《Inexorable Immortal [Immortal Sculptor/Golemancer LitRPG Progression Fantasy]》 1.01 - Opening His Eyes |Ding! You have entered a special mana-rich area!| |Ding! Death State has ended!| |Ding! Body has reformed!| |Ding! Effective Age has reset!| |Ding! Your Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Ambient Mana Absorption (I-60)] has activated!| |Ding! Your Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Regeneration (I-60)] has activated!| |Ding! Your Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Adaptation (I-60)] has activated!| ¡®It¡¯s cold¡­¡¯ It was the first thing that he noticed¡ªaside from the notifications, of course. But the cold here wasn¡¯t anything he¡¯d ever felt before. It wasn¡¯t like the winter chill back home. Nor was it the cold from one of his friend¡¯s freezing potions. No, this was something else entirely. ¡®Why is it so¡ªAHHHHHHHHHHH¡¯ In reflex, he tried to open his mouth and scream out loud to match his thoughts. But no sound came out. He flailed wildly, trying, and trying, and trying, to grab ahold of something¡ªanything, but there was nothing here. Then he noticed it¡ªor rather, the absence of it. There was no air here. And worse? There was no gravity. Elias persistently struggled against the unbearable emptiness, his limbs thrashed about in all directions, but no matter how hard he fought, it was useless. The cold sank into his very bones, freezing his newly formed body, reaching deeper and freezing his thoughts along with it. His healing made things worse. Forcing him feel the destruction and reconstruction of his cells¡ªprolonging his suffering under the unforgiving laws of the void. Inevitably, he ceased his futile struggles and curled himself up into a ball, trying his best to manage the pain. He didn¡¯t know how long it lasted exactly. All he could think about was the pain¡ªthe pain of every cell in his body caught in a constant cycle of freezing to death and forceful healing. The repeated damage to his brain from the lack of oxygen, not to mention the constant suffocation. It was torture. At some point, he¡¯d even tried to open his eyes, but when he did, he found that they didn¡¯t work. He could feel them continually swelling and popping, then healing, over and over again. It was unending. The pain was excruciating, to say the least, and soul-shattering, to say the most. ¡®¡­No, it¡¯s more than that¡­ wait¡­ I can think?!¡¯ Unbeknownst to him, the pain had somehow¡­ lessened. It wasn¡¯t gone, no; it was still there, just dulled. |Ding! You have adapted!| |Ding! Temporary buff [Stellar Endurance I] gained!| ¡®Ah! That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t really know how to feel about it. On one hand, he was glad that he was now able to think. On the other, he wished that the skill would have just gotten rid of the pain completely. ¡®Whatever.¡¯ He thought. And now, with the space to actually think, he endeavored to figure out what happened. To find out how he ended up in the void of space, of all places. |Ding! You have activated your Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Perfect Memory (I-60)] Memories flashed rapidly in his mind. From the first moment that he¡¯d awakened to the moment just before he ¡®died¡¯. ¡®No. NO! NO!!!¡¯ He attempted to scream again, to rage against what he¡¯d seen in his mind, but frustration and helplessness were the only thing that formed. ¡®WHY?! Why am I alive when everyone is¡­ is FUCKING DEAD?!!!¡¯ He asked, and yet, the only thing he heard was the rapid beating of his heart. His memories kept on replaying in his mind. He saw his mother practicing magic when she thought no one was watching. His father carefully shaping and sculpting a massive block of Water-aspect obsidian. His best friend Ben, hammering away at a piece of red-hot steel. And Anna¡­ ¡®My love¡­¡¯ His memories shifted to show all he had of Anna. From the time when they were still young and just friends, to the time they finally got together a few years into their apprenticeships. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. He remembered her smile, the way her hair flowed, her green eyes that he could just get lost in, the dimples that hinted at her love for mischief. But most of all, he remembered the look she gave him. THE look. It never failed to make his heart skip a beat. But now, his memory of her was forever tainted. She¡¯d been with him on that fateful day when it all went wrong. She was watching him sculpt after she had just finished tending to her garden. When he suddenly received those notifications. |Ding! WARNING! Your Innate skill [True Immortal¡¯s Concealment (I-60)] has detected an Omni-directional Scrying Skill scanning attempt!| |Ding! Scanning skill determined to be Innate skill [Anathema¡¯s Prying Eyes (VI-5521)]| |Ding! WARNING! Scanning attempt has focused on YOU!| |Ding! WARNING! ALL DEFENSES HAVE BEEN PIERCED!| At the time, he immediately picked Anna up, headed for his parents¡¯ house, and told them about what happened. He thought he had had enough time to fetch Ben too¡­ but he was wrong. ¡®It had only been a few minutes¡­¡¯ He lamented. He remembered the moment when Ben came out of his smithy to greet him, only to look up into the sky. A truly enormous tear in space had come into being. There was no sound, no warning. With not even enough time to process the impossibility of what had happened, an equally gigantic warship emerged from its depths. It was majestic. Completely covered in runes that he couldn¡¯t even begin to understand. The ones that he did were beautifully arranged in the most intricate and perfect way he could imagine¡ªall for the purpose of annihilation. Desperation gripped him as he dashed madly toward Anna. But just when he neared and the house was in sight, he tripped. The ground had betrayed him. It shifted beneath his feet, sending him sprawling across the ground. Everything around him trembled violently. It was as if the whole world was breaking apart. He hurriedly picked himself up off the ground¡ªnot even noticing the small scrape on his knee that refused to heal. She was all he could think about. Panic and adrenaline drove him as he bolted for the door. His face brightened at the sight of the door opening on its own. Anna had walked out with his parents close behind. He pushed himself harder, harder than he¡¯d ever pushed. But it wasn¡¯t enough. The ground rapidly split in between them. A fracture in the earth itself formed in the blink of an eye. ¡®I can make it!¡¯ He¡¯d thought as he eyeballed the expanding fissure. But when he took a few steps back in preparation to leap across the gap. The world finally broke. He watched as the love of his life, along with the people who raised him, were crushed by the immense force of the very earth they stood on, as it splintered and rocketed up into the void of space. Inertia reared its ugly head and transformed their bodies into an insult to them, and to life itself, leaving only a mere smear on the earth that had once nourished them. Not long after that, the memory replay stopped. His mind was blank and his body frozen. Elias watched the calamity unfold in his mind¡¯s eye. He didn¡¯t know what to feel. Should he be upset? Probably. Cry? Probably. Angry? ¡®Definitely.¡¯ He thought, as fury threatened to overwhelm him. But rationality won out in the end. After all, the unforgiving feeling of excruciating pain from every part of his body was a constant reminder of where he was. |Ding! You have adapted!| |Ding! Temporary buff [Stellar Endurance II] gained!| ¡®Just in time.¡¯ The pain eased a little more, fading into an intense itch all across his aching body, fought off by the familiar warmth of his regeneration. Thankfully, it was enough. He could finally feel his eyes stop its cycle of healing and popping. He forced his eyes open and didn¡¯t see the familiar sight of the pitch-black nothingness of space dotted by distant stars. No, instead, he saw a glowing and colorful sight. Everywhere he looked was a mishmash of mostly red and pink hues, with a hint of blue and green thrown in. It all blended into one awe-inspiring colorful mist, lit up by nearby stars. And the stars themselves were mesmerizing on their ow¡ª |Ding! You have witnessed the miracle of stellar formation!| |Ding! You have received the temporary buff [Glimpse into Creation]| ¡®Incredible¡­¡¯ He thought as he looked on, astonished at what he was seeing. There was an uncountable number of stars as far as his eyes could see. Several of them were massive to the point that even though he couldn¡¯t feel the heat from any of them, they were still at least bigger than the moon on his home planet. Then there were the younger ones. Smaller, yes, but no less captivating. Each one was pulling in and absorbing the gases that surrounded them, forming glowing tendrils of light. Some of the stronger ones even formed colorful, breathtaking discs around them that made them look much bigger than they actually were. Magic was something that he grew up with. It was a constant thing for practically everyone in the universe. But this? ¡®This is true magic.¡¯ Time passed again. Elias didn¡¯t know exactly how long he drifted through the nebula. He was too immersed in the experience, in the spectacle, in the miracle of creation itself happening in front of his eyes. Whole clusters of stars formed from mere specks of cosmic dust into what could only be called seeds. They were not just mere balls of fire and radiation that would burn and destroy everything they came across; these were primordial vessels of creation. And in time, these vessels will sprout and bloom. Drifting apart from each other and spreading across the cosmos, eventually gathering cosmic dust of their own, forming planets around them¡ªtheir own seeds. Ones that will one day give birth to life. ¡®This¡­ is creation.¡¯ |Ding! You have attained enlightenment on the [Law of Creation]| |Ding! You have comprehended a Shard of the [Law of Creation]| The pair of notifications woke him up from his blissful stupor. But with it came pain that was much worse than what he¡¯d felt before. |Ding! WARNING! Your Existence is insufficient to contain a Law Shard!| |Ding! WARNING! Your Soul is in danger of annihilation!| |Ding! WARNING! Shutting down all functions except Innate Skills [True Immortal¡¯s Ambient Mana Absorption (I-60)], [True Immortal¡¯s Regeneration (I-60)], and [True Immortal¡¯s Adaptation (I-60)]| |Ding! WARNING! You are now entering a Death State!| ¡®Shi¡ª¡¯ 1.02 - But where do I even start? |Ding! You have adapted!| |Ding! Temporary buff [Soul Fortification I] gained| His mind still foggy, Elias woke up to the familiar dings of the system. This time, though, something felt... off. The mesmerizing and colorful mist of the nebula he was in was still there, albeit much duller than when he used his eyes to see¡ªbut so was his body. ¡®Uhhhh¡­ what?¡¯ He blanked for a good while, simply staring at his drifting, lifelessly frozen body. When eventually, he noticed several faint blue strands stretching out from his body, reaching in his direction. Bringing his hands up to his face, he found that he could see the colorful mist through them. Not only that, his hands and arms had lines that seemed to separate sections of his body from each other, with each blue string connected to each segment. He didn¡¯t really know what to make of it, so he decided to do some experiments. He swung them around, putting them in front of different stars in the distance. All that confirmed was that, yes, his hands were indeed translucent. Next, he clapped them together¡ªa bad idea. ¡®GAH!¡¯ He inwardly yelped from the pain. His divided and translucent body parts had, quite literally, come apart at the seams. The shock of it was unlike anything he¡¯d felt, even when his physical body was in that excruciating cycle. It reached deeper¡ªmuch deeper than before. It wasn¡¯t just the feeling of being torn apart. He could feel the way it pulled at him¡ªat his very soul. The agonizing sensation that threatened to knock him out again was akin to the forceful pull of gravity, dialed up a millionfold. It felt like he was standing at the edge of a black hole that harmed his very essence. Erasing him piece by piece. The only solace he could feel was from the fact that he knew that he wouldn¡¯t die. The system itself had declared it. An inordinate amount of time passed with his body suspended in torment, and Elias began to feel ¡­ odd. He watched as the scattered pieces of his body slowly came together. Blue tendrils¡ªlikely the manifestation of his regeneration skill¡ªwere actively stitching him up. With every pass of the tendrils, the pain he was experiencing lessened in that area. That piece would then move closer to the part it was attached to and reconnect. It would send a soothing wave of¡­ comfort through his body every time. It wasn¡¯t the same as the warmth from his physical body healing; it was something deeper¡ªa feeling of home, of safety, of a hug. It made him feel complete. It reminded him of when he used to lie down on the enchanted sofa in his parents¡¯ house. A memory now tarnished by¡ª ¡®Stop.¡¯ He thought as he released a calming breath. ¡®Huh? How am I breathing?¡¯ He tried breathing again and was surprised to feel air! ¡®No, that¡¯s not air, that¡¯s¡ª¡¯ He breathed in the ¡®air¡¯ a few more times, closely using what senses he had as a soul to figure out what it was. ¡®It¡¯s mana? But there¡¯s something more in there¡­¡¯ He looked at it closer and found that it was his [Shard of Creation] that was reacting and helping him absorb the particles here. ¡®Yes, the mana here carries bits and pieces of the law of creation!¡¯ To understand more about his situation, he brought up his full status screen.
Elias Stone (I) [DEAD (Detached Soul)] Level: 60 Race: Human (UC) (+5 Free SP) Effective Age: 0 Laws Classes
Stats Substats
Innate Trait o You are immortal. Innate Skills o (You regenerate from all damage.) o (You absorb the surrounding mana.) o (You will never forget.) o (You will never falter.) o (You conceal yourself from prying eyes.) o (You leave your mark on items.) o (You will adapt.) o (You will feel for others.) o (You will be called upon.)
Class Skills (Journeyman Sculptor) A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Class Skills (Apprentice Enchanter)
General Skills
¡®Detached soul¡­ That makes sense, I guess?¡¯ He thought as he focused in on the state his body and soul were in. His body drifted through the mists of creation while his soul was being pulled along for the ride¡ªabsorbing bits and pieces of the law all along the way. ¡®This is odd.¡¯ He finally concluded after a bit of time, just drifting through space. He¡¯d exhausted just about everything he could do in his state¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t much in the first place. Tracing the fissures, done. Trying to force two soul parts closer together, done¡­ and found to be useless since he could feel them repel each other the moment he let off on the pressure. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Then it hit him that he hadn¡¯t actually checked his new law out. He hurried to bring it up from his status screen. Law of Creation (Shard) From the chaos of potential, a fragment coalesces. The once-indistinct whispers become sharper, more purposeful. -You can now touch the edges of creation, though what you make is crude and incomplete¡ªa shard of what might one day be whole- The first thing that stood out to him was the stage of his comprehension¡ªshard. From everything he¡¯d learned from school and from his parents¡¯ lessons, a living being could only successfully contain a law shard once they entered the second tier. ¡®Guess that¡¯s why my soul literally broke apart¡­¡¯ He thought as a rueful smile tugged at his ghostly lips. As a tier one being, he was only supposed to, at most, be able to sense laws and condense a fragment of his choosing. A fragment that would be nothing but a glorified law detector. But for him, the law of creation at the shard stage was probably the best fit. He even almost thought that maybe everything that happened wasn¡¯t all bad. Of course, then he¡¯d remember the deep red stains¡ªand a deep hatred for whoever owned that warship would bubble up within him. The thing that hurt the most, though, was there weren¡¯t any distinct markings on that ship. It was a featureless, pitch-black monstrosity for all he knew. It came one moment and left complete devastation in the next. ¡®How am I supposed to even find them?¡¯ He thought, as he looked around and felt utterly lost. Revenge was something that was already set in stone for him. It wasn¡¯t just what he wanted to do; it wasn''t even something he needed to do; it was something he had to do. And he would not know peace until he did it. For a time, he just stared blankly into the shifting colors of the mist. The sight of the stars and planetesimals forming freely in this cosmic cradle of creation was oddly¡­ soothing to him. Eventually, his mind cleared up enough for him to come to a conclusion. ¡®I will find them, and I will make them pay.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know exactly how much time passed as he drifted through space, but what he did know was that it was definitely taking a much longer time for his innate adaptation skill to push his buff to the next stage. If he estimated that only hours passed between his two physical buffs, then this was definitely taking weeks. It made sense, of course. The soul was nothing like the body in its complexity, and it was usually much harder to heal the wounds to a being¡¯s soul. He took a glance over the still visible fissures in his soul-body and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in wonder. ¡®Those soul mages would probably pay me in the scale of multiple mineral planets just for a chance to see something like this.¡¯ Mages in general were a curious bunch, but with souls being their main focus of research and expertise, soul mages tended to either pay anyone willing to have their souls studied or resort to more extreme actions. Of course, only the truly desperate and degenerate mages ever resorted to extremes. After all, getting soul wounds healed was something that usually cost whole countries¡¯ worth of wealth. ¡®That¡¯s one way to earn some emergency money, I guess.¡¯ He thought as he filed that idea away for later. Just then¡ª |Ding! You have adapted!| |Ding! Temporary buff [Soul Fortification II] gained| Something deep inside him clicked, and he watched as the separated parts of his soul-body move toward each other at a speed much faster than just a moment ago. The blue tendrils that effortlessly weaved through his soul worked overtime with a renewed vigor and stitched his soul up in record time. He watched as every piece of him drew ever closer together¡ªmaking him more complete. Finally, as the last and biggest fissure closed¡ªconnecting his torso to the lower part of his body¡ªhe felt relief the likes of which he¡¯d never felt before. And for the first time in a while, he felt at peace. He felt that maybe, just maybe, he didn¡¯t actually need to hunt down whoever destroyed his home. ¡®No.¡¯ He thought with a cold yet peaceful smile on his face. ¡®They will pay.¡¯ His smile grew wider and more intense. ¡®No matter how long it takes.¡¯ He imagined the ways that he¡¯d get his revenge and, for a long, long while, he reveled in the feeling of contentment that he got from the images in his mind. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Only when he held the hearts of his enemies in his hands and personally crushed them into thousands of unrecognizable pieces would he be satisfied. Slowly, as the feeling of peace and relief from his soul reforming faded, frustration started to build up within him again. Fortunately for him, his thoughts were interrupted by a pull. He could feel a soft yet firm pull act on his soul, and it came from his physical body. ¡®Finally.¡¯ He thought as he neared the time that he would be complete once again. He spread out his arms and brought his body into a hug. And as if it snapped into place, his soul just popped right in. It was as though he was as good as new. Like nothing major had happened. Unfortunately for him, once the process concluded, a new and confusing pain greeted him. ¡®GAAHHHH!¡¯ The front of his body, facing the star, felt like it was burning to the point that it was as if it was melting off of him. Not to mention the blinding light that pierced his already closed eyes. And if he focused enough, he could feel the cosmic dust around the star shooting at him, making him feel a bit of pressure, resistance, and the pain of being dragged through sand. On the other hand, the other side of his body felt the full brunt of the familiar pain of space¡¯s unforgiving cold. All of this compounded upon one another with the addition of his regeneration. Which, at the moment, he felt was more of a curse than a boon. The opposing forces were destroying his body much faster than before, when all he had to worry about was the pain from freezing. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to suffer much longer. |Ding! You have adapted!| |Ding! Temporary buff [Stellar Endurance III] gained!| ¡®MOTHERFUCKER!¡¯ He screamed inwardly as most of the pain faded away from him almost instantly. The only thing left now was the pain on the border of the two extremes, which felt like a knife was constantly slicing away at his flesh. ¡®Can¡¯t I just get a moment free of pain in this godforsaken place?¡¯ He tiredly asked to no one in particular. He tried to open his eyes, yet all he could see was the blinding light of the star that was gradually consuming his field of view. ¡®That¡¯s worrying.¡¯ He thought. But there wasn¡¯t anything he could really do. The heat was intensifying, but he was completely helpless in this situation. He couldn¡¯t exactly move as he willed i¡ª Then it hit him. His law of creation was at the shard stage! ¡®Crap. Okay, okay. How do I do this?¡¯ He thought as he excitedly tried to feel the surrounding creation mana. It was, of course, endless. ¡®This might actually work!¡¯ He activated his memory skill and tried to remember all he learned about basic physics. And as he shifted from memory to memory, he determined that something like a propulsion device of some sort would be his best bet. ¡®But where do I even start?¡¯ 1.03 - Wrong place Turns out, he couldn¡¯t really make anything overly complicated. Even things with a decently sharp edge were out of his range of capability. ¡®So much for infinite creation mana.¡¯ He sighed and gave up on making anything with even a smidge of complexity. Cheating with his [Material Shaping] skill was an option, but he¡¯d tried it with his metal ¡°sculptures¡± before and found it to be¡­ lacking. Instead, he settled for something a bit more basic. A cylinder, or as people liked to call it, a cannon. He activated his [Design] skill and made plans for what he would make. [Design (R)] -Level 4- -Before the chisel meets the stone, the masterpiece begins in the mind. Through careful planning and precise vision, you craft the blueprint of perfection, shaping beauty before it takes form- It was probably one of his most useful class skills as a sculptor. And with it now at (Rare), it unlocked a suggestion feature of what things he might have missed in the process. Like now. Suggestion: -Consider creating a sealed sphere at one end of the cannon with a weak point that leads to the rest of the cannon- It also had the side effect of making him feel stupid at times. Perhaps because it was still at a low level and rarity, the suggestions never really had any explanations with them. He had to find out why they worked himself. And so, Elias gathered the surrounding creation mana and used his will to condense and shape it. He spread his will outward and grabbed at all the creation mana he could reach¡ªwhich was more than he would ever need, really. It was everywhere, abundant beyond reason¡ªbut control was the real challenge. Fortunately, his shaping skill gave him an edge. Creation was willful. It did not flow like water or bend like metal under a hammer. It pulsed, erratic and volatile, demanding purpose before it would solidify. He tightened his focus, forcing the chaos into structure, weaving the energy into something real. First, of course, came the material. Any type of alloy or magically infused metal was definitely out of the question, so he had to settle for pure elements. For this, tungsten came to mind. According to his [Material Knowledge] skill, it had the best chance of not only surviving the blast of whatever he wanted to detonate inside of it, but also the ever-increasing heat of the star that he was closing in on. Even though this was a pretty simple shape, relying on only his pitiful second stage law wasn¡¯t nearly enough. But with a bit of help from his shaping skill, he managed to achieve what he wanted in the end¡­ barely. He eyed his first cosmic creation with a foolish grin on his face. Ecstatic at the fact of having made it out of nothing but mana. ¡®Guess I can finally call myself a real seeker, huh?¡¯ He sighed yet again as he thought of what had had to happen for him to get here. Seekers were what beings were called when they first awaken and connect to the system. Technically speaking, he¡¯d been a seeker since he awakened twenty-two years ago when he was thirteen. ¡®Too bad no one really cares about you until you comprehend a shard of a law.¡¯ He thought, then shook his head. ¡®Focus.¡¯ He brought his attention back to the massive bulb shaped cannon in front of him. It was complete, with a few bumps here and there, but the general shape was there at the very least. Now, his problem was what he could use as propulsion. With all his limitations to consider, the only thing he could think of was a mix of hydrogen and oxygen. He thought it would be fairly simple to constantly create them both inside the cannon and everything would work out. He was wrong. The gases did burn up and provide some propulsion as he planned, but it was underwhelmingly negligible. They started ionizing and burning up the moment they came into being. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks. ¡®The sphere¡­¡¯ With a quick palm to his face and a slap for good measure, he turned his attention to the sealed sphere. ¡®It was so fucking obvious¡­¡¯ Elias took a deep breath and put his irritation to the side. He stretched his will into the sealed sphere and reached toward the center. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. There, he began creating the gases without a second thought and didn¡¯t stop even when it became full. His goal was to make this into a pressurized canister that he would then ignite. ¡®Which would make the weak point rupture and direct all that gods¡¯ damned energy in one direction¡­ I feel really stupid right now.¡¯ He inwardly grumbled, as he continued on gathering and condensing the creation mana into the two gases. It was exciting at first¡ªthe novel feeling of creating something yourself¡ªbut as time passed, the task became a bit tedious. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take to fill the sphere to the brim and it made him crave for something else to do. Maybe even just something to listen to would have satisfied him. ¡®Hell, just knowing the time would be amazing¡­¡¯ Unfortunately for him, things didn¡¯t always work out in people¡¯s favor. And as if to prove that fact even more, a flash of light suddenly blinded him. |Ding! You are now entering into a death state!| |Ding! Effective age has reset!| |Ding! Death state has ended!| He regained consciousness almost immediately after ¡®dying¡¯ and immediately looked around to assess the situation. His bulb cannon was gone, and the surrounding mist of creation was visibly thinning. ¡°You think you can hide here all your life and not face any consequences?!¡± Elias suddenly heard a deep and angry shout echo from somewhere in the distance. He turned his head and saw a truly gigantic creature appear where he just was and noticed something else¡ªthe star wasn¡¯t there anymore. In its place was a needle made completely of flames the same size as the star. ¡®That¡¯s an elemental!¡¯ He thought as the needle burned brighter and brighter, incinerating his every cell even with his adaptations and his growing distance from it. ¡°I have done nothing to warrant being hunted down like this!¡± a voice that carried a hint of heat drifted toward him, which he could only assume came from the elemental. ¡°Nothing? NOTHING?!¡± the other equally massive creature roared, disbelief and fury dripping from every word. Elias finally turned his attention toward it and saw it in its full majesty. It was a bird, no, a phoenix. A living embodiment of the law of fire, its plumage blazed like an explosion caught mid-detonation. Its feathers were a combination of deep crimsons that melted into golds. Each feather seemed alive with different flames on each of them. Its eyes burned with a cold intensity as it stared at the burning needle. With a flourish, the phoenix¡¯s flames intensified in response to the needle¡ªcompletely suppressing its burning heat with something else. The heat it gave off wasn¡¯t just destructive like the needle''s, it was something much more. He could feel a faintly familiar aura coming from it. An aura that could only be gained from having died and being reborn multiple times. It was something that his own aura was vaguely developing, albeit a much more muted version. The phoenix let out a low grumble as he coldly said. ¡°You broke the pact of non-aggression between our races.¡± ¡°That was self-defense!¡± ¡°Call it what you want.¡± The phoenix¡¯s eyes and plumage paused as they grew colder with each second. ¡°But the fact is, they died, and YOU alone survived.¡± ¡°They wanted to absorb my flames! Did you want me to just roll over and die for them¡­?¡± The elemental¡¯s words grew quieter and quieter as it came to a sudden realization. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re they¡¯re father, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A silence came upon them for a time before the elemental dimmed its flames and seemingly surrendered. ¡°The council won¡¯t let you get away with this.¡± It said in one last act of defiance. To this, the phoenix only flared its flames in response and flew closer. ¡°They already have.¡± He said as he engulfed the needle in its wings and flames. A bright flash followed as the phoenix¡¯s flames illuminated and burned the surroundings. It intensified so much that Elias died one more time before regenerating and finding that both of the massive creatures were now gone. ¡®To be able to travel and fight in space¡­ those two were at least tier six¡­¡¯ He thought incredulously. He then looked around a few times to make sure that it was indeed the case and finally let out a sigh of reli¡ª ¡°Curious.¡± A familiar voice echoed around him, sending a chill down his spine. ¡°How are you still alive when you are so weak?¡± The voice asked, yet he didn¡¯t dare answer. ¡®Shit.¡¯ ¡°Keeping mum, are we?¡± it asked again in slight amusement. ¡°No matter. There can¡¯t be any witnesses to what just happened, anyway.¡± Suddenly, a sharp sword made of fire materialized out of nowhere and slashed at him. The flames spread out from the point of impact and eradicated his body down to the last atom, leaving his soul free and exposed. He couldn¡¯t even react, let alone speak. ¡°Oh? How is your soul still here, even after all of that?¡± The phoenix spoke again with even more interest in its tone. ¡°Alas. I would¡¯ve loved to study you more, but as I am in such a rush, I¡¯ll have to give you a free one-way trip to the void layers.¡± He said with a hint of regret in his voice. The sword swung again, but this time on the space in front of him. A chaotic tear in space opened up and greedily sucked in all the gases and particles in the surroundings. ¡°Let this be my last gift to you. Not many beings get to experience the void layers when they¡¯re so young and weak.¡± The phoenix solemnly said as he somehow grabbed his soul and brought it up to its face. ¡°Any last words, little friend?¡± ¡®Yeah.¡¯ He replied as he committed the bird¡¯s features to memory. ¡®I¡¯ll remember this.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not as if I wanted to kill you.¡± The bird sighed and shook his head in disappointment. ¡°If it were solely up to me, I wouldn¡¯t even bother with you.¡± The phoenix shook its head and looked at him seriously¡ªits eyes growing colder and colder. ¡°You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.¡± He then felt himself get thrown into the tear like how he did with trash. One moment he was in a mana rich environment that had infinite creation aspected mana, the next, there was nothing, not even a death state notification. 1.04 - Dreaming in the void Elias wasn¡¯t exactly sure about what was happening right now. He looked around and saw a familiar scene¡ªthe town hall from Whitebridge, his home. It was exactly as he remembered¡­ down to the last detail, including the younger version of him reaching out to touch the resonance crystal. It was the day of his awakening¡ªhe realized. He took a breath and caught a whiff of the slight metallic tang in the air coming off the guards. As a kid, he never really made a connection between them, but now he knew. There were always people trying to steal the crystal after all¡ªstupid people. The strangest part? He was there in his own body. He tried to reach out and touch younger him¡¯s shoulder, but all his hand did was dissolve into a colorful mist. ¡°Odd¡­ huh?¡± He gasped. ¡°I can finally SPEAK!¡± It had felt like decades¡ªmaybe even hundreds of years¡ªtrapped in that endless nebula, alone with nothing but his thoughts¡­ and the excruciating pain, of course. But that didn¡¯t matter now. Now, he only felt the sheer joy of hearing his own voice again. Suddenly, he felt it¡ªthat familiar feeling of his mana mixing with the unique energy inside the resonance crystal. It was poked, prodded, stretched, and compressed to its utmost¡ªtested in every conceivable way. Then, it was sent out into the universe. Echoing all across creation. It was weak, sure, maybe even negligible in the grand scheme of things. But it was his echo¡ªhis mark on reality. ¡®Well, that¡¯s another odd thing to add to the list.¡¯ He thought as he focused on the feeling of resonance. When he awakened, he was nothing but a tier zero child with the senses of a rock. He couldn¡¯t have felt what he was feeling right now. And according to everything he knew from school and some educational posts on the Weave, it would have been five existence tiers away until the next resonance. |DIng! Congratulations! Your soul has successfully resonated with the Will of the Universe and are now fully connected to the System!| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Trait [True Immortal]| |¡­| |¡­| |¡­| |Ding! Innate trait has overridden Innate Skill mechanics! Converting to age as a basis!| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Regeneration]| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Mana Absorption]| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Perfect Memory]| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Will]| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Concealment]| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [Mark of the True Immortal]| |Ding! You have awakened the Innate Skill [True Immortal¡¯s Adaptation]| His daze was interrupted by the familiar notifications of the system. Glancing over to his younger self, he saw the clear confusion on the boy¡¯s face. He looked on with soft eyes and a warm, knowing smile. ¡°Yeah bud, you¡¯re immortal now.¡± He murmured, even though he knew his words would go unheard. Just then, he heard a voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, hon?¡± A voice that had always calmed him. One filled with warmth and love¡ªlove he had never asked for but had been given unconditionally. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mom. I¡¯m confused.¡± The boy said as he was swept up into a tight hug. ¡°Can you explain the whole awakening thing and stats to me again? I just¡­ I just want to make sure that I¡¯m not misunderstanding anything.¡± ¡°Sure thing, hon. Let¡¯s walk home while I tell you all about it.¡± She replied. ¡°Since I already told you the long version of it all, I¡¯ll tell you the short version while we head back home. Sound good?¡± ¡°Mhmm¡­¡± Elias looked at his mother walk away and didn¡¯t know what to feel. Seeing her so vibrant, so happy¡ªso alive¡ªwas surreal. But every time he let himself feel even an ounce of warmth, his mind flashed back to the memory of that red stain on the ground. ¡°Fuck.¡± He muttered through gritted teeth as tears threatened to fall. Times like this made him think that his perfect memory was more of a burden than an innate skill. But, of course, that wasn¡¯t possible¡ªhe already knew what his burdens were. He looked around one final time to take it all in. The next kid was already walking up to the crystal with a firm expression. Everyone else who had finished whispered in hushed tones to their guardians. Focusing back on the kid, he saw him with his hand now on the crystal. He had a silly smile on his face. ¡°Hmmm. He¡¯s that guy with the light trait, right?¡± He whispered, but then shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. He probably died anyway.¡± Elias refocused and headed for his childhood home. His mother and younger self would take a while to get there with all the stuff they had to discuss anyway. Running through the streets, he passed by the newer and older buildings of the business district. His father had always complained about the focus on efficiency with the more modern buildings¡ªand with both styles put so close together like this, he finally understood. A chuckle escaped him as he realized. ¡°All those fights and all it took for me to agree with him was some type of dream.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. There just wasn¡¯t much of a personality to the new style anymore. Well, there was, it was just bland. And according to his father, ¡°A disgrace to a town of artists like Whitebridge.¡± A few minutes later, he arrived at his home and invited himself in. He expected the familiar chime of the buff he got from the house-spanning sculpture his father made, but was slightly confused when there weren¡¯t any. ¡°Another odd thing to add to the list, I guess.¡± He said as he looked around. Every piece of carvable material, from the walls to the ceiling to even the floor, was intricately carved with images of various wildlife in their natural habitats. They were all in varying forms of relaxation, with eyes pointing toward the central support pillar, which was a sculpture representing the goddess of the hearth Lexia. Even though he didn¡¯t feel the usual buff from the sculpture, he still experienced the same awe and admiration each time he saw it. This was his father¡¯s magnum opus¡ªthe masterpiece that had earned him the title of Limit Master. A sculptor recognized by the universe itself as having reached the absolute peak of what a Master Sculptor can do. Someone who could break his limits and create pieces a whole tier above the accepted peak of his mastery. A one in a trillion seeker. And now he was dead. Brief flashes of that day replayed in his mind again. And again. And again. SLAP ¡°FUCK!¡± He screamed through gritted teeth as his hand and cheek pulsed in unison. ¡°I need to get this under control.¡± ¡°You really do.¡± He froze as his heart stopped for a moment. Slowly, he turned his head to the origin of the voice¡ªto the sculpture of the goddess. The sculpture that had now stepped off its pedestal and was now warmly smiling at him. ¡°What the¡ª¡± ¡°Fuck? Yeah. This must be pretty trippy for you, huh?¡± The statue cheekily said. ¡°This is your dream, after all.¡± It then glanced around. ¡°Well, a mix of a bunch of your innate skills and the void is more accurate. But let¡¯s just call it a dream.¡± ¡°Again, what the fuck is¡ª¡± ¡°Happening? Yeah. It¡¯s a bit complicated.¡± The statue interjected again before tilting its head. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°¡­and it¡¯s complicated?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? ¡®It¡¯s complicated¡¯?!¡± Elias felt a vein pop somewhere in his head and stomped toward the talking statue. ¡°I am not in the mood for games, statue¡ªor whatever the fuck you are. Explain. Now.¡± A sudden shift came over the statue. The cheeky smile vanished, replaced by a blank yet strangely warm expression. Its whole aura, previously nonexistent, now felt heavy and ancient, yet also welcoming. Like a distant but doting grandmother. ¡°Elias Stone.¡± It nodded slightly. ¡°My name is Lexia. I have gone by many titles in my lifetime. But you may know me as a goddess of the hearth.¡± ¡°¡­so you¡¯re the goddess Lexia?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­and you¡¯re somehow in my dream?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ what was up with that whole cutesy act just a minute ago?¡± A smirk tugged at the corner of the goddess¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯ve found that annoying someone who¡¯s angry is the fastest way to distract them from whatever they¡¯re angry about.¡± ¡°I¡­ somehow doubt that.¡± He said as he slightly squinted his eyes. The statue¡¯s lips stretched into a wide grin and said. ¡°Well, it also is pretty funny.¡± POP ¡°Whoa there!¡± the goddess said, raising her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s just calm down now.¡± As she spoke, a wave of warmth washed over him. To his surprise, his annoyance vanished instantly. He blinked at the weird feeling of being¡­ normal and looked at the goddess, only to find her covering her mouth. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have just led with that?¡± She brought her hand to her side and cleared her throat. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s pretty funny.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway! I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions for me, so let me just¡ª¡± She suddenly appeared a few inches in front of him with her index finger on his forehead. ¡°¡ªdo this¡± Images flashed through his mind in rapid succession¡ªinformation about the void layers, the interaction between skills and innate skills with its unique mana, and an explanation of how she invaded his dream. There was even a detailed history lesson on the goddess¡¯s life. When the images stopped, Elias¡¯s eyes unfocused for a bit as he stared into empty space and tried to process it all. After what felt like days to him, he finally absorbed and understood everything and immediately looked around, searching for the goddess. He found her running her marble fingers through the intricate carvings of the house. As if she sensed his attention on her, she looked over at him and walked slowly in his direction. ¡°I assume that you¡¯ve absorbed it all?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡­ yes.¡± He replied. ¡°Was that all true?¡± ¡°Every single thing.¡± ¡°Even the part about the corruption?¡± He asked in almost a pleading tone. ¡°Yes, even that.¡± She shook her head and sighed. ¡°It would¡¯ve been a different story if you were stronger, but a mere tier 1 coming into contact with void mana and surviving¡ªalong with your innate skills¡ªis unheard of.¡± ¡°And so it has its consequences.¡± He said with slumped shoulders. ¡°Yes, but it will at least be temporary. With enough effort, it¡¯ll disappear quite quickly too.¡± She said as another wave of warmth washed over him. ¡°And it could¡¯ve been much, much worse.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± He dejectedly nodded before glancing around again. ¡°Before you send me off, let me see my parents one last time. ¡°Sure. They¡¯re in the living room right now.¡± Without even acknowledging her response, he immediately headed for the living room. There, he saw his father holding his younger self¡¯s relatively tiny body in a tight embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, son. Immortality isn¡¯t all that hard to achieve!¡± Tobias declared while looking at his wife. ¡°Your mom and I will reach that tier in no time and catch up to you!¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Bella interjected. ¡°We¡¯ll burn a few planets if we have to!¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts!¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Younger him looked satisfied with that and finally drifted off to sleep. Elias grit his teeth as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. The warmth of the scene was suffocating in a way¡ªtoo familiar and yet also too distant. His father¡¯s voice, the security of their presence, the unshakable belief that nothing could truly separate them. A belief that had been wrong. Flashes of the way they died briefly replayed in his mind again before a surge of warmth from his shoulder washed them away. He turned his head toward his shoulder and found the goddess¡¯s hand on it. ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asked. ¡°No.¡± He admitted. ¡°But I know it has to happen.¡± ¡°That is good enough.¡± She said before a warm glow spread out from her and enveloped him in its embrace. ¡°This will suppress the corruption until you¡¯re strong enough to do it on your own. In exchange, you won¡¯t be able to rely on your memory skill to recall things from before this moment.¡± The glow died down after that as she stepped to the side¡ªrevealing a smoothly spinning spiral portal in the space behind her. ¡°This will lead you to one of the Empire¡¯s premier training planets, where you can develop your strength in the most efficient way possible.¡± He looked at the portal. ¡°I guess this is it, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. This moment marks the beginning of the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± He took a firm step forward, preparing to enter cautiously¡ª Then something shoved him. ¡°NOT AGAIN!¡± he screamed as he was launched through space. 1.05 - Welcome to Heaven Lexia watched the spiral portal neatly shrink and slowly disappear into nothingness. When it was done, a shift went through her again. It was a subtle change. Something that you wouldn¡¯t expect from the goddess of the hearth. Her welcoming aura was gone. She looked coldly at the pedestal that she¡¯d stepped off from earlier and saw a man sitting on it with his legs crossed. Well, anyone else would see nothing but an ever-changing amalgam of colorful balls of light. But she immediately knew what he was. ¡°Wanderer,¡± she flatly said. ¡°I do hope that you know you¡¯re not welcome here." He uncrossed his legs and gracefully hopped down. ¡°With such constant warm reminders like that, how could I ever forget?¡± He said with a warm smile¡ªnot unlike the goddess¡¯s earlier expressions. ¡°Cut the bullshit.¡± She snapped. ¡°Did you interfere with the portal?¡± ¡°Already annoyed with me?¡± The man¡¯s smile morphed into a sly grin. ¡°I must be losing my charm.¡± He let out an exaggerated sigh, slumping his shoulders in mock defeat¡ªall while the grin never left his lips. ¡°I said cut it,¡± Lexia commanded as cracks appeared all over her marble body. The grin on the man¡¯s face grew wider as he answered. ¡°You older gods are really not much fun.¡± He said while shaking his head. ¡°But to answer your question, I just gave it a little nudge in the right direction.¡± ¡°Where?¡± she demanded. As if to mock her even further, the man¡¯s form shifted, twisting into a giant black blob with nothing but that same, unshakable grin. ¡°A place I like to call¡ª¡± he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°Heaven.¡± Suddenly, the dream world collapsed without any warning. It disintegrated into nothing in the blink of an eye. The smiling blob disappeared along with it. The goddess¡¯s marble body¡ªnow exposed to the void¡ªwas rapidly crumbling apart. She glanced around with her icy gaze, trying to look for the Wanderer, but to no avail. ¡°Fuck.¡± She cursed with furrowed brows. ¡°OF COURSE it had to be Heaven.¡± She examined her now limbless body and let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°I hope that immortality of his is as good as we think it is.¡± With those final words, the crumbling reached her head and split it in two¡ªreturning the void to its natural state of nothingness.
|Ding! Death State has ended!| |Ding! Body has reformed!| |Ding! Effective Age has reset!| |Ding! You have gained the title [Void Touched]| |Ding! You have gained the blessing [Lexia¡¯s Touch]| Elias grunted as he woke to the sound of the system¡¯s notifications. His body felt like it had been run over by a high-speed train, and the fog clouding his mind didn¡¯t help. Reaching out for the creation mana, he hoped that he¡¯d landed somewhere rich with it. Nothing. Disappointment settled in his gut along with a deep sense of loss. He tried to open his eyes but instinctively threw up an arm, shielding them from the sudden burst of light. Waiting for a few minutes to give his eyes time to adjust, he brought up his memory skill. [True Immortal¡¯s Perfect Memory] ¨C Level 60 {Mildly Corrupted (Suppressed)} Time may erode mountains, but your mind remains untouched by its passage. -No detail escapes you. Every moment, every sensation, every lesson learned is etched into your being, never to fade. Memories remain as vivid as the instant they were formed, allowing you to recall them with perfect clarity- {Mildly Corrupted (Suppressed)} ¨C Your mind is your own¡ªmost of the time. The skill behaves as it should, memories accessible at will, but every so often, the suppression falters. A rogue recollection slips through, an intrusive fragment from another time. The last words of a lover in the middle of battle. The smell of a home-cooked meal while on your third week without food. Note: There is a chance of madness if corruption is not purged. **With the suppression provided by [Lexia¡¯s Touch], all memories from before the blessing will be inaccessible to this skill** Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just fucking great.¡± He grumbled as he read through it all. ¡°If this is what it''s like when suppressed¡­¡± Shaking his head, Elias decided to not think about it anymore. Slowly, he opened his eyes, careful not to be blinded again. What he saw wasn¡¯t at all what he expected. ¡°It¡¯s... peaceful,¡± he muttered. He stood in the center of a small clearing, surrounded by a dense and shadowy forest. The odd part was that everything from the grass and shrubs to the towering trees was completely white. It gave him a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Slowly, he got to his feet, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. He knew he¡¯d seen this place before¡ªor at least something similar. Not remembering immediately was new to him, and it bugged him to no end. For now, he decided to explore and get his bearings. Spotting a particularly tall tree, he chose to climb it. Thankfully, even with the measly five-point multiplier from his fourth rank talent in Strength, it was more than enough to carry him up. As he climbed, he noticed something strange¡ªthere was nothing on the tree except branches and leaves. No birds or nests, no bugs, no spiderwebs, not even a trace of moss or leaking sap. It was pristine¡ªunnaturally so. The sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu intensified in his mind, but he couldn¡¯t really put his finger on what was so familiar about the place. He shook his head and refocused on the climb. ¡®Maybe the view from the top will jog my memory.¡¯ He thought. But he was wrong. When he reached the top, all he could see was a dense fog that started as soon as the local flora gained any color. ¡®Well, that¡¯s not odd at all!¡¯ He thought as he sighed and shook his head. He quickly hopped down a few branches and landed lightly on the ground. Deciding to pick a random direction to head in, he chose the one that made the most sense¡ªthe one with the lone boulder sitting at the edge of the clearing. It took longer than he expected to get out of what he decided to call the ¡®white zone¡¯, but when he did, it felt like stepping into an entirely new world. Gone was the dense fog that blocked his vision. He now found himself in the middle of a jungle that was very much alive. He heard a cacophony of noises from different creatures, some loud and intimidating, while some were more muted¡ªall from quite a distance away. The flora was a lush and vibrant green, with the occasional flower that added a splash of color to it all. Looking up, he saw several creatures soaring through the sky. The smaller ones gathered in flocks, while the bigger ones flew from higher up¡ªalone and probably on the hunt. Heh A sound stood out among everything else. Another thing that was triggering his d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Heh heh heh The sound was getting louder and, if he heard right¡ªmore numerous. With a squint, he cautiously looked around. He could swear he¡¯d heard that sound before, but just couldn¡¯t quite place it. It sounded oddly human¡ªyet not. Like someone who was out of breath from a run, but different enough that he was sure it wasn¡¯t that. It was wrong. Warped. It almost sounded like a laugh¡­ or more like a creepy chuck¡ª HEH HEH HEH ¡°CHUCKLERS!¡± It finally clicked in his head. The white zone that was devoid of anything except white plants, the dense fog, the creepy chuckles from a creature that he¡¯d only seen from an old video of a survival game that the empire liked to broadcast a few centuries ago. ¡°FUCK! I¡¯M IN HEAVEN!¡± Then he saw them. Up in the trees to the right¡ªswinging and hopping from branch to branch. Brown primate looking creatures with massive arms, far too large for their lanky bodies. Thick. Muscular¡ªyet dexterous. Built for one thing. Throwing. Elias immediately turned to the left and started running. Sprinting. He¡¯d seen what those creatures could do. Just one of them could hurl a small rock and have it go straight through a boulder. He didn¡¯t want to find out what they could do to him. So he ran¡ªnot because he was afraid to die¡ªbut because he didn¡¯t want to be an all-you-can-eat meal for the rest of his life. Branches and leaves whipped against his face as he tore through the forest. Behind him, the screeches and eerie chuckling of his pursuers grew closer and closer. It was becoming clear to him that he wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun them. He had to fight. Reaching deep inside him, he felt for his store of creation mana. Full¡ªor close to it, at least. Nevertheless, he¡¯d make do. With the amount he had, it was barely enough to make one bigger construct the size of his head. He thought for a second and steeled himself. He only had one advantage over his much stronger foes, and he planned to take full advantage of it. He stretched out his right arm and grabbed one of the thinner trees in his way. Using it to pivot around and bring himself to a stop. The bark cracked under his grip, but it held just long enough. Straightaway, he closed his eyes and focused on covering his hands and arms in pure titanium. Skipping his design skill would bite him in the ass, but there was simply no time. The metal surged into place, encasing his arms from fingertip to elbow in a dull, silvery sheen. He shaped his hands into solid spheres, built purely for impact, while keeping the metal on his forearms thinner¡ªmade more for defending. But before he could be satisfied with the thickness, he ran out of creation mana. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes and examined his makeshift weapons. The spherical hand-maces were definitely missing the needed spi¡ª HEH HEH HEH ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed, instantly activating his shaping skill¡ªforming pitifully dull spikes across his fists. Just as he finished, a rain of small rocks slammed into the ground close to him, blasting out craters, making him hop back a few steps to evade them. But that was just the opening salvo. The second barrage came faster, the impacts creeping dangerously close to him as the chucklers closed in. He knew this couldn¡¯t go on. He had to close the distance. With a deep, calming breath, he steeled himself. Then he launched forward, reckless and unrelenting, his metal-clad arms raised. As he closed in on the source of his stress, he noticed some movement in the trees. A third of the group had just dropped down. They landed with a graceful ease, using their oversized arms like springs to absorb the impact. He would have been impressed if not for a few of them already eyeing him down with rocks in their hands. ¡®Crap! I have to do it!¡¯ With that thought, he gathered half the normal mana he still had access to and expelled them all into a concentrated jet from his feet¡ªpropelling himself forward at dizzying speeds. The world blurred. Then¡ª He crashed into one of the primates, his makeshift hand-mace slamming into its chest. Bones crunched; its ribs caved. The creature barely had time to screech before it collapsed, dead before it even hit the ground. |Ding! You have killed [Chuckler (I) ¨C Level 92]| |Ding! You have gathered 1% of the enemy¡¯s essense!| |Ding! You have killed a creature in [Heaven]! Essence doubled!| |Ding! Welcome to Heaven!|