David opened his eyes to an entirely new World. The ambient Aether was ridiculously dense and purer than he remembered. Then there were the changes in the Weave. Where the Weave had once been loosely connected to the surrounding land, it was now fully merged.

  The land around him was not the only thing that had changed. He was no longer the man he used to be. Confused, he conjured a part of his status, trying to understand everything that had changed.

  Name – David Stears

  Rank – Ascendant ???

  Divine Seed – (41.94%)

  Source – 301 Droplets

  Corrupted Divine Heart – [Vitae Nihilum – 442]

  [Arcana – III]

  Cycle’s Embrace – 49

  Passage – 25

  Fountain of Life – 83

  [Laws – II]

  [Law of Blood] – [Low (Major)]

  [Law of Unbinding] – [Fragmented (25.19%) – (Ancient)]

  [Monk – II]

  [Aether Breath] – [Advanced(+)]

  [Reinforce – Basic]

  Body – Apex – X (MAX)

  Energy Pathways – Apex – X (MAX)

  [Serene Ego – II]

  [Mind Palace] – [Transcendent – 100%]

  [Soul Domain] – [Transcendent – 100%]

  The system only showed him the sections that had changed, which was a new function as far as David could tell, but that was the least of his concerns.

  “What the hell?” he blurted out, his eyes drifting from his 3-Star rating to the new Arcana, which was already leveled much higher than his other Arcana. His focus shifted to the Law of Blood, which had advanced to Major, then to the Law of Unbinding, whose progression rate crossed one-fourth, as well as his Monk and Serene Ego Class Skills. They’d been maxed out, just like that.

  “How did that happen? Was I asleep for several years or something like that?” He chuckled lightly, but the smile was wiped from his lips as he looked down to see how much Orhain had changed. There were hundreds of thousands of bonds that hadn’t existed before, and they all led to the Small Sanctuary, which was no longer small.

  Orhain was nothing like it used to be. What had once appeared to be a medium-sized town had transformed into a massive city.

  Just as confusion settled into his mind, and the possibility of him having been out of it for years, David felt the familiar connection to Electra. Memories of the Sacred Beast surged through their bond, and they imprinted themselves deep into his brain, informing him of all the things that had happened in the last four months. The last few months had filled in part of the events he’d missed, but there were still several massive gaping holes that Electra couldn’t answer. After all, even the Sacred Beast had been asleep, forced into hibernation thanks to the Primordial Fountain Serum David had consumed.

  “Asmodeus!!” David growled, anger bubbling to the surface as he thought about the Ruler of Blood.

  If not for the Old One’s betrayal, his vile actions, David wouldn’t have been forced into hibernation. He might have grown a lot stronger, but… David felt like breaking something. He wanted to release the raw power bubbling beneath his skin and let it all out at once; however, he couldn’t even fully digest Electra’s memories when humanoid creatures approached him at blinding speed.

  The humanoids looked strange. They had long, pale beige wings that resembled a massive bat’s, and they were much larger than the average human. Their long, bulging necks supported elongated faces with three pairs of golden eyes that locked onto him. None of the humanoids had hair on their heads. Instead, white and grayish horns and spikes jutted from their scalps. As for their noses and mouths, they had none.

  However, what they did have was power. Each of the humanoids appeared strong—stronger than the average member of the elite in Orhain had been before Asmodeus pushed David into hibernation.

  Electra’s familiar frame appeared near the humanoids. She caught up to them and shot past them. The Mythical Electra ignored the humanoids, who didn’t seem to mind her presence either, and she charged into David to merge with him. Vitae Nihilum, life force, and refined natural Aether were sucked out of him to refill Electra’s reservoirs, but the price was no more than a drop in a bucket. David barely felt a difference, especially when the drained life force and natural Aether were replenished within seconds.

  More memories, as well as more detailed information, appeared in his mind, only to be digested within seconds, clarifying several turns of events.

  The Earthen Union had finished the awakening, World Gates had popped open, releasing armies of otherworlders as well as monsters, and Ascendants had descended in the dozens. However, more important than the descent of Ascendants was the return of the Voidlings. Powerful Voidlings, be they nurtured Void Fragments or full-fledged Voidlings.

  Worse still, Electra informed David that their spies had been gathering information about Minor Gods terrorizing the Earthen Union, as well as Voidlings superior to Voidre skulking in the space surrounding the Earthen Union. As for where Electra had gotten this information from, David couldn’t quite tell just yet.

  The humanoids, who turned out to be Sacred Guardians of Goddess Seraphine, courtesy of Electra’s memories and information package, were about to reach him when the space around him tore open. A faint smile formed on his lips as Maja emerged from the portal; however, it faded when he saw how exhausted she looked.

  She closed the distance between them, a relieved and longing smile forming on her lips, and planted a kiss on his lips. David reciprocated the kiss and sent a surge of lifeforce and Might into Maja, fixing as much as he could in the seconds their kiss lasted.

  Then she separated and slapped him across the cheek—hard.

  “How…” Tears welled in her eyes. “How could you leave us behind like that?!”

  The Sacred Guardians froze, their eyes widening in unison. They looked at each other and kept a safe distance, all while David’s lips parted only to close once more.

  He had a lot to say, most of which was him blaming Asmodeus for giving him the Primordial Fountain Serum, but he was the one who consumed it. He didn’t even research the serum, and took it without discussing it with anyone. He left it all for the others to take care of, uncaring of the problems that could—and did—occur.

  “We helped as many as we could.” She sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks. “We…We worked together, trying to rescue as many as we could when the Awakening completed.” Maja looked away, unable to meet David’s eyes. “Many died…too many… Then the Voidlings appeared and more people died.”

  He pulled her into a tight embrace, while searing hot blades of guilt pierced deep into his heart. Several old bonds of Favor no longer existed. One of the three grannies he’d helped awaken their Basic Class had died, but they were far from the only ones suffering from the dangers lurking outside Orhain. Three High Sworn were killed in the months he’d been hibernating, the Guardian Idols had been damaged—their firm connection no longer as strong as before—and the power he’d left behind in the other Sworn and Champions had diminished greatly as well.

  Fuck that shit! he cursed himself, holding Maja even tighter as he manifested the updated screen of the Divine Seed’s stats.

  [Divine Seed]

  Rank – 3-Star (41.94%)

  Affliction – Unique (Twin Paths)

  Champions – 1x Primal Champion (Electra)

  1x High Champion (Maja Petrosh)

  Idols – 4x Guardians (Orhain – Weak Connection)

  Sworn – 4x Peak Sworn, 5x High Sworn, 12x Low Sworn

  Bonds – 808,265 (209 Neutral)

  Path of Favor – 507,132 (17,203x Favorable, 73,013x Trusting, 309,358x Loyal/Follower, 73,930x Believer, 33,535x Devotee, 1,093x Zealot)

  Path of Conflict – 300,924 (1,562x Negative, 37,100x Critic, 60,366x Dissenter, 105,239x Opponent, 70,812x Antagonist, 25,845x Ideological Hostile)

  Planetary – Earthen Union (Frail)

  Tagarn (Frail)

  Territory

  Large Sanctuary – Orhain

  Land – 8,939 km2

  Neither Conflict nor Favor surprised him much. The latter was thanks to Maja and Electra’s hard work, as well as the excellent performance of all Sworn and denizens of his territory. The Idols and his territories’ presence did well to strengthen the existing bonds over the course of months, but David could feel how everyone felt about Electra and Maja…and what they thought of him.

  Most of those with Favor bonds revered him. They’d sensed the power radiating from him, and watched him almost every day as he levitated in the air over the Sanctuary, unmoving for months. Many were confused—almost everyone was—however, the bonds of Favor grew only stronger as months of death and peril passed. News of destruction, death, and chaos reached Orhain’s residents, yet they were still standing.

  “We rescued as many as we could, but…” Maja’s voice cracked and more tears flowed down her cheeks, drenching David’s clothes as she buried her head in his chest. “Not even the System Sanctuaries prevailed.”

  Yet, Orhain did. Not only did Orhain survive, it expanded and grew into a Large Sanctuary. His territory expanded rapidly as well, encompassing Kamia’s center at this point. However, not all was well. The territory could no longer expand. If anything, it was shrinking as the nothingness and Nihilum of the northern wastelands pushed against the borders of his territory.

  As for the other borders, they were occupied by two Ascendants fighting for control over the center…against each other. They avoided Orhain and David’s territory most of the time, understanding that the wastelands could only be removed by Electra, Maja, and the Sworn who’d been graced with traces of Vitae.

  Maja and the others used up every bit of Vitae he’d infused into them. While it was fine, the loss of so much Vitae was a shame nonetheless. At least, Electra had some Vitae left, although David was sure she drained it from his Corrupted Divine Heart.

  David intertwined some of his Vitae Nihilum with Might and infused it into Maja. He planted a kiss on her lips, pulled out of the embrace, and looked her deep in the eyes. “Everything will be fine now.”

  Maja nodded somberly, eyes still puffy. She believed him, but she was also scared. Afraid of the things happening in the Earthen Union, afraid of the future…afraid he would leave again.

  The Sacred Guardians stirred and inched closer, but a single glance in their direction forced them to a halt. In the meantime, a scroll appeared in Maja’s trembling hands. He noticed her hesitation and retrieved the scroll with gentle movements.

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  “You wanted to show me this?” David asked, unfolding the scroll.

  “I thought you wanted to see this. I…don’t know what Electra showed you already, but she missed a lot as well. The Awakening, the descent…Lady Seraphine’s reports of the casualties among the divine entities…”

  The Sacred Guardians moved forward when they heard Maja and offered a deep bow.

  “Your Excellency, we are members of Lady Seraphine’s United Assembly. We are the Guardians of her temples and have been ordered to inform you about the happenings outside space once you are back and ready,” one of them said, his voice ringing in David’s ears. Maja flinched, and it seemed the voice reached her as well, but David stared at the mouthless being, whose skin was almost as white as paper.

  The Sacred Guardian’s eyes flicked to Maja, ushering her to leave, but a trace of Bloodlust was enough to stop them. The Sacred Guardians flinched at the precise release of his Bloodlust and bowed their heads deeply.

  “She can stay,” David said calmly.

  “Of course, Your Excellency.”

  “The Fissure is no longer protected. Godfather Titan and those sacrificing their power to confine the Fissure and the End’s power have been killed—betrayed by our own people. Godfather Titan exterminated those betraying the Origin; however, he fell victim to the Monarchs emerging from the End. He eliminated the threats and stalled those who could not be killed until his brothers and sisters arrived, but the Fissure expanded and can no longer be restrained.” The other Sacred Guardian, his deeper, more confident voice ringing in David’s ears, continued.

  “The Weave around the Fissure has been damaged in an attempt to remove all enemies, and the End has taken advantage of the changes. More Monarchs as well as Void Overlords have been sighted, and the Major Gods and those unable to enter the Earthen Union without severe restrictions have been working tirelessly to get rid of all of them. However…” The Sacred Guardians shuddered simultaneously. “Too many Voidlings managed to bypass the defenses and stepped upon the Earthen Union in recent months. Worse still, not all Minor Gods walking upon the Earthen Union have rallied their forces to fight alongside each other against the Voidre and Overlords ravaging the lands. Several Minor Gods, as well as Beast Gods, have been fighting each other to nurture their own powers.”

  David had never heard about Overlords and Monarchs, but they were probably the stronger version of Voidres, and that was a big problem. As far as Electra’s memories went, even the other Ascendants lingering in Kamia were struggling to fight Voidres.

  If they weren’t such scaredy cats, they could easily kill them, he thought inwardly, recalling a memory of Electra fighting all three Voidres simultaneously. The Ascendants were not strong. They couldn’t be that powerful if even Electra and the others were strong enough to stall them. And they were scared of Vitae—as much as they were afraid of Nihilum. That was also why they hadn’t attacked the territory after their third encounter with Maja and Electra.

  Regardless, the Ascendants were a nuisance, even if only a small one when compared to the Voidlings all over the Earthen Union.

  —

  I can deal with them much quicker though. If Electra is strong enough to force one of the Voidre into retreat, I shouldn’t have an issue dealing with all three of them.

  Rather than hating on the Voidlings in Kamia, he considered them a source of well-nourished Vitae. With every unit of Vitae added to the Corrupted Divine Heart, David would grow stronger. As long as he continued to fill his heart with Vitae Nihilum, he’d grow strong enough to fight gods when he was no more than a mere Ascendant. Sure, a 3-Star Ascendant couldn’t fight a Major God, but he could surely try to beat the living shit out of a Minor God.

  He was bound to fail and would be the one getting thrashed, but with enough Vitae at his disposal, he’d have a chance at killing one—as long as he could heal the injuries inflicted by the Minor God. But that was not important—for now. Killing Minor Gods was not on his priority list, except for one maybe. Even that was a Beast God, who had earned his ire. That wasn’t a one-sided hatred either. They hated each other, Electra included.

  “Was the Godfather Titan an Ancient God or an Old One?” David asked. “And are Monarchs the strongest version of a Voidling, or is there something stronger than that? In the first place, which ranks higher in the hierarchy—Monarchs or Overlords?”

  He was surprised at how casual he sounded, and he smiled wryly as the Sacred Guardians’ eyes widened in terror. Maja stared at him with twinkling eyes and chuckled, calling him “fool” in a soft, loving tone he didn’t know he missed.

  “The Godfather is—was—much more than that. Even in death, he will never be gone. Nor will the other Titans.” That didn’t really answer David’s question since he wanted to know a little bit more about the Titan, his prowess, and so forth. Fortunately, one of the Sacred Guardians seemed to notice that. “Godfather was stronger than everyone. So strong he had to seal his lifeforce and Law, as both tore holes into the Weave when unleashed simultaneously. That… it is also said that Godfather created the tear in the cosmos—the very Fissure that is now connected to the End—when the First fought each other at the beginning of time.”

  That’s news to me, but keep going, David said in his mind. The Sacred Guardian continued as if he had understood what David thought.

  “The Weave was created in a desperate attempt to fix the mess. Many First died, but they took the strongest of the End with them as they descended upon the cosmos. The Weave was formed, the Fissure sealed, and those who survived promised never to touch it again. They sealed the solar system—the very system we are now in—and time passed…but the End found ways to bypass the seals. Only the Godfather knows how, and he always said it was his fault. That he has to fix the mess he created. But no god ever managed to enter the Fissure to end it all—to shatter the very source that caused the death of countless realms.”

  One of the Sacred Guardians in the back flew forward and bumped into the one talking to David and Maja. He glared at him, one eye blank, the other milky-white.

  “I already said too much. I apologize, Your Excellency.”

  David wanted to know a lot more, but it looked like they had already exceeded their authority.

  “Monarchs are the strongest that are left of the End. Overlords are those lording over the Voidre, and they have what it takes to kill a Major God. They may die fighting one, but death is never truly permanent when it comes to the Overlords.” The milky-white-eyed Sacred Guardian’s thundering voice resounded in David’s ears. He raised an eyebrow, thinking Vitae could end them all—permanently—as it devoured everything, but he didn’t respond.

  His attention returned to the scroll in his hands, which turned out to be the live-updating map of the Earthen Union. It was a treasure, but it felt like a curse as he looked at the world map that didn’t look anything like the Earthen Union he knew.

  Close to one-fourth of the Earthen Union had transformed into a murky, dark gray that resembled the land of the dead. Wastelands. Entire countries had been swallowed—Voidlings devoured lifeforce, nutrients, and, worst of all, every kind of lifeform. When Maja mentioned that they couldn’t save everyone, she clearly hadn’t been lying.

  “Fuck,” he cursed—not only himself, but also Asmodeus and the others.

  What the hell is everyone doing?

  David was glad most of his people were fine, but for how long? The Earthen Union was stronger, yet that was probably the only reason the world hadn’t collapsed just yet. It was tightly interwoven with the Weave and released a tremendous amount of Aether into the surroundings, but the Earthen Union had been damaged in ways that would have destroyed most worlds.

  The situation was bleak, which was all the more obvious when his attention drifted to the rest of the Earthen Union. Even the regions that hadn’t been touched by the Void yet had been damaged. Some regions that had once been powerful countries were now no more than the remains of battlefields. Entire mountains had been razed to the ground, and that was just from looking at the live-updating map.

  David hadn’t even seen everything first-hand, and he was still not up-to-date, but he could tell that something had to change.

  He looked at the stash of overlapping system notifications in the corner of his eyes and willed all but a few to dissipate.

  [Congratulations, Ascendant! You successfully digested the Primordial Fountain Serum, perfectly cleansing and refining your Body, Mind, Soul, and your connection to the Weave. You survived the consumption of a divine concoction that killed dozens of gods. For that, you do not only have to thank your inborn potential, but your Modifications, Class Abilities, as well as the Laws in your grasp.]

  [By fully consuming the Primordial Fountain Serum, you have successfully strengthened your bond with the Weave, increasing the influx of Might permanently. Henceforth, every bond will provide you with more Might.]

  [Your Divine Seed has been filled to the brim. Following the ascension requirements, and your successful completion of the aforesaid, the accumulated Might has fused with your Divine Seed—successfully.]

  [The second threshold has been crossed.

  Second Arcana has been unraveled.]

  [Fountain of Life – 1]

  [Trait, Devourer, has been activated. The Ascendant may or may not remove the Arcana, Fountain of Life, to replace it with another Arcana.

  Remark: The Ascendant’s first Arcana can also be devoured and replaced with a more suitable Arcana.]

  Arcana, Fountain of Life, leveled up.

  1 → 2

  …

  Arcana, Fountain of Life, leveled up.

  82 → 83

  David didn’t even think about replacing Fountain of Life with any other Arcana or Trait. It was the best he could have hoped for as a naturally manifested Arcana. First of all, Fountain of Life strengthened his lifeforce passively. At level 83, Fountain of Life enhanced his lifeforce drastically, creating a beautiful domino effect.

  Since his lifeforce was several times stronger than it had been, the pure Blood created with his lifeforce was several times stronger as well. Interestingly enough, Fountain of Life not only enhanced his lifeforce at all times, but also strengthened his pure Blood and refined the natural Aether swirling through the Energy Pathways. At this point, David’s Blood was nearly a dozen times stronger than before.

  That…was good, to say the least—and it was something he needed desperately. As Fountain of Life’s level increased, so did the Arcana’s potency. At this point, it not only strengthened his lifeforce but also increased its production. It also pushed his body’s natural functions to new heights.

  As a passive Arcana, it worked tirelessly and advanced rapidly as the Primordial Fountain Serum drew on his lifeforce and Aether to push his Body, Mind, and Soul to new heights. That was how David saw it. If not for that, Fountain of Life would have never reached level 83 so quickly. After all, it was a passive Arcana, which ought to grow slowly and steadily.

  David didn’t doubt for a second that he only survived the Primordial Fountain Serum thanks to his new Arcana. Even if that was not the reason, he would keep it, as it pushed his pure Blood to new heights, allowing him to use the exact same amount of energy to accomplish feats that would have never been possible before he consumed the serum.

  That did not mean he acknowledged Asmodeus’ actions, but it eased the pain inflicted by the searing-hot blades of guilt twisting in his chest.

  “What are you do—” one of the Sacred Guardians asked, only to sever the telepathic connection when David glared at him.

  “If you’re done here, go and take care of the temple. Send Seraphine a message that I’m back or something like that.” He waved dismissively and willed a new notification to appear.

  “Devour Cycle’s Embrace.” He called out. His first Arcana was powerful. It had been useful in the fight against William, but it hadn’t been as effective as David had hoped. If those with strong wills could block the Arcana, there was no reason to keep it. Sure, it could distract his enemies, forcing them to split their willpower to block Cycle’s Embrace, but it wouldn’t help him much against Minor Gods or powerful 5-Star Ascendants.

  How was he supposed to deal with such powerful enemies when they could easily block Cycle’s Embrace? It was useful in large-scale combat, but the Awakening of the Earthen Union and the descent of Ascendants, Minor Gods, and a myriad of Voidlings forced him to change his tactics.

  [Devourer successfully consumed Cycle’s Embrace.

  Select a suitable Arcana or Trait to replace Cycle’s Embrace.]

  A list of possible choices appeared before him. New choices appeared, but David didn’t think too much before he made the final call.

  [The Ascendant has concluded his selection.

  Arcana, Titanblood, has been imprinted into the Ascendant’s Divine Seed.

  Be aware that Arcana and Traits imprinted with the Trait, Devourer, can no longer be removed—without damaging the Divine Seed.]

  There weren’t any explanations about the Arcana selection; however, he didn’t need anything like that. He had seen Titanblood in action once—the passive effect of the Arcana, a fragment of it, to be precise. William had used it.

  However, David did not select Titanblood because William possessed it. No, his reasoning was a lot more simple. He took note of the Sacred Guardians’ reverence and the way they spoke about Titans, especially the Godfather Titan, as he made his decision.

  Other than that, a second passive to enhance his lifeforce was bound to be useful. Not only would Titanblood and Fountain of Life allow him to unleash terrors upon his enemies, augmenting pure Blood to heights that shouldn’t be possible, but enhancing his lifeforce strengthened his foundation as well.

  First of all, it would allow him to fight stronger enemies, as he’d be able to heal more grievous wounds much faster than he should have been able to. He’d also survive far worse attacks without any repercussions. Second, his attacks would hit harder, increasing his likelihood of wounding enemies that should be much stronger than he was.

  Last but not least, David had the Law of Blood. It experienced a breakthrough and transformed into a Major Law, and that meant transforming his very own blood into that of a Titan would augment his prowess drastically, as using his own blood and lifeforce to unleash the Law of Blood upon his enemies would allow him to hit harder than ever.

  Plus, the Corrupted Divine Heart would grow stronger as his blood transformed into that of a Titan, permanently enhancing his Corrupted Divine Heart, the vessel that contained Vitae Nihilum. There was literally no downside.

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