Chapter 190: Unraveling the Truth

"Due to the manipulation of an external entity, the skill [Illusion Nullification] of the C-grade Transcendent level has been instantly enhanced to [Undeceiving Sight] of the C-grade Divine level."

"Due to the manipulation of an external entity, the skill [Undeceiving Sight] has fused with [Unified Soul Control], forming the hybrid skill [Penultimate Veridical Spirit]."

"With the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], all falsehood shall be negated in front of the user."

"Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the [Spirit Clone] skill has been revealed, its name being [Spirit Imbuement]."

"Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the clone 'Argentum' has been revealed, reverting all of the progress it has made at the Animate existence level.'

"Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the clone 'Argentum' has been revealed, its true existence level being at Normal-grade Pseudo-Animate."

"What…?" Hearing what the feminine-sounding voice was saying, Aurus was in utter disbelief. "What do you mean by that…?"

Even though Aurus asked the system what it was saying, the system continued to list down the changes brought by the upgrade of the system's OS in an indifferent manner.

"Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], the truth of the clone 'Argentum' has been revealed, its true species being Wind Elemental."

"Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], all clone-related skills have been adapted to the user's Pseudo-Animate body."

"Due to the [Penultimate Veridical Spirit], all illusions cast on the user has been removed."

"…" Aurus was at a loss for words, a feeling inside him gradually bubbling up as he continued to listen to the feminine-sounding voice of the system. Eventually, the feeling had reached its peak, bursting out of Aurus as he shouted, "System, what the f.u.c.k do you mean by this?! My clone isn't a real clone?"

Surprisingly, this time, the system responded to Aurus's question, the same feminine-sounding voice resounding within his mind as it replied, "Indeed, User. Due to some illusions cast by an entity, the system has been fooled into thinking that the user's clone is of the Animate existence level. Not only that, but it also seems that those who have come across the clone have been fooled into thinking this as well."

"Fooled into thinking?" Aurus could not help but ask, knowing that the skill was given to him by Kevin as he had predicted that Aurus was going to be in danger in the future. He then continued, "I used up over 5000 FP to cast the [Spirit Clone] skill, and you're telling me that my clone isn't…an…Animate…"

"Wait a second." After Aurus thought about the premise of the [Spirit Clone] skill Kevin gave him, the more he thought that it was odd. A single stat point of an Animate is equivalent to 100,000 of an Inanimate's, which meant that the cost for creating the clone would be incredibly high right?

With this in mind, he muttered, "Now that I think about it…it does seem odd. Only using over 5000 FP to craft a clone at the Animate existence level, even though the difference power between the two existence levels is akin to night and day…system, could you bring up the description for [Spirit Clone]…no, wait…[Spirit Imbuement]?"

"As you wish, User," the system soon acceded to Aurus's request, a slightly corporeal screen appearing in front of his field of vision not long after. Due to the upgrade the system had undergone, a soft voice was reading the words written on the screen while Aurus was skimming through it.

Ding!

________

[Spirit Imbuement] (Level 1/2)

Grade: Transcendent (S)

A skill crafted by those well-versed in the art of manipulating spirits and bodies as a way to replace the normal creation of clones. This skill is mostly used by those with weak constitutions, possessing a body that has great strength to balance the weakness they had while their original body continues to exist. This skill allows the user to possess any body with a soul as long as the user has enough energy to do so, as well as sacrifices that would increase the speed of assimilation. 

Maximum number of clones: 1

Maximum existence level that could be possessed: Pseudo-Animate

FP Cost: Depends on the strength of the body that is being possessed

________

"I see now…" Aurus muttered after reading through the description of the skill, letting out a sigh of disappointment not long after. A few seconds later, he started to lightly chuckle, which then turned into raucous laughter. Fortunately, he was inside the Tower of Seclusion, which was rarely occupied by the members of the alliance, allowing him to continue raucously laughing without a care for the world.

If one listened closely to his laugh, there was a hint of a mocking tone in his laugh. A mocking tone that seemed to be directed at himself. Eventually, Aurus stopped laughing as he muttered, "How foolish am I to believe that I could get an Animate body with just 5000 FP. Sure, I do want to experience the feeling the Transcending Comprehension Leaf had given me, but never did I expect that Kevin has shrouded this 'clone' of mine in a web of lies."

At this point, Aurus felt some hatred towards Kevin, who he used to think was someone who truly looked out for him. To think that his clone's existence level was false all along, he could not help but wonder what would happen if Kevin suddenly dispelled this illusion in an important fight, removing all of the strength his clone used to have.

He then let out a sigh once more, feeling slightly more grateful that he had upgraded the system's OS. If he had not done so, he truly may have fallen into danger in the eventual future with what Kevin did. Nonetheless, he felt slightly melancholic at the fact that his clone had reverted to a level where it was not weird to say that his original body was stronger than his clone.

Fortunately, he hastily removed this pessimistic mindset, thinking about the reverting of the clone's existence level from an optimistic manner as he said, "With the clone at the Pseudo-Animate level, I can amass more strength than before. There's a single level of difference between the Pseudo-Animate and the Animate existence level, but that alone would allow me to possibly make me invincible at the Animate level."

"Speaking of which, can I even evolve to the Animate level?" Aurus could not help but wonder, remembering very well that those that evolved to the Pseudo-Animate level as an Inanimate did not have any way to evolve to the Animate level, deciding to reach the peak level a Pseudo-Animate could reach.

With this in mind, Aurus could not help but let out a sigh as he continued to rummage through his memories. "Well then. By the looks of it, I'm stuck at the Pseudo-Animate level until I reach the Divinity existence level. Then again, undergoing Power Baptisms is far easier than undergoing Existence Tribulations and Principle Formation…"

Just as he was about to give up, a memory that exactly answered Aurus's query surfaced in his mind, his mood taking a 180-degree turn as he was filled with hope for the Pseudo-Animate clone. "It seems the heavens doesn't close all paths of progress. With this method, I can create a body that's far superior to a normal Rank 0 Animate."

"A Super Animate."

"I guess this was just a lucky coincidence," Aurus said as he recalled who told him this method of allowing a Pseudo-Animate being to ascend to the Animate existence level. "The Goddess of Ruination, a Power Rank of 7…the legend of a Pseudo-Animate being defying all odds and becoming an incredibly rare Super Animate…"

As he remembered this, he could not help but wonder as he muttered, "I wonder where Erea is at right now. She's probably trying to reach a higher level of Divinity right now for sure."

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Just as he was about to go ahead and teleport to where his new Pseudo-Animate clone was, it seemed that the system was not finished listing the improvements the upgrade to the system's OS brought, the system's voice resounding in his mind after mulling over all of that.

"The clone-related skills the user had obtained from creating the clone had been transformed into a variant that suits the current Pseudo-Animate body the user, leaning more towards possession of a body rather than a true clone."

"[Sense Sharing] has been adapted to [Experience Sharing], a skill that allows the user to share rewards to the two bodies of the user."

"[Automated Clone Control] has been adapted to [Parallel Body Control], a skill that allows the user to control the second body while being in the original body."

"[Clone Possession] and [Clone Hibernation] have been discarded as the system does not see a use for these skills. The system recommends that the user uses the Pseudo-Animate body as often as possible."

"[Mental Communication] and [Spirit Resonance] have been deemed by the system as skills that would suit the user and the second body very well."

"Ah?" Listening to what the system was saying, Aurus was at a loss for words for a bit as he tried to process what the system was telling him. Eventually, he was finished processing the new information, radiating an aura of excitement as he went ahead and tried to use one of the newly adapted skills in his arsenal.

"[Parallel Body Control]."

Whoosh!

Looking through the perspective of his other body, he noticed that his second body was moving according to these thoughts, making Aurus feel very elated as he did not have to worry about one of his two bodies being defenseless when he controlled the other one. After moving his second body around the trees near the alliance base for a few minutes, he moved the body to the side of the alliance base before removing his control over it.

"I should go and check its stats before showing it to Herellia and Horell," Aurus muttered as this thought came across his mind. The reason why Aurus hid his clone from Herellia back then was due to the fact of the difference in existence level. He was quite sure that Herellia would find it unbelievable that an Animate was an Inanimate's clone.

"Hmm…I'll just say something along the lines that this clone of mine had undergone an Existence Tribulation before me," Aurus pondered over how he was going to explain it to Herellia and Horell, deciding that this would be a reason that they would not find any fault with.

Now, what are Existence Tribulations? Existence Tribulations are trials that every being has to go through to ascend to a higher existence level. This was a feature added in ISE that made it incredibly hard for Inanimates to ascend to the existence level of an Animate. Fortunately, it was eventually made easier in the future due to the abundance of Transcendents and Gods.

And so, just as he was about to go and teleport to where his Pseudo-Animate body was once again, the system decided to block his way from getting closer to the Pseudo-Animate, listing one more improvement as a voice resounded in his mind yet again.

"Is this system purposely trying to block me from seeing the Pseudo-Animate or something—" While muttering this question to himself, Aurus attentively listened to what seemed to be the last statement the system was going to say, his interest piqued by the statement in an instant.

"Due to the system being upgraded, the highest possible existence level the user can now attain is the peak of the Transcendent level. 

"A few changes have been made to the progression of the user as an Animate as well, removing the need for acc.u.mulating experience and levels in skills and stats. The system has adapted this progression of strength to better suit the user's needs, with the Tempering and Ascension skills being the main ways of increasing strength, while skills the user shall obtain at the Animate existence level having mastery levels."

"Hmm…" Aurus pondered over the last statements of the system for quite some time, thinking out loud not long after as he muttered, "So…back when the system was called the Existence Evolution System, the maximum existence level I could attain was the peak of the Animate level? Does that mean I have to upgrade the system one more time to reach Divinity?"

"Well…I'm still far away from being a Transcendent so I shouldn't think about this," Aurus added. Not long after, he radiated an aura of slight elation as he continued to mutter, "Then again, I'm pretty close to the Animate existence level. The fact that I'm not limited by experience points and levels from increasing my stats…is very nice."

"Imagine a Rank 0 Animate…having the prowess of a Rank 3 Animate," Aurus said as he chuckled. "I'd probably be considered a legendary hero by then!"

"Anyways, it seems the system is finished listing the improvements."

"Time to check on the Pseudo-Animate."

…

XXXX Continent, Seraph Kingdom, inside a large manor.

An old man in a long-sleeved white robe was sitting near a large bay window, a cup of tea letting out steam on top of a small table beside him.

"Ah, Mercuria Tea. Truly the finest tea from the Valerion Continent," the old man muttered with slight glee as he grabbed the cup of tea before blowing onto it. After blowing onto it a few times, he went ahead and sip a bit of the tea, letting the taste cover every nook and cranny in his mouth before saying, "Truly the finest tea."

Whoosh!

"Hm?" Just as the old man was about to take another sip of the tea, the old man felt that a large burden had been taken off in his mind, instantly feeling that something had gone wrong. He then went ahead and placed the cup of tea on the saucer it was on a while ago, slowly raising his hands towards the light shining from the large bay window as he gradually gestured with his hands.

This old man was none other than Kevin, the sage who had 'helped' Aurus out.

It took a few seconds for Kevin to finally finish gesturing with his mind, a frown creeping upon his face as he muttered, "It seems I have been found out."

Not long after, Kevin went ahead and let out a sigh of slight disappointment. Surprisingly, a few seconds later, the frown on his face was replaced with a smirk, taking a look at the far ends of the sky as he let out a light chuckle.

"Is this what it feels like to be found out by a Greater God?" Kevin could not help but mutter with slight interest.

"One of the divine craftsmen, Kurohana, finding out what I was doing not long after I planted that small seed. I wonder if this is your way of hindering our plans from progressing." As he said this, Kevin chuckled once more as he pondered over something.

Eventually, he said with a soft sigh, "Alright then. I won't meddle in your matters anymore, Kurohana. His fate is still something you can't fathom anyway, not with the law you reign over, that is."

After saying that, he took in a deep breath as he relaxed, grabbing the cup of tea once more before taking a sip yet again.

"Ahh. Good tea."

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