Chapter 163: Origin Realm, Nine-tailed Jackal

Minutes later in the Death Farm, Scarlett and the Martian Frog. Wave after wave of monsters. The first wave passed, the second even fiercer. The second wave passed, the third even fiercer. It kept increasing.

After Blood Castle, Death Farm was leagues deadlier. However, not to forget the Black Sun Origin Realm is a Hell-Level manifestation.

This is nothing short of expectations!

At every new difficulty and deadliness, Scarlett ensured that she simultaneously matched it with her fearlessness and aggressiveness to bring the monsters to heel, because they had static aggro. Once deadly, always deadly. Once deadlier, always deadlier. Once deadliest...

Meanwhile, a hunter like her is supposed to match her aggression to the threat.

If deadly, be deadly. If deadlier, be the deadliest.

Great teachings of the Golden Order!

This explains why her aunt didn’t harm her and Luke immediately, until Luke asked his Heavenly Immortal Tortoise to fate her inevitable death—Brienne had no choice but to activate Supreme State!

"Neo, can I activate Supreme State on you? What happens when I do?" Scarlett asked, somewhere around the fifth wave.

Neo replied,〖Yes, you can. But I’ve never activated it myself, so I don’t know what I will become. I advise you not to expect anything fancy from my Supreme State if you want to activate it.〗

"Not even I’ve had Supreme State activated on my beast before. And I know you’re still a long way from the strongest beast out there. But if I can activate Supreme State on you, that means, in name, you count as my Summon?"

The fifth wave wasn’t over yet. Below them were monsters, slain. Neo, standing on a pile of the monsters, answered,〖Master Scarlett, which part of my explanations were unclear to you?〗

Scarlett put her hands on her hips and scanned Neo from head to toe, checking if he was exaggerating.

If he really counted as her Summon, then everything about him should show up in her System, same as a true Bonded Summon, natal or awakened.

And indeed, it was.

Neo’s status bar was displayed. Of course, there were some differences, but they were minor, though still important.

No〖Potential〗

〖Species: Martian Frog (Lesser)〗

〖Rank: 2.4 〗

〖Skills: All-far tongue | Jade Venom〗

〖Description: A peculiar frog from the Old Village with modest battle traits.〗

Something struck Scarlett then — so without the "Eye of Potential" talent, she had no way to see Neo’s Potential?

This meant that the "Eye of Potential" talent was more important than she had thought.

However, she didn’t regret her choice—Refinement—because of this inconvenience.

"I can’t see your potential, so investing evolution crystals in you is a gamble," Scarlett told Neo. "But not investing is an even bigger gamble. What if you’re destined to be a Sky-Swallowing Toad?"

Neo lit up at that, nodding eagerly, again and again as Scarlett bestowed him the upgraded evolution crystals—one Complex-tier and one Totality-Tier.

This was her way of accumulating strength and ensuring her survival in this Origin Realm.

〖The Sky-Swallowing Toad?〗Neo said. 〖I’m flattered that you think so highly of me, Master Scarlett〗

"Don’t mention it, Neo. I can still accumulate more Refinement Points. Once I have enough, I can upgrade more crystals. You’re my partner, so this is your share. Consume it and see what happens."

FWOOSH!

Firstly, the first one, Complex-tier evolution crystal, went down without a sound.

The one that reacted was the Totality-tier crystal!

Neo’s body changed, becoming faster and more powerful. A Totality-tier evolution crystal, in one go, was equivalent to several times the effort of others. This quantity wasn’t just one plus one!

After consuming the evolution crystals, Neo’s Fortitude increased by four points, making him a different being.

Scarlett checked and found that Neo’s race changed from a Martian frog to a Great Jade toad.

However, his tier was still Lesser-tier.

A Totality-rank evolution crystal, so powerful, how could it still be Lesser-tier?

It turned out that evolution crystals can help the beast evolve, but the system sets up barriers/checkpoints at intervals in every tier.

At each barrier/checkpoint, the evolution crystal would stop pushing an evolution. Then the beast must complete invisible tasks to pass the barrier.

The tasks were purposely invisible/hidden.

Why? Maybe to force summoners to bring their summons into battle and break through the checkpoint in combat.

If the tasks were not hidden, who would fight? Just complete them, come back and feed the crystals again—wouldn’t that be an assembly line?

Scarlett was not discouraged because she was sure that the barrier between Neo and Greater-tier, this Origin Realm would force it open sooner or later. A place this vicious, how could it not?

For now, as a Great Jade Toad, Neo’s body had grown three sizes larger, looking fiercer too. The color of its skin was more vibrant than before. The more vibrant the color, the more potent the poison.

His increased physique meant he could withstand physical attacks.

With his larger size came greater strength to prevent knockback. When attacked, he retreats less and is less likely to stagger via hitstuns. Stand your ground, and only then could you keep fighting.

After the Great Jade Toad finished evolving, Scarlett instructed it to clear the sixth, seventh, and eighth waves, no matter how dangerous they were.

Neo was stronger than before. He entered the monster horde and began fighting, overwhelming them. His tongue lashed out, poison mist sprayed, and he swept through, giving the monsters no chance to breathe.

He was only Lesser-tier. But in this Black Sun Origin Realm, the laws of Infinite Aeon and Rapid Recovery were the real variables.

With Infinite Aeon, Neo can release poisonous gas nonstop. When Monsters around him take one breath of it, they would either die or become weak. Without this law, Infinite Aeon, releasing the poison mist would be tiring, requiring rest after a few releases. Now, without the effort, Neo can release it indefinitely, a free advantage.

However, the monsters also benefited from these laws. The faster you recovered, the faster they recovered. Whoever understood the laws best had the upper hand.

Currently, Scarlett is facing a tough challenge. But what if she runs into those monsters who have mastered the law?

For example, the boss of the Death Farm level, the Nine-Tailed Jackal. Phase/Wave 11.

After Neo cleared the first three waves, Scarlett went in herself, facing the ninth and tenth waves.

The monsters were numerous and ruthless. Shadow Wolves were as fast as shadows, appearing in the blink of an eye. Horned Creatures could smash through half a wall, rolling sideways. Corrupted Winged Vultures swooped down from the sky, pressing down in swathes, obscuring the black sun. And then there were armies of rotting corpses, limping along, seemingly endless.

But Scarlett was the Empyrean Phoenix’s Summoner. What the Phoenix excelled at most was ranged attacks and wide-area clearing. She’d mastered that style down to its bones!

Wave after wave, she showed no fatigue, took no wounds, and toiled the farm all the way to Phase 11.

〖Warning: You have encountered a beast: Nine-tailed Jackal〗

〖Tier: Greater〗

〖Description: A Greater hound-type beast native to the Perpetual Era.〗

〖DEFEAT THE GREATER BEAST TO PREVENT THE APOCALYPSE.〗

Before the Nine-tailed Jackal, Scarlett slew its Guardian and subsequently slew the Nine-tailed Jackal after a prolonged fight between.

She and Neo sustained numerous wounds, but "Rapid Recovery" helped. Wounds healed quickly. After the bleeding stopped, they were alive again and continued fighting.

Meanwhile, the Nine-tailed Jackal turned to ash, floated, and disappeared into the black sun, leaving expected rewards behind.

Scarlett collected the rewards and was ready to use her new talent, Refinement, to boost them—tenfold, a hundredfold. She would upgrade what could be upgraded, and leave the rest.

Among the rewards, there was one that she could not upgrade because it isn’t a reward relating to summons and beast relationships.

The reward reminded her of the invitation letter to the Black Sun Origin Realm she and Luke received after their epiphany of the Hundred-Eyed Crow.

〖Congratulations, you have slain the Conditional Greater-grade Nine-Tailed Jackal!〗

〖You have gained 15,000 experience points.〗

〖You have reached level 30!〗

"Another beast slain," Scarlett thought as she remembered the first one, the Hundred-Eye Crow.

That one came from the "Continuum Era." This Nine-Tailed Jackal came from the "Perpetual Era." Both, links in the chain of the Apocalypse.

However, she was confused by what the system meant by "Conditional" Nine-tailed Jackal, and Neo explained that the Nine-tailed Jackal is "Conditional" because in some circumstances, it wouldn’t exist, and in some, it would.

This time, it did. Why? Because Scarlett and Luke had killed the Hundred-Eye Crow first.

The Hundred-Eye Crow was the Apocalypse’s herald. Its death meant Earth’s heroes are strong, which meant a backup had to be readied. Had it not died, backup would be unnecessary because that would mean Earth isn’t ready at all.

So whether the Nine-tailed Jackal appeared at all depends on whether someone has already killed the herald.

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A/N: thanks for reading!