[1.) Sovereignty of Storm]

[2.) World’s Will]

[3.) Ink of r⃥⃒̸i⃥⃒̸n⃥⃒̸e⃥⃒̸]

[4.) Subspace]

[5.) Theory of Elemental Conversion]

[6.) Supreme Stormwind Martial Arts]

[Integrate Returns Y/N?]

Lucien blinked.

"You’ve gotta be shitting me," he whispered, putting a hand to his mouth.

What the hell were these overpowered nonsense he was staring at? Where had they even come from?

SS grade? This was SS grade?

Yes, he was expecting some really good stuff as SS grade rewards, but this...

This wasn’t just ’stuff.’ No, no, no. This was mega stuff! Super stuff!

What the hell?

World’s Will? The hell even was that?

Frowning, Lucien remembered that the System graded nurturing actions from E to SSS.

So if these returns were grade SS, then just what were grade SSS returns?

Forget about that now.

Something else was on his mind.

’Sovereignty of Storm? Didn’t...’

It had taken years for Amira to acquire that authority.

Sovereignty over a concept or a fundamental element was the key to catapulting a player to the upper echelons of Eden, sending them toward demi-godhood and the truth of the universe and Eden itself.

It was the first step toward the formation of an authority.

Amira, through tears, sweat and blood, had finally achieved this when...

IT cursed her, tainting that sovereignty and her humanity with it. That shitty curse. It only finally vanished during her last moments.

But... now, Lucien just... had the sovereignty?

This was absurd!

Lucien folded his arms, and he began pacing to and fro around the area he was in.

This was so, so absurd–

His eyes landed on the Theory of Elemental Conversion.

And his eyelids twitched.

"You know what?" he whispered. "Hell yeah."

He paused, breathing in.

And he breathed out.

"If I got it, I’m going to use it. They’ll only serve as positive integers in my plans." Lucien held his chin. "Now I have to think about more future returns and how they might positively impact my plans, easing them. A welcome variable."

Lucien nodded.

Not everything was completely clear to him for now. But he strongly believed that everything was happening to him for a reason. He just had to trust that, believe in that.

He did not steal Amira’s years of hard work. Fate had already changed; Lucien had changed something. The version of Mira that attained that Sovereignty wouldn’t exist, the same with all her achievements. It meant that–

’Enough rationalization, boy.’

"Integrate Returns."

It all happened instantaneously.

The system loaded rapidly, numbers and percentages flying like rockets.

Throughout the short-lived process, Lucien’s eyes remained closed.

But as the returns integrated and Lucien opened his eyes—

—The emerald color softened, and an ethereal golden hue overlapped with it.

Lucien blinked. Once. Twice.

The golden hue faded.

And in place, a wide grin split his lips.

"Excellent."

Slowly, he opened a palm. A wooden quill lay lazily on his palm, plain and unassuming. But Lucien knew exactly what it was.

Well, not exactly. He only half-knew what the quill was. The information from the integration hadn’t been absolute this time, unlike with the other low-grade returns.

The quill was supposed to be a weapon capable of producing an ink that could rewrite the laws of conception in Eden.

But Lucien didn’t know how. Or how to even create the ink in the first place. But that wasn’t a problem. It’d be useful sometime in the future. Not now when all those high concept stuff didn’t matter.

He outstretched a hand, activating:

"Subspace."

No reaction.

’Oh, right. No mana,’ Lucien thought. ’But I still find it hard to believe that this subspace would grow to become capable of holding millions of items and even people in the future.’ he scoffed. ’Right now it’s not even capable of holding up to twenty persons.’

Subspace wasn’t a skill Lucien had come across in his 5280 Chapter journey reading [Dawn of the Five Calamities].

But the skill did feel like an inventory. Only that it had more potential with the ability to accept people as it did items. And Lucien could modify the flow of time in it, making an hour in the real world feel like a day in the subspace.

’Kinda feels like a hyperbolic time chamber. Heh.’

Disregarding the skill, Lucien glanced at the quill still in his palms.

Where the hell was he going to store it then?

After some thought, he shrugged, dipping it into his pocket. He could deal with that later.

’Now...’ he gazed at the screen. ’Let’s see, World’s Will. Another authority level skill that won’t be immediately useful until I level up to at least level 40 in Eden.’

Pass.

’Supreme Stormwind Martial Arts.’

Now this was a boon. The knowledge of this skill had merged with his [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat Knowledge], raising and augmenting his combat ability.

He would have to find time to practice these, to get his body familiar with the movements and erase all awkward stances.

Combined with his [Steel Body], Lucien believed he’d be able to protect himself and the children during the arrival of Eden.

’Unto the next.’

With a thought, he waved away this set of nurturing action and the returns.

And the newest one came into view.

This one had come the moment Amira began devouring the plate of fried rice.

[Nurturing Action: You have provided food to a starving child, easing the burden of hunger, one of the many plagues bordering this soul.]

[Nurturing Action Grade: C]

[Nurturing Returns:]

[1.) Safety location]

[2.) Weather sensitivity]

[3.) Strong kidney]

[Integrate Returns Y/N?]

This set of returns didn’t need much thought.

In comparison to the earlier returns, they felt lax. And well, that was welcome to Lucien. The big, world-defying skills were beginning to scare him a little, although he’d never admit that.

"Integrate Returns."

And as he said this, so it was.

The returns were integrated.

He smiled.

And breathed out, crackling the joint in his neck into place.

And in the next moment, the system screen completely dissolved.

"Next on the agenda..." he said. "Leaving Sector 3."

And where to?

Well, Lucien had an idea—

"Register Nurturing Target."

—It was time to retrieve the Calamity of Darkness, Raphael Nicolas.

But shit, the kid was NOT in a zerozone. He was in one of the big cities!

Lucien let out a resigned sigh.

’Welcome to my world.’

All planning considered, it was time for another Mission Impossible.