Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener

"I didn't expect the power of Ancient One's blood to be so useful. I can actually sense Boris' emotions and thoughts!" Sterl reflected on the ability's effect.

[You have acquired the bloodline of the Ancient One. You will have a natural affinity for cosmic powers from the Outer Universe series, and you can use all skills within the Ancient One System, except for exclusive abilities (once learned).

Each of your attacks will cause a mental check for your opponent. If they fail the check, there is a chance they will be permanently marked with the

followers

imprint. Depending on the effects of your

followers

imprint, they will experience various influences (this skill can be activated or not).

If your current information is disguised, your opponent will be unable to read it. If it is in its true state, your opponent must perform a mental check when trying to read it. If they fail, they will fall into a madness that directly affects their soul and cannot be removed. Units killed because of this madness will transfer their experience to you.]

Clearly, the reason he had such an experience was due to the second effect of the Ancient One's blood. Every time he attacked, it triggered a mental check, and if the check failed, the opponent would be permanently branded with the

followers

imprint.

During their previous battle, although he only made one move that directly defeated Boris, his mental attributes were clearly superior to Boris'—especially given his

ascend to godhood

status and various amplification powers. Moreover, the fear induced by being crushed by Sterl had enhanced the effect. As a result, the

followers

imprint had been successfully activated, and Boris had no idea. He was completely unaware that he had been branded by Sterl's imprint. With just a thought, Sterl could activate the imprint and make him his slave!

"Interesting, I didn't think even gods could be controlled!" Sterl couldn't help but feel excited. He had previously underestimated the power of this ability. Then, he carefully examined the unique effects of the

followers

imprint.

"An unbreakable disguise, the ability to bestow followers with the powers I possess, and followers will have absolute loyalty to me!"

When he saw the last effect, Sterl's spirits lifted. This ability was insanely powerful. In essence, the

followers

imprint was like a weakened version of the

deputy star

—but without the reciprocal benefits to him.

However, it could perfectly solve the issue of insufficient strength in his ranks because the

followers

imprint worked even on gods. He could easily use this ability to enslave a whole legion of gods!

With that thought, a glimmer of brilliance flashed in Sterl's eyes. The feasibility of this plan was very high because the method of marking was so subtle. As long as someone had fought with him and been hit by his attacks, they would undergo a mental check. Perhaps once or twice wouldn't be enough, but what if it were hundreds of checks over time?

Even gods, with their mental fortitude, couldn't maintain peak conditions all the time. Once they let their guard down even a little, they would be marked by the Ancient One's blood and branded with his

followers

imprint, a mark that could never be erased!

He then felt further, and to his shock, he discovered that even Diana's body had his

followers

imprint on it!

"..."

Sterl was a little stunned. Could it be that even a powerful physical impact could be considered an attack?

But upon further thought, considering his own strength and the shockwave he could generate, it did make sense that, for Diana, it would be a form of both physical and mental damage. Moreover, Sterl was extremely fast, and at the peak of his excitement, just a moment of impact could trigger hundreds of these checks. If Diana weren't a goddess, she would have already been thoroughly dominated, but even so, she couldn't escape being branded with the

followers

imprint.

It could only be said that the evolution of the Ancient One's bloodline,

modified

to its ultimate form, was truly monstrous.

Thankfully, as long as the

followers

imprint wasn't activated, it had no effect on those who bore it, and they couldn't detect it. Otherwise, Sterl was already considering how to shield himself from this ability. After all, he didn't want to accidentally turn Linna, Rayna, or anyone close to him into his

followers

while being intimate with them.

"This is just too strong..." he muttered to himself.

While sensing the swirling hatred within Boris' heart, Sterl's gaze shifted to the other gods in the room.

"Ancient One's blood also grants a disguise ability that can never be seen through. If I use this ability to completely mask my aura and assume a new identity, then..."

A grand plan began to take shape in his mind. Right now, he desperately needed a group of powerful subordinates to help him shoulder the coming calamity and the pressure from Orichalcum and the native Ashen factions. But training followers and subordinates slowly would take too long, even with the help of Ancient One's blood.

So, his gaze turned toward the gods. If these gods could be made to serve him, they would be the perfect ready-made assets.

With the abilities granted by the Ancient One's blood, this idea had a very real chance of success.

Once again, his gaze fell on Boris, his eyes flickering with contemplation. Using Boris as a conduit, it might allow him to

kill two birds with one stone

.

"Since you resent all of this so much, why not destroy it yourself?"

Suddenly, Boris' gaze shifted, and he found himself staring directly at Sterl, whose eyes were fixed on him with an intense, piercing look. At that moment, Boris' entire body trembled, a chill rising from his heart as though something terribly frightening was about to happen. But the source of this feeling, he couldn't pinpoint.

"Did Hades see through my thoughts? No! That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Boris quickly lowered his head, unable to meet Sterl's gaze. After their last battle, he had been left with deep psychological scars. The defeat had shattered him—his battle spirit and dignity obliterated. What he didn't know, however, was that the pitiable fool had already become the target of Sterl's watchful eyes.

"Well, if no one has any objections, let's begin."

"The ultimate victory will belong to the Orichalcum Kingdom! This world will be bathed in the glorious light of Orichalcum!"

After making the necessary arrangements for everyone's roles, Eterna spoke excitedly, as if he could already foresee the Orichalcum Kingdom's complete triumph over Ashen, wiping out all the native factions and ultimately dominating the entire world.

But at that moment, Sterl's expression shifted slightly, a barely noticeable surprise flickering across his face.

Thanks to the map module, he essentially had access to an infinite view of the entire world. Everything happening across the globe was now within his reach, and just now, he had discovered that Ashen and the other native forces were also planning to use their Shielding Power to strike at Orichalcum once again!

Both sides seemed to be on the same page. Orichalcum, taking advantage of Ashen's ignorance and hesitation, intended to press the advantage while Ashen's native factions had another plan altogether.

As they withdrew their front-line legions and shrank their territorial scope, they had noticed that for several days, Orichalcum made no move. This unexpected calmness had allowed their anxious minds to settle.

They became increasingly convinced that Orichalcum was simply bluffing. If Orichalcum truly had any powerful trump cards, or the means to break their Shielding Power, they would have already launched an attack. The fact that Orichalcum hadn't moved at all made them certain that the kingdom's power was not as formidable as it seemed.

Thus, they decided to gather their strength and use the powerful divine artifacts granted to them from the upper realms to strike directly at the capital of Orichalcum!

"Interesting, the gods from both factions are choosing to strike at the same time. This is truly a gift from the heavens!"

Sterl felt a surge of excitement in his heart. He had been contemplating that, with the full preparation of the Orichalcum Kingdom, if they launched a lightning-fast strike against Ashen and the other factions, they could deal a devastating blow using the Sword of Doomsday Judgment before the Shielding Power had a chance to activate!

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In this way, the difficulty of dealing with Orichalcum Kingdom would increase significantly. Without the distraction of Ashen's native forces, he alone would be unable to stand against them.

Moreover, his goal wasn't just to prevent the capital from fully descending, but also to seize the various treasures and wealth accumulated within the royal city!

Now, with both factions choosing to strike at the same moment, and with the map module and Boris as a hidden piece, everything was falling perfectly into place.

Thinking this, Sterl couldn't help but smile. Watching this scene made Eterna believe that Hades had truly settled on Orichalcum, making him even more pleased. If Hades were willing to go all out, the success would be guaranteed. After all, it was no small feat that even an upper-tier divine authority couldn't handle was falling to a long-forgotten trick, sealed away for centuries.

Boris, watching this unfold, felt a surge of jealousy rising in him, an intense Flame burning within his heart. But he failed to realize that he had been blinded by this very anger, slowly losing his ability to think clearly.

Soon, aside from the ten or so gods remaining behind in the royal city, the remaining thirty gods used high-level permissions to teleport outside the city. The purpose was to avoid spies from the native factions within the city, preventing the leak of any plans that could turn the tables on them, or worse, allow the enemy to counterattack.

"Hades, please be careful. Once you approach the native factions, if you encounter any threat, use the Sword of Doomsday Judgment immediately. It is a massive weapon forged by several high-ranking gods. Even if they have some strange ability to block perception, they will not be able to escape its effect!" Eterna said with confidence. He was clearly determined to succeed in this mission.

"Mm, I know. The same goes for you," Sterl replied, his voice carrying a tone of subtle meaning.

Eterna quickly took the lead, flying with the gods under his command toward the Ashen faction.

Sterl, meanwhile, glanced over the forces he had brought with him. A barely noticeable glint of coldness flickered in his eyes.