Almond didn’t mind talking. In fact, he wanted to talk if it was possible and ruin this event because fuck Grimworld Tutorial.
“Let’s talk.”
Neo nodded as metallic particles swirled, creating a platform with a table and two chairs on it.
He sat down on one and gestured to Almond.
Almond also sat down and immediately felt all of his body cells rousing by some power from the chair.
Even though the chair was fully metallic, it felt super comfortable, as if it were massaging his entire body from within.
“I’ll start. I want to know about your world’s Grimworld Tutorial,” Neo asked as a floating teapot poured tea into their cups.
Taking a sip, Neo asked, “How long has it been since Grimworld Tutorial appeared on your planet?”
“Ten years and a few months,” Almond answered before he took a sip and asked, “What about your Grimworld Tutorial?”
“Close to eleven years now. Take a look here and tell me if your Grand Abyss Labyrinth also has the same floors.” Neo’s eyes flickered before a blue screen crackled into existence before Almond, showing him maps of 20 floors.
Almond was surprised. “Did your planet already clear up to 20 floors? As for your question, yeah. I have the same floors in the Labyrinth.”
“Not exactly my planet,” Neo said, shaking his head. “I cleared the floors alone. The others aren’t strong enough.”
‘Yeah, that’s a good plan. I should make a super elite team with old monsters, Lily, and a few others, and rapidly clear floors to make them level up. With my space powers, I can take everyone with me and make them powerful alongside me.’
‘Not to mention, I can create a proper method to increase everyone’s stats.’ Almond’s eyes glinted as he suddenly got a brilliant idea. ‘But if I want to do this, I’ll need all top forces’ help, and I’d need to collect a lot of resources from the Labyrinth’s floors.’
‘And another thing is clear,’ Almond’s All-Seeing Eyes scanned Neo as he asked, “When did you reach the Mythical-rank Mastery of Metal and Lightning?”
“Four or five years ago for Metal and two years ago for Lightning, if I remember correctly?” Neo sipped and added a question, “What about you? Are you this young, or just this clone is young?”
“It’s complicated, but a simple answer is I awakened some months ago, so I just started.”
A gleam passed through Neo’s eyes as he heard that. “It seems that you got some great opportunities.”
“Can’t deny that,” Almond smiled.
‘Mythical rank Metal Mastery and Mythical rank Lightning Mastery, both variants. Lily made crazy progress in Darkness Mastery because of driving enlightenment, and she improves in Blood Mastery with Elemental Imprint, while she herself has a good affinity with both.’
‘But these three Arcane Champions….This one reached mythical rank in Metal four to five years ago. Yeah fuck,’ Almond thought. ‘I am behind in some parameters compared to the other three, but…I can make up for it once I complete the project Spirit Lords.’
“We have the same type of situation. Our Grimworld tutorials are the same, but that’s not the case with the other two worlds,” Neo said, his eyes narrowing. “You must have its information as well if you captured a few dragons and elves.”
“I’m aware that their Grimworld Tutorial is vastly different than ours, but not the details about their Grimworld Tutorial,” Almond smiled. “But I can just go to their base, capture someone, read memories, and return without anyone finding out about me.”
“I suppose that’d be easy for you,” Neo said with a nod, his eyes turning sharper. “Now, what do you think about this Battlefield of the Mightiest event and Grimworld Tutorial as a whole?”
Almond raised his eyebrows and then faintly smiled, “Frankly, fuck Grimworld Tutorial. We are entertainment for those above, but not completely, because the core of this path is from the Grimworld itself. We are given a chance to rise up, and get strong, but not without cost.”
“And cost…” Neo glanced around, looking at his base with people as they looked at them. “The cost here is wanton loss of life and mayhem via these games, dangers of Labyrinth and Dungeons, and competition.”
“I’ll tell you something you don’t know,” Almond said, his eyes glinting. “Our Phase 1 is special because it’s not randomized. Someone deliberately pitted our four worlds into a single Phase 1 event, as each of our worlds has an Arcane champion.”
Neo frowned. “They want us to kill each other?”
“Surely you must have gotten information about it as well, but not in detail,” Almond said.
Neo nodded. “The reward is something’s Touch if an Arcane Champion kills another Arcane Champion, though I don’t know what that touch thing is about.”
“Maybe…” Almond smiled. “I have an answer.”
Neo’s eyes flickered, surprised. But then he shook his head, “I am not interested in knowing.”
“What?” Almond was taken aback. “Well, it’s fine. It’s not like I have the answer right now. I just have the means to get an answer.”
“That…” Neo was not expecting it, but that just made things interesting. “Now that is something I’d like to know about. It seems like you have means and connections to the so-called above world.”
“But first, I want to know if there’s any way to stop this Phase 1 event.” Neo’s expression was somber. “Losing means eradition of half of the population. Your world is last at the moment, but it doesn’t matter because only the first rank world will remain intact. The other three worlds will lose many people.”
“They really want us to fight for the first rank, and the best way to ensure is…” Almond’s eyes glinted coldly.
“Death of other Arcane Champions.” Neo nodded before he took a sip, his eyes boring into Almond’s as he said, “Three days later, a new month will start along with a new War Event, and I suspect it will be for Epic-rank lifeforms this time.”
“Which means us Arcane Champions will pit against each other,” Almond nodded. “But working together is risky in the end because the fight is for the mightiest. Only one world will win, so whoever teams up will turn against each other in the end or get backstabbed unexpectedly in the middle.”
“But a temporary alliance can still be made,” Neo said. “What if three Arcane Champions gang up on one in the next event?”
Almond narrowed his eyes. “Who is going to get ganged up?”
“I don’t know that yet,” Neo smiled.
“But you are someone who wants to do that, so you’ll reach out to others,” Almond’s eyes glinted.
“That I may. And after seeing that dragon, I’d like to make it a target.”
‘Kexell is annoying for sure. Admiral Rudra and others can help against other Arcane Champions, but against Kexell, it’s impossible. Numbers won’t work on him because anyone that hits him will be fucked.’
“That dragon is a disaster, I don’t doubt that,” Almond nodded, his expression thoughtful.
“You and I know how to deal with its cursed rebound now, but he must have more things up his sleeve. I am sure of it.”
“Of course, we all have more things up our sleeves.” Almond smiled, his eyes ablaze with golden sparks. “But in the battle of Arcane Champions, victory is decided by only one thing.”
Saying that, he stood up and grinned, “But maybe I can find a way to end this phase 1 event and keep my planet safe.”
Neo’s eyes flickered with surprise.
“Anyway, I’m leaving. Let’s talk later,” Almond chuckled and vanished.
Neo refilled his teacup, his expression looked as if he was in deep thought.