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C307 - Choose

Though Leonel could be considered to be a rich man now, he knew that he had to be cautious with how he used his skill points. Another Random Event wasn't going to come any time soon, especially since Leonel felt as though something was artificially accelerating these trials along. Whether it was how quickly the first Elimination Round came or the fact a Random Event was triggered at all, both were signs that these Merlin Trials just might not last as long as they had in the past.

All of these treasures seemed blinding to the eye, but Leonel knew well that they were practically useless to him. After he left this Zone, they would all disappear. So, wasting time on them was exactly that… a waste.

The only value this necklace had to him was in his Dream Sculpt ability. But, if he used all of these skill points, Leonel knew he would be able to unlock at least two of the four seasons. That kind of boost to his strength couldn't be looked down upon at all.

This seemed like a smarter choice, but Leonel hesitated again.

'370 slaughter points is so many… it would be quite literally impossible for me to gather this much again.'

Leonel wasn't wrong. There were only about 200 warriors that entered the trials this time around. By all logic, gathering this many again would be impossible unless another multiplier event was given. But, even if that did happen, there was no guarantee that Leonel would be the one to benefit this time. He had gotten lucky this time, but that didn't mean there would be a next time.

Plus, there was also the fact that Leonel couldn't run from the fact he almost died. Had he not reached the Standard Stage in thanks to Merlin's Recovery Rewards or had Lamorak not been a blunt weapon wielder, who knew how things might have turned out?

It seemed smarter to just wait. What if the exchange rate for slaughter points increased again to 10 000 to 1? If that happened, Leonel could clear his whole skill tree with ease.

Leonel took a deep breath.

This choice was definitely a difficult one.

Leonel looked down at the napping little mink in his arms. The little guy had gained a recovery reward through him, so his situation was much better than it had been in the past.

After a while, Leonel made a decision.

He converted 170 of his slaughter points into skill points. Then…

…

…

A menacing cold suddenly swept around Leonel and through his bones. He felt as though his whole world had been cast into an endless white filled with nothing but a chilling bite.

Leonel's gaze went blank for a moment.

'Artistic Conception…'

These words were whispered into his mind.

The universe was filled with all sorts of beautiful mysteries. The birth of a child, the budding of a flower, the rise of the sun… If one had to describe why each one of these was beautiful, it might be difficult to do.

This sort of clear but difficult to grasp, comprehend and describe beauty… This was Artistic Conception.

When one listened to a musical score. The feelings that welled up in the heart, the emotions that prayed on our deepest desires, the lurking memories that surged up from our subconscious… This was Artistic Conception.

This was where the strength of the Universe Cycles lay. Everyone could see the beauty in the seasons, but how many could capture them? How many could relay the beauty they saw to others? How many could make the Four Seasons their own?

A thin layer of frost began to form around Leonel, coating his hair and his brows while even turning his lips a vague shade of blue.

It was only after a long while that he awoke. But the look within his eyes seemed to have grown several levels deeper, as though there was unknown and unfathomable depths hidden within their pupils.

'So this is the Four Seasons Realm…'

Leonel was shocked. It wasn't by the power, but because of just how much the Four Seasons Realm reminded him of his Dreamscape Battle Sense.

It was a hard to describe feeling and even more difficult for Leonel to fully grasp. But, he felt like there was a thin, translucent line connecting the two that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

In fact… He vaguely felt that his Dreamscape Battle Sense was even a level more powerful.

If others heard Leonel's thoughts, they would think he was a madman. But, this was simply how he felt…

Of course, Leonel still knew that his Dreamscape Battle Sense was lacking in many expects. For example, the efficiency was too low, almost like a written code that used up too much of a computer's memory. An elegant piece of code and a complex one could both execute the same task, but the former would always be faster and less strenuous.

Leonel felt like he was in the same situation now. His Dreamscape Battle Sense was an excellent technique, but the organization of his skills was lacking. Due to this, it took too much of his Soul Force to pick out the perfect technique to respond with and as such, it drained him too quickly.

In addition to this, this was just 'Reliant Artistic Conception'. Leonel was relying on the comprehensions of someone else right now, so how could this possibly represent the true strength of the Four Seasons Realm?

Plus… Leonel didn't necessarily feel like he had to choose one or the other…

If his Dreamscape Battle Sense and his Universe Cycle comprehension could be fused into one… just what kind of monster would he become?

Leonel took a deep breath and left the Special Store.

To be continued

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