Capítulo 19: Ch. 19 Seeds of Strategy
Alex walked briskly back to his room, Nova's voice breaking the silence. [Alright, Host. If you're serious about amassing wealth and creating your underground empire, we need to start making moves.]
"You don't say," Alex replied, sarcasm lacing his tone. "Any brilliant ideas, or should I just walk into the city shouting, 'Join me or else'?"
[Very funny. No, we're going to be methodical about this.] Nova's tone turned sharp, all traces of humor gone.
[Sky City's underground is a tangled web of alliances and rivalries. If you want to rise to the top, you'll need to take control of it piece by piece.]
Alex frowned, intrigued despite himself. "Go on."
[Sky City has two major players: the Falcon Gang and the Eagle Gang. These two control the underground in halves, each overseeing countless smaller gangs. They're constantly at odds, vying for dominance. Your best bet? Start with the smaller gangs. Take them over, consolidate power, and work your way up until you're strong enough to face the big players.]
Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Makes sense. If I can get all the smaller gangs under one banner, the big two will have no choice but to notice me."
[Exactly. And here's the kicker:] Nova's voice turned smug. [Your previous self wasn't entirely useless. He spent plenty of time fooling around in the underground, so I've got enough memories to guide you through its structure.]
"That idiot actually did something useful?" Alex muttered, shaking his head. "Well, at least I've got a map of the chaos I'm walking into."
As he reached his room, Alex's determination solidified. The path ahead wouldn't be easy, but if he could unite the underground, he'd have the resources and influence he needed to protect himself—and his family.
Stepping into his sub-dimension, Alex felt the familiar hum of mana envelop him. Nova's voice piped up again. [Alright, let's get practical. You've been putting off testing that training dummy and using the random skill card. Time to stop procrastinating.]
Alex sighed. "Fine. Let's set up the dummy first."
Reaching into his inventory, he willed the training dummy into existence. A ripple spread through the air as a humanoid figure materialized before him. Its surface was smooth and featureless, a dull silver sheen covering its body.
"So, this thing is supposed to mirror my moves and always be a step ahead?" Alex asked, drawing his katana.
[That's what the description said. Let's see how well you stack up against yourself—but better.]
Alex took his stance, focusing on the dummy. Without warning, he lunged forward, slashing diagonally. The dummy moved with uncanny precision, deflecting the blade and countering with a thrust that forced Alex to leap back.
"Okay, that's unsettling," Alex muttered, regaining his footing.
The sparring session continued, each of Alex's strikes met with perfect counters. The dummy anticipated his movements with an almost eerie accuracy, leaving Alex breathless and frustrated. After several failed attempts to land a hit, he stepped back, panting.
[Told you it wouldn't be easy,] Nova teased. [But look on the bright side—it's the perfect training partner. No one else will push you this hard.]
"Yeah, yeah," Alex grumbled. "I'll get it eventually."
After catching his breath, Alex pulled out the random skill card. The moment he activated it, a hundred glowing cards of varying colors appeared, spinning around him in a dazzling display.
"Whoa," Alex whispered, mesmerized by the spectacle.
The cards converged into a single point, merging into a radiant orb of light. A single card shot forward, hovering in front of Alex. He reached out, and as his fingers brushed the card, the remaining light dissipated, leaving only the card in his hand. The card glowed faintly, a swirling image of energy etched onto its surface.
"Alright, Nova. How do I use this?"
[Hold it to your forehead,] Nova instructed. [The skill's knowledge will transfer directly into your mind.]
Alex followed her instructions, and the moment the card touched his skin, a flood of information poured into his consciousness. He gasped as the skill's details became clear.
[Congratulations, Host! You've unlocked the B-rank skill Clone Mania. It's a support skill with growth potential. Here's the breakdown:]
Clone Mania (B Rank, Growth-Type):
Allows the user to create clones at half their total power.
Clones are autonomous, act like the main body, and follow commands.
Experience gained by clones is shared with the main body.
Current capacity: Two clones.
Gains an additional clone per rank, capping at B rank unless advanced further.
[This skill is perfect for you, Host,] Nova said gleefully. [One clone can train while you cultivate, and the other can start taking over the underground.]
Alex grinned, excitement surging through him. "That's brilliant! Let's try it out."
Focusing on the skill, Alex felt a strange sensation, as if his mind was splitting. Two figures materialized behind him, identical in every detail—except for their lack of clothing.
"Well, this is awkward," Alex muttered, tossing some spare robes to the clones.
The first clone smirked, tying the robe around his waist. "Call me King."
The second clone, more reserved, adjusted his robe calmly. "And I'll be Musashi."
Alex blinked. "Wait, you're naming yourselves?"
"We're you, remember?" King said, his tone sharp and ambitious. "Might as well save you the trouble."
Musashi nodded. "We share your memories and experiences, but our personalities seem to be… distinct."
Nova's voice broke in, amused. [Seems like your clones embody parts of your personality. King's ambitious and calculating, while Musashi's focused and disciplined. A nice balance, wouldn't you say?]
Alex crossed his arms. "Fine. Call me Prime, then. Let's keep this simple."
Alex began outlining his plans, but King interrupted with a sharp laugh. "Save it, Prime. We already know. I'll handle the underground."
"And I'll focus on honing our sword skills," Musashi added, unsheathing a katana and moving to a corner of the sub-dimension.
King stretched lazily before saying, "I'll meditate for now. Then I'll head into the city."
Alex watched as King sat cross-legged, meditating a while before preparing to sneak out of the estate.
"You'd better be careful," Alex called after him.
King smirked over his shoulder before disappearing "Always."
With his clones set on their tasks, Alex sat cross-legged and opened his cultivation manual, flipping to the instructions for Stage 5.
Stage 5: Bone Forging Stage:
Condense mana into your bones until they shatter.
Use docile mana and your attribute to repair the bones, transforming them into space-time bones.
Repeat for all 206 bones.
Alex winced at the description. "Why does every stage involve me breaking something?"
[That's cultivation, Host,] Nova said cheerfully. [It's not for the faint-hearted.]
Taking a deep breath, Alex began channeling mana into his right forearm. The pressure built slowly, his bone creaking under the strain. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the pain intensified.
Finally, with a sickening crack, the bone shattered. Alex clenched his teeth to stifle a scream, his vision swimming with pain.
"Holy—!" he gasped, struggling to focus.
He guided the docile mana into the broken bone, weaving his space-time attribute into the process. Slowly, agonizingly, the bone began to knit itself back together, stronger and denser than before.
As the pain subsided, Alex exhaled shakily, his arm trembling.
"One down," he muttered. "Two hundred and five to go."
[You've got this, Host,] Nova said encouragingly. [Just… don't pass out.]
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder