R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 19

R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 19 (in editing-v5) (Divine Scan Updated)

The rustle of leaves stirred the afternoon air, the warm sun beating down overhead through the leafy foliage.

Around half an hour had passed since Micheal departed with the Farians.

In that time, Micheal had met with the leaders of the party and discussed the specifics of the route they would take through the Dragon Mountains, chatting as they jogged toward the south. They had already met and talked about this before they left, but there was no harm in touching base again and making sure they were all on the same page.

Serena Kowalsi, the Disciple Apparent of the Wise Lady, kept to herself mostly during the meeting, apart from sending Micheal mixed, indecisive glares. She looked like she was trying to hide her feelings but did a terrible job, letting Micheal read her like an open book.

‘Hmm… It looks like she dislikes me but also feels grateful and therefore doesn’t know how to act.’ Micheal lightly smiled when he made that observation. After all the attacks on the Farians by the human Beasts of Providence, he knew it would be hard for some Farians to trust him, even after all he did.

The fact that Serena was making efforts to overcome that already said a lot for her character.

As for Shadow Captain Sprel and the two lieutenants he brought to the meeting as aides: Micheal found all three men to be incredibly professional, in a similar vein to professional military officers from back on Earth. Regardless of whether or not they liked Micheal, they were completing a mission and didn’t allow their emotions to get in the way.

‘It’s good and bad, I suppose.’ Their professionalism was a sign of loyalty, but also meant it would be impossible for Micheal to recruit them.

For, one of the first things Micheal did after he finished talking with the Farians was to activate his Eyes of the Deep to perform a Divine Scan on the two prominent Farian leaders that had joined him.

‘Do they have any potential?’ There was no way the two of them could have risen to the positions they held without exceptional Growth Ratings.

While he didn’t like the concept of judging someone’s worth based purely on their growth potential, Micheal knew it would be foolish to not take full advantage of an Ability that allowed him to see that. He needed to build up his own forces and it only made sense to put more focus and effort on allies that had great potential.

He scanned the Shadow Captain first, his eyes glimmering for the briefest of moments.

.

— - Divine Scan— -

Race: Grand Lional Farian

Title: -

Traits: -

STR:   C+   (Growth Rate: Rare or higher)

END:   C    (Growth Rate: Rare or lower)

REG:   B-    (Growth Rate: Heroic or lower)

SOUL:   C-   (Growth Rate: Rare or lower)

MANA:  C+   (Growth Rate: Rare or higher)

Path Notes: A Grand Lional Farian that walks the Path of the Sword.

.

‘Hmm, that’s about what I expected.’ Micheal nodded to himself.

Shadow Captain Sprel had been a notable figure during the Great War, proving himself to be a behemoth of a warrior with balanced but powerful stats all around and exceptionally high regenerative capabilities.

After checking the numbers and grades, Micheal sighed to himself.

Sprel’s Growth Rates were exceptional. With balanced 'Rare' Growth Rates all around and an exceptional 'Heroic or lower' Regeneration Growth Rate, he would be a fearsome combatant even later down the line in the 7 Layers.

‘Unfortunately…’ He shook his head.

A Soul Growth Rate of 'Rare or lower' was a significant weakness, at least in Micheal’s eyes.

‘If more than one of his melee Stats were rated 'Heroic' and not 'Rare,' it might be different.’

Humans could change their Growth Rates extremely easily thanks to the plethora of Abilities they could purchase in the Shop. A human’s Growth Rate meant very little in the grand scheme of things.

For all other races, however… one’s Growth Rate was an inherent trait that was extraordinarily difficult for them to change. Without access to the Shop, Sprel would have to hunt down extremely rare items if he wanted to enhance his Growth Rates.

‘He’s a well-above average warrior, a powerful warrior, in fact. But…’ Micheal’s eyes took on a grim hue.

‘I don’t need powerful warriors...’

‘I need monsters.’

To challenge the Deities with anything less would merely invite a slaughter.

Micheal subtly turned his attention over to Serena, activating his Eyes of the Deep once more, without expecting anything much.

.

— - Divine Scan— -

Race: Red Phoenix Farian

Title: -

Traits: -

STR:    D+     (Growth Rate: Rare or lower)

END:    D+     (Growth Rate: Rare or lower)

REG:     C      (Growth Rate: Heroic or lower)

SOUL:   B-     (Growth Rate: Mythical or higher)

MANA:  D+    (Growth Rate: Heroic or lower)

Path Notes: A Red Phoenix Farian that nears the Path of the Original Flame.

.

‘What the-?!’ His non-existent expectations were blown away.

He regained control of his expression as he plastered on a calm facade, staring at the results of the Divine Scan with slightly widened eyes.

‘The Farians had a second person with a Mythical Rating?! And not just that, she has two Heroic Growth Ratings too!’ He was genuinely shocked.

The Lord Justiciar had a 'Mythical or higher' Growth Rating in STR, something that proved a major factor in why he was regarded as the strongest Farian of all time.

A Mythical Growth Rating in anything was extraordinarily rare, to the point that there were entire species in the 7 Layers that never had a single denizen appear with a 'Mythical or lower' Growth Rating throughout their entire history, let alone a 'Mythical or higher' Growth Rating.

‘Why haven’t I ever seen a genius like her in the first timeline?!’ Micheal’s thoughts raced ahead of him as he glanced at the pretty female Farian.

‘Wait a second… it says she’s a Red Phoenix Farian? The Path of the Original Flame? Serena Kowalsi?!’ Micheal’s perfect memories stirred as he thought backwards, sifting through the sands of time to the right moment.

In those memories, a single name appeared:

Firestorm.

It was the nickname given to the Tribal Heir of the Kowalsi Tribe, a Farian Bloodline Flame Master. She was the first and last of her kind, a woman capable of using her Bloodline Magic to spawn enormous avalanches of fire that were capable of washing over entire battlefields, incinerating thousands of lives in a blazing instant. A living weapon of mass destruction.

In Micheal’s memories, Firestorm had been a heavily disfigured Farian with a face horribly marred by severe burns. She had a slightly hunched back and an incredibly vile temper, a woman that cackled madly with glee as she slaughtered other beings in droves.

She could not have looked more different than the woman before Micheal…

‘But it has to be her.’ The odds of another Farian with Growth Ratings like her appearing was nigh impossible.

In the first timeline, the Kowalsi Tribe that were said to be the strongest Farian Tribe had abandoned the other Farians to continue climbing the 7 Layers, most of them vanishing from the 2nd Layer. The Kowalsi had little impact on the Great War, save for their legendary Tribal Heir that stayed behind to fight.

‘She’s the Disciple Apparent of Myla Hannis… if she’s Firestorm, then in the first timeline, she must’ve been disfigured during the assassination of the Wise Lady.’ Micheal did the obvious math, drawing connections from the changes he’d made between the timelines.

The Vile King was meticulous. Without knowledge of his actions and capabilities, it would take a miracle to survive anything he put effort into, a miracle made possible by Serena’s abnormally high Growth Ratings and Bloodline.

Firestorm's real name had never been made public, but everything he saw pointed to her being Serena. In fact, now that he thought about it, both Myla and Firestorm were known to have shared the same Bloodline.

‘A Farian driven insane by rage and hatred, gifted with enormous potential and Bloodline Magic…’ His eyes widened.

It fit into place perfectly.

‘She’s Firestorm.’

‘...’

Micheal put his focus into his jogging while he settled his heart and mind down, forcing himself back down to a level of calm. Over the next part of his journey, as he and the Farians continued onward, he began to calculate and plan in his head, adjusting his plans for the future as best he could.

Finally, as he neared half a year into the 4th Wave, he had come across his next potential new recruit into his team.

‘Let’s not rush anything. Just because her Growth Ratings are high enough doesn’t mean she has the right mentality or attitude.’ He reminded himself to stay realistic.

High Growth Ratings meant nothing if the person holding them couldn’t take advantage of them, and, in the first place, there was no guarantee that he could convince her to join him.

‘For now, let’s focus on why I have them with me in the first place.’ He nodded to himself.

Before he went to obtain the essence of a Deity to activate his Title System and met back up with Shin and Sophia, there was a pit stop they had to make along the way.

A massive war growing closer and closer to breaking out on the Second Layer. With the Darmaton Plague ravaging the Byrens, humanity, and all the other races except the nigh-immune Farians, tensions were rising and people were angry.

The Six Lords of the Byrens were stirring up the various Martial Artist Sects and the other races, while the Vile King’s Beasts of Providence did the same for humanity.

Micheal couldn’t hope to compete with that level of manipulation and influence, no matter the future knowledge he held.

But he knew someone else that could.

‘The Nirvana Saint is dead?’ Micheal scoffed.

In the first timeline, even the Vile King himself couldn’t kill the Nirvana Saint.

The only one that managed that was the Titled Deity Navir, an unbelievably powerful regressor Deity that reigned over the 6th Layer.

The Lord Justiciar had reached out to the Rakkonians.

The Orkals were already a lost cause, enslaved by the Byrens on the other side of the continent.

The Byrens were a party that would remain neutral as long as the Six Lords were handled.

All that was left was the humans.

Micheal’s eyes gleamed as he finally arrived at the entrance to the Dragon Mountains, his mind filled to the brim with countless thoughts and plans.

It was time to rally the resistance.

.