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Eventually, Theodore lost his battle with the Void, and a detonation of invisible fire scoured his flesh from his bones, scattering the silvery substance that his body had become everywhere. It was likely a transformation derived from mana, as he had resisted the attack for some time. However, now that it had run out, he was simply a normal, high Tier 3 fighter. Essence coursed into Jonathan, and he found himself wishing that he still was in Tier 1, where the subsequent level would have healed him fully.
The world around him faded away, spitting him out back in Mire, next to the corpse of Theodore, who was barely recognizable as a person. All that was left of him were shattered metallic bones, turned to little more than dust in some cases. However, Jonathan did not allow himself to gloat. That battle could have gone either way. It had been by no means an assured victory.
He coughed up blood as his body slowly healed, and lay there on the ground, dazed from his exertion. The others gathered around, but other than a few supportive words, there was nothing that they could do. To distract himself from the pain, Jonathan opened his stat sheet.
Jonathan Harlowe
Tier 3
Void Human(Exalted)
Divinity Aspect: Void Hegemon
Elemental Mastery: 12%
Elemental Juggernaut: Tier 3 Legendary
Level 231
(21 free points)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Strength
</td>
<td>
2090
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dexterity
</td>
<td>
1841
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
Constitution
</td>
<td>
1764
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
Resilience
</td>
<td>
1812
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
Intelligence
</td>
<td>
1730
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
Wisdom
</td>
<td>
1388
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Divinity
</td>
<td>
20
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Health: 39690/39690
Stamina: 47025/47025
Mana: 38925/38925
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Titles</li>
</ul>
True Unbound Spirit: Unique
First Circle Breaker: Unique
Nascent God: TranscendentUnauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Supreme Initiate: Ancient
Prodigy of Fusion: Mythical
Lesser Xenocide: Legendary
Greater Giantslayer: Legendary
Iron Will: Epic
Leader of Men: Epic
Refined Form: Epic
Avenger: Epic
Lineage Hunter: Rare
Righteous Killer: Rare
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Skills</li>
</ul>
Maw of the Void: Ancient
Ephemeral Trifecta: Mythical
Greater Smite: Mythical
Void’s Grasp: Mythical
Void Piercer: Mythical
Runic Overcharge: Mythical
Mantle of the Void: Legendary
Rune Savant: Legendary
Void Drill: Legendary
Channeled Basic Truesight: Legendary
Sense the Weave: Legendary
Fists of the Maelstrom: Legendary
Minor Enlightenment: Legendary
Void Slipstream: Epic
Warrior’s Trance: Epic
Battle Focus: Rare
Impact: Rare
Focused Scry: Rare
Runes of Power: Rare
Redirect: Uncommon
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Pathway Skills</li>
</ul>
Energy Manipulation(Advanced): Journeyman 6
Blunt Weapon Mastery(Advanced): Journeyman 5
Runecrafting Expertise(Advanced): Journeyman 2
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Martial Path</li>
</ul>
Flowing Maelstrom: Journeyman 6
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Quests</li>
</ul>
The Strongest: ???
Hellbreaker: Impossible
Pathway of the Titans: Heroic
Eventually, his body healed over, minutes, or perhaps hours later, and he rose to his feet. His armor was already in the process of repairing itself, and he saw the scar in it healing over, at a rate that was barely visible to the naked eye.
“That’s a lot of blood,” he observed as he rose to his feet. The ground around him was utterly soaked in vital fluid.
“Yes, your blood,” Edgar replied. “Where the hell did that all come from?”
“My regeneration was fighting against the wound. That bastard must have used some sort of technique to prevent clotting. If not for my stats, I would be dead right now.”
“We need to leave this place now,” Hushar said. “It is no longer safe here for us.”
“We also need to find the others,” Jonathan replied. “I have had enough of losing allies.”
Although his face was calm, his body was shaking with rage. His greatest failure to date still haunted him. It was a good thing that he never slept any more. The thought of his allies erased by the ritual magic of Granath’s focus lived within his mind, kept there by his perfect memory.
Before he could even come to terms with what had just happened, a flicker of motion caught his eye. He turned to the left, just in time to spot someone darting out from behind a ruin. His arm shot up, a blast of purple energy already forming there. For once, he was too slow.
“You will suffer for this betrayal, Branth Okarn,” a voice called out from beneath a pitch black hood. A hand snapped out as the figure tore across the ground, grabbing the beastman off the stone below.
Before Jonathan could do anything but gape, the mysterious fighter snapped their fingers, and a ring flared. A portal appeared in midair, tearing through the space before both him and Branth. Then they were through, and it was gone, leaving Jonathan standing there in shocked silence.
All words deserted him. All words except one. “Fuck…”
“I couldn’t put it any other way,” Edgar said numbly, sinking to the ground. In one fell swoop, their entire presence within this realm had been more than cut in half.
Jonathan sat there for some time, wallowing in despair. He had defeated Theodore, but there would be more to come. Was this where his journey ended? Perhaps Mire was beyond his reach. More memories from the Ash Heaps started to circulate through his mind, ones long banished to the recesses of his memory. Thoughts of death and failure. His failure.
He banished the thoughts from his mind forcibly some time later, and coaxed the trembling out of his muscles. He was more than just the sum of his errors. If he was to ever escape the stain upon his soul, he would need to achieve what those who died never would. Becoming the Hellbreaker was more than just the escape route of an arrogant mortal. Now, it was the combined will of everyone who languished in the Hells, hoping for a better future.
“Let’s go,” he said after recovering. “We have a circle to save.”
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