The drop of blood fell on the Sacred Trident and was absorbed without the slightest resistance, as if the weapon had been waiting for that moment all along, and in the very next instant, Ash spoke the true name of the last Rune that was present in Akumia.
"Rune of Gravity!!"
The moment those words were spoken, the presence of the trident surged violently, its glow rising to an almost blinding intensity as countless black and violet symbols began to appear across its surface, each one forming and dissolving in a steady rhythm, until the entire weapon lost its solid shape and started to transform into a flowing mass of black and violet.
And in the next instant, it dispersed into the surroundings with the speed of light.
Since he was already inside his Soul Space, the process felt unnaturally smooth, as if everything was happening exactly the way it was meant to, and as the Rune merged into his soul without any rejection, Ash’s body in the outside world shuddered.
A powerful and pure energy of unknown origin surged through him, moving through his veins and seeping deep into his blood, bones, muscles, eyes, and every part of his body, leaving nothing untouched as it spread with a steady and unstoppable flow.
Euphoria.
A strange and overwhelming sensation filled him as his body reacted, his senses sharpening while a deep warmth spread within, and at the same time, a clear and undeniable feeling of becoming powerful surged from within him.
He could feel it.
He was becoming stronger.
And that alone shocked him, because nothing like this had ever happened before, as every time he had absorbed a Rune, aside from the Rune of Balance and a few others, none had ever given him such a direct and overwhelming sense of increase in strength.
The change he felt now was on an entirely different level.
Then suddenly, without him doing anything, a quiet sense of enlightenment settled in his mind, as if some sort of memory lock has opened from within him and allowed him to grasp what was happening.
This....
Ash was left speechless, not because he lacked words, but because what he understood was too overwhelming to express properly.
His body had been reconstructed from the very scratch with the help of the Runes, forming a special constitution that even his Eye of Omniscience could not fully reveal, and according to the information that surfaced within his mind, as long as he continued to absorb more Runes, they would not remain limited to his soul.
They would become a part of his entire existence.
They would sink into his blood, his genes, his bones, and every layer of his being, merging with the other Runes that were already flowing within him, becoming inseparable from him.
It was something that felt unreal.
Ash’s eyes shone brightly, like distant constellations in the night sky, yet the glow within them carried a depth that felt far beyond that comparison.
At that moment, his heart stirred.
As the energy of the Rune entered the embryonic universe within him, a space that held nothing but vast emptiness filled with space and void, a strange pressure slowly began to spread, moving outward like a silent ripple across that inner universe.
The space itself reacted.
Yet that was all he could perceive.
Although changes were happening within that small universe, Ash was not strong enough to fully understand or observe them clearly, but one thing became certain to him without any doubt.
His energy reserves had increased.
Ash’s heart was like a universe of its own, holding a certain amount of energy that could be used endlessly, making his reserves effectively infinite, yet what had changed now was not the nature of that energy, but the capacity that held it.
If his heart was compared to a bowl and the energy within it to water, then earlier, the bowl had a fixed size, allowing the water to be reused endlessly, but now, after absorbing the Rune of Gravity, that bowl had expanded.
It had grown larger.
And the energy within it was rising as well, slowly filling that new space without pause.
As for where that energy was coming from, Ash had no clear answer.
He knew that energy could not be created or destroyed, only converted, and with that understanding, the only possible source of energy he could think of was the Rune of Gravity itself.
The feeling of becoming stronger stayed with him for a while before slowly fading away, the surge settling down as his body returned to a calmer state, but that was only the beginning, because in the very next moment, his Soul Space trembled as if something deep within it had been disturbed.
The Soul Tree, which was already massive, began to grow even larger, its presence expanding steadily as its branches stretched further while the dark waters surrounding it churned violently, reacting to that sudden increase as ripples spread across the surface again and again.
At the same time, new leaves began to form.
Violet black leaves appeared across the tree, blending with the multicolored ones that were already spread throughout its branches, creating a strange contrast that made the entire tree feel even more alive, as if it had undergone a quiet but significant change.
The growth did not stop immediately, but when it finally settled and the Soul Tree returned to stillness, the entire space felt heavier, richer, as if something fundamental had been strengthened.
Ash let out a slow breath.
A faint sense of satisfaction spread within him, and without realizing it, a small but uncontrollable smile appeared on his face, his eyes reflecting that quiet excitement.
Without wasting any time, he opened his Status Window, his focus sharpening once again as his gaze moved across it, and almost instantly, he noticed the changes.
They were not small.
The first thing that caught his attention was the Affinity section.
**
[Affinity]
Lightning • Life • Death • Space • Time • Blood • Aether • Fire • Water • Ice • Earth • Void • Darkness • Shadow • Light • Corruption • Curse • Gravity (NEW!!!)
**
A new affinity for gravity had appeared, which was not surprising considering he had just absorbed the Rune of Gravity, yet seeing it displayed so clearly still made his gaze pause for a brief moment as he took it in.
As he continued looking, letting his eyes move further down the window without rushing, another change caught his attention, one that made his focus sharpen slightly as he leaned into it.
═══════ " ATTRIBUTES " ═══════
[Strength] – 1250
[Agility] – 1250
[Vitality] – 1250
[Intelligence] – 1250
[Stamina] – 1250
[Charm] – 1250
[Energy] – ∞ (Infinite)
**
All his stats had increased by 250 points, and with that single change, he had already stepped past the stage of Demi God rank individuals, his overall strength now clearly surpassing that of a normal Demi God without any doubt.
Of course, the Transcendents and the other high tier races were not included in this comparison, because their natural limits were far beyond those of beings from the realm of Eden, making the gap between them something that could not be judged so simply.
Even then, this was still a clear milestone, and what made it more absurd was how easily Ash had crossed it, as if something that would take others years had been achieved by him in a short moment.
One had to remember that Ash had still not condensed his Divine Soul, nor had he formed his own Domain, yet he already possessed the strength and power to contend with a normal God Rank individual.
At the very least, even if he could not win in a direct fight, he now had the ability to escape from someone of that level, which in itself was not something that could be taken lightly.
His eyes moved downwards as he saw something that he was very much eager to see, it was the description of the Rune of Gravity, and his gaze naturally slowed as it settled there, his focus sharpening without him even realizing it.
Because Ash had no idea what its ability was, as in the novel Ray only got it after Akumia was destroyed, and after that Ash did not read the novel, leaving this part completely unknown to him.
Thus, his anticipation was natural, a quiet sense of expectation building within him as he looked at the description.
**
Item Name: Rune
True Name: Rune of Gravity
Description: A complete Rune that embodies the fundamental force that binds existence itself. Gravity is not merely weight, but the silent authority that holds worlds in place, bends space, and governs motion. It is said this Rune carries the echo of an ancient will that once refused to let existence remain scattered, giving rise to the force that anchors all things to reality.
This Rune grants dominion over attraction, pressure, and the unseen pull that shapes the movement of all things. To bear it is to stand as a fixed point in a moving universe, where even the chaos of destruction is drawn inward and subdued, unable to escape the quiet command that all things must return to a center.
Passive Effect: Gravitational Singularity
-Locks the user as an absolute center of gravity. All incoming forces, attacks, and effects are drawn inward and confined solely to the user, preventing any impact or damage to the surrounding environment. The total force remains unchanged, but all dispersion is nullified.
By anchoring themselves and distributing the impact across their entire body, the user can endure even attacks from higher-ranked opponents, though it results in severe internal damage.
**
Ash sucked in a breath and almost forgot to breathe, because what he had just read was truly shocking, enough to make his mind pause for a brief moment as he tried to process it.
The description itself was one thing, but the Gravitational Singularity ability was something else entirely, something that stood out the moment his eyes fell on it.
At a single glance, Ash could tell that there was far more to this ability than it appeared on the surface, because it was not limited to defense alone, but held a depth that hinted at far greater utility and possibilities that were not immediately obvious.
I am really walking on the path of becoming something.....unreasonable, aren’t I??
***