Chapter 61: Upgrade? Pathetic!
The sky tore open. Jagged spires of ancient stone broke through the clouds, trailing thick golden flames as they plummeted toward the capital. Heat rolled over the arena in waves, and the crowd devolved instantly into a screaming stampede.
Cael’s gaze snapped from Niel to the falling meteors, his fists clenching until his knuckles whitened. Niel’s question still echoed in his head, but there was no real choice left to make.
"Forget us!" Cael shouted, his voice amplified by mana. "Knights, S-ranks — stop those rocks at all costs! Save the people!"
He launched into the air, a streak of white light shooting toward a massive stone bearing down on the castle.
Niel hovered above it all, watching Cael cut through the sky. "Always the hero," he murmured.
The sky erupted into chaos. S-rank adventurers hurled massive lances of frost and lightning skyward, while flight-capable knights formed defensive barriers against the descending inferno. Beside Cael, Princess Elestar drew her longsword, its blade flaring with dense crimson aura as she leapt from the dais, channeling her mana to slice a falling spire in two before it crushed the lower grandstands.
They stopped most of them. The sheer number was still too much.
A smaller spike slipped past the mages and slammed into the commercial plaza. The ground shuddered violently, sending a wave of fire and shattered cobblestone tearing through the streets. Black smoke billowed skyward, painting the royal sector in shades of charcoal and blood.
Elestar landed hard on the ruined arena floor, breath ragged, staring out at her burning kingdom in horror. Her grip tightened on her sword as she glared up at the sky, voice barely carrying over the noise. "Niel..."
Niel ignored her, his gaze already back on the balcony. The king still stood there, his immaculate robes dusted with soot, his cold stare locked on Draken.
"That’s our cue," Niel said smoothly.
Lydia stepped up in silence and rested her hand on his left shoulder. Beside her, Draken folded his massive dragon wings and set a hand on his right.
Cael twisted mid-air after shattering another rock. "Stop them!" he screamed, diving toward them at full speed alongside Elestar, who launched herself upward with an aura blast.
Niel offered them both a lazy, two-fingered salute as the space around the three Sinners twisted and warped.
"Until next time," he whispered, and before either blade reached them, all three vanished into thin air.
They reappeared at the gates of Dulthmune, an entire kingdom away from Warstone, in an instant.
Lydia turned to him. "What exactly was that skill you used? The spear thing?"
"That’s my secret, Lydia. Besides, why act like it’s such a big deal — your Hollow Black would swallow it whole anyway," Niel replied.
"Still, impressive." Lydia glanced around, and her eyes widened. "This — this is Dulthmune?" She turned back to him. "You crossed a three-day journey in an instant?"
"Yeah, it is, but—"
A translucent display flickered in front of Niel, its pale edges warping into a sudden cascade of violent crimson glyphs.
What’s happening to the screen? Is this another evolution, Claire?
Claire cut in.
Claire: Affirmative, partner. Your skill — Calamity Evolution — is changing. It’s rewriting the rules across every ability you hold.
A resonant chime rang directly through his mind, paired with a heavy, metallic vibration that rattled through his teeth as the crimson light settled. Claire’s voice returned, almost mechanical.
[Calamity Evolution triggered...]
[Realigning core structure: Authorities, Unique Skills, and Standard Skills...]
[System architecture optimization complete.]
The screen snapped back open, restructured into a crisp, streamlined interface — his innate power now cleanly separated from everything he’d stolen.
Niel leaned forward, scanning the new layout with a critical eye. "Walk me through it, Claire. What did it just do to me?"
Claire: Calamity Evolution has capped your copied arsenal. Five abilities per tier, maximum — five Authorities, five Unique Skills, five Standard Skills. Copy past that limit, and you’ll have to choose: skip the new one, or replace something you already hold.
Niel’s eyes narrowed on the display. "A five-slot cap? How is that supposed to be an upgrade?"
Claire: Call it refinement. Look closer — it’s wiped out every one of those tedious usage counters. Nothing expires or runs dry permanently anymore.
Niel blinked, sinking back into the throne as it settled in. "No more expiration counts at all?"
Claire: None. Daily cooldowns govern each tier now instead. Authorities: once per day. Unique Skills: three times daily. Standard Skills: unlimited, cast as often as your reserves allow. And look at your base kit — Teleportation’s daily limit has been stripped out entirely.
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Unlimited Teleportation. Now that’s a real upgrade." He paused, thinking of how many more unique skills and authorities he’d have liked to hold onto.
Still feels like a downgrade in some ways, though — trading quantity for quality.
Then the earlier question resurfaced — if abilities no longer needed sacrificing to fuse, how did combinations even work now? Claire answered before he could finish the thought.
Claire: Fusing two or more skills into a compound ability — like Heaven’s Spear — caps that new skill at once-per-day use. And every skill sacrificed to build it gets locked, void, until the next daily reset.
Niel studied the translucent screen as his updated stat panel resolved into clean, finalized text.
INNATE ABILITIES
Theft — Copy (Base Authority)
Poison
Calamity Evolution
Teleportation
Shapeshifting
AUTHORITIES COPIED
Space-Time — Spatial Compaction
Deception — Lie Discernment
UNIQUE SKILLS COPIED
Divine Healing
Solar Flare
Split
Attraction & Repulsion
SKILLS COPIED
None
Niel dragged a hand down his face, taking in the clean, dangerous simplicity of it all. "So combining locks the pieces for the rest of the day, everything else runs on a clean daily cycle."
Claire: Exactly. No more tracking remaining charges, no leash on your mobility — but higher stakes every time you choose to combine.
Great upgrade. Still feels a little thin.
"You look deep in thought," Draken said, cutting through the moment. "Change of plans?"
"No, it’s nothing." Niel started toward the city. "Anyway, let’s get moving. Plenty to do."
"So what’s the opening move, Niel?" Lydia fell in behind him. "Where do we start?"
Niel clasped both hands behind his head as he walked. "Isn’t it obvious?" He stopped at the gate and glanced back at them.
"We’re going to kill the king."