Unholy Player-Chapter 178: Stat Increase

While all the practitioners have been shaken to their core, emotions raging and disbelief consuming them after discovering their race was actually an elder one, Adyr remained silent, quietly savoring the irony.

In his previous life, he had worn countless masks and fabricated entire identities. From a police officer upholding public trust to a politician who wrote those laws, from a surgeon who healed the sick to a pilot guiding hundreds through the skies—he had played every role, deceived every gaze.

But this? Convincing someone he was their ancestor? That was a completely new experience, and he found himself enjoying it.

What’s next—they call me father? The thought made him want to chuckle.

"Lady Liora," Lucen began in his usual flat, serious tone, "this changes everything. We need to reevaluate all of this."

Mirela spoke up immediately, leaning forward as sunlight caught her multicolored hair and painted shimmering rainbows across her features. "Of course we do. Why are records of Velari history so limited? Being pure-blood Velari, shouldn’t we ensure the lineage continues? I mean... there hasn’t been a single example in thousands of years. Maybe someone like him ought to have children to preserve the bloodline."

As she spoke, her gaze found Adyr for a heartbeat before she quickly glanced away, a faint blush coloring her smooth, bronze cheeks.

Liora ignored her sister and nodded solemnly at Lucen, her expression just as grave. Then she turned to Adyr. "Carrying the blood of an elder race, with a bloodline talent, will open many doors for you. But you must also be careful. Keep this to yourself as much as you can."

Adyr acknowledged her words with a slight nod.

In a world where four gods were worshipped without question, for someone to descend from a god-touched bloodline was bound to draw immense attention—and most likely grant him royal privileges wherever he went.

Yet he knew better than to assume that was a blessing. Even in his past life, emperors and monarchs fell to political intrigue and assassination as often as they claimed power. Being important was just another way of becoming a target.

"What about the upcoming Legacy Domain event? It can be very dangerous." Malrik, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke after digesting everything.

He and Adyr had planned to enter the Domain together, but now that they understood who Adyr truly was, the situation felt different.

It wasn’t only the danger of the event—it was the risk to the one walking into it. Malrik was a Rank 2 practitioner with a respected place among the Velari, but Adyr was something else entirely. Even his continued existence mattered to the future of their entire race.

Liora nodded. "The Legacy Domain’s owner may be long dead, but it still once belonged to a Rank 5 Adept. That means its interior will contain dangerous, powerful entities—and even Sparks. Other participants from rival races and kingdoms will be there as well. Conflict is inevitable."

Her gaze shifted back to Adyr. "But it’s up to you whether you go or not. Whatever your bloodline may be, you’re one of us. We’ll do everything we can to help you, but this is your choice alone."

Adyr almost felt moved by her words. Almost—as if he could experience emotions like an ordinary person.

Liora and the others were Astra Path practitioners and Velari by birth, a warm-blooded people who wore their hearts on their sleeves. That softness was a rarity to him. That his first encounter after entering the game was with such people was a stroke of luck—he had likely spent most of his fortune here already.

"I will go," Adyr replied without hesitation.

The danger waiting there stirred excitement rather than unease—he was never one to seek a quiet, retired life.

He didn’t yet know what opportunities awaited him, but it was certain that something there would help him grow stronger. At worst, he might find a few valuable Sparks.

After his recent expenses, only slightly more than a hundred energy crystals remained, and he would need to replenish his reserves soon.

Having spent 6,000 level-2 crystals, he doubted Liora and the others had much wealth left either. They had been battling Colossith, a Rank 4 Spark, for years, and it seemed they’d drained whatever resources they had in that time.

Hearing his answer, Liora gave a bitter smile. "Okay."

Neither she nor the others questioned his decision; instead, they looked at him warmly and with respect.

Choosing a dangerous path instead of a safe one only showed how brave he was—the true face of their Ancestor Bloodline.

"A Velari never flees from hardship," Lucen said, the one who most accepted Adyr’s answer. A rare smile appeared on his face. Strangely, he already seemed to believe that Adyr truly represented the entire Velari race.

Mirela was especially affected. Her rainbow-hued eyes brightened, and a deeper blush colored her bronze skin. "We absolutely need to continue our pure-blood lineage," she said. novelbuddy-cσ๓

Adyr glanced at her and couldn’t help a quiet chuckle. Sorry, but any child born would be far from pure-blood—more like a human-Velari hybrid.

—

While Adyr maintained his misunderstanding with the Velari practitioners, his Earth body continued sparring with Rhys a little longer.

After demonstrating his newly acquired Presence, he suppressed it entirely and resumed the spar as if nothing had changed.

His goal was to raise his [Sword Art of Existence] from Level 1 to Level 2, but even after a long session, progress was minimal. He realized reaching Level 2 was still far off.

Maybe increasing my [Sense] and [Will] stats would help, Adyr thought.

Acquiring a talent usually depended on a person’s aptitude and how quickly they could grasp its essence.

Not everyone could play the drums—it took coordinated hands, which not all people had.

And not everyone could become a sculptor. That required creativity, patience, and a strong sense of perspective.

Adyr could advance his swordsmanship by raising his [Sense] stat, sharpening his perceptions, and deepening his awareness of himself and his surroundings. Likewise, by improving his [Will] stat, he would gain greater control over his movements and see his flaws more clearly.

This was another advantage of having all four stats. Whenever he hit a bottleneck, he could simply raise his stats enough to help him grasp the talent he was working on and shift his progress from stagnation back into motion.

Maybe it wouldn’t instantly push a talent to Level 2, but even keeping the progress going was more than enough.

With that in mind, he opened his stat panel and looked at the 95 points he had accumulated.

First, he put 25 into [Sense] to help him sharpen his perception. It would also benefit the other talents he planned to raise to Level 3.

Next, he allocated 30 to [Will]. Given that the Sparks he had recently acquired would give him a 30% boost there as well, it was the most efficient choice.

He considered putting some into [Resilience], too—especially since it also had a 30% bonus—but decided to hold on to the remaining 40 free points for now. Finally, he glanced at the updated character panel to review the latest changes.

His current stats looked much more satisfying.

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