Ghost of Culture

68 Exploiting The Conquest Mode

In order to save some precious time left on this possession for later fun in a bun, I relinquish my control over the body and return it to Harry Potter.

There is no need to remain in control of his body, especially when he is going to be stuck in this crappy traffic for the next hour or so. Maybe two hours. It is a long drive to the airport, and people are fucking going home in mass right now.

Rush hour is a bitch, and it cannot be helped.

Of course, Harry would still be able to make it in time to pick up his daughter at the airport even if her airplane is delayed by 8 fucking hours. That also means Harry would have to wait or loiter around the airport until her arrival.

More like actually sitting in his car in a carpark some distance away from the airport, all to save some money. Parking at the airport is fucking expensive, and Harry is trying to save every dime he could. He rarely spent anything on himself, and he is somewhat fine with me.

Not me personally though since it is nice to splurge once in a while. Assuming that I actually have the money to do so though.

I do have plenty of plans to get money. Like a shit ton of money, but too bad I cannot spend it without having an actual body. Sure. I could make Harry and his family live a better life, but it would not really solve anything.

As a matter of fact, it might elevate the problem, considering his wife is refusing to let the motel go to retire. His son too, but it is due to another matter.

Throwing money at his problems will not fix it. If anything, it might make the whole thing worst. I have to solve it another way. Why do I have to solve it? Well, just to make up for all the things that I will do with his daughter. Heh.

That makes it fine, right?

Anyway, it would be a lot better to just return home and chill there until the aircraft arrive instead of wandering around the airport.

Or better yet, why not just head back to Richard's place to have more fun with Alice and Sophia. About 4 to 5 hours more fun time when account for all the travel time.

There is an ability available for straight up teleportation, but it costs so fucking much Power Stones to unlock. Everything cost so much Power Stones. Absurd amount.

How do I get more Power Stones? I could chill around for weeks after weeks, waiting for those weekly rewards, but I think people in the overworld are going to complain. They only gift me those awesome Power Stones if I actually get off my ass and do something.

Tsk. Why can't they just give me them for free? But I guess that is not allowed or something.

Anyway, I decide to ask the system about that. It does not cost much SP, but I am running very low on them. Like really low.

[There are several ways to acquire Power Stones. However, most of them are locked due to your level being too low. Only two are available. Battle Royale or Conquest. Fight Arena is not recommended as you currently lack combat capability. You also do not have enough capital to join Battle Royale. As that is the case, Conquest is your only option.]

I can get more Power Stones by attempting Conquests? Cool. And I would love to, but the list is fucking blanked. Utterly blank. There is nothing available on the list despite the little message at the center of the window is telling me that something will be available each week.

A week already passed in the overworld, so why isn't there anything? System?

[This information requires 20SP]

Right. Price hike time, isn't it? Alright, System. Please take my 20SP and tell me something useful. I am begging you here.

The exact amount disappears from my status screen before the System speaks up again. I do hope the System gives me something useful instead of basically robbing me blind. It tends to do that, and I think it is intentional.

[Conquest Mode is uniquely available to everyone who is aiming to reach Zenith. Conquests are given on a weekly basis. Most may only be attempted during that week for a limited number of times. Please note that not every mission can be attempted unless appropriate level is reached. Conquests that isn't attemptable is not shown. Please level up in order to see them.]

The System informs me, making me blink, and that is why the list is emptied at the moment. It is due to my level being way too low. Fucking too low. While that information explains a few things, it is not as helpful as I have hoped it is.

My current situation has not changed. That is why. Fuck!

Oh wait. There is more due to the scroll bar. Should have paid more attention before cursing. Sorry. It feels like I am not progressing much despite spending a lot of points. Precious points.

[Note that Conquest Mode can also be used to access fictional reality (?). Attempting to conquer (?) a fictional reality is considered as a valid conquest regardless of type. Be aware that time and space flow very differently in a fictional reality, usually at a much slower pace than this reality.]

That widen my eyes. Really? That is kind of awesome. Being able to conquer other places. But what is considered as a fictional reality? I will have to check the Cosmic Codex for that, but it is pretty obvious from the name.

And before doing any of that, there are more information on the window for me to read.

[Rewards are usually not given for these types of conquest, however. Normal achievements as well as standard bonuses still apply, depending on how difficult it is to conquer the fictional reality. There are also much to be gained from a fictional reality. For example, most people use a fictional reality to train their skills and powers, as whatever happen in the fictional reality will not affect the world above.]

Oh. Bummer, but not 100%. Standard bonuses and normal achievements still given, so like I would still get Sexual Points if I bang fictional girls? How fictional are they? Hope they are at least 2D.

[There are many restrictions when dealing with a fictional reality, however. Please refer to page 1337 of your manual for more information.]

With the manual, again. I decide to apply for one since applying should not hurt, should it? Who knows, I might get one earlier than 69 millennia. That might as well be never.

But still. Whoever in charge might get off her ass and write me one. I cannot really be the only person who is complaining about this.

More people complaining will put more pressure on her. I think so.

Kind of works for everything else in life though.

Now, the question remains, how do I access fictional reality though?

And whether do I really have to leave my body to do so?

I hope not, especially when there are Spiritual Beasts roaming around the place, hunting for me.

They are hunting for other people too from what I could tell, but I am much more important to them, apparently from being a Millennium Soul. Not sure what that entailed exactly since the entry about it in the Cosmic Codex is not that in depth.

I also cannot ask the System since there are things that the System doesn't say. Like how do I access a fictional reality? The System does not response, meaning that it does not know. That makes no sense, actually, so I have to assume it does not allow to divulge that information.

Or maybe something else entirely.

I decide to leave it for another time before training my Spiritual Awareness. I get its proficiency up if I meditate and try to feel the spiritual energy around me. That energy is not uniformly distributed across the world from what I understand.

Some areas have much heavier and denser spiritual pressure. Just normal driving towards the airport has already made me passed through several spiritual dense places.

This highway has a lot of spiritual energy floating about, probably from all the people that get killed in the past. Their souls have gone to a better place, but they do leave something behind. Their presences and spiritual energy.

Anyway, I need be totally still with my mind cleared to meditate. It takes 10 or so minutes to actually get me going, and when I do, I could sense a lot of thing around me.

It is as if the air has become a lot heavier. Intoxicating really.

After an hour or so, I slowly open my eyes and see the world a lot more sharper. There is this strange aura coating everyone. It is very faint, but it is there. I check my status window and find that Spiritual Awareness has jumped to 0.16%.

Wow. That is easy. Let me do it again.

More than an hour passed by before I open my eyes again. I almost fell asleep due to how peaceful it is. I only snap out of it because Harry has parked the car.

Spiritual Awareness is now at 0.19%. Only 0.03% increase? That is like puny compare to how big it had increased the first time. Is it diminishing return?

Before I could ponder on the question, a new window appears in my mind, answering that question I had about accessing a fictional reality.

Apparently, touching a medium such as a book is enough to access a fictional reality. I do not need to even touch it myself. Harry did, as he is reading a book to pass the time.

In the window, it tells me what book Harry reading as well as the summary of the plot and world. That is not what interested me, however. What I am interested in is the button available at the bottom of the window.

[Conquest Available]

There is something new on the Conquest Window now, but sadly, it is greyed out with a message.

[Your rank (F) is not high enough to attempt this. At least a C-rank is required.] Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click for visiting.

Well. That sucks, but at least I figure out how to access fictional reality now. Need to find more books in order to fill up my Conquest Window.

Resuming control over Harry is easy. Finding a library is much harder, especially when the car is stalling so much. I did not find a library, but I did find a comic store.

The nerd in me immediately flares up, and I pay zero attentions to teenagers and young adults looking at me. What? Comics are for everyone at every age.

I did not need to open the comics to read it in order to get an option in my Conquest Window. Also, a lot of comics does not give me an option to enter their fictional world.

Those that allow me are really high in rank. Wonder Woman and Superman comics for example. They are like S-rank. Unholy Shit! Oh, I notice that they share the same fictional reality since they take up a single slot.

Since comics are currently way out of my league, I decide to try cartoon and anime. I have to actually touch the television screen to get an option. While a lot slower than touching books, their rank is a lot lower than comics.

I go a little crazy for a while, trying to flip through all the channels just to touch the screen. People find me weird, but meh, like I give a shit about them.

And I only stop when I run out of slot in the Conquest Window. A total 999 fictional realities available for me to choose from. That is fucking awesome.

I return control back to Harry before sorting the list and see which one is of F-rank. Only a handful are, and I have never heard of any of them. Like never. Guess they are not mainstream, but still popular to kids, at least enough for the store to stock them on their selves.

System, what would happen if I die in a fictional world?

I ask just in case. While it is pretty awesome to explore a fictional world, I wouldn't want to die in there for any reason.

[You will die in the real world.]

Crap. But can I escape if I am about die?

The System did not answer, making me frown. I would die if I die in the fictional world? That means it is dangerous as fuck. Well, not more dangerous than in the real world with Spirit Beasts and powerful angels that can smite me.

That explains the ranking on the list. Higher rank means the chance of me getting killed for being my perverted self is probably pretty high. Yikes. But I like my perverted self. Like a lot. Booboobooboobs.

It shouldn't be that bad if I choose realities that is tame by comparison. Just a normal reality. Like how about one set in modern area without any weird superpower shit going on within its setting.

I select the easiest one I could find on the list, and a window appear in front of me. It is confirmation, but also information.

[You are about to begin a Conquest. The Conquest only ends at the story conclusion or when all of the major characters are dead. Achievements and bonuses are given based on your overall performance at the end. Derailing the plotlines is recommended and highly rewarded, as it might bring forth a better ending. Twist endings are the best. However, you are penalized for bad endings.]

The System informs me before listing of all the restrictions and conditions before asking me whether I wish to accept. I will not able to talk to the System until the Conquest is over.

It is one of the restrictions as someone has figured out in the past to cheat with the System. I did not know that you can cheat with the System. Damn.

Anyway, since I have 6 hours of free time, I will attempt this Conquest. It sounds pretty easy from the plot summary. Like how hard can it be, really?