Return Of The Strongest Player

[Reward For Completion: Trait]

'A trait…' Arthur muttered internally, realizing he had hit the jackpot. Traits were mysterious.  Traits were something the system offered once a player had established themselves. However, the criteria were unknown.

They were usually handed out once one became an Elite Ranker after conquering the 25th floor.

They were usually the representation of one's power or ideology; although, a few were indescribable and entirely random. They were not only an extension to one's power, but also to their existence.

Receiving a trait meant that a player had established themselves in the tower.

But usually, they were offered randomly. Quests weren't involved in receiving traits and usually offered regular, mundane rewards.

Then again, not many quests killed the player upon failure.

Arthur glared at the penalty visible on the window. He let out a sigh, realizing that death upon failure was now guaranteed, instead of being a mere chance. Even if the mana circuits did not kill him, the system definitely would.

However, that only increased Arthur's determination.

As the tenth vine began sprouting, the mana within Arthur's circuits surged to an immeasurable extent. His eyes widened, and were immediately flooded with the intensity of a potent liquid: mana. 

A crimson aura spilled from his body, causing the nearby water to swirl.

Eventually, the flow of the nearby water was entirely altered. It swirled around the platform on which Arthur sat as if bending to his will. Strong winds spawned, causing Arthur's tattered clothes to flutter.

A crimson aura spun around his body, and an influx of mana occurred.

Arthur took advantage of the opportunity by activating [Judgment Regeneration], healing his wounds, and allowing the tenth vine to sprout simultaneously. It was finally happening… The procedure was almost complete.

[Your understanding of mana increases.]

[Agonizer Nova is in its last stage.]

At that moment, two of the old mana circuits shattered, breaking away from the complex web located within Arthur's body. A jolt of pain assaulted his body, almost disrupting his concentration and rendering his progress worthless.

He had formed nine complete sprouts and had just lost two old ones.

His mana circuits had begun shattering and would have eventually rendered him a cripple, had he not regenerated nine of them. 

'Delaying the procedure for even an hour longer would have meant an inevitable, permanent destruction of my mana circuits,' thought the crimson-eyed man, letting out a sigh while praising himself to the high heavens.

Following that, the tenth sprout continued to grow in length, wrapping around certain parts of his body while integrating into the rather complex structure. 

As the tenth sprout continued to increase in length, older "vines" tore. In mere minutes, eight old circuits had shattered, leaving behind only one extra vine. With ragged breathing, Arthur collapsed on his back.

However, he continued the process, as if unperturbed by the lack of organization.

His belly throbbed, while beads of cold sweat dripped down the side of his forehead. Gritting his teeth and holding back actual tears, Arthur continued pushing. The tenth sprout was almost complete.

'Just a few more seconds…'

[93%... 95%...]

[98%... 99%...]

At that moment, the ninth old vine shattered, causing Arthur's body to shake violently. Blood escaped his lips, dying his neck a deeper shade of crimson. The blood that had already dried was moisturized yet again.

But Arthur couldn't give up at that moment.

Only one percent.

'Almost there…'

The tip of the tenth sprout connected to the rest of the web, embracing its brethren as it wrapped around them. Forming a tight knot before linking its energy, the mana circuit was finally complete.

The sharp pain coursing through Arthur's body diminished.

[User has completed 'Agonizer Nova.']

[User has achieved something that has never been achieved before.]

[Preparing unique rewards…]

'I did it…' Arthur let out a sigh of relief, lying down on the platform. His feet dipped into the stream of water, shedding the blood that had dried on them.

[Quest Completed.]

[Rewards: Trait, 50,000 Tokens… Halted Destruction of Mana Circuits, Improved Senses.]

[Your understanding of mana has improved drastically.]

[Unlocking ability <Mana Sense>]

[New ability: Mana Sense]

[Unlocking trait…]

A metaphorical light embraced Arthur's body, spreading immense yet comfortable warmth within it. His expression lightened, while his wounds closed up almost instantly. Before long, not a single injury was visible on his body.

Arthur smiled, noticing that his body had become much lighter.

Then, it finally appeared.

[New trait unlocked <Searing Gaze>]

[Open your status window.]

It had been a while since Arthur had accessed his status window. Repeating the words internally, Arthur summoned the blue, translucent window before him. A satisfactory smile blossomed on his face following its manifestation.

[Name: Arthur Solace]

[Title: Destroyer Of Schools, Achiever Of The Impossible]

[Physical Age: 19]

[Skills: Judgment Regeneration, Ethereal Glide, Heavenly Sin Manipulation, Mana Sense]

[Trait(s): Searing Gaze]

[A/N: Sword Spirit and the Blessing of the Sun are not skills. The former is a technique, while the latter is neither. That is why they are not included in the "skills" section.]

Arthur felt tremendous power curled up in his eyes, which seemed to observe more than usual due to [Mana Sense]. Not only did the skill heighten his eyes, but it also increased his overall perception.

This ability spread across all of his senses and was an incredible boost in his total power. 

However, he couldn't spend too much time looking over his abilities. Although the threat of his shattering mana circuits had diminished for now, it would soon resurface as something the crimson-eyed man could not prevent or resist.

Unless he improved his constitution or scrapped the Blessing of the Sun, he would not be able to entirely wipe the threat off his radar.

Since that was the case, Arthur needed to tread his path across the inheritance ground of the Baron Of Death immediately. He couldn't delay it, as doing so would inevitably result in him being crippled.

'I'll check my abilities out later. For now, I need to continue.'