Grandmaster Eli

"Inspect"

[Inspect activated]

[Name: Atlas Adenea]

[Ability: Sonic Manipulation]

[Advanced Battle Arts: Tylon (C rank)]

[Stage: None]

[Level 5]

[Strength: ??]

[Agility: ??]

[Stamina: ??]

[Skills: ???]

[HP: 1500 (+500 Mid Grade force field)]

Eli turned around to glare at Riott. For some reason, it had escaped him to use the inspect skill on him.

"Inspect"

[Inspect activated]

[Name: Riott Maybach]

[Ability: ???]

[Advanced Battle Arts: ???]

[Stage: ???]

[Level 4]

[Strength: ??]

[Agility: ??]

[Stamina: ??]

[Skills: ???]

[HP: ???]

Eli could feel interference coming from the sword on Riott's back.

"Inspect"

[Inspect activated]

[Name: Fire Mayfaer Blade]

[Tier: King-Tier]

[Active skill: ???]

[Strength: ???]

[Speed: ???]

[Passive skill: Mayfaer Cloak: cloaks the user's scent and projects an aura of underestimation]

Eli decided to inspect Riott's suit, which looked like almost concealable armor without the bulk normal armors should have. It looked more like a vastly decorated business suit.

"Inspect"

[Name: Skyrim Armor]

[Tier: Advanced Tier]

[Strength: +15]

With the stats the king-tier sword gave in speed and strength, stacking on the stats for the armor, Riott could easily kill a level 4. This was the difference weapons could make. "And with the passive skill of the sword, he can easily backstab almost all level 5 ability users as long as they aren't concentrating. In close combat, he would also be the winner, which means he can kill Eli a thousand times over. This was a reminder to him that he wasn't strong enough. How will he fare in a battle against Riott, worse still Cartl Taylor who was a level 6?" Eli had developed a slight trauma after his close brush with death when he used the Conquest key and was disappointed in himself. A slight brush with death made him slack off. He was going to do more conquests and get even stronger. Deep down, something told him he wasn't ready to complete the Elite dual conquest yet, but he could still get it in the gift box, and if that still didn't happen, he could buy it. At least now he had access to the system shop, Eli thought.

The sword on Riott's back began to tremble, and Riott felt a gaze on him as if he was being watched by a predator. As he started to sweat, he raised his head to meet Eli's glare, which made him shudder. Riott had thought that the kid couldn't handle Vulcan Tanheln, which was why he called for help, but he couldn't be more wrong. The threat he was feeling from Eli was almost choking him, enough for his weapon to consider Eli a threat.

"Did I do something wrong?" Riott asked with an awkward smile.

"Mr. Eli, this way please," Atlas said.

"Nice sword," Eli nodded and followed behind Atlas. Riott let out a sigh as the pressure suddenly vanished.

"What the heck was that?" Riott mumbled.

Eli followed Atlas as the massive double doors opened when she approached. They both stepped into the hallway. The hallway walls were adorned with picture frames that seemed to float just inches from the surface. At the entrance, the first frame captured a brown-haired little girl with similar features to Atlas, her eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. The background was a playground, with hovering toys and robotic companions. Her innocent smile would warm any heart.

As they moved further down the hallway, the frames transitioned to three boys, each at different stages of their lives. In one, they were toddlers, their chubby faces smeared with what looked like chocolate. Another frame showed them as pre-teens, engaged in a holographic game, their expressions a mix of concentration and excitement. Midway through the hallway, the frames began to include their father. A tall, imposing figure with a kind smile, he stood with his sons in various settings. One picture showed them on a family vacation, the backdrop a breathtaking landscape with twin suns setting in the distance. Another captured a moment of triumph, the father and his sons standing proudly beside a sleek spacecraft, their faces lit with the glow of accomplishment. The final frames depicted the father alone, his face weathered with age but his eyes still sharp and full of life.

"Just to be clear so there are no misjudgments," Atlas began, "the old man has three sons and two daughters. The eldest son turned out to be successful, and the second son is not so bad either. But the third son is a tool, lazy and spoiled. He opened his own company that deals with the most unsavory characters in the city. The massacre he caused had nothing to do with the old man. With or without such farce, the old man would have won anyway. So far, he has been doing well thanks to his familial connections. Vulcan Tanheln works for that prick."

Even an outsider like Eli could tell the third son was not favored by the Adenea family. Eli wanted to refute since the opposition party member was supported by Ember Estate Mayor. It was the chaos that Vulcan Tanheln sowed which translated to a lack of security that netted the position in the bag for Earl Adenea. Eli nodded to acknowledge that he had caught Atlas's drift.

"Why didn't you tell me your father was the head of Hutton District?" Eli asked.

"I thought you were some prick from some prominent family, that's why you were treating us like we are just some people."

"Who doesn't know the face of the Head of the District they live in?"

"So that's it, they think I'm from some prominent family," Eli thought. "Why would you think that?" Eli asked.

Atlas stopped to glare at Eli. "Even now you are still not the slightest bit affected by all this, and most pricks from prominent families like to dress like they aren't worth a thousand credits."

After a while, Atlas turned left and stopped in front of a large silver door. "The old man has many health complications. Therefore, he mostly stays inside this wellness treatment center." Atlas then led Eli inside after the door buzzed open.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Loud sounds immediately resounded as the soundproof barrier clicked off and the door opened. The sight that greeted Eli was the old man in an arena. Several hoses were connected to his skin, his eyes tightly closed, and the skin where the hoses were connected was writhing as if alive, obvious signs of high-grade nanobots.

The old man was moving in a strange, architectural pattern, constantly throwing punches at dummies that randomly popped out of the floor. Considering the distance, it seemed impossible to land such punches, but each time, a huge sound wave left the old man's hand, slamming into the dummy and exploding it into pieces. The old man would then turn to the next dummy right before it fully emerged.

He was able to predict where the dummies would pop up, perhaps due to his ability, coupled with the footwork of his advanced battle arts. Despite his old age, it was a beautiful sight to behold.

There were a set of beautiful identical twin girls attending to him. They were both wearing red flowing robes from the old world that covered their whole bodies and a hood covering their eyes, exposing part of their jet-black hair on both sides of their faces. It looked like the workings of some heretic cult.

"Inspect"

[Inspect activated]

[Name: Earl Adenea]

[Ability: Sonic Manipulation]

[Advanced Battle Arts: Tylon (C rank)]

[Stage: Introductory (Nth Level)]

[Level 5]

[Strength: ??]

[Agility: ??]

[Stamina: ??]

[Skills: ???]

[HP: 2000 (+1000 Mid Grade force field)]

The old man had the same ability as his daughter, and the last time Eli met the old man, he had assumed he was at the initial stage. Even though the old man was at the peak stage of the introductory stage, his arcane energy was better than that of Vulcan Tanheln. That meant the old man had gained more insights into his advanced battle arts than Vulcan Tanheln and perhaps needed a little push to enter the initial stage.

Eli used inspect on the identical twin girls.

"Inspect"

[Inspect activated]

[Name: Moyla Mandel]

[Ability: Oracle]

[Advanced Battle Arts: None]

[Level 3]

[Strength: ??]

[Agility: ??]

[Stamina: ??]

[Skills: ???]

[HP: 1500]

"Inspect"

[Inspect activated]

[Name: Mella Mandel]

[Ability: Oracle]

[Advanced Battle Arts: None]

[Level 3]

[Strength: ??]

[Agility: ??]

[Stamina: ??]

[Skills: ???]

[HP: 1500]

"Mr. Eli, it seems you finally made it?" Mr. Earl stopped his training, deactivated the training arena while all the strange hoses were detached from his body by the twin girls. He gave Eli a welcoming smile. The elderly man wore a set of loose shirt and pants. The flowy suit made Mr. Earl look much more relaxed than when he was in the transitional suit.

"I thought you were supposed to treat my grandpa today. Where are your instruments and whatnot?" Atlas interjected abruptly. Something about Eli was getting on her nerves, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"My treatment can be described as anything but normal," Eli shook his head. "Here, look." Eli handed Mr. Earl a booklet. On the cover, it read, "Secret Art of Adenea."

This had cost him 15,000 DBS. He found it strange that the old man hadn't made a breakthrough even at such an age and had asked the system for clarification. The answer he received from the system was not what he expected. The Tylon Advanced Arts is an incomplete battle art, and only one in a million prodigies are lucky enough to break through to the initial stage. It's very taxing on the body, causing it to break down over time if one does not make a breakthrough to the initial stage.

He had asked the system for a solution, and it gave him a technique that would surely help the old man break through to the initial stage. The cost was lofty, and he felt the pinch, but he wasn't sulking. He knew the importance of forming a solid connection, and who better than the head of the district he was currently staying in? The old man was a golden goose he did not want to lose.

this?" Mr. Earl accepted the booklet with a perplexed expression. However, as soon as he started reading it, his confusion turned into disbelief.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Atlas asked.

After finishing the last page, Mr. Earl closed the booklet and his eyes, falling into deep thought. After a while, he sighed, opened his eyes, and turned to Eli, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Mr. Eli. I will never forget what you have done for me."

"It's nothing. Fate brought us together, and I couldn't just sit around and watch you suffer," Eli replied, accepting the elderly man's bow.

"Grandpa, why did you bow to him? What has he done for you?" Atlas quickly helped the old man straighten up, shooting Eli a hot glance, blaming him for shamelessly letting an old man bow to him.

Eli cracked a smile, lamenting the girl's hardheadedness. Not long ago, when she was pleading with Eli to save her grandfather, her face was all smiles; but as soon as things didn't go as she expected, her smile evaporated in an instant.

"Mr. Eli, why don't you explain it to Atlas for me."

"Your grandfather's injury is mainly caused by two things. One is the injury he sustained when he was young. Since he let it slide when it first happened, the condition of his lungs deteriorated beyond help. The second factor was his technique in manipulating Arcane Energy. Every time he channeled his Arcane Energy out of his body, he risked damaging his lungs by a small degree. Over time, he caused great harm to his already weakened lungs."

Although Eli appeared to be giving a professional explanation, he was just reading a script he paid his system 500 DBS to prepare. Eli could only lament his system's greediness.

"If that's the case, are my lungs damaged as well?" Atlas asked.

"In theory, yes. But I don't think you're powerful enough to cause any real harm to your lungs yet," Eli shrugged.

Atlas rolled her eyes at Eli, feeling that her incompetence was a blessing in disguise.

Mr. Earl glanced at his daughter. Although Eli hadn't said it, what was in his hand was an S-rank technique. All techniques can only be used with advanced battle arts, and the difference is significant. The rarity of an S-rank technique is almost comparable to an S-rank battle art. The technique in his hands was not on the market. Most people who got their hands on an S-rank technique tried to learn it and incorporate it into their battles, resulting in instant death as their hearts were forcefully stopped because the technique did not match their battle arts. Some even bloated up like balloons before exploding into a meat paste. The nine S-rank techniques available on the market can only match six advanced battle arts. As for the S-rank advanced battle arts on the market, there are only three, hoarded by the big three. If his daughter knew this, she would have dragged out all the young man's hair. Mr. Earl was not wary of Eli's intentions as the young man was not paying him any special attention or animosity. He only stared at him like he was just a person, and the oracles still standing obediently behind him made no warnings. He guessed the kid wanted to knit more ties but couldn't understand the ways of prominent families. This young master just simply tossed an S-rank technique like it was just some digital pad.

Mr. Earl nodded. "My parents warned me of the danger in following the family art of channeling Arcane Energy. But I had no choice; it was either use it or die. It was also because of that reason that I never taught any of my children the family technique. If Atlas weren't so insistent, I was ready to take the family art with me to my grave," the elderly man said.

"What is that booklet?" Atlas asked curiously.

"This booklet contains the revised version of your family's art. It should be harmless now," Eli said.

"Not only is it harmless, but it's also much more powerful than our original version. I truly admire your impressive knowledge of advanced battle arts!" the old man said emotionally.

The Adenea family had been refining the art for hundreds of years, yet they had failed to make it safe for practice. However, this boy had spent only a few days and had completely overhauled the art, making it better, safer, and stronger than it ever was, directly incorporating it with an S-rank technique, making the process easier and more straightforward to learn.

"I don't remember you ever telling him anything about our art. How did he change anything without even knowing it?" Atlas was very confused.

"That's the difference between you and a grandmaster," the old man shook his head admiringly. "Only a grandmaster can understand one art by simply looking at it once. They are advanced arts geniuses who can establish their own schools and create new arts."

Eli waved a reply, "As I said, I am just someone who follows the way of the universe, not a master."

"If you can do what a master could, then what difference does a title make?" The old man laughed.

"I didn't expect you to be so powerful." Having been convinced by her grandpa, Atlas, who thought she had never liked Eli, finally felt a measure of respect for the boy.

Eli smiled and said, "Ah, by the way, this is the medicine made from Stardust dew. There are ten of them." Eli fished out a glass compartment from his pocket and handed it to Atlas. He had diluted the starlight dew and made it into ten bottles to reduce its miraculous effect.

"Make sure you take a bottle once every couple of days. With the help of the new art, you should recover very quickly.

"If I had more resources, I could create a more powerful version of the medicine. Those medicines are so powerful that they could bring the dead back to life, much less cure your ailment." Eli was only saying this to rake in more money from the old man, as he didn't understand the ways of the rich by overstating the value, perhaps he could gain even more.

"Really?" Atlas held on to the glass bottle like the greatest treasure in the world. However, she still managed to fire back at Eli, "Are you selling us snake oil?"

"Whatever." Eli gave her a shrug while Atlas pouted in reply.

"This little prick is so annoying," Atlas cursed in her mind. "Why does he always have to be right? Does he know anything about how to talk to a lady?"

"I don't think this is snake oil. Why don't you tell us what kind of ingredients are required to make those medicines? Perhaps we could help each other," the old man put in.

"Sure, I can give you the recipe. But, except for me, no one on this planet knows how to make these medicines," Eli said readily.

The old man saw that Eli wasn't forthcoming anymore, then he signaled Atlas to hand him a credit card. Although Atlas was hesitant, she soon smiled mischievously and handed the card to Eli. She was certain this time there would be an expression on the damn prick's face.

Eli stared at the blue Deluxe card in his hand, made of exotic materials and advanced high-grade chips, an obvious item of the rich and luxurious.

"The password is: Grandmaster Eli," the old man smiled.

Eli input the password, and the card balance was now visible: 1,000,000,000 credits.

Atlas stared at Eli, certain there would be an obvious reaction on his face, but no matter how hard she looked or her expectations, there was still a blank look on Eli's face.

"Okay," Eli said before pocketing the Deluxe card like any other item.

Atlas clenched her fist as her body shook slightly. "You bastard," Atlas mumbled.