Chapter 66: Afraid
It has been a few weeks since Elian received Living Metal. And given what he knew now, he understood why Jobs were a big deal. Each one represented a change so profound it bled into every facet of a person’s being.
Living Metal lets him liquefy his body. That was all it did. Yet it shifted how he fought, how he dealt with his enemies, even how he lived.
It didn’t seem obvious at first, but the INT boost did wonders to how he approached battle. From comprehension, deduction to analytical decision making, it truly made him smarter.
INT may sharpen the mind—but it cannot fabricate experience. STR and AGI elevate the body but without training, neither would be of any use.
The Winter Wolf Tyrant was the best example. In theory it had enough stats, but it couldn’t put up a fight. All because it was unused to combat. In contrast, Bastion had lower stats but could move far better.
If I am to truly win the crucible, I cannot go in blindly. I would need to plan, learn and experiment. Bianca wants to be my Anchor, so I cannot gamble with her life.
Truly, the boy Elian Reed no longer existed.
Though that was where he started from, he was now a Tyrant competing in the crucible. He fought not to survive, but to go to war with a galaxy’s worth of the most insane bastards that ever existed.
A month ago, all he wished was to get enough money to buy a decent gaming computer.
Now? He was planning to rule not one but two worlds full of sentient beings.
Earth was not going to hand itself over to him. Not when it had plenty of powerhouses.