Unholy Player Chapter 517 Monarch of the Black and White

"Something is wrong here." Rhys's brow furrowed as he scanned the faces of his colleagues under the flickering lab lights, which cast a dim, uneven radiance across the chamber.

He recognized every one of them; these were faces he knew well.

Suspicion began to brew within him as he questioned, "How long have I been gone?"

Noticing the bewildered look in his eyes, Dr. Mara replied in a soothing tone to help ground him. "It has only been a week, Mr. Rhys."

She and the other researchers advanced with a sense of cautious urgency. The rustle of their suits and the soft thud of their boots echoed against the metallic flooring as they drew near.

Upon reaching Adyr’s slumped form, Dr. Mara began her examination. She pressed her gloved fingers against his neck to find a pulse while her other hand rested on his chest to monitor his breathing. "The pulse is there, though it's irregular. His breathing is shallow but steady. There are no signs of external trauma," she noted, her voice softening with visible relief.

The fact that he appeared significantly older was disturbing. Nevertheless, the confirmation of his survival gave the team a glimmer of hope to hold onto.

"Is someone going to tell me what happened?" Rhys demanded, even as a different group of researchers began inspecting his own body. Their visors tilted downward, meticulously searching for any details he might have overlooked.

Dr. Mara looked up, her eyes meeting his. "We were under the impression that you would be the one explaining the situation to us."

The research team had been left completely in the dark regarding the recent events.

After the Blood aura forced them to evacuate the room, the internal observation cameras had malfunctioned. The monitors had dissolved into distorted static, stripping them of any ability to monitor the interior.

Rhys hesitated before responding. He struggled to organize the frantic mess of his thoughts, trying to arrange his memories into a coherent timeline.

The AXION Path. The system notification. The fact that Adyr was named as the creator. These details, above all else, required careful consideration before he dared to speak of them.

However, before he could utter a single word, the attention of everyone in the room snapped toward the figure on the floor.

Adyr had begun to move. He pulled his arms inward and hauled himself upward, his movements sluggish as if his very joints were fighting against him.

Seeing this, the researchers rushed over to assist him into a sitting position. The sheer effort required for such a basic movement made it obvious that he had been drained to his very soul.

His massive, limp wings only complicated matters. The black and white feathers were splayed across the floor like heavy dead weight, making any movement look agonizing. Eventually, they managed to get him settled against the wall.

"Are you alright, Mr. Adyr?" Dr. Mara inquired, only removing her protective helmet once she was certain no toxins remained in the air. Adyr’s complexion remained devoid of life force. He still looked like a man in his forties, his skin marked by faint wrinkles that weren't there before. Even his eyes had changed; the crimson depths appeared far more muted than usual.

Despite his appearance, his voice remained steady. "I'm fine." His focus then shifted to Rhys, who was watching him with a look of pure bewilderment.

Adyr offered a small smile at the man's confusion. "Congratulations on awakening as a Practitioner."

Those words caused every researcher to turn their gaze toward Rhys. Their eyes shimmered with intense curiosity, and several leaned forward, hanging on his every breath.

"Did you truly awaken, Mr. Rhys?" Dr. Mara asked, unable to contain the question that was burning in the minds of her team.

If he had actually succeeded, it meant the serum was a success. Though the mechanics of how it worked remained a mystery, the outcome alone was enough to convince them that the formula for awakening had finally been perfected.

However, Rhys’s reply only served to confuse them further.

"Yeah, it seems I am a Practitioner now, but there is something strange about my Path." The researchers stood frozen, waiting for further explanation. Suddenly, a burst of sharp laughter rang out, drawing everyone's attention once more.

Adyr, who had seemed too weak to function moments ago, was now laughing so heartily that the others began to fear for his sanity.

"My apologies, I just read something quite amusing. Pay me no mind," he said, his eyes fixed on the empty air as if he were reading text visible only to him.

In reality, he was processing a flurry of system messages appearing one after another. [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 forced imposition of perfect balance across all conflicting concepts, permitting no dominance, deviation, or excess.

Effect: The power of any entity entering your Domain is reduced by fifty percent.

Adyr scanned the notifications. He was far too exhausted to fully grasp the implications, so he simply laughed, his mind lingering on the follower alert. "I appreciate the support with the follow," he chuckled, looking at Rhys as if the phrase were a hilarious joke.

Adyr himself wasn't entirely certain how he had produced such a Path. He also questioned if "creation" was the right term, given that the system still referred to it as a "Lost Path," implying it had existed in the distant past.

Regardless, he had achieved it while still a mortal. He had even managed to bring a follower into the fold. The sheer absurdity of the situation filled him with a strange, sharp amusement, and he laughed as if the notion of mocking the Gods was the height of comedy.

Rhys remained standing, too shocked to speak. He felt as though he had been drafted into a cult without his consent.

Before he could find his voice, Dr. Mara intervened, her scientific interest peaking. She glanced between Adyr’s wings and Rhys’s face, attempting to find a connection between these two impossible occurrences.

"What do you mean by 'the follow,' Mr. Adyr?" she asked before turning back to Rhys. "And what exactly is wrong with your Path?"

The research team was desperate for any scrap of information that could explain the reality of the situation.

Rhys sighed, deciding to satisfy their curiosity. "This man just invented a Path and dragged me in as his follower." He instinctively reached for his pocket, hoping to find his flask to calm his nerves, but he quickly remembered he was still clad in his bodysuit, the cold air biting at his skin.

Rhys wasn't necessarily unhappy. His life had been preserved, and he had every reason to be thankful to Adyr for his awakening as a Practitioner.

Nevertheless, the Path felt flawed or at least highly irregular, and that concern weighed heavily on him. The description stating it was authored by a mortal only increased his anxiety.

Based on everything he knew, every Path was the work of Gods. Now that he was tied to a Path made by a mortal, he wondered if he could even be considered a legitimate Practitioner. He simply didn't know.

Ultimately, Rhys sought power for the sake of his men. They needed strength. If this Path proved to be weak, then all his sacrifices would be meaningless.

While Rhys wrestled with his doubts and the researchers stared in stunned silence, Adyr composed himself and spoke softly.

"Why not take a look at what you've gained? You can pull up your status panel just by thinking about it. Just visualize a stat window or a character screen, something like that."

Adyr understood the source of the man's worry, so he encouraged him to check his attributes. It was the most direct way to confirm what he had actually acquired and whether he had truly ascended to the rank of Practitioner.

Adyr was also curious. He wanted to see if he could expand his influence by turning others into Practitioners. While the specific benefits of gaining followers were still unclear, he assumed it had to be advantageous. Rhys, acting on his instructions, nodded and focused his mind as if exercising a new muscle. Suddenly, a status panel materialized before him.

His expression tightened momentarily before shifting into one of pure shock. "Is this really what the status panel looks like for every player?"

He had read numerous reports regarding player interfaces, but his was distinctly different. He spotted several entries that, according to his research, shouldn't exist.

Dr. Mara moved quickly, pulling a pen and notepad from her pocket to hand to him. "Please, Mr. Rhys, record everything. Do not leave out a single detail." Rhys looked toward Adyr first. Since Adyr was the progenitor of this Path, Rhys felt he needed his consent before disclosing the data. After Adyr gave a small nod of approval, Rhys began to transcribe every detail visible on his status panel.