Chapter 213: Analysis of a Grave Mistake
"Fiirstly, I got too relaxed."
"When I moved to the Ascendant area of the academy, I was very conscious of getting attacked, and I tried noticing every tiny anomaly…"
"But as time passed by, I relaxed more and more after noticing that no attack came at all."
"I calmed down, and that way, I didn't suspect anything as I got teleported away."
"The guy who moved me spent close to 5 minutes trying to tweak the teleporter machine."
"That should have given me enough time to suspect something was wrong and try to stop him, but I was preoccupied with the thought of getting into a teleporter for the first time."
"By the time I relaxed, even activating the Kratos Crown couldn't save me from getting whisked away."
"That's how I first screwed up," Nolan mused, his eyes cold.
He had truly relaxed too much, almost forgetting he had enemies, and those enemies were smart enough to take advantage of his complacency.
It might have been Nolan's loss, but now he knew that his enemies were willing to spend entire weeks simply watching him before making their move.
They weren't in a hurry, and they had intelligence.
[You could say this is a good thing.]
[At least now you know for sure there are people in the academy who have eyes on you.]
"Yes."
"And if they sent me here, then they must be pretty sure this place is good enough to send me to my death."
"According to what that bastard said, even after I threatened to send him to hell when I returned, he didn't seem bothered at all."
"His confidence must come from the belief that I would surely die here."
"For now, they all think I'm either dead already or, at the very least, that I'll never be able to leave this place, which should equal death itself."
[Jokes on them though, because you're still breathing…]
The system said, and Nolan nodded.
"That's right, but for how long?"
[What do you mean?]
"I'm stranded here on a godforsaken world that my enemies know I can't survive."
"When I got here, I was chased down by weird scorpions that I had never seen or heard of before, and I was forced to run for my life."
"One thing is sure: those scorpions are beyond the Heavenly Disciple Stage in Celestial Heir cultivation."
"If I were to compare them, I'd say they're at the Sacred Vessel Stage at least, or else they wouldn't have been able to block my attacks at all."
"The presence of Sacred Vessel Stage beasts upon my arrival means this world is probably far more dangerous."
"Who knows if those scorpions were nothing but ants."
"I'm only alive right now because of my speed and the fact that they didn't want to cross over to this side of the world."
"That also begs the question: why didn't they want to cross over to this side of the world?"
"The only reason, according to what I've heard, is because they're afraid."
"In a world dominated by beasts, each beast takes control of an area, and once that area is claimed, the other beasts won't try to invade it."
"The scorpions only screeched at me when I arrived at the top of the hill, and then they turned back. They weren't tired."
"It's most likely because this hill area also possesses its own beast, which the scorpions consider a threat and wouldn't want to mess with."
"So right now, I'm still not safe."
"There are beasts here too, which the scorpions that chased me wouldn't dare challenge."
"I'm alive now, System, but for how long?" Nolan explained at length.
When Nolan heard they would be going on a quest, he hadn't simply been training.
He had also locked himself in the library, trying to read every resource possible about worlds and beasts that were said to dominate the majority of them.
He had learned about beast behaviors, including territoriality, which was why he didn't delude himself into thinking he was safe just because he was on a tree.
He had read far and wide and knew well how dangerous his situation was.
[Seems like you're doomed then,] the system whispered, but Nolan shook his head.
"No, I'm not."
"If there's a plan I have to form right now, it will be to leave this world and go to the world where I was asked to perform the quest."
"According to quest protocol, after a quest is performed and deemed completed, the Celestial Heir would be sensed by the teleportation energy placed on that world and be teleported back to the academy."
"Right now, the academy can't help me because I'm not even sure if this world is teleportation-marked."
"But even if it is, I don't know if there's any quest here on this world."
"Without completing a quest, I won't be sensed at all…"
"So, first, I have to find a way to get back to the World of Alteria, then complete the quest I've been given."
"Once I do that, I'll be able to return home, to the academy."
[But that's ridiculous! How are you supposed to find a teleporter that'll take you back to the world of Alteria?]
[And even if there's such a teleporter, why don't you just head directly to the academy?]
[Why go through Alteria again?]
"A teleporter that leads straight back to the academy would be impossible."
"The Celestial World is a place that can only be accessed by things created by the Celestials themselves."
"That's done to protect the academy from the maws of Titans and Nightmare creatures."
"Those two races are smart enough to form a teleporter and would no doubt try to create one that leads to the academy, if not because it's impossible to do so…"
"The only way to reach the academy is by completing the quest and being taken naturally by the teleportation energy implanted by the Celestials into the world itself."
"Without that, I'm afraid everything will be for naught."
"So I have to reach Alteria if I ever dream of returning."
"There might not be a teleporter that reaches the academy, but I'm sure there should be a way to travel to another lesser mortal world like Alteria…"
[And where do you intend to find that?]
[You can't make nor do you know anything about a teleporter, and you also don't have the Void Ability that allows one to traverse between worlds.]
[Assuming you're that Gojo guy, I'd say there's hope for you as long as you spend around ten years here cultivating your ability non-stop.]
[ut you're not, and you don't have a Void Ability.]
[How will you accomplish your plan?]
The system asked as Nolan's eyes narrowed, and he searched his mind.
Four hours passed with Nolan simply staring at the bark of the tree.
Thousands of ideas were running through his head, but just as quickly, they were discarded and rejected by him.
In the end, he sighed and collapsed onto his back.
"I don't know…" he whispered to no one in particular, gazing at the blue sky whose clouds were starting to dim.
It had been afternoon, but now night was swiftly closing in.
[I have a way to help you…]
The system suddenly said, and immediately, Nolan shot up from the tree. His eyes opened wide, and his ears perked up like a cat's.
Finally, the system was coming to his aid, just like it always had.
"And what is that?" Nolan asked, hopefully.
[Find a race. An intelligent race, and beg them to help you…]
It said, and Nolan's happy expression dropped drastically.
"You're bluffing, right?"
He asked, but the system remained silent.
However, that silence spoke volumes.
"Like, what the—? How am I supposed to find a race here?"
"How do I even know there's an intelligent race here at all? One advanced enough to have built a teleporter???" Nolan asked, raising an eyebrow.
[My reasoning is simple.]
[If this world's forces are strong enough to birth those scorpions, which are at the Sacred Vessel Stage, then it should also be powerful enough to birth creatures capable of intelligence.]
"There has to be an intelligent race like the Celestial Heirs on this planet."
[It can't all just be wild beasts wanting to swallow you at first sight.]
[And besides, you have yet to even move around at all.]
[If you have any hope of ever leaving here, I suggest you explore this world and try to find an intelligent beastial race that possesses teleporters or a strong enough Void Ability to transport you to Alteria.]
[That's your only hope...]
The system said blankly, and Nolan also simply stared dumbly at it.
"Okay, fine."
"Let's say I do find an intelligent race that's humanoid like me, doesn't find me detestable at first glance, and is advanced enough to have a teleporter or strong enough to possess Void Abilities that can whisk them between worlds."
"Why in the world would they want to help me?"