SFS Chapter 272 272: Tier 7
Chapter 272 272: Tier 7
"Half and half, I suppose."
The moment the syllables left Kaito's jaw, the Authority of Undead Resurrection
ignited.
The charcoal-black bone fragments that had once been Thanatos ceased their
scatter. They hung suspended in the grey air, vibrating with a high-frequency
hum, before defying gravity to flow backward toward a central locus.
In the span of a few rapid heartbeats, a Tier 7 Skeleton King stood once more.
He draped himself in the shadows of the Necrotic Realm, his violet-gold soulfire
now burning with the steady, quiet blue of a subject, waiting for his Master's
directive.
Kaito rubbed his chin, performing a clinical scan of his brand-new, top-tier
subordinate.
Lately, the groans from the State Army regarding administrative burnout had been
flooding the Soul Link. The Empire was expanding too fast: the educational
reforms at Evernight Academy, the supply chain development following the
Dual-Kings Championship, and the massive logistical tax of the Gale City
Decoration Ceremony.
Even Skele-Greed, a man who treated work like a high-tier drug, was beginning to
misplace tactical reports.
This new fellow, Kaito thought, was a Planar Sovereign. He has centuries of
experience governing an entire world. Even if his memory has been 'formatted'
for loyalty, his management logic should still be intact.
He can handle the border bureaucracy and bleed off some of Greed's stress. Yes.
That is a solid ROI.
Kaito nodded to himself, having already mapped out Thanatos's new career path.
Meanwhile, Bochi poked its head over Kaito's shoulder. It had zero interest in
the giant bone-pile that had just stood back up. Its focus was entirely captured
by the low, electrical hum of the Solitary Transit Gate still flickering nearby.
"Master, what is that shiny jelly-ring?"
Unfortunately, Kaito was currently lost in the tactile pleasure of acquiring a
Tier 7 asset and calculating how to squeeze every drop of surplus value out of
him. He didn't hear the slime's squeak.
Bochi didn't mind the neglect. It took a nimble leap from Kaito's shoulder, its
springy body bouncing twice against the obsidian floor. Then, it began to
undulate, a slow and rhythmic squish-squash, as it moved toward the portal.
It stopped at the edge of the event horizon. Bochi extended a tiny blue
tentacle, poking the warped light-curtain with the caution of a child testing
the temperature of a bath.
Mmh. Cold. Smooth. Feels like the pudding from that shop in Iron Fortress.
Bochi retracted the tentacle, then poked it again.
This is fun.
It decided to go all-in, shoving both tentacles into the shimmering grey mist,
playing with it as if it were a gargantuan vat of blue raspberry jelly.
As Bochi played, a colossal flood of energy surged through the Soul Link and
back into Kaito's core. The Od feedback from resurrecting a Tier 7 Sovereign was
far denser than anything he had ever processed.
The Tier 6 bottleneck—a barrier that had stalled the evolution of the world's
greatest mages for millennia—didn't even offer resistance. It was simply washed
away by the tide of incoming power.
Tier 7: Achieved.
The sensation was one of absolute, effortless clarity. It was like holding one's
breath for an eternity and finally surfacing to find a tank of high-purity
oxygen waiting for you.
Kaito realized his Seven Generals were still capped at Tier 6. He gave a mental
sweep of his hand.
Through the Soul Link, his newly replenished well of Faith Points surged across
the dimensions. The energy split into seven surgical streams, injecting directly
into the marrow of his Sin-Generals. Across the Empire, the seven powerhouses
stiffened as their parameters exploded into the realm of the Divine.
And as the architect of this evolution, Kaito felt his own Authority undergo a
structural shift.
[Authority: Faith Ascension] had evolved. The restriction was lifted: it no
longer targeted only the Undead. As long as an individual possessed absolute
loyalty and faith in Kaito, regardless of their biological race, their Tier
could be elevated through the expenditure of Faith Points.
The only remaining limiter: they could not exceed Kaito's own rank.
"Mmh. Statistically useful," Kaito murmured.
He initiated a direct link with Greed. The connection was established instantly,
and Greed's voice erupted in a frantic aria of devotion.
"MY SOVEREIGN! PRAISE YOUR RADIANCE! THE SURGE OF POWER YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON
MY—"
"Enough," Kaito cut him off. "Listen. The State Army's logistics department
needs to open a new service line."
"From this cycle forward, Imperial Citizens of Tier 3 and below may apply for a
'Paid Ascension.' Residents may pay to reach Tier 1."
"Set the pricing for humans and demi-humans at double or triple the Undead rate.
Recoup the circulating currency. Also, open a 'Tier 7' option for the
Legions—price it at a flat one thousand gold."
"Handle the finer details. Do not bother me with the spreadsheets."
Kaito terminated the link before Greed could respond. To him, this was just a
minor citizen welfare program and a way to drain the excess coin from the
markets. It wasn't worth a second thought.
Instead, Kaito turned his focus back to his pet. The evolution of his Authority
meant he could finally give Bochi a "Deluxe Sovereign Package"—elevating the
slime from Tier 3 straight to Tier 7.
Raising that child has been a literal drain on my treasury, Kaito thought. Using
Faith Points will be much more cost-effective than feeding him my entire
collection of alchemical reagents.
"Bochi, come here. I'm giving you a midnight snack..."
Kaito gathered the Faith energy, preparing to lock onto the slime's signature.
But his movements stalled.
Wait.
The sensory distance for the transfer was... too far? And the distance was
increasing at an exponential rate.
Kaito turned his skull slowly, his hollow sockets fixing on the Planar Gate.
In his vision, the rift Thanatos had opened was failing. Having lost its power
source and having already processed a biological transit, the light was
guttering. In three seconds, the tunnel would cease to exist.
And the familiar, translucent blue blob... was gone.
The soulfire in Kaito's eyes froze for a heartbeat.
Thanatos, standing nearby, didn't dare to speak. He had watched the slime poking
the portal until, out of pure, mindless curiosity, the creature had simply
plopped inside and vanished. He had wanted to warn the Sovereign, but the Master
had looked busy with a high-tier mental broadcast. Now, he realized he had made
a grave tactical error in judgment.
The next second, a roar of pure "Frantic-Parent" rage detonated across the
Necrotic Realm.
"BOCHI!!!"
"WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you