My movements have nothing to do with my Mana recovery rate, something I noticed not few seconds ago. Keeping still didn't increase the recovery rate but it was only after my heart beat slowed, the recovery rate started to increase.

And my auto rapid healing is a biological factor, not entirely magical. The demerit in it was that it would only take effect once I have a calm mind and it doesn't regenerate too fast but it's still much faster than an average human. I can force activate it and increase the speed of regeneration by supplying it with Mana, like I have been doing all the while ever since my evolution.

A quarter of an hour passed and my MP bar is filled to one third of its length. Deeming it enough, I stop my meditation and let the rest recover with the usual rate. Well, I called it meditation but it wasn't really anything special but just me sitting still for the whole duration. No other mental techniques involved.

As I got up, I almost fell due to the numbness that have spread through my body. Even though I don't feel pain, I can't do anything against numbness.

-- I should give myself a quick once over before I move on.

With those kind of thought in mind, my attention is brought back to the important issue at present. A person in front of me who bears a huge resemblance to my appearance -- or bore a resemblance to my appearance, I should say. His parched pale skin made all those differences.

The person is Aedrox, a demonic entity of the Void, who has taken the body of my friend, Thomas, as his vessel.

A fierce battle ensued but after some sharp ups and downs, I came out victorious by using some dirty tricks. Whether I'm proud of it is irrelevant.

"Someone's a little bit too confident right now, to be so unguarded...." Aedrox said while on his knees, his arms hanging sluggishly by his side.

I ignore his attempts at initiating a futile conversation in his final moments. Even without appraising him, not that I'm able to, I can tell he won't last any longer in that brittle state.

I crack my knuckles and twist my neck. Crackling sounds resounded from my actions.

-- Gosh, my neck feels stiff even though I was moving a lot.

"It wasn't just your darkness, was it?" he asked.

"Aren't you the curious one?" I gave a light reply. I have no intention of entertaining him any longer than needed. I give my body and condition a good once over. Making a mental list, I go down the points one by one on checking my status and health.

"If it's just yours, it would never have been able to overwhelm mine to this degree. My ties to the source of my very essence and being is completely severed. You can't do that with just ten or so years of accumulated darkness -- no.... You need thousands of years for that to happen."

"A question which you already know the answer to. Why do you still bother asking?" I spare a glance at the now completely vulnerable Aedrox while not stopping my check up. Looking at his current withered state kinda makes one think that his intimidating form from before was all a lie.

Though I did learn somethings while fighting with him all out. It wasn't exactly right to say that the Void is poison to this realm. This realms is as poison as it is the Void to this realm. It's just that Aedrox has such a huge presence that he overwhelmed everything around him but now the situation has taken a hundred eighty turn. Thus, that wasn't the case anymore.

I didn't dealt the final blow, nature did. I merely took away his overwhelming presence and let the poisoning the work.

The black shard melted into him. The essence of my dark will spread all over his body, drawing an undulating web pattern.

Though the information on [Arcane Analysis] are all still incoherent except for one, his status and his status reads; Dying. It should came as a surprise to me that I managed to "kill" him but I'm not. Instead of amazement, I'm slightly terrified. Terrified of the fact the there is so much darkness in me.

Looks like my future is a dark one and hopefully I can brighten it up. I'm not a masochist, after all.

"Not telling?" he entreated.

To be honest, hearing Tom's voice through his words is infuriating but I pay no real heed to any of it. If this was me from before, I would already be pummeling him into a pulp even while he's down.

"Well, I'm not gonna shut you up or anything. Considering the words you will be speaking out right now will be your last. So, feel free to scream, yell, insult, sing, or whatever."

"You really do play dirty." I could hear the distaste in his words. "Never thought you would fight this way."

While giving my arms a few swings, I answered "The stakes are high, I'm not going to bomb it all just for some meager pride."

-- Alright, the numbness are mostly gone.

All the while I'm giving myself a once over, Aedrox's gaze has never left me. I couldn't tell if it's resentment or admiration that lurks in his gaze.

A sharp sound of crack resounded and drew my gaze to it.

It was Aedrox. His body cum vessel is beginning to give out, cracking up like brittle earth.

"Is this it? Is this all I deserve? No merciful death. No honorable death. Just going to let me rot and withered away in my last moments?"

"Perhaps." I answered vaguely. Honestly, I didn't think this far. My exhaustion overridden my glory. Most of all, I want to leave this place as soon as possible. I'm also no sadist that take pleasure in kicking my downed enemy.

-- Yeap, looks like I'm good to go. Every part of me is functioning as it should be. My hands are still trembling intermittently but even that had became a routine for me.

"You know, I never thought this day would come. It all seems hopeless or impossible when I think about it from before. Some of us prayed for this day. Some of us didn't. Some of us accepted that we are eternal and indestructible and we will be living eternally in an endless void of suffering."

"Hmm. Individual souls, individual mind. That was what you said to me. Didn't expect you lots to be so.... fragmented."

"We are many, not too many to be too much for a world but enough to be a nation larger than any we encountered."

While listening to his final rambles, I fashion myself a new set of clothes with [Spirit Formation]. A simple tunic and a pair of trousers. My footwear is a pair of boots made out of leather. Although the leather is different than any leather I know, the information from [Arcane Analysis] only reads, leather. Should I make a coat too?

"To the mortals, they are always impressed with the idea of eternal."

He's still talking.... I honestly want to crush him and end everything right now but.... I think I might have a use for him. His current state is just right for me.

"It won't even be far-fetched to call it the ultimate goal of all mortals. A gift to the mortals perhaps, but a curse to us."

Aedrox keeps on talking even though I barely paid him any attention. A piece of his cheeks broke from his dried-up body and turn into crumbs as it hit the ground.

-- Hmm, I should make myself a pair of gloves too.

"The day when we finally be free from this eternal suffering.... none of us think it was possible but you Harbinger, you proved us wrong."

"Your point?" I asked. I didn't bother to hide my annoyance.

Now that I recovered enough with energy to spare, my emotions also returned. My rage begins building up once again.

"I'm saying that I welcome it. For such a major matter, without the voices and consents of my brethren, I can't speak for all of them now but however, I can speak for myself."

Finally, I face him. Our eyes met once again but his left eye gave out and crumbled to dust.

"I thought at least, I wanted to live forever, an eternal life without suffering but the truth.... turns out to be the complete opposite"

"And that is?" I raised an eyebrow.

There was a short silence before he continued, "I want to rest.... for eternity. No more suffering....."

"Are those your last words?" I asked as my MP bar looses some of the fill as I activated a magic.

"No but it is what it is. Just do what I have to do."

I snickered. Granted, it was a slip. "What I'm about to do, is not something I necessarily have to do."

His look turned dubious.

Black shadow rises up behind me like a wave. The shadow mold itself into a suit of armor, a knight, wielding a greatsword in its hands.

Huh, [Soul Harvest] took the form of a knight this time.

"Soul Harvest...." He asked, a wobbly smile crept across his withering face.

"You're familiar?"

"Too familiar. It is this Arcane Art that made the First Beast a force to be reckoned with. The mortals won the first contact war because the First Beast. It became exalted of the Void after repeated devouring of us Void Demons."

"The first contact war?"

This is the first I heard about this.

"Another history lost throughout the flow of time. It is what its name stated. It was over millions of years ago. A beast with a potential for endless growth. It won the humans the war, single-handed. We the Void Demons stood no chance against it."

"I have been wondering, do your people have a name or do you all call yourselves Void Demons?"

"We do but personally, I prefer Void Demons or Void Legion. It serves to better instill fear and intimidation into our enemies."

"And what do you call yourselves?"

"It doesn't matter and I always hated that name. It rings too true to our nature." He gave a fragile smile.

I return that weak attempt of a smug. "Well, suit yourself."

"You sure about this? Mind you, I am not like the other souls you have devoured until now."

"I know that but I need your powers. I don't believe for one second that you will be the last one I would ever encounter. For that reason, I need an equalizer. Also, after everything you have done.... to me, I don't intend to let you off this easy."

His arms crack into fragments. "You're not wrong about me not being the last you'll ever encounter. It is your destiny and fate to bring us salvation-- or damnation in some other's cases."

The dark knight raises its sword, preparing to smite the demon in front of me.

"I sense rage and grief inside your words but.... I don't feel vengeance emanating from you. You're not doing this for revenge, are you?"

"What does it matter?"

"Oh.... you poor man.... You don't realize it, do you? Powers come at a price, or prices. Your ability to feel, or your sense of realism, or even your empathy, your ever-growing strength would take those away from you. Power will dull those aspects. Take it from someone with firsthand experience."

"You have my gratitude then." I retorted. I don't know how much his words weigh in truth but I guess I'm about to find out sooner or later.

Although he is wrong about one thing--

-- This is for revenge. I knew not where his interpretation went wrong but this is without a doubt, revenge and this is the end of my vengeance.

My anger must have shown on my face as he scoffed. "You think you're doing this revenge but you're not. Stop lying to yourself."

The dark knight tightened its grip on the body length greatsword as if response to my vexation.

"When they say power comes at a price, they don't mean the cost. They mean the consequence that comes with it. Can you really tell yourself still feel like a human?"

"Yes."

Despite my steeled answer, the smug is still all plastered on his fuck ugly face. "Coming clean early is better than coming clean after the dirt has piled into a mountain."

I waited no longer. Holding back a grimace, I commanded the dark knight to bring its sword down at the kneeling Void Demon. The blade impaled through Aedrox and struck the ground after.

In an instance, the body completely withered into a barren state which won't be too exaggerated to call it a poorly sculptured statue.

I can see essence of dark purplish colors travelling through the sword, seeping into the dark knight itself. The dark knight then melts back into me.

The body of Thomas gave out and crumbled to dust. Under my silent breath, I said some random prayers. I didn't believe those words but I just feel like I have to say something.

"Whoa...." A foreign sensation overwhelms me for a moment. My feet are fast enough to prevent a fall.

It might be because I am accustomed to a lot of abrupt and aberrant stuffs that I didn't feel particularly bothered by this new sensation.

There isn't any resistance. It's almost like Aedrox consented to let himself be devoured.

[Mana Vessel of a Higher Being - Acquired]

[Void Exalted (Unique): Lv. 2 increased to Lv. 5]

[Blaze of the Depths (Unique): Lv. 6 - Acquired]

I received such message in my head.

A Higher Being? I wonder what it means by that?

Higher Being

Beings that exist on a higher plane of existence. Gods are the prime example of higher beings. Secondary examples being True Dragons, specifically Vo'ryn the World Ender.

Oh right, this function was in the status card that broke back then. I never did found out my appraisal ability has this function too until now. But come to think of it, Kai was the one who did all the explanations, so I'm guessing Kai was sorta reading from this in its stead?

Hmm. It does feel kinda lonely without Kai.

And I acquired [Blaze of the Depths], or rather, reacquired. With this, it truly does mean Tom has passed away. He didn't join the cycle, he couldn't, not with a soul so severely damaged. Devouring his soul along with Aedrox's, is the best I could do to honor him.

I'm sorry.

And as a side note, I hope Vo'ryn and I will never cross paths. He or she sure sounded like a huge pain in the ass.

Still, it kinda shocks me that the Void Demons are considered as Godlike beings. Isn't that kinda too exaggerated? Then is Divine Intervention the only salvation against the Void Demons?

Well, no use pondering about it since I have no way of finding it out right now.

So.... what happens now? I don't feel anything after harvesting Aedrox besides the three level jumps in [Void Exalted] level.

HP : 3500 MP: 5000 Overall Power Ranking : A Effective Combat Power: 7000 - Attack: 1100 - Defense: 500 - Magic: 2000 - Resistance: 800 - Speed: 2500

My Effective Combat Power did some leap but that was it. There were much more improvements and upgrades with the previous souls I harvested unlike Aedrox's case.

Did something went--

-- Ugh~!

A pain assaulted my heart, literally.

The pain isn't anything severe though. At most, it felt like a hard prick from a needle.

[Latent Force: Divine Art / Apotheosis Magic - Achieved]

Huh? Say what now? The words are a little bit too professional and advance for my comprehension.

[Commence Synthesizing of Mana Vessel of Higher Being (Aedrox) - Y / N?]

Whoa -- what?!

Is it trying to ask me for permission to convert Aedrox's soul into an actual form of power?

Wait. I have already been converting souls into my power since day one of awakening [Soul Harvest]. What am I saying....

But anyways, is this for real? I'm really going to acquired powers that is said to be on par with Gods'? This doesn't feel like cheat anymore. It is more like I have bugged out or something.

Well, I did said I need power but I didn't mean something of this magnitude.... Maybe this magnitude of power is what I needed?

Should I say yes....?

No more hesitation....

Right. No more hesitation.

Whatever the consequences befall onto me later on, I will overcome it.

With that resolution, I hit "Y" with an imaginary finger.

[Void Exalted (Unique) Will Be Assimilated Into The Synthesis As The Base - Proceed? Y / N ]

I pressed yes without any pause.

[Commencing Synthesis.....]

Although superficially, there isn't change but within me.... my Mana flow are working hard like a factory on a death march.

The world comes to a stand still as I feel a great power begins forming within me. Well, maybe standstill is hyperbolic. If one does squint their eyes, they might be able to see the tiniest of movements.

As for my Mana system, each segment is working like old masters in their respective fields.

And I assume this is the part where I'm suppose to be curling myself up and writhing in agony. Although my sense of pain has been dulled, I can still tell when I'm suppose to feel pain. A weird feeling, indeed.

It is very unsettling. Not feeling pain when you know when you're suppose to. Like when every one is crying or sobbing from a sad scene from a movie and you're the only one unfazed. Maybe the alienation is even much more than that.

Your ever-growing strength would take those away from you. Power will dull those aspects.

I recall to those words.

No doubt those words will haunt me for the days to come but I don't intend to let it continue forever. I'm not alone anymore. I have friends and family now. If I'm ever plunged into a situation where I can't help myself, I will rely on them instead.

After all, true friends and family is about being there at your worst and best.

Although it was something I have never even considered before but for once in my entire life, including my previous life, I'm very excited to see my own child.

My child might have been the source of my ability to rationalize even after all of Aedrox's taunt. A groundless basis but the most plausible.

Bathing myself in serene with those thoughts, a great shift manifests in the flow of my Mana.

The soul of Aedrox is being taken apart like toy blocks but at an unimaginable scale.

After being deconstructed, the countless fragments are being reordered and reconstructed.

Puzzle pieces being put to its rightful places, falling rightfully in between the gaps of its partner piece.

Some didn't fit.

But it didn't matter.

They were taken out and put back in.

Even if it was wrong again, the process is repeated until it fits.

There must be millions pieces of this puzzle, each with a unique side that would only fit with the right partner piece.

The trial and error are abundant.

The repeating process went on for what seem to be hours or even days until everything was finally completed.

And time moves again.

Although time had move with different pace, I can tell only a few minutes gone by in reality.

[Synthesis Completed]

[Synthesis Results: 100% - No Error Detected]

That's good to know. I don't even want to think if it wasn't a hundred percent as I would have no idea how to fix the remaining percent of error.

[Divine Art: Exemplar of the Void, Aedrox - Acquired]

Hmm. I'm not gonna dwell on the naming sense of the system but I will say it is kinda disrespectful and disturbing to use the name of a recently "deceased person".

Nothing changed much at a glance. My stats didn't rise any further after acquiring the Divine Art. It was truly anti-climatic but only superficially.

It seems like Divine Art is a separate entity in a sense. It doesn't even have a level. Its improvement won't have too much effect on my normal stats. This kinda explains Kirin's stats despite having a Divine Art.

Since it is unlikely to find a place more suitable than this place here to give my new powers a test drive, I activate my newly acquired Divine Art..... Aedrox....

Gosh, it's even embarrassing to say it in my mind.

Clad in dark purplish energy, it burns like gentle flames.

I didn't undergo some kind of transformation like in some kid's show. I feel kinda downhearted at the lack of superficial intimidation while using [Aedrox]..... Okay, that sounds so weird to put it into words.

Without any warning, a field of dark purplish aura expanded from me radially until it reached the end of this confine ruined city.

Whoa.... the spectacle is magnificent.

A faint and transparent world exist with the current plane of realm in an overlapping manner. The current world thrives in the competition for opacity. The intruded world is cosmic, for the lack of a better word, with shiny dark purplish stars. Like the outer space but instead of total black, it was of dark purple.

There are no buildings in sight but there are some natural formation of rocks that resemble monuments. On these rocks, stood multiple figures of all shapes. Some are standing, some are sitting, some are lying, but they are all looking here, at me. Their eyes are glowing an intense white with slight traces of purple.

Are these.... Void Demons....?

Is this how Aedrox has been seeing the world?

All eyes are on me but I don't feel any interest coming from them.

Except for one. The one standing in front of me. The figure with the most humanoid shape.

It approaches me.

-- Damn. It's tall. At least by two heads.

"What are you?" I asked as it stopped.

{.....Q'nu.} It responded in Helix after a short silence.

Q'nu.... it means nomad in Helix. So, the Void Demons are called Q'nu, nomads.... no wonder Aedrox hated it.

{And what do you, Q'nu desire?} I decided to converse in Helix. Despite having not spoken a word of Helix in a long time, I haven't gotten worse at it. By the way, Q'nu is also Q'nu in plural.

{Peace.}

At that word, I feel interests begin boiling in the other Q'nu. Did that particular word incited something within them?

It goes without saying that it is talking about their search for peace for only their own race, not the general world peace.

{At what cost?}

{Any.}

Short and brief but its intent is fully transmitted to me. No compromise.

{No rooms for any negotiations.}

{..... No more.} It answered after a short silence.

{I can help.}

{Lies.}

Well, she ain't exactly wrong but I wouldn't know if I didn't try.

{This world.... is this to be ours.}

She sounds monotone but there is reluctance in her voice. They didn't want this but they have to if they wish salvation for their race.

But nevertheless, {I can't let you do that.}

{Then you will perish, as the foundation of our salvation.}

{I see. If that's the case....}

I throw my right arm into the air, clenched into a ball of fist.

{You will meet the same fate as your exemplar, my fellow kin-in-laws.} I retorted. Don't ask me why I called them in-laws. It just kinda popped into my head.

I throw my hand back down like I'm pulling down a lever.

Like in a compressor, the transparent world is clamp between forces of unknown origins.

A single bright flash dyes my view.

I haven't the knowledge of wielding Void powers prior but after receiving this Divine Art, it felt like I instinctively know how to handle Void powers to a certain degree. What I have just did was simply transitioning myself out from the semi-existent world of the Void.

This power is on a whole new level of aberration.

I begin to charge up Void energy in my palm.

I look around the city as energy continues to gather into my palm.

Nothing but ruins everywhere I look. To think this place use to be the pinnacle of mortals' evolution. This place holds a lot of memories, not just mine.

It also holds a lot of secrets. Secrets that would plunge the world further into chaos should it be known.

Which is why, I have to sanitize this place.

Nothing is left alive after Aedrox's pillaging so I don't have to worried about collateral.

The energy in my palm begins trembling unstably. This should be more than enough.

-- Tom, Engrande, Bartholomew, Muo Li, Clammis, Luamiraya, this is goodbye.

I throw the ball of energy into the air above me.

The next moment, it cracks open, unleashing the biding energy within.

The energy spreads out like a tsunami, leveling the whole city with me at the center of it all.

My world spins along with the leveling. I feel a little bit nauseous.

My MP hasn't decrease but I felt something was drained from me and I definitely felt some exhaustion from using Void energy.

In just seconds, the city which was once being revered for its unparalleled evolution, Rising Valley, is now nothing more than a huge plains of wasteland.

Now, everything of this chapter is truly over.