He had no idea how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes, a bright, shimmering purple light flashed across the primitive room.
He felt control return to his body, prompting him to raise his arms to his face, clenching and unclenching his fingers without trouble.
[Congratulations on Your Full Recovery]
The system panel flashed before his face as Ryuk sat up in the bed, the soles of his feet grazing the warm cave floor.
It was warmer than normal, but only for a second before his body temperature instantly adapted to the environment.
Ryuk rose to his feet, the sound of bones cracking resonating through the room, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
’I’ve recovered. And... somehow, I feel even twice stronger than my previous base strength,’ He thought silently to himself.
Odette was nowhere to be found, but the exit was clearly visible, and so he called out:
"Activate System Interface."
[Congratulations, Host, on completing the Quest: Find the Missing Archguards]
[Rewards Issued:
1. +10,000,000 EXP
2. +7 Level-Up Cards]
╔════════════════════════════╗
║ SYSTEM INTERFACE 2.0 ║
╠════════════════════════════╣
║ Name: Ryuk Knull ║
║ Race: Beyonder Dragon ║
║ Age: 18 ║
║ Level: 192 ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
• EXP: 20,992,000 / 36,000,000
• Level-Up Cards: 7
• Use Level-Up Cards?
’Yes.’ Ryuk replied.
[-1 Level-Up Card used]
[Host has leveled up to Level 193!]
[+50 Attribute Points Obtained]
[-1 Level-Up Card used]
[Host has leveled up to Level 194!]
[+50 Attribute Points Obtained]
...
[-1 Level-Up Card used]
[Host has leveled up to Level 199!]
[+50 Attribute Points Obtained]
Level-Up Cards Left: 0
{Total Attributes Points Obtained: 350}
╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ⚙︎ ATTRIBUTE PANEL ⚙︎ ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ • Physical Dominance ▸ 10,000 {+10,000}║
║ • Velocis ▸ 10,000 {+10,000} ║
║ • Core Stability ▸ 10,000{+10,000} ║
║ • Memetic Awakening ▸ 10,000{+10,000} ║
║ • Cosmic Gravitas ▸ 5,000{+10,000} ║
║ • Attribute Points: 950 ║
║Note: All Bracketed Stats are the new stats obtained from Host’s Awakening of His First Bloodline Sigil, and Higher Comprehension of his Hurricane Power ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝
"All my attributes have doubled since I came on this quest," he thought to himself, a small smile crawling up his face.
On this mission, he had pushed himself to the brink of death time and time again, awakening the first sigil in his bloodline and battling until his soul nearly gave out.
But it rewarded him more than he could have hoped.
"Coming on this journey was worth it," he concluded.
He turned back to the system and noticed something peculiar.
’I’m currently at Level 199. Just one more before Level 200,’ Ryuk thought silently, his hand unconsciously moving to his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken.
’Why is my heart pounding just from the thought of reaching Level 200...?’
’Somehow, I feel like Level 200 won’t be a simple level-up,’ he mused, but waved off the unsettling feeling as the panel dispersed.
"Dwelling on that now is a waste. I’ll think of it when the time comes."
His raised fist dropped, and he turned to the wide-open exit.
Having regained his full power, he felt even more confident and stepped outside into the real world, and was beyond surprised.
Above him in the sky was a gigantic crimson-colored runic circle being drawn by a lone figure.
Behind her loomed a cloaked dark-robed phantom with devilish features, its skeletal fingers carving each rune into the fabric of the heavens.
"What is that?" Ryuk thought silently.
[That’s a bloodline phantom,] the system notified.
[According to the Information Bank, those at the Null Stage have achieved the peak of what their bloodline is capable of, and so they can summon its original form in a metaphysical state, doubling their power.]
[But doing so drains a large amount of energy and is usually avoided.]
The system, explained as Ryuk hummed beneath his breath.
She had used it once during their battle, the scythe strike of the phantom, which he had eventually shattered with his maw, had almost succeeded in finishing him off for good.
"For her to be using it just to try and create a portal out to the world... that shows how powerful the restrictive seal on this realm is," he reasoned.
He noticed her soon rising, coming to stand atop the phantom’s shoulder.
"You’re finally awake?" she asked with her usual wicked grin.
That seemed to be her default smile now, and Ryuk didn’t read too much into it as he stepped forward.
The space beneath his feet hardened into glass.
Something tried to drag him down — the realm’s law preventing one from standing in the sky — yet Ryuk felt his purple tattoos shimmer with occasional new colors.
"Wait! Are they!?"
Each step cracked the glass beneath his feet, but by the tenth step, there were no longer any cracks or resistance.
His tattoos had adapted.
"It can not only adapt to energy... but realm laws too!? I didn’t expect that," he mused.
He arrived beneath the massive rune being carved into the sky, watching as her hands moved like a conductor orchestrating a symphony, the result of which was the phantom continuing to draw out the rune in the sky.
"Can you guess what I’m doing, Ryuk?" Odette asked, her focus fixed on the massive sigil.
Ryuk observed it for a moment.
"You’re drawing a Runic Portal that leads out of the realm."
She turned her head from the giant shoulder toward him.
"Exactly. And I’m wondering... now that you’ve recovered your strength, will you try to stop me?" she added, a grin full of bloodlust and battle intent curling across her lips.
Ryuk thought silently, his brain working easily faster than they have ever done.
’Orrelith had mentioned that outsiders were not allowed in her family’s realm, through her escape ritual art, they would be imprisoned.’
Even she, a Peak Exignis Stage cultivator, couldn’t bypass that rule, and all she could do for me was convince her family elders that I helped her.
And even that, I will still have to spend at least a month imprisonment.
That meant the ones who set the rule must be above the Exignis Stage, which she is.
Most likely, her elders are at the Null Stage, the same stage as her,’ He thought, looking back to stare at Odette, who still held her grin.
’If Odette returned to Ammamora and tried anything reckless, she’d likely be suppressed instantly by a team of Angels at the same cultivation stage as hers or even beyond.’
The realization gave him his answer.
"I won’t stop you."