Boundless Cultivation-Chapter 96 - Unexpected Victory

Alaric was fully prepared to die alongside Alpha Prime. In his current condition, there was simply no way to escape the blast radius of such a powerful explosion or form a defensive barrier strong enough to survive it.

He chuckled, realizing just how close he had been to defeating the boss of the final zone, and surviving the encounter. The android was truly a fearsome opponent.

Its powerful core, fuelled by the power of nuclear fission wasn’t just for show; it acted as a final trump card that almost guaranteed the demise of any opponent that dared to challenge it.

A brilliant feat of engineering that hid the promise of mutually assured destruction in plain sight. No cultivator at Tier 2 could hope to defeat and survive it, not unless the difference in their power levels was truly gigantic.

In that sense, it wasn’t really possible to clear the final zone. He wondered whether there was even a point to battling the android when he couldn’t destroy it without sacrificing himself too.

Alpha Prime staggered towards him on its twisted leg, a layer of electromagnetic flux building on its remaining arm. It appeared the boss was determined to defeat him until the very end.

Alaric respected that resolve. He channeled the last crumbs of mana into his body, ready to clash with the boss one final time. It was likely he would face a different version of the android - with a different personality - in his subsequent delves.

Of course, he had another option - to exit the tutorial rift and spare himself the agony of experiencing death. It would certainly result in his defeat though. But no matter how unlikely he was to win a battle, he never abandoned the battlefield.

“Why don’t you escape?” a disjointed, mechanical voice rasped from somewhere inside its damaged body. Apparently, a shattered jaw hadn’t hindered its ability to communicate vocally.

Escape in my current condition? Alaric considered the ridiculous question for a moment. There was only one scenario in which it made sense. So, you were aware that I could leave the zone at any moment?

His heart felt heavy. The android didn’t want him to suffer unnecessarily.

“What can I say?” he said lightheartedly. “I like your company too much to leave you to suffer alone.” He tried to make light of the situation in these final moments.

Now within striking range, the android slowly cocked its arm, ramping up the electromagnetic flux shrouding its arm. However, it still seemed like a half-hearted attempt, eclipsed by the dense energy radiating from its core.

“I was designed to offer a real challenge, and aid you in breaking past your limits. And I’ve already witnessed you making a giant leap in your power level during our clash,” it said solemnly, locking its gaze with his eyes. “Thank you for making these brief few minutes of my existence meaningful.”

Alaric was left momentarily speechless by the sudden admission. He could sense the sincerity of its emotions in its eyes that sparkled with a fluid. Everything it said was indeed true.

He wasn’t sure how long it would've taken him to cross the insurmountable wall of achieving 100% mana infusion potency without the insights he had gleaned from its form.

“What do you mean? I -” he tried to reply, but was abruptly cut off.

“If you ever meet my true self in the real world, tell it to go explore the world,” it said one last time, before launching a strike aimed at his gut.

Alaric hastily crafted a mana shield with the last bits of his mana. It instantly shattered, overwhelmed by the powerful electromagnetic flux. He didn’t even have the time to process the android’s last words before he was hurled into the air.

Fortunately, his evolved body managed to swallow the force of the blow even in his weakened state. Reorienting his senses in mid-air, he observed a bright flash of light and dark smoke replace the spot where the android had stood moments before.

Somehow, it had managed to lift off with its barely functioning wings, leaving behind a trail of smoke. However, what baffled him was the direction in which it was heading. Instead of following up on its attack, Alpha Prime was heading towards the ocean in the distance.

He conveniently crashed into the terrace of a skyscraper, which cushioned the impact of his landing. At least, it was far better than crashing into the ground from such a height.

His landing on top of the skyscraper didn’t feel like a coincidence. The force of the blow and the angle of impact had to be just right for it to work - too small a chance for it to be a mere coincidence.

Suddenly, a buzz went through his spine and the android’s actions in its last moments made sense. It…no, he was trying to protect me. Alaric quietly observed Alpha Prime - a mechanical wreckage that barely glided through the sky through sheer willpower.

Stolen novel; please report.

Furious crackles of electricity enshrouded the android’s dilapidated form. The ocean of energy blazing inside its body was barely contained by a shimmer of electromagnetic flux that enveloped its form.

However, the force field that kept the nuclear bomb inside it from detonating inside the city was slowly diminishing. Still, the android pushed through, determined to save Alaric until its tiny form turned pinprick and slowly descended into the depths of the ocean.

Alaric waited with bated breath, resolved to witness the last dying embers of such a fine soldier.

Even from this distance, his safety wasn’t guaranteed from the blast of a powerful nuclear explosion.

But it was the least he could do to honor him. Whether he survived or not, dit idn’t matter to him anymore.

The seconds slowly ticked by until suddenly, the ocean surface blazed, followed by a tremendous underwater explosion. A colossal dome of water blotted the horizon, before transforming into a water pillar that instantly pierced through the clouds above.

As the rapidly expanding gas bubble burst through the water surface, it generated a visible shockwave that sliced through the air at supersonic speeds.

The wave of destruction reached the city in seconds, bombarding the foundations of every standing structure. Numerous skyscrapers collapsed, unable to withstand the brunt of the impact.

The rest stood standing with various levels of destruction scarring their form - shattered windows, partially collapsed sections, and more.

Even from this distance, Alaric felt the force of the blast rattle through his bones. He struggled to stay on his two feet, but didn’t suffer any damage otherwise. It seemed the foundation of the building he stood upon was extra strong.

A silence hung in the air after a few dozen seconds as everything settled with a deep rumble. Still, Alaric hadn’t moved from the spot, simply witnessing the aftermath of the destruction.

The explosion had felt alive, as if all the rage and sorrow that had been bottled up inside Alpha Prime’s chest had finally erupted. The power of the blast really revealed just how much the android had been holding back.

At that moment, the android had come closer to being human than ever - including suffering through emotional outbursts that wracked every human.

A deep sense of camaraderie surged through his chest. Although Alpha Prime was labelled as a machine, he had demonstrated the heart of a human in his last moments.

Alaric didn’t want to designate him as anything else. He believed they could’ve been friends had their circumstances been different.

He clicked his tongue, realizing he might not be able to fulfill the android’s final wish. Even if he ever had the chance of encountering the real Alpha Prime. After all, every single creature in this zone had been designed by the system as a representation of its enemy.

It was likely that the real Alpha Prime wouldn’t be friendly towards humans. It could have a more sinister personality - underestimating or even loathing humans. There was a very high chance that the real Alpha Prime wouldn’t listen to him - even if he managed to prove his strength.

In the end, he felt indebted to the android for removing the final limitation that made clearing the final zone an almost insurmountable task.

However, upon further reflection, a twisted logic surfaced in his mind. His heartbeat quickened as he realized that this was perhaps the only way to conquer the zone.

He was never meant to defeat the android by physically overpowering it. It wasn’t possible to do that and survive. No, all he needed to do was change his mind. And Alaric had succeeded in doing that, although unintentionally.

It showed that not every win warranted physical dominance over opponents. Sometimes, forming a connection with their heart was enough to win over them and end all conflicts.

Perhaps, I can apply the same principle when clashing with the real Alpha Prime. He shook his head. No, not real Alpha Prime, just a different one.

It was a cunning strategy devised by the system which revealed its complexity. The system didn’t offer any guidance to the cultivators. Either they succeeded or they didn’t.

Even now, he wasn’t sure what the system truly was or what it represented. The story behind its creation was still shrouded in mystery, and could forever remain so. He wasn’t in any hurry to unravel its secrets now. After all, he had a feeling that the truth could be bitter.

Burdened by all these troubling thoughts, Alaric exhaled a deep sigh. There was still much left to do. Finally, he scanned his skill level up notifications.

[Superior Mana Manipulation lvl 20 -> Superior Mana Manipulation lvl 21]

[True Vision lvl 10 -> True Vision lvl 11]

[Disruptive Pulse lvl 17 -> Disruptive Pulse lvl 18]

The skill level ups were fairly straightforward. He proceeded to read the other notifications.

The rank of your Dark Continent access token has been upgraded.

Current Rank - Alpha (Prime)

Status - Pending

He still had no idea what this notification truly meant. Would it allow him to explore the Dark Continent at will? But if so, for what purpose?

He decided to think about it deeply later when he had the mental energy to spare. The system would probably reveal everything in due time.

Congratulations! You have defeated the boss of this zone.

Rewards - Pending approval.

What? That’s nonsense! It was the first time Alaric wasn’t rewarded by the system immediately after defeating a boss.

However, upon further thinking, he concluded that perhaps there were multiple reward options available for this zone. Still, it was worrisome witnessing the system still hadn’t determined what reward he was eligible for his performance.

For now, he decided to trust the system. There wasn’t anything he could do about it either way.

You have demonstrated sufficient strength to access the hidden area of this zone. Would you like to proceed?

Alaric chuckled after reading that notification. Either the system had a bad sense of humor or it was oblivious to his current condition. A hidden area obviously indicated a hidden boss. And that meant a tougher opponent than Alpha Prime.

He couldn’t really envision what kind of monster could possibly trump the power of Alpha Prime, but whatever it was, he wasn’t excited to face it in his currently weakened state.

A flood of weariness reminded him that he desperately needed to rest and replenish his energy. As if on cue, his stomach growled, signalling his need to consume some food too.

The system had stated that he had until the age of 14 to clear the tutorial rift. Plenty of time to ascend to tier 2, adapt to his new body through training, and defeat the hidden boss of the zone.

I still have a month to clear this zone. For now, I need to find a bed. With that thought in mind, he exited the final zone.