Chapter 145.2: Calculation

Chapter 145.2: Calculation

So, I thought to Index, in that, uh, purely hypothetical scenario, Inclusive Bond would be completely redundant. Um, hypothetically, how long would it take for us to get to that point? Would it require a specific Tribute to be given so she evolves again? Or would it need to be a certain Bond Rank? Or does she just need to reach a specific Level, or something?

“Mmmm,” Index sighed. “I don’t think I can tell you that...huh. Okay, so you won’t need to do anything obscure. It won’t be some extremely rare Tribute, or anything like that. You just...agh. You won’t regret it. Obviously there would be some specific differences in utility between the Inclusive and the, uh, other thing. But I do think you’d consider the basic overlap to be large enough for it to effectively be a waste of an Upgrade here. You can imagine it as sort of...sharing a pool of memories. They transmit theirs to you before Time Loop, then after, you transmit their own memories back to them, and it’s like nothing happened.”

I nodded, trying to go over this new piece of information. If I could get the same major effects of Inclusive Loop without needing to use an Upgrade on it, that would be huge. And, technically, it wouldn’t even necessarily need to just be between me, Ainash, and Erani. Presumably, anyone who got added to the Bond would be able to share memories, too.

The more I considered it, the more I leaned in favor of the Bond method. It would take a bit of extra work to get going, but it would effectively give me that entire Time Loop Upgrade for free. How could I pass that up?The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.

So, Recycled Loop was the choice there. Next, Talents. Cumulative Catastrophe or Future Sight was the main choice I needed to make here—Index recommended the third option, Spatial Flux, but I didn’t think it was really correct in that instance, unlike its actually helpful advice with my Upgrade.

“Rude,” Index said.

After having some time to mull it over, I found myself leaning toward Cumulative Catastrophe over Future Sight. Future sight was cool, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like that single second didn’t matter as much as I felt like it did. It was just so restrictive, whereas Cumulative Catastrophe would be absolutely phenomenal in fights against powerful opponents. I’d constantly found myself matched up with monsters, Demons, people that were way stronger than I was. And in those circumstances, having this Talent to slowly ramp up my own power to match theirs would be completely backbreaking for them.

When I thought about having something like Future Sight in a fight against, say, someone on the Level of Xhag’duul, it would effectively do nothing. What good was knowing I’d get punched a second in advance when they were fast enough to hit me regardless of me dodging or not? What good was it knowing I’d be ambushed a second in advance when, either way, I’d be taking enough damage to cap out from Dark Plate? It simply wouldn’t matter in that sort of fight. Whereas Cumulative Catastrophe could eventually build up my damage, Stamina, and Stat drains to put me in a winning scenario. Even if it was unlikely, giving me some sort of a chance against those enemies was much better than giving me none at all.

And so I needed to gather that power with every day of my life. Like I’d said before, I was moving from defense to offense here. I had to make myself able to fight back and tear through the pits of the hells, starting now.

You have obtained the Talent Cumulative Catastrophe.

Time Loop has gained the Upgrade Recycled Loop.

You have used 6 Stat Points to increase Conjuration.

Your Conjuration value is now 118.

With my new powers assigned, I opened my eyes. Next up was this interrogation that the guards wanted to do with me, and I’d want to be in peak condition if anything went wrong with that. We had a plan, sure, but it wasn’t exactly perfect. And if these guys were high-enough Level to guard such a dangerous canyon, I knew I didn’t want to get mixed up with them.

Bon looked over at me. “You ready to answer some questions?”

“Yep,” I nodded. “I’m ready.”