Arthur shouted as he swiftly broke off the inked chains and landed on the ground with a loud thud... then, he sprinted in Levi’s direction with a concerned expression. The moment he arrived, he checked his vitals.
"His heartbeats are so low! We are losing him!"
Arthur brought out the best recovery totem in his possession and fed it to Levi, holding his mouth open to force him into taking it. Levi was already out of it, his brain, soul, and body absolutely fried from the experience.
"His subconscious’s barrier is breaking apart... it was still too much for him." Ash’Kral uttered solemnly after reappearing next to Levi.
Rumble! Rumble!
Meanwhile, the Titan was left staring in stern silence as Levi’s spiritual leywell was falling apart... the serene waters became as wild as an ocean during a storm. The subconsciousness barrier was cracking all over, with pieces of it falling on him.
’He did it... but at what cost?’ The Titan murmured inwardly as he gazed at three Origin Seeds orbiting around their own personal souls, breaking the circle at last of sharing each other’s space.
However, he knew that if Levi’s subconscious’s barrier wasn’t stabilized, everything would be for naught.
"Good thing we prepared for the worst." Ash’Kral ordered Arthur, "Bring out the Subconscious Barrier Stabilizer Totem."
Hearing this, Arthur swiftly extracted a helmet-shaped brown totem out of his wallet and handed it over to Ash’Kral... Levi had entrusted Arthur with all of his preparations in case he ended in a bad shape or worse, was on the verge of death.
Like now.
"Thoughts unbroken... Self unshaken... Mind as bastion, None may enter."
Arthur uttered the incantation as he placed the totem above Levi’s head. The instant he finished, the inscriptions illuminated brightly on the totem’s surface.
Then, it anchored Levi’s cracking subconscious, fortifying it with another similar barrier around it... it was so thin, the two barriers appeared as one.
"It is containing it... but not recovering it fast enough."
The Titan reported to Ash’Kral as he watched Levi’s barrier continue to break apart... this news left Ash’Kral with a deep frown, not expecting Levi’s mutation to make such a mess.
’Damn it, the Soulleech ruined the array before it could finish... the souls were split just in time, but the next phase was supposed to stabilize Levi’s souls and his barrier.’
Ash’Kral’s array was meant to split Levi’s soul and stabilize everything for him... but now? He couldn’t create another array in time, and using recovery totems was limited unless they had something potent enough to handle everything.
’I have some good spiritual recovery totems.’
Jasmine brought out her entire stock of spiritual recovery totems and gestured for Ash’Kral to take as many as he needed... she didn’t speak, but her eyes displayed an unsettling panic as she gazed at Levi’s soul barrier falling apart with her peculiar vision.
She could tell right away that his situation wasn’t so good, and he might die in less than ten seconds if they didn’t do anything.
’Screw it...’
Ash’Kral ignored Jasmine’s recovery totems and reached out to Levi’s pocket, taking out his dimensional wallet... then, he went inside Alzhukar’s treasury and flew rapidly towards the backside, where a natural treasure laid there that could heal almost anything and everything.
The Primordial Tree of Life’s decayed leaf!
He brought it out and laid it above Levi’s body as a blanket... then, he returned to pick another A-graded spiritual recovery totem left by Alzhukar. Since neither Jasmine nor Arthur knew its incantation, Ash’Kral fed it personally to Levi.
After he finished, he took a couple steps back and made the other two do the same... then, everyone watched with held breaths as Levi’s body kept shimmering in divine white light, his body and soul sucking off the life force from the leaf like it was the most delicious elixir in the universe.
’Will it work...’ Jasmine asked, showing slight nervousness.
’What kind of question is that.’ N’ibby remarked calmly, ’It’s a leaf of the Primordial Tree of Life... even if one’s injuries had no relation to life force, it doesn’t matter... it will heal everything in sight that threatens Levi’s life through its rich life force.’
As she mentioned, Jasmine was relieved to see Levi’s subconscious barrier being restored at a noticeable speed like he had taken a soul-based steroid.
His subconscious’s barrier wasn’t the only thing benefiting... Levi’s longevity was increased decently since both his body and soul were replenished with immense pure life force, almost doubling his vitality.
In almost no time, Levi had returned to his peak form, and looked even better than before... his white skin was glowing while the leaf slowly broke off into light particles.
"Sigh... thank god he still has that on him."
Arthur wiped his sweaty forehead as he fell on his knees... his legs no longer supported him after such a close call.
’But why isn’t he waking up?’
Jasmine asked after noticing that Levi’s condition was perfect, and he shouldn’t really be struggling to wake up... but then, she recalled the insane agony she felt when she was touched by the green flames.
’Don’t tell me...’ Her heart skipped a beat.
Before she could continue her thought, Ash’Kral broke it down for them with a deep sigh.
"If he doesn’t wake up now... I don’t know when he will... it can be hours, days or even months." He added, "Levi’s mind had gone through so much pain, he was put in a protective coma... even if his body and soul are fine now, his mind isn’t."
"Coma..." Arthur exhaled deeply, "I just hope he gets the appropriate rest... I don’t care when he wakes up, as long as he does."
"Let me worry about it... both of you can leave now." Ash’Kral shooed them away with his paw, "Don’t tell anyone anything unless Levi remains in a coma for more than three days... I will keep him in the Boundless Expanse to hasten awakening him."
Just as Arthur was about to reject, having no plans of leaving Levi in this state alone, Jasmine pulled him away while shaking her head.
’I know you want to stay... I do too, but we can’t overextend our welcome... we went out of the World Tree while our friends are sleeping, and we must return before they wake up.’ She said.
Since Levi had no plans on sharing his secrets with Shia, Jojo, and Nurah this early, they couldn’t tell them that they went to watch Levi’s evolution without inviting them too. Hence, Levi started his evolution after midnight when the girls were sound asleep.
However, if they didn’t return before they wake up, it would cause nothing but problems for Levi.
’... damn it.’
In the end, Arthur accepted the reality before him and took his slumbering brother to the hatchet outside the array... when he put him on the bed and covered him in a blanket, he turned to Ash’Kral and narrowed his eyes at him.
"I am watching you."
Then, he left with Jasmine while pointing two fingers at his eyes and then at the unbothered Ash’Kral.
"What’s your next move?" The Titan inquired, "Are you going to wake him forcefully?"
"No... not yet, at least." Ash’Kral shook his head... then, he smiled a little as he touched Levi’s cheek with his paw, "He did good today... he deserves all the rest he needs..."
"I couldn’t agree more."
The Titan smiled softly, eyeing Levi’s latest appearance... with his glowing white skin from the Tree of Life’s leaf and the mutated ethereal long green hair, he resembled a slumbering prince outside this realm. Even the scorched marks around his hollowed eyes weren’t enough to take the feeling away.
"Plus, I doubt it’s going to let him wake up before he earns its respect." Ash’Kral added with an annoyed tone.
"So... Soulleech Maw, huh..."
"Tell me about it." Ash’Kral rubbed his eyelids in tiredness, "I don’t know if I should feel delighted or petrified... that little creature’s existence shouldn’t even be a thing."
"I thought they went extinct by now... even during our times, those leeches sent the creeps down everyone’s spines." The Titan chuckled, recalling the good old times.
Hearing this, Ash’Kral went silent as he gazed at Levi’s right palm... it looked natural, but only they knew what kind of monster had moved in and turned it into its home.
They knew that Soulleech Maw was a diminutive, elusive entity that drifted within the thin veil between worlds... the Aetheric Realm suspended between the physical plane and the spiritual continuum.
Many in modern times believed that Aetheric energy existed as an infinite essence between the physical and spiritual planes... but in reality, Ash’Kral knew that there was an actual accessible realm between the planes.
The only problem... only one entity could jump between the three planes of existence: Physical, Spiritual, and the Aetheric bridge keeping them linked together.
It was none other than the Soulleech Maw... the crowned Queen of the Aetheric Realm!
"What do you think is happening in there?" The Titan asked as he gazed at Levi’s temple.
"I don’t know... but I hope he doesn’t lose." Ash’Kral said sternly, "I can’t have my plans be ruined because of a damned leech."