Re-Awakening: I Ascend with a Legendary class

Chapter 656: Exploring & Collecting, Troubling Obstacle

The Regalons did not slow after leaving the hall where the guardians had fallen.

The awakening of the Suryax Geneline still lingered in the air, a faint golden resonance that clung to every Suryax general now moving alongside them. Their presence had changed in a way that could not be mistaken. Their movements carried weight, their aura carried structure, and more importantly, their decks had stabilized into something far more refined and dangerous than before.

This time, the group advanced not as a force carrying weaker allies, but as a unified formation where every member could contribute meaningfully.

Rudra led from the front as before, but not alone. Silvester and Hiroshi moved alongside him, forming a sharp vanguard that constantly scanned and tested the path ahead. Marcus did not stay behind either. He moved between front and midline, stepping into openings whenever brute force was needed.

Almond did not remain fixed in position. He shifted fluidly across the battlefield, sometimes leading the strike, sometimes cutting off flanks, sometimes supporting where the pressure peaked. His Grimblades were not idle, and Grim Severam remained layered into the entire battlefield rather than isolating him from it.

Behind them, Natalia and Kayla maintained a constant field of control and reinforcement. Their powers intertwined naturally now, with Natalia stabilizing volatile zones and Kayla threading enhancements through those constructs to extend their effect and resilience.

Lily did not hold back her Dreadlings anymore. With the Suryax generals now empowered, she used her summons more aggressively, sending them ahead in waves to scout, disrupt, and absorb incoming threats. The Dreadling Monarchs moved independently, each carrying enough power to contest high tier threats on their own.

Maya operated like a silent blade moving through gaps in the battlefield with her weapons made of exotic ice, bearing powerful and refined effects that made her like an Assassin Mage.

She did not engage directly unless needed, but when she did, her strikes always landed where they mattered most.

The Spirit Lords advanced like anchored pillars of force, each of them stabilizing the formation while delivering heavy attacks that forced enemies to react.

The Suryax generals, newly awakened, did not lag behind. Their Geneline abilities manifested continuously, some forming weapon constructs, others generating layered sigils or fields that supported the group in different ways. Their presence filled the gaps that had previously existed.

The formation was complete.

They advanced deeper.

The ruins shifted again, and the next chamber they entered resembled something preserved rather than abandoned.

A vast enclosed gallery stretched before them, its walls lined with tall, intact frames that hovered slightly above the ground. Most of them were empty, their surfaces dim and inactive. But at the center stood one that radiated energy.

It pulsed faintly, drawing attention without needing to overwhelm.

The group slowed instinctively.

"That one," Natalia said quietly.

The frame was enormous, its borders crafted from a metallic material that shimmered faintly with layered patterns. Within it, the image was alive.

A humanoid construct stood depicted inside.

A mechanical entity, but not crude or rigid. Its design was fluid, almost artistic, with segmented metallic layers that shifted subtly as if responding to unseen inputs. Its wings extended behind it, not made of feathers but composed of overlapping energy panels that flickered with iridescent light.

The figure seemed to hover within the painting itself, its posture balanced between stillness and motion.

Then it moved.

Not fully.

But enough.

Its head turned slightly, its gaze aligning with the group. The wings flexed faintly, releasing thin ripples across the surface of the painting.

"It’s alive," Kayla said, her eyes narrowing.

Natalia blinked. "It’s pretty cool. Maybe we can use it."

Almond stepped forward without hesitation, but this time, he was not the only one reacting.

Silvester shifted to his side, Hiroshi slightly behind, Marcus ready to intercept if needed.

Maya circled to the flank.

The Spirit Lords held position, and the Suryax generals prepared their abilities.

Almond reached out.

The moment his hand touched the surface, the painting reacted.

A wave of energy expanded outward, not violent, but probing. It scanned him, then the others behind him. The robotic figure within the painting raised its arm slightly, as if acknowledging something.

Then the entire frame dissolved into light.

[Artifact Acquired: Painting of Rox-Tread | Tier-70]

The energy condensed and merged into Almond’s storage.

"Good," Rudra said, but his eyes were already moving forward. "We keep going."

They did not linger.

The next region changed completely.

The rigid structures of the ruins gave way to something organic.

A garden.

But not one shaped by nature alone.

The terrain spread outward in layered terraces, filled with glowing vegetation that pulsed with controlled energy. The water here was clearer, lighter, and infused with vitality.

Massive flowering plants rose from the ground, their petals releasing slow drifting particles of luminous pollen. Trees extended upward, their branches bearing fruits that glowed in distinct colors, each radiating a different type of power.

"This is not random growth," Natalia said. "This is cultivation."

Kayla nodded. "Maintained environment. Controlled output."

The group spread out, but not carelessly.

This time, multiple members took initiative.

Maya moved first, identifying the highest value resources and marking them. Her movements were efficient, wasting no time on lesser materials.

Silvester and Hiroshi handled extraction where precision was required, carefully removing fruits or flowers that reacted violently to improper handling.

Marcus handled the heavier growths, tearing through thicker stems and roots where brute force was needed, though more controlled than before.

Lily’s Dreadlings assisted in gathering and transporting resources, while the Monarchs guarded the perimeter.

Natalia and Kayla scanned each item, categorizing them instantly.

The Spirit Lords collected large quantities systematically.

The Suryax generals contributed actively, their new abilities allowing them to extract and stabilize resources that would have been dangerous to handle earlier.

Within half an hour, they secured a substantial amount of materials ranging from Tier-50 to Tier-90.

"Well, Ainen can cook more food with buffs now." Silvester chuckled.

"Given the length of this warfare event, we have to collect and secure powerful resources for buffs. Those will change the tide of battles." Rudra nodded.

"True. His buffs are kinda game changer." Almond nodded.

"Just like your Grim Blades and Spirits, Lily’s debuffs and Dreadlings, and senior Rudra’s extreme versatile combat and rule breakers." Natalia clicked her tongue. "X-rankers decks are built different."

After collecting the whole garden, the group continued moving.

The environment darkened.

The garden faded behind them, replaced by a harsher, more unstable region.

The inscriptions returned, but sharper, more aggressive.

The pressure increased immediately.

And then the monsters appeared.

Not scattered.

Not isolated.

Groups.

Tier-100.

The first wave surged toward them.

This time, the entire team responded.

Silvester and Hiroshi intercepted the front line, their strikes cutting through the leading creatures with precise, efficient movements.

Marcus followed with overwhelming force, breaking through clusters and creating openings.

Maya slipped through those openings, targeting cores and weak points with lethal precision.

The Spirit Lords unleashed wide, heavy attacks that forced the monsters to shift and regroup.

The Dreadling Monarchs clashed directly, holding multiple enemies at once.

The Suryax generals fought alongside them, their awakened Geneline powers manifesting as weapons, fields, and constructs that supported both offense and defense.

Natalia and Kayla maintained constant control, stabilizing the battlefield and preventing it from collapsing under the pressure of multiple Tier-100 entities.

Almond fought at the center of it all.

His Grimblades moved continuously, each strike carrying layered effects that weakened enemies while dealing heavy damage. Grim Severam remained active, not restricting him, but enhancing the team’s survivability by reducing the monsters’ overwhelming edge.

The battle intensified as they advanced.

But then the numbers increased.

More Tier-100 monsters emerged.

From ahead.

From the sides.

From behind.

"They’re not random," Hiroshi said. "They’re concentrated here."

"This is a deeper layer," Rudra replied.

They pushed forward regardless.

And then they found it.

A smaller chamber.

At its center floated a complex projection.

A three dimensional schematic formed from intersecting lines of energy, constantly shifting and recalculating itself.

"Blueprint," Natalia said instantly.

"High tier," Kayla added.

Almond moved forward, but this time, the others held the line.

Silvester, Hiroshi, and Marcus blocked incoming monsters.

Maya eliminated those that slipped through.

The Spirit Lords and Monarchs reinforced the defense.

The Suryax generals supported from all angles.

Almond touched the projection.

It stabilized.

Then transferred.

[Blueprint Acquired: Darkin Micro Holistic Weapon System | Tier-95]

The moment it completed, the pressure spiked.

A massive surge of Tier-100 monsters appeared.

More than before.

Far more.

The formation strained instantly.

One Spirit Lord was torn apart.

A general followed.

They revived.

But the delay mattered.

The attacks became denser.

Harder to intercept.

Even Almond felt it.

This was beyond sustainable.

Rudra did not hesitate.

"We retreat."

No one argued.

The entire formation shifted instantly.

They did not run blindly.

They withdrew while fighting.

Layer by layer.

Holding structure.

Covering each other.

Almond remained active, cutting through incoming threats while maintaining Grim Severam.

But even he understood the limit.

Going deeper would break them.

Even with resurrection.

Even with everything they had.

They pulled back until the pressure decreased.

Until the monsters thinned.

Until the environment stabilized.

Only then did they stop.

"What the hell was that?" Natalia heart was beating wildly. "I saw Almond barely escaping that attack. Dude, if you had died, we’d been over."

"Yeah, we can’t explore further for now." Almond wryly smiled, wiping off the sweat. "Too many Tier-100 monsters in that area."

Rudran nodded. "Yeah. Let’s go search other sections and do some probs."

"You mean clash with others?" Hiroshi raised his eyebrows. "I don’t oppose it at all."

"Mhmm, we can have some exchange of moves." Marcus cracked his knucles.

"We also have some crude intel on people here brought by Spirit Lords and those Asura Executives. Let’s verify and bolster it." Almond smiled.

"From now on, we will act with long-term strategies in mind with the goal being victory in this event. Serious battle here has too much implication that can annihilate us." Rudra said. "So if possible, we’ll launch a swift and sneaky attack to capture one or two people of whatever team we clash against. They can be used has bargaining chips."