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Chapter 1076 - Happiness
🕑 Added 2025-02-17 12:16:30 +0000 UTCDays passed as Jake had his first real holiday in a long while. In the large compound his parents lived in, several empty buildings were present, one of which was specifically constructed for Jake to live in should he visit.
Having his own space was nice as it allowed him to disconnect if he wanted some alone time. Seeing as no one – besides Adam – had to sleep, there weren’t any natural points to stop a visit, and the only reason many had daily routines was because of before the system. Same as traditions, such as eating dinner.
Jake didn’t have to seek out a lot of alone time, though, as it wasn’t like everyone else could just hang out with him all the time. His parents hadn’t reached D-grade simply by chilling at home but actually working in the civilian sector of the Court of Shadows.
Debra, his mother, had been a bookkeeper all her life. It turned out that even in this new world, having a solid understanding of an organization’s economics remained super important. She also worked with procurement, as the Court of Shadows didn’t produce many things themselves but had to use outside merchants.
Meanwhile, his father, Robert, used his skills as a former architectural and structural engineer to help build and design many areas in the city of Skyggen. He wasn’t like Hank, who was mostly in charge of actually constructing things but was more of a planner who made the blueprints. He’d even been one of the people working on the giant tower in the middle of the city.
The two of them working meant that Jake’s assumption of them just staying at home all day wasn’t quite accurate. While they had mostly stayed at home the prior times he’d visited, this was still considered a hectic time, and neither wanted to let down their coworkers by taking an impromptu holiday to spend time with their visiting son. They did reduce their work hours a bit, but not by too much.
Even Maja usually worked, but she had taken time off during Jake’s visit. Probably because of the timing of her system initiation, Maja had gained a profession focused on helping children develop, one she’d gladly embraced to help Adam.
As her son grew older, Maja began working by helping to care for other children in the city whose parents were busy at work or, more often, away on missions.
The kindergarten, as Jake could classify it, was a lot bigger than Jake had expected it to be. Then again, he really shouldn’t have expected any less business. Earth had been one of the more peaceful places in the universe for a long time, and with peace came normalcy. As Maja explained it, people had been very reluctant to have children in the early days after returning from the Tutorials.
No one knew what the future would bring, and everything was rapidly changing. There was no stability, no “everyday life” for people to rely on. Coupled with this and the fact contraceptives were as easy as either party not really feeling a pregnancy, birth rates had fallen to effectively zero for a good while.
Quite a few years had passed since then, and things had really begun to pick up again. It also wasn’t as if there weren’t some births, meaning Adam at least had some peers. Peers he spent quite a while with, as he was doing something else Jake had entirely neglected to consider:
School.
Even with the advent of the system, children were still forced to go to school. What they learned had naturally shifted quite a bit, but some things were still good to teach. Sure, the system made learning easier, you still had to learn basic things like math and reading, but certain magical concepts were also covered now to help them read some of the most common runes and formations. Also, a huge aspect of going to school was natural socialization and allowing children to interact and form relations with their peers.
Jake did wonder why Maja didn’t work at the school but had instead chosen to work with younger kids than Adam, and in her words:
“What child wants their mom working at the school? Caleb and I both agreed it’s better to give him at least one space where no one from his family is constantly hovering. One place where he can just be a kid. I will admit it’s a bit nerve-wracking, but we can’t go full helicopter parents, now, can we?”
An answer that made a lot of sense if Jake thought about it a little more.
Either way, with Maja being the only one with actual time off, Jake naturally ended up spending a lot of his time with her, as she and the rest of his family gladly introduced Jake to aspects of the system Jake had never genuinely interacted with much before.
Jake knew it intellectually, but it was only when he saw it more closely that he understood just how massive the entertainment industry was after the system. The only entertainment Jake had really interacted with was eating tasty stuff, arena fighting, and drinking, but that barely scratched the surface.
The system had given new life to artists of all forms. Jake was especially surprised by musicians, and he even attended a concert performed by Matteo, one of the top assassins of the Court of Shadows, who apparently was also a well-known pianist.
Just walking down the commercial streets of Skyggen, Jake saw so many things that he would classify as useless if one pursued progress. Clothing stores sold clothes not for stats or defenses but for pure aesthetics. Bookstores selling fiction and other works of entertainment with not a single useful tome on magic in sight. He even found a lot of reproductions of old books from before the system, making Jake consider the copyright implications of that.
Out of everything Jake saw, his favorite new discovery was the post-system animation industry. Through magic, new forms of animation films were created and projected both in two and three dimensions. Apparently, doing so was pretty damn difficult, making it something several of the more powerful mages in the Court of Shadows chose to pick up to practice magic while also leveling their professions.
To be clear, his favorite form of entertainment remained good food and – more importantly – good drinks. Well, alright, those were his favorite forms of non-progression entertainment, as the best time was still to be had when fighting a powerful foe with his life on the line.
Alchemy could also be pretty damn fun, especially when he was working on a really hard new project. Perhaps it all boiled down to the fact that nothing could beat that feeling of pure bliss after either defeating a powerful foe or finishing a hard project... but Jake realized he was definitely weird in that regard.
Anyhow, Jake was thoroughly impressed with how damn quickly Earth had adapted to this new world. He had always believed that humans were innately industrious to some extent, and he felt proven right, seeing as most people tended to keep themselves busy one way or another.
Thinking more about it, as the World Leader, learning more about the planet he was supposedly the leader of was probably a good idea. Jake fully realized how disconnected he was from the average person. Everyone still had normal everyday troubles; their lives now far more normal than they had been for a long time.
Everything and everyone had kind of just slowed down a bit. Even if this time with the system event soon ending was being seen as hectic, it was nothing compared to how everything was shortly after the integration.
What’s more, people were far less worried. The average person didn’t know much about the conflicts between Chosen and whatnot, but no one had been able to escape the constant system notifications warning about new events coming up.
They also couldn’t avoid all the internal conflicts of the planet. There were constant restrictions on trade and travel, people were whispering about new fights breaking out here and there, and with the local leaders in a state of tension, it bled down to the average human just trying to live their own lives.
Now, all of that was effectively over. There were no system events threatening to take all the powerful people away from the planet, with no one knowing how many would return. No one questioned who the leader was anymore, and if they did, there was trust that the World Council would handle it promptly. Even something as simple as monster attacks were a thing of the past for any settlement of even average size.
With everything slowing down, so did the progress of the average Earthling. Peace and calm made people relax and not desperately strive for power anymore. It bred contentment, leaving only those who truly strove for power due to internal motivation to continue in the pursuit.
From Jake’s point of view, this new status quo wasn’t good or bad. He realized those who’d embraced this peace lived in entirely separate worlds from himself and the people he usually interacted with. Jake and everyone else he deemed his peers didn’t seek power because they felt like they had to. They did it because they wanted to.
As Jake reflected on how much Earth had changed, he also began to understand why some factions of the multiverse purposefully remained in conflict with one another nearly constantly. While internal motivation was all well and good, not everyone made it their primary driver to get stronger, and it wasn’t even necessarily the best motivator—at least not until one began to approach the peak of mortality.
That’s why they needed external motivation... and it was hard to find a better than the fear of being annihilated by an enemy faction.
The Endless Empire and Automaton Legion had been at war since the very first Era, and Jake didn’t doubt this had both tremendously hurt and benefitted them. The other faction looming over their heads made them never slow down their progress as they never entered a state of peace. This definitely had to raise the power of their average members, as if they ever fell behind, the other faction could get an advantage.
A similar – albeit far less extreme example – was the Risen versus the Holy Church. They had battlefields with ongoing skirmishes that had gone on for who knows how many years. A conflict like this affected the entire organization as it put pressure on crafters to keep supplying the military effort, as well as the conscription of new fighters who signed up to fight in the war.
On perhaps the smallest scale, most monsters constantly felt outside pressure to get stronger due to the environment they lived in. To be weak meant you were prey, and the only way to avoid being hunted down was to become the predator. Yet Jake also suspected that if these monsters who’d struggled for survival their entire lives reached C-grade, got a humanoid form, and joined a peaceful civilization, many of them would also entirely stall their progress. They would embrace the peace and quiet, likely finding more happiness from that.
And perhaps that was more important than anything else; finding happiness. Jake found happiness in growing stronger, but that didn’t mean others did.
After spending a few weeks with his family, all of this reflection birthed some questions and doubts Jake finally decided to address. On a late night, when Caleb was busy working atop the large skyscraper in the middle of Skyggen, Jake stopped by for a chat. After only a bit of convincing, he got his little brother outside, and the two of them soon found themselves standing overlooking the large city spanning beneath them, some construction visible at the outskirts as Skyggen was still expanding.
“What did you want to talk about?” Caleb asked, having definitely sensed that this was something he wanted only the two of them to hear.
“Have you ever thought about the future?” Jake asked as he looked at this brother. “ And I’m not just talking about ten or even a hundred years. I’m talking about the future a thousand or maybe even ten thousand years from now.”
Caleb got quiet as he also stared out at the city before sighing. “A lot more than you have, I reckon... and I know where you’re going with this.”
“Have you talked to them about it?” Jake questioned with a frown.
“Yeah, I have,” Caleb nodded. “Mom and Dad... they aren’t cut out for this world the two of us live in. Not really. I tried to bring up the topic several times and in several different ways, but at this point, I’ve just accepted it. They aren’t fighters, and I don’t think we can make them fighters either. Even if we somehow could, would we really want to turn them into something they never wanted to be in the first place?”
Jake was quiet as he considered Caleb’s words for a while, as well as everything he’d seen over these last few weeks. The average person wasn’t a fighter. The average person wasn’t suited to get powerful. But, perhaps more importantly, the average person wouldn’t gain any happiness from being powerful.
To them, power was just a way to avoid being miserable. Jake compared it to people who either worked to live or lived to work. His parents had always been the types of people who clocked in and out on time, did their jobs, and found meaning in their lives when not at work.
Jake had been the same way before the system... and in retrospect, he’d been miserable. He’d entirely lacked any drive or motivation to improve himself or his life. Everything had just been a chore he had to go through to keep living, hoping that, one day, things would get better.
And things did get better for him. A lot better. To go back to the analogy, Jake was now the type of person who lived solely to work. He was that high-energy entrepreneur who loved waking up every day and seeing things improve. The type who sucked at taking time off to do anything else.
But, he also realized that in the same vein that the average worker in a new start-up didn’t have the same constant passion and drive as the founder, not everyone in this new world wanted to constantly pursue power.
Doing so wouldn’t bring them any happiness. It was a chore to them, something they had to do as a means to an end. They only wanted enough power to pursue the things that would truly bring them joy and nothing more. This was the average person... and besides being the parents of Jake and Caleb, their mom and dad were very much average.
“I know it may be hard to relate,” Caleb spoke again after a while. “Trying to get more powerful just feels natural to you. Like it’s just what you’re meant to do. But Mom and Dad aren’t like that, and I don’t want to force them into being like that... and I know that neither do you.”
“Do you know if they made any progress with their classes?” Jake questioned.
“Pretty much none, and as I said, neither desire to either,” Caleb shook his head.
“Even with all the Records they have... if they don’t level their classes...”
“C-grade isn’t feasible,” his little brother sighed. “And... I think we just have to accept that, no matter how reluctant we are. Just like how they let us decide how we lived our lives and pursued our happiness... we should allow them to do the same... even if it does suck in many ways.”
Comments
Orionslove
I appreciate you bringing up this subject. I had to accept that my Dad was going the way he wanted twenty years ago, and it was extremely hard. But then when it was my Mom's turn five years ago and she had cancer and did not want to be treated, it was easier to respect her wishes. It still sucked, but I understood, and it was better. I believe that much of it was due to my experience with Dad first, but part of it could also have been that I was older as well. :-) I hope my children give me the same respect if it comes to that. Thank you!
Dave
Tftc
Nerd search
Thank you for the chapter
vio
I like them and appreciate their value but I just love progression more
Phallusar
Sim-Jake was pursuing a class-only evolution by never getting a profession. I imagine it's possible to achieve the reverse. Especially since there are many races that can only have a class or profession.
Chloe
Tyftc
Daniel Brian
I know. It's why my original comment just said it was really sad.
Davey876
I love he who fights with monsters. Re-reading that one rn
Corvid
I would add on Defiance of the Fall, He Who Fights With Monsters, and Randidly Ghosthound too. Also yes I get what you are saying @Cameron Taylor, but given the context of this story and just the tiniest bit of friction between two braincells, you can figure out they mean the same thing in those comments.
Xander
TFTC :)
Ira White
Maybe you're right but personally if someone came by and saw me despawning and decided to put the Shiney bits into a metaphorical jar and wasn't 100% sure I was mindless or had something to look forward too I'd be rather perturbed. Lol
Jared
You still can’t progress your class without fighting and killing though, right? Sounds like they aren’t interested in that
Jose Reyna
TFTC!
Phil Ritter
That’s a waste because they don’t have the drive to really progress. Without quite the commitment they won’t make it no matter how much support they get.
Phil Ritter
I think you are too fast to reach a conclusion. Sure there is major potential for Eron to become a madman and make a weird brain dead immortal army that tries to ravage the multiverse like a natural cataclysm. But so far he was also quit rational and still has the input of a primordial who could lead him into the right direction whenever he thinks of something that could be harmful. Also I don’t think he can do anything like what he is planning to do unless he reaches godhood or at least quite far into his path and by that time Jake’s parents are probably long dead. 1000 years is probably at most enough to get to A grade if at all possible
Phil Ritter
You can progress through only your profession but the thing both Duskleaf and Felix had wich his parents lack is obsession. They did nothing else fully immersing themselves in their craft. His parents on the other hand use it as a means for an end without any passion. What they lack is not potential but mindset. They could also heavily progress their class but they don’t want to that’s the point
Phil Ritter
Your points are exactly the things Jake and Caleb are also struggling with knowing fully well that C-Grade could be fully possible without a drastic commitment
Phil Ritter
@Syf0 or good to know I missed that. In that case you are most likely right. Would be interesting to know what languages they learn because it would be really weird if all kids learn different languages at home
Cameron Taylor
Yet fair. Happiness - or at least contentment - is killing them. Being mentally stable in this multiverse is close to a death sentence.
Cameron Taylor
Context is an error handling tool relying on redundancy. Every error makes it harder to understand. Especially when class is actually used to mean something different.
Cameron Taylor
In some cases backed up by a primordial killing people who try to coerce it!
Cameron Taylor
Resurrect the King of the Forest/Fallen King/King of . Optionally use Jake Juice to give him a skill reset but mostly because Jake Juice creations inherently become unbound to him.
Cameron Taylor
Got to learn some skill crafting and a bit more soul manipulation. Needs to fix his broken skill before he upgrades and it is a skill that includes a soul container.
Cameron Taylor
At some point Jake or Caleb should get a precise description of what their parents do for work. Then commission Akaisiatic Tomes to class transfer into a class that best matches their job description.
Cameron Taylor
Eron isn't going to make mortal's unkillable. Just eliminate the absolute limit of life extension.
Cameron Taylor
Sim Jake did (prior to Jake Jake becoming an active observer). But that was a deliberate, active path of mutation by someone with more potential than the gods.
Cameron Taylor
"It would basically be cancer to factions dependent on raising members to become gods." Agree. In particular, for factions dependent on the desperate grasping for power and resources by people deluding themself with the hope of becoming gods. Control of the resources and knowledge needed to advance his how factions exploit cheap labor for dangerous tasks.
Cameron Taylor
Eron would be willing to do all sorts of brain in a jar things. But we have no indication that he is foolish. He knows how to behave and understands making pragmatic political choices. He is already securing at least one long term alliance that could give him the ability to pursue the goal. He should be able to bide his time and gain power much more safely than Sanguine did. Because he has enough chill that he can be a disciple of the daofather.
Cameron Taylor
That tradeoff seems plausible. I would expect either that or for it to be a temporary age windback treatment that has a huge cost. The most likely cost being soul sacrifices. (That would at least be the easy option. The ethical option would likely be expensive enough that it is unrealistic without patronage.)
Cameron Taylor
Given the opportunities it comes close to being outright suicide. A willful and arbitrary choice to die. Either that or a misunderstanding by the brothers. Because the family seems to be diligent enough that they should reach C grade without the class grinding the brothers want them to do.
Cameron Taylor
Where on earth is this Eron villain arc? He hasn't done any of that. Unless you are talking about doing factory resets on Minaga's bots. Even then Eron made a clear indication that he makes an ethical distinction based on salience. Which puts him ahead of 99% of people in a cultivation multiverse TBH.
Cameron Taylor
Eron seeks to crack the hard, artificial limit of soul longevity that seems to be imposed by the system. His approach seems to be by working out what makes god's souls last and replicating it. This is an unambiguous good thing to attempt. Unless you think weak people deserve to die.
Cameron Taylor
That settles it. Death had its one warning. But it chose to fuck with Jake's family anyway. On top of the favours Eron is accruing with Jake. Chances are death will become optional in a matter of time.
Ricky Keenum
Another part of his BG, post system, was in his tutorial when he started “saving” the sparks all the people were coming out as basically zombies because he made all their sparks look the same. I’m fairly certain he realizes that isn’t good since he seems to always be on the lookout for diversity. I personally think Eron is a cool guy post monk training
Jordan
I really enjoy these slower chapters where Jake has normal interactions with family, friends and strangers and reflects on life and what it's become.
Numbzy
That would just create some sort of "high human" in line with elves and high elves. Granted it would probably be a good thing, but I doubt we see Jake experiment with Adam after his Palete mishap.
Numbzy
It was also stated that Vilas MADE him(Duskleaf) go level his class when he needed to. That Vilas forced him to not be just an alchemist.
Numbzy
We don't have Erons story yet outside of being a genuis level doctor.
Numbzy
Honestly, that sounds more like a curse than a gift or help. Imagine existing for eternity without ever progressing, just existing in perpetual stagnation when they reach the wall they won't overcome.
Tony Breckenridge
a dip into Duskleaf’s title/past would be interesting.
Walter Kimberly
@brjenness I personally think he is an ascended plant. Of Yggdrasil is a tree… just saying lol
Walter Kimberly
@ one winged angel Actually less than 12 seen the initiation of the 1st Era. Aeon Clok was born after initiation
Walter Kimberly
If I remember correctly the majority of the multiverse never hits C grade. Even Aeon Clok is from a D grade world and hitting C grade was unheard of. That’s the reason new universes are such a hype to previous ones. A new influx of records in the multiverse. Earth just happens to be above even the rest of the new universe.
Michael Ferguson
Let the living have their time of life. Morn when they die. Thanks for the chapter.
Clint
And all the misunderstandings and weird reactions.
Ira White
Not gonna lie I don't remember much about Erons origin story other then him becoming a doctor and using his bloodline to save lives or at least the sparks. I'm pretty sure someone died though yo set him down the path. I'd have to go back to books 2 threw 4 find all of his origins.
Kyle Hunt
And Duskleaf. It has been explicitly stated that he became a God solely through alchemy. Obviously the desire, drive, and dedication has to exists, but past information tells us that the terms "class" and "profession" don't really mean much, as ones class and profession can be absolutely anything.
Kyle Hunt
Eron's bloodline became apparent while his parents were alive, and had nothing to do with trauma. Can't tell if you were being fasicious or not, so if you were, sorry. Ignore me.
Rob Lyon
I think Aaron is going to be the next sanguin and get taken out for messing up the status quo
Rocotrap
Or, let them be happy, even if they die thousands of years earlier than they could have done so
Luke Scheffe
I’m guessing that Eron will be able to help them, but immortality isn’t possible yet. A nicely extended lifespan, maybe even enough that they make C grade, but that’s it.
Trevor Mergen
Thanks!
C0bra$
Thank u for the story
Daniel Brian
Honestly, I totally agree. I think his whole arc is about what happens when you focus on an "honorable goal" without concern for consequences. Like you said, everyone living forever SEEMS like a great and goodly thing until you consider the consequences of everyone living forever. For example, without the potentiality of death, life has little meaning, at least when it applies to EVERYONE. No death means no change, and no change means stagnation of everything.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Doodlenoodle
- Dont jake still have a demon heart? So upgrade for his demon misstress? - upgrade his boots. - Jake juice on his own skills - B grade will be when we Get to see Sylphie catch up to her real grade. - villy got that gift thingy he made out of yip of yore to Jake Im hoping for some Jake juice on the moon core. And later earths core.
Benjamin Kenon
All that is true, but you left out that Jake is the bloodline patriarch. It starts with him, sylphie and vesperia are products of him using his bloodline, and have spent large amounts of time around Jake; which has already been established as giving the ability to withstand presence suppression, i.e. Miranda, Sandy, Carmen, and any number of other people who have been around Jake for prolonged period of time being harder to suppress. I truly think there are only 2 ways to get a bloodline, 1. System granted, after the original carrier is dead, and 2. Genetics, being tge offspring of a person with a bloodline. As far as we know, no other ways have been shown.
Ira White
OK I've been scrolling threw comments and I've seen one to many "which is to say I've seen two lmao" comments about Eron coming up with a path to immortality. Eron is a trauma created genius that used his blood line ability to see sparks as a couping mechanism to deal with the loss of his family as a child. He created a theory that if he could save the spark he saved the life. Which is about as true as saying a brain dead coma patient is still alive. Is there a heart beat sure but is that really living? Debatable and not the one I want to get into. Point is any path to immortality he comes up with is going to be at best a soul in a jar with out any mind to be considered what they once were and at worst a mind trapped in limbo with nothing but their own thoughts to keep them company for all eternity. With a holy realm battery charger nock off after life somewhere in the middle and a far less likely out come then either of the extreme bads. Eron is a madman and should be put down before he traps anymore souls. I don't care how nice he is or how well intentioned he may be. What he convinced himself is a greater good is likely never ending torture and should be stopped at all cost. Even if by some fluke Eron pulled off a true immortality pancea not everyone is cut out or wants to live forever. Sorry I don't like Eron and I think he needs to go into a jar where he's nothing more the a battery with eyes for one of villy's experiments untill he learns the error of his ways. Lmao
Psyck0
Only Jake's children can get the bloodline unless a high end system event occurred with Adam winning
TwoMoreYears
You’re right, I forgot about the quest bottlenecking here. Plus l, that’s actually why the king agreed to being the final boss of a tutorial. To have the chance to grow past the pinnacle of his home world.
Davey876
C grade is the first bottle neck. It's the first evolution that has quests that must be completed. I don't think anyone that doesn't have some inherit desire to get more powerful makes c grade. We mainly hear about the powerhouses but we can't forget there are entire galaxies where D-grades are treated like gods because of how powerful they are. Most of earth will stagnate somewhere between mid D grade to C grade. Obviously the leaders in every field will continue to grow but the average human most likely won't. Even Erin who worked in the order was stuck at D grade for a very long time.
Hotep Saxis
He got in godhood at a system event for gods. After the sage was already dead.
Jack
For real man like can you imagine being immortal but your still a random nobody with no power living forever just to work
Ira White
Eron is a mad man. I don't think any path to immortality he comes up with is going to be anything anyone who values the mind is going to like.
Ira White
Several, cradle by will wight, the 10 realms by Michael Chatfield, path of Ascension by c Mathis, mark of the fool by JM Clark, path of the lazy immortal by AP Gore, blue Phoenix by tina lynge, welcome to the multiverse by Sean Oswald, unbound by nicoli gonnella, the completionist chronicals by Dakota Krout. Not all all of these are comparable to the epic bad assery of primal hunter but they are all good stories I'm their own right in my opinion. They aren't in any order other then when I last listened to them. The are a mix of different genres and cultural story telling but they all have a level system and a mc with a get stronger or die mindset. Hope you enjoy some of them.
Jere Pilvinen
Eron the next holy mother, "you get to live in a jar for the rest of eternity".
Hunter
Villy didn’t get the first sages bloodline until A grade or something and they aren’t direct descendants. Also it’s been said that those of Jake’s family and extended family with sylphie and vesperia have aspects of Jake’s bloodline with their ability to suppress presences. Jake also hypothesized his bloodline was present even pre integration and didn’t appear until the system did.
brjenness
Are we certain of what duskleaf's race is? Elf or monster?
brjenness
If i'm not confusing novels...It would take double the levels in profession to upgrade race. I believe with diminishing returns it would be quite the daunting task for a non-genius.
Hotep Saxis
Yea me either. Adam was already born at integration. Caleb should be able to hook him up with a nice legacy or powerful class at least.
brjenness
When they become moody little shithead teenagers he'll Jake juice them back to 5 years old when they were fun and just wanted to chase sylphie around.
Ira White
The thing is Eron is concerned about keeping the "spark" alive above all else. He's one of those people that thinks that spark means something above and beyond that a brain dead coma victim is still alive. His trauma as a child combined with he bloodline ability to see these "sparks", has made him into a fantic mad doctor. Eron would wipe out the universe and put all.the sparks in a jar and say he saved the universe. Even if that ment killing the personalities of everyone in the process. In his eyes they would be saved. So I wouldn't count on him to come up with a usable way to immortality. He's likely going to be someone the rest of the multiverse hunts down and wipes off the map at some point.
GSA
I don't think it's possible for anyone besides Jake's direct descendants to get his bloodline
Biggy smalls
There’s a lot hidden about Duskleafs path. Stuff he doesn’t want Meira telling Jake about. So Duskleaf might have a combat class we don’t know much about. Plus, Villy wouldn’t let his disciple be a weak combatant.
TwoMoreYears
I want expecting the family not to make c grade. I thought that would be be where it stopped but I figured the sheer amount of records their sons provided would get them past d grade but I suppose if they’ve barely leveled their class since the tutorial then I could see how that would be tough. Especially if they’ve barely leveled don’t excel in their profession and are just working to live so to speak.
Chris
Moon's haunted
Biggy smalls
Doubt soul flame will be ready until B grade. Minaga labyrinth won’t be ready for nearly 100 years yet (so Jake won’t be playing around in there until B grade). And travel around the multiverse works best when you’re in B grade. so Artemis visit won’t happen until at least B grade. I could see Jake going back to the order for some classes (meet up with his order peeps). Then tackle the moon B grade or True dragon. he also needs to upgrade a bunch of legacy skills before B grade. Maybe he’ll do an origin ritual as well. Haven’t seen him do that since the demon prince.
Vega
Exactly. If someone doesn’t have the right mentality for immortality, it would not be a pleasant experience for them.
kinglemur
It’s so Jake can fully have the main character backstory
Hunter
I’m really hoping Adam is the first member of Jake’s family to inherit his bloodline.
Hunter
I think despite all the work around the class and profession will always be a part of progression. And if you completely ignore one side of it you can never advance past a certain point. Atleast for the enlightened species. But I could be completely wrong on this.
Samuel Granderson
I recall Eron’s plan to create immortality for mortals, and I feel this chapter is setting some groundwork for that arc. I don’t see it being a good thing long-term. If they do succeed at creating an elixir for immortality, my guess would be that it cuts off the chance at becoming a god, similarly to the Viper’s records instantly leveling a beast to S-grade. In this chapter, we see that may not seem like a bad thing. People could be happy to stay at lower ranks and be immortal if that were an option. But it could also become a poison to mortal progress. If there’s an easier way to ensure immortality, fewer people would pursue true godhood. And in the future, I could see factions outlawing it as a dangerous temptation; It would basically be cancer to factions dependent on raising members to become gods.
Phoenixdrop
Yep I figured as much I thought maybe just maybe his parents could push for the start of A-grade just riding along with Jake and Caleb’s records boosting theirs but if they still have G-grade classes yeah there’s no way I knew they weren’t getting to godhood that just wasn’t happening but I thought they might have had two more grade ups in them if they worked for it but oh well we all die at some point
Arieh Sochaczevski
Thanks for the chapter! It’s been established that there are other ways of progressing that don’t involve fighting. Look at Felix, for example - he may be weak, but he’s C-grade. He’s not unique in that either.
Sushi
You would have to treat your profession as your life, not simply a job that’s a means to an end. Without that level of drive you won’t get past a certain point.
ABTelford
Very nice chapt.
Zach Newman
Killing the moon b grade monster
Amathew2
Any kids Jake has are gonna have stupid amounts of records, they will also be targets of almost every faction that wants a small slice of the Jake pie. They will either be killed off or become peak gods themselves.
David W. Baijense
I don't think minagas gonna finish, and Artemis was told to wait, so probably not on that front as well, otherwise I completely agree
Lay Nkay
Oh that's not too bad then. This is not too far fetched given they had settled presystem
Joseph Nicholson
I thought Maja was a legal secretary, or some such
Lucas Johnson
Moon tree probably
Hotep Saxis
At least his brother has committed to trying to keep the pace, and surely Adam seems interested in battle. Jake’ll have family around for quite a while. Time to get back on the grind.
Dalton Service
I can't wait for the female emotional support group to pile onto Jake for all the crap they have had to deal with. 😂
Lawrence Dillon
I got a feeling zog is going with a we choose to embrace death route with jakes parents
Greendalf
So no more prima action until the b grade? Then I’m thinking we get: -return to the order -hunting arc with Artemis, Dina and meeting Yg -another Jake juice creation -soul flame -minagas completed labyrinth -dragonslayer ofc -exploring the rest of the solar system w/ sandy What am I missing?
Oldfaithful
D grade is still like 500 to 1000 year life span or something so definitely better than normal
Jay tolley
I don't think he will have to deal with it. They will find a way for the soul be immortal at any grade. At least that is Erons goal if you remember, and I think this conversation ties into that and might start seeing more with Eron.
Oldfaithful
She might have changed her class after evolving and having Adam
dash w
But if he has kids go will no doubt use some crazy origin shenanigan's and the inherited records and he will have them on earth which would also help
joel southard
Nice thank you for the chapter
dash w
Thanks for the chappy
Ryan Linus
I don’t know why but “contraceptives were as easy as either party not really feeling a pregnancy” made me laugh
Seamus Harley
While I think them dying of old age is likely, Jake could end up doing some shenanigans with his origin energy and whatever Eron has going on. Erons goal is to "cure" mortality after all.
Davey876
Nobody is dying on a hill. I'm just curious if there's another series that I should check out.
Alexander C Hyde
The Endless Empire and Automaton Legion had been at war since the very first Era, and Jake didn’t doubt his (actions) had both tremendously hurt and benefitted them.
Corvid
What a weird hill to die on. Language is about context. You understand the context, so you understand the point.
Alexander C Hyde
That’s why they needed external motivation... and it was hard to find a better (one) than the fear of being annihilated by an enemy faction.
Rahsheem Reid
Ending like that what a title like that. That’s kinda messed up no lie
SnowReason
While the children may not have the skill all the adults should. So all adults should be understood, and they just need to teach all the kids the same language. I actually wonder how myriad tongues works on someone who doesn't know any language. Does it just pick one to impart if they know multiple?
One Winged Angel
Ya there are only 12 people alive who saw the beginning of the 1st era, and like, 100 who saw the beginning of the 2nd era (couple of the isoptera queens who gained godhood in the 2nd era who were born in the 1st era). Im pretty sure even though the rates of godhood have increased. Its still unbelievably difficult to make the leap from S class to godhood, theres like a couple million S classes currently and only 100 or so of those existing will actually make it to the next leap. Im not even getting to Godhood Layers, in which apparently there are 13 or so.
Zogarth
Fixed
Exaiter
been at war since the very first Era, and Jake didn’t doubt his had both tremendously hurt and benefitted them. The other faction His - this
Void
That isn't really the case. They can at most live through one into a second, and only if they were lucky enough to be born near the end of their Era and into the integration of a new universe.
Nicholas Fleming
Didn't duskleaf do just that they said though for the longest time
Davey876
Is there another series people are confusing with this one? Why are people calling the grades classes? There's a few comments saying d-class but it literally says d-GRADE in the last paragraph of the chapter.
Syf0
"..."I sought power to protect my family,” CT said. “My wife, my unborn child… my brother, and my parents. I will find them after this,..." Book 2 chapter 60. So Adam shouldn't have the title nor the skill. So he is learning what languages in school? And yes, it was mentioned, that points in intelligence make learning languages easier, but still not free. And one still has to actively learn. Plus... how many points in int can a 5-8 year old have? Will that really matter at that scale?
Rewdan
Thanks Zogarth loving the work. This time Jake has spent with his family and the background to ordinary life has been very engaging and enjoyable.
elkress
its very much possible
Vega
I like this brief pause and touch of realism. It’s a balance to walk, especially in the progression fantasy litrpg genre, and this chapter does it so well. It’s not overly introspective or melancholic, it just succinctly explains and acknowledges the dynamics of the new world.
Jack
Kind of sad when you think that Jake will have to deal with inverse of this situation in the future when he's a god and his kids aren't talented enough to progress and eventually die of old age whil he remains eternal
Clint
Great chapter. These quiet moments are such an important part of pacing a story like this one. Looking forward to Jake’s return to the Order, though. And the grind to B grade.
Rewdan
I couldn’t have said it better
Vega
But do they want to live off blood for a living? Or will they live long and be miserable
Ty Cooper
Tftc
Daniel Brian
True, but with just a little effort, and plenty of protection from the CoS, they could multiply that by 10. Can you imagine your kids only living to be 10 years old just because they didn't want to try a little harder? I mean, it's not unrealistic to say that they could safely hit C grade with Jake and Caleb's help. It's like saying "I'm ready to die." I'm not saying I don't get the other side of this, or even the emotional/psychological aspect of living so long, but my parents are getting old, and I cant imagine if they just decided to stop eating because they'd had enough of life, and then be totally chill about it and carry on like normal.
Vega
I love this chapter, it’s so well thought through, almost philosophical in a way. I love the world-building. The look into the everyday person’s life. The slow realisation that the manufactured multiversal conflicts isn’t just about being manipulative and power-hungry, but a means of survival. The acknowledgement that as Jake grows, there will be people that will be left behind, and that those people will be better and happier for it. Thanks man. I love the story and Jake’s progression, the main plot line is exciting in so many ways. But also, this step back to frame the everyday world for the readers and to contemplate the dynamics and the pros and cons of a multiverse driven by power is much appreciated. Damn.
Tr0LLach
Through one of Viridia POVs we know S grades can live through multiple eras, therefore they have lifespans in the billions of years. Especially the high-tier ones. Someone at lvl 980 will surely live longer than someone at 804.
Gwiddion
I don't think that the research will bring good results making people with no drive for immortality immortal will in my opinion cause major problems without adjusting peoples mentality.
Marcus Evenett
I think that depends on the way you look at it because they're going to have roughly 900 more years with their parents then they would before the system
Marcus Evenett
No but they did say that progression only through profession passed d-grade is not possible at least not for races with a class and a profession
Marcus Evenett
I think that was her role at the start when she was trying to figure out her position in the new world. Because we were never told what her profession was at least I don't remember if we were
NovaZero
Profession is a thing. Have we forgotten that can be a way to advance?
Daniel Brian
You're not wrong, but it's still sad. It's kinda like the guy that refuses chemo because he's ready to die, just in a longer scale.
Ivo Wißen
Let them become vampire and get rid of the class and have only the profession
Dereion Hardin
No they are D-grade and they can live for thousands of years.
One Winged Angel
Itll probably be a Miranda thing, Umbra sets her up in the "Assassin Daycare" section once the universe opens since her class/profession is child care.
Phil Ritter
Probably depends on how long the end of the event takes
Phil Ritter
Was it ever clearly stated that Adam was born after the tutorial or was he born inside it? The tutorial was 2 months after all
Marcus Evenett
Depends on what you mean by normal human lifespan they will live the normal lifespan of a d-grade human not pre-system human
Phil Ritter
True considering how long he took to even visit his own city. He just never took a long enough break to think about anything not progression related
Marcus Evenett
I'm pretty sure that endless tongues of the myriad races is a skill you get for going through the tutorial or being alive at the initiation
Phil Ritter
There is no real alternative. Without the right mindset it isn’t unlikely for them to die even earlier during a fight with a monster
itsdlow
I wonder if this will make Jake stay on holiday a lot longer
Phil Ritter
I can see Maya starting to grind once Caleb spends more time off planet and Adam is old enough to go on his own adventure
Beemoss
Tftc
Phil Ritter
Probably just a job she picked up due to lack of manpower or because she wanted to help him out while not representing her actual profession
Ritsu
I think Endless Tongues requires the Forerunner of the New World title, which is only given to Tutorial attendees. So at most, the babies that were in the Tutorial have it, but not the ones born after that. As for languages, there are thousands of them from what Jake saw at the Order, but considering how the Intelligence stat helps with that kind of thing, it shouldn't be too hard to learn a new language. Especially since the kind of people going around meeting new races would be the kind of people to have the stat points for it.
Phil Ritter
Nah I think D grade already goes up to 1000years or so
Phil Ritter
My guess is that Adam’s generation will be the last to get the skill since he was pretty much already there by the initiation but the rest will have to learn by themselves. Also interesting point because people aren’t separated by country but faction so every faction should have a very diverse mix of languages with possibly even many parents speaking different languages pre system. So while all children are able the communicate with all integrated they may have issues among themselves. Or maybe because the integration is still in progress everyone still gets it
One Winged Angel
A systems era is a couple billion years and the only way to live past a million years is to become a god as far as i know(someone correct me if you know better) D Class: 1000 C Class: 10,000 B Class: 100,000 A Class: Million S Class: 10 Million And according to Villy, .00001% of the entire universe becomes a god, soooo, Caleb and Jake are pretty much guaranteed unless they are killed. Adam too probably since Caleb and Jake are absolutely helping him get there. Maya is a firm maybe. sooo ya, hey man at least he has the possibility of having family after all this nonsense is said and done.
Alejandro Piña
I want Jake to bring Vesperia to meet his parents, as of right now she’s the only child of his they haven’t met.
Cory Sauls
TFTC!
Phil Ritter
I don’t think that’s anything feasible to pursue yet with his limited power. It’s better to just let Villy think about it
Daniel Brian
That’s a sad chapter ending. They just accepted that they’re going to outlive their own parents DRASTICALLY, when they don’t have to… 😔
One Winged Angel
Well, i mean i get the parents minds. They grew up pre system and lived well before it. Suddenly being asked to hunt monsters or cultivate would probably be a serious curve ball for them when they were happy and settled. Though its not like they will pass soon, D Class is 1000 years lifespan. But hey, they live how they live. Maya sure as hell aint dying if she can help it since she has Adam and Caleb. But man, being told your parents refuse to live because they are happy has gotta bite the big one since you cant really force them.
A. B. Edwards
I honestly like this chapter so much. Its simple, its slow and different from usual but for Jake, this may be one of the largest growth moments for him. And I don't mean levels or stats but as a person. For over 1000 chapters he has been on a constant grind, the next level, the next monster, the next potion. But he never really stopped to think about the people around him. He does a little but not much. But here, he finally realizes just how abnormal he is and needs to accept that.
Kt-x
Thanks for the chapter
JJB4345_80_815
Yes, thank you for the chappy Zogarth! (& Thank you for the book recaps since I'm doing some re-reading as well)!
Phil Ritter
Found some typos: The Endless Empire and Automaton Legion had been at war since the very first Era, and Jake didn’t doubt his had both tremendously hurt and benefitted them. The his should probably be a this Yet Jake also suspected that if these monsters who’d struggled for survival their entire lives reached C-grade, got a humanoid form, and joined a peaceful civilization, many of them would also entirely stall their process. Process -> progress. Thank you for a great chapter as always
Bi-Dailey
TFTC
Syf0
This could be the moment when he realises that he still hasn't given villy that notebook from eron. The research about making mortals immortal. Maybe that can be our next major arc. Following the first sage arc with one about the day sects could work well
Connor
Thanks for the chapter
Syf0
Do these children have the skill "Endless Tongues of the myriad Races"? Or will they get the skill in time? It was mentioned that only newly integrated people get that skill, but where is the cutoff point? After the tutorial? After the Prima event? After the universe has fully opened up? What languages will children now have to learn, is there a multiverse common? Do the big factions each have a common Tonge? Or a common racial language? I feel like if we ever got an answer to that, it would have been mentioned in this chapter
Lay Nkay
So this means Jake's parents would lead near normal human lifespan. Tftc
Lizy Flore
This chapter is a breath of fresh air. I wasn’t expecting such a philosophical chapter, but damn did it work. Thanks Zogarth!
John Durrett
Very poignant chapter. Parents getting older and facing EOL scenarios.
Luke
Tftc
Matthias
tftc
AA
I thought Maja was a contract lawyer working with Caleb....sure that was explicitly stated...did it change?
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
Naotsugu97
87th!
Sayjinlord
Thanks for the chapter!
Alexis Cassaigne
Thanks for the chapter!
