The Ultimate Passive Paradigm [LitRPG Adventure, Epic Progression]

"Tier 4 is near," Vincent said. "Night or Shadow Aspect cultivator."

When Nathan followed his companion's pointing finger, he realized the sky still bore a dark, sinister veil despite the time having passed dawn according to his internal clock.

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

"Let's go meet them." Vincent grinned, his hand grabbing Nathan's collar and pulling him upward.

In a single moment, both of them stood atop the roof of The Steaming Pearl. Sai had vanished, likely watching vigilantly from somewhere nearby. The agent would never let Vincent do anything too dangerous without proper safeguards in place.

Landing on the curved rooftop, Nathan gazed toward Cascade Gardens. Below, the guests had all been awakened by the ringing bells. However, the scene differed completely from what he had expected. No chaos erupted. The visiting cultivators remained in their places, within houses protected by formation arrays. Civilians had been moved to safe locations. Others, driven by curiosity, chose vantage points to observe what would unfold.

Part of Nathan admired Vincent's organization. Nevertheless, he still thought these people paid too little attention to their own lives. A stray strike from a Tier 3 or Tier 4 would be enough to kill them before they knew what hit them.

The busiest group consisted of Cascade Gardens' staff. The young women moved continuously to distributed positions. The young men did likewise. Whether they had been delicate musicians or tough casino guards the night before, in this moment everyone had a place to be, contributing to Cascade Gardens as a whole. Square lanterns were lit, floating above the sky and illuminating determined, fearless faces. The battle formation was complete.

Vincent laughed aloud beside him, his eyes sparkling with barely contained pride. The fear he had felt that day with Dylan now materialized in this moment—careful, necessary preparation.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Vincent said playfully.

Wind whistled once, and two silhouettes appeared on the other side of the rooftop. Their faces were masked, revealing only their eyes and strange tattoos.

"You rats may hide well, but you still reek of rotting shit, Carrion Creed," Vincent taunted.

"We heard the Garden Prince was silver-tongued," the taller of the two said, his voice raspy and unpleasant. "Yet why do you now chatter like old hags or beggars in the marketplace?"

"Have you ever seen anyone speak politely to carrion-eating vermin like vultures or maggots?" Vincent didn't retreat an inch.

The heir of Verdant Spire Sect was answered with maniacal laughter.

"I won't be so arrogant as to jest about the enemy's strengths," the tall, gaunt figure said. "My tongue cannot best yours. But other things surely can."

"What things?" Vincent raised an eyebrow, dismissing his opponent's threats entirely.

"I'll show you soon enough."

Before Nathan and Vincent's eyes, both figures vanished. Vincent stepped forward, swinging his arm upward. Wooden fibers formed like massive spears, stabbing toward one direction. The tall assassin was forced to appear to block the attack. But within a second, he had vanished again, melting into the shadows left by the trees.

Two short daggers simultaneously struck toward Vincent and Nathan.

No longer having space to observe his senior brother, Nathan, warned by [Tingling Sense], immediately swung his gauntleted fist forward.

His assigned assassin was knocked backward. Mid-air, the figure performed hand seals, vanishing into the night in an instant.

Vincent and the higher-level opponent had separated from him, ascending to battle in the sky. Each clash between the two sides created terrible ripples that made the rooftop tremble and creak ominously. According to Nathan's analysis, the enemy knew the agents were hiding, so they weren't unleashing their full power. They were being cautious, waiting for the right moment to deliver decisive blows. At the same time, they were forcing the second party to reveal themselves.

Triggered [Counter Strike]. One credit given.

Upon seeing the system notification, Nathan immediately adjusted his body to execute the appropriate technique for counterattacking. His hand curved into an arc, intercepting his opponent's thrust. Simultaneously, he used the attacker's momentum for a counteroffensive. Everything he did struck only air as his opponent merged with Nathan's shadow. The blade shot forward again. Nathan leaned back to avoid it, using his leg to spring upward.

Though he couldn't see the face, Nathan could make out the curve above the assassin's eyes, expressing current enjoyment.

Immediately after, Nathan astonished his enemy by disappearing completely, leaving no shadow on the rooftop. Darkness might be his opponent's home field, the reason the two assassins had designed the space this way. But they had no knowledge of Nathan's Omnipotential Aspect, which allowed him to use abilities belonging to the Lunar Shadow—a creature born from night and moon. Though quite troublesome, he had grown accustomed to storing essence from moonlight whenever possible. Now was the time to use it.

Nathan employed his Moon Step skill, landing on invisible platforms in the night. When he had nearly reached his still-bewildered target, he wrapped himself in a blade formed from moonlight.

With a whoosh, he was sent flying by the residual force created by the two mighty combatants. After tumbling several times through the air, he finally landed in the courtyard of The Steaming Pearl, cracking the ground beneath.

Above, Sai had blocked a strike from the high-level assassin, then vanished once more.

"Wake up, boy," the assassin leader roared from above. "Underestimate your opponent again and I'll be the one to reap your life, not anyone else."

Nathan saw his enemy shudder, looking at him more seriously. The figure melted into shadow, reappearing beneath a roadside tree.

"Intelligence was indeed lacking about you, Nathan Reed," he said, his voice alternating between hoarse and clear. "But if we knew too much, everything would be too easy. That would lack interest."

"You know what all the bastards who talk like that to me have in common?" Nathan didn't need [Bad Mouth] to feel his tongue automatically sharp. "I whoop their ass until they're defeated."

"Damn it," the assassin cursed loudly. "Are all of you Verdant Spire Sect members this poorly educated?"

"Have you ever seen anyone use courtesy and proper etiquette with a fool?"

With a boom, Nathan punched straight down at his own shadow. The blade that had just emerged was knocked away. He knew that with his opponent's Aspect, the optimal attack position would be from his own shadow. Unexpected and optimal. This would be the position he must always guard against.

The current situation didn't make Nathan's heart race. And that very fact made him uneasy. Things going too smoothly was never a good sign. If something unexpected was coming, he wanted to know about it now. The two assassins had revealed themselves, but the hundred-plus Tier 2s were still holding their positions.

Or rather, they were being held back by Cascade Gardens. The formation arrays might be being used to prevent their advance. Or due to the intervention of the two unrevealed agents from Verdant Spire Sect.

He needed to end things here more quickly to go assist the people in that place.

Taking a deep breath to increase his resolve, Nathan shot out the throwing knives stored in his spatial ring, completely extinguishing all the lanterns. This artificial night no longer had a moon. So he had only enough quantity to use. Therefore, he needed to use it as optimally as possible.

"Fighting right in my domain?" the assassin exclaimed as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Either you're desperate, or you're confident in your manipulation. I really hope it's the latter."

"Have you never had anyone pay attention to you?" Nathan scolded. "Why so many words?"

The metal surface of Nathan's weapon scraped past his opponent's blade, creating sparks that illuminated the furious eyes of the Tier 2 assassin. When he vanished again, his eyes carried a look of surprise.

What his opponent didn't know about Nathan were his passive skills. [Tingling Sense] could warn him of approaching danger, so he could react in time to some degree. At the same time, he was using the spirit field he had discovered through [Martial Arts Mastery]. As long as his opponent was nearby, he could take action.

Shadow enveloped the space, the enemy attacking from all directions. Nathan used all his skills to block his opponent's strikes. Gradually, he felt the attacks becoming like a storm. The assassin wasn't just using two hands. Two additional hands joined the fight, conjured from darkness.

Nathan threw his Crescent Moon Slashes, but none hit their mark. The assassin's reaction speed was no less than his own.

When Nathan used Night Walker to hide himself once more, the assassin had already prepared. Very small sounds rang through the air that only Nathan's Physical Cultivation hearing could detect. His skin broke out in goosebumps. [Tingling Sense] sent chaotic warnings. Only thanks to [Aura of Calm] could he avoid panicking.

Despite reaching peak speed under [Battle Trance], Nathan still couldn't dodge. Sharp objects swept past him, cutting through his mana shield, piercing through, striking directly at his invisible Tier 3 armor. Immediately after, vibrations rang out again—these things had returned. Nathan concentrated on one of them, his hand desperately swinging to intercept it as it entered his spirit range.

He succeeded.

But immediately had to release his grip as spikes within began stabbing outward.

These deadly boomerangs were truly formidable. The assassin wasn't using just one, but dozens. Though Nathan couldn't determine the exact number, he believed his guess wasn't far off. With their insane trajectories, it was no different from being trapped within a web of crazed cuts.

Whistling sounds rose around him. Nathan immediately accessed the reserves created by [Digestive Efficiency], pulling out what he desired. Lightning flashed, and he narrowly escaped the boomerang throws in the darkness. He smiled slightly, then leaped forward to strike directly at his opponent with terrifying speed while merging with the surroundings through Night Walker. He turned enemy's advantages into his, which was the intention from the beginning.

A membrane woven from night was erected.

Triggered [Amplifying Strike]. One credit given.

Triggered [Flowing Strikes]. One credit given.

Triggered [Internal Trauma]. One credit given.

Triggered [Rebound]. One credit given.

Triggered [Muscle Memory]. One credit given.

Triggered [Battle Trance]. One credit given.

Nathan's one-inch punch was no longer what it used to be. It had upgraded to a combination series. His fingers and hands contracted and extended like a drill. This was the combination after many hours of practice, merging speed and [Muscle Memory] to the highest level. Not stopping there, he added adjustments in mana to create a spiral. A representative attack utilizing all the power he possessed. Repeating continuously. They created a dome that locked away his opponent's ability to move due to the pressure created.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The night flickered with lightning and Nathan's mana. The veil shattered without sound. But in the intermittent light, the assassin seemed unable to believe his eyes. He had been fighting in a suitable environment. Yet in his eyes was the contemptuous smile of the disciple from Verdant Spire Sect, blood flying from his mouth after the defensive layers were destroyed quickly and mercilessly.

Nathan had seized the perfect opportunity he had created.

He looked up, his eyes seemingly gazing toward the Tier 4 assassin. In the final moment, that figure and Sai had clashed, breaking Nathan's attack rhythm. The imprisoning dome he had created could no longer be used.

"Nightmare Invasion!" A command rang out.

"Get out of Cascade Gardens, now!" Vincent roared.

Without much thought, Nathan immediately moved according to orders. He hid himself in the night using Night Walker.

Nathan gradually entered the illuminated area of the town. Around him, other cultivators were all writhing, collapsing due to some unnamed force. He initially thought it was caused by the assassin. But when he saw these people's eyes, he understood.

Zetsy.

They had gone mad, mouths frothing and snarling. Cascade Gardens staff had to step forward to prevent the incident. Vincent's order was precisely to avoid having new participants cause additional damage to this place. With the current situation, even civilians would be collateral damage.

Chaotic screams tore through the night. The previous calm and indifference had been replaced by chaos and fear. People ran about frantically beside their maddened pursuers with black streaks across their faces. Many didn't dare act because these were their friends from before, their relatives who simply liked using the opium.

The groundwork Big Ben had laid became effective at this very moment.

On his way out of Cascade Gardens, Nathan saw the pale faces of the beautiful young women and men. Several among them sang songs to use their aspects to stop those maddened under Demon Energy's influence. However, the results were quite fragile, only having temporary effect against direct attacks. Even so, the Zetsy addicts didn't back down despite blood flowing in streams. They continued screaming and attacking. Uncontrolled mana made their strikes more dangerous than ever. They harmed themselves and injured Cascade Gardens' staff.

Above, the formation's protective barrier flickered. It seemed the instability had spread to those responsible for maintaining the formation's stability. Only now did Nathan notice several figures floating outside, as if waiting, as if inviting.

Vincent appeared beside him after emerging from a tree trunk.

"We must get out," his senior brother said, his eyes trying not to look back. "We must find the daylight."

While running, Nathan responded, "What's happening? Weren't we still in control?"

"Those people waiting outside the protective formation are Tier 3," Vincent said grimly. "There are more than two Tier 3s. And we're not just facing two Tier 4s. Someone really wanted to shut us up."

"This scale just to shut us up? Anyone in their right mind would think of Mirothea."

"We don't have time to evaluate this," Vincent said urgently. "Stay close to me from now on, Nathan!"

"What about your people?" Nathan frowned. "What about Madame Chen? What about Sai and our agents?"

"They've been trained for this." Vincent's trembling voice betrayed the calm he tried to display. "They're doing these things for us. You understand, right?"

Nathan nodded. The shadows before his eyes danced as if telling him to turn back, to look at the chaos unfolding behind him, to respond to those long, tragic screams. He gritted his teeth, jaw clenched, continuing to move forward.

Vincent beside him continuously summoned wooden walls to block attacks from all directions, protecting them both.

In just a moment, they had reached the stairs leading down. They sped away quickly. On both sides of the path, young men and women all bowed their heads before Vincent. Their eyes carried determination and overflowing reverence. They were ready to do anything for the man before them.

Vincent swept past, never stopping for a single second. Only when they had reached the gate did he stop, turning his head.

Two girls who had once welcomed Nathan appeared. They gently waved cloth upward, creating a barrier wall. Before Nathan's eyes, the entrance seemed to disappear. The surrounding forest gradually shifted. The structures of Cascade Gardens changed accordingly. The paths and entrances and branches were no longer as before.

"Master." The voices of the two girls rose from beyond the invisible wall. "Until we meet again. You must remember to come back and visit us."

After several seconds of silence, Vincent said, "Let's go!"

"How are you going to deal with so many Tier 3s?" Nathan asked.

"I'll do the same as you," Vincent said, confident but not smiling. "You can hold a bunch of Tier 2s, right?"

"I think so," Nathan answered cautiously.

"You must do it. Also, prepare the talisman Darkan gave you at any moment."

"Why not use it now?"

"We haven't lost yet," Vincent said. "We need to draw out as many of these sneaky rats as possible. Once we use the talisman, your master and mine will appear immediately."

Hearing this, Nathan became much more confident. However, he found a glint of hesitation in his senior brother's eyes. All positive thinkings vanished.

"Two of us against the world for now, junior brother," Vincent said.

When both had distanced themselves from Cascade Gardens' entrance, a group of people leaped down from the heights, hidden in the forest.

"Vincent Ve—"

"Shut the fuck up," Vincent roared.

A wooden pillar was created, striking straight at the one who had just spoken. Yellow light flashed, and the tree trunks were all cut into fragments.

"Up!" Vincent said.

Rustling sounds rose around the forest. Figures floated up from below ground. When Nathan tried to examine them carefully with spirit vision, he was even more surprised. All were a type of Vincent's avatars. Though their faces clearly showed wooden texture and grain lines, the aura they emitted still had enough pressure to make Nathan short of breath.

Vincent's preparation was thorough in every layer, preventing everything. This increasingly trustworthy senior brother shot up into the sky, bringing his avatars to fight this new group.

Above was one against ten, and below a similar situation unfolded. Nathan was surrounded by Tier 2s. They wore ordinary civilian clothes. If encountered normally, they wouldn't attract attention. All covered their faces with special material that couldn't be penetrated by spirit vision.

All ten charged at Nathan. But he felt no fear whatsoever. Though he had problems maintaining [Battle Trance], his abilities could still manage.

He twisted his body to avoid a sword thrust at his ribs, his hand exploding with electricity as he struck the approaching attacker. Then he punched empty air, creating air explosions that forced the third person to stop and defend. Nathan vanished into the night with Night Walker.

Using just enough lightning essence, he appeared behind one figure, using his Tier 3 sword to stab forward. Blood sprayed as he retreated, avoiding a wind blade that came slashing. However, he still couldn't completely escape when another figure also used lightning to attack. That person sent Nathan flying to one side.

With both hands spread in the air, using mana and Physical Cultivation to brake his body, Nathan spun his legs mid-air, sweeping several who had just approached back.

The ten figures stopped, retreating when they had now formed a circle around Nathan.

Without needing to be told, Nathan knew his opponents were forming an formation. He had been caged.

As if reaching tacit understanding, all ten people attacked in rhythm in pairs. One attacked, one defended. This made Nathan unable to respond effectively. He only had enough capability to keep himself from taking damage. After all, he was only Tier 2 Phase 1, facing these opponents also had its limits. Especially mana quantity. Though Nathan was controlling very thoroughly, he knew the reserves in his body were draining very quickly. He had used quite a bit in the final strike against the assassin, so maintaining until now was already quite unbelievable.

Nathan reached within his body, drawing on the Lava Drake's energy. Molten fire blazed around his body. Once again, he used the Tier 3 sword to create a wave of fire toward his enemies.

His action not only destroyed the formation but also set a section of forest ablaze. Nathan could hear Vincent's curses from above when he acted this way. But currently, he had no mind to worry about his senior brother.

Nathan charged forward to try to eliminate the attackers when the residual force from above sent both him and the group tumbling on the ground.

He looked up and saw Vincent's avatars had been beaten to pieces. Some were missing arms and legs, others had shattered heads with gaping holes in their chests. These Tier 3s were more terrifying than Nathan had thought. They fought with visible determination. The mana fluctuations spreading around made the air reek of instability.

A terrifying energy beam shot out. Red light illuminated the night. Fire blazed in the air, heading toward Vincent.

The trees below seemed to hear his command, growing into a thick wall to block the attack. He was pushed back by the scorching power.

The hair on Nathan's neck stood up.

Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.

Triggered [Muscle Memory]. One credit given.

From Reza's surprise attack, Nathan had developed several responses if stabbed from behind. His head wrapped in mana and essence, he contracted his body and struck backward. At the same time, the 33% Berserker state activated in a flash. His elbows joined the process.

A deafening explosion erupted behind him, wind blowing backward and whipping his clothes. But all destruction vanished, neutralized by a superior mana force.

"Kid," a cold female voice said, "you would be a valuable asset."

Nathan could feel his opponent's fingernails stopping on his skin. Immediately after, the pressure behind him was gone.

He turned to see a Verdant Spire Sect agent pulling the woman backward.

They want to catch me, Nathan thought with chilling horror, not kill!

The rustling of leaves made him look up again. Vincent's wooden avatars, after being beaten to pieces, were gathering together, combining with nutrients from the forest below, becoming a gigantic existence. Its appearance reminded Nathan of the golem he had once faced at The Shifting Trials. Its surface was rough, bumpy with branches and leaves. It had no head, just a mass with six arms and two legs. It swung to attack the other Tier 3s.

The ten Tier 2s rushed at Nathan.

Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

Nathan cursed loudly upon discovering someone in the enemy ranks was using mental influence skills. He hid himself in the night using Night Walker once more. But after just a second, he was forced to manifest due to Tier 3 aura washing over him. Gritting his teeth, he activated lightning essence, sword in hand, carving destructive arcs. Everywhere Nathan passed, enemies had to retreat due to the destruction he brought. Spirit Cultivation and Physical Cultivation pressed upon each other, making each of his strikes carry a weight no one could withstand. If the sword hadn't been made from Tier 3 material, Nathan would have broken it already.

The main problem was these attackers' coordinated formation was very tight. From back to front, they would choose moments to support each other. Though Nathan caused difficulty and made them fearful, he couldn't break this connecting chain. It seemed they had been trained day after day for missions like this.

Rumbling sounds rose where Vincent was resisting the Tier 3s. While glancing to check, Nathan saw his senior brother throwing beautiful flowers like performances at Cascade Gardens. The main difference was their edges were sharp as blades. The pollen consisted of small explosions or embodiments of various poisons. The surrounding trees seemed granted life and intelligence, becoming companions of the Verdant Spire Sect heir. Just by looking at this scene, Nathan understood Vincent's specialness. He too possessed some type of bloodline for Alaric to discover him.

Right then, vibrations underground arose. Nathan immediately used Moon Step to create movement surfaces upward. Around him, earth walls rose. The enemies wanted to cage him. And his movement had fallen right into their arrangement.

A detail struck Nathan's mind. These cultivators were strong at using Earth Aspect. In a place full of sand like Mirothea, gathering a random group of people, most would possess attributes close to the immediate environment.

This attacking team undoubtedly came from Mirothea.

Crack! Snap!

Nathan hadn't even felt the pain when blood had already spurted from his mouth. He glanced down at his body—spikes created from shadow were stabbing through him, armor cracking. With a hiss, they withdrew, returning to become shadows of trees, grass, of a human figure. The damned assassin using boomerangs stood there looking at him.

"You're not the only one who can seize opportunities," he mocked. "Use more mana and you'll be in the basket."

Nathan snapped his fingers, taking out the healing candies he had made to swallow. Initially, he had stored medicine supplied by the sect, but most served general purposes, not specific as he desired. Food was something Nathan understood, so he had reserved a portion for situations like this.

Triggered [Poison Processing]. One credit given.

"Fuck!" he groaned.

Nathan guessed he wasn't just affected by poison, but also venom going straight into his bloodstream. He concentrated on circulating mana to the wounds, trying to isolate them. He thought about using nora but thought better of it. With such large disturbances occurring here, there must be spies from other forces watching. Revealing nora now might help him momentarily, but his life would be finished. Nathan wasn't foolish enough to believe Darkan had more trump cards. Once a Tier 8 appeared, even his master would have to bow.

"I know you have the ability to predict danger," the assassin said happily. "But one of Carrion Creed's fundamental training principles is hiding killing intent. You must have thought you had easily dealt with me? How imbecile!"

Another bout of nausea rose in Nathan's throat. He squinted and looked around. The group he thought belonged to Mirothea had stopped acting. As if their initial goal had always been like this—just cage him. And as long as the assassin didn't kill Nathan, everything was still within control.

"Well done, my disciple!" A laughing voice echoed.

A silhouette appeared in the sky after black smoke dispersed. The leader of the assassin group had returned.

Did Sai fail? Nathan wondered.

To answer him, the agent appeared, maintaining distance. Looking over, Nathan could see Sai wanted to protect Nathan. Beside him was a humanoid robot quite similar to Laurent Nyralith's creation. It now showed electrical sparks from various damage on its body, revealing mechanical details. Where the eye should be was a gaping hole.

"Thank you for the praise, master!" the younger assassin eagerly said.

The assassin leader hadn't opened his mouth to speak when another figure appeared. He wore completely concealing clothes with a hooded cloak.

"Truly worthy of being a Verdant Spire Sect agent," a rumbling voice said. "You must be Sai! Your robot managed to stop an entire Tier 4."

"Only because you're weak," the assassin beside him said contemptuously.

"Carrion Creed rats hiding in sewers like you have no right to speak," the hooded figure retorted.

Vincent appeared beside Nathan after passing through a tree trunk.

"Reinforcement has come," his senior brother announced.

Nathan saw the fatigue weighing heavily on Vincent's face, feeling immense admiration. Single-handedly, he had withstood ten Tier 3s without falling into disadvantage. Defeat was certain, but no one would dare say Vincent wasn't the strongest among geniuses. He had made it out alive while still keeping an eye on Nathan.

In his senior brother's hand was a white paper talisman similar to what Alaric had given Nathan.

"Why are you keeping it?" Nathan asked. "Can't we resist this wave of attacks with our reinforcement?"

"One damned percent in Sai's calculations appeared," Vincent said darkly.

"What?" Nathan's eyes widened. How many more layers were there to this situation?

"I've been thinking about using the talisman from the beginning." Vincent's hand trembled. "I'm too lazy to take this shitstorm upon myself. Just having that damned old master of mine come here and everything would be finished. But the talisman won't work as intended. I need Sai to adjust several parameters on the talisman to give us a narrow window. Nathan! How ready is your talisman?"

Nathan pulled up his sleeve, showing the white talisman glowing, ready to activate at any moment.

"Excellent!" Vincent said. "Prepare."

"For what?"

"Tier 5 Space Aspect Cultivator."