Chapter 86 Aether


    "You''ve got to be fucking kidding me!"


    Emir couldn''t believe his eyes.


    The monster had revived itself, and it looked to be more powerful than ever before.


    He readied his weapons once again, knowing that he was in for another brutal fight.


    The monster''s presence seemed to corrupt the very air around it, causing the ground beneath its feet to melt and the air to sear with intense heat.


    "HOW IN THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS FAIR ARCADIA?!!" He bellowed, struggling to cope with the fantastical situation.


    With a deep breath, he steadied himself and focused on activating his TDS ability, ignoring the burning sensation in his mind that signaled thest of his mental energy being expended.


    ''Okay, I can''t get any closer or I''ll burn to death....''


    Using any weapon besides his rail gun would be pointless, as the bullets would surely melt.


    There had to be something he was missing.


    There was no way Lyra would have epted a contract so disadvantageous.


    ''Come on, think, Emir, think! What am I missing?''


    ''Wait a minute... YES! Aether!''


    Arcadia must have added that in the quiz to signify that Emir could use it too, not just monsters!


    That would be the only way he could defeat it, and it''s technically fair since he could use it, even if he didn''t know about it before.


    ''You almost had me there Arcadia, but now the real game begins.''


    He had also made tremendous progress in just a few hours, but it was no surprise considering the constant danger lurking at every turn.


    ''I guess I have a lot to thank her for...''


    And this mysterious Aether must be what powered his TDS ability in conjunction with his mental energy.


    It all made sense, especially now since time was almost at a standstill for him.


    But still, the question remained:


    Did Arcadia want him to know of this?


    ''Let''s think about thister.''


    For now, he needed to think of a way to utilize Aether.


    His mutation unlock most likely gave him ess to it, and it should be present in his body.


    So he needed to use it ande up with a new ability.


    ''But what would be the best use of this Aether?''


    ''...Let''s think of it as Mana in those novels I read.’


    ‘I must have a certain capacity so I can''t waste it.''


    He needed something simple yet powerful.


    A single shot that could pierce through even the strongest defenses, using up all the Aether that he had.


    ''Let''s call it….’


    [Aether st]


    ‘Oh, that’s a nice name yeah.''


    ''Anyways, I need to somehow materialize the Aether inside me towards the rail gun.…’


    ‘Let''s see here...''


    Emir decided after a series of thoughts and instinctively directed the enigmatic Aether towards his hands, feeling an intense surge flow through his body.


    It was like a scorching, pulsating liquid coursing through his veins, almost tangible in his mind''s eye as a vibrant, glowing fluid.


    In just a few fleeting moments, the mysterious energy was seamlessly integrated with his weapon, the rail gun.


    It was a wless match as if the weapon had be an extension of his own body.


    And as Aether flowed through the weapon, he could sense its immense power and potential.


    It was potent and ready to be unleashed like a current just waiting for hismand to surge forward.


    Just as the monster charged towards Emir, time suddenly resumed its normal pace.


    Emir wasted no time and raised his weapon.


    He aimed at the center of the creature''s head.


    "Aether st!"


    Emir bellowed, unleashing the full force of Aether that he had just harnessed.


    The rail gun emitted an unfamiliar whirring sound as it illuminated and discharged a blinding white beam that struck the monster without dy.


    Zing! BOOM!


    With a resounding thud, the monster was flung backwards by the impact of his attack, and it crashed into a nearby wall.


    Rumble! Rumble!


    And as a result of the st''s recoil, Emir wasunched away, as he struggled to maintain his bnce and stay on his feet.


    His body was depleted of Aether as it fueled his attack entirely, causing his body to weaken.


    With caution, he approached the injured monster, using his rail gun as a crutch.


    Although badly wounded, the monster was not dead yet.


    The inferno that once enveloped its body had been extinguished, leaving behind scorched and smoldering skin.


    Standing a safe distance away, he observed as the monster regained its footing while groaning.


    Its movements were unsteady, and it staggered about clumsily.


    It was obvious that the creature was in no shape to mount much of an offensive in its present condition.


    Emir sighed as he swallowed some old-world medicine.


    Slowly, his body healed itself, unlike the smander, which struggled to regenerate as the Aether st still seemed to affect its body.


    He unsheathed his daggers as he spat out:


    "I really should''ve kept an extra energy pack, now I''ll have to beat the shit out of this house-sized smander with just my body''s strength.”


    “I guess I still have a lot to learn."


    He then looked up and screamed:


    "You enjoying the show, Arcadia?! You will give me some good relics after this!"


    He then shook his head as he thought:


    ''Arcadia might''ve wanted to help in the guise of killing me, otherwise, all the puzzle-solving wouldn''t make sense....''


    ''There’s a high chance she did that to know if I''m worth investing in or not, but why?''


    He walked forward, leaving his rail gun behind while still in thought.


    ''What would she gain from helping me learn about Aether?''


    ''Does she want me to defect from the Order?’


    ‘But she has to know that I have no other choice than to follow their demands, right?''


    Emir was soon in front of the still struggling monster, which towered over him as he was only the size of one of its eyes.


    ''Seriously, though, what is Arcadia thinking? Does she have something to cut off their connection from me...''


    ''Holy shit, no way, no damn way!''


    ''She does have that something! Has all of this been for that?''


    ''So there was no fair code, Arcadia just wanted to test me, goddamn!’


    ‘…As expected from an old-world AI, huh?''


    Emir let out a chuckle and cleared his mind of that revtion he stumbled on as he fixated on the monstrous creature before him.


    His grip tightened around his daggers as he prepared for his uing attack.


    He instinctivelymanded Aether to flow through his now repaired body.


    Aether obeyed him as if he was king, and soon enough, he felt it slowly growing inside him.


    The power of Aether surged through his body, causing a noticeable vibration.


    It was a feeling of pure ecstasy as if he was invincible and all-powerful.


    With a smile on his face, he flexed his muscles and felt Aether pulsing through every inch of his being.


    And whilst he explored his newfound strength, he noticed that his senses had be sharper and more attuned to his surroundings.


    He could see clearer details in the dimly lit room that he had never noticed before, and he could hear the slightest sounds from outside.


    And in that moment, he unknowingly became a Celestial.


    An Awakened.


    With his body infused with Aether, he was more than human, more than mortal.


    He was something entirely different—something greater, something divine.


    Emir had begun his journey to reach the Apex of this universe.


    He then closed his eyes and focused his will,manding Aether to move to his daggers.


    The Aether responded obediently.


    It instantly intertwined with his set of two ck daggers, coating them in ayer of Aether, weaving itself around the two ck des, and creating a pulsing, dark aura.


    Emir grinned as he held up his newly empowered weapons, admiring the subtle glow they emitted.


    The glow emanating from the des was both ominous and mesmerizing.


    ''Hmm, what to call this new ability?''


    [Aetheric des.]


    ‘Yeah, that sounds right.’


    ‘As expected of you Lyra.'' He chuckled inwardly.


    Now with a regained focus and knowledge of his abilities, he looked back at the monster.


    "Aetheric des!"


    Emir chanted as he charged forward, the daggers in his hands leaving a trail of ck light in their wake.


    The incantation provided his mind with the muscle memory of how to ignite the ability at once.


    Emir was met by a tail that swung in his direction.


    He quickly sidestepped the car-sized tail, but the monster wasn''t done yet.


    It swiped again, this time aiming for his legs.


    He anticipated the attack and leaped over it.


    Emir continued with the momentum of his jump and dashed over towards the monster.


    He ran up the monster''s body and jumped onto its head while.


    His des found themselves plunged into the monster''s right eye.


    Embedded deep into the monster''s flesh.


    "RRROOOOOOOOOOAAAARRRR!"


    The creature let out a deafening roar and thrashed about in agony.


    Emir leaped away effortlessly, his daggers still firmly grasped in his hands.


    With swift movements, he repeated the same action.


    Lodging his Aetheric des into the other eye of the monster causing it to shriek in panic as it was blinded, unable to regenerate anymore.


    Hended on the ground and took a step back, his daggers still glowing with an eerie ck light.


    He then eyed the monster once again, knowing that his next attack would lead to the smander''s end.