Infinite Regeneration In The Apocalypse-Chapter 88: Elena & James

When he got close enough to observe, what he saw immediately stunned him.

There were two distinct groups of players battling each other in the middle of the street, roughly fifteen people total split into two sides. They were using various abilities: fire manipulation, ice creation, enhanced strength, speed bursts, energy projectiles.

But the most surprising part wasn’t the battle itself.

It was the massive tree growing right at the center of the street between the two groups.

The tree was absolutely enormous, easily fifty meters tall, its trunk thick enough that five people holding hands couldn’t encircle it. The tree dominated the entire intersection, its roots having torn up the asphalt and burrowed deep into the ground.

The tree was completely dried up with no leaves on any of its branches. The bark was cracked and gray, looking ancient and dead. It gave off an eerie presence, like it didn’t belong in this world.

But hanging from three different branches near the top were fruits that looked similar to large mangos. They glowed faintly with internal light, pulsing slowly like heartbeats. Each fruit was roughly the size of a human head and radiated visible energy.

These two groups of players were fighting desperately for possession of those fruits, battling each other while occasionally trying to climb the tree or knock the fruits down.

Vogue activated his system’s appraisal function, focusing on one of the glowing fruits.

The fruit could actually do far more than just increase evolution, Vogue realized as he studied the system information more carefully. Additional details began appearing as he focused his attention on the appraisal.

[Evolution Fruit (Rare) - Complete Information]

[Primary Effect: Instantly increases cellular evolution by 20%]

[Secondary Effect: Purifies the body and cleanses all meridians from accumulated impurities]

[Tertiary Effect: 10% chance to grant an awakening to those who haven’t awakened]

[Special Effect: For those who have already awakened an ability, 10% chance of triggering a second awakening, making the consumer a Dual Awakener]

Vogue’s breath caught in his throat. A Dual Awakener? That changed everything.

In the entire Blue River Continent, there were only two handfuls of Dual Awakeners—meaning roughly ten people total across the entire massive landmass. They were legends, individuals so rare and powerful that their names were known even in distant cities.

Having two separate awakened talents meant exponentially increased combat potential. The abilities could complement each other, cover weaknesses, create combination techniques that single awakeners could never achieve.

No wonder these players were willing to kill each other for this fruit. This wasn’t just about getting stronger. This was about potentially joining the ranks of the continent’s absolute elites.

Vogue’s eyes narrowed as he studied the two groups more carefully, trying to identify who he was dealing with.

One group consisted of five people, and they were clearly coordinated in a way that suggested professional training. Four of them moved in perfect formation around the fifth person, a young woman who stood at the center of their protective circle.

The young woman had long black hair that reached her waist, pale skin that seemed to glow faintly, and sharp violet eyes that radiated authority. She wore expensive-looking combat gear that had somehow remained relatively clean despite the chaos. Her posture was straight and confident, the bearing of someone accustomed to command.

This was Elena Hellsgrain, though Vogue didn’t know her name yet.

Elena’s family was one of the superpowers of the Blue River Continent. Her ancestor had awakened an A-Rank talent generations ago, and through careful marriages and resource accumulation, the Hellsgrain family had maintained their position among the continent’s elite for centuries.

Before the trial began, her family had provided her with hundreds of Death Protectors—elite guards trained from childhood to protect important family members. These warriors were fanatically loyal, skilled in combat, and willing to die without hesitation if it meant keeping their charge safe.

Luckily, Elena’s fortune wasn’t completely terrible. Out of those hundreds of Death Protectors, four had managed to enter this particular trial dimension with her. The odds of that happening were astronomically low, but the Hellsgrain family’s preparations had paid off.

Using specialized techniques that could sense the unique Hellsgrain bloodline, the four Death Protectors had been able to quickly locate Elena among the chaos and reunite with her within the first few hours of the trial.

One of those Death Protectors, a thin man with sharp features and constantly darting eyes, had awakened a treasure-sensing ability during his own Osympic Trial years ago. This rare talent allowed him to detect natural treasures, artifacts, and resources within a certain radius.

Over the past day, they had discovered numerous natural treasures scattered throughout this trial dimension—herbs, spirit stones, weapon fragments. But this Evolution Fruit tree was by far the most important and valuable thing they had encountered.

Elena had been planning to simply take all three fruits for herself and her protectors when five other people suddenly appeared and blocked their path.

She immediately recognized the leader of the opposing group, and her face twisted with anger and frustration.

"James!" she spat the name like a curse.

James was a young man who appeared to be around eighteen years old, with golden-blond hair that caught the sunlight and piercing blue eyes that held arrogant confidence. He wore a pristine white combat uniform with gold trim that marked him as royalty, though the outfit was now stained with blood and dirt.

He was a true royal blood from the Royal Family of Golden Star City, the capital of the Blue River Continent and the seat of imperial power. The royal family ruled over all the major cities and territories, their authority backed by generations of powerful awakeners and vast resources.

But James’s position within that royal family was complicated. He was a bastard son, born to one of the emperor’s many concubines rather than his official wives. That meant James had royal blood flowing through his veins and access to some family resources, but he would never inherit the throne or hold truly significant political power.

Still, even a bastard prince was nobility, someone with influence and strength far beyond common citizens.

While Elena wasn’t part of the royal family herself, her Hellsgrain family’s ancestor had awakened an A-Rank talent, which had elevated them to become one of the superpowers of the continent over the years. That put her family on roughly equal footing with lesser branches of the royal family, though still below the main imperial line.

"JAMES!" Elena shouted across the street, her voice carrying clearly over the sounds of combat. "You’re only a bastard son of the royal family! What right do you have to compete with me for resources that I found first?"

Her four Death Protectors immediately formed up around her in defensive positions, their weapons drawn and ready. They had been trained to protect her with their lives, and they wouldn’t hesitate to engage even royal blood if necessary.

James simply laughed at her outburst, the sound cold and mocking. His hand moved to the elegant sword at his waist, drawing the blade in one smooth motion. The weapon gleamed with unnatural sharpness, clearly a high-quality artifact.

"Found first?" James called back with amusement in his voice. "I don’t see your name written on it, Hellsgrain. In this trial, might makes right. If you want the fruit, you’ll have to take it from my corpse."

As he spoke, he began channeling energy into his blade. The sword started to glow with a faint silver light that intensified rapidly. The air around the weapon began to shimmer and distort, and an overwhelming pressure emanated from the blade itself.

This was Sword Intent, a legendary ability that only the most talented swordsmen could awaken. It transformed a sword from a simple tool into an extension of the wielder’s will, allowing them to cut through almost anything.

More than that, it was an S-Rank talent, one of the highest grades possible. S-Rank talents were extraordinarily rare, appearing in perhaps one in a hundred thousand people who underwent the Osympic Trial.

James channeled his Sword Intent to its maximum and then leaped forward with explosive speed. His blade descended in a powerful overhead slash aimed directly at Elena, the sword trailing silver light as it cut through the air.

Elena’s face changed slightly as she sensed the power behind that attack. Her own S-Rank talent immediately activated in response.

Flames erupted around her body in a spiral pattern, burning with intense heat that turned the air into shimmering waves. The flames coalesced and took shape, forming into a massive blazing phoenix that was easily three meters tall.

The phoenix was composed entirely of fire, its feathers made from individual flames that flickered and danced. Its eyes glowed with intelligence and power. With a cry that sounded like the screaming of a furnace, the blazing phoenix leaped upward and spread its wings protectively over Elena.

"BANG!"

James’s Sword Intent slash collided with the phoenix’s flaming wings. The impact created a massive explosion that sent shockwaves rippling outward in all directions. The ground beneath them cracked and split. Nearby cars were pushed backward by the force. Windows shattered for an entire block.

Silver sword energy and crimson flames warred against each other, neither able to completely overwhelm the other. The two S-Rank talents were evenly matched in raw power.