3. An Ether Sky

When I awoke, I found myself in a foreign yet familiar place. Somewhere far away from where I lost consciousness. I didn’t have a physical body and could hover freely like a spirit.

Around me were bright temples, soothing breeze, and clouds that made this place appear like a lost paradise. The chalky temple pillars had intricate details, shaped like scrolls and acanthus leaves on top. Perfectly symmetrical marble paths lead to grass grounds with aligned hedges, fountains, and other aesthetic structures.

Above the horizon, one could see the scenery of myriad other floating islands with picturesque landscape structures. The gentle waves of the estuary and the lush scent of the meadows was a bliss.

How some islands were floating, have I, not the slightest clue. Everything here felt like an unreality, yet too natural to be just a lucid dream.

A tall man shrouded in a darkish cloak, a long red cape, and a golden crown emerged from the temple entry. He wielded a massive claymore on his back and the skulls of monsters he probably had slain. His long white hair and the clean scar across his face only made him look more menacing.

His radiating divine aura would single-handedly make a veteran warrior tremble in fear. Just one look in his fearless azure eyes established his dominating nature and long combat experience.

When I finally recognized him, I was perplexed and in denial yet wildly intrigued.

That person I was in awe of was me, specifically in my past life. For some reason, it was just something I knew, like an animal’s instincts. Memories of my past life flowed into my mind as I studied my former self. My name was Kyrios, and although born as a human, I became a deity. At that time, I should have been around 700, but my physical body stopped aging at around the mid-30s. Unfortunately, that was all I could remember, and anything beyond was like a heavy fog in my recollections. I can’t recall any of my friends or lovers, how I became a deity or ended up in a different world.

A part of me doubted that I genuinely used to be him. I don’t consider myself this ruthless stereotype with literal skulls hanging like an accessory. Instead, I would regard myself as someone optimistic and kind, or at least not cruel. But it made sense when I thought back to how the creature massacred the two hunters and my initial reaction. Maybe, it was because of the life or death situation, but I didn’t feel any remorse at all. In fact, I felt relieved and almost joyous when they died without considering their lives or situation. What if they had a family or were going through a crisis? What if they had legitimate reasons to kill us? These reflections made me wonder if it was right to have reacted that way.

Being lost in thought, I had unconsciously approached my former self. When I got within his reach, he suddenly gazed directly into my eyes with bloodlust so intense that I could feel my non-existent body shiver. He then stepped forward in a balanced and robust pose, swinging his claymore at speeds I couldn’t even comprehend and…

“Aaargh!” I screamed. Louder than what I thought a baby physically could. The sound echoed through the murky corridors, along with my heavy breathing. My clothes were completely soaked in sweat with a sharp foul smell. Could infants reek this bad?

I clenched and released my fist a few times. Although my hands were shaking from the nightmare, I was mostly okay. Then did that mean I sweated out all the poison? By tasting my sweat, I immediately frowned from the disgusting bitter taste. It had almost the same flavor as the poison, just far worse. Well, that just meant it had left my body. But how could that be? A newborn drinking poison would for sure die.

Did I perhaps have an ability that I forgot about? Oh right. I believe I had a regeneration skill that might have saved me. To check, I simply thought of my stats.

- [Attributes] -

- [Profile] -

- [Stats] -

Name

Kyrios

Vitality

4

Strength

0

Level

1

Intelligence

0

Defense

0

Species

Awakened Hybrid Riftborn

Mobility

1

Unspent Points

0

- [Skill Index] -

Name Level Type Crawling Max Essential Skill Basic Night Vision 1 Passive Skill Basic Regeneration 1 Passive Skill Enhanced Senses 2 Passive Skill Poison Immunity 1 Passive Skill

I did have basic regeneration at level one, but something had changed. My vitality stat had increased by four points, and I gained a new passive skill called Poison Immunity. Then this must have saved me. And doesn’t this mean that the water source wouldn’t affect me anymore? Hah, maybe if I starve long enough, my body would evolve to save me. Although, on second thought, that wasn’t an excellent idea.

Where did the four points in vitality come from, though? Of course, it could be because I learned a new skill, but why didn’t my other skills give me any stats then?

My name changed too, from something unknown to Kyrios. I guess that’s what I’d call myself now but would my name come off as weird or outdated? It is close to a millennium old, after all.

There are some things I’m interested in now that I have secured water. First, it was about the information with my skills and stats. Was that my imagination or an ability? It was so vivid that I could imagine it like a panel in front of me. Also, what does my level do? Would I get directly more powerful when I leveled up? Well, there was only one way to find out—by leveling up.

What I’m most curious about is my species. Awakened hybrid riftborn sound pretty damn intimidating. I remember evolving when I got hurt, but it was so painful that I couldn’t remember what I used to be. I assume part of me is human, hence the hybrid title, but what is a riftborn? I feel entirely human, unlike my mother, who had an unusual aura. That meant I’m probably less riftborn than human, or I merely haven’t fully evolved yet.

When I get strong enough to survive by myself outside, I need to find people as a control group to test my limits. That is, of course, unless I find species like me, but seeing how we were being hunted down, we probably weren’t welcome.

Secondly, what dwelled further down this place? Even with my improved senses, I still can’t sense the end of this cavern. I’m not entirely sure how to properly investigate through sound, but my echoes seem to reflect endlessly throughout these dark hallways.

The most reasonable move would be to take it slow and grow stronger before exploring the unknown, but deep down, my inpatient self craved an adventure.

Fine, I’ll give it a few months before I set foot deeper in this cave. Then, once I’ve ensured a sustainable food source and learned to walk, I’d venture downwards.

“Arf!” Barking sounded in the distance.

Huh? I picked up a barking sound somewhere, but it wasn’t from the sleeping creature’s location. I quickly closed my eyes to listen.

“Augh, arf.”

Multiple barks probably came from different creatures. Moreover, they came from the opposite direction from where I hadn’t been yet, meaning it wasn’t the same creature that saved me. Some sounded rougher, while others were sweeter and more gentle.

Wanting to check them out, I got back on all four and began to roam toward the group of creatures. I deemed it safe since the first creature didn’t mind me. Also, the chances are that there is food as they probably wouldn’t be grouping up for no reason. So even if it were risky, it would still be worth it.

I must say, this body is quite good at learning and adapting. I was crawling at least twice as fast as when I started. That also verified that my stats were only there to multiply my physical capabilities rather than showing my exact strength.

As I neared the barking creatures, gallops came toward my way. Had they noticed me too? Were they coming to greet me, to throw me away, or are they simply just curious like me? Either way, now that they were coming, there was nothing I could do. I’d just sit up and act cute and harmless.

“Arf, woof!” They barked as they entered the scene.

There were three of them that cautiously encircled me. The creatures all looked similar, only with slightly different color patterns. After studying me, one of them began approaching while keeping strict eye contact. It hesitantly sniffed me but instantly approved my smell by jovially bouncing around like the first creature I met. The two others also began to dance while growling haphazard melodies like a celebrating tribe.

I still couldn’t get over how unsettling they sounded compared to how they acted and looked. How did they evolve such bizarre vocal cords? They sounded like a person barfing underwater or someone being strangled to death.

When the creature that inspected me finally stopped hopping, it began to lead me to where they came from. I had no idea what to expect, but I was hoping for a safe place filled with delicious fruits. Unfortunately, I was probably expecting too much, assuming they’re the only species here. Their acid was so strong that they likely could digest nutrients from rocks or anything else they found.

When we reached their abode, the leading creature crawled through a tiny hole in the wall that emitted a purple light. Unsure of its safety, I hesitated to enter, but the two others eventually pushed me through.

Upon entering the gap, the ambiance left me wide-eyed and at a loss for words. It felt as if I had entered another dimension.

There bloomed enormous glossy flowers from the ceiling that lit up the entire room with an ethereal atmosphere. The ground was not made of rocks but rich dirt and grass. Many types of trees and plants were ripe with berries as if this place served as a giant greenhouse. A tiny river flowed throughout this space, keeping the fauna and flora alive. Amid everything stood a massive stone pillar, staggering at least twenty meters, keeping the chamber stable.

Most importantly, there were creatures everywhere. Although my vision was still blurry when looking far out, I could still estimate at least fifty of them with different sizes, colors, and characters.

This place was too perfect to be naturally forged.