006. Unorthodox Speedrun
The blue moon grew fuller, and the eastern sky erupted with radiant beams. Although the narrative-level supernova storm was too far away, just by looking up, one could see the massive Cobris Mage Fortress, a mage tower spanning over 200 square kilometers, patrolling the orbit of White Candle Star, diligently protecting this educational hub.
Li Aozi walked across the open plains. The cold wind shyly bowed as it passed him, and the moonlight willingly illuminated his path. The fungal mats, which had been dormant, now all lit up in unison with fluorescent glow, making the long night not so lonely. The world was in harmony with him.
"Here we are."
He stepped over the mountain, treading on the history and age beneath his feet. Li Aozi bent down, reaching out to touch the jagged, broken stone slabs. His immense [Charisma] heightened his senses, allowing him to feel the breeze coming from the buried ruins with just his palm.
"This is the place. If I were to follow the normal procedure, I'd have to head to Tassel City, find a peddler who calls himself the 'Fisherman,' buy three treasure maps from him, then go to a tavern, solve a brawl, and listen to a female poet recount the tale of 'Felicia's Glory.'"
His 19 points of [Intelligence] had their perks, as many details of past game quests came flooding back to him.
"After gathering the three treasures, the poet will reveal her true identity: she is a descendant of the C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans and tells you that recently many of her kin have mysteriously disappeared, asking you to investigate."
Li Aozi raised his hand, massaging his temples as scenes from his past experiences played before his eyes like a movie.
"Returning to the peddler at this point, he'll tell you that Felicia was once a great nation resisting monstrous invasions. They came from beyond the Star Abyss, drifting from a star called 'Haynes' in the outer universe. The entire Haynes planet was established by C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans."
The entire process of the quest [Hero of Felicia] was long, though not boring. With his intelligence-boosted brain, Li Aozi pieced together even the smallest details from before:
"Notably, the peddler will mention a warrior named 'Sharpfang Peak'— a powerful knight from the time of the Felicia civilization, who fought battles all his life, amassing countless wealth. It's hinted that the missing C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans might have gone to the tomb of [Hero of Felicia] in search of Sharpfang Peak's spirit."
"The female poet will then reveal her true name— Vilria Saint Valentine, a [Maiden of Peril], and she'll ask you to purify the Felicia ruins and bring back the misguided C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans."
"Players can receive two keys, one from the peddler and one from the poet, each leading to different tomb chambers and different endings."
The entire quest spanned seven real-world days, though most of that was spent hunting for treasures, locating Vilria, and tracking down the peddler Roten, with less than eight hours dedicated to combat and adventure.
If Li Aozi simply wanted the [Elemental Sorcerer] profession, he could use an unorthodox method for a quick speedrun.
This questline seemed largely irrelevant since there weren't many narratives involving the C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans in his previous life. They were a scattered race in the universe, not even as populous as the Tydalings, mainly known for being formidable mercenaries.
However, things might be different now.
On Azure Star, Li Aozi had encountered an unprecedented enemy— the [Secret Society] 'Gaia,' along with attacks from its citizen agents. Even Xia Jianjing had expressed unease and reverence toward the [Secret Society].
The [Secret Society] seemed to have a particular interest in the C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans.
Given the backstory of Felicia as a nation defending against monstrous invaders, Li Aozi quickly realized that if Felicia were a past civilization, the "monsters" they fought might very well have been the [Society].
The essence of the [Societies] is that they are living civilizations capable of consuming other civilizations to gain 'diversity.' The stronger the [Society], the more diverse they become. The top-tier society, such as the [Outer Society] 'Polgaray,' had no weaknesses, boasting diversity comparable to any civilization.
At first glance, the concept of the [Societies] seems abstract, but in reality, it's as if civilizations have been personified and given character.
The structure of the [Societies] is clear and straightforward, often reflected in their names and titles.
For example, [Forgery Society] Philoris:
'Forgery' is its title, indicating that this society has traits of 'falseness' or 'forgery';
'Society' denotes that it belongs to the [Societies] race;
'Philoris' was likely the name of the highest official of the forged people when they were still a civilization before they ascended to become a society.
Any civilization has the potential to ascend and become a [Society], which is why no one takes the threat lightly. Everyone fears being corrupted and transformed into soulless 'Society citizens.'
If one day the Frost-Plated Republic became a society, it would probably become the [Motherland Society] Metadwei, or perhaps Derwin— based on Li Aozi's past experience, most [Society] names were typically four words long.
The oddest thing about the [Secret Society] was its name, 'Gaia,' only two words long.
That was extremely unusual.
Considering the intricate connections between the [Secret Society], the C3 Luka-type Cosmic Humans, and the [Hero of Felicia], Li Aozi decided to dig deeper into these relationships.
Perhaps he could uncover a weakness of the Secret Society.
Since that was the case—
Clang!
Li Aozi raised the [Dust-Sealed Sanctuary], smashing the sword onto the ground. The cold blade immediately filled with holy light, erupting with brilliant radiance.
—— Magic weapons, of course, perform even better on a magic planet.
"Shipbreaker."
Without hesitation, he twisted the sword's hilt. The handle extended instantly, and simultaneously, the blade in front began to spin rapidly. In a flash, the holy light was shredded and scattered, turning into a golden storm that surged downward, piercing the earth. The soil melted and flew from the intense heat and violence, and the high-energy blast even tore through the air, sending electric arcs dancing around the drill.
No tunneling machine could compare to the destructive power of the Shipbreaker, capable of shredding through interstellar battleship armor. Its power and destruction, further enhanced by elemental energy, reached their peak.
With the quality of this masterpiece weapon, Li Aozi broke through 300 meters of granite and soil in just 17 seconds— even a nuclear explosion couldn't penetrate such depths.
"Who in their second playthrough would still bother with running the full quest loop?"
Though he lacked Omega Energy, his body— aside from [Intelligence]— was fully Gamma-tier. Using it felt like a comprehensive upgrade, overpowering everything. In fact, because of his enhanced strength and doubled intelligence, controlling it was easier than with his original body— no, that's not right.
He didn't have an original body; all his bodies were colonies.
The will of the [Domination] class granted [Mutants] this ability. In theory, he could exist endlessly like a virus, constantly switching hosts and bodies. Regardless of which body he inhabited, the chromosomes would ultimately take his form.
Even the blondes would call the [Mutants]' colony ability a "pure love war god."
Bang!
The dome shattered, and Li Aozi's body immediately plunged into the cave below, landing directly in the ruins. As soon as he hit the ground, without any hesitation, he rolled to break the impact and then sprang up, running immediately.
Buzz— Bam!
Just as Li Aozi rolled and bounced off, a crimson longsword slashed into the stone slabs of the ruins, leaving a jagged, tens-of-meters-long gash. The blade trembled slightly, and a swarm of maggots flooded from the blood-red steel.