CHAPTER 99: | DECISIONS
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"Well this adds another task for me to do, huh?"
Thought I was amused that I had obtained an artifact crafted from a piece of a world core, yet this still added another problem for me to do, figuring out how this accursed crown would be bound to me.
Sliding my finger across the crown before lifting it from its container, I couldn't help but be annoyed at how my workloads keep increasing by the passing day.
Well, first I had to choose a skill from the list of Varuna's skillset, quite a tedious task to choose, since I didn't know which one would help me better in my current state because I would love it if I didn't have to awaken my race just to beat Lumicor.
I couldn't help but sigh at my predicament, sure it was always awesome to pick a skill, but the problem this time was that Varuna's skills were just way too damn good.
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[Varuna Profile]
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[Demonic Core]
? Ocean Essence [Ascension VII]
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[Affinity]
? Authority of the Draconic Sea [Ascension VIII]
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[Unique Skill]
? Sigil of Water
? Child of the Sea
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[Ascension Skills]
? Sovereign of the Sea Mandate [VIII]
? Draconic Ocean Incarnate [Ascension III]
? God of the Ocean Wrath [Ascension III]
? Hexagonal Water Shield [Ascension II]
? Water Imprisonment [Ascension II]
? True Water Dragon Firmament [Ascension III]
? Abyssal Palm Technique [Ascension VI]
? Water Palace [Ascension III]
? True Water Dragon [Ascension V]
? Heavens sword rain [Ascension IV]
? True Sovereign of the Abyss [Ascension VIII]
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"What should I pick?"
Lifting my hand, I couldn't help but scratch my beardless chin out of instinct since this time I had no direction of where I was going right now.
The choices were hard since he was a genius that words alone couldn't describe, how could he, a mere 'Stage 1,' create three 'Ascension VIII' Skills that only those at 'Stage 2' were capable of?
It was quite vexing that Varuna could come up with skills such as these that even emperors had to think and ponder in wisdom of how to create an Ascension skill that is capable of devastating an entire forest that spans a hundred thousand miles.
Moreover, one of Varuna's 'Ascension VIII' wasn't a normal one like a projectile or a passive, but it was a fucking transformation skill that is a step... step wouldn't justify of how hard it is to create it, but a mile above the creation of an armament-type skills like the one that Lumicor possesses.
'Haa... how annoying. If only my myth Voracity wasn't sealed in the first place... maybe... just maybe I could devour his talent to increase wisdom... but such a shame that I'm in such a mess right now.'
Well, it was disheartening that I couldn't assimilate his talent into mine, but still I was happy for him since he found the rest that he wanted for so long.
Still, it was weird that his knowledge as a 'mana architect-researcher' wasn't registered as a skill.
"Then there's only one explanation to this weird phenomenon..."
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Long ago, there was a man who pondered why some skills weren't registered in the dimensional record when those individuals possessed the knowledge to be recognized by it?
It was vexing that the omnipotent, omniscience, and omnipresent dimensional record couldn't record them when they've read the information of all living beings like a program... or do they?
He pondered at this strange phenomenon.
He researched relentlessly, created hundreds of thousands of skills, tested for hundreds of thousands of times, but he only ended in failure.
He was exhausted, exhausted at his research, exhausted that his efforts yielded no results.
He was going insane if that person didn't appear when he was at his weakest moments in life.
"Isn't it pointless to research a topic that none took an interest? Why did you embark on this path of misery? Why did you pointlessly think that the dimensional record didn't recognize the skills that you theorize but didn't put into motion?"
The researcher trembled at his words.
He was ashamed from the answer before him.
His efforts were pointless.
Now he felt so lost that even after he gained the power of a god, he still felt no happiness since he... the research that he had undergone for eons was indeed pointless.
"Why?! Just why did you reveal the answer to me, you demon?! I know! I know of the answer! But I didn't... I didn't want to admit this reality! That I... that all of my efforts were pointless! So why... just why..."
His screams were pitiful.
His trembling form was gratification itself.
It was only now did I feel such an intense emotions since I've been born.
I lifted my chin high above as I looked down at his sobbing form with delight.
I wasn't angered by his impudence but I was amused that he, a mere god, would point his tongue at me.
"Isn't it fun to wake someone who dreamed a happy ending? Like killing someone who's happiness is overflowing? I like it when someone is in shambles in front of me. It excites me to see emotions that I had not felt since the beginning of time. So tell me, why am I doing this?"
The unknown researcher, still sobbing, clenched his teeth with anger so immense that it could melt the sun itself.
"Even if you are the supreme god of this solar syste! I, the unknown researcher, shall erase you from this earth..."
The unknown researcher felt like that time itself had paused for a moment since for the first time in his life did he feel the pain of something was slicing his neck, as he was too busy watching the supreme god wave his hand.
He felt like he was free from the chains of reality.
He was lost in thought, as if he was flying into the sky, unbeknownst to him that his head was flying into the sky as his eyeballs shifted, watching the blood flying into the air.
Thud!
It was only when his head hit the ground with a sickening thud did he realize what was happening before him.
'What was I saying again? Oh yes, right, I was about to create another spel...'
"It was just getting interesting, but how dare a mere ant undermine the authority of a supreme god?"
I sighed at the memory that briefly passed through my mind since it was a memory of a disillusioned researcher continuing his search until the very bitter end.
It was a pointless struggle, thinking that he was a pioneer that would discover something great, so great that it would make him the center of the solar system.
But unbeknownst to him, he was just a disillusioned bastard dreaming the impossible without truly thinking, why would the dimensional record not acknowledge the theories that stayed in one's mind until it was set in motion?
Forget about that distasteful bastard, and let's decide on which skill should be more beneficial to me in this fight.
I closed my eyes as a soft smile could be seen on my lips.
It was decided that the way for me to maximize my gains from Varuna wasn't from me acquiring his affinity nor his other Ascension skills, but it was more beneficial at this moment to acquire his demonic core.
Shaking my head as I swiftly clicked it, confirming my decision, I then glanced at Lumicor, who was intrigued by the sword at his hands he examined it meticulously before my focus returned to the flickering holograms before me.
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[You have successfully devoured a Skill.]
[You have gained.]
? Ocean Essence [Ascension VII]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour the skill]
? Ocean Essence [Ascension VII]
[Yes] / [No]
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Ocean Essence [Ascension VII]
A crystallized core of the sea that vastly enhances mana capacity, density, and purity while granting supreme affinity to water. The bearer’s energy flows with the vastness of the ocean—endless, adaptable, and crushing in its depth.
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The choice that I made didn't disappointment me, as always.
Even with the loss of wisdom, I guess my decision making is as sharp as ever, like razor sharp...
Slrrrch–grrk–shlk!
...now was not the time to bask from the praises that my mind sung with fervor since the pain of a core being constructed inside of me hurts as always.
But now wasn't the time for me to act like a little girl crying over spilt milk since she was watching.
I didn't know what this feeling was, it was foreign to me, but I just know that I couldn't mess up in here so that she won't see me in my most vulnerable image.
I've lost my sense of touch... no, it was more accurately all of my senses was replaced by nothing but an immense pain wrecking up my nerves.
It was painful, super painful, to stay seated and composed, ignoring the pain just so that she wouldn't see me writhing in pain.
'I hated it... I hated it when she's in pain because she's worried about me. This feeling I don't know what to name it, but I just know that I hated it.'
A stump could be seen in my chest as half of the core formed, but I knew that before my body could complete it, my body it would... it would collapse from the strain since it wasn't trained to endure something like this.
I knew my body better than anyone.
While it could handle those previous mutations that could only go up to 'Ascension III', still it was too much for me to endure something like this.
The potent power of an 'Ascension VII' mutation was too much for my frail form to endure.
While my fractured mind could endure it, my body screamed for help to quell the insanity that it was undergoing.
If only I could have acquired those skills, those skills that allowed me to resist better at these level of pain or a regeneration that was stronger than the ones at my sleeves, perhaps I would have breezed this ordeal before me.
'I could only blame myself in my current predicament. Just why didn't I so meticulously gather those skills when I had the time? Just why did I greedily go for those skills?'
'I was questioning my decision making. Did me being separated from my authority wisdom for too long caused my mind to deteriorate this bad? I know of my mind deteriorating, but this bad? It's just something that I didn't foresee.'
Haa... I sighed since there's no use crying over spilt milk right now and I could only helplessly endure this while watching Lumicor smiling like a fool.
Maybe give it a try? ??
