Landlord World - Start with SSS talent-Chapter 278: Failed?

278 Failed?

"An opportunity?" Austin was startled. Suddenly, he remembered what Urlgug had once told him.

'Master can help you.'

Could he really help me? Austin wondered silently, not daring to say it aloud. Instead, he looked at Noan with eyes full of hope.

The truth was, he had lost everything.

All his Heroes had died, and he had no soldiers left. Summoning new troops would require many resources—and even more to rebuild his territory.

But now, not only had he lost everything, he had also lost his left arm.

He was more miserable than a stray dog.

Yet, with just a single sentence from Noan, hope returned.

"Master, can you really help me?" Austin asked excitedly, sitting up, his eyes shining with anticipation.

Noan nodded and replied, "Yes. After all, your father has helped me a lot. I can't just stand by and watch you fall into despair."

"However, to seize this opportunity, you'll have to pay a tremendous price. You might even die."

"Think carefully. If you agree, come to me and I will—"

"No, Master!" Austin suddenly interrupted. "I agree. I want that chance."

Noan frowned, asking, "Are you sure? This is an opportunity, but it's also an incredibly dangerous trial."

"Your risk of dying is over 80 percent."

"Over 80 percent chance of death, that's all," Austin said with a grin. "That means I still have about a 20 percent chance of success, right?"

Noan was silent.

He hadn't expected Austin to remain so confident at such a moment—it was almost unbelievable.

Fortunately, the System hadn't shown any notification indicating that Austin was a 'Fate Holder.' Otherwise, Noan would have believed Austin was definitely one of them.

"Good. Come with me." With that, Noan glanced briefly at Caleb, then turned and left.

Caleb, seeing this, tried to get off the bed and followed Austin.

Of course, Austin was very weak. The female NPC beside him wanted him to sit in a wheelchair, but he refused.

He insisted on walking himself.

The NPC could only sigh and support him as he took each step.

After leaving the lab, Noan led them to the central plaza. At that moment, Alex was sitting on a tree branch, watching Noan bring a group of people and feeling confused.

That's right, Alex was now in Noan's territory.

When he first arrived here, Alex felt as if he had entered paradise.

Damn it! Since when had this place turned into a garden of Eden in the middle of hell?

At that moment, Alex felt like a country bumpkin who'd just arrived in the capital city of a modern nation.

His eyes were filled with awe and confusion as he looked around.

Was this really a territory? Why was his territory so different from this person's?

After being brought here, Alex had also seen Noan's real face.

Noan had tossed him a few energy crystals and then left with Austin and Caleb for treatment.

Alex wanted to wander around and explore, but he sensed a mysterious presence watching him from the shadows, so he obediently stayed put.

He wasn't stupid.

The fact that Noan brought him here meant that Noan was far stronger than him and had no fear of whatever trouble Alex might cause.

Alex used the energy crystals Noan gave him to heal his wounds, and his power progression reached 64%.

Still, Alex didn't feel happy. On the contrary, he felt a sense of despair.

He had the feeling that no matter how much he leveled up, he'd never be able to catch up to Noan.

So he gave up on resisting and simply waited quietly.

Besides, staying here was a thousand times better than the blizzard outside—he had no desire to leave.

Alex followed behind the group to a large plaza. Noan sat in a chair, then signaled for Austin to come stand before him.

Everyone stayed put, except for Austin, who hobbled forward and bowed his head. "Master."

"Do you want to reconsider?" Noan asked with a frown. "If—"

"Master," Austin said quickly, cutting him off, "I've made up my mind. Even if I die, I won't regret it."

"I don't want to stay useless like this. I want to be stronger. I want to help my father, and you, even more."

Alex frowned and moved closer to Caleb. "What's he doing?"

"Shh!" Caleb motioned for Alex to lower his voice. "Keep it down. Master is giving Austin an opportunity."

"Opportunity?" Alex scratched his head, confused. "Is he going to restore Austin's arm?"

Caleb shook his head. "I don't know, but whatever fortuitous chance Master is offering, it's definitely not something ordinary."

Alex pursed his lips. Noan was strong—he admitted that. But that didn't mean Noan could do everything.

A severed arm being restored? That was just nonsense.

If that were possible, his own Master wouldn't have died.

Even someone with an SS-ranked talent like him, if his arm were chopped off, no matter how many energy crystals he absorbed, he couldn't regrow it.

That's why Alex figured Noan was just comforting Austin.

Of course, Noan had no idea what Alex and the others were thinking, nor did he care.

He was only interested in running an experiment.

What would happen if he granted the power of the Void to his human slave?

Noan opened the System interface and began operating it. Soon, a notification appeared before him.

🔔 [Ding! Do you want to grant Austin the authority to use Void energy?]

"Accept!"

🔔 [Ding! Transmitting Void energy usage rights to Austin.]

In that moment, Austin felt a strange energy invading his body.

A wave of excruciating pain swept through him.

"AAAA!!!" Austin collapsed to the ground, writhing like a worm.

He rolled and screamed in agony.

It felt as if every cell in his body was exploding, then regenerating, only to explode again.

The process repeated endlessly, every second, pushing him to the brink of unconsciousness with the pain. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

However, at that moment, Austin's willpower seemed to reach its peak. He clenched his teeth—even as they kept shattering and regrowing—and the unbearable pain did not make him give up.

On the contrary, he endured, refusing to surrender.

Alex, standing at a distance, was stunned by the sight. His earlier confidence and disdain toward Noan began to waver.

"Oy! Are you kidding me? Can he… can he actually help Austin recover?" Alex muttered, his voice full of disbelief.

Caleb, beside him, was equally shocked by what he saw.

He could clearly see Austin's body changing rapidly.

Layers of skin and flesh kept sloughing off onto the ground, dissolving into a puddle of black sludge, while new skin and muscle immediately formed in their place.

But just seconds later, the new flesh would peel away again.

This cycle continued, over and over. Just watching, Caleb could imagine how excruciating the process must be.

It was horrifying.

But what if Austin succeeded?

That's right—if Austin could endure it, if he survived, he would no longer be useless.

Caleb was filled with both worry and hope.

If Austin succeeded, then maybe he too would have a chance to evolve.

Noan, watching this scene, was not surprised.

Vylyss had received the power of the Void easily because she was already a monster, with many different energies within her body.

So, when she encountered a new energy, her body adapted to the Void extremely quickly.

Besides that, Vylyss's physical strength was tremendous.

Even though she was a monster who primarily used magic, her body was many times tougher than that of a normal human like Austin.

Returning to the present, Austin's screams faded. Now, only faint mewling sounds escaped his lips, like a kitten.

Noan let out a sigh, thinking to himself, 'Had he failed already?'