Zero to Peak: Ascension Online

"This is the end of the line for me. I have lost things in this horrific event — my colleagues, my son, and soon, my life." Nova glanced grimly at the injections still stuck in his shoulder. He then gazed intently at Ivan.

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Mission Initiated

Info: Scientist Nova has accepted his fate. Can you do him the honour of taking his life and that of the carrier patient?

Description: Kill Scientist Nova and the carrier patient in the next twenty seconds.

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'Why do I have to be put in this dreadful situation?' Ivan wondered, deeply reluctant to kill the scientist and the zombified patient.

He froze, battling internally to decide on killing the designated targets. Preoccupied in his conflicted thoughts, he lost all awareness of time.

Scientist Nova sighed, a sound of profound disappointment. Ivan's awareness snapped back, and he realised that twenty seconds had elapsed, and he hadn't acted accordingly. He still had not resolved to kill the scientist and the teenage girl.

"I guess I have to do it myself." Nova shrugged in weary resignation. He clicked twice in quick succession on the lone button on the torchlight bio-weapon.

The teenage girl's body exploded into gruesome fragments. Scientist Nova then placed the device in his own mouth, the lens engulfed within the confines of his jaw. He clicked ten times in quick succession. An explosion, accompanied by a blinding flash of white light, blasted Nova's head to bits.

Now there were two lifeless bodies that lay on the stairwell in the dark tunnel. Ivan sighed, his emotions confused and unstable.

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Congratulations, you have completed the raid of the dungeon break, Romelus.

Information: A strange event emerged in your region of residence. You gathered your bravery and tackled this strange event. Your curiosity and tenacity to resolve issues led you to the origins of Romelus. You endured and you conquered, resolving Romelus' underlying issue.

Reward for completing Romelus: The dormant bloodline in you cries for freedom and challenges. The game has heard your genes' cry and have decided to reward you with a fitting item. You have received a C-rank title, Guardian of the Weak.

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Ivan quietly read the information. He possessed some knowledge concerning titles. A phenomenon that teetered on the verge of being a rarity, it was not uncommon to hear that special characters gained titles. This title bestowed certain boosts and boons to a special character's overall strength. He was intensely curious to know what boons the title he had just gained granted him.

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On defeating Romelus, you gained a peculiar loot drop card.

Item: A C-rank skill, Parasite.

Information: A skill that allows the user to plant parasites on desired targets. The parasitism gives an array of abilities.

Abilities (1): Possession

— Gradual possession of the body and mind of the target. The effectiveness of this skill depends on the power gap between the user and the target. The stronger the target, the higher the chances of failing.

Pros: The skill has a one hundred per cent effectiveness on Base rank and Bronze rank targets. A reduced effectiveness of ninety per cent on Honoured Bronze rank targets. The effectiveness of the skill on Supreme Crusader rank targets and higher-ranked targets is not certain; it is left for fate to decide.

Cons: Only two parasites can use the skill at the same time. Any attempt to use more than two parasites at the same time will see that the effects of the two active parasites are cancelled.

Abilities (2): Steal

— A parasite can leech deeply on a target, allowing them to steal any form of power from the target. The stolen power can only be recovered gradually after the death of the responsible parasite.

Abilities (3): Spy and transmission

— The parasite can spy on the target, gather intelligence, and transmit the information to the user. As long as the user is within a radius of one hundred and fifty metres, the parasite can transmit information to the user.

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Ivan didn't hesitate to assimilate the skill card that had suddenly appeared in his hand.

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Battle Lord!

You have accumulated 1,000,000+ joules from killing Romelus.

Accumulation progress: 9,990,000/10,000,000 joules.

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Ivan was visibly upset that he hadn't quite hit the energy accumulation milestone. He put his hands akimbo and stared at the darkness above. If his jaw had been intact, he would have bitten his lips in frustration.

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Clue Obtained.

Information: The perilous journey of humanity in the Torn Indigo has once again seen light in the dark tunnel. A brave adventurer, led by his tenacious curiosity, stumbles on a hidden piece that would help change the status of humanity. Hidden within the story of Romelus is a crucial piece of Earth history: the dancing plague of 1518. The marked similarity between the two events is the fact that the carrier patient was a woman.

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Ivan felt a flash drive settle in his perception. He couldn't see it as he could see his system info panel, but he knew it was there.

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System Info.

A clue drive has been deposited in your mind. Deliver this device to Lady Flux of Edendale; only in her hands will this clue be useful. Be careful on the way; the journey may appear simple, but it could be treacherous.

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Ivan smiled to himself. Everything seemed to be clicking into place for him. He had long desired to be a special character and help humanity in the struggle for liberation from the game. Previously, he thought that he could only join the league of clue finders when he attained a certain level of strength. But with what he had achieved at the moment, it seemed that reaching a high power was not necessarily a prerequisite.

Many excited thoughts raced through his head, but he didn't let them distract him. He checked the details on his newly acquired title.

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Title: Guardian of the Weak.

Information: Being the inheritor of Black Riot 79's gene seed, you have activated and bestowed upon yourself a part of the deceased's persona — you have become a Guardian. You are a guardian dedicated to protecting the weak, the defenceless, and the oppressed from the wrath of oppressors.

Information (2): When fighting for the weak and oppressed, your power increases twofold. When in their presence and in a dire situation, your strength increases fourfold.

Grade: C-rank title with the potential to reach Epic A-rank if upgraded with the right items.

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Ivan shook his head, sighing in excitement about what he had gained from this solo raid.

"Please be something good," Ivan pleaded upon seeing a blank system interface pop up in his perception.

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Your dormant bloodline yearns to be free. It cries like an oppressed dragon. The cries have moved the governing mechanics.

Description: Your mission to upgrade to Bronze rank has been altered.

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'Here it comes.'

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Upgraded Mission: Upgrade your rank to Bronze Ascendant rank.

Requirement for Upgrade (1): Possess fifteen D-rank skills — if this requirement can't be met, you can compensate with C-rank skills, C-rank titles, D-rank titles. [One C-rank skill or C-rank title is equal to three D-rank skills. One D-rank title is equal to two D-rank skills].

Requirement (2): Upgrade your physical attributes to the bronze rank (each attribute should not be less than 12 points). Accumulate a hundred thousand Exp points to be used for the ascension.

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