Anos had no idea where he was. He looked at everyone who was looking at him with expectations.

  "This is going to be a pain..."

  Anos walked towards one of the bandits wriggling on the ground in pain. He searched them for anything valuable and looted them. He then split the silver on them between everyone.

  Everyone was happy to have escaped imprisonment or death. Who knew what sort of fate would have awaited them if Anos hadn't fought back?

  Edrea was also a bit confused.

  Was Anos always so strong?

  He felt sweat on his back as he thought back to them fighting years ago.

  Anos had no idea their location. He also lacked any tools for navigation or a map.

  But everyone had already given him the title of 'leader'. He was the one that fought against over a dozen bandits at once. They needed to hold onto his thigh!

  "Well... Let's follow the road."

  Nobody argued with him and they grabbed their luggage and began to walk on the road. A few hours later. It was night.

  Anos was at a loss. He didn't have any survival skills. He was used to being given resources in the sect in his last life. He never needed to survive in the wilderness before.

  Luckily, he didn't need to eat or drink much after becoming a cultivator. He wasn't at the point of not needing it entirely. But his needs weren't much.

  But Edrea was a martial artist. He needed more then the average person. Not to mention the others. They searched the toppled carriage before setting out and got all the food and water.

  It was mostly dried meat and not much water. They wouldn't be able to survive long on this.

  One of the girls woke up Anos who was sleeping. Everyone was struggling to sleep in this party of people. But Anos was not one of them. Cultivation is going against the heavens. But at the same time. It is being in harmony with nature.

  Anos felt that the bottleneck on his cultivation was loosening.

  The girl told him about a source of water. Anos took Edrea and they walked beyond the stone path into the woods. Anos made sure to commit the features of the land into memory.

  Anos commended the girl for her courage to go off on her own to look for water. But he also felt it was a bit of a stupid action. Especially after running into bandits.

  Going out alone was dangerous.

  If he wasn't cultivating during the journey. They probably wouldn't be lost right now. His memory is excellent and he can often remember an area after seeing it once.

  Soon. They found a spring.

  Edrea cupped their hand and was about to drink some of the water.

  Anos stopped him. You never know if this water is safe to drink.

  "At least boil it first..."

  Edrea licked his lips. They headed back to the 'camp'. Anos sat in his meditative posture and started to cultivate. He then had an idea.

  "Wait... water..."

  Anos didn't have a water type spell or anything besides 'Ice Barrier'. But manipulating spiritual energy to create water would do just fine! It also would be free of any parasites and bacteria!

  But he didn't want others to know he had 'super powers'.

  Why?

  In his last life. He had read records of evil cultivators that would imprison their fellow brethren and study their bodies if they found abnormalities.

  For example.

  A low level cultivator would turn in extremely aged spiritual plants. It was fine the first few times. But he would bring rare plants every month. Soon, he was captured and tortured until they found out he had the ability to enter his own pocket dimension that was stored in his dantian.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  His dantian was then extracted and made into an artifact for a sect to grow spiritual plants. The time flow rate in this dimension was insane.

  This cultivator died from the procedure and had no say in his life or death.

  Anos realized even at his young age that 'immortals' was just a legend in this world. If others found out he was one. He would likely have to deal with too much trouble.

  This went against his intention of exploring the world.

  He didn't care for immortality or status. What he wanted was enough strength to explore the world. Just like how Axiom explored places nobody dared to even enter.

  Just like how he crossed the boundary and came to their world.

  Anos wanted to do the same!

  But he needed one thing to pull that off...

  Strength!

  Anos realized that not killing all the bandits could leave a hidden threat. Because they may have suspected he had some sort of power. But suspecting something and proving it is an entirely different matter.

  If someone told you they had the power to teleport. You would probably just think them a liar. But if you saw it happen right in front of you. Then, you would be far more convinced.

  Anos had grown up with these villagers. But he didn't know if he should put all his trust in them.

  Well, they had enough water for now. Food also wasn't an issue yet. It was quite cold at night and there was no fire.

  Soon Anos went back to sleep.

  The king rubbed the ring on his finger.

  "As the king of Ignis. I activate the artifact of the gods!"

  "As for the price..."

  "I sacrifice half of the kingdom!"

  "I implore the Goddess of Magic! Merlin Eadda!"

  Anos found himself standing before royalty.

  How did he get here? He was thoroughly confused.

  Anos found himself to be in a castle. A beam of light shot down as if the gods had become angry. The castle was destroyed in and instant, leaving a crater.

  The king was standing weakly and Anos was unharmed.

  Anos felt something wasn't right. His body shouldn't have been able to survive such an attack. Just what the hell was going on!?

  "I implore the Goddess of Nature! Graeme Natura!"

  The crater transformed into a lush jungle as if time had sped up.

  Anos felt a sense of danger. So he observed and didn't act.

  "I implore the Goddess of Pacts! Edrea Foedus..."

  A chain appeared around the neck of the king. It then extended at an insane rate and chained Anos!

  "What the hell..."

  The king looked as if he was dealing with his mortal enemy.

  He spoke:

  "I implore the Goddess of Song! Posy Cantare..."

  A song started to play disrupting Anos's thoughts. He became even more confused.

  "I implore the Goddess of Life! Lona Vita..."

  The holy hymns started to resonate in the space. Clouds started to gather as if it was going to rain. But then a gap formed in these clouds and shined light on Anos.

  Anos saw something he couldn't comprehend. It was an angel made of a sphere of eyeballs. White chains rose from the ground. The previous song that had played made Anos feel a bit of bliss.

  He felt as if he was becoming one with the universe. A drop of water returning to the ocean. But then his eyes of god flashed and the illusion shattered.

  Anos's back was covered in sweat.

  He instinctly flew into the sky!

  "When did I gain the ability to fly!?"

  His action surprised himself, but not the king.

  The white chains that came from the ground covered his body binding him in the air. They then pulled him down from the sky! Like a god turning into a man.

  "I implore the God of Crafting! Cynebald Artis!"

  A pillar that looked like the inheritance of 'Axiom' appeared underneath his feet. It rose into the sky as a lock appeared on his chains. It locked into place as the pillar turned golden.

  "I implore the God of War! Wulfsige Pugna..."

  Anos heard in the distance a battle horn. He was surrounded by an army of knights.

  "What the hell is going on!? Who are you people!?"

  Anos started to rotate his technique.

  The God-Eye Sutra ran at full power. But there was no reaction.

  "Impossible? I can't even feel the spiritual energy in the air..."

  "How did I fly without the proper level of cultivation?"

  "I implore the God of the Holy Spirit! Hale Deus!"

  A hourglass appeared above Anos. He wasn't even sure what this thing did. But it probably wasn't anything good!

  "I implore the God of Death! Wystan Mort!"

  Anos felt paralyzed by all of these weird restrictions. He then noticed that a film of white light appeared over his body. In his mind he felt himself enter a special state.

  He wasn't sure what this state was called. But he was switching rapidly back and forth from it.

  "I implore the God of the Elements! Wulfsige Ventus!"

  It was as if Anos was thrown into hell! His body was torn apart by the mere winds. He was beaten by the elements in a rapid switch. But he regenerated as if he was immortal.

  No. It was more to it then that. He felt a mysterious energy somewhere. But this energy was running out...

  "I implore the God of the Day! Soils Apo!"

  The white hourglass above his head flipped and time seemed to have enter a lapse.

  "I implore the Goddess of the Night! Nox Luna!"

  Everything went black.

  "Edrea Foedus. I offer my soul in exchange. Seal this abomination!"

  Anos found himself in a black space. His entire body was covered in restrictions.

  "Hello?"

  It was as if he was outside of time. No matter how long he waited. He couldn't escape this state.

  "Free me!"

  Anos screamed into the abyss. But nothing was going to save him. His mind quickly flashed through all his memories looking for a way to escape.

  [Eternal Incarnation]

  He felt something magical was about to happen.

  But right at the critical moment.

  He opened his eyes. He was now awake.

  He was still in the improvised 'camp'. There were a few people sleeping nearby. His clothes were completely drenched in sweat.

  "What a nightmare..."