Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1526.
May 28th.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, accompanied by a gentle breeze.
Whoosh—
Three hundred meters up in the air, even a gentle breeze turned into a howling gale.
Merlin clung to the hard, sheer 90-degree cliff face with both hands. He panted softly.
The wind wailed in his ears. The flesh on his fingers was raw and torn. Gritting his teeth, he craned his neck to look at the summit of Petrel Mountain—still two hundred meters above him—and kept climbing.
It felt as if the mountain wind itself was working with the cliff to stop him from conquering it. Pressing his body flush against the rock, he ascended step by step, his fingers locking onto every tiny crevice and protrusion.
His eyes burned with absolute determination.
This wasn't his first time scaling this wall. For the last five months of this half-year period, rain or shine, snow or frost, Merlin had shown up bright and early to clock in for this climb.
It was a forging of both body and will. Free soloing was the ultimate grind.
When he first started, he'd frequently peel off the wall, tumbling down and shattering bones all over his body. But thanks to his [Lightning Reflexes], he could adjust his center of gravity mid-fall, keeping his head from slamming into the ground and killing him instantly. Plus, the thick, tough vines clinging to the cliff face gave him something to grab onto.
Combine that with the new perks he'd picked up over the last six months acting as a safety net... He was able to stubbornly stick to this lethal, body-breaking, will-tempering training routine.
And with his Calamity powers, severe injuries meant absolutely nothing to him. As long as he didn't die on impact, it just came down to how much stamina it took to heal. Besides, through this brutal regimen, Merlin had gained a profound understanding of the mechanics behind "trauma" as a form of Calamity.
Amidst the howling mountain winds, he moved like a nimble ape. His limbs coordinated flawlessly, every muscle and bone firing in perfect sync. He effortlessly conquered the sheer cliff that would have terrified an ordinary person to death.
Ten or so minutes later.
Gripping the highest rocky outcrop, Merlin stared down the final three meters. He drove all his power into his limbs and vaulted upward.
Whoosh! He landed solidly on the rock ledge at the summit. Planting his feet firmly, he steadied his breathing, then turned around to look down.
Far below lay the sprawling manor—the Rock Heart Sword Dojo he knew like the back of his hand. A little further out was a well-organized villa district and a deep, emerald-green lake. Beyond that was the bustling port town.
And stretching out into the distance was the endless, dark-red sea, with the morning sun slowly cresting the eastern horizon.
Incredibly beautiful. Incredibly majestic.
The gentle breeze caressed his body, stripping away the lingering heat from his climb. Under the light of the rising sun, the sweat on his bare torso seemed to shimmer with a golden hue.
Suddenly, pitch-black Calamity flames flared to life across his skin! The scraped flesh on his chest, fingertips, shoulders, and elbows healed instantly, completely returning to normal.
As he took soft breaths, a warm current flowed through his bones and veins, soothing his profound exhaustion.
After taking in the sunrise for a moment, Merlin turned and headed into the interior of Petrel Mountain's peak. Deep in the lush forest, early-rising beasts let out series of low growls and calls.
He navigated through the trees. Soon, he arrived at the heart of the mountain's rearward slope. The air here was humid, shrouded in a hazy white mist. The temperature rose steadily.
"A nice, hot spring bath right after a morning workout... absolutely top-tier luxury."
He soon reached a small hot spring surrounded by rocks. Merlin unstrapped the dagger from his right thigh, kicked off his shoes, and stripped off his pants, stepping into the pool in just his trunks.
The water was a perfect forty degrees Celsius. As he sat down, the water level settled just above his chest. Leaning back against the smooth stone wall, Merlin let out a long, satisfied sigh, purging the stale air from his lungs.
He narrowed his eyes. Right on cue, the azure [Equipment Slot] interface materialized in front of him.
Looking over the bizarre perks he had accumulated, a smile flashed in his eyes—though it was tinged with a hint of frustration.
Name: [Laplace Merlin]
Skill Specializations: [Basic-Level Lynx Body Tempering Arts, Basic-Level Blade Technique, Basic-Level Lynx Visualization]
Special Expertise: [Lightning Reflexes, Lasting Endurance, Beast Instinct, Calamity Manipulation]
Staring at the skills and perks in his UI, Merlin sighed. "I should be satisfied. Beggars can't be choosers."
Over these past six months of relentless training, both his Entry-Level Body Tempering and Blade Technique had crossed the threshold into the Basic-Level.
[Basic-Level Lynx Body Tempering Arts]: Born from yoga and the biomechanics of a lynx, you have grasped the true essence of this art. You are gradually comprehending the kinetic and static energies within your muscles and bones.
Still as a maiden, swift as a fleeing hare. That was exactly what this was. Merlin's mastery over his own body had deepened significantly. He could now coordinate and unleash much more of the power locked within his muscles. This made his movements incredibly efficient, allowing him to adjust his output and maximize his explosive power.
[Basic-Level Blade Technique]: You are a practitioner of the blade. Your understanding of blade techniques is approaching full integration. In this field, you have officially entered the inner hall.
Over this period, heavily buffed by his perks, his foundational blade stances had become pure instinct. Naturally, his blade technique leveled up.
Splashing the hot spring water over his body with his hands, Merlin reviewed the three new special perks he'd acquired.
[Lasting Endurance]: The result of prolonged, grueling training. Your cardiopulmonary function, muscular endurance, and metabolic capacity are all enhanced. Both your body and your will possess an incredibly high threshold for tolerance.
[Beast Instinct]: You have touched the threshold of a sixth sense beyond sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste—the "Mind's Sense." From now on, you possess intuition in combat that rivals a wild beast's.
[Calamity Manipulation]: Disaster and suffering walk alongside you. Pitch-black flames soothe every calamity of your body and soul.
These three special perks had unlocked when his Synchro Value with the [Lynx] hit 50% and 75%, and when his Synchro Value with the [Calamity Fruit] reached 25%.
Moreover, they didn't just pop up automatically. They unlocked only when he hit those specific Synchro thresholds and entered a specific state during his training.
[Lasting Endurance] had triggered four months ago, right after he pushed past his physical limits during a climb. [Beast Instinct] popped two months ago when Fulvio and Teresa had him completely pinned down in a joint sparring session. As for [Calamity Manipulation], that one showed up naturally after he survived a particularly nasty fall off the cliff and healed himself during his daily routine.
Because of this, Merlin had essentially figured out the rules for gaining perks from his equipment. Even if you hit the required Synchro Value node, you still had to shatter your own limits to actually unlock it.
Right now, looking at the Equipment Slot, Merlin checked the Synchro Values of his two equipped items.
[Lynx]: Synchro Value 99%
[Calamity Fruit]: Synchro Value 63%
Merlin locked his gaze on the [Lynx] equipment. "It's been stuck at 99% for nearly a month now. All this grinding, and it just won't cross over to 100%. Is this the hard cap?"
Merlin knew his [Equipment Slot] had two distinct modes. One was "Temporary." The other was "Bound." Temporary meant he could swap the gear out whenever he wanted. Bound meant it permanently consumed that slot.
"To tap into the deepest potential of the equipment... does a Temporary piece of gear just straight-up lack the ability to hit 100%?"
Just as he had the thought, a surge of instinctual clarity radiated from the Equipment Slot.
[Yes.]
A wave of understanding washed over him. "So this really is the absolute limit for Temporary equipment."
Frustration flickered in his eyes, but he quickly accepted it. There was no such thing as a free lunch. He'd already squeezed a ton of value out of this temporary gear. So... should he convert it into Bound equipment?
He entertained the thought for a second before shutting it down. It all came back to potential. In Merlin's mind, no matter how strong a regular animal was, how could it ever compete with a Devil Fruit? Which meant the Lynx had officially graduated from his inventory.
A fleeting sense of melancholy crossed his eyes.
But then he looked over at the [Calamity Fruit]. It had breached the 50% mark almost a month and a half ago. Yet, no matter how hard he trained, tortured his own body, healed himself, or broke his limits, he hadn't unlocked a single new perk from it.
"Makes sense, really. Paramecia abilities usually revolve around a central phenomenon or concept. And 'Calamity Manipulation' already encompasses the absolute core of what this fruit represents."
The realization clicked into place. Besides, just because he hadn't gotten a new perk didn't mean the fruit's powers were stagnating. His casting speed was way faster now. With a single thought, black flames could ignite on any inch of his body. Furthermore, as long as the black flames coated a part of his body, he could fire off his stockpiled "Ammunition" from that spot.
Even though his total ammo capacity hadn't changed, the sheer freedom and stealth of how he used his powers had massively improved. And his control over the black flames? It was basically second nature at this point.
Right there in the hot spring, Calamity flames flared in his palm, constantly shifting shapes at his command. A blade, a sword, a bullet, a gauntlet.
The flames condensed into a dense fireball. With a flick of his wrist, Merlin tossed it out. It landed lightly on the surface of the hot spring, burning silently atop the water. Guided by his will, the black fireball started orbiting him in a five-meter radius.
Feeling his stamina draining away like water through a sieve, Merlin fell into thought.
"Sure, I can project the black flames outward now, but the stamina drain scales up ridiculously fast the longer I keep it going."
Since the black flames were the medium for his Calamity powers, it stood to reason that if he projected them, he could use the Calamity effects stored inside to damage his enemies.
"A short-range Calamity attack."
He'd been pouring time into developing his fruit's abilities lately, which is exactly how he'd come up with this specific flame technique. With a mental tug, the black flame resting on the water vanished.
Merlin looked back at the Equipment Slot. With a mere thought, a large, grayish-brown cat materialized in front of him.
And then...
Splash! Water flew everywhere.
"Mrowww!"
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