Capítulo 546: The Choice Was Made
“Possibly,” I said. “My body doesn’t rely on natural Essence, and I still receive stat increases when I level up. If your system recognizes the violet Essence the same way, it might handle the transition on its own. Theoretically.”
He frowned. “Theoretically?”
I gave a small grin. “True. But if it works, you’ll be faster, stronger… unique.”
Steve glanced at his arm again, flexing it slowly. The violet glow shimmered faintly with each movement. “And if it doesn’t?”
“Then you’ll pass out,” I said. “Probably.”
Steve groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Then silence settled between us. The wind rustled faintly through the clearing as the three of us stood there, each lost in thought.
Finally, Steve broke the silence. “No point thinking too much,” he said quietly at first, then his tone hardened. “I’ve been stuck in the same place long enough. If this risk gives me a real shot at getting stronger, then I’ll take it. No hesitation.”
He looked straight at me, eyes steady and burning with resolve. “Billion, let’s do this. We’ll see where it leads.”
I studied him for a moment and nodded. “Then prepare yourself.”
As I took a breath and started gathering Essence, I heard Lyrate’s voice whisper in my mind. ‘Hey… is it really okay? He’s not joking around this time.’
I almost smiled. ‘It’s fine,’ I replied.
But then a faint glow blinked across my vision.
[System: Go ahead :)]
The words lingered for a second before fading, and I exhaled slowly.
If the System was giving permission, then it wasn’t random. I didn’t know whether it cared about me or just the outcome I represented but it did care. It needed me in play, and it knew Steve’s value to me.
Steve drew his sword and stabbed it into the ground beside him, the blade humming faintly. He crossed his arms and gave me a single nod. “Begin.”
I exhaled and willed my domain to spread wider, expanding until it fully enclosed him within a five-foot radius. The air thickened, vibrating faintly as I activated [Right to Isolate]. Essence stirred, twisting like mist, and was pushed out of the domain entirely. Inside this bubble, only my power existed.
[Right to Insight] was already active, my eyes glowing faintly as faint runes floated through my vision.
I checked my Essence storage.
400/400 (+380).
More than enough for what I planned to do.
“I’m going to rewrite you a little,” I muttered to myself. “Let’s see if your body agrees.”
I raised both hands, palms outward. “Begin.”
At my command, Essence surged from my core, fast and heavy, like a dam bursting open. Violet light spilled from my hands, filling the air, washing over Steve. It flowed around him first, swirling like a living tide, then closed in, forming a sphere of violet energy that pulsed and shimmered.
I didn’t start the infusion yet. I waited, kept pouring Essence until my reserve dropped to nearly nothing. Then I paused, breathing slow, letting the next wave of Essence regenerate naturally before I released it again.
Over a thousand units later, the sphere pulsed thick and alive with power. Only then did I move to the next step.
I pushed.
Every drop of Essence around him converged at once, slamming into his body like a silent storm.
Steve’s jaw tightened instantly. His body jerked, muscles locking from the shock. I could feel it, the violent resistance of the natural Essence within him fighting back against mine.
He didn’t scream. He gritted his teeth, groaning as his skin flushed red, veins lighting up faintly violet beneath the surface.
Then came the bleeding. Thin lines tore open across his chest and arms, a side effect of the conflict between my Essence and Azalea’s transformation and the Blackvolt skeleton that strengthened his frame. Both were built on natural Essence and both resisted my intrusion. But my control didn’t waver.
The domain roared with power, violet light flickering across Steve’s trembling figure as I continued forcing my Essence through every bone, muscle, vein, and cell.
There was no turning back now.
The process dragged on for almost an hour before it finally came to an end. I exhaled deeply and lowered my hands, deactivating my domain and all active skills. The air around us slowly returned to normal, the heavy hum of Essence fading away.
Steve was still standing in the same place, arms folded, eyes closed but his entire body was drenched in blood.
Even so, something about him was different now. His build looked more compact, his muscles sharper, leaner, more defined. The faint golden tone of his skin seemed slightly darker, and two violet streaks now ran through the right side of his blonde hair.
When he finally opened his eyes, I saw faint violet rings ripple across his irises.
“How is it?” I asked.
He didn’t respond right away. His gaze shifted slightly, and I realized he was reading through his own status screen. Then, slowly, a grin formed on his lips, small at first, then wider, until it turned into full-blown laughter.
“Hahaha… Hahahahaha!”
He laughed uncontrollably, the sound echoing through the clearing, until suddenly, his knees buckled and he fell backward, fainting flat on his back.
“Well, that was fun to watch,” Lyrate said with a smirk.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Go heal him.”
I stood there quietly for a moment, staring at Steve’s unconscious face. That one laugh had said it all, it worked.
I waved my hand, clearing all the blood and dirt from Steve and his clothes with a soft pulse of Essence. Once he was clean, I rose slowly into the air and began restoring my own Essence storage. While the storage refilled, I closed my eyes and turned my focus inward.
In the quiet of my mind, two runes floated in the darkness, glowing faintly silver and casting ripples of light.
The Runes of Time.
There were once three. I had already consumed the first, its insights had carried me from the Mortal realm all the way to Grandmaster.
The two remaining runes held knowledge for what came next: one contained the understanding needed to reach Transcendent to Saint, and the other… for what lay beyond even that.
I centered my mind on the rune linked to the Transcendent stage. It pulsed slowly, responding to my intent. Time was the only minor law I hadn’t yet pushed to level five, and this was the last step I needed to complete before my foundation could evolve any further.
I stayed seated, focusing on the runes as streams of insight began to pour into my mind.
After what felt like moments or maybe hours, I heard Lyrate’s voice calling from outside, breaking the silence.
I exhaled slowly, letting the last traces of silver light fade from my mind, and opened my eyes.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!