Chapter 1184: The Primordial Tower - Aphrodite’s Playground?!

Purple Mist understood the silence that lingered on Red’s side.

She had been shocked exactly like this when she had found out.

Lady Aphrodite had remained an enigma to the Primordial Tower’s Contestants for years because no one knew exactly when she had become an 18th Floor Contestant.

No matter whom Purple Mist had asked about it, people had told her that Lady Aphrodite had been on the 18th Floor in their time.

It had happened so many times that it had begun to feel like she had always been in the City of Colors.

It was then that Purple Mist had given up on this mystery, focusing on her own ordeals.

Not once had she doubted that there had been thousands, if not more, like her, who had also given up before... just accepting Lady Aphrodite’s presence as what it was — an enigma.

That’s where the myth of her being the oldest Contestant of the 6th Set had originated.

Still, the failed quest hadn’t actually ended with Purple Mist learning nothing.

"Aphrodite likes to feast on Charisma," she said, breaking the silence. "Which, in turn, feeds her Lust — one of her publicly known Mysteries."

Purple Mist waited for Red to ask about Mysteries.

[Feeds on Charisma?!] Red asked instead, solidifying her earlier theory. [How can one feed on an Attribute? What does that even mean?]

Purple Mist allowed herself a breath.

Was it Alan who gifted a Mystery to her brother?

It wasn’t like Mysteries couldn’t be bestowed, but it generally happened through Inheritances and Blessings bestowed upon Contestants by Deep Ones.

Contestants of King and Emperor levels could also gift a Mystery to lower-Floor Contestants, theoretically.

However, being a King herself, Purple Mist knew that such Mysteries came with caveats.

They twisted the fates of said Contestants, forcefully dragging them into events related to those Mysteries down the line.

More often than not, these events were vast enough to squash such Contestants.

The privilege and boost enjoyed by them earlier in the game of climbing the Tower with a Mystery of their own almost always ended up becoming a joke.

Still, most Kings and Celestials on the 19th Floor did bestow such Mysteries upon the Contestants they favored, especially if they meant to rear these Contestants from the 1st Floor itself.

Purple Mist had never considered herself among those buffoons.

And she knew for a fact that The Banished One was the last person who believed in giving a helping hand.

So, either Alan had bestowed a Mystery for someone else’s sake, knowing that only Red could bear the burden stemming from it, OR...

... her brother had gained a Mystery all by himself!

Purple Mist sighed.

She had considered herself a genius for having a Mystery on the 3rd Set.

I guess... Purple Mist smirked. ... Luck just runs in our genes... Haha...

"The clones I am speaking of aren’t actually... clones, per se," she continued. "Aphrodite has an Ability or Skill or something similar that lets her cut off a piece of her Mindscape. She uses it to possess a Contestant — always a virgin — vastly altering the said Contestant’s fate. Without Aphrodite explicitly activating that piece of her mind in those Contestants, it’s almost impossible to tell if they have been parasitized."

[And that’s related to her feeding on Charisma how?] Red asked.

Purple Mist observed how fast the question came from the other side.

Did her brother also possess an Attribute-devouring Skill, something similar?

That would definitely explain how he was matching the strength of Contestants vastly higher than his own Floor.

As I thought... Purple Mist confirmed. Lucky...

Such abilities to devour Stat points were heavenly, she knew.

However, above a particular level, the exponential growth they provided to Contestants flattened to become a straight line.

All in all, it was nothing but a cheat code that could only be spammed by those who were weak.

So, Red having a similar ability didn’t interest Purple Mist unless it was related to his Mystery, like that of Aphrodite’s.

"The methodology is unknown," she replied. "But it’s most probably related to her Mystery. Aphrodite’s parasite in their minds influences their journeys, making them intuitively seek more Charisma, a part of which goes directly to Aphrodite... like a commission. Most of these Contestants die well before reaching the 4th Set. The very few who survive become Aphrodite’s loyal followers after the parasite reveals itself to them.

"Kira is one of these loyal followers. One of the most unique below the 5th Set, in fact. Not only has she known about Lady Aphrodite’s parasite in her mind since the very beginning, but she has been actively helping it gain more... followers.

"People who know all this consider Kira an Aphrodite Clone with a personality of its own. If she’s there, then she’s definitely there for you. And, most probably, not in the same way as the others. That you must figure out by yourself."

Purple Mist knew why Kira had snatched Quasi Cipher Pol’s quest to kill Red from someone else.

But she didn’t want to make it easy for her brother.

"Let it end here..." she said.

[Just one more thing, Your Majesty,] Red interrupted. [What does all this have to do with these Contestants being virgins?]

Purple Mist almost laughed.

"Absolutely nothing," she said, smiling. "Aphrodite loves to go on a rampant sex spree with these Contestants. Why do you think the Priests of the Yellow King abhor her? The only reason they were forced to grab their virgins from the moment they appeared on the 1st Floor after their Initiation Mission was that Lady Aphrodite didn’t leave a single virgin for them.

"Huh... That reminds me of another pointless thing some Contestants attempt during their Main Missions — asking the Systems for Newbies and hoping one of these Newbies would be a virgin girl. Then, these Captains earn these girls’ faith, hoping they will become one of Aphrodite’s clones after reaching the 1st Floor. It’s nothing but a foolish gamble. But... the potential reward is also enormous."

[...] Red remained silent. [What if Lady Aphrodite doesn’t go on a sex spree after parasitizing a virgin girl?]

"Haha... Who knows..." Purple Mist finally laughed. "It’s all a game to her. There’s a saying among the Kings...

"... Everything under the 5th Set is Aphrodite’s playground."

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