns."

"Damn, like in starcraft?"

"Yeah. They can vaporize most beasts that come near."

"Sounds like the system is preparing us for war," Joe commented. Hakeem stared at him.

"You just had to say it out loud, didn't you? Don't you learn?" Joe gave a regretful look back.

"Oh, by the way. I met an Elven, or rather, a Mortifi princess, about seven or eight months back." Hakeem was mid-sip but immediately dropped his glass.

"What the fuck. Now, you bring that up? What kind of princess? Did she live in a castle? And what the hell is a Mortifi?"

"I was teleported off-world to a place called Eludia. One of the great Empires of the Multiverse." Hakeem closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Joe then explained everything: Eludia, the princess, the gods, the trials, all of it. When he finished, the two of them sat in silence for a few long moments.

"You're kidding, right? You just made that up?"

"Nope," Joe replied. Then he removed the crown from his head and handed it to Hakeem. Hakeem looked it over.

"Wait… you pulled that off your head? How'd you make it appear like that?"

"Shit, I forgot again. If you touch any of your looted gear and think 'Hide', you can make it invisible." Joe watched as Hakeem tested it, making parts of his gear vanish.

"Pretty cool, right?" Joe grinned.

"Fuck that's better; none of this gear matches at all. Now I can finally wear some proper clothes," Hakeem said, clearly thrilled.

"It's one of the best tricks I picked up over there."

"So… a Mortifi, huh? Got a picture?" Hakeem asked.

"I wish," Joe said with a sigh.

"She was ridiculously beautiful, though. And you should've seen her mom. She was even hotter."

"Dude, you better never say that in front of her."

"Of course not. Not after she tried to have me killed." Hakeem laughed, not at all surprised.

"How old was she?" Hakeem asked after recovering.

"Is she like hundreds of years old if she's a Mortifi?"

"She said she was twenty-seven," Joe answered, his mind drifting back to the last time he saw her. Hakeem nodded.

"Well, good luck with your long-distance relationship. And not getting killed by her mother," he laughed, standing up.

"Time to go. Later, man." Joe gave a lazy salute and got up as well. Since he was still on Gao's boat, he went off to find Veda and the two ladies. It didn't take long. He followed their auras to a room at the back of the vessel and knocked politely. Esha opened the door.

"Come, come," she said, pulling him inside.

"Veda was just telling us all about your bond, Farmer," Esha added, a hint of venom in her tone. Joe nearly turned around and walked right back out, but against his better judgment, he stayed.

"Great," he muttered, shooting Veda a look as she hung lazily from Gao's shoulder. Veda ignored him entirely.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag. And just so you know, I had no choice in that matter. Fate is a strange thing," Joe said with a wistful sigh.

"Fate? So you were destined to meet?" Esha scoffed.

"Who can know what fate decides for a person? We can only be dragged along with its whims." Joe raised a hand dramatically like a Shakespearean actor.

"Well said," Gao added calmly. Esha moved over and linked arms with Gao. Joe's eyes widened slightly, but he kept the surprise off his face. He also noted that they both seemed to be talking to him in the same language now. Interesting. He thought. Joe gave Esha a cursory glance, noticing that there was something different about her… he paused and realized his mistake. She was in the E-grade now. Her appearance had shifted, refined. So had Gao's, and he had completely forgotten to say a word about it.

"Are you taller now?" he asked, eyes narrowing. Esha's eyes lit up, her smile stretching as wide as it could go.

"About time you noticed, Farmer. I was this close to punching you for ignoring the changes."

"Ladies," Joe said, placing a hand over his heart and giving a dramatic bow, "I offer my sincerest apologies for my transgression." He turned to Gao first.

"Gao, the new hair? Spectacular. Your whole look, impeccable." She gave a faint blush at the compliment. Then he turned to Esha, letting his gaze sweep slowly, deliberately over her. She gave him a playful twirl, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Esha, my oldest friend," he began in a mock-formal tone.

"You look absolutely stunning.. And your ass is simply divine." The aghast look that bloomed across her face as his words registered was worth every penny of the price he would have to pay for the compliment. A heartbeat later, Esha stepped forward and punched him square in the face.

"I told you nothing good comes from men with egos that big," she muttered to Gao as Joe rubbed his jaw, groaning.

"But," she added under her breath, "my ass does look great." Gao nodded, biting back a grin.

"Did you two need more time to talk?" Joe said, straightening with one last groan.

"Because I can go make myself busy."

"No, that's fine. We're done here," Gao said.

"I should be heading back to prepare." She and Esha shared an unspoken glance. Joe held out his arm, and Veda leapt over, curling around him again.

"Let's give them some privacy. Politely remove yourself," Veda said dryly. Joe did just that, excusing himself and heading to the boat's front deck.

"Esha will be joining us, so don't leave without her," Veda said as Joe pulled out his own boat, which materialized in the air beside them.

"I won't." They only had to wait about an hour before Esha arrived. Once she was aboard, the trio set off, heading into Venezuela.