Absolute Cheater

Asher sat down cross-legged, eyes calm, as he opened the full data panel on the Myriad Galaxy Serpent. His Eye of Evolution activated instantly, revealing more details than ever before. Now that the serpent had been absorbing the Dragon God Blood Essence and was in mid-hibernation, its true potential was much clearer.

Lines of glowing text unfolded in front of him.

There were dozens of potential evolution paths—each more powerful than the last.

But Asher wasn't interested in the lower or mid-tier ones.

He scrolled past the Noble-grade, Royal-grade, Imperial-grade, even Saint-grade evolution trees.

Finally, he stopped.

The screen flickered for a moment as the system processed something massive—because what he was seeing wasn't just rare. It was beyond comprehension.

[Evolution Path Unlocked: Astral Sovereign Devourer Serpent]

Bloodline Grade After Evolution: Empyrean-Class (Tier-2 Supreme Candidate)

Requirements:

Absorb essence of at least 5 Empyrean-grade bloodline beasts

Devour a complete Galaxy Core Fragment

Consume the Soul Core of a World Ranker

Affinity Gains:

Cosmic Energy

Star Devouring Law

Spatial Severance

Void Movement

Sovereign Suppression

Asher raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Empyrean-grade…" he muttered.

That was just one step below Supreme—the highest bloodline tier. And the system had marked this evolution path as a Tier-2 Supreme Candidate, meaning if he added the right materials or used the right fusions, it might eventually evolve into a true Supreme bloodline.

He let out a slow breath.

"This one's worth raising," he said quietly.

Compared to the newly hatched Calamity Cub, whose potential was already beyond this reality but couldn't evolve further within this world, the Serpent still had reachable paths—paths he could work toward right now.

"Hm… I already have everything except the Galaxy Core Fragment," he mumbled.

He opened the Tower Shop, glancing at his Tower Coins.

Tower Coins: 14,086,810

(Earned by clearing 1678 floors, with each floor giving [floor × 10] coins)

"I hope this much is enough to buy a Galaxy Core Fragment…" he said to himself.

Still, he didn't rush. "I should wait a little. The cub is still refining my essence—if she evolves further, her evolution path might change entirely."

He closed the Tower Shop tab.

"There's no rush. The Tower Coins aren't going anywhere—and I can re-enter the shop anytime from the floor I left."

He placed the cub inside his Soul Heart Space as he stretched.

"Well, now that I'm fully recovered, it's time to leave," he mumbled, stepping into the portal that led him out of the Tower. With his body, soul, and energy fully restored, he had no more reason to remain inside. His two beasts could now move freely with him.

As he stepped out, he froze for a moment—shocked by what he saw.

But then, his expression quickly returned to calm.

"Well, I expected this much," he muttered to himself.

In front of him was a massive open area filled with powerful auras. Dozens of cultivators were gathered—most of them radiating the strength of Peak Void Rank, and a few had even just ascended to World Rank.

Since the Volarisa World had only recently increased its limit, Peak World Rank cultivators were still extremely rare. Most powerful figures were stuck at Peak Void Rank, just one step below.

The few who had reached World Rank were still new—barely adapting to their recent breakthroughs.

In this place, Asher was like a wolf.

No… not just a wolf.

An Emperor Wolf among sheep.

"What can I do?" Asher asked as they continued to stare at him and then finally one stepped forward.

"are you really Asher Magnus?" he asked as if suspecting he is now as Asher nodded " I am" he said as the man and the crowd gasp.

The crowd slowly began to stir.

Eyes turned toward Asher Magnus with growing disbelief. At first, they thought it was just another rumor—that the infamous prodigy had returned. But now, seeing him in person, they realized it was true.

Whispers ran through the gathering.

"That's really him..."

"Asher Magnus? The one who disappeared for years?"

"Didn't he just break the Tower's all-time record?"

"Floor 1678… that's nearly 300 floors higher than the second place!"

The atmosphere became tense, not out of fear, but out of awe. His presence radiated quiet dominance, and even the World Rank cultivators took a step back without realizing it.

Then came another ripple.

Someone else appeared—this time a woman, tall, sharp-eyed, and elegant. Her aura was refined, balanced, but not to be underestimated. She walked with measured confidence through the crowd, her dark violet robes fluttering gently.

The murmurs grew louder as more people recognized her.

"Director Yulia Garcia…"

A legend in her own right. Once the youngest World Rank instructor in Volarisa, now the acting head of one of its most prestigious academies. She had trained countless elites, and she remembered Asher—not just as a student, but as the student.

The troublemaker. The anomaly.

The one who broke everything that was supposed to be a limit.

She approached without hesitation.

Asher looked up at her as she stopped in front of him.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, then widened slightly.

"…Director Garcia," he muttered, almost unconsciously.

Yulia gave a small smirk. "So, the academy's biggest headache still remembers my name."

Asher exhaled through his nose, not quite a smile, but close.

"Well, you were the most beautiful woman in the Academy… so of course I remember," he said casually.

Yulia raised an eyebrow. Her smirk vanished.

"So, you're one of those," she said, her voice cold now—no amusement left on her face, only a flash of irritation and something close to disgust.

"Eh?" Asher blinked, slightly confused. Why do I feel like I said something I shouldn't have?

He tilted his head in that clueless way that somehow made him look even more innocent, genuinely puzzled by her reaction.

Yulia, meanwhile, stared at him, trying to decipher the intent behind those calm eyes. But what she saw wasn't lust. It wasn't greed. It wasn't the fake flattery she was used to from the countless arrogant cultivators who had once confessed to her—and when rejected, tried to force themselves on her.

She'd broken more than just hearts in those days. A few of those men had lost something far more important and now sat sealed in magical display prisons—naked, powerless, and humiliated for life.

After a pause, Asher asked, "Is something wrong?"

Yulia looked away and shook her head. "No… nothing."

She turned and gestured for him to follow. "Come with me. There's something I want to discuss."

Asher simply nodded and fell into step behind her.

The crowd instinctively stepped aside as the two walked off together. No one dared to follow. In this world, World Rank cultivators were apex predators—and Yulia Garcia was a seasoned World Ranker with earned status and reputation.

Anyone who tried to interfere would be crushed, no matter their background.

Asher, on the other hand, just followed silently, hands in his pockets, still wondering what exactly he'd said to almost trigger an explosion.