The Ultimate Passive Paradigm [LitRPG Adventure, Epic Progression]

Nathan's first act was to contact Celene. His message was blunt: leave Maelivar, now. She'd agreed without question, but three days of silence had followed, stretching his nerves thin.

The lead on House Merinor felt impossibly distant. Darkan had been skeptical of his speculation, but the sect leadership, lacking other options, had agreed to investigate. The sheer audacity of the accusation was what they couldn't grasp. Although House Merinor was considered a notable power, having the capability to stir up an entire major city was impossible. And if they had conspired with other great houses, ensuring no information leaked would be even more unlikely.

Accusing a house with such ancient history of such a grave crime was a sensitive matter. The Verdant Spire Sect was forced to operate in secrecy. This meant prolonging the timeline, and time was becoming increasingly scarce.

During this period of burning anxiety, Nathan focused on eating and training to restore his body to optimal condition. The poisons that had been injected were terrifying in how they consumed muscle mass, so he was forced to increase his training intensity dramatically. Around his room and the outdoor courtyard were various support equipment, large weights, and containers of nutritional supplements.

His Tier 2, Phase 7.9 Physical Cultivation was the only reason he could endure the grueling regimen. The absence of [Titan's Descendant] was a bitter truth; his body simply couldn't recover with the same explosive vitality as before.

One night, he sat in his room before the tree that Vincent had left behind. Alaric had given it to him, saying that only Nathan could use it optimally. Leaving the tree outside too long would cause it to dissipate, and it would also reveal traces of nora.

Feeling his body gradually recovering, he finally dared to accept it. Part of him hoped Vincent might find a way back, find a way to survive, so he could return this item. But his senior brother, a Tier 3 who faced a Tier 4 without fear, also had his limits. Under the hand of a Tier 5, even Vincent was helpless. The realization sent a chill through Nathan. He knew the fate of captured prisoners. The thought solidified into cold resolve. He had to get stronger.

The tree merged into his body as if it had been familiar for a long time. It had been searching for a dwelling place all along, and only now had it truly found one. It automatically moved to the area behind the black hole inside him, its roots extending toward his mana core. But the black hole spun and severed the tendrils that reached too deep into the lake of stars. Understanding the message, the tree only lingered at the edges, receiving the mana Nathan allowed. But that was enough. It drew mana and nutrients from his body to transmute, creating additional nora for storage.

Thus, Nathan now had a stream of nora he didn't need to worry about depleting.

He poured his sleepless nights into cultivation. He needed to keep himself busy during these days.

Nora infiltrated his mana core in the way he had done before. The reaction turned his core into a raging spiritual furnace. It spun rapidly, devouring the mana he absorbed from mana stones to nourish itself. The stagnation in his cultivation shattered. His mana core grew larger with each hour of training.

Tier 2 Phase 2.6.

Tier 2 Phase 2.7.

Tier 2 Phase 3.1.

Tier 2 Phase 3.4.

As he grew stronger, his mana core became stained with far too much black.

"Stop, Nate!" Zeryn called out.

Nathan took a deep breath, reining in his ravenous cultivation method. Around him, empty mana stones lay scattered, plates of food stacked upon each other, and remnants of various fruits he had requested.

He had been cultivating continuously for nearly a month now. His injuries and physical condition had improved. While not one hundred percent recovered, he was at about ninety percent. These lingering internal injuries were no longer a concern. The reason he hadn't completely healed them was because he had devoted his time to spirit cultivation.

He was now Tier 2 Phase 5.1 in Spirit Cultivation. He had exhausted his reserves, and the tree couldn't keep up with his speed and demands.

"I know why you want to advance quickly," Zeryn said sadly. "But going too fast isn't good. If I wanted to, I would have broken through to Tier 3 already instead of lingering around. Nate, you need to balance with your foundation more. In Maelivar, your advancing five phases in one go wasn't a problem because you had accumulated for long enough, and your body had prepared adequately for it. But now... you look like a walking corpse."

Nathan lowered his head to look at his hands. His muscles had returned, but his skin was a parched, cracked landscape, a testament to the toll his reckless cultivation had taken. From the outside, he was anything but healthy.

In just a few months, he had jumped to Tier 2 Phase 5. This speed wouldn't necessarily earn others' admiration. To achieve something so extraordinary, a cultivator would turn to extreme methods. Demon Energy was the most notorious among these paths.

Zeryn's words struck home. Nathan channeled his spirit vision inward and saw the truth of it. His mana core was so stained it was little more than a vortex of night. When he tried to draw on his power, it wasn't pure mana that answered, but the volatile taint of nora. The returns for his efforts were shrinking daily; he was burning through resources with little to show for it, and his very blood vessels felt strained to the breaking point. He had to stop.

Seeing his friend remain silent, Zeryn asked, "How long has it been since you slept?"

Nathan shrugged. "Since I returned until now."

"You need rest, Nate!"

"I know," Nathan said.

After speaking, he stood up and cleaned around his room. He paused to look at the cracks in the floor beneath the weights. Briefly remembering his frustration during training sessions and throwing things around made him shake his head at his own recklessness.

The two friends moved outside to sit in the courtyard. Before them, the sect's lush green trees swayed in the wind. The warm, gentle afternoon sunlight and the distant sounds of creatures calling created an atmosphere where life maintained its fierce vitality, despite the many lives lost in recent times.

Nathan had wanted to return to Cascade Gardens but was strictly forbidden by Darkan and Alaric. They suspected the enemy was still watching him. The possibility that they knew he could use Demon Energy wasn't zero. Therefore, he absolutely could not fall into enemy hands. Vincent might not have been released despite his identity being exposed precisely because he possessed a body adapted to nora.

"I've tried investigating House Merinor," Zeryn said when they had been silent too long.

"Did you find anything?" Nathan asked, becoming interested.

"Emrys Merinor once approached me, remember? It seems they truly wanted something I couldn't figure out."

"Such as hoping you wouldn't participate in battle if it actually happened?"

Zeryn paused briefly, then nodded.

"I've looked into this world's rules of warfare," Nathan said, tapping his finger on the stone table. "Once war breaks out, there will be different battle tiers, am I right?"

Zeryn drew squares on the stone surface, saying, "Higher Tiers will restrain each other. Tier 5 fights Tier 5, Tier 4 fights Tier 4. Not only because their destruction is too great, but also because they are important assets. They might lose battles but limit casualties."

"The battle will therefore be decided by Tier 2 and Tier 3, including Tier 1 since they're the most numerous," Nathan continued. "So if you could eliminate potential Tier 2s from the equation, that would be better. Like you."

"Exactly," Zeryn said. "Emrys once proposed that I would support them when the time came, and in return they would provide me with the necessary information."

Seeing his friend's hesitation, Nathan waved his hand. "You don't need to tell me what it is. I know you've already refused."

Zeryn smiled, saying, "Exactly! I do need that information. But killing children is something I could never agree to."

"So you really believe House Merinor is involved in this?"

"We can't rule out the possibility, so we should remain suspicious. What's important is that their side seems to have caught wind that something isn't right."

At this point, Zeryn's expression darkened as he turned to look at Nathan. "I can't find Celene."

Nathan's eyes drooped, his hand clenching into a fist. So Maelivar would certainly be the center of the coming conflict. Just as he thought, the various factions must have received information from the Verdant Spire Sect already. They weren't inferior in conducting operations, but rather being cautious. If the enemy could attack Maelivar, acting without sufficient intelligence could lead to unpredictable consequences. The prospect of being threatened with mass slaughter like at Emberwood made Nathan's throat constrict.

"War will definitely come," Nathan said. "They can't just send a Tier 5 to chase us for fun. The main issue is whether they dare. The forces on both sides are evenly matched."

"This is exactly what has troubled me for over a month," Zeryn replied, crossing his arms. "I continued investigating after you went on your mission."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The sword genius projected a chart onto the table via PsiLink. A familiar map flickered into existence: the border between Caelindor and Mirothea, with Maelivar now glowing an ominous red.

"National wars typically won't involve Tier 7 and Tier 8," Zeryn said. "Because that would lead to imperial-scale conflict. High Tiers have this main advantage. They can stand outside and watch everything happen, as long as it doesn't affect their interests. So we need to rely on the power of Tier 6 and below."

Nathan pushed forward the information he had, saying, "At the national level, we only have one Tier 6. The Tier 6s and 7s we encountered in Maelivar mainly belong to cross-continental organizations, secret organizations, or holy lands. They won't interfere in political games."

"You've forgotten one person who's always been beside us." Zeryn raised a finger.

"Darkan!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Exactly. We have two people who could completely reverse the entire situation. And I believe, initially, they wanted to suggest that Verdant Spire Sect and Thousand Stars Pavilion stay out of this conflict. We have enough reputation to play both sides, leaning toward whichever side we choose. No one would object or affect future potential regardless of which side loses. This isn't the first time we've done this."

Nathan looked down at the map, at Verdant Spire Sect's position. "But they captured Vincent, the Sect Leader's direct disciple."

Zeryn waved his hand, bringing up a record of recent events between the two countries.

"Caelindor accused Mirothea of using Demon Energy, planting spies that led to the deaths of over a thousand civilians in Emberwood village."

"Mirothea denied the accusations, charging Caelindor with false allegations."

"The Emperor remained silent, ordering the two countries to resolve it themselves."

"Caelindor called for an Alliance with neighboring countries."

"No nation responded."

"Caelindor accused Mirothea of capturing disciple Vincent Velora, heir to Verdant Spire Sect. Sect Leader of Verdant Spire Sect, Alaric Tethras, confirmed this. Evidence was presented about the raid on Cascade Gardens."

"Mirothea sent envoys to investigate. Meanwhile, Mirothea denied involvement with the Tier 5 who appeared in Caelindor as well as Cascade Gardens."

"Caelindor accused Mirothea of plotting war."

"Mirothea denied the accusation."

"Caelindor accused Mirothea of secretly allying with Umbral Dominion to use and provide Demon Energy, harming the nation and empire."

"An Imperium Inquisitor was dispatched from the capital on the Emperor's orders. The Judge of The War was being selected."

...

The diplomatic dance between the two nations made Nathan laugh. Clearly, Mirothea had prepared very thoroughly for this situation. Currently, they only lacked an opportunity and an official declaration of war.

"You see," Zeryn pointed to the notification regarding Vincent, "this important senior brother won't be released any day soon. Our Sect Leader will be forced to participate in this battle whether he initially planned to or not."

"They discovered Vincent's value is higher than releasing him." Nathan realized. "They're willing to take on additional risks."

"It could be said that way." Zeryn nodded. "We have an overwhelmingly powerful game-changing weapon. Darkan proved his strength in Maelivar. But he also revealed his weakness at the same time. Oh. Oh. Now I'm just thinking. Maybe the enemy has been planning since Darkan appeared. If we had waited until now to reveal Darkan, we would have gotten a better deal. They would have had less preparation time. But conversely, there wouldn't have been the Emberwood incident. Arghhhh! These things are making me crazy."

Nathan stared intently toward the image of impending battlefield. Zeryn's words had inadvertently brought back Darkan's bitter words about how saving Nathan had set up an unwanted chain reaction. Orin could be considered the next trump card, but if the sect wasn't using him, it could only mean this elder still wasn't strong enough for the battlefield. Moreover, the sect would probably want to keep Orin for more difficult situations.

"Nate," Zeryn called. "Anyway, you don't need to participate in this war. You can just stay here."

Nathan glared at his friend. He knew the advice came from good intentions but couldn't help feeling irritated. Zeryn flinched, stepping back.

"If you were me, would you do that?" Nathan asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"No, I would still participate in the war," Zeryn said. "But that's me. I don't have as many burdens as you do to protect myself. Besides, haven't you always said your worldview differs from people in this world?"

Nathan stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth. His hands trembled uncontrollably, his facial muscles twitching. He spread his right hand toward his friend who was watching him with concern.

"A heart was in my hand, Zer," Nathan whispered, barely audible. "A human's heart, not monsters, or animals. Still beating."

"You..." Zeryn's lips moved wordlessly.

"Yes, I did it," Nathan said with a grimace. "And you know what's terrifying? I don't feel guilty. I could do it again. Again. And again. I dreamed of slaughtering everyone standing in my way. And that makes me scared of myself. Makes me shudder like I have Parkinson's right now."

Zeryn didn't know what to say, his mouth opening then closing.

Nathan took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. "Many times I still see that heart in my hand. One squeeze and it would shatter. So I bury my head in cultivation. Zer, tell me. Am I building a path to my own destruction? When these thoughts become obstacles someday?"

Zeryn stood up, gripping his friend's shoulder, saying, "Everything will be okay. I don't know how to advise you because I truly hoped you would never have to walk this path. A vain hope. I know. But I still wished for it."

The trembling gradually stopped. Nathan looked at his friend, seeing clearly the regret in his eyes.

"I killed my first person at ten years old," Zeryn said, his voice distant and pained. "One of the ways adults said it was to mature."

Nathan shuddered. This was a sensitive topic he had always avoided asking those around him. Their indifference to life had always bugged him. As if they not only saw and heard but actually acted. He had refused to believe it, had not wanted to accept that those considered children around him had blood on their hands. Zeryn becoming his friend was partly for this reason. The sword genius was among the few disciples whose age was close to Nathan's. So he would more easily accept when his friend got involved at an appropriate time.

But now, Zeryn had revealed that everything would always lie beyond hope and desire.

"The first victim will always haunt us," Zeryn said heavily. "You think it gets easier, killing one after another. It's not because the first one was special, but because the moment you took their life, a part of you died with them. The person you were before that moment is gone forever."

Zeryn took out a knife from his spatial ring, showing it to Nathan. It was old, covered with a brown-black layer. Whether it was rust or dried blood was unclear.

"This is considered a badge of honor in my family," Zeryn said with bitter sarcasm. "Truly hopeless. Right? I keep it only to remind myself to keep trying. Not for anyone else, but for me. For the me who died. That death must have some meaning."

Zeryn smiled at Nathan. "I don't even know how to deal with myself, so I can't help you, Nate. But as long as you don't do anything against your conscience, that's enough."

Nathan thought of the assassin, his whole body going cold at the prospect of being captured, tortured in every way. Or worse, being experimented on because they knew he could use nora. That nightmare was no different from what those in Maelivar had targeted him for because of his bloodline. The thing that made him stronger was also what those around him always coveted.

"This isn't just about what happened to you, is it?" Zeryn asked, his eyebrow raised as he shifted the topic.

Nathan chuckled softly, replying, "Don't read too much into me like that."

"Verdant Spire?" Zeryn probed.

"Partly," Nathan said. "Maybe I need more mental training there. Plus access to Alaric's mana spring. I think I've used too much forbidden energy, need mana to balance it out."

"It won't be exposed, will it?"

"Not to that extent, as long as I control it carefully."

"The next reason isn't about honor or resources like I hoped," Zeryn reasoned. "Working as a cook providing food would achieve similar goals."

"I need the battlefield's protection," Nathan said.

Zeryn was startled, remaining silent for a moment to analyze what he had just heard. "You mean to guard against ambush attacks?"

Nathan drew messy lines on the table with his hand.

"Darkan will participate in the war, right?" he asked.

"That's the situation. Not just because of force balance, but to recover what was lost. The more you contribute, the more you get after the war."

Nathan frowned for a second at that information, but didn't dwell on it too long. He knew he wouldn't achieve anything by questioning the perspectives of people in this world. What he needed to do was adapt.

"Does Alaric need to be present too?" Nathan continued.

"In the capacity of one of the leaders."

"So how many people are left in the sect?"

"A few." Zeryn nodded. "If that Tier 5 with the Space Aspect chooses the right time to enter, it would be this moment. This is why factions don't want to participate in wars. Once there's conflict, their backs are exposed for enemy raids."

Nathan tapped on the table where he had drawn Verdant Spire Sect. "And if I stay, they'll easily capture me."

"Darkan surely wouldn't let you get into such terrible trouble, would he?" Zeryn's eyes widened with doubt.

Nathan shook his head, not telling his friend what his master had said. His life apparently wasn't important enough to warrant constant surveillance and protection.

"Just a risk," he waved his hand, saying. "Mainly, once I'm in the middle of a battlefield, though dangerous, it's paradoxically safer."

Zeryn clapped, his eyes admiring. "Any high-tier interference would lead to other high Tiers having to act. You effectively have a protective layer. They have to be cautious about anything they want to do. Not to mention there are children of great houses among the common soldiers. Your mind is getting pretty dark too."

Nathan sent his friend a smirk mixed with some arrogance. He would enter the battle not just for vengeance, but for survival. It was better to face a danger he could fight than to wait passively for the hand of a Tier 4 or Tier 5 to crush him. Time for experimentation had given him a path that made him confident to act even when ambushed by Tier 2s, and boldly escape from Tier 3s.

The diplomatic exchanges between Caelindor and Mirothea reached dead ends. The Maelivar lead was similar. House Merinor had caught wind that something was wrong but showed no signs of it. The authorities couldn't press too hard due to concerns about riots. More importantly, other intelligence had also surfaced. Not only House Merinor but other factions were also under suspicion. Particularly in two strategic locations near the border, Silverrun River and Goldspire Junction.

During this time, the two strongest powers—the Thousand Stars Pavilion and Azure Lake Academy—delivered a shocking refusal to join the conflict. According to their spokespersons, these two organizations currently viewed this as impossible, and even if it were true, they didn't want to interfere, leaving it to the government to resolve. On the surface, this wasn't wrong since these cultivation forces had no obligation to the nation, having already contributed enough economically and in maintaining order to say they owed no one anything. But hidden beneath were turbulent undercurrents as this led to a sharp decline in forces for Caelindor, raising suspicions about whether Mirothea had made backroom deals with the two organizations. Overnight, the debates on PsiLink became explosive.

Most importantly were the common people. The leaders had tried to suppress it but couldn't do so completely. Towns and villages around the border continuously requested military guards be sent to prepare for potential border instability. On the other hand, production showed signs of stopping in some places as people wanted to flee the conflict. Pressure on sects to protect key locations suddenly increased. The military had already been deployed and was concentrating. A defensive line had been established at the border.

The elders of the Verdant Spire Sect recalled disciples on missions outside. Contribution points and rewards were posted in the outer sect and inner sect halls. Though there was still no official information, the entire sect became busy and tenser than a bowstring.

When the army had surrounded all three suspected areas, martial law was immediately implemented. By royal decree, they entered towns and searched the Houses involved. If they were innocent, the country would compensate later. But now was an extraordinary time when ordinary logic couldn't apply.

The tensest situation was in Maelivar. House Merinor adamantly refused to be searched. But under orders from the court, executed by Regional Commander Axel Rourke, no one could resist.

The main problem was that House Merinor could.

Caelindor had worried this would be a prolonged war, fought by gradual invasion from the border to Maelivar city. Even with plans placed directly in the city, they couldn't advance quickly. Even in their wildest dreams, they couldn't foresee what Mirothea accomplished.

The day House Merinor was threatened was also the day Mirothea declared to the world they would attack Caelindor. And that was also the day Maelivar fell to Mirothea. In just one day.

It fell to the one they called Arthur Merinor.