Living Life As A Game: Through And Through 153 Debuting The Origin Energy-Technique Integration Cube

Within the VIP area where the heads of the various factions of the Martial Society convened, there were also important world figures and leaders that weren't necessarily martial pract.i.tioners. One such important non-pract.i.tioner, the leader of Uruguay, was watching Elizabeth's twelfth battle of the evening against the 110th ranked Saint Stage compet.i.tor and unlike most others, he actually verbally addressed her ridiculousness by posing a simple question, "Ok… for a simple-minded fool like me, could you please explain how that 'thing' is managing so well in the Saint Division? I mean, it already baffles me that she can transcend one Stage, as you call them, but two? Shouldn't that be a double impossibility?"

It was as if he had broken some sort of taboo by bringing up the topic as all the Spirit Realm Elders in attendance gave him an odd look. Even the other important non-pract.i.tioners, who didn't have the heightened sense to be able to hear him across the room, followed after the Spirit Realm Elders as they sensed the atmosphere within the VIP room shift.

Not a single Spirit Realm Elder spoke for two important reasons. First, Elizabeth had succeeded in thoroughly capturing everyone's attention, but not only for positive reasons. She had essentially destroyed the long existing hierarchy of power within the Secondary Occupational Events she attended and because only one faction could possess her, most of the highest ranking factions already had the mind to potentially see her as an opposing force; a potentially apocalyptic opposing force…

Sure, she wouldn't become an enemy right away or perhaps ever, but with the various talents she had thus far displayed, it would give anyone the chills just thinking what she might turn into after a couple more years of hard work.

Additionally, any faction that received her would essentially be gaining a Medical, Enchanter, Cooking, Beast Taming, Forging, and Martial Genius all in one person. With the way factions were made at the moment, most specializing in one field, whatever lucky faction gained Elizabeth would essentially be receiving a six-way specialist for the price of one. If she worked to supply her faction with auxiliary support from crafting, healing, and taming even occasionally, the only thing stopping a faction from being fully prepared to take on any task would be someone to supply them pills and formations.

The second reason why they didn't speak was simply because they didn't really know the reason why Elizabeth was so strong themselves. Some may point to her equipment as the source of her strength, knowing that she could create armaments even Spirit Realm cultivators find useful, but her armor alone couldn't explain the totality of her combat prowess. Thus far, she hasn't used any enchantments in the Martial Event, nor have her tamed beasts helped her out. Only the medical use of her acupoint during the breaks in between battles and the potential consumption of spiritual meals might play into effect, thought their effects would only explain her endurance and ability to recover.

Of all the things they could take note of and explain, her combat prowess and transcendental strength simply wasn't one of them. At least, it was hard to get the full picture without her explaining it.

Suddenly, in the quiet room, the ever-serious Sir Keter took advantage of the silence to explain part of his understanding of Elizabeth's ridiculous power. He said, "That girl is 'special.' You see, unlike most other pract.i.tioners, she's entered one of the Extreme Paths of cultivation. If I'm not mistaken she possesses a Seamless Qi Connection indicating her status as a cultivator of the Path of Perfection. Practically speaking, she's an all-rounder type of supreme pract.i.tioner that excels in all aspects of combat, her most key defining trait being that Qi Connection's ability to cycle and move Qi. Combined with her Affinity for s.p.a.ce, Time, Death, Ice, and who knows what else, it is very hard for normal pract.i.tioners of even higher Stage to compete..."

He concluded his speech abruptly, getting most Spirit Realm Elders to gasp at the mention of the Path of Perfection, but internally, Sir Keter had his doubts as being a Perfect Peak Phase Warrior shouldn't be nearly enough to challenge Peak Phase Kings, never mind the Beginner Phase Saint she was currently matching to a draw. A light shimmered across Sir Keter's sky blue eyes as he recalled the almost grey film of energy that covered Elizabeth when she activated her 4th Chaos Seal as well as the Target Homing Spell Circle that appeared for the briefest of moments when Tristan was downed.

With Sir Keter's eyes shutting as he remained in his seat, in ponderance of Elizabeth's abilities, the quiet atmosphere of the VIP area lifted as the others began discussing amongst themselves.

…

[Milestone Alert!

The User has evolved a Martial Art to D Grade!!!

Hidden Quest: Martial Arts Milestone #3 (Complete)

Difficulty: S

Degree of Completion: Mythical

Objective: Get any Martial Art to S Grade ✔

Description: Very impressive… You've managed to train your Blade Art to the level suitable for Saints while only being a Warrior. But it would have been better if you f.u.c.king used the Energy-Technique Integration Cube earlier you idiot! Che! f.u.c.king amateur...

Reward: Origin Energy-Technique Integration Cube

Bonus: Energy-Technique Sense

**********: You better f.u.c.king use the cubes now, else I'll think you're just f.u.c.king with me!

Blade Art: Basics

Level 84

Experience: 482,000/506,848

Grade: S

Current Effect: Armed combat with a blade at the Saint level yields a 71.42% buff to Strength and Speed. Due to the user not yet being in the Saint Stage, only the Warrior Stage buff is applied (Total Applied: 200%; Total Achieved: 1,071.42%)]

On the battlefield, Elizabeth didn't at all expect to see a Quest Notification pop up mid-fight, but then again, she wasn't under much pressure. Being locked in a duel with another tanto user, the first she had ever encountered, Elizabeth planned to squeeze out as much experience as she could since the opportunity to fight against someone wielding the same weapon was extremely rare. Moreover, against an Early Phase Saint that clearly didn't have their Blade Art at the required level to grant bonus buffs, she held the overwhelming advantage.

She planned on stopping after coming close to the point of exhaustion, but seeing her skill rise to the standard of Saints, she couldn't help but change her mind. Upon utilizing [Spatial Contraction] along with activating the effect of her blade for a few seconds, her speed rose to the point where she could easily outpace her opponent, and after chipping away at her opponent's Wind Qi enhanced defense, Elizabeth won by proving she could have killed her opponent. A thin line of red appearing on her opponent's neck gave the crowd all they needed to understand the judge's verdict.

Upon returning to her waiting spot by the unconscious Tristan, Elizabeth rubbed her eyebrows as two black cubes engraved with white inscriptions laid upon her hands. Audibly, she said, "Oof," as she thought about what she was going to do. With the Energy-Technique Sense she recently gained, she knew how best to use her Origin Energy-Technique Integration Cube, but the catch was she only had two cubes and needed a third to completely upgrade her two Martial Arts.

Muay Thai only a single Origin Energy-Technique Integration Cube to integrate Death energies into its forms and tactics. But, her Blade Arts: Basics Skill… it actually needs two cubes, one for s.p.a.ce and another for Time, to get the s.p.a.cetime energy integrated that was best suited for the technique!

'I know integrating half the required energies now will not mess with the Blade Art later down the road, but should I even focus on my Martial Art? Mhmm...' Elizabeth thought long and hard about what she was going to do, but in the end, she settled for investing in her Muay Thai Skill now.

'A s.p.a.cetime fusion will probably go down better in the future after my s.p.a.ce and Time affinities increase… Moreover, I have a feeling Death Magic and Muay Thai will provide interesting results. If anything, two Mystic Arts as the functions call them is better than one. So now the question is whether I focus on the s.p.a.ce aspect of the Blade Art or the Time aspect first. Actually, nevermind~' It wasn't much of a question since she Majored in Time energy…

Upon making up her mind, Elizabeth activated the two cubes in her hand. She was asked by her status functions whether or not she wanted to use up the energy-technique cubes and after confirming, she filled the cube on her left hand with Time Magic while the cube on her right hand was filled with Death Magic. The Time Magic imbued cube had its originally white inscriptions turn cyan, while the cube filled with Death Magic now possessed black inscriptions, which were barely visible as they sat atop the cube's black body. Both cubes then faintly glowed with increasingly bright light matching the color of their energy-type until they vaporized and merged with Elizabeth. This being Elizabeth's first time using the cubes, she almost panicked as she didn't expect for the cubes to be gaudy upon activation. Luckily, she trapped the small cubes under the cover of her hands soon before they could become too bright and managed to avoid a crisis.

[Alert! New Skills

Blade Art: Basics → Mystic Art: Time Blade Basics

Level 84

Experience: 482,000/506,848

Grade: S

Current Effect: Armed combat with a blade at the Saint level yields a 21.42% buff to Strength and Speed. Due to the user not yet being in the Saint Stage, only the Warrior Stage buff is applied (Total Applied: 200%; Total Achieved: 821.42%)

Secondary Effect: Distills the essence of Time into one's blade.

*New) Wielder of Time

Level, Experience, and Grade are tied to Mystic Art: Time Blade Basics

Stage: 0

Current Effect: All Time related abilities become 1% more effective by simply using a blade. The more the Mystic Art is cultivated, the higher the Stage of this skill becomes, and the more Blade-Time abilities become available.

Martial Art: Art Of The Eight Limbs (Muay Thai) → Mystic Art: Death Thai

Level 58

Experience: 103,000/104,148

Grade: B

Current Effect: Unarmed combat at the Warrior level yields a 100% buff to Strength and Defense. (Total Applied: 100%; Total Achieved: 400%)

Secondary Effect: Distills the essence of Death into one's body whilst utilizing Muay Thai.

*New) Battle Hysteria

Level, Experience, and Grade are tied to Mystic Art: Death Thai

Stage: 0

Current Effect: Integrates Death Magic into the user's body to critically reduce pain and fear. Driving the user into a manic frenzy as time progresses and the effects of the skill improve, eventually, the user will be able to overcome their body's physical parameters temporarily. The more the Mystic Art is cultivated, the higher the Stage of this skill becomes, and the more Martial-Death abilities become available.]