Finally Michael felt a familiar gaze on him.
Compared to the previous panels that included the Origin Will in their text, it was only now Michael was sure that this "being's" gaze was truly on him this ti.
Perhaps the previous panels were just so system protocols.
Michael did not know which was which. There were a lot of things he still did not understand in this world.
He did not bother to look around since he knew he would find nothing.
[The Origin Will now pays attention to you]
Michael also received a familiar notification.
However his mind was focused on sothing else.
[But from now on that will be your new standard, Outlier.]
Michael did not know why, but this particular text gave him a chilling feeling.
Knowing the Origin Will was sothing he could not demand answers from at any ti, Michael hurriedly spoke out.
"Wait. What do you an? What do you an by new standard?"
For a brief mont the panel remained still.
Then new words slowly appeared beneath the previous ssage.
[You are an anomaly.]
[Your existence cannot be judged by normal standards.]
Michael frowned slightly as he read the lines.
The ssages continued forming one after another.
[Repeated attempts to adjust your advancent task have proven
ineffective.]
[Each limitation placed before you is broken.]
Michael's eyes narrowed slightly.
That statent was not wrong.
Every ti the system attempted to set a limit, he had already
exceeded it.
Another ssage appeared.
[Therefore the standard approach is inefficient.]
[It is better to assign a mission equivalent to the rating you desire.]
[Complete the highest mission and receive the maximum rewards.] Michael remained silent for a mont.
So that was its solution.
Instead of repeatedly escalating the requirent step by step, the Origin Will wanted to skip the process entirely.
It would simply assign the highest requirent from the beginning.
Michael thought about it for a mont.
Then he asked the most important question.
"And if I cannot complete it?"
The words left his mouth almost imdiately.
For several seconds there was no reply.
Then the panel responded.
[Origin Will: That depends on the mission.]
Another line appeared.
[Origin Will: If the mission has a ti limit, failure will result in another mission.]
Another line appeared.
[If the mission has no ti limit and cannot be modified...]
The final line appeared slowly.
[Then you will never advance.]
Michael froze.
For the first ti since the conversation began, his expression
changed completely.
He sucked in a mouthful of cold air.
The aning was simple.
If the mission had no ti limit and he failed to complete it, then he
would remain stuck at that particular Rank forever.
No second attempt.
No reset.
No adjustnt.
Just permanent stagnation.
Even Michael could not remain calm after hearing that.
Michael's brows slowly furrowed.
"That's not fair."
The words left his mouth before he even thought about them.
For the first ti since the conversation began, irritation clearly surfaced in his voice.
"So of my peers surely do not go through the sa pressure."
The spatial space inside the Damaged Coffin of the Forgotten remained silent.
Thousands of undead stood motionless around him like statues.
Then the panel responded.
[And how is it fair to them?]
Michael frowned slightly in confusion.
Another line appeared.
[How is it fair that soone else wishes to receive everything on a
platter of gold?]
Michael imdiately shook his head.
"That's not right."
His voice beca sharper.
"I worked for everything I have."
The mont the words left his mouth, the panel responded again.
[Yes.]
A brief pause followed.
Then another line appeared.
[Origin Will: But was it at the sa level as others?]
Michael's mouth opened slightly.
Then he stopped.
No words ca out.
For a few seconds he simply stared at the floating ssage.
Because the question itself was difficult to answer.
Yes.
He had worked hard.
No one could deny that.
He had fought.
He had taken risks.
Recently he had even nearly died.
But when one thought about it clearly, Michael's path had never truly
been the sa as everyone else's.
He possessed a talent that allowed him to grow faster than normal
awakeners.
If he truly wanted to, his life would likely be far smoother than most people in this universe. Maybe slower due to being more passive, but he would ultimately still be strong.
Michael slowly leaned back. The panel continued.
[You are not being targeted.]
[This is balance.]
Michael narrowed his eyes slightly.
More words appeared.
[In the universe there will always be balance.]
[Balance can be broken.]
[But if it is broken too much by the sa cause...]
The next line appeared slowly.
[That becos chaos.]
Michael remained silent.
The Origin Will continued.
[Even those known as chosen ones face difficulties that scale to their
level.]
[Is it not fair that you also face difficulties that scale to yours?]
Michael's gaze remained fixed on the panel.
Another ssage appeared.
[That is the purpose of a Rank Advancent Quest or any power
advancent.]
[It is to prove you deserve the next step.]
[If advancent were too easy it would lose its aning. Yes you can deserve it since you are just bearing the fruits of your foundation, but even a talented being faces difficulties that scale with their progress
even if that progress is fast. You are sowhat the sa but not the sa. To put it in your world's understanding, you are like a cheat.] Michael could not argue with that.
But even so, Michael still felt sothing was off.
The panel continued again.
[However.]
A slight pause followed.
Then the final ssage appeared.
[There are very few individuals for whom such extre asures are
necessary.]
[You are one of them.]
Michael stared at the words.
Another line appeared.
[That is why it may appear as if you are being targeted.]
The words hung silently in the air.
But the aning behind them was clear.
Michael was not being singled out unfairly.
He had simply reached a point where normal rules no longer applied
to him.
Michael remained silent for a long mont.
The words from the Origin Will echoed quietly in his mind.
Before this conversation, he had always believed that the Origin Will
was deliberately making things harder for him. Targeting him.
Interfering with his progress.
But now that he actually thought about it carefully, was he ever truly
at a disadvantage because of it?
Michael slowly frowned.
The answer appeared almost imdiately.
No.
Not really.
Yes, the Origin Will had increased the difficulty of gaining experience
points after his last advancent.
But it had not crippled him.
It had only slowed him slightly.
If anything, the change simply forced him to fight stronger monsters
to earn more experience.
And that was sothing Michael could do without much trouble.
His growth had never actually stopped.
It had only beco slightly less smooth. Michael slowly exhaled. Another thought appeared in his mind.
If the Origin Will truly wanted to suppress him, it clearly had the
authority to do so.
It could manipulate advancent missions.
It could alter difficulty.
It could interfere directly.
Yet when Michael thought about his previous advancent, he could
not recall a single mont where his final rewards felt lacking.
In fact, the opposite was true.
His last advancent had given him sothing unprecedented.
A completely new rating that had never appeared in Aurora's records
before.
If the Origin Will truly wished to restrict him, it could have easily
reduced his rewards.
But it had not.
That realization slowly changed how Michael looked at the situation.
For the first ti he began to view the Origin Will from a slightly different perspective. Perhaps this "being" was not targeting him.
Perhaps it was simply trying to keep things from spiraling completely
out of control.
Michael leaned back slightly while still sitting cross legged among his undead legion.
However those thoughts only lasted a few seconds. Because regardless of the explanation, one problem still remained.
His current advancent. Michael's gaze returned to the panel floating in front of him.
The previous ssages still hovered quietly in the air.
His expression beca serious again. Understanding the logic behind sothing did not an he was willing to gamble his future on it.
Michael did not hesitate this ti.
"So..."
His voice was calm.
"What happens now?"
This ti there was no reply from the Origin Will.
A panel simply materialized in place. [Hidden Unique Quest] Objective: Break all limits.
Hidden Requirent: Receive the Origin gaze again.
Rewards: 15 Level Up, 250 attribute points to all stats, Upgrade of previous Skill Mastery Ticket to Perfect Level Skill Mastery Ticket, One random Epic grade treasure, One random treasure between Epic
to Legendary grade, ???, ???, ???. [Do you wish to Advance now?]
Michael's mind froze as various emotions welled up inside him.
Shock ca first. Then disbelief. Then excitent so sudden it almost
made him laugh out loud.
For the first ti in quite a while, he could not maintain the calm
composure he usually carried. The careful, calculating necromancer vanished for a mont.
Instead he reacted like soone his age.
His fists clenched tightly. His heart pounded.
"Fuck yeah!!!!"
The shout echoed loudly across the silent space filled with thousands
of undead, and Michael did not even try to hide the grin spreading
across his face.
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