Book 5: Chapter 23: Arise |
The battle of the gods and Voidlings killed many. It took the wind out of war’s sails and forced many into retreat. That included a particular Beast God. Zephyr, inflicted with hundreds of Nihilum-laced wounds, fled the scene.
He, as well as the other Minor Gods, escaped the Earthen Union’s atmosphere to request aid from the gods surveilling the solar system, but it was to no avail. No Major God, let alone an Ancient or Old One, emerged to rescue the Minor Gods. They were on their own, forced to deal with four Overlords and a dozen Voidre.
They successfully repelled the Overlords, and they even killed one of them, but they were severely wounded. Even worse, the ocean where Zephyr and David fought transformed into a gathering spot for the Voidlings, making it impossible to return to devour the Healer. But the Poisonous Beast God had time. He had wounds to lick, and all the time of the cosmos to wait until the Voidlings were tired of staying in the ocean. And once they left, he would return. To consume David, and to become the powerhouse he was meant to be.
***
Days turned into weeks, and weeks quickly transformed into months. David was nowhere to be seen, but his territory was still standing. No Voidling had been sighted in Kamia for weeks, which was…uncommon. For months the Voidlings plagued the ocean, spreading their all-consuming darkness throughout the entire sea, which also bordered Kamia.
Removing Nihilum and nothingness whenever it tried to settle on the beaches of Kamia had been burdensome, and they lost access to a small archipelago, which David had also claimed as his territory due to the Rifts located on a few islands. But that was no longer a problem. The Nihilum permeating the ocean water no longer bothered Kamia, and the Voidlings had moved elsewhere.
As the Voidlings disappeared, other forces stepped into the ocean. One was none other than a massive serpent, its scales cracked and still damaged from the fight with the Voidre and Void Overlords. Another was a familiar sword-wielding Ascendant, a young-looking man with eyes that gleamed with age-old wisdom.
“Zachariah, what in the Pandemonium’s name are we doing here?” A four-meter-tall humanoid figure with two massive broadswords instead of arms asked, his elongated head snapping toward the Regressor, his eight eyes lingering on the man who’d once been the cosmos’ Sword God.
“Sword Savant, you know why we’re here.”
Zachariah, levitating merely a few meters above the ocean surface, slowed and turned to his old friend. “I know.”
Gods died the moment they stepped into the Fissure. As powerful as gods were, their bodies were closely tied to the Weave—too closely to step into a galaxy of nothingness.
“I am not a god though.”
“And that’s your grand plan?” Sword Savant grumbled. “You will be torn apart by the Void Overlords. They’ll be waiting for you on the other side, killing you and all the Ascendants willing to join you. If anyone wants to join you on that nonsensical suicide mission in the first place.”
Zachariah waved dismissively. He exuded the confidence of an Ancient God as his bright eyes returned to the ocean surface. His awareness, augmented by Might and [Divine Perception], a Supreme Skill Rune, extended his perception to nearly a hundred kilometers.
“I know what I’m doing.” He smiled, pushing the range of his awareness even further with Words of Power before adding, “I have a good candidate in mind. You may even say that this person is perfect for the job.”
Sword Savant didn’t say anything, and that was fine. Zachariah didn’t need the Minor God to find the man who’d survived a thousand deaths. Searching for the power of the End, or whatever abomination he’d transformed its power into, was not that easy. In fact, it would have been a walk in the park if the End’s armies hadn’t transformed the entire ocean into Nihilum-infested water.
“And you are sure you can find this ‘perfect’ candidate here?” Sword Savant asked as another hour passed.
Zachariah was certain the Cycle of Life and Death hadn’t welcomed David into its embrace, and the Diviner said that he was deep within the ocean, surrounded by the Nemesis. That could only be the ocean, which would fit the warning the Seraphine’s kind had received and forwarded to Maja.
Several months ago, David had been forced to fight the Poisonous Beast God. Most sources said that David had fallen, and that only Zephyr had been sighted ever since, but nothing was certain. David was still alive—Zachariah was certain of that. It was one thing for Maja to believe David still lived. She was desperate and would sacrifice everything to know the truth. Her belief was based on nothing but hope. Zachariah, on the other hand, had the hard facts at his disposal. For one, David’s territory hadn’t shrunk in the slightest since his battle with the Poisonous Beast God.
The Ascendants in his territory were still subordinate to David, unable to reclaim their territories. If anything, David’s territory continued to grow relentlessly. That, among many other things, was Maja’s doing. Since she was certain David was still alive but sustained lethal wounds in his fight with the Beast God, she focused on his territory’s development almost desperately. That was the best she could do—expanding his territory, bringing more people to Kamia, and doing her work as a High Champion.
If David was still alive, as it ought to be, he was bound to be stronger than before. Maybe he wouldn’t have ascended to godhood just yet, but that was for the better. If David had already manifested a Divinity… well, in that case, Zachariah would have to go alone on his suicide mission.
He’s strong, but not that strong. Zachariah shook his head. David had to be alive and an Ascendant… or all of his plans would be for naught.
However, uncertainty gripped his steely heart as days of searching elapsed until a trace of life flickered weakly in the ocean of nothingness.
“You bastard!” he cursed aloud, unleashing a sword strike that split the ocean. Following Zachariah’s example, Sword Savant lifted his sword and tore downward. Massive blade beams tore through the ocean, ripped through its bottom, and dug deeper until the Sword Savant dismissed them. Zachariah propelled forward and transformed into a flash that disappeared in a gorge, only to emerge a moment later, carrying the husk of a familiar young man. However, something… something about him was different.
“You better not be a god yet!” the Regressor snapped, dragging the husk of a human body out of the ocean. However, as he did, the husk recovered. A flare of lifeforce bloomed in the deepest parts of his being and surged outward, restoring the husk within seconds. Simultaneously, his heart started to beat anew. It thumped, loud like a war-drum, and threatened to burst through his rib cage. Instead, it spread a surprising amount of lifeforce, intertwined with the disgusting power of the End, through the husk, further strengthening him.
The husk emitted a potent aura, which only intensified as brilliant crimson eyes snapped open.
David’s eyes snapped open. Darkness had consumed him just a moment ago, and he was already awake again. Even better, his body had been mended, and he was no longer covered in liquid death. Power pulsed through his veins, intertwining with Titanblood, and more lifeforce than before filled him to the brim.
He produced so much lifeforce that it oozed out of him and poured into the surroundings, filling the lands with life. The land responded in kind, thanking him for his generous gift with power. The planetary bond, once weak, now fluctuated wildly and supplied him with a tremendous amount of Might. It was no longer fragile. Quite the contrary, it was stronger than ever. From one moment to the next, the weak planetary bond transformed into a firm, highly durable bond that provided him with enough Might to push a Starless Ascendant to his first Star within hours.
To David, however, the stream was no longer potent enough. It barely affected his Divine Seed as it had grown consistently.
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“So… I was asleep. Dead. Unconscious. Whatever you want to call it—for six months?” That sounded like an awfully long time. Way too long, to be precise. David never needed this long to heal. Sure, liquid death had been a pain in the ass, but he had Vitae Nihilum to consume liquid death, and both Titanblood and the Fountain of Life to restore his body. Clearly, that hadn’t worked out well. Not that David thought anything had worked out since Lady Seraphine told him about Zephyr.
He’d wanted to beat the living shit out of the Poisonous Beast God, but the opposite had been the case. He’d been pushed to the verge of death and, according to Zachariah, David had been closer to being dead than alive all this time. For six months.
The Regressor brought him to Orhain, where he was welcomed by a worried-sick Maja. She punched him on the shoulder and cursed at him, all while bawling her eyes out. He had never seen her like this, and he felt awful—rightfully so.
I could have died, he reminded himself.
No, I did die. If the System wasn’t lying, I did actually die. Mortal shell and shit like that.
He had been repaired, his body restored, the Corrupted Divine Heart fixed, and he was no longer wounded. Everything had turned out well, but his survival was no more than a stroke of luck. A great fortune—as long as the Earthen Union prevailed. That, alongside everyone else’s survival, was his greatest issue.
“So… what now?” he asked into the round of Ascendants, whose eyes were trained on a Minor God called Sword Savant and Zachariah. They glanced occasionally at him as well, their eyes seeking answers he couldn’t provide, but nobody said anything. Sword Savant hadn’t spoken a word since David regained consciousness, and Zachariah regarded him with a mixture of satisfaction and jealousy. It was almost like Zachariah wasn’t quite sure what he should feel. Should he be happy, angry, or jealous?
David understood Zachariah very well. If he’d been in the Regressor’s situation, he would be uncertain as well. After all, he had taken away Zachariah’s only chance at becoming the Earthen Union’s Champion—or Herald, in David’s case. At least, that was what the notifications had said.
[Congratulations, Ascendant! You have successfully become your native planet’s sole Herald. You have become one with the Earthen Union. The Weave has acknowledged your connection.]
David didn’t understand what that meant, but he could feel it. He was one with the Earthen Union, which transformed the entire Earthen Union into his territory—partially, at least. Other Ascendants and gods could still claim territories, but they would never receive the full benefits of their land’s bond with the Earthen Union. David was the only benefactor, and he received a portion of all the Might produced by the Earthen Union.
He was the equivalent of a Champion—a World’s Champion—but he was also an Ascendant, and the connection brought forth a dangerously powerful synergy; a synergy Zachariah had wanted for himself. Normally, it was a Champion’s task to establish Path bonds for their Ascendant’s sake. They were granted a portion of their Ascendant’s power to spread the word of their master, and to remain loyal.
In David’s case, the effect was reversed. The Earthen Union was already connected to every lifeform living on it for an extended period. Instead of forcing David into spreading the word of the Earthen Union, the planet provided him with power…and bonds. Trillions of them—all intertwined in the planetary bond. But the best part was that the bonds grew stronger. The Earthen Union used the Paths of his Divine Seed to establish the bonds and to nourish them. That being said, all the Favor and Conflict created and provided by the Earthen Union, most often induced by external forces, were returned to the Earthen Union in the form of raw Might.
The bonds weren’t weak either, and the vast majority were growing stronger continuously.
As long as the Earthen Union was not destroyed, David would be able to make use of those bonds and grow stronger at a rapid pace. He’d gain the power required to retaliate against his enemies, be they an annoying serpent or the Voidlings.
But if the Earthen Union shattered, so would he. He would die the moment the Earthen Union ceased to be. That was a fair price to pay. A price David was willing to pay a thousandfold if that was needed.
“We fight. What else can we do?” The Chimera Ascendant growled, unleashing a trace of Vitae.
The Chimeras hadn’t changed much, but Zachariah’s head jerked toward them, his eyes bulging. It took him a while to regain his senses and turn back to David, lips parted. He wanted to say something, yet he remained silent. So be it.
“Fight…” David muttered. Could they win against the End? Then again, was losing even an option?
He sat upright, took a deep breath, and opened his status for the first time, uncertainty gripping at his heart.
Name – David Stears Herald(Earthen Union)
Rank – Ascendant ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Divine Seed – (29,01%)
Source – 311 Droplets
Corrupted Divine Heart – [Vitae Nihilum – 397]
[Arcana – V]
Titanblood(Void – Vitae) - 59
Passage – 26
Fountain of Life – 131
Blood Siphon – 1
Reaper’s Greed – 1
[Trait – I]
Devourer
[Laws – II/Intents – I]
[Law of Blood] – [Low(Major)]
[Law of Unbinding– [Ancient] Rend – (Superior)
[Class Skills]
[Lifeweaver – VI]
[Bloodlife Echo] – [Advanced – (3000/3000)]
[Equivalent Exchange] – [Tier-2 XVI]
[Weave of Life] – [Tier-3 VII]
[Sacrifice] – [Low – Basic]
[Blood Manipulation] – [Low – Advanced]
[Unyielding Vitality] – [Transcendent(MAX)]
[Monk – I]
[Aether Breath] – [Advanced(+)]
[Serene Ego – II]
[Mind Palace] – [Transcendent – 100%]
[Soul Domain] – [Transcendent – 100%]
[Herald of Origin – II]
[Phantom Rush] – [Low – Advanced]
[Indomitable Will] – [High(+) – Advanced]
[Skill Runes]
[Two of a Mind] – [Tier-2 XXIX]
[Herald’s Blessing – [Tier-3 XXVII]
[Transcendent Restoration] – [Middle – Basic]
[Origin Lightning] – [Lowest – Advanced]
A lot had changed in his ‘absence.’ [Sacrifice] did a good job of clearing up his Skills and Sparks. He was a 5-Star Ascendant, had gained two new Arcanas—which he could replace with Devourer—and the Ancient Law was no longer fragmented.
He felt a thousandfold stronger than he used to be, even if he no longer possessed as much Vitae Nihilum. Titanblood was still intertwined with it, flooding his body, empowering it constantly, yet he was no longer at the threshold of 500 droplets.
“Are you okay?” Maja asked beside him. She was the only Champion at the meeting, and that only because she didn’t want to leave David alone right after he returned from the dead.
David grabbed her hand and threw her a quick glance. “I’m fine.”
He was fine. Alive, and stronger than ever. Probably stronger than Zephyr at this point. But…was he really? The confident nature he’d built over the years was cracked. Getting killed had definitely changed something within him. He was calmer than before, his impatience no longer as pressing as it used to be, and the excitement of hot-blooded combat had been replaced by a freezing cold downpour of reality.
His fight with Zephyr had been eye-opening. It had been exciting in a way, but also frightening. He’d been beaten black and blue, his life forfeited. If not for the Earthen Union accepting him as its Herald, he would be dead now.
No…if not for the Voidlings, I’d be dead. They may have come for me, but they ended up contributing to my survival instead. If not for that…
Maja nudged him gently, her eyes filled with worry.
“I’m fine,” David repeated. “I just need some time to think. To digest what happened.”
The meeting continued, but it led nowhere. Sword Savant remained silent, while Zachariah laid out a few plans that ‘could’ be utilized. None sounded great, as all required some sort of sacrifice—a sacrifice nobody volunteered for. The Regressor departed angrily when nobody seemed willing to join his deadliest plans. While he called them efficient, they did no more than sacrifice Ascendants for the death of a few Voidre. How that was efficient, David didn’t know—neither did the Ascendants in question.
He could kill Voidres in flocks. At least it felt that way now that he was a Peak Ascendant. But was that really all he was? No, he was much more than that. As important as his status as a 5-Star Ascendant was, he felt the dormant power of the Ancient Law rippling through him. It was ever-present and so potent, David didn’t even have to trigger the Law to infuse its power into Rend. Then there was Vitae. While he had less at his disposal than before, it was powerful nonetheless.
But that was not enough. It was far from enough. He needed more, a lot more, and he knew the perfect location to refill his Corrupted Divine Heart.
The Earthen Union and David were one. They had merged in more than one sense, granting David access to the location of all the wastelands and much more.
But before he would return to the place he died to cleanse the ocean of nothingness, he had something else to do.
“Are you busy?” He turned to Maja with a smile. “If not, how about we go out to eat? We didn’t really have the opportunity to spend much time together before…well—”
“Before you died?” Maja deadpanned, but the hints of a smile pierced through her stone-cold expression. “And yes, I am busy.”
David nodded, trying to hide the tinge of disappointment, yet Maja was faster. She leaned closer, kissed him on the cheek, and slung her arms around his neck.
“But I think I can spare some time for my boyfriend who’s just returned from the dead.”