Vol-3: 052. Gamma

052. Gamma

Before Liuer finished speaking, Li Aozi felt a blur above his neck. He couldn't sense his nerves, and even his vision was cut off.

"Feel the gravity, child. Embrace your omega energy. I'll sever your flesh using the power of Echo. Pay close attention to the reverberations during this process."

As soon as she finished speaking, even sound became imperceptible to Li Aozi.

At this moment, the world became a bit terrifying. He had no sense of where his body was or even if he still existed. He couldn't feel cold or heat, didn't know if he was standing still, and had no idea if Liuer was doing anything to him. Even the system panel on his retina was undetectable.

Despite this overwhelming helplessness, Li Aozi was surprised to find that he felt no fear.

He waited patiently, entirely at ease within the void.

It was as if, from the bottom of his heart, he firmly believed he existed.

[Was it from Madam Atamash's place, where I got the True Serum effect? But that thing doesn't have this kind of effect.]

Li Aozi thought it over, then let it go:

[No, it's simply that I've grown stronger, in every sense.]

Having gone through so much, he was no longer the newcomer with a player's mindset, nor was he plagued by the fear and anxiety of realizing reality. He was increasingly like a seasoned native of Star Abyss.

[Now that's more like it…]

Li Aozi focused on feeling the vibrations. As a player in his past life, it would have been instant, but reality required him to experience and pursue it for himself.

Fortunately, his mental power had already awakened, so it didn't take much effort to locate those vibrations.

Ding... buzz...

Like raindrops striking a dream, ripples emerged, waves that continuously transmitted information and energy.

Gravity, too, was a wave.

It wasn't a force—Li Aozi realized this clearly—gravity was more of a phenomenon. Surrounding space-time was bent and warped by massive celestial bodies, creating an attractive effect.

If one listened closely, they could hear the continuous humming within gravity.

As soon as Li Aozi's consciousness touched this long wave, the world before him suddenly lit up.

He looked up.

Before him spun the galaxy, emitting an ethereal frictional sound.

In the vacuum of space, the celestial bodies sang; stars, like sleeping infants, murmured, calling out, ebbing and flowing. Radio telescopes broadcasted signals, satellites emitted electromagnetic waves, gamma rays erupted among the stars, and lost souls in space wailed and screamed.

"A88 Centaur is on its way back. Wonderful, I'll be able to see my daughter soon." — from Valkyrie Fortress

"Choose United Real Estate, and wealth is within reach." — from the United Corporation of a narration-level civilization.

" The Priest Konstantin, where did you, this soul maggot, come from?" — from the Annihilation Temple of a narration-level civilization.

"Misha, long time no see. Miss me? You've taken good care of the house." — from the Gallant Dominion of a narration-level civilization.

From the edge of the starry sky to the borders of black holes, civilizations and stars whispered and sang, loud and lively.

The universe was so lively.

Li Aozi was momentarily distracted, faintly hearing a blurred sound echoing from the edge of the stars:

"…I solemnly swear as the Frost-Plated President. I am determined to uphold and defend the Constitution and protect our great motherland from all enemies."

This was from Azure Star.

Li Aozi was a little surprised. As he prepared to continue listening to the information brought by the gravitational waves, he heard a soft laugh.

「Anporo, the era of the [Emperor] is over.」

Li Aozi was stunned.

[You're kidding… How could this voice reach here?]

His shock and confusion didn't stem from the content of the words; in fact, he had no idea what it meant. It was the origin of the signal that was so shocking.

Because it came…from Star Abyss.

From the depths beneath Abyss, echoes continuously transmitted.

Li Aozi didn't have time to ponder its meaning. In the next moment, his body jolted, instantly regaining his senses, and he sat upright.

"You're awake. It went well; you successfully felt it, didn't you…"

Hearing returned.

Li Aozi felt the damp air around him as his senses returned.

He slowly propped himself up and raised his "head," seeing the back of his own skull.

A silvery-gray ripple of space, like a dim flame, flickered endlessly.

[Reward Calculation]:

A. "Pessimistic World" — You've made your choice. Regardless of the future, the course is now set.

[You've changed class to [Echoer]]

[As a guide on the Azure Star path, your profession has been upgraded to a path-specific class]

[Current class: [Astral Echoer]]

[Class change complete, path breakthrough achieved, attribute bonus received.]

[Feat [Perpetual Love Hunter] triggered!]

[Actual gain: 16 points [Charisma]]

[You have ascended to Gamma-tier (γ, the third Greek letter)]

"It's over."

Standing up, Li Aozi sensed a strange transformation after his class change to [Astral Echoer] and immediately checked his attributes.

——————————

[Name]: Li Aozi

[Titles]: Catastrophe, Pioneer of the Future

[Race]: Elai Clan•Stage I

[Gender]: Physiological Male

[Age]: 22

[Template]: Advanced Veteran Combat NPC (+10% HP cap, +15% damage rate)

[Affiliation]: Abyss—Galactic Eye Frontier—Crystal Tower Civilization (Uncertain)

[Total Level]: lv.80

—[Primary Class]: [Echoer] Lv.60

—[Secondary Class]: [Biochemist] lv.20; [Mage] lv.0

[HP]: 17,400/17,400 (Simulated: 6,400)

[Mana]: 27,580/27,580

[Attributes]:

Strength — 100

Agility — 100

Constitution — 100

Charisma — 127 (Final value: 165.1)

Intelligence — 92.4 (Final value: 110.8)

[Talents]:

[Racial Talent•Spell Affinity]: Specialized spells have a 180% learning speed. Mana costs 8% less when casting spells.

Current Specialty: "General Magic"

[Racial Talent•Hyper-Sense Thought]: You gain a four-slot Focus Meter, allowing you to consume one focus slot to dodge an attack (ineffective against "Sure Hit" spells).

Alternatively, consume one focus slot to conduct an [Intelligence] check on a puzzle.

[Class Talent•Immortal Gene] (Advanced) — As a pioneer of life, a leader of flesh, and a revolutionary of evolution, each Biochemist-exclusive knowledge grants +1 to [Constitution].

Gamma-tier effect: For every 10 points of [Charisma], gain an extra 400 simulated HP.

— From [Biochemist]

[Class Talent•Deconstruction of Mysteries] — Your energy converts to "Mana." Every main-class transcendent knowledge you acquire permanently increases your maximum mana and mana recovery speed by 1%.

— From [Mage]

[Class Talent•Echo] — You have mastered your genetic fate and are not merely satisfied but are now the master of your destiny.

Your influence now extends across the universe, with powerful gravity at its core, allowing you to make the stars listen to your voice.

Use your immense power to bring the world to its knees.

Due to the authority stored in your consciousness, you can't learn new transcendent knowledge, though you can understand its theories.

Talent Effect:

A. "Celestial Mandate": You can emit gravitational waves to transmit your information interstellar without energy decay or signal errors.

This enables you to:

Communicate unidirectionally with any familiar entity within the same layer of Star Abyss.

Broadcast your thoughts and will across the universe (may attract enmity).

Issue tasks, impart knowledge, and convey will unidirectionally to your home planet.

B. "Temporal Ripple": With gravity stored in your consciousness, you have access to an even greater power—the Temporal Ripple.

As the master of gravity and the echo of the cosmos, you are immune to time-space skills.

Quantum predictions against you yield no results.

You are immune to all [Eerie] precognition effects but can ask others to predict luck for you.

You can create temporal ripples to blink and teleport short distances.

C. "Space-Time Grid": A mysterious power has sparked your ambition, allowing you to tear the fabric of the universe, glimpsing historically unclaimed lands.

You can now possess a private independent spatial layer of 101010 kilometers, capable of storing any material. Note: When others scan you, they may detect the independent spatial layer. Though they can't see inside, it may arouse suspicion.

D. "Endless Echo": Relentless and endless. The sound of echo will last for thousands of years.

Attacks you make will carry a "Resonance" effect boosted by 30% of your [Charisma].

Resonance: Attacks with the "Resonance" effect continuously propagate, transferring to surrounding objects and adding mixed spell and physical damage.

[Path Class Talent•Astral Rhythm]:

"You are the guide of the stars, listener of the universe's song. Those who follow you will be bathed in the same starlight."

As you guide more people onto the [Echoer] path, you will gain attribute bonuses.

Azure Star: For every additional 100,000 [Echoers], gain 1 random attribute point.

— From [Astral Echoer]

[Feats]:

[Transcendent Physique]— As a Gamma-tier, you're the foundation of cosmic civilization and superior to commoners. From your cells to your entire body, you surpass primitives, rendering their feeble attacks only 80% effective. (Includes physical piercing, spell penetration, true damage)

When you attack or conduct attribute checks against lower-tier targets, your effective power is considered at 300% (Gamma-tier).

[Skills]:

NEW *[Echo Blade]—The power of Echo tears open temporal ripples, unleashing immense energy. You can create an all-purpose photon blade on the back of your hand.

Echo Blade can change shape, enabling lock-picking, assassinations, and network hacking.

NEW *[Echo Source]—You can see various random space-time ripples across the universe. Contacting them will restore your HP and Mana.

UP *[Tyrant Form]—You have fully mastered your genes, evolving Domination Form.

Body and soul alike are now under your control.

Tyrant Form combines all omega energies, granting an additional 50% spell immunity.

In Tyrant Form, lose 1.11% HP per second but gain an 80% HP boost and 40% movement speed increase.

During Tyrant Form, gain 50 temporary adaptive attribute points (adjusting to [Constitution], [Agility], or [Intelligence] as needed).

[Rank]: Gamma-tier

——————————

"So this is a path class… Unlike the standard [Echoer], it has an extra talent, and the level-up bonus increased to 10 points in [Charisma]."

The most critical part was how terrifyingly powerful this new path talent was.

For every 100,000 more [Echoers] on Azure Star, gain 1 random attribute point.

For the [Domination]-type players on Azure Star, the forum once showed a count of 3.4 million, on the lower end.

But this time was different. Li Aozi's personal promotion would likely double this number.

Meaning, not only would players spend to switch classes with him, but he'd also get 68 attribute points.

"I can't believe I won't get even one of those 68 points in [Charisma]."

Moreover, it wasn't limited to players on Azure Star.

Li Aozi remembered clearly; beside Valkyrie Fortress was another player's starting planet, with a high population server of over 100 million registered accounts.

"If I visit each newbie planet…"

The total could give him 400 attribute points at least.

"No wonder path gods among the NPCs are all so overpowering; their attributes leave players miles behind."