Unholy Player Chapter 538 Henry's Marketing Strategy

Henry couldn't shake the bitter thought that he was truly attempting to elevate Adyr to actual godhood, the notion feeling utterly off even in his mind, as he finally realized just how ridiculous it all seemed.

Still, he pressed on with the effort right here and now, under the watchful eyes of four Rank 4 Practitioners, while Rhys stood there embodying a blatant paradox. Hesitation was a luxury he simply couldn't indulge in.

Just a few months back, their aim had been to turn Adyr into a hero, a beacon of hope and might for all of Humanity.

But circumstances had shifted so wildly that the original scheme had morphed into pure madness. They had leaped straight from crafting a hero to forging a God, as though the world had bypassed countless stages and challenged them to catch up.

Their time was evolving at a breakneck speed.

It started with the global war that wiped Earth's slate clean. Next arrived the ascension era, where Humanity crafted mutation serums. That led to explosive building and tech advances. Then the unveiling of a fresh world. Now, they were adapting to a reality centered on Gods—a term that once screamed superstition but now lodged in their thoughts as undeniable truth.

The whole sequence struck everyone as dreamlike. Yet it progressed with eerie smoothness. One breakthrough followed another seamlessly, offering no pause for reflection. It seemed as if the entire saga hurtled toward an organic, inescapable conclusion. Some unseen force steered and molded events toward a fixed fate, accelerating whenever they sought to ease the momentum. "I feel like I'm missing something important." Arvyn's robust, dark features brimmed with inquiries. Her vivid crimson gaze sharpened with concentration as she fixed it on Rhys instead of Henry. "Why does this guy give off a Blood Path vibe? Could you clarify that for me?"

Her thirst for knowledge wasn't the only driver. Liora and Zephan yearned just as fiercely to grasp the truth unfolding, their focus locked on Rhys's form with the urgency they'd reserve for a deadly foe on the field.

Up to this point, they'd assumed Adyr pursued at least three Paths, yet now doubt crept in that they'd misjudged entirely, and that unease gnawed at their hearts.

"Well, that's to be expected." Henry replied with a chuckle, though his voice remained straightforward, as if stating the plain obvious. "But it shouldn't just be a Blood Path sensation you're picking up from him."

His statement held a subtle enigma, yet the four Rank 4 Practitioners seized the hint without delay. Their faces altered in subtle, restrained manners as they reassessed the scene before them.

Zephan's gaze tightened a bit as he examined Rhys's physique more intently. He observed his bearing and each sinew beneath the white attire. He noted the strain in his pose and the faint solidity in his build, attempting to gauge the reality. Then he whispered, "Does he possess the [Will] stat too?"

He glanced at Henry's hologram for validation, and upon spotting the affirmative gesture, astonishment struck him fiercely and without warning, confirming his gut feelings hadn't deceived him.

Yet that revelation wasn't the full story.

"And [Physique] as well, I suppose?" Liora ventured this time, spotting the indicators etched into his frame, the manner in which his form bore mass and potency beyond simple drills.

She lacked certainty. She posed the question merely to verify. But upon witnessing Henry's nod in her direction too, a fresh surge of surprise swept the group. This one hit harder since it began outlining a clear design.

[Vigor], [Will], and [Physique] formed three distinct stats, each embodying the essence of separate gods on their own, and such elements weren't designed to merge within a single individual.

Thus, discovering that one form harbored all three varieties of might was sufficient to unsettle their thoughts and spark the identical query.

How?

Blood Path adherents typically held two stats, but those followed a straightforward, distasteful rationale they'd long since embraced.

Prior to embracing the Blood Path, each had adhered to some other Path, so once corrupted, they acquired the additional stat, [Vigor], atop the one from their former allegiance, akin to an indelible blemish.

Rhys's situation diverged sharply, however. Based on their knowledge, he had emerged with three stats right from the beginning, innate and pure, free of any corruption or prior Path to account for the surplus strength.

Even so, their viewpoints remained too limited to perceive that Rhys concealed even greater depths beyond their suspicions, for this alone already strained the boundaries of their convictions regarding Paths.

Noticing the mood tilting his way, Henry chose to disclose further details. "Beyond those, he also possesses [Resilience] and [Sense], in case that's your next question. Plus, he can wield Sparks from the remaining Paths."

He had slipped into the role of a savvy promoter. He was pitching the AXION Path. He outlined its full potential and the rewards awaiting those who switched allegiances. He selected his words with precision, scanning their reactions for any openings.

And with their features radiating disbelief, he knew his approach succeeded, for even these seasoned fighters couldn't conceal the ramifications.

Commanding all five stats stood as a staggering feat by itself, signifying that Rhys embodied the fused might of five distinct Gods—a lone vessel containing what ought to span whole species.

Moreover, his capacity to employ Sparks from every other Path rendered it akin to foul play, as if some regulation had shattered and the exploit's source eluded all.

This held particular weight for Blood Path Practitioners, since they could merely employ Blood Path Sparks crafted by their leaders via bloodline gifts.

They couldn't even access Sparks from their earlier Paths.

Arvyn's interest surged profoundly upon absorbing these perks, her initial bewilderment evolving into keen intrigue. "May I inquire about this Path's name and its core essence?"

Unlike Kaelor, whose enrollment in the Blood Sect stemmed from a profound urge to rescue his endangered race, bearing that anguish as an enduring scar, she lacked such lofty aims.

She had aligned with the sect and shifted to the Blood Path driven solely by her craving for strength and her innate defiance of the established regime, a raw ambition requiring no virtuous excuse.

Thus, encountering a Path this overwhelmingly advantageous ignited in her the sense that, should opportunities align, she'd pursue it herself, as it delivered precisely what she prized.

After all, she'd altered her Path once before, so a second switch couldn't sting much, could it?

Henry noted their engagement, and a wave of ease washed over him. His bold move was yielding results without rebounding. For the first time during this interaction, he sensed a genuine route ahead.

Arvyn and Kaelor proved particularly receptive, having dismissed notions of sacrilege or primary Paths from the outset, which rendered them simpler to sway.

The absence of overt frowns from Zephan and Liora suggested to him that they too might embrace the AXION Path, albeit for varied reasons.

Henry addressed them. "Regrettably, I can't disclose the name just yet, since you must prove worthy of that knowledge."

He remained uncertain about repercussions from sharing the name, so he withheld it, guarding that last element tightly.

"As for its representation, I can offer you a single word to capture it." He paused for several moments to heighten the anticipation and suspense, allowing the quiet to draw them deeper.

Then, in a weighty tone, he declared, "Balance."

And at last, upon hearing the Path's defining trait, Liora and Zephan's expressions transformed abruptly. Not through surprise this time, but through sudden insight, as if a concealed link had surfaced.

They exchanged glances, comprehension dawning across their visages.

Thus far, Adyr's disclosures about his objectives and endeavors in the Outer Region had been straightforward: his actions would uplift the locals as well.

And now, they at last discerned the mechanism.

The domain they inhabited had endured as the frailest among peers, overlooked and marginalized.

Even the dominant groups here—the Lunari, the Gorathim, and the Umbraen prior to their downfall—remained trapped in endless strife. They lacked the leisure or cohesion to amass sufficient might to bolster the area and elevate it.

However, now armed with insight into the Path Adyr had introduced and its embodiment of balance, they started to envision possibilities they'd never before seized.