novelraw Chapter 533: How Many Broke Through?!
Chapter 533: How Many Broke Through?!
Garion steadied his stance on the seabed, shoulders tightening as the pressure closed in once more.
He narrowed his eyes. "Which one is it... the one who broke through?"
[Let’s not talk about that now... let it be a surprise.]
Garion’s brow twitched, and he shook his head. "Oh, come on. Just tell me."
[No. I want to see your face when you meet them. How could I spoil that now?]
He exhaled sharply through his nose, irritation flickering across his face. "You’re enjoying this way too much."
Then, suddenly, something clicked. "Wait a minute... Did you just say them?"
Garion’s head lifted slightly. "How many?"
[Look at you... you’re already reacting like this before even seeing them. I wonder what will your face really be when you actually face them.]
Garion’s frown deepened. "Atlas... what the hell? Just tell me."
But no matter how much he pressed, Atlas remained silent.
Garion’s jaw tightened, his fist clenching. "Being overtaken by one was already bad enough... but more than one?"
His eyes hardened, resolve settling in. "Not happening."
He leaned forward, planting himself deeper into the seabed, grounding his stance. "Then I’ll just have to evolve faster."
Power surged through his body as it adapted under the crushing pressure. "I’m not letting my own disciples outpace me."
A faint current spiraled around him, the water itself responding as he forced his body to evolve further.
---
On the battlefield, though in truth it was more within her own mind, Dahlia froze, startled by what appeared before her.
A translucent screen hovered in the void, eerily familiar.
It resembled the system interfaces she had seen in the comics stored within the God Gym Library.
---
[Please choose the direction of God Physique evolution path.]
[1. The Dragon Path]
[2. The Wind Dragon Path]
[3. The Thunder Dragon Path]
[4. The Dark Dragon Path]
[...]
---
Dahlia frowned, her brows knitting together. "What the hell is this?"
The list continued downward, seemingly endless, making it hard for her to choose. "What is this even supposed to be...?"
But as she stared at it again, more carefully this time... suddenly something clicked. "Wait... is this my path?"
Her thoughts drifted back to what Navrel had once said:
If I took your body... I could even become a Demon Lord.
Dahlia knew what that implied.
A Demon Lord’s power stood on equal footing with a cultivator who had reached the Perfection Realm.
Her gaze returned to the list, her eyes narrowing. "This... this must be the evolution paths available to me if I ascend to the Perfection Realm..."
But almost immediately, her expression twisted with frustration.
"Then why are there so many? And... am I different from other Perfection Realm cultivators?"
She exhaled sharply, irritation creeping into her. "And how am I even supposed to choose? There are way too many options..."
A voice suddenly cut in.
[How about I help you choose?]
Dahlia froze.
Her gaze swept across the empty expanse of her mind. "Who said that...? Could it be..."
Her aura flared faintly. "Navrel? You’re not dead yet?"
[Hey, relax. I’m not Navrel.]
Her frown deepened. "Then who are you?"
[Nice to meet you, Dahlia. I’m Atlas.]
She blinked. "Atlas?"
A beat passed. Her eyes narrowed. "Who?"
[You can think of me as Garion’s secretary.]
Dahlia’s expression flattened instantly. "Master has a secretary?"
[Yes, and more than that, I’m the reason he can accomplish all those so-called impossible feats.]
A brief pause followed, tinged with quiet amusement.
[Did you really think your master did all of that alone?]
Dahlia stared ahead for a moment. Then her brows lifted slightly in realization. "So you’re that kind of existence."
She crossed her arms. "A cheat."
[Haha. You could call me that.]
She shook her head once. "Figures."
Turning back to the floating list, she exhaled. "Alright, then."
Her gaze sharpened. "How are you going to help?"
[I can filter and sort the options for you.]
Dahlia didn’t hesitate. "Then show me the strongest one."
[There is no single ’strongest’ path.]
She clicked her tongue. "Of course not."
[But I can narrow it down to the strongest options for you.]
The list shifted, its countless entries condensing into a smaller set.
---
[Please choose the direction of God Physique evolution path.]
[1. Sky Dragon Path]
[2. Demonic Dragon Path]
[3. Heavenly Dragon Path]
[4. Abyss Dragon Path]
---
Dahlia raised a brow. "So these are the top choices."
Her eyes moved between them, analyzing. "The first and second... I get those. But..."
She gestured toward the remaining two. "What about the third and fourth? Explain them."
[The Heavenly Dragon Path specializes in holy attributes.]
Dahlia immediately made a face. "So... priests and holy types?"
She considered it for half a second before shaking her head. "Yeah, no. Not my style. Pass."
[The Abyss Dragon Path is similar to the Demonic Dragon Path... but more dangerous.]
Dahlia’s eyes narrowed. "How dangerous?"
[Abyss power is more unstable than demonic power. Basically a higher risk and higher return path.]
Dahlia fell silent, her gaze drifting back to the list.
Her thoughts began to turn. "So... stronger, but riskier."
She let out a slow breath. "Yeah. That sounds like a mess."
Her eyes shifted to the first option, Sky Dragon Path, the one that resonated most closely with her current body.
She gave a small nod. "Then it’s obvious."
Lifting her chin slightly, she said, "I’ll choose the one that fits me."
Her voice steadied. "The Sky Dragon Path."
[Wait.]
Dahlia paused, one brow күтәрing faintly. "What now?"
[Those are indeed among the strongest options on the list... but they do not possess the highest potential.]
She frowned. "Potential?"
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping in. "What do you mean by that?"
Crossing her arms, she continued, "If it’s the strongest, doesn’t that mean it has the best potential?"
[Not exactly. Your case is different from the others.]
Her expression tightened. "Different how?"
[Tell me, Dahlia... do you truly believe your path is the same as everyone else’s?]
She went quiet.
For a moment, she didn’t answer because she already knew the truth.
No... it wasn’t the same.
Her gaze hardened slightly as she looked ahead. "Then what is my real path? And why is there even a list in the first place?"
[Be patient. I’ll explain everything properly.]