It was at that moment that Ash suddenly remembered something.
Wait, there’s one thing I overlooked. My body has developed extremely sharp survival instincts, but when I just thought about releasing my energy... my instincts were completely silent...??
"Is there no danger?"
Ash murmured softly while narrowing his eyes, his mind rapidly churned as he tried to find a logical explanation behind this strange reaction. However, no immediate answer appeared in his thoughts.
He even tried using his Eye of Omniscience to observe his own heart, hoping to examine the universe resting inside it more carefully, but the moment his focus deepened he was once again assaulted by a powerful wave of dizziness.
The sensation was overwhelming, although this time it was slightly more bearable than before when he tried to study the symbol in his eyes.
It was different from when he looked at the Runes. Even though he got unconscious every time, he still received the knowledge. But in this case, although he did not got unconscious he felt intense dizziness.
May be my body his able to endure it much better now? I might not get unconscious anymore...
Realizing that continuing in that direction would not lead anywhere useful for now, Ash shifted his focus and began scanning through the many skills and abilities listed in his status, carefully examining them one by one to see if any of them could explain the strange silence of his instincts.
And indeed, he eventually found something within the Passive Skills section.
Reality Blindspot.
Ash quietly read through its description and soon understood its purpose.
The ability functioned somewhat similarly to Blind Authority and Absolute Concealment, but its primary focus was far more profound.
Reality Blindspot obscured his existence from universal level things. Even the energy signature of the universe within his heart was masked by this ability, preventing it from being easily detected by the greater Universe surrounding him.
Understanding this, Ash felt a faint sense of fascination as the pieces slowly came together in his mind.
But Ash had no idea that Universe already knew about him, just couldn’t find him. And all of this was because of the Cosmic cloud that escaped when he came out of that starry black mold.
His ability did not hide the energy signature of that Cosmic cloud. Because it was not his energy. Though there was a chance that the Universe might be aware of the general direction where Ash is.
Ash continued looking through the many new abilities he had obtained, carefully reviewing them while growing increasingly satisfied with the results.
There are many abilities that feel too similar or too common. I will synthesize them all later.....
After reviewing all these things, Ash returned his attention to his stats, carefully observing the numbers that were now displayed before him. Every one of them had reached 1000, except for energy which was infinite.
My stats are even higher than before. Are these the base stats of my Race? Damn, looking at all the things I have received, it almost feels like I scammed my Codex of Creation, because the things I have received are far better and more valuable than the things I sacrificed...
The thought lingered in his mind for a moment as he continued examining everything he had gained, and the more he looked at the overwhelming list of abilities, traits, and transformations he had obtained, the more unusual the entire exchange began to feel.
It was almost as if the Codex wanted me to... ? Wait!!!!!
Ash’s eyes widened slightly as a sudden realization flashed through his mind, the thought appearing so abruptly that it made him pause.
It was as if the Codex wanted me to perform these modifications on myself...
Countless thought processes immediately began unfolding within his mind as several strange details from the past started connecting together one after another, forming a chain of reasoning that made the entire situation feel far more unsettling than before.
I received my trait after my transmigration... the Rune of Truth warned me about being a puppet... and now that I think about it, the amount of sacrifice I made and the amount I received was in no way an equal exchange... Is someone... manipulating my actions??
It felt as if someone had suddenly illuminated the darkness covering his thoughts, revealing connections that he had never considered seriously before. Yet even as this idea surfaced, Ash still could not understand the reason behind such manipulation.
Why would someone even manipulate him in the first place?
Because of the Runes? But if someone truly wanted the Runes, they could simply take them themselves if they possessed that level of power. Going through such elaborate planning and indirect interference felt unnecessarily complicated.
Or perhaps they were not in a state where they could move freely.
That possibility existed as well.
The only one I can be suspicious about is the Mysterious Man who saved my life back then... but how can it be? I thought it was my future version based on the words of that individual...
Ash tried to recall that encounter more clearly, but the memory itself only deepened the confusion.
So does that mean it was not me? Or maybe it was me but the one who is manipulating me is not that version of me? Or maybe all of them are me in some strange way? Or may be it is just a whole different person altogether?? Fuck... it is just confusing...but this is so shitty, why would I even time travel?...
"Sigh... what a headache..."
Ash muttered softly while shaking his head.
It took some time, but Ash slowly calmed his thoughts, letting the chaotic chain of speculation settle down until his mind returned to its usual clarity.
Once the tension faded, he lowered his gaze and looked down at his body, and with nothing more than a simple thought, the starry texture of his skin quietly shifted and turned into that of a normal human.
His eyes also changed as the rainbow hues slowly receded and the familiar whites appeared once again, and even an iris formed naturally around his pupil. However, no matter how much the rest of his appearance adjusted, the mysterious symbol that existed deep within the depths of his pupil remained unmoved.
Looks like I can’t hide that, well anyways..... I don’t think someone will look that deeply into my eyes.....
Ash changed his appearance just like that.
He did not alter too much of himself, only the starry skin and the rainbow hues of his eyes. Everything else remained the same internally, because the transformation was merely superficial. His golden violet blood still flowed through his veins just like before, and the strange cosmic nature of his body remained completely untouched beneath the surface.
Now he observed himself carefully using his Omnidirectional Vision.
Long strands of pure white hair drifted freely around his head, soft and weightless, framing a face that carried almost flawless symmetry. His skin was pale and smooth, with a faint natural glow that subtly enhanced the sharpness of his features without making it appear unnatural.
His eyes were the most captivating part of his appearance. They shone with a deep golden violet hue that looked calm at first glance, yet carried an unfathomable depth within them, as if countless thoughts and ancient knowledge rested quietly behind that gaze.
His features were sharp and refined, the line of his jaw clean, his nose straight, and his lips resting in a faint and unreadable calm. There was an unnatural composure in his expression, a quiet stillness that made his presence feel distant, almost otherworldly, as if he existed slightly apart from the world around him.
Damn I look so handsome.... tsk tsk tsk, who can compete with my charm now? Ray? Nah, I am long past him, my charm stat is already 1000 and will continue to increase. Wait? Am I slowly turning into a..... narcissist?
"Nah, there’s no way. Me and a narcissist? As if. But I have to say, I really am too handsome...."
After admiring himself for the umpteenth time, Ash finally decided to summon some clothes from his Soul Space. However, the moment the first piece of clothing appeared in his hand, it crumbled and disintegrated into fine particles before his eyes.
Ash’s expression slowly frowned as he watched the cloth scatter away.
He sent a small fragment of his consciousness into his Soul Space to check what had happened.
Now he was capable of splitting his consciousness into multiple parts and overseeing many things simultaneously, a capability made possible by the various new skills he had acquired along with the expanded capacity of his brain, which for now seemed to have no clear upper limit.
He also noticed that this fragment consciousness can’t form a body inside. It was just like the wind, present but invisible.
Looks like my whole consciousness is needed for a soul avatar to form inside....
When that fragment of consciousness reached the section where all his clothes had once been stored, the answer became obvious.
Every piece of clothing had already degraded during the countless years that had passed inside. Ordinary materials simply could not endure such a long passage of time.
In fact, when he looked around more carefully, Ash realized that there were not many items left inside the Soul Space that could still be useful to him.
Most of the important things had already been used by Eric during his long stay there while working on Eva. What remained were mostly fragments and leftovers that held little practical value.
In short, Ash had no clothes to put on.
When Ash was inside before, his body had not been a real physical body but a soul body avatar. There had been no need to wear actual clothes because his soul form somehow already manifested its own appearance of clothing.
Sigh... Looks like I need to create clothes for myself.... huff....
Fortunately, with the various energy manipulation skills now at his disposal, creating something as simple as clothing was not difficult.
Using those abilities, he shaped energy into matter and quickly formed a pair of black trousers whose darkness resembled the depth of an abyss, followed by a black shirt that carried the same quiet elegance.
Even so, it still took him around fifteen minutes to create an outfit that satisfied him, as he was not yet fully familiar with the precise control of his abilities or even the exact proportions of his current body.
Once the clothes were finally donned, his overall appearance seemed to rise to another level.
With the dark clothing perfectly complementing his pale skin and flowing white hair, his handsomeness seemed to shoot through the roof once again, almost as if someone were looking at...
Ahem!! I am not a narcissist!! I am just too handsome to be put into words...
***