[Void Rend]
MP Cost: 0
Skill Level: 1 | max. 10
Skill EXP: 4 | max. 20
Cooldown: 3.8 hrs | 4 hrs
Description:
A forbidden trait gifted only to the Emissary of Doom—this arcane skill grants the wielder the harrowing ability to rip through the very fabric of space, forging a temporary bridge between two parallel realms.
As I invoked the skill, the air around me cracked like shattering glass, the world twisting and warping at the seams. An invisible force clutched at my body, dragging me toward a swirling fracture in reality—an open wound in the cosmos. I didn’t walk into the rift. I was consumed by it.
The moment I crossed the threshold, my senses were plunged into absolute darkness.
No light. No sound.
Only the suffocating silence of the void, thick and clinging like tar. And yet—within that silence—I felt the presence of unnamable horrors watching me, shifting beyond sight. Their forms slithered across my perception, unfathomable and immense, like whispers in a dream that morph into screams the moment you try to focus.
A knot of dread coiled in my gut, every step heavier with the weight of uncertainty. But I didn’t falter. I kept moving until, at my command, the membranous wall of the rift shimmered and gave way.
I tumbled through—gasping—and hit solid ground. Relief crashed over me like a breaking wave. I staggered to my feet and looked out over the desolate landscape.
“I’m alive…” I muttered, my voice hoarse and cracked. My clenched fist trembled as it rose, a fragile gesture of triumph.
“Heave… ho—”
I scanned the terrain. Jagged cliffs pierced the horizon, shrouded in a forest thick with shadows. As I stood atop a rocky outcrop, a strange realization dawned—my senses were heightened. Sharpened to an unnatural degree.
I could see clearly for miles, each leaf and rock crisp even in near-complete darkness. My ears picked up the softest rustles—the breathy, uneven steps of something creeping nearby.
My heart thumped like a drumbeat of warning. I didn’t wait to see what was coming.
I ran.
The night was deathly still, and every footstep echoed like a gunshot. The cold wind sliced through my clothes, my lungs burned with every gasp, and the pounding in my chest felt like it might split me open. Eventually, I stumbled into a shallow cave nestled among the stone—its entrance a jagged maw.
Slowing my breath, I scanned the cavern with narrowed eyes. Nothing stirred.
“I could use some rest before setting off again…” I whispered, my voice a ghost in the dim. I stepped inside with great caution.
The cave was shallow, but its mouth was wide enough to let some of the faint moonlight seep in. Pale, glowing plants clung to the damp walls—soft bioluminescence pulsing gently, like the cave itself was breathing. I lowered myself onto a flat stone. Its cold touch seeped into my skin, numbing the ache in my legs. I exhaled, long and slow.
With a thought, I summoned my Status Window. The translucent projection flickered into existence—humming softly in tune with my soul. The guide confirmed what I had begun to suspect: the system responds not to touch or voice, but to the will projected through the interwave, the soul-bound link between mind and essence.
The interwave, I learned, could extend—letting me perceive the souls of other beings. Every faint glow I saw… was life.
Even the plant swaying beside me.
“Does… that mean this weed has a soul too?” I murmured, watching it sway in a rhythm that seemed almost sentient.
The system explained that the soul is the essence of existence—a cosmic database embedded in our core. It recorded our every experience, every facet of our identity. By mastering the interwave, I could read the very history written in the soul of another.
I chuckled dryly.
“So I’m literally just a level 1 noobie…”
As if sensing my curiosity, another window opened, revealing the hierarchy of doom:
Aries (The Tyrant) – Rank 1
Location: Earth-0
Taurus (The Fallen Demon) – Rank 2
Location: Unknown
Gemini (The Basilisk) – Rank 3
Location: Unknown
Cancer (The Serpent) – Rank 4
Location: Unknown
Leo (The War Maiden) – Rank 5
Location: Unknown
Virgo (The Maelstrom) – Rank 6
Location: Unknown
Libra (The Ravenous) – Rank 7
Location: Unknown
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Scorpio (The Poisoned Dart) – Rank 8
Location: Unknown
Sagittarius (The Tempest) – Rank 9
Location: Unknown
Aquarius (The Beast) – Rank 10
Location: Unknown
Pisces (The Sword) – Rank 11
Location: Unknown
Capricornus (The Leviathan) – Rank 12
Location: Earth-2999978
Twelve beings scattered across the multiverse. Each more powerful than the last. And I? I was barely a flicker of light in the darkness.
But that flicker had survived the Void.
“What’s with these grandiose titles? And why the hell am I dead last in the rankings?!” I muttered, irritation lacing my voice like venom in a fresh wound.
The system responded without fanfare—calm, clinical.
The rankings reflect how far each Emissary has awakened their cosmic essence. The higher the rank, the closer they are to fully embodying the celestial beings they represent, and the more authority they hold over the fundamental forces of the universe.
I scowled.
So I was a bottom-feeder among godlings.
The Emissaries of Doom… A title as heavy as it was cryptic. Twelve chosen vessels, each selected by the system based on a single trait: Extreme Aggressive Impulse. A savage will to survive, or destroy, no matter the cost. They weren’t born for peace.
They were sculpted by chaos.
Their identities were forged in the stars—each bound to a constellation, drawing their strength from remnants of the ancient cosmic titans who once drifted through the stellar abyss. These Emissaries were not just powerful. They bent space and time.
My eyes widened.
“If I can control space and time… does that mean—I can go back?! I can return to the past?!” I asked aloud, my chest fluttering with sudden hope.
[You lack the necessary cosmic resonance to reverse the flow of destiny.]
The message struck me like a slap. Cold. Merciless. Final.
“A giant cosmic NO, huh?” I groaned, sinking deeper into the rock. “There goes my anime protagonist arc…”
I sighed, brushing my hand through my hair. “No point moping over what’s out of reach. Let’s see what I can work with... Show me my Innate Traits.”
In response, the void shimmered, and another translucent window unfurled before me like an arcane scroll.
[Innate Traits]
– Devourer of the Sun (Passive)
Effect: Absorb the soul of a being by consuming enough of its flesh.
Progress: 0 / 100,000 pts
A cold chill ran down my spine. Cannibalistic soul absorption? Metal.
– Truthseeker (Passive)
Effect: The Eyes of Doom grant soul-vision—revealing name, rank, and level of entities within range. Data accuracy depends on the strength of your projected interwave. Some beings may disrupt or mask their soul signatures.
Progress: 1 / 5,000 pts
“Eyes of Doom, huh…” I whispered, my gaze flicking toward the glowing plant again. It shimmered subtly, soul faint and innocent.
– Transcended One (Passive)
Effect: Your body has surpassed mortal biology. You now possess heightened senses, immense stamina, and regenerative capacity. The more damage you endure, the stronger you become.
Progress: 2 / 1,000 pts
I clenched my jaw, feeling a strange warmth beneath my skin. Like my body remembered every scar (the searing slap on my face)… and relished them.
– Ungodly (Passive)
Effect: You no longer belong to the cycle of death. As long as your soul remains intact, you will regenerate—even from ash. Pain still reaches you.
Progress: 0 / 50,000 pts
I scoffed. “So I’m immortal… but not immune to pain? Fantastic.”
– Vorpal Hex (Passive)
Effect: Envelop yourself in a cosmic aura when entering spatial rifts. This cloak repels Void entities and allows the absorption of cosmic energy through repeated traversal.
Progress: 1 / 10,000 pts
My fingertips tingled, recalling the sensation of the Void brushing against me. The hunger in that place. The pressure. The presence. I shuddered.
Beneath the list, something new blinked into view. A Unique Skill, tethered to my celestial title:
Unique Skill – Spiritualization
As the sovereign of the Void’s abyssal sea, you possess the ability to invoke the essence of the Ruler itself. This manifests as a transformation into your Supreme Form: Lotan. In this form, all primary attributes are amplified a hundredfold at the cost of a fragment of your soul.
Added Effects:
+10,000% primary stat bonus
-10% of your soul per 3 seconds
This skill is currently unavailable.
My jaw dropped.
“Wait… I’m supposed to become a damn kaiju sea god?! That’s awesome—but also, why the hell is it locked?!”
Frustration boiled over.
I threw my hands up in exasperation.
“Who designed these insane, masochistic traits?! Why do I need to chew through monsters, bleed like a stuck pig, and dance through rifts just to get stronger?!” I barked, half-laughing, half-crying. “Can’t I just meditate on a mountain or something? Sit under a waterfall? Do some of that cliché cultivation crap and become a god that way?!”
Silence.
Only the cave, and the soft, pulsing light of the soul-plant, swayed in response.
Perhaps the system didn’t take kindly to my emotional outburst—because the next thing I felt was a sharp, paralyzing jolt of pain shooting straight into the most sacred region between my legs.
My eyes bulged, and my voice cracked in surrender.
“Ahem—I-I was wrong! These abilities are great. Super helpful, really! Just a tiny overreaction, buddy. You know how it is!”
Still clutching myself in embarrassment, I failed to notice the unnatural shuffle outside the cave—the eerie rhythm of claws dragging over the earth, twigs cracking under a predator’s weight.
Then, all at once, a discordant chorus of howls shattered the night. Low, guttural, and many. The distant forest trembled, and unseen shapes darted through the trees, sending a ripple of dread into the silent dark.
I froze, my heart pounding like a drum.
If I stayed here, I’d be cornered.
With no hesitation, I sprinted for the cave’s entrance—only to stop dead in my tracks.
"What the hell is that...?"
At first glance, it moved like a wolf—but its body was too tall, too broad. It lurched forward on six limbs, each grotesquely sewn into its pale, muscular torso. Its movements were too fluid, too fast. It locked eyes with me, and I felt like prey for the first time in my life.
It panted with fevered breath, hunger lining every motion. Then the cave light revealed its face—and my mind recoiled in horror.
The creature bore the visage of a human man twisted in permanent agony. Dull blue eyes stared ahead, never blinking. Dark wounds gaped across its neck and chest, oozing black rot. Its stitched-back limbs waved erratically as it closed the distance, every step pounding with unnatural speed.
A wet hiss escaped its throat, and black saliva sprayed from its peeling lips. The air stank of rot and rage.
[Innate Trait: Truthseeker Activated!]
[Aberration Identified]
[Accursed Polymelia - Level 3]
Pawn-rank Aberrant
HP: 70 | MP: 10
[Other attributes: Unreadable]
I barely processed the information. The moment of hesitation cost me dearly.
Swoosh!!
Pluck!!!
[Ting!]
[You received 40 HP damage]
A sickening crunch tore through the air—my right arm vanished in a blur of motion.
Pain.
Unimaginable, soul-wrenching pain.
My body buckled. My HP bar plunged into the red, barely clinging to double digits. My lungs locked up, and a scream ripped from my throat as blood painted the cave floor.
“AaaaAAARGH!!!”
I howled, my voice cracked and raw.
Sweat poured down my face in thick rivulets. My breath hitched in gasps. I instinctively reached for my missing arm—but there was nothing. Just torn skin, splintered bone, and muscle hanging like butchered meat. The blood wouldn’t stop. My vision blurred, and the pain dragged me down into darkness.
“…Mom…?”
My knees hit the stone. Cold. Final.
“Lei…”
"I failed. I couldn’t keep my promise."
My thoughts faded with my strength. I felt my consciousness slipping, swallowed by despair.
Sheeeeeerwk!!
Suddenly, my wound exploded with violent force—a mass of pitch-black liquid erupted from the shredded stump. The substance twisted, convulsed, and rapidly solidified into a monstrous, malformed arm. Each nerve regrowing was like hot needles threading through raw flesh, each bone realigning with the sound of grating metal.
[Ting!]
[Passive Skills Activated: Transcended One, Ungodly]
I gasped, blood spurting from my lips as I lurched upright. My body trembled. My new arm twitched violently, dripping the last of the dark ooze. But I was alive. Barely.
Across from me, the creature paused, its mouth still clamped around my severed arm. It sniffed the air, releasing a low, warbling growl. Disgust. Wariness.
Then it snarled.
The others were coming—fast.
I heard them scuttling down the hillsides, racing toward me through the foliage.
I bolted to the side, taking the path with the least noise. My feet barely touched the ground, driven by instinct. Behind me, the aberration gave chase, its many limbs skittering over stone with sickening grace. Despite my speed, it moved more easily in this rugged terrain, springing like a grotesque predator spider.
It launched at me—too soon.
Instead of tackling me, its body clipped my side and sent me hurtling toward the cliff’s edge. My balance failed.
And I fell.
The world spiraled, and the wind shrieked past my ears. My heart pounded in a panic as the forest below rushed up to meet me.
Above, the creature let out a guttural, frustrated howl—calling the others.
They shrieked back.
The swarm was coming.
And I was falling into the dark heart of the Void’s domain.
Outer Celestials,
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