He had managed to double his combat power in just a week through relentless training, but now, even that progress was beginning to slow. His growth wasn't stopping, but it was no longer the overwhelming leap it once was. Each improvement demanded more effort, much to his annoyance. For someone like Seth, who treated progress as his lifeline, the change was both frustrating and a sign of how far he had come.
[Name: Seth Williams
Race: Primal Human
Talent: Nexus (UR Rank)
Title: [The Honor One], [The World Chosen]
Tier: 0 Tier (1/1,000,000,000 XP)
Combat Power: 30,700
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Skills: [Nexus Eyes (LvL: 3/5)], [Elemental Sword Style (?/?], [Elemental Magic (?/?), [Healing Magic (?/?)], [Gravity Magic (?/?)], [Space Time Magic (?/?), [Omni Martial Arts (?/?)]
Resistances: [Debuffs (Lvl:4/5)], [Reality Warping (2/5)], [Fire (Lvl:5/5)], [Poison (Lvl:5/5)], [Mind Control (Lvl:5/5)], [Mind reading (Lvl:5/5)], [Charm (Lvl:4/5)], [Sleep (Lvl:5/5)], [Pain (Lvl:3/5)], [Piersing (Lvl:2/5)], [Sword-> weapons (Lvl:4/5)], [Lightning (Lvl:5/5)], [Earth (Lvl:5/5)], [Water (Lvl:5/5)], [Drowning (Lvl:2/5)], [Telekinsis (Lvl:3/5)], [Air (Lvl:5/5)], [Mana (Lvl:2/5)], [Control (Lvl:35)], [Ice (Lvl:5/5)], [Stats Reading (Lvl:5/5)]... ETC
Equipped Gear: [Dark Lightning Gear Set]
Mount/Pet: [None]
"Boss, we can't face a tier seven monster. The fact that they're starting to appear in the regions we're conquering is troublesome," Chu Yun said softly, standing before Seth as he continued his push-ups with calm, steady movements.
Chu Yun herself looked noticeably stronger. She now wore a full set of newly acquired gear, all of it growth-type equipment. There were no items above S-tier in existence—at least not yet—so the only way to gain true power through gear was by starting small.
Growth-type items began as simple F-tier equipment, but by feeding them monster crystals, their strength could evolve endlessly. Each piece not only grew more powerful but also adapted to the user's fighting style and will, molding itself perfectly to their needs.
Chu Yun's attire had changed drastically. She now wore flowing white robes that shimmered faintly with frost, enhancing not only her physical strength but also amplifying her ice abilities. Though they appeared light and delicate, the fabric was tougher than metal, granting her defense that rivaled heavy armor while allowing complete freedom of movement.
"Yeah…" Seth muttered quietly as he rose to his feet, brushing off the dust from his hands. His eyes glowed faintly as he turned his gaze toward Chu Yun, examining her stats.
[Name: Chu Yun
Race: Frost Goddess Dragon
Talent: Omni Freeze (SSS Rank)
Title: [One out of the 18 people with an SSS rank Talent], [Blessed By the Dragon Goddess]
Tier: 0 Tier (10/100,000 XP)
Combat Power: 18,750
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Skills: [Ice Manipulation (5/5)], [IDragon God's Eyes (5/5)], [Ice Magic (3/5)], [Heat Absorbation (2/5)]
Resistances: [Cold (5/5)], [Blood Loss (5/5)], [Mind Manipulation (6/5)]... ETC
Equipped Gear: [Absolute Zero Gear Set]
Mount/Pet: [Unhatched Egg]
"Are you able to increase your combat power without using monster crystals?" Seth asked calmly, his tone steady as always. Chu Yun hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. Unlike Seth—whose body continued to evolve through sheer effort and training alone—her growth had limits. Once her body adapted to its current strength, she needed monster crystals to push it any further.
Without her gear, her combat power stood at fifteen thousand, an impressive number compared to most. But her new equipment changed everything. The growth-type gear amplified her power by twenty-five percent in its current state, and with enough time and resources, it could grow even stronger. In the future, that same set might be capable of doubling her strength—or even more.
As for Seth, his combat power stood at an overwhelming twenty-four thousand four hundred, and when he fully unleashed his strength, it climbed past thirty thousand seven hundred. At this point, "overpowered" was an understatement.
"9,999 was my limit," Chu Yun said quietly, her voice light yet filled with awe. "But you pushed me past it. The system rewarded me with the Absolute Zero Heart Set because of that. I was thinking of tiering up soon."
Seth gave a faint nod as he rose to his feet, dusting off his hands. He wasn't surprised in the slightest; breaking limits was something he had come to expect, not only from himself but from those who trained under him.
Chu Yun tossed a tier-five monster crystal into the air, worth a full hundred thousand XP. The moment she caught it, she absorbed all of the energy from it at high speed, her body erupted with raw energy. A powerful surge flooded through her veins, forcing her to close her eyes as the world spun violently around her. When she opened them again, everything had changed.
Before her stretched a boundless world of ice—endless plains of frozen glass reflecting pale blue light in every direction. Her breath lingered in the air like mist.
[Your tier-one trial has begun.]
From a distance, a white-haired woman materialized, her movements graceful and silent. Her expression was lifeless, yet her beauty was beyond comprehension—divine and flawless, to the point that even elves would appear imperfect beside her.
After a long, tense silence, the woman's eyes flickered to life. The empty stare she once had now held awareness, though no warmth came with it. She observed Chu Yun quietly, her gaze piercing and unreadable, before finally speaking in a voice as calm and cold as the frozen world around them.
"You managed to break the limit of an SSS-tier talent and reach your absolute peak," she said without emotion. "That alone shows promise."
As she lifted her hand, the temperature around them plummeted even further. Frost spread across the ground in sharp crystalline patterns, and the air itself seemed to freeze. Chu Yun's body shook as a wave of unbearable cold washed over her. Her skin burned, her limbs stiffened—an impossible reaction, considering her talent.
"But you can become stronger," the woman continued, her tone still flat and detached. "Your body is only part of the equation. To truly wield ice, your mind must become one with it."
Her words sent a faint tremor through Chu Yun. A test—that much was clear—but the pressure radiating from this woman made her heart race. The being before her possessed a combat power of twenty thousand while still at tier zero. It was absurd, terrifying even.
Before Chu Yun could steady herself, the woman raised her hand again. Dozens of ice spears formed in an instant, their edges gleaming like polished diamonds, and with a flick of her wrist, they were launched toward the sky before raining down at impossible speed.
Chu Yun didn't dare try to block them. Even with her immense strength, she knew those spears would tear straight through her defenses. Instead, she moved—her body flashing to the side, each movement fueled by instinct and desperation as the frozen projectiles shattered the ground where she had stood only moments before.
"You're the Dragon Goddess?" Chu Yun shouted, her voice echoing across the frozen expanse. The woman gave no answer—her expression remained blank, her silence heavier than any confirmation could have been.
Gritting her teeth, Chu Yun extended her hands, summoning a surge of ice that erupted from the ground in a tidal wave of ice. She tried to engulf the woman completely, to bury her beneath an avalanche of her own element—but the attempt was futile.
With effortless grace, the woman formed a shimmering ice barrier that blocked every attack, reflecting the onslaught back with mirrored precision. Worse yet, her own attacks pierced through the barrier as if it didn't exist, sharp and merciless.
Seeing an incoming spear she couldn't avoid, Chu Yun conjured a counterattack, launching a blast of ice to intercept it. The clash only lasted an instant before her attack shattered like fragile glass. The impact sent her flying backward, blood spilling from her lips as she hit the ground hard.
Pain spread through her body, but she refused to stay down. Forcing herself to move, she darted across the icy battlefield, each step calculated to avoid another lethal strike. Her mind raced, desperate to find a way—any way—to close the enormous gap between them.