Unholy Player Chapter 517 Monarch of the Black and White

"This place feels off." Rhys furrowed his brow, glancing over the expressions of the fellow scientists beneath the handful of flickering lab lamps that managed to stay lit, throwing a faint, patchy light over the chamber.

All of them were people he recognized well. He was acquainted with every single one.

A sense of doubt rose within him as he inquired, "How much time has passed since I vanished?"

Dr. Mara noticed the bewilderment in his stare and replied steadily, softening the haze of his bewilderment. "Just a single week, Mr. Rhys."

She along with the rest of the team advanced with caution yet haste. The sounds of their footwear and clothing rustling softly against the steel surface echoed as they approached.

Dr. Mara arrived at Adyr's form and inspected him closely. Her covered fingers located his heartbeat along his throat while her opposite hand rested gently on his torso, tracking the subtle ups and downs. "Heartbeat detected, though unsteady. Breathing remains light but steady. No visible injuries." A touch of ease entered her tone.

His aged appearance now carried an eerie vibe. Yet, the assurance of his survival offered them a vital anchor.

"Will anyone tell me exactly what went down?" Rhys demanded, permitting another set of scientists to scan his physique. Their face shields angled downward as they searched for details he might have overlooked.

Dr. Mara raised her chin and locked eyes with him. "Truth is, we were counting on you to shed light on the events."

The scientists remained utterly in the dark regarding the occurrences inside.

Once they evacuated due to the Blood aura, the monitoring devices within had malfunctioned as well. The displays filled with distorted noise, cutting off any chance to collect data from the interior.

Rhys hesitated prior to responding. He worked to calm the turmoil in his mind and align his recollections into a coherent sequence.

The AXION Path. The interface alert. Adyr's designation as its originator. Above all, that element required cautious consideration before uttering it.

Yet prior to any utterance, the focus of the group shifted abruptly to the figure sprawled on the ground.

Adyr commenced stirring. He pulled his limbs close and lifted himself from the surface, moving slowly as if his limbs protested every inch.

The team rushed over the instant they spotted the motion and assisted him into a seated position. The effort he exerted for such a basic action revealed that the ordeal had sapped his very essence.

His enormous, limp wings only compounded the difficulty. Feathers in shades of ebony and ivory lay scattered like heavy burdens, and even adjusting them seemed utterly taxing. Nevertheless, they guided him to lean against the barrier.

"Are you alright, Mr. Adyr?" Dr. Mara questioned, shedding her safety helmet merely after confirming the atmosphere held no toxic remnants. Adyr's features appeared utterly depleted of vitality. He still bore the look of a man in his forties, marked by subtle lines absent earlier. His gaze had altered as well, the red depths now lacking their former intensity.

However, his tone remained composed. "I'm okay." His eyes then settled on Rhys, who regarded him with evident puzzlement etched on his features.

Adyr grinned at that look. "Well done on becoming a Practitioner."

Upon hearing that, the entire team's focus turned to Rhys. Their stares gleamed with eagerness and thrill, several inching closer as though fearing to overlook his slightest reaction.

"Have you actually awakened, Mr. Rhys?" Dr. Mara failed to contain her inquisitiveness. She expressed the burning query shared by her peers.

Should his success prove real, the serum had succeeded. They lacked understanding of its mechanism, but the outcome sufficed to convince them they had devised the ideal mixture for inducing awakenings.

However, Rhys's reply merely amplified their bewilderment.

"Yes, it seems I'm a Practitioner at last, though my Path feels strange somehow." The scientists froze, eager for his elaboration. Then a sudden burst of laughter sliced through the space, drawing all glances once more.

Adyr, who had appeared scarcely capable of motion earlier, now chuckled with such abandon that the group pondered if sanity was slipping from his grasp.

"Apologies, apologies, I came across something amusing. Ignore me." He uttered the words while fixating on an unseen point in the void, his vision fixed as if deciphering text etched invisibly, perceptible solely to his sight.

Indeed, he was absorbing a cascade of interface notifications flooding in succession. [Congratulations. You have successfully created one of the lost Paths: AXION.] [Congratulations. You have gained a follower for your Path: Rhys Graves.]

[You have earned the honorific title: Monarch of the Black and White.] [Your Sanctuary evolved into a God Domain: The Hollow of Black and White.] [You have awakened a God Domain: Absolute Equilibrium.]

Absolute Equilibrium: The enforcement of flawless balance across all opposing concepts, allowing no dominance, deviation, or excess.

Effect: Any existence that enters your Domain has its power reduced by half.

Adyr absorbed every notification. Exhaustion prevented full comprehension, so he merely chuckled, lingering on the follower alert. "Thanks for the follow in support." He chortled once more, eyeing Rhys, as if the notion struck him as delightfully ridiculous.

Adyr remained uncertain about forging such a Path. Nor was he clear if it qualified as true "creation" given its tag as a "Lost Path," suggesting ancient origins.

But in the end, as a mere human, he had achieved it. He had drawn in a devotee besides. The sheer ridiculousness ignited a piercing, inexplicable mirth within, and he laughed as though deriding deities was the height of comedy.

Rhys remained rooted, speechless from shock. It was as if he had been drafted into a sect against his will.

Before regaining composure, Dr. Mara interjected, her intrigue burgeoning. Her sight darted from Adyr's appendages to Rhys's countenance, attempting to link two baffling elements.

"What exactly do you mean by the follow, Mr. Adyr?" She regarded him, then pivoted to Rhys. "And what's the issue with your Path?"

She and her colleagues yearned to grasp the true nature of events.

Rhys exhaled deeply and addressed their eagerness partially. "This guy just forged a Path and dragged me in as his follower." His fingers automatically reached for his hip flask to calm his nerves, only to recall he wore the tight suit, chill air pressing against his flesh.

Rhys harbored no despair. His existence had been preserved, and achieving Practitioner status gave ample cause for gratitude toward Adyr.

Even so, the Path struck him as flawed or unconventional, and that concern coiled tighter in his core. Its origin from a human only heightened the unease.

From what he understood, all Paths stemmed from Gods. Yet now, pledging to one born of a mortal—did that make him a legitimate Practitioner? Uncertainty lingered.

Ultimately, Rhys sought strength for his troops. They required empowerment. Should this Path prove feeble, his labors would amount to naught.

As Rhys pondered the path ahead and the scientists gaped in astonished quiet between the pair, Adyr curbed his mirth and murmured softly.

"Why not examine your new acquisitions? Access your stat screen by mere intent. Visualize a status panel or character sheet, along those lines."

Adyr discerned the root of his unease, thus urging a stats review. It offered the quickest glimpse into his true gains and confirmation of genuine Practitioner status.

Adyr felt intrigue as well. He wondered if converting others to Practitioners could yield more adherents. Though unclear on follower perks, they surely promised advantages. Rhys, still utterly novice, assented. He concentrated, akin to flexing an unfamiliar limb. Abruptly, the stat display materialized before him.

His expression creased initially, then morphed to astonishment. "Does every player's stat panel appear like this?"

Although familiar with descriptions of others' interfaces, his held peculiarities. He spotted elements that, by his reckoning, ought not to exist.

Dr. Mara swiftly retrieved a notebook and writing tool from her attire and offered them. "Kindly, Mr. Rhys, record it all. Omit nothing." Rhys glanced at Adyr initially. As Path master, Adyr's consent was essential for disclosure. Upon the affirming gesture, he began transcribing the full contents of his stat panel.