[Endurance: 0!]
The red system notification flashed before Ryuk, who exhaled loudly, cold air erupting from his lungs.
His heart was weakly pumping within his chest, seemingly in exhaustion, and he felt his entire body incredibly heavy.
[The Host has been gone now for a total of 28 hours! Whatever the Host seems to be doing while being unconscious takes a lot of Mana and Endurance away.]
[Host, please do not repeat that, as there is a possibility of your body collapsing afterward!] the system said as Ryuk furrowed his eyebrows.
’But... But I need to form the Apex Realm. I haven’t even started yet, and I already ran out of Endurance,’ Ryuk thought to himself, but then suddenly,
’And 28 hours already! That’s a day gone!’
"Seems like you need a little help..." The voice suddenly echoed through the entire hall as his body instantly forze up, and he slowly raised his head, finding the figure of someone before him.
It was none other than the Half-Fallen herself, donning a long silvery robe, spectacles on her face, and a small booklet which she seemed to have been reading.
She had seemingly been in the library for quite a while, and Ryuk had zero idea.
"The Half-Fallen One," he called as he tried to get on one knee, but then felt his motions freeze up, stopping him from completing that.
"I can already sense the reverence in your heart. So if we’re just alone, there’s no need to bow."
"That said, you seem to be having the problem of breaking through the Plane of Ascension."
"Grumbling Morgaine told me how you ignored her and went into a frozen mode, leaving her lonely..." The Half-Fallen One said as she slowly turned her gaze up.
"I DIDN’T SAY THAT, MUM! YOU LIAR!"
Morgaine’s loud scream rang out from above as the Half-Fallen One chuckled before turning to Ryuk, looking at the book beside him, and then back at him.
"So, tell me, have you found the Apex Realm at least?" she asked, and Ryuk nodded.
"I can see it already, the space and the silhouettes. But I haven’t yet begun forming it consciously before everything shattered," Ryuk stated.
"Normally, for individuals to break through to the Plane of Ascension, they would undergo what is commonly referred to as a seclusion. Housing themselves in a mana-filled room, they would form the Apex Realm."
"When they get tired or run out of Mana, they wake up, only to absorb more Mana, and then return to form the Apex Realm."
"This takes long hours of focus, and after a few days, they successfully form the Apex Realm, moving into the Plane of Ascension."
"The library has an abundant amount of Mana, but that is just the Mana remnants from my wings. That’s not enough..." The Half-Fallen One said as Ryuk opened his mouth in shock, only to close it, then open it again.
"The... the Mana in the hall is all from your wings?"
"So... so much Mana only leaks from the wings?" he asked in shock.
The Mana right now in the library seemed to have increased by tenfold since when he had arrived previously, yet she was saying those were only leaks from the wings?!
"DON’T FALL FOR IT, RYUK!"
"SHE’S NOT A GOD YET!"
Morgaine’s jealous roar echoed out from above once more as the Half-Fallen One rolled her eyes.
"Let me lead you to a more cultivation-focused place."
"And you control Ice, right?" the Fallen One asked as she slowly moved out of the library, and Ryuk rose up, hurriedly placing the book where he had taken it from, before following after her with a quiet "yes" reply.
---
"Are you sure you want to immediately start the breakthrough now, though? It takes a long amount of time; hopefully, there is nothing you plan on doing for now?" the Half-Fallen One asked as they both climbed up the steps, and Ryuk shook his head.
"No, I don’t. I just want to break through..."
Quickly, they both arrived at the foot of the steps, where a unique door stood.
Mere centimeters away from the door, and Ryuk could already feel the overabundant amount of Mana in the air.
Stepping into the place, they came before a lonely golden-tiled room, which held a pool in the middle of it, brimming with condensed blue energy.
"This is an Apex Mana Radiance Pool. It’s special amongst the rest because it doesn’t change the potential of the body nor heal it but condenses large amounts of Mana from the entire area into itself, forming a pool of Mana."
"And it converts this Mana into the mana energy of the one who enters it.
"This room hasn’t been used in a week now, so the energy should be more than enough for your breakthrough," the Half-Fallen One explained.
"And your Fallen One is sure she wants me to use this for free?" Ryuk couldn’t help but ask, feeling a bit of doubt.
He didn’t know why, but he felt this room was very important and should be a treasure that is rare to come by.
And now, here it was before him.
It couldn’t help but create a feeling of undeserving in his heart.
"Don’t worry. It’s just like any other cultivation room anywhere. If it empties now, it only takes a week to get back to this level, and it remains so until someone else uses it."
"So it’s fine," the Half-Fallen One said, and Ryuk could only give a nod of appreciation as the Half-Fallen One turned back.
"Well then, get on with it."
"Hopefully, by the time you exit, you would have achieved your goal," She said as she moved out of the place and gently shut the door.
Now it was just Ryuk alone in the golden room, the pool calmly waiting for him.
And without wasting any more time, Ryuk took off his shirt and trousers, leaving the pants on him and slowly walked down into the pool, dipping his body into it and kneeling on the ground.
The pool, in his kneeling position, managed to submerge Ryuk up to his neck, and immediately loud notifications began buzzing out.
[Mana: 20]
[Host has recovered +1 Mana!]
[Host has recovered +1 Mana!]
[Host has recovered +1 Mana!]
[Host has recovered +1 Endurance Point!]
[Host has recovered +1 Endurance Point!]
[Host has recovered +1 Endurance Point!]
"This truly is the perfect space. Now, I’ll be forming my Apex Realm and breaking through to the Plane of Ascension..."