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Ding!

Original Points: 0

Points Updated: 80

[Required points for progress are sufficient: Every 10 points = 10% Progress]

[Would the Host like to begin advancing?]

[Yes / No]

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Rios looked at the screen before him and, without much thought, chose "Yes."

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[The Host’s progress will first be increased using the quest reward of 30% in ten seconds.]

10... 9... 8...

5... 3... 2... 1...

[The Host has been successfully upgraded.]

Progress: 80%

[The Host’s progress will be increased again using points in ten seconds.]

10... 9... 8...

5... 3... 2... 1...

20 Points Consumed

Progress: 100%

Remaining Points: 60

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[Abyss System]

Name: Rios Astar

Race: Abyss Tree

Roots: 4

Flexible Branches: 14

Bloodline: Abyss (???)

Level: Master (1)

Progress: 100%

Points Required for Evolution: 5K

Points: 60

Skills: Abyss Tomb (???) - Power of Abyss (Legendary) - Flexibility (Legendary) - Armament (Legendary)

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Rios looked at his status panel and noticed the changes.

The first thing that changed was the number of his flexible branches.

Two additional branches had grown after that battle.

From what Rios could tell, the number of branches increased by two whenever his progress rose by 50%.

Or at least, that was his guess.

The second change was his progress.

Rios had reached the peak of Master (1) and was only a single step away from Master (2)!

Rustle! Rustle!

Rios turned toward the source of the sound and prepared his flexible branches to attack at any moment.

Gradually, two humanoid figures emerged from the dense grass and bushes before him.

One appeared to be an old man in his sixties.

He stood slightly over two meters tall, with sharp facial features, shoulder-length white hair, thick white eyebrows, and weary eyes that seemed to have witnessed countless hardships throughout life.

His body was powerful, like that of an athlete or a warrior tempered by numerous wars.

In contrast, the other person appeared to be a young woman in her twenties.

She was slightly shorter than the old man, standing around two meters tall.

She possessed youthful features, a slender and well-proportioned figure, long jet-black hair reaching below her back, and dark eyes as deep and consuming as the Abyss itself.

"Are those humans? No... Those ears... Could they be Elves? And why didn’t the system issue any warning? Or do they simply pose no threat?"

Countless questions appeared in Rios’s mind.

However, he never stopped observing the two newcomers.

"Who are you?"

Rios asked coldly while looking at the system panel.

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Race: Dark Elf

Bloodline: Basic

Level: Master (1)

Progress: 90%

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Race: Wind Elf

Bloodline: Basic

Level: Master (2)

Progress: 70%

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The information regarding both Elves appeared before Rios, causing him to relax slightly.

Some of the tension left his body.

Two Elves.

One Master (1).

One Master (2).

If this had happened before his battle against Ang, they would’ve been a complete joke to him.

Forget two.

Even if there were ten of them, Rios would’ve been confident in fighting them all at once and winning.

He had just used Power of Abyss and multiplied his strength fivefold for a short period.

However, it came at the cost of both his energy and mental power.

Now that he had advanced and reached 100% progress, his energy had been completely restored.

In fact, it had increased.

But his mental power was another matter entirely.

It had been almost completely exhausted.

He felt like someone who had stayed awake for two consecutive nights without sleeping for even a single minute.

His mind was utterly drained.

At this very moment, he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Unfortunately, neither the place nor the timing was appropriate.

The good news was that his physical strength and energy were fully replenished.

He could still fight.

But it certainly wouldn’t be easy with his mental exhaustion.

He had just defeated a fifteen-meter-tall Giant.

Now, after becoming even stronger and reaching 100% progress, would he fear two Elves?

Even in his current state?

"My Lord, please do not misunderstand. We have no ill intentions."

"We originally came to ask Giant Ang for help breaking the siege around our city, but we never expected to witness Your Majesty’s great power during your battle against Giant Ang!"

The old man and the young woman knelt together.

The old man spoke respectfully.

However, there was something strange about him.

His voice.

His eyes.

Neither felt normal.

There was something unusual about them.

Not deceit.

Not lies.

Fanaticism.

The old man’s entire expression radiated an intense fanaticism, like a lost man who had finally found salvation.

"My Lord, I have a request, and I hope you will not refuse it."

The old man prostrated himself fully.

His forehead touched the grass as tears streamed down his face while he pleaded desperately with Rios.

"Stand up, old man, and speak."

Rios’s voice was deep and hoarse from his overwhelming mental exhaustion, sounding as though it came from a bottomless abyss.

The situation was strange and confusing.

But this wasn’t the time to reveal his confusion.

The old man rose, wiped the tears from his face, and didn’t question Rios’s voice for even a moment.

Instead, he assumed it was perfectly natural and began speaking.

"My Lord, my name is Jansh, and this girl is Luna."

"We come from the City of Light."

"Our city is currently under siege by the Centaur race. The Queen Mother was assassinated a year ago, and the Eldest Princess has since taken control of the city."

"However, the situation is becoming increasingly dire."

"So please, O Sacred Tree, save our city."

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Ding!

[Side Quest]

Quest Details: On the path to conquering the world, strength alone is not enough. Anyone who wishes to rule the world must possess a powerful army to support that ambition.

Quest: Save the City of Light and take control of it.

Reward: Five Abyss Bloodline Potions (Heaven)

Penalty: Progress -100%

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Ding!

[Main Quest]

Quest Details: Elves are beings who worship the Nine Immortal Trees. The City of Light possesses one of the Nine Immortal Trees as its guardian. As one of the Nine Immortal Trees yourself, two Immortal Trees cannot coexist in the same place.

Quest: Devour the Immortal Tree of the City of Light.

Reward:

1- The abilities of the Immortal Tree.

2- The ability to assume a human form.

3- Five Abyss Bloodline Potions (Heaven)

Penalty: Abyss Bloodline Sealed

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Ding!

[Main Quest]

Quest Details: Within this universe exist countless talents and special physiques. Some are born with them, while others acquire them through effort or fortune. Some are able to enjoy and utilize their gifts, while others are unfortunate enough to possess talent yet remain incapable of using it.

The Eldest Elf Princess possesses a special physique, but it is sealed, and she is unaware of its existence.

Free the princess from her suffering and unleash her true potential!

Quest: Destroy the princess’s seal through sexual intercourse with her.

Reward: Ten Abyss Bloodline Potions (Heaven)

Penalty: Bloodline -1 Grade

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"Th-Three quests?!"

Rios’s eyes widened as he stared at the system screen.

This was the first time the system had given him more than one quest.

There was a side quest connected to his goal of conquering the world, as well as two brand-new main quests.

An overwhelming amount of information filled his mind.

The most important revelation was the Nine Immortal Trees.

What were they?

Was he really one of them, as the system claimed?

And did the City of Light truly possess another one?

Naturally, the rewards also tempted him greatly.

And the penalties terrified him just as much.

Regardless of the punishments involving progress loss, bloodline degradation, or even the sealing of his bloodline if he failed, the thing that attracted Rios the most wasn’t the potions or the Immortal Tree’s abilities.

It was the ability to assume a human form.

"My Lord! My Lord! Are you listening to me...?"