Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

[The Pact of Fundamental Ascension]

Place of Origin: Samsara Paradise

quality:? ? ?
Type: Special Permission Scroll

Effect of use: After use, according to the hunter's authority, all the core skills that the user has mastered (including but not limited to active, passive and ultimate skills, with the highest judgment level being Grandmaster Lv.50) will undergo a "fundamental sublimation".

Effect 1: The level of the target skill will be reduced by 10 levels.

Effect 2: For each level increase of the compressed skill, the core attributes such as skill effect, damage, and buffs gained will be equivalent to the growth level at Lv.49 before ascension.

Effect 3: Possesses the potential to break through to a higher level.

Warning: This process involves a profound and irreversible reconstruction of one's life essence and skill imprints. After use, the hunter may face a significant decrease in combat power in the short term. Please ensure that this is used in an absolutely safe environment.

Learning requirements: You must possess one or more "core skills" and the level of those core skills must not exceed Master level Lv.50.

score:? ? ?
Synopsis: "Instead of reaching the end of a predetermined path, turn back and forge the path you've traveled into a more solid foundation. This contract is prepared for those geniuses who dare to question their own limits. It transforms your 'skill' into 'origin,' at the cost of redefining your 'growth' to a higher standard." — Contract Master Alcarvon
Lin Yi's gaze swept over the specific attributes of the [Origin Sublimation Pact], especially the brief introduction and the final effect three – "possessing the potential to break through to a higher realm". His mind seemed to be hit hard by an invisible hammer, and he instantly went blank.

Admittedly, Lin Yi believed he had seen quite a few incredible things.

The strange objects from various worlds in the void, and even the forbidden knowledge he glimpsed while dealing with those ancient beings, have repeatedly broadened the boundaries of his knowledge.

But the meaning and potential value of this scroll still surpass any of his previous experiences.

Perhaps Gollum and the Illusionist, including the witch, did not fully understand what this scroll truly meant.

They may have only seen the first and second effects—a decrease in level but an increase in quality, a high-risk, high-reward enhancement method.

However, due to his contact with beings such as Hill, Marvin Waltz, and even the Old Destroyer, Lin Yi has a more vague yet deeper understanding of the ultimate goal of the skill system.

He clearly remembered asking those old guys more than once about the scenery beyond master-level skills.

Hill always used her smiling tone to keep him focused on his feet; Marvin Waltz would scoff and say that he hadn't even mastered the real "swordsmanship" yet dared to dream of touching the pinnacle of the rules; and the old Destroyer of Laws went even further, telling him that they were "not qualified."

Not qualified!

These words, like a cold, etched mark, were deeply imprinted in Lin Yi's memory.

What kind of beings are those? Even in their remnant soul state, they represent the power and knowledge that once stood at the pinnacle of the void.

Even they themselves admitted that they had never obtained the "qualification" to break through, which shows that the realm above the Grandmaster level is by no means a simple improvement in skill level, but involves some more fundamental and demanding conditions.

This [Original Sublimation Contract] precisely endows this crucial "qualification" and "potential".

Lin Yi took a deep breath, letting the air rush into his lungs, trying to suppress the turbulent waves surging in his heart.

He forced himself to analyze the situation calmly. The soul-type resources and epic equipment boxes he had taken out were indeed quite valuable, enough to drive any sixth or seventh-tier contractor or even a large adventure group crazy.

However, compared to this scroll that can lift the ceiling of the skill system and grant the potential to break through legendary realms...

Lin Yi made a realistic assessment in his mind: the total value of everything he had taken out was probably less than one percent, no, even one-thousandth, of the true value of this scroll.

This is no longer a matter of equivalent exchange; it's almost a one-sided gift.

His gaze shifted from the scroll to the Illusionist's face, which still wore an expression that said, "Praise me for finding a great treasure." He then glanced at Gulu, who seemed to think it was a good deal to exchange the scroll for a bunch of useful supplies, before finally fixing his gaze on the witch with a smile on her lips.

They... seem to really not understand.

But someone must know the answer.

Lin Yi's voice was slightly hoarse, a trait he himself didn't even realize. He looked at the Illusionist, his tone unusually serious: "Illusionist, please ask the guild leader for me. Is he really sure he wants to use this scroll to exchange for these supplies I have here?"

The illusionist was taken aback by Lin Yi's sudden seriousness, his amber eyes filled with confusion.

In her opinion, although the scroll's effect was peculiar, it was absolutely worth it to exchange it for all the soul-type treasures that Lin Yi had brought out, which she desperately needed.

Why did Lin Yi have that expression that seemed to indicate he had gotten a huge advantage but was also incredulous?
However, she obediently followed Lin Yi's instructions and sent the information to the leader in an unknown world through the brand.

……

Designation TWP-741, Decay World.

Having just finished clearing out all the violators, the brigade leader, who was wiping his fingers with a clean white handkerchief, raised an eyebrow slightly beneath his mask.

He received another message from the Illusionist, and this time the content of the message made him pause slightly in his wiping motion.

"Oh? You actually... recognized me?" A deep muttered voice came from under the mask, carrying a hint of genuine surprise.

He did indeed have the idea of ​​taking this opportunity to invest in this promising newcomer in a less deliberate way.

This [Original Sublimation Contract] has become useless to him personally, but its value is immeasurable when placed in the right person with potential.

He originally thought that Lin Yi would need to reach at least the ninth rank or even the strongest level, and come into contact with more secrets of the void, before he would realize the value of this scroll.

Unexpectedly, the other party, who was only at the sixth level, already had such a broad perspective.

This insight and understanding surpasses that of most contractors of the same or even higher rank.

"The Abyss Doctor... and those old guys behind him?" The leader immediately realized the key point.

Only those who have survived from ancient times can so clearly understand the difficulty of breaking through the Grandmaster level barrier and the preciousness of "qualification".

He recalled his time at the sixth rank, when obtaining a single piece of Saint-level equipment would have brought him immense joy.

Compared to Lin Yi's composure in the face of this scroll, which was worth far more than a Saint Spirit, even he had to sigh that times had truly changed, or rather, that some of the chosen ones had been on different paths from the very beginning.

After a moment's thought, the leader replied to the Illusionist: "Tell him that this scroll is useless to me now. If I had obtained it earlier, it wouldn't be here now. Such is fate, no need to dwell on it. Grow up quickly, the future void... needs more pillars."

He didn't say much explicitly, but the statement "the future void needs more pillars" already revealed enough information.

……

Inside the witch's bar.

The Illusionist blinked as he looked at the message from the guild leader. Although he was still a little confused, he relayed it to Lin Yi verbatim, especially the last sentence, "The future void needs more pillars."

After listening, Lin Yi fell into a long silence.

The commander's reply confirmed his guess. He knew the value of the scroll perfectly well, but it had lost its effect on him, which was why it had "save" him.

This is not a simple transaction, but more like an investment with a long-term vision.

The other layer of meaning revealed in the commander's words made Lin Yi even more alarmed.

"The void of the future needs more pillars"?
Even powerful figures like the brigade leader are starting to prepare for potential changes. What kind of storm is brewing in the void?
An invisible pressure, along with the scroll, fell on Lin Yi's shoulders.

Gaining an opportunity also means taking on corresponding expectations and responsibilities.

He looked up and saw the Illusionist's large, amber eyes, full of expectation and fear that he might change his mind, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

This silly girl is probably still secretly pleased with herself for exchanging a large amount of urgently needed supplies for "useless scrolls".

“Alright, since the guild leader has said so.” Lin Yi no longer hesitated and pushed all the soul-type materials, consumables, and the two epic-level equipment [Dreamy Slumber] and [Thousand Memory Spinning Wheel] on the bar in front of the Illusionist. “These things are yours.”

The illusionist was stunned for a moment, then burst into a huge cheer, almost jumping up and down.

She hugged the pile of shiny supplies tightly, rubbing her cheeks against them happily. In her excitement, she picked up Gulu, who was watching the show, and spun him around twice, which caused Gulu to let out a series of dissatisfied screams and protests.

Lin Yi watched this scene and silently stored the [Origin Sublimation Contract] in the deepest part of his personal space.

He was the one who made a fortune in this deal.

He remembered this favor.

……

Without lingering, Lin Yi quickly left the witch's bar.

He needed to process the scroll immediately and transform it into tangible power.

Lin Yi paid the fee and entered an empty skill upgrade pod.

The metal door slowly closed behind me, shutting out all the noise from the outside world.

After sitting down and adjusting his state to its peak, Lin Yi solemnly took the [Origin Sublimation Contract] from his personal space. "Buzz—"

The instant the scroll was activated, an indescribable wave of energy spread outwards from its center.

The runes on the walls of the entire skill upgrade chamber instantly changed from a peaceful blue to a glaring scarlet, and a piercing alarm sounded in Lin Yi's ears.

Lin Yi felt as if his consciousness had been forcibly pulled out of his body by an invisible giant hand and thrown into an absolute, dark abyss where even time and space had lost their meaning.

Having lost all five senses, only the soul falls into the endless void.

I don't know how much time passed; perhaps it was a moment, perhaps it was eternity.

A tiny light appeared ahead and quickly expanded.

When Lin Yi's "vision" was able to refocus, he found himself in an indescribable space.

There are no up, down, left, or right, no physical entities, only a vast network woven from countless flowing, shimmering, regular lines.

And he is located at one of the nodes in this network.

Just then, a terrifying pressure that made his soul tremble descend from the sky!

No, not the sky, but the "above" of this rule-based space.

He suddenly looked up and saw an enormous iron hammer slowly taking shape.

That was not a real hammer; it was formed by the compression and condensation of countless complex rules.

The hammerhead was as large as a mountain, and flowed with a heavy power that could easily crush a world.

The hammer locked onto him, and with an irresistible force, crashed down on the rule node where he was located.

Lin Yi's pupils contracted sharply, and he almost instinctively wanted to dodge.

But he discovered in despair that he had nothing in this space except his consciousness.

Without a body, without energy, without skills, it cannot even move an inch.

He was like an insect nailed to a specimen board, forced to watch helplessly as the devastating blow came.

"boom!!!"

The hammer of rules slammed solidly into Lin Yi's "existence".

pain!
The excruciating pain was beyond words, bursting forth the moment of contact!
It was not physical pain, nor was it stimulation transmitted through nerves. Rather, it was the pain of disintegration that directly affected the origin of his soul, all the imprints of his skills, and the very core of his being—the very existence itself.

It was as if his entire being, from body to soul, from memory to power, had been utterly smashed into the finest fragments, not even worthy of being called elementary particles, by this single blow.

The excruciating pain of countless insects devouring his heart that he had experienced during the awakening of his talent was nothing compared to the gentle breeze he was feeling now.

That kind of pain is destruction, is torture, but the pain at this moment is the complete denial of existence, the ultimate experience of the concept of "Lin Yi" being violently dismantled into nothingness.

Lin Yi's consciousness let out a silent roar amidst this unbearable pain, and instantly dissipated.

Just as Lin Yi felt he was about to completely disappear, the hammer of rules that had been falling suddenly rose again.

The moment the hammer was raised, the power of the rules, containing the concepts of "life," "aggregation," "sublimation," and "origin," instantly spread out.

Those "fragments" that were smashed into nothingness are reassembled in an unprecedentedly efficient way under the influence of this force.

A new "structure" was constructed, more solid and closer to a certain essential rule.

Lin Yi's fading consciousness was forcibly pulled back and stuffed into this newly formed "structure".

Before he could catch his breath from the reorganization process, or even think about what had just happened, that terrifying hammer of rules, with its crushing power, crashed down once again!
"boom--!"

Another complete collapse, extreme pain.

Then, hammer it up and rebuild it again.

The cycle has begun.

Smash, then rebuild.

Smash it again, then rebuild it.

Each blow brought only intensified the pain.

Each reorganization results in a more refined "structure" than the last, but it also means that when it is shattered next time, something even stronger needs to be dismantled, and the resulting pain seems to be even more profound.

Lin Yi's consciousness sank and struggled amidst this endless torture.

He lost his sense of time; a second seemed to be stretched into an entire era.

He forgot himself, forgot why he came here, forgot everything, leaving only the endless cycle of pain of disintegration and reunion.

His consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind, only to be forcibly pulled back by the force of reorganization just as it was about to go out completely.

This is a torment more cruel than death, because it doesn't even grant the peace of death.

Just as Lin Yi felt his consciousness was finally reaching its limit, about to completely succumb to the darkness of these rules and become part of nothingness...

"clang--!"

A deafening roar, like the sound of a great bell, reverberated throughout his consciousness.

After countless thuds of falling and rising, the hammer of rules did not fall again.

It hovered there quietly, the energy flowing on the hammer gradually subsiding.

Immediately afterwards, the enormous hammer of rules began to slowly dissipate, transforming into countless golden specks of light, flowing like a waterfall against the current into the "existence" that Lin Yi had just reconstructed.

Warm, fulfilling, powerful...

An unprecedented sense of security and control rose from the depths of Lin Yi's soul.

He felt as if he had shed a rough old shell, revealing a powerful core within.

The skills he had painstakingly acquired did not disappear; instead, they were honed to a deeper level, becoming more closely integrated with the essence of his life. They broke through a barrier that was once invisible but truly real, revealing a much wider world beyond.

……

Inside the skill upgrade chamber, Lin Yi suddenly opened his eyes.

His first feeling was extreme weakness, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness, and it was extremely difficult for him to even lift a finger.

He looked down and found that he was covered by a thick layer of silk-like material, like a cocoon, which wrapped most of his body, leaving only his head exposed.

"Adaptive life-sustaining spider web..." Lin Yi recognized the thing.

This is a protective measure prepared by the park for contractors whose bodies or souls are under tremendous strain and on the verge of collapse during the process of skill or attribute enhancement. It can stabilize vital signs and assist in recovery.

He tried to move his fingers, and sure enough, he couldn't even make such a small movement. His body was completely unresponsive, only his mind was active.

Just then, a light screen appeared in the void in front of him, clearly showing the changes in his current state.

The hunter has used the "Original Ascension Pact".

[Skill upgrade complete.]

[Current skill level changed:]

Swordsmanship Master: Lv.27 (formerly Lv.37)

[Master of Melee Combat: Lv.7 (formerly Lv.17)]

[Master of Basic Healing Skills: Lv.10 (formerly Lv.20)]

[Note: For each level increase of the above skills, the resulting effect will be equivalent to the growth level at Lv.49 before ascension.]

[Note: The above skills have broken through the original potential barrier and are qualified to advance to a higher level.]

[Warning: The Hunter's body and soul are in a weakened state following deep reconstruction. Estimated full recovery time: 7 calendar days. During this period, please avoid high-intensity combat and skill upgrades.] (End of Chapter)