Aquim, the vast land that the noble VelArtes family had been assigned to govern and protect, had been thriving in peaceful harmony ever since the remarkable events that unfolded just one week ago. The entire bustling town was alive with countless conversations and whispered gossips about their young master Zhan, as word of his incredible transformation spread like wildfire through every street corner and marketplace. People gathered in small groups throughout the day, sharing stories and theories about what had caused such a dramatic change in the person they once feared.
"Hey, hey! Did you hear the amazing news about our Young Master?"
The excited merchant leaned closer to his companion, his eyes sparkling with curiosity as he spoke in hushed but animated tones. His weathered hands gestured enthusiastically as he prepared to share the gossip that had been circulating throughout the community.
"He's completely lost his memory and changed into someone entirely different from the cruel person we once knew!"
"I know exactly what you're talking about, and honestly, everything around here has become so much better than it ever was before!"
The second man nodded vigorously, his voice carrying genuine relief and gratitude for the positive changes they had all witnessed. His face lit up with joy as he remembered how different life had become under Zhan's new leadership style.
The common people of Aquim walked through their daily routines with lighter hearts and brighter smiles, their spirits lifted by the hope that had finally returned to their community after so many dark years. They spoke among themselves with warmth and appreciation, grateful for the peaceful atmosphere that now surrounded their homes and families.
"This peaceful sight before me is exactly what I've always wanted to see in this land..."
Zhan muttered softly to himself, his gentle gaze fixed on the bustling streets below as he stood by the large window of his chambers. His voice carried a mixture of satisfaction and quiet wonder, as if he was still trying to believe that this positive transformation was truly real and lasting.
"Well, this incredible change in our community is all because of your efforts and the person you've become, Zhan!"
Maria exclaimed with genuine warmth and admiration, her delicate hand reaching out to tap his shoulder lightly in a gesture of friendly encouragement. Her bright smile illuminated her entire face as she looked at him with obvious pride and deep affection for the man he had grown to become.
"I honestly wouldn't say that at all, Maria, because you and everyone else have been the ones handling all the manor's operations and caring for the people's needs while I was just carelessly wasting money and resources without any thought for the consequences."
"Don't ever say such harsh things about yourself, because what truly matters is that you've changed completely, and that transformation has made all the difference in the world."
Maria's smile grew even warmer and more reassuring as she gazed at him with understanding and compassionate eyes. Her voice carried a gentle firmness that showed how much she believed in the person he had become and the positive impact he was having on everyone around him.
"Haaah... Well, I suppose you're right, but I've still got to work incredibly hard today if I want to continue improving myself and growing stronger."
Zhan informed Maria with renewed determination, raising his hand in a casual wave before turning to leave his spacious room. His steps carried a sense of purpose and resolve that hadn't been present in his previous life, and his entire demeanor radiated confidence and commitment to his goals.
"And Maria, I want you to know that I'm truly grateful for everything you've done for me and all the support you've given me during this difficult time."
Zhan added softly, pausing at the doorway to look back at her with sincere appreciation shining clearly in his eyes.
"N-no worries at all... Zhan..."
Maria stammered softly, her cheeks flushing with a delicate pink color as her heart began to beat faster in her chest. Her hands fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dress as she watched him prepare to leave, feeling a strange flutter of emotions she couldn't quite understand or explain.
—What in the world is wrong with him lately..? He's somehow gotten even more charming and attractive than he already was before, and I can't seem to stop thinking about him...
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—There's this incredibly powerful technique that I've been thinking about, one that has tremendous potential but comes with an extremely low chance of successful activation, and it's called Ascension, which is exactly the technique I need to dedicate my time and energy to practicing. Zhan's thoughts raced as he contemplated the complex magical theory behind this legendary ability, knowing that mastering it would require every ounce of his determination and skill. The stories he had heard about Ascension techniques were both inspiring and terrifying, filled with accounts of those who had succeeded and those who had paid the ultimate price for their attempts.
Ascension was a mystical technique that manifested differently for every individual who attempted to master it, and throughout history, only a precious few people had ever managed to successfully awaken even one such power within themselves. The technique itself was known to be a remarkable skill that could dramatically enhance various aspects of a person's combat abilities, whether it focused on raw attack power, defensive capabilities, movement speed, or numerous other attributes that were considered the more common manifestations. Most practitioners who achieved Ascension found themselves with enhanced physical or magical abilities that gave them significant advantages in battle and daily life.
The truly rare and coveted versions of Ascension were those that granted entirely unique skills or supernatural abilities that defied conventional understanding and pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible. These extraordinary manifestations could include anything from enhanced perception and telepathic abilities to the power to manipulate elements in ways that seemed to violate the fundamental laws of nature. Such abilities were so uncommon that many scholars questioned whether the stories about them were even true.
In Zhan's particularly unusual case, he already possessed one Ascension ability within his magical repertoire, which theoretically meant that he might have the unprecedented opportunity to awaken and develop a second one. The magical community had long debated whether such a feat was even remotely possible, with most experts agreeing that the human body and soul could barely contain the power of a single Ascension, let alone multiple ones. However, there existed an even more extraordinary category of Ascension abilities that scholars and practitioners referred to as the mythical tier, powers so incredible that they were spoken of only in whispers and ancient texts.
These legendary mythical Ascensions were said to completely betray and override the fundamental rules of magic and logic themselves, granting their wielders control over concepts as abstract and powerful as time manipulation, gravity control, spatial distortion, and countless other reality-bending phenomena. The mere thought of possessing such abilities was enough to drive even the most experienced mages to madness, as they represented power that could reshape the very fabric of existence itself. Stories told of ancient warriors who could stop time in the middle of battle, mages who could manipulate gravity to walk on walls and ceilings, and mysterious figures who could tear holes in space to travel instantly across vast distances.
"Awakening an additional Ascension ability is undoubtedly an incredibly challenging and demanding task that few would even dare to attempt, but with me already having one Ascension in my arsenal, there's a genuine possibility that I might actually be able to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat."
Zhan muttered thoughtfully to himself as he settled into a comfortable meditation position in the center of the manor's spacious training yard. His voice carried a mixture of determination and uncertainty, as he knew that what he was about to attempt could either elevate him to unimaginable heights of power or destroy him completely. The weight of his decision pressed down on his shoulders, but his resolve remained unshaken.
"If I just focus all of my determination and will into this attempt, then maybe, just maybe, I can push past the limitations that others have accepted as absolute."
Zhan spoke these words of encouragement to himself, his voice growing stronger and more confident with each passing moment. He closed his eyes and began to center his mind, drawing upon every technique and meditation practice he had learned over the years to prepare himself for the monumental effort that lay ahead.
"Fuck you, Krolf, you so-called God of Logic and Order, because I want you to watch me completely shatter and break every single one of your precious rules that you've imposed upon this world."
As Zhan drew in a slow, deep breath and began to concentrate all of his magical energy and focus into a single point within his chest, a bright green light began to emanate from his body like a beacon in the darkness. The light started as a soft glow, barely visible to the naked eye, but it quickly grew in intensity as he poured more and more of his power into the technique he was attempting to master. His entire body began to tremble with the effort of containing and directing such massive amounts of magical energy.
The brilliant green radiance continued to grow brighter and more intense with each passing second, until it became so powerful that everyone within the manor could see the light streaming out from the training yard like a miniature sun. The very air around Zhan seemed to shimmer and distort from the sheer amount of energy he was channeling, and small objects in the vicinity began to vibrate and move as if responding to an invisible force. Windows rattled in their frames, and servants throughout the building stopped their work to stare in wonder and concern at the incredible display of power.
Zhan's body began to react to the enormous strain he was placing upon it, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead and his face contorting into an expression of intense concentration mixed with growing discomfort. His breathing became labored and irregular as he fought to maintain control over the overwhelming forces he had unleashed within himself, and his muscles tensed and strained against the pressure building up inside his very soul. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, a burning sensation that seemed to consume him from the inside out.
"Guh... "
Zhan groaned in obvious pain and distress, his voice strained and barely audible as he felt all of his carefully accumulated mana being violently sucked out of his body like water being drained from a broken vessel. His hands clutched desperately at his chest as waves of agony washed over him, threatening to break his concentration and ruin everything he had worked so hard to achieve. The sensation was terrifying and overwhelming, as if his very life force was being torn away from him piece by piece.
[Skill updating...]
A mysterious message materialized in the air directly in front of him, its glowing letters hovering in space like something out of a dream or vision.
[Skill updated.]
[Congrats.]
The ethereal message lingered for just a moment before fading away into nothingness, leaving no trace of its existence except for the memory burned into Zhan's mind.
"GAAH!"
Zhan gasped desperately for air, his lungs burning as he breathed heavily and clutched his chest with both hands, trying to ease the incredible pain that was coursing through his entire body. His vision blurred and his head spun as he struggled to remain conscious, feeling as though he had just run a marathon while carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Every muscle in his body ached and trembled from the ordeal he had just endured.
"D-damn... It hurt much more than I ever expected it would..."
Zhan muttered weakly, his voice barely above a whisper as he attempted to push himself up from the ground and stand on his shaking legs. His entire body felt like it had been put through a torture chamber, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to remain upright for much longer without collapsing again. The world around him seemed to spin and shift, making it difficult to focus on anything for more than a few seconds at a time.
"..!"
But suddenly and without any warning whatsoever, Zhan found himself completely surrounded by an impenetrable wall of absolute darkness that seemed to swallow all light and sound from the world around him. The transition was so abrupt and jarring that he couldn't even process what was happening, as if reality itself had been torn away and replaced with this void of nothingness. His heart began to race with fear and confusion as he realized that he was no longer in the familiar training yard but somewhere else entirely.
"W-what the hell is happening to me right now..?"
He took an instinctive step backward, his body moving on pure survival instinct as his mind struggled to comprehend the impossible situation he found himself in. The darkness was so complete and overwhelming that he couldn't even see his own hands when he held them up in front of his face, and the silence was so profound that he could hear his own heartbeat echoing in his ears like thunder.
"HUMAN."
A voice suddenly boomed through the void, deep and resonant with power that seemed to shake the very foundations of existence itself. The sound was unlike anything Zhan had ever heard before, carrying with it an authority and presence that made his bones vibrate and his soul tremble with a mixture of fear and awe.
"HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DEFY THE RULES AND NATURAL LAWS THAT I, KROLF, HAVE CAREFULLY ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED FOR COUNTLESS EONS!? YOU FUCKING LIMP-DICKED HUMAN!"
The voice exploded with rage and indignation, its fury so intense that it seemed to make the darkness itself writhe and pulse with malevolent energy. Every word was filled with such anger and contempt that Zhan could feel the hatred washing over him like a physical force, threatening to crush his spirit and break his will to resist.
"Just so you know, I'm much more powerful than I was in the past, and I don't have any intention of staying here and listening to your tantrum."
"ARROGAN—"
[Skill Activated.]
A tremendous crash echoed through the void, followed by complete and utter silence that was somehow even more unsettling than the god's furious shouting had been. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the entire experience ended and Zhan felt himself being pulled back to the real world with a force that left him dizzy and disoriented. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a soft bed in the familiar surroundings of the manor's well-equipped infirmary, with concerned faces hovering over him and gentle hands checking his condition.