A few minutes later, Lex arrived at the market. The place bustled with noise and activities. Even at this time of the night, it was densely packed with people. Stalls lined side by side; sellers shouted over each other, advertising their goods. The air was thick with the smell of spice and sweat. Meat sizzled in oily pans, and fried chicken brought a satisfying aroma.
Lex joyfully walked into the market, merging with the dense crowd. His shoulders brushed the pedestrians as he walked by. A few minutes later, he arrived at a food stall, tucked tightly between two closed boutique shops. A bunch of tables were laid around the stall. Seating at a particular table was a bunch of high school students, chattering endlessly. A high school was not too far from the market, so it was usually filled with final year students who were allowed to roam free at night. "Lex!" "Long time no see," a woman who was around her mid fifties spoke, a warm smile crossing her face. The warmth matched that of the soup pot behind her. "Mama Rina!" Exclaimed Lex. "It hasn't been that long; it's only just been two weeks." "Two weeks, two years – when you're at my age, it's all the same," said Mama Rina, her shoulders shrugging. "That's not true," replied Lex. "I bet when people see you and Elle walk side by side, they usually see you both as sisters." "Stop with the flattering," said Mama Rina. "I'm not young; you're only exaggerating." Though she seemed annoyed as she replied, the joy in her eyes couldn't be hidden. "Alright, enough talk. What would you like to have? The usuals, right?" "Yes, that," replied Lex as he walked towards a chair, slumping onto it. Both of his elbows rested on the table in front of him. His jaw was tucked on his right hand as he gazed towards the high school students who weren't too far; he listened closely. They chattered excitedly about the system virus that had just been released into the web, arguing if it was helpful or dangerous. Mama Rina placed the food along with a bottle of water on the table. "I added a bit of carbohydrates. Eat more, Lex," she grinned, "so you can get some muscles, or else you will die a virgin." "I better eat then," Lex spoke, digging into the food. It was nothing extraordinary just a bowl of rice and a couple of crayfish sprinkled on top, adorning it. This was what Lex cherished: something simple, average, that he could afford. After a couple of food chugs, Lex resorted to drinking water and ending the meal. Satisfied, he reached out to his wallet, dropping a couple of bills on the table. He stood up and waved goodbye to Mama Rina. "Mama Rina, I'll be on my way now. I'll come back tomorrow." "Ok, be careful on the way, alright? It's no more safe out there," Mama Rina waved back while giving him a warning. "I will..." Lex echoed, disappearing into the crowd. Lex alighted from the taxi, standing directly in front of a fluorescent sign that flickered weakly. He then proceeded into the supermarket; the place was quiet except for the low hum of the air conditioner and refrigerator. Inside was a man who stood behind the counter, wiping some fruits with a white cloth. Old Charlie called Lex as he approached the counter with a smile. Old Charlie raised his head up, smiling brightly as his gaze fell on Lex. "Let me guess," spoke Old Charlie, "you're out of groceries again, aren't you?" "You know me, Old Charlie. I don't like doing these things anyway, but since tomorrow's a weekend, I don't want to be out at all," he shrugged, picking up a basket and going ahead to pick up a few things. He didn't need anything much just groceries enough to last him for one week. He paced back and forth and, having grabbed what he needed, walked back to the counter. "I see; it's still the regulars, isn't it?" "Yes, it is," answered Lex. "What can I say? I like to live a simple life, one where you could live according to your own free will. After all, we only live once." A sparkle of emotion appeared in Lex's eye as he spoke. "Hmmmm. That's a wonderful perspective on life," spoke Old Charlie. "You're different from most of the youngsters out there. I wish my children were like you." Lex sighed; he knew what Old Charlie was going through how troublesome his children were, here and there. "Don't worry, Old Charlie," replied Lex. "When they reach the right age, I'm sure they'll come back to their senses." "Thank you, Lex," answered Old Charlie. "Anytime." Removing his card from his wallet, he swiped it towards the machine; it beeped, then confirmed the payment. "Alright then, old man. I'll see you later. Close early; it's not safe for you to be here alone." "You brat," you're meant to worry about yourself instead, said Old Charlie as he watched Lex's back fade into the night. He shook his head, smiling heartily, as he resumed cleaning the fruits. It was quite late in the night now; the bright moon hung in the sky, clouds hovering around it. Lex checked the time on his phone, exhaling, mists trailing out from his mouth. He was walking in the dark alley path that led directly to his residential building. Halfway, the lights in the whole city went out. Lex felt strange, like someone was watching him. He looked back to ensure he wasn't being followed. There was no one behind him. He then turned his gaze forward; his temperature suddenly went cold as just a few meters away was a black, strange gun, pointed directly at him. He couldn't make out the face of the figure that stood behind the gun, except for the tall hat the figure wore. He stammered, "I-I have money if that's what you want. Please don't k-kill me." BANG! A loud sound resounded throughout the alley. Lex fell back heavily towards the ground, his groceries spilling on the floor. He felt his life and thoughts seep out of him at a rapid rate. The clouds that covered the moon dispersed, giving way. Slowly, the figure disappeared from the alley along with the mist that covered it. "So this is how I die, huh?" Spoke Lex. "I wish I was at least not a virgin. Guess my boring life is over." That was the thought that echoed in his head before he completely lost consciousness.Latest Chapter
Vine Training (1)
Lex’s lips curled into a smile. His fingers curled across the ancient skill scroll as he prepared to decipher whatever information it relayed about Vine Bending, learning it as fast as he could. Without hesitation, he flipped it open and began going through its contents.Forsake the illusion that power is drawn from the earth beneath thee, for roots and soil are but borrowed mediums of lesser will, instead, cast thy consciousness beyond the reach of physical grounding, and descend into the formless expanse where mana exists not as energy, but as potential awaiting command.There, inscribe thy intent not as request but as law, forcing the unseen to acknowledge thy existence as its shaping authority. Give form to the vine not through growth, but through absolute dominion over unformed essence.Refine it beyond natural limitation, stripping away fragility, hesitation, and imperfection until only pure intent remains; let it become not a plant, not a construct, but a manifestation of thy
Daze intermediate Mastery
(Roof top, Demon king's palace) Thunder cracked across the sky, lightening flashing with every second, on the middle of the palace's roof was a vine woven tent. Lex sat in the tent, tapping is chin continuously as he stared at the vine before him, the vine he had materialized still twirled lively as his casting of this intermediate level of Daze was unable to reach it. *Crack* Lex heard a loud crack, without looking he already knew what it was.. The barrier, it had began crumbling at a rapid rate due to the pressure from the flood. "I have to learn this and quick." Lex spoke to himself as he knew the barrier breaking probably meant instant death for him as one level fifty beast was a problem on its own and currently about hundreds were outside of the barrier waiting to crunch him to pieces. So without hesitation, lex began the process again, activating Daze and restricting it to his iris channeling Mana towards it and submerging it with the tremors. This time lex brough
Daze intermediate Training (1)
Lex studied his stats with amusement. Although he could not feel the changes in endurance, the difference in his perception between a few minutes ago and currently was widely vast. His perception stat had hit a whopping three digits, as it was now currently at 137 with the help of his Vine Bending. Lex’s lips curled into a smile; he could feel his grasping speed had increased by folds. He could now predict up to twelve steps ahead after analysing a scenario. “Alright then, let me see what the intermediate stage of Daze is all about,” Lex muttered to himself as he recalled how the Kalupalik stopped the spell of a dragon, causing it to retreat. He immediately unwrapped the scroll and began reading through its contents. [All that exists within mana is not born of chaos… but of will made orderly. Each spell is a thought made flesh, a pattern sustained by intent, a fragile harmony bound by unseen law. If thou seekest to halt such power, do not gaze upon the hand that casts it…
Daze Basic Mastery
{Daze}. Droplets of rain crashed on the ground consecutively. Lex sat in the middle of the courtyard, mid-cast of Daze. The seconds passed. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Fifteen seconds. And then... Cough. Lex coughed wildly, blood spraying freely from his nostrils and beneath his eyelids. His whole body shuddered in pain. Lex, defenseless, began to feel the cold from the rain as Daze took a complete toll on him. His vision blurred, dark spots clouding his sight as the strain pushed past his limits. He began crawling towards where Naomi sat peacefully. Every drag felt like he was pulling the entire demon king’s palace along with him as the remnants of blood leaked from his face. His fingers dug into the wet ground, slipping slightly with each pull, yet he refused to stop. Soon enough, he arrived at the edge and crashed directly beside Naomi as he caught his breath. His chest rose and fell heavily, each inhale sharp and uneven. Lex knew the reason for the breakdown. He had
Daze Training (2)
{Phase Two: Maintain a pre-compressed ripple and trigger Daze at the exact moment of visual lock, sustaining its form across rapid gaze shifts without dispersion.}Lex stared at the blue translucent screen with a brow raised. After thinking for a while, he understood what it meant. The instructions from the system were directed at increasing the speed of casting Daze, the ability to cast it in relentless succession at instant speed.'This might take a toll on my eyesight.' Lex wondered to himself as since he had gotten the power of the kalupalik, his eyes had become more formidable and couldn’t easily take damage. However, that wasn’t enough to cast Daze towards multiple enemies while still maintaining its ripple like form when casting it.The only way was to keep on trying until he could finally pull it off. Lex knew this part would be necessary, as continuously trying would deepen his perception of the basic mastery of Daze and ensure he didn’t make foolish mistakes later on.Lex
Daze Training (1)
Blink*Blink*Lex blinked rapidly as he tried to steady his mind after being pulled back into reality. The scene from the kalupalik he had watched earlier replayed vividly in his mind again and again."If I could obtain these powers?"Lex’s lips slowly curled into a smile as realization began settling deeply within him."I might become as well… unstoppable.""A breach in normalcy.""An anomaly."A grin appeared on Lex’s face as he fully understood the situation he was in, and the benefits that could emerge from it if he played his cards right.{Ding!{Fourth quest issued!}{There are four levels of understanding..BasicIntermediateAdvancedPerfectThrough the ancient skill scroll, master both Daze and Spell Bending to the intermediate level. Quest rewards will be allocated upon completion. Duration: Before the barrier vanishes and the magic beasts invade the demon king's palace.}"The intermediate stage?"Lex instinctively asked himself, his brows narrowing slightly. However, he im
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