The Ultimate Passive Paradigm [LitRPG Adventure, Epic Progression]

A barrier formed by Vincent blocked the debris from Big Ben's exploding head. The messy remains fell with wet thuds onto the floor.

Nathan covered his mouth to suppress his nausea. Though he had lived savagely among the monsters of Moirath Forest, witnessing a human being torn apart before his eyes still filled him with horror.

From the neck down, Big Ben's body convulsed once, then went limp, arms dangling motionless. The corpse of the once-powerful merchant tilted to one side, leaving only the sound of dripping blood and the sizzle of burning flesh. The wooden bed behind bore a red stain painted in blood.

Vincent waved his hand, dismissing the barrier, his eyes narrowing. His fingers moved, and wooden fibers from the bed extended toward him, depositing a thin, square object in his palm. Big Ben's PsiLink.

"This is troublesome," Vincent said. "The people behind this are careful. Just triggering a small keyword was enough to kill him. No wonder he was chosen to distribute Zetsy. No one in their right mind would trust someone based solely on their behavior and words."

"M...r..." Nathan repeated the prisoner's final words. "Mirothea? The war will come from Mirothea?"

Vincent looked up thoughtfully, not answering immediately. After a moment, he nodded quietly.

"Most likely. Though we could analyze and cast doubt on Mirothea, we now have accurate information. This will be crucial intelligence for the current situation."

"So the mission is complete?" Nathan asked.

"Seems so." Vincent shrugged.

Nathan said nothing more, his mind still churning from what had just happened. Everything had been so sudden and swift that it left him dizzy. More alarming was that the system quest remained incomplete. It required discovering the secret of the Emberwood incident, not merely reporting information about it. If it were truly finished, there would have been a notification.

A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, making Nathan's skin crawl. His body instinctively channeled mana through [Muscle Memory] and activated necessary mechanisms, including nutrient reserves through [Digestive Efficiency].

"Truly someone who maintains constant vigilance," the figure in the dark green fitted outfit said, voice seemingly altered by the fabric mask that revealed only black eyes.

"Indeed." Vincent chuckled softly. "A good quality of my junior brother, wouldn't you say?"

The mysterious person bowed to Vincent. "Young master!"

Nathan was still confused when the figure turned toward him. "Young master!"

Vincent glanced at Nathan as if enjoying his junior brother's bewilderment, then explained, "Verdant Spire Sect Agents. They exist to protect us, to do things no one wants to do in the shadows. They've been following us since we left the sect."

Nathan's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the remaining person in the room. The man's eyebrows curved upward as if smiling at him.

"If so, why didn't they rescue me when Big Ben captured me?" Nathan asked.

"You want to explain yourself, Sai?" Vincent suggested.

"Master Nathan," Sai said calmly, "we are individuals operating within a sea of forces. Our capabilities have limits, especially when confronting forces equivalent in strength. Those behind Big Ben or Emberwood are not simple Tier 2 or Tier 3 organizations easily grasped and manipulated."

Sai retrieved finger-length stakes from his storage ring, letting them float. "These are components of the formation that imprisoned you, young master. Preliminary analysis shows the raw materials are valuable and potent. Cost aside, maintaining them requires Higher Mana Stones, extremely rare items. More frightening is the crafting quality. Only a Formation Master or Artificer of Tier 3 or higher could create these."

Nathan frowned. "That cannot be for me."

"It's for me in the first place," Vincent said in Sai's place. "Or for Iris. They could capture them to force me to reveal myself."

"Most likely," Sai agreed. "Our suspicions about nora are correct. They're probably searching for what was lost."

That mysterious tree, Nathan thought silently. This was what had puzzled Nathan continuously. Emberwood was also a tree. Given the distance from Cascade Gardens to this village, Vincent obtaining an object that interested both Alaric and the other force would be easier to explain.

"Or for teleportation back," Sai analyzed. "They could raid Cascade Gardens by bringing a team from that warehouse."

Nathan saw a cold glint appear in Vincent's eyes. This must be what touched his most vulnerable point.

"This is his PsiLink," Vincent extended his hand forward, the device thinner than paper glimmering in the weak light.

Sai carefully wrapped the artifact with mana, praising admiringly. "Thorough as always, young master."

"Do you need time to work on that?" Vincent asked.

"Yes."

Responding to Nathan's curious gaze, Sai said, "I'm an Artificer. If you need anything, you can ask to meet me. After all, your PsiLink was made by me at Darkan's request. I hope it serves you without problems."

At this information, Nathan couldn't help but bow in response. "Thank you for your service."

Sai sat down, producing a table with various strangely shaped analysis devices. Several needles pierced the PsiLink's four corners, lifting it before the Agent's eyes.

"Let him do his work," Vincent said, signaling Nathan to follow.

The two returned to the passage leading to the secret chamber behind The Steaming Pearl. Plants and flowers created a sufficiently large clearing. Around them, sparse flower branches swayed in the breeze, misty vapor drifting to create an atmosphere that made one want to find a bed and collapse into dreams. The temperature was neither hot nor cold, perfectly comfortable.

"Sit, Nathan," Vincent said as climbing vines sprouted and wove themselves into two armchairs.

Nathan obeyed, his eyes distantly watching the sky where moonlight filtered through. The dense vegetation here eased his mood somewhat.

"I'm sorry for what I said back there," Vincent said softly, sitting beside him. His head tilted down, eyes hidden by hair strands on both sides.

Still keeping his gaze lost in the scenery, Nathan said, "I needed it, actually." He paused, then continued, "I know something has always weighed heavily on my heart. Perhaps I've always wanted someone to scold me, to point out my mistakes."

Vincent said nothing, only waited.

"But like everyone else, I make excuses," Nathan said. "When you spoke like that, I realized Zeryn probably thinks the same way. But even he, or Darkan, never mentioned it, afraid my small ego would shatter completely. So I needed someone to point out my errors. Only then could I change."

He took a breath, his eyes growing nostalgic. "In the old world, I was just an ordinary person, you know? I wasn't born wealthy. Quite the opposite, dirt poor. I only had one wonderful mother. But no parent can fully prepare their children for life. On my first day at an internship, I was thoroughly scolded for lacking fundamental knowledge. In just one day, I wanted to quit. But remembering that giving up would waste all the investment made me persevere. So I endured, getting criticized daily by those who came before me. I told myself they were conservatives, people jealous of my youth, outdated folks who didn't understand life's changes. Then, trapped in this cursed world for two years, I realized their criticism was justified. They were just too tired to care about my feelings. You just have to brush it off and accept you're wrong. Only then could you mature."

Then he turned to Vincent, saying sincerely, "Thank you! And please accept it. I don't want to be cheesy like this again."

A chuckle rose from his senior brother. But Vincent showed no mockery, only looked up, his eyes carrying deep sadness.

"I really like you, junior brother," Vincent said. "Not just Zeryn. I also hope you'll someday get revenge on those who oppressed you."

Nathan nodded. Both fell silent, watching the scene before them. After a while, Vincent spoke.

"Argh, I still feel heavy-hearted. Fine! I'll justify myself. Listen carefully, Nathan!"

Nathan raised his eyebrows, signaling for Vincent to continue.

"I once made a mistake that cost my best friend's life," Vincent said matter-of-factly. But through that calm expression, Nathan saw that his senior brother had told himself this so many times that he could no longer express emotion about it.

Vincent took a deep breath and said, "That's why I don't want you to make the same mistake I did, just because I hesitated to act, to make decisions for others."

The one considered the next heir to the Sect Leader position moved his lips as if searching for words. "You must have seen the child in the photo in Madame Chen's kitchen, right? Next to the gap-toothed kid, that's me, was Dylan, Madame Chen's real son. That's right. I'm only her adopted son after Dylan died."

Vincent's facial muscles twitched. He closed his eyes, regained composure, then continued.

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"Cascade Gardens didn't have that name then. It was simply where ordinary people lived. No power, no cultivation. We farmed on terraced steps, gathering harvests. Among the children, Dylan and I possessed cultivation potential. So the family saved everything they could for us to test our abilities. The main problem was the government's brutal taxation. You cannot imagine or even fathom their greed. They imposed every kind of fee: land tax, harvest tax, transportation tax, even a head tax. The more people in a household, the more money required."

Nathan saw Vincent's growing anger in his heating gaze.

"So," Vincent said, "when we had sufficient ability, Dylan and I robbed them. You're probably wondering why we chose that path? Because my parents were dying slowly from illness. I had selfishly accepted their resources for cultivation without knowing how poor our family was. I couldn't turn to anyone except my childhood friend. So we trained together. Those times were truly fun. Dylan and I leaped through tree branches, practiced hiding techniques, used our senses to their fullest. Starting with small jobs, we took on bigger ones."

Vincent began coughing from something blocking his throat, his breathing creating audible sounds. Nathan knew his senior brother wanted to stop but had to restrain himself, burying his feelings.

"Until we raided the rich man who held power over our hometown. Just completing this job would give me enough money to take my parents to Maelivar for treatment. But we were just overconfident children. Conceited. We thought we were clever but were incredibly foolish. Who wouldn't prepare when they know thieves are coming? That night, we were intercepted by a Tier 1. Both of us, twelve and thirteen years old, were beaten nearly to death. My leg was broken, and Dylan's head was bleeding. When the guard turned to call for help, Dylan used a knife hidden in his pants to stab him. We both stared in shock as the man fell, blood flowing from his stomach, mouth groaning in pain."

Nathan somewhat anticipated how the situation would develop. He understood why Vincent had been so harsh with him.

"And we, children who didn't understand life," Vincent said bitterly, "spared the enemy who should have been eliminated. Simple, right? Cover his mouth, pull out the knife, slash his throat. Three quick actions to cut off future problems. But even Dylan didn't dare act, let alone a coward like me. When Dylan turned back to help me up so we could run, I should have reminded him. I should have crawled forward, delivering the finishing blow."

Vincent's voice broke, but he persisted.

"Afterward, what had to come came. They swarmed to find us both. Dylan made the decision for me. He knocked me unconscious, locking me in the secret cave only we knew about."

Vincent pointed behind him, toward the chamber where Big Ben had died.

Hearing this, Nathan felt even heavier. Vincent had rebuilt everything at the very place where his life had turned upside down.

"That night, Dylan turned himself in. He was taken away, and I later learned he was executed along with my parents. My parents. They knew their lives couldn't last long, so they accepted paying the price for me, revealing nothing more."

Somewhere, animal cries from creatures crawling on trees rose, trying to ease the heaviness here but failing.

Nathan harbored a thought he dared not voice. He would rather let strangers in Emberwood all die than let Zeryn, Jessica, or his mother perish because of him. He had never considered himself a righteous gentleman. Like his persistent efforts to return to Earth, all his actions were somewhat driven by personal motives.

"Madame Chen found me in the cave," Vincent said. "She treated my wounds and remained silent throughout, not answering any questions. But I saw her hateful gaze. I knew her greatest life wish was never to let Dylan befriend me. Her suffering was constant during those days. Initially, I was resentful, irritated. But after leaving the cave and learning everything, I only wished she would always be that way. Yet as you've seen, she developed maternal feelings for me. Everything Dylan should have enjoyed went to me instead. How ironic!"

Vincent stood up, walking forward as if not wanting Nathan to see his face.

"I suggested taking this mission to Master, Nathan. Because I saw similarities to what I had experienced, regarding Gideon and the cycle of revenge. I'm just a hypocrite wanting to do something to make myself feel better."

As if regaining his composure, Vincent turned around, eyes boring into Nathan.

"And I want you to understand these mistakes. I hope you won't make the same errors I did. I was furious with Dylan, yet I had to admire him. That night, he made his decision in an instant. He understood the consequences. He protected the two people he cared about most, me and Madame Chen. He was always the smart one. Dylan knew that as long as I lived, I would seek justice for him and my parents. He made the decision for me. Something I couldn't have done if left to myself."

Nathan nodded absently. He understood only partially and wouldn't arrogantly claim to have absorbed everything.

"Have you found your peace?" Nathan asked.

"Peace?" Vincent laughed. "That's a luxury I can't possess. I carry anger, suffering, and grief back to this cave. I screamed and cried for days. And this damned tree responded to my call."

Vincent manifested the black-branched tree from his chest.

"I took it for experimentation," Vincent said darkly. "I knew it destroyed everything natural. I scattered the black seeds, which I later learned were Demon Energy, into that rich man's well. His entire family died. I took all their money, wealth, and cultivation resources."

Nathan shuddered at the image of a thirteen-year-old boy standing before scattered corpses—deaths born from cause and effect.

"I left, made myself stronger, and returned here to apologize to Madame Chen and build Cascade Gardens. During that time, the tree resided within me because it and I had established a connection. Until Alaric found me and taught me to control it. Unconsciously, I had let nora corrode my being. Outwardly, I appear healthy, but my lifespan is now only about a hundred years. Meanwhile, a normal Tier 3 should have around five hundred years."

"And Alaric wants you to accept the position?" Nathan's eyes widened. Becoming a direct disciple always came with conditions, like how Darkan surely wanted to revitalize the Berserker school.

"My master is an optimist to the point of annoyance." Vincent smirked. "He believes I'll reach Tier 4 in my remaining time. That way, my lifespan would be compensated."

"That's exactly what a Sect Leader would do," Nathan observed. "Don't heavenly treasures work?"

"Heavenly treasures are products of life," Vincent said.

"While nora is anti-life," Nathan finished.

"Exactly. That's nora's danger. Other ways of losing life force can be compensated. Only when using nora is there no remedy. The only advantage is that after sufficient nora exposure, I can adapt and use it to enhance my mental state. The challenge of reaching Tier 4 is no longer an issue. The question is whether I'll live long enough to reach peak Tier 3."

After hearing and understanding Vincent's situation, Nathan felt much calmer. Mistakes were constant, unavoidable. He needed to continue moving forward and adapt to each step. Life was full of unexpected turns—he could only face them, not flee.

"Once again, thank you," he said.

"If I recall correctly, you're someone who just says thanks without paying, right?" Vincent gave him a side eye. "Don't think I've forgotten you cleaned out a huge amount from my casino."

"Are you really that petty?" Nathan retorted.

"Oh, pettiness is what I do best!" Vincent crossed his arms. "At least next time, you should cook a meal for Madame Chen. Though she won't say it, she really wants to try your cooking."

"Deal!" Nathan agreed immediately.

At that moment, rumbling sounds came from the chamber behind them. Sai emerged shortly after.

"Talk to us," Vincent ordered.

"Not good at all," Sai replied. "The traces on the PsiLink were gradually erased right after Big Ben died. When I broke into the database, all recent information had been deleted. The enemy truly prepared their contingencies meticulously. They interfered deeply not only with Big Ben's body but also with the PsiLink network. I believe executing this remote data deletion required more than one person."

"Can we trace their location?" Vincent asked.

"They disconnected immediately upon detecting my presence. We're facing an extremely cautious force."

Nathan didn't interject since these matters seemed beyond his scope. He also knew there were secrets he wasn't ready to receive, as Darkan had mentioned. Big Ben's PsiLink takeover proved this point. Nathan suspected Big Ben's PsiLink had comprehensive defensive mechanisms like his own. But that didn't prevent specialists like Sai from examining it. As he had always suspected, PsiLink was a poisoned chalice, a double-edged sword.

Vincent paced back and forth, lost in thought. After a while, he asked, "How many people were sent to support us?"

"Including me, two others are positioned around Cascade Gardens," Sai said. "As a precaution, I've sent word requesting assistance from nearby teams. The group from Maelivar is on their way."

"Are you certain?" Vincent asked, his voice dropping.

"What do you mean?" Sai asked, confused.

"Are you sure the information sent from your PsiLink reached them?"

"That..." Sai trailed off.

The Verdant Spire Sect agent immediately projected a holographic computer display.

"No need to verify," Vincent said. "As you said, a team is working together. What could you alone accomplish if they truly want to hide or redirect your data package?"

Sai fell silent, gradually realizing the current situation.

"Right now, tradition is our salvation." Vincent smiled. "I've already set up talismans. The backup teams will receive information if they don't hear from you, Sai."

Hearing this, Sai bowed gratefully. "You truly always surprise us."

"No time for flattery." Vincent waved his hand. "The question is whether we can hold out until they arrive."

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked urgently.

"They're here, Nathan," Vincent said seriously. "Those behind Emberwood and Big Ben. Our plan has reached its final stage."

Nathan was somewhat stunned, then his eyes widened in realization. "I am bait, again?"

"Not so much," Vincent shook his head.

"I think he's right," Sai interjected. "Master Nathan is quite likely the reason Alaric's enemy-baiting plan succeeded."

This information seemed to surprise Vincent as well, as he shot questioning looks at the agent.

"There are two pursuers," Sai said.

With just that, Vincent seemed to understand. "Carrion Creed?" he asked.

Sai nodded, followed by Vincent's cursing. "Don't these bastards know when to give up?"

Sai seemed not to hear Vincent, looking toward Nathan, continuing his report. "Setting aside Carrion Creed, initially we thought the second group was targeting Master Vincent. But after observation, we increasingly leaned toward the possibility that Master Nathan was also the target. An ad hoc change. This became more certain after the Big Ben incident, after your capture."

"And naturally, there's a higher probability they want to silence us," Vincent said.

Nathan stood there bewildered. Something confused him. "Why target me?"

"This operates on the same foundation as how Elder Darkan or Sect Leader Alaric always protect you and Vincent," Sai explained. "What you killed at Emberwood was probably under the remote protection of a higher entity. That entity might have warned subordinates to pursue you."

Nathan remembered the centipede-man's curse before disappearing. As he had feared, its father or any relatives had revealed themselves. What he had always tried to avoid—provoking the children of powerful families and factions—had finally created karmic reaction.

"Good thing you killed that demon," Sai said. "If you had given it more time, it might have been possessed remotely and gained the power to kill you."

Hearing this, Nathan felt as if everything in his life was being watched. He truly didn't understand how completely exposed he had become. No secret seemed to escape people like Sai, Darkan, or Vincent.

"Sai," Vincent said coldly.

"What are your orders, young master?"

"Protect Nathan at all cost."

"But—"

"That's an order." Vincent cut him off. "I command you as the heir of Verdant Spire Sect."

"I represent the agents in accepting your request," Sai said reluctantly.

"What are you doing, Vincent?" Nathan asked.

His senior brother turned back, grinning broadly.

"Making decisions for you. Because I have the power to."

Nathan was about to speak when Iris appeared. Without seeing her face, he could tell from her eyes that she was panicked.

"We're surrounded," she gasped fearfully. "Vincent, the protective formation has been breached."

Vincent showed no disturbance, calmly walking toward her.

"Calm down, my love." His voice was gentle. "The last thing we need now is panic. Remember what you must do. Go, now!"

"But you—"

"Don't disobey me now," Vincent said. "Do as I said and taught."

Iris lingered for a second, sending him her most tender look, then decisively turned and disappeared behind the stone door.

"Tell me the numbers, Sai," Vincent requested.

Sai placed his hand on his forehead, squinting, then reported after two seconds. "Two from Carrion Creed, cultivation unknown. Over a hundred Tier 2s. Two Tier 3s. Probability of Tier 4 appearance is 100%. Two Tier 4s is 50%."

"Our chances of resistance?"

"99%," Sai answered confidently.

"I don't like that missing 1%," Vincent said.

"I need to account for surprises, young master."

Nathan finally understood what was happening and the plan Verdant Spire Sect was executing. They wanted to draw out those behind everything. As Vincent had said, he had always been caught in the whirlwind of decisions made by others. But he no longer felt overly repulsed. He also wanted these people to pay and reveal the secret behind everything. After all, he still had a system quest to complete.

A piercing siren split the night, announcing to all.

Cascade Gardens was under attack.