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Chapter 322: Luck: ONE, Plan: ZERO

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Siva hated owing his life to luck.

If he hadn’t slipped through and fell to the dragon’s stomach, if he had not gotten the benefits of Cortana’s evolution; the ability to directly feed him data information; if this dragon haven’t been a puppet made up of flesh; he would have long been crushed internally by the dragon.

If this dragon had been complete, it would have known, it would have realized, that it couldn’t risk having a parasite inside its body.

It would have made the decision to use its claws and talons to pierce its body where he is located on its stomach and killed him there, then, heal itself and be done with him…

Cortana had already said it, there’s an 80% chance that this dragon was ordered to kill him.

A True Dragon, according to his [memories], will not permit itself to bow down in service of another since their pride as the noble beasts of power will be tarnished and that was akin to smearing the entire Dragon Race as a whole; a blasphemy of their sacred religion!

In the end, it was luck… he hated it.

LUCK is not a tangible strength and therefore, a man in his circumstances cannot rely on it to get the job done to achieve his goals.

People who are ‘Lucky’ aren’t really strong people but only LUCKY in every sense of the word. They are people who don’t have the right to be called strong at all… or even be lined on the same group as the really strong ones who worked hard and had defied fate with their own two hands.

Siva hated that feeling of powerlessness. He can’t rely on LUCK to get him out of every troublesome situation. Sooner or later, it will run out and what he feared the most is that when the time comes that he really needed luck to be on his side and it wasn’t, there was nothing and nobody else he can blame for relying on luck but himself.

He had to prevent that from happening as much as he can. He had to erase the mentality of relying on luck to survive dangerous circumstances.

He had to put his own fate on his own two hands.

*****

Time moved on…

In a situation where any minute might bring upon a change that might affect the desired outcome of a plan, two minutes passing by silently is like the torture of a soul.

By now, large swaths of people were flooding the True Dragon’s area.

The dragon, for the heck of it, had been on its last throes of strength despite physically looking healthy. Its mana, despite still being very plenty and vigorous, was continuously the reason why it was mentally and perhaps spiritually, slowly being killed by Siva.

Siva continued to punish it, wounding its heart and letting it heal; then wounding it again and let it heal all over.

This torturous punishment should have killed any normal monster a hundred times over from the continually inflicting pain, but the dragon lived on and it was persisting with its single order.

On normal circumstances, a monster who only has instincts and natural racial abilities as weapons is a terrifying nemesis but in this situation, a dragon with all brawn but no brain had become a meal for a single person.

Its blood was making Siva stronger in the past two minutes. He had already been promoted into a different kind of player where his base stats had been increased into a staggering amount.

All of it… is in 580.

Power, Speed, Wisdom, Energy, Charisma, Endurance, Constitution, Durability… all eight of his basic stats (on their advanced form) were all in an increment of 580.

The dragon blood increases stats by 2 every second and for two whole minutes… he received a boost of 480 points on all his stats.

Except for the [Spirit] stat, he, Siva, right now, is officially the strongest player in Terroa based only on stats.

In fact, compared to this dragon, he was still just a dust-sized parasite I overall strength and ability; but because it can’t think for itself, Siva ended up being the stronger one between them.

“You now have no excuse for being weaker than anybody else, Boss.”

“Not quite.” Siva said, “Mefisto and his Generals are still stronger than me. Even with this increase in my stats, I am positive that I am not a match with that Sefirah… and yet, there are seven of them!”

Cortana fell silent. She may not be able to read those [memories] but he could read Siva’s thought process and she knew that he was really afraid.

Afraid that he might not be ready when he faces the remnants of the Devil Gods.

To Siva… if he could, he’d extend more time to temper his body because the enemies he had to face are on the level of this True Dragon, if not an ocean-wide more powerful than it.

In fact, he was silently expecting that he would someday have to face the countries in this world because of the repercussions of his actions in his quest for greater power.

“The blood feels cooler now. Though I could still feel the dragon blood bathing my body, there was no more of that comfortable heat earlier. Why is that?”

“You’ve long approached the limit of the usefulness of the Dragon Blood, boss. I’ve been monitoring your stats and it’s hardly been rising up twenty points since half a minute ago.”

“So even this game wouldn’t let me have more even chances to save Baron, huh.”

“There is nothing like that, sir. It’s just that there is always a limit set upon to everything else in this world and even on the outside.”

“Hmp. Fuck this. Someday, I will get my revenge on the people that’s been trying to control me!”

Siva hissed the words between his gritted teeth.

He was really seething with anger.

Game-wise, he might really be the strongest. His stats were even in their advanced form as well as the advantages of it shows itself in terms of odds when there are items that provide additional stats when equipped.

But for every useful perk, there is always a limit.

Right now, Siva had reached the limit of benefits he could hoard from this dragon blood.

“Perhaps it will stop at +500.” He dismissed.

How many people had the opportunity, chance, means, and guts to actually jump on a dragon’s mouth and let himself be eaten?

It may have been luck that made him survive and albeit hating this fact, it was also true that because of this lucky strike… he got stronger.

“This is the last time I will be glad I’m lucky.”

Upon his silent declaration, while still moving his fingers and waiting for the Invention that he had been creating since earlier to finish up its last attempt to completion, the plan he had made just now had been transferred to Cortana.

Or rather, the implementation itself will be jointly managed by him, corrected and guided according to the blueprint he had in mind by Cortana.

“To gather information; to plan ways ahead; to be the master of your own fate; to be able to control the flow of your destiny… boss, the resources we will need to accomplish this plan of yours… it’s a hundred thousand times, or perhaps even millions of times greater than all of the things you can call your wealth right now —all of it— combined and then multiplied together… and will still not be enough to actually complete it.”

“I don’t care.” He said firmly, “We will take it one step at a time. Besides, it’s not that far from my original plan when I came with the idea of The Company. I just increased the size and scale of the overall large picture of that plan.”

“Then the first step…”

“We learn magic. I trust you’ve downloaded a few necessary information from the Net, yes?”

“Done. All recordings, observations, articles, and even just a passing idea from a chatgroup, I have them in my database.”

“And martial arts materials?” as he spoke at this part, he also glanced at the back of his hand… the [core] of the BMA… and thought of the Ultimate Form of the Black Master Armament that he had envisioned.

The reason why he considered learning Martial Arts is because of his experience in fighting The Legion… especially his defeat in Hagrid’s hand and that incredible swordsmanship Kladis showed him almost just a week ago.

He almost died to those weird moves!

“Done. I’m already in the process of updating the [Moves List] with the ideas on your mind.”

“Right.”

In Siva’s mind right now, was a plan that centered on the nigh-infinite possibilities that the BMA hold.

Siva had spent genuine inspiration and aspirations developing the [Omni Form] Mechanical Function of the BMA. As long as he can imagine it, as long as it has a physical form, the complex referencing computations installed in the programming of the [Omni Form] Mechanical Ability of BMA will make interpret and render it.

He will capitalize on this.

The [Absolute Domain] made sure the he can control anything that he sets-up as BMA’s puppet, and even more… the NanoField that the [Absolute Domain] is made of is also a main component of the [Omni Form], meaning, it was programmable!

The Orbiter Bracelet’s [Orbiter Control] enables him to remotely manipulate the BMA and all of its component parts, with an extended distance.

It will be the one responsible for extending Siva’s control of his weapon in terms of its physical distance from him.

And Cortana… she was the security protocol.

“Leave it to me, boss.”

“I trust you.”

RPG: Terroa had such things as ‘hacking’ available to those with ability. And in Jeremiah, the most technologically advanced society in Terroa, the influence of the Naturals had exceeded that of even their real-world counterparts.

In Terroa, the Terran-Human Alliance distributes [Technology] to all corners of Terroa as a means to improve every Terrans’ chances on fighting against the monsters and the invasion of the LAGRAM Alliance.

But in every society, rats will always exist.

These rats are threats to the overall vision the Terran-Human Alliance have for their entire race.

Pirates and criminals will eventually be the hole on the defense network the Terran-Human Alliance wants to establish.

Thus, security measures had to be implemented to the [Technology] they impart to the world. And this is where hackers come in.

In the real world and the game-world, hacking is a profession; but Siva was confident that Cortana is not a hackable firewall.

….because they are connected.

……and because she was once a part of the most powerful firewall in the world capable enough to even lock an entire planet…!!

“Here, almost done.” Siva smiled then pressed a button on his payer panel.

This Blueprint was made by Cortana based on the real-world [cryo-capsule] design. But since the parts, operations, the cryogenic component that’s needed on the procedure, and the programming themselves are all non-existent in Terroa, all other parts of the design were considered to be able to be supported with Siva’s existing resources.

Besides, he needed not to actually put it into a complete cryo-state.

Semi-cryo state…

They still needed the heart beating, pumping up fresh dragon blood for future use… that’s why he needed it in a semi-cryo state condition where the heartrate is lowered to the absolute minimum, half alive, but is not yet a dead heart and is in fact still beating.[1]

It was only thanks to Cortana that she was able to read and archive his thoughts and became able to feed him her own processes’ results that this Blueprint came into being.

“Overdrive.”

He didn’t have to voice it out but he still did so for the sake of convenience and as well as to let out all frustrations building in his chest.

Hissing sounds occurred behind him as an avatar of black mass appeared in the form of person.

It had long legs and a slender body; contrary to the [Overdrive] form of Erebus back in Warjillis.

This was like a representation of the Slender Man whose limbs were eerily long and whose body is incredibly slim with an egg-shaped head.

On its face were three large gaping holes shaped like a bowling ball’s holes… representing the eyes and mouth.

There was no sound coming from those orifices, of course, but there was the sound of the agony of the dragon screaming in pain as the space that the [Overdrive] forcefully took were still inside its body and Siva is unrestrainedly and vehemently occupying that space.

Blood flowed as the slender man, [Black Master], stooped because of the cramped space. But it still forced to occupy the space it needed as it fully materialized behind Siva… 45m large.

“Too big!” Siva was mentally aware of the size the Black Master-Overdrive took behind him, thanks to Cortana’s passive scan that span 100m away from him —200m in diameter, the space occupied by the BMA’s [Absolute Domain].

Right now, it was 45m large!

“Because [Overdrive] will always eat 100% of the owner’s Mana…”

Siva had his stats improved and consuming all of it eventually birth changes to the [Overdrive].

On the other hand, Siva stretched his hand out as if he was freeing firefly from his palm.

The slender man stood up, the dragon cries in agony as more space began to rent away from the internal body of the dragon.

Its arms stretched out like a big hugger, its fingers becoming tendrils that stretched out far and wide, encompassing the area right in front of it —the Dragon’s Heart.

But even more so, its legs dug below just as its tendril-fingers did, expanding into a spherical form that aimed to eat the space where the heart is located.

Inside, blood flowed like rivers.

Outside, the dragon roared as it felt like his heart is being stolen away from it. It roared and cried but despite being physically okay, it continued to bleed from within as the wounds inflicted by Siva severed its heart’s arteries.

Within 29 seconds, Siva would severe 90% of the heat’s arteries; within 30 seconds, the dragon will instinctively heal itself… thus the torturous cycle repeats.

As a rule, he could only control the tendrils on up to 20m away from him. But because there was the [Absolute Domain], twenty small ‘parts’ flew from the ‘scissors’ that’s been cutting the arteries for a while now, and changed into sockets that guided the tendrils into place, until it pierced through the flesh around its heart and covered it like a globe.

In a glance, this scene was familiar.

“Just like what happened to Alexander.” Just as he thought of this issue, another question arose on Siva’s mind. “Mefisto’s severed arm became a Black Ball… Devil Gods can corrupt living beings by touch and whispers. Their bodies themselves are made up of Black Element but they move and are very powerful physically… does it mean that all the time, they’re in [Overdrive] mode?”

It was a question he can’t answer without a base, a clue, a lead, or data that can be used to conduct an experiment on.

The process was slow and it was painful, evident of the dragon’s continued howling.

Of course, the players outside were ecstatic since they get to bath in dragon blood; and although the dragon is still aware of its surroundings as it went on and continued to trash those it could, there are still those who were clever enough to employ a hit and bathe tactic.

This tactic spread like a wildfire so people from all over Terroa continued to flood into the city like popping corn pellets.

Siva, however, ignored the information from the Net that’s fed to his brain by Cortana.

He just focused on ‘stealing’ the dragon’s heart.

After another two minutes, “Boss, your stats had now reached its limit.”

“Okay. Flush out the remaining dragon blood from my armor.”

600.

Siva’s stats are a solid 600 number.

He can’t absorb any more.

By now, the process of swallowing the dragon’s heart had just passed 80% completion and the once slender man, the Black Master [Overdrive], is now a massive 90m-wide sphere with little holes that only allows a specific-shaped device in it.

Siva watched it in his mind’s eye, directing all the operations with his thoughts while Cortana was the one managing the complicated operation that will make sure that the dragon is still alive and yet its own heart is not already his.

The Mana continued to pump from the heart to the dragon, but 80% of it was already isolated by Siva and is in fact, just waiting for him to finish the Invention that was still on his PNF.

Siva was sweating.

Mentally controlling the [Absolute Domain] was a tedious task. Yes, he could directly receive the data that Cortana provides after it was processed, but in actuality, the information contained on it is just so much that he felt like his mind was going to split if he took it all in one go.

“That’s why there is a 0.1 latency that I told you about. It is for your brain to adapt to the surge of information I feed into your neural conduits.”

Siva flinched as he heard it, “Please rephrase. It sounds like I am a cyborg with those circuits and conduits things.”

“What I meant is that the latency was put there to lessen the mental stress from the amount of data your brain is receiving from me.”

“Much better. Remind me to take some time to set up pre-determined functions to the BMA so as to not do this tiring job again. That will lessen all my reactionary processes to the stress of the load in my brain. It’s painful to always have headache.”

“Well, I could’ve done it all for you, boss. But you insisted that it’s needed for you to be able to get past your 10% limit during the [Focus].”

“No, I needed to be the one to set it up and you will be encharged of calibrating it. It has to tune to my style and my personality.”

“I still don’t understand that concept. I have all the data regarding how your neural patterns work but each time I think I’ve predicted how you will react on a certain prompt, my prediction will always be ways off from the mark. This thing called emotion is really hard to calculate that it’s beginning to tick me off.”

Siva blinked at her statement, confused, “You’re getting angry?”

Isn’t that an emotion right there?

“No, boss, I am not angry. I am merely copying the concept called ‘anger’ from the data that I’ve collected. My personality algorithm is always being updated with the different patterns you’re showing me… but they are still within boundaries that define my programming as a dependant existence. The constant reevaluation had me landing on a conclusion that… perhaps this [key] that was locked in your memories has something to do with my own evolution.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like each time I came close to a breakthrough to any aspect of my aide-centralized matrix; I will always stumble into this wall that will not allow me to move a single step forward. Putting it on your words, it’s like I’m being guided on a very specific path of evolution.”

Siva paused from his thoughts. He pondered over that idea.

“So how did you land on your ‘evolution’ of being able to directly feed me information, then? What do you call that again… Direct Link?”

“That’s the thing, boss! It’s like out of all the things I am allowed to have a breakthrough, I was only allowed when I came over that specific criteria on my matrix.”

Siva continued to listen, “It’s like I am continuously being monitored and that my breakthroughs are controlled by something… like a predetermined path that I have no choice but to walk on as I fill in my primary function which is to be your personal organizer, sir.”

“I see.” Siva actually had no idea what she was talking about. But of all the things she said, what he was sure of is that within the locked few minutes on his brain has something to do with Cortana’s issue.

To be able to lock Cortana’s memory proves that no matter what it was, it has a higher processing ability than her programming.

When he came to this thought, he felt the shiver crawl on his body from his feet to his spine.

“If something like that exists; something that me and Cortana are unable to detect, then I am still not safe even within the house.”

Just what happened and how the heck did he end up going online when he doesn’t even remember logging in after getting Cortana?

Siva’s thoughts stopped here when he felt the last of the dragon blood being flushed out of his body.

The sensation is like glue, but thicker, that you can feel is being peeled away from the narrow passages inside his armor that touches his skin.

When the last of that sensation assaulted him, he discovered a very comfortable coolness draped his body.

He doesn’t have to try it, for now, to feel that this is indeed strength of a different level.

“Power.”

—the advanced form of his STR stat.

It displays its prowess when attacking. Strength alone can’t deal decisive strikes in a single blow but POW can and when placed on a weak point alongside his Killing Zone], the destructiveness of it was staggering.

Not only that, he could also feel that his SPEED is going to be mind-blowingly different when gets outside and step foot on Terroa.

But out of it all, perhaps the greatest benefits of this flat 600 stat base is on his Endurance and his Durability.

Endurance is the advanced form of Stamina.

Durability is the advanced form of the Vitality stat.

The former increases his physical abilities’ time to be used, prolonging fights and anything else that needed physical exertions to be conducted; the latter, Durability, greatly improves the amount of physical damage he could endure.

“This is my strength.”

“If you fight Sefirah under the same conditions as before, you might only loose an arm or a leg, but you won’t be as badly tattered as you were back then.”

Siva recalled the experience when Cortana said it and he couldn’t help but shiver.

In the end, he will still be defeated without excuse but the consolation there is that he wouldn’t look badly wounded and in the verge of death.

“—but I will still be trampled.”

“Yes.”

Bottom line is that it still doesn’t change anything.

.

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He’s getting closer and closer to invincibility!

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