Aurora Scroll

Viridis, the home base of Viers, self-proclaimed villain extraordinaire. Dia’s Biome and, in turn, his Biome since Dia was his familiar. A pocket dimension that was floating in the void outside the prime material. A Biome filled with nature and life, overflowing with mana. Magical flora and fauna lived here in harmony and balance.

A balance that Viers paid close attention to, since the circle of life of everything in the Biome ultimately served him. So as Dia, since she also benefited with a robust and healthy environment.

Many would think this was a paradise.

In the basement of Viers’ tree home, few places were more secure in the entire Biome, Viers put all of his effort into healing his broken body.

The healing pod he was in was filled with a liquid solution that cost a fortune, but it was worth every penny. It stopped bodily breakdown and helped him stay alive despite not having functioning lungs or heart.

Interestingly enough, the first user of this emergency intensive care healing chamber wasn't Viers but Jessica, which was a story for another time. However, Viers had seen its effectiveness on the single mom that looked like Tifa. She wasn't as badly injured as Viers, but it was still bad. In the end, she made a full recovery.

While his condition was far more dire than Jessica’s, he also had something that she didn't, the healing factor.

One of Viers’ original cheat-tier abilities, which most likely from the Everlife Goldbloom Flower. It granted him the ability of regeneration, not unlike Wolverine’s. When his Level was still low, the regeneration was slow but still faster than regular human recovery. Being a Level 4, his recovery rate was far faster compared to the old him.

The cost was his vitality, in other words, life span. Pathseekers had longer lifespans than regular people in the first place. However, thanks to eating a certain demigod bull, Viers’ had another cheat that allowed him to gain vitality from consuming vitality rich food. The two worked in tandem, granting Viers a superb core ability.

The healing factor worked passively at all times. He even had to use an Arte to suppress the regeneration when he was in front of many people to not arouse suspicions.

He could also ‘actively’ take charge of his passively-running healing factor when he was required to heal deep wounds promptly. It cost him more vitality but when the need arose, Viers was going to pay.

Bacta vat, supercharged healing factor, and exemplary medicines, pills, and elixirs that Clarissa and the others procured for him, all these made him able to regenerate a new heart and other vital organs like a miracle.

As if that wasn't enough, Dia the dryad was connected to the healing vat, gently channeling the pure mana of an entire Biome to aid his healing.

To Viers, it was like he was swimming in the Primordial Soup. Death was so far, far away now. She couldn't get her bony hands on Viers.

Right now, Viers was in a meditative state, fully focusing on mending his body, cell by cell.

If there were other Pathseeker looking at how fast he was recovering, they would be green with envy.

In the first place, surviving without a heart or lungs was a miraculous feat. Viers cheated by putting his bodily state on pause and changed into his monster form, changing his HP bar to a whole new one. Then he got into the healing vat and got stabilized. Most people didn't have that chance, even if they had a costly medic chamber prepared in advance.

Then there was the wound itself.

By default, the wound from another Pathseeker was harder to heal. This rule of thumb was known to all Pathseeker, as basic as 1+1=2. The wound from Pathseeker of the same Level was hard enough, and it would be even more so from a higher Level Pathseeker. That was before delving into affinities, bodily constitution, nature of Artes used, or any other complexities.

It was a common story to recover injuries for years or even decades after a major injury. Should it be severe enough, their career as Pathseeker might end then and there. I-took-an-arrow-in-the-knee thing.

Viers got none of that. The healing factor alone offset the slower healing part, and even surpassed it.

On the sixth day, Viers got a beating heart.

On the eleventh day, Viers inhaled oxygen again.

On the fifteenth day, Viers emerged from the egg, as healthy as he could be.

Other Pathseekers would be coughing up blood if they saw Viers’ recovery. Good thing very few people knew.

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The first thing he did after waking up was bathe, eat, and sleep for two days.

Viers stepped out of his tree house and looked into the sky, past the giant sunflowers that gave the Biome light, picturing Freya’s visage.

“I’m back, bitch!”

Technically, Freya did nothing. The injury was self-inflicted in the Grandia Castle, using the bomb that Croix’s Level 5 aunt planted in him. Freya defeated his clone but the clone’s injury didn't transfer to him in any way. Still, he poured his frustrations at Freya. It just felt right.

Viers did stretches and light exercises to check up his body’s condition while his mind was thinking what to do next.

The first to greet him was Dia. The dryad was in her default form, a ten-year-old girl with green leaves as hair. She jump-hugged him while happily saying, ‘kiiiiin’!

Next came Futon, Zerri, and Faiya on top of Clarissa’s hands.

“Hello, hello. Faiya, nice to see you recover as well.”

After making the pills, Viers asked Clarissa to help Faiya which she gladly did. Freya cut him into a few pieces but Faiya wasn't dead. Clarissa’s ability and whatever she needed was available to get Faiya back in shape.

“Anything interesting while I’m under?”

“The Church is snooping around. Must be because of your attack on their jail.”

“Oho. Since I notice nothing is on fire...”

“Relax. Dia and I handled it. They didn't get close to the Biome and we hid our identity,” Clarissa said.

So the Church is finally acting. Viers hummed. “So what’s their method? Are they aiming for me specifically?”

“No. They did a sweep on a wide swathe around the jail’s ruins. My guess is they found the Gate Plant that you used to get away with and Paina used to get in. As instructed, Paina destroyed it after use but they found the remnants all the same. They followed the connection to here but we stopped them in the dimensional sea. You are probably only one of the anomalies they found and traced. The cults definitely had their own tails that got bitten with a sweep that wide.”

“Dia already moved the Biome away-away, piled in layers-layers, and improved defenses. Hehehe~”

“So the danger has passed then. Don't be complacent, but nice work you two. I’ve got gifts. For you all.”

“Yaaaaay!”

“Fuuu!”

“Ya! Yaaa!”

“I’m just glad you’re okay, Overlord,” Zerri’s mindspeak was tempered and full of care.

“Zerri, you’re Level 3. Congratulations,” Viers happily said.

“Thank you for your kind words. I’m ashamed I fell behind from my brothers and sister. Aiding you remains out of reach, still.”

The black quadruped creature with sleek skin in jet black color looked down. Her bladed sharp tail and spikes around her body shivered slightly.

Zerri was like the unholy union between Alien and Zerg. She regarded Viers’ other three familiars as siblings. She and the two elementals were born almost at the same time, after the Book World. However, her growth was the slowest. That was because of the elemental nature of Futon and Faiya.

As a flesh and blood creature born from an egg, a new species, and the first of her kind, she needed quite a bit more time.

Some would categorize her as a monster but Viers never thought of her that way. Zerri’s soul was that of a human female who had awakened her mind affinity. Her appearance might be different but she was a Mind Pathseeker through and through.

“Alrighty then. Clarissa, can you accompany me for a spar, my lady?” Viers bumped his fists together, itching to move his recovered body.

“As you wish, Master Viers,” the lamia princess took the request with elegant composure.

The two moved to the Dojo, the training ground. They took appropriate distance from each other, bowed, and made their stances.

“Go, go, kiiiin! Victory!”

Dia and the others attend as spectators.

“My, only kin got a cheering? Big sis is hurt. If that’s the case, I won't play with Dia anymore,” Clarissa said feigning tears.

“Whua-!? Nonono! Clar-clar sis also go go victory!” Dia promptly amended her response.

Viers and Clarissa smiled at each other.

“It’s been a long time since we sparred.”

“Yes, it has,” the red haired lamia said. She was in her original form today, that meant snake lower body. The occasionally glittering red scales of hers were pretty.

Here I come,” Viers’ soul Arte covered his whole body.

“Un,” Clarissa’s red aura roared like a blazing flame.

Even after his recent healing session, Viers still couldn't use water affinity. That was because the dying curse of the Magisterium Tower Master wasn't placed on his body. It would go on for a few more years but it didn't truly impact Viers, just some minor inconvenience. His life and path went on.

With a wooden training sword, Viers made the first move. He didn't hold back, using his Level 4 mid cultivation base to the fullest.

Even though the last they meet, before the double raid, Clarissa wasn't even a Level 4. Still, Viers didn't hold back.

That was because he trusted Clarissa could take it.

This was the power that his clone wielded against his enemies in the Tower of Remorse, the power that fell multiple Level 4 peaks.

This time, that power was amplified further. Much further.

Horizon - 1003%!

With a power multiplied ten times, Viers swung at Clarissa.

Clarissa stopped it with one hand. The Dojo walls behind her was destroyed by the force of Viers’ Arte, Dia and the others were thrown away by the shockwave, but Clarissa didn't even move an inch.

Viers wasn't surprised. He had suspicions, which was now confirmed.

“...Ow. That actually hurts. You really are something, Viers,” Clarissa winked.

“Congratulations on becoming Level 5 again, Clarissa,” Viers said without falsehood or envy.

He was just happy for her.