Chapter 261: Runic Ascent – Body and Stats
[Skill Gained]
[Runic Ascent Level 1]:
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[Node 1 Activation]
All stats increased by 2.5%.
Activation cost: negligible Essence drain and physical strain.
[Node 2 Activation]:
All stats increased by 5%.
Activation cost: moderate Essence consumption and mild muscle strain.
Can be sustained for several minutes before strain accumulates.
[Node 3 Activation]:
All stats increased by 10%.
Activation cost: extreme Essence consumption and severe physical strain.
Activation time limited to minutes before risking injury and Essence backlash.
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I blinked and stared at the screen.
But before I could enjoy it another change started in my body.
[Strength: 1004]
[Alpha Tier Unlocked]
My heart suddenly thrummed louder, each beat sending a surge of blood rushing faster through my veins. Then the shift began.
I sat in silence, observing every detail as the transformation unfolded.
Once again, my muscular and skeletal structures began to adapt, reinforcing themselves with layered precision.
I could feel it—my strength climbing to a whole new level. Every fiber of my being felt denser, more potent. A subtle but undeniable pressure radiated from my body, a natural presence born from raw power.
Knowing I was already close to breaking the 1000 mark in both Dexterity and Constitution, I focused on generating more Essence.
Time passed and my body continued to change, fiber by fiber, cell by cell—refining, compacting, evolving. The moment my Essence storage filled to capacity, I directed it inward without hesitation.
Half to Dexterity. Half to Constitution.
And with that final surge, both attributes crossed the threshold.
[Dexterity: 1025]
[Alpha Tier Unlocked]
[Constitution: 1012]
[Alpha Tier Unlocked]
And with that, another wave of change swept through my body—but this time, it was drastic, just like the transformation I’d experienced when unlocking the Alpha tier in my Psynapse.
It began with my muscles, tightening and restructuring with brutal efficiency.
Then came the bones—compressing, reinforcing, adjusting to bear far greater strain. My internal organs followed, syncing their functions with terrifying precision, adapting to keep pace with the rapidly evolving systems around them.
And finally, the neural pathways—flaring to life as they integrated with the rest, forming faster, sharper connections.
This time, I lost control.
My body seized under the weight of change. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. The only thing I could do was endure it.
Four long hours passed as every cell, every fiber, every signal recalibrated to match the new standard forced upon it. The pain was relentless, but I never cried out. I just waited—silent, still—until the last wave subsided.
Then, at last, the process ended.
And the system notifications began to appear.
[Skill Level Up!]
[Essence Engine Level 5 -> Level 7]
[Skill Level Up!]
[Seismic Burst Level 5 -> Level 8]
[Skill Level Up!]
[Runic Ascent Level 1 -> Level 2]
[Runic Ascent Level 2]:
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[Node 1 Activation]
All stats increased by 3.5%.
Activation cost: negligible Essence drain and physical strain.
[Node 2 Activation]
All stats increased by 7%.
Activation cost: moderate Essence consumption and mild muscle strain.
Can be sustained for several minutes before strain accumulates.
[Node 3 Activation]
All stats increased by 14%.
Activation cost: extreme Essence consumption and severe physical strain.
Activation time limited to minutes before risking injury and Essence backlash.
————————————————————————-
The first thing I did was get up and head straight for the water. I didn’t just rinse off—I drenched myself, letting the water pour over me again and again.
After everything my body had just endured, I felt like I needed to wash away the weight of it all, to cool down the heat still lingering in my muscles and bones.
Once I was done, I just stood there, soaked and silent.
And then it hit me.
A rush of emotion surged through me—pure exhilaration, raw joy. My body buzzed with energy. Every fiber, every cell felt alive in a way I had never experienced before. I could feel it in my bones, in the way I moved, breathed, stood—my physical limits had grown exponentially.
I clenched my fist, testing the strength behind it, and smiled.
Anyone still within the Master rank… they wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on me now. Not even close.
But the most important change wasn’t just in my body—it was in the passive skill itself. After everything, it had finally upgraded.
[Apex Body – II]
The upgrade gave a really big surprise: Runic Ascent.
A structured system had appeared inside me—three distinct runes, each etched along my spine. A Node system. Elegant, efficient… and terrifyingly powerful.
I focused on the third node.
+14% to all stats.
For anyone, that would’ve been huge.
But for me—someone whose stats were already far beyond the norm—it was insane.
I stood still for a moment longer, letting my body settle. The last traces of transformation still pulsed faintly beneath my skin, but I didn’t need to test anything. There was no need to punch the air or sprint around.
My Psynapse had already taken over.
It had mapped the changes the moment they completed—adjusting energy flow, optimizing my posture, stabilizing my balance, even correcting my breathing.
Everything was tuned to perfection without conscious thought. Like my body had become an instrument and the Psynapse was already playing it with mastery.
I exhaled softly and turned toward the hut.
I retraced my steps, teleporting back to the tree. I passed the turtle along the way but paid it no mind, continuing until I emerged outside the pool once more.
Then, I unfurled them.
Crimson wings burst from my back with a flash of raw color and heat, streaks of power arcing along their veins. They were different now—wider, denser, the runes within reforged by my new body. Each feather shimmered with violent potential, no longer just a tool of flight, but an extension of destruction itself.
A single flap was all it took.
Air around me cracked as I launched, a sonic boom echoing in my wake. The trees that stood in my way exploded and shattered behind me as I tore through them without pause.
I surged forward, the world stretching beneath me. The forest became a smear of color, trees reduced to shadows in a blink. Then I burst through the cloudline, trailing streaks of crimson behind me, and there it was.
The floating island.
Last time I came here, the Deathmist had noticed me instantly. I’d tried to move cautiously. I’d waited.
Not this time.
This time, I was going straight in.
I activated [Absolute Domain].
After that I commanded and the air resistance was pushed back to minimal.
Then I struck forward—wings beating once, [Seismic Burst] exploding under my feet. I became a crimson comet, streaking through the island’s boundary in a single line, headed straight for the hidden teleportation circle in space.
The Deathmist sensed me immediately.
It screamed in protest, dark tendrils writhing up from every crevice—but I was too fast. Too direct. My wings narrowed, my body compressed against the air, and before the mist could form a proper attack—
I was there.
The circle flared as I landed, and without delay, I pushed Essence into it.
Light erupted. The world bent.
And I vanished inside.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!