行尸走肉第3季

Ryan frowned. 'If Ravier has a planet owner, who could it be?'

Ryan's thoughts were inevitably drawn back to Grace's mother's words.

'If the Grand Empress of the Kheaweth Empire is the one who is responsible for the male's inferiority, that means she's not only a Master-Ranked cultivator, she was and most likely still is Ravier's strongest cultivator.'

"Can someone claim planet ownership over a planet that the heavens aren't a part of?" Ryan asked.

He knew that the Grand Empress didn't steal the ownership from someone else if one couldn't because the inability of males to cultivate had been present since the heavens first descended on this planet.

"No," Priya shook her head. "One cannot even enter a non-heavenly world unless it's some special case."

'This makes my plan for conquering the human empire even more impossible,' Ryan thought.

"Alright, thank you, Priya. Have a good training session," Ryan said before vanishing.

===

For the next few days, Ryan spent his time between training in the tower and trips to the BCN.

As he was heading into the Dawn Pavilion, he noticed a sign that hadn't been above the Pavilion yesterday that read [Dawn's Annual Dueling Tournament Sign-Up (Last Day)].

Confused, Ryan put on his mask and went inside, coming to the receptionist's desk.

"Hello, Sir- er," the receptionist who expected Ryan at this time started to say her usual line but stopped, seeing the genderless person standing before her.

"I'd like information on this tournament," Ryan said.

The woman nodded slowly. "Yes, of course, ma'am," the receptionist said, assuming Ryan was a female cultivator looking to participate.

"The tournament is our famous yearly event where all of the best swordsmen are invited from across Ravier to duel one another for a chance at winning an enormous prize."

"What exactly is the prize?" Ryan asked.

"It varies yearly, usually slightly more extravagant than last year. For example, last year, it was a pill that could instantly improve one's race rank by one level up to S-Rank."

'My race is a bit lacking right now, and I do have time to kill,' Ryan thought, deciding to give it a whirl.

As he signed up, the woman gave him details about the rules and schedule.

"Alright, since you're the only one participating at this location, you don't have to worry about coming directly at noon to be teleported to the independent space, but please be here by 12:30."

Nodding, Ryan left the establishment, returned a few minutes later without the mask, and went inside for his regular training.

===

After finishing at the BCN for the day, Ryan returned to his dorm room and then his palace before lying on his bed and pulling out a shiny stone.

'This had better have been worth it.'

After trying daily for almost a week, Ryan passed the knowledge test.

The answer to question two had been as he had expected, and the heavens had done it to save themselves.

That cued Ryan in on one of two possibilities.

Either the heavens weren't in control of the training tower's information, or the heavens didn't care/couldn't care if someone found out about the truth.

'I don't know which option I would prefer more, but I hope this memory stone was worth the hassle,' Ryan thought and activated the stone by pouring his energy into it.

*Whoosh*

His consciousness was flung through time and space and landed in what seemed like a completely new place—an arena packed with millions upon millions of spectators. The stadium was so big that the audience from the highest vantage point had a better view of the stars than the action.

But that didn't stop them from enjoying the show.

Each of these spectators had colossal power, at least compared to Ryan.

Although Ryan couldn't discern it from the vision, he instinctually knew these people were at least of the Master Rank!

'This is exactly what I needed to see,' Ryan thought, the tension in his body leaving him as he stared at the vast amount of powerful cultivators.

'I've been too worried about the Grand Empress, and her supposed abilities, that I've lost sight of the greater goal. Total domination.'

Since Ryan had awoken his bloodline and transferred to his Overlord's Constitution, the desire to conquer and dominate had only grown.

Ryan compared it to his first few curse attacks on Ravier, where he had no control. Although he had control over his body, the feeling of wanting to control this primal urge wasn't there in the least.

Instead, when he gave into the desire for power, he became stronger... and his desire for power grew.

It was an all-encompassing cycle of craving power, getting power, craving power, and getting it again.

The more he got, the more he wanted.

It was like a drug to Ryan that he couldn't stop taking.

"I just hope there aren't any side effects," Ryan muttered.

Focusing on the stage, Ryan saw two humanoid beasts as tall as mountains fighting each other inside the arena.

They had long horns protruding from their foreheads, glowing brightly before releasing bursts of fire at one another.

A strange battle ensued, with both creatures slamming each other with tremendous force.

The energy released from each blow caused the ground to tremble and shake, sending dust flying everywhere around them.

As they kept going at one another, they created cracks across the entire surface of the battlefield that made the stage look like it was ready to crumble into pieces.

However, as Ryan looked closer, he could tell it was just simulated damage, and the stage was still in pristine condition.

The techniques the two used were nothing short of barbaric as they continuously slammed into each other repeatedly.

As Ryan watched on, he was somehow gaining insight into their techniques.

The way their bodies clashed with each other, while it didn't seem on the surface as elegant, suddenly opened themselves up to Ryan, and he could see the truth.

The two were engaged in a dance of sorts, back and forth and side to side; they swayed in a rhythm of death and destruction, causing Ryan to become mesmerized.

For minutes Ryan stared transfixed at the battle dance before his eyes, only broken by the sounds of gongs clanging and the boo's of the crowds that signaled a tie.

Ryan, however, wasn't booing. Instead, he was in awe at the display he had just witnessed.

It was like reading a good book for the first time and being unable to take your eyes away for hours.

He only truly wakened up when a prompt filled his vision.

[Congratulations! You have gained the ability 'Dueling Tactics']

===

Waking up the following day, Ryan got dressed, showered, shaved, and finally dawned his cloak and mask as he made his way to the Dawn Pavilion.

He decided that after the tournament, he would return to the academy, as he had both business with the Duchess and a certain Lieutenant.

Entering the familiar Pavilion, the receptionist warmly greeted him and directed Ryan to a set of teleporters different from the BCN.

Seeing Ryan's quizzical look, the receptionist said, "The teleporters for the tournament have to be assembled each year and aren't like the BCN teleporters, which are active year-round."

Nodding, Ryan stepped through the portal and vanished from the receptionist's sight.

The receptionist sighed. "I hope she… at least I think it's a she," the receptionist said, tapping her chin. "I hope whatever they are, they do well. I would get some nice bonus money if they placed well," she said, licking her lips.

"Oh no! I forgot to tell her the most important part!" the receptionist exclaimed before sighing.

"Looks like I won't be getting any bonus money this year after all."