Chapter 20 - chapter 8: start of crucial action (7)

"Ahh, that hurt like hell," I groaned, forcing myself up from the cold, hard ground. My body screamed in pain, bones aching where several had cracked or broken despite the protective boost magic I had activated mid-fall. The descent had been far deeper and longer than expected; had I known, I would have used my innate teleportation trait to escape, regroup, and return fully prepared.

Rumble! rumble!

Loose stones tumbled from the jagged walls as I brushed dust and fragments off my clothes. Lifting my head, I finally took in the scene around me. The pit was a vast, cylindrical chamber, its walls carved by time and nature, and a narrow spiral staircase coiled upwards, disappearing into the dim light above. Directly in front of me loomed a massive, ancient gate, its surface was covered in dust.

Hiss!

A low, pained sound slithered through the stillness. Alert, I followed the echo, weaving between broken boulders until I found it—the shadow tower snake beast. Its colossal body lay partially coiled in the dust, its scales dulled and torn, its vitality ebbing away with every laboured breath. Even in its final moments, its molten eyes burned with bitter hatred, fixed on me as though its soul refused to forgive.

I approached cautiously, placing a hand against its trembling head, ready to twist its neck and grant a quick end. But as my fingers pressed into the ridges of its scales, a sudden realisation struck me.

"So that's why you used the smoke attacks without harming the other monsters… It was my fault."

Understanding situation and why this happened, I released its head and knelt beside it, channelling small, steady pulses of magic energy into its body. My power seeped into its wounds again and again, coaxing its life back from the edge.

In that quiet moment, the truth revealed itself. This snake was a mother, her body heavy with the burden of unlaid eggs. My team had wandered unknowingly into her nest. Her attacks, thick clouds of smoke, had been acts of protection, not aggression. When I arrived, carrying the oppressive presence of a rank 5, her fear had turned to desperation, pushing her to fight to the death—even if it meant this terrible fall.

"A mother's love… That explains your fighting spirit," I whispered.

Under the gentle infusion of my magic energy, her raw wounds began to close, her breathing grew steadier, and traces of life returned to her weary form. But I soon withdrew my energy, sensing the delicate balance within her. Nature energy and magic energy were two distinct forces, magic energy was the essence of a monster's body and soul, while natural energy was the spiritual essence of life that sustained it. Natural energy alone could not heal, but it nurtured and stabilised any magic energy absorbed, preventing mutation. Without that harmony, magic energy would warp the flesh, corrupting and destroying instead of healing.

Thus, the old saying proved true: magic energy is both benevolent and malevolent. It can heal, or it can ruin.

Hooosh!

A soft, airy sound escaped as the snake beast lifted its head slightly, golden eyes now filled not with hatred, but with confusion. I met its gaze steadily, offering a small nod.

"Think of it as my apology," I said quietly.

Rising to my feet, I turned away and began walking toward the immense gate, leaving the mother snake to get back to her nest in peace.

The moment I reached the colossal gate, I felt as insignificant as an ant standing before the towering door of a grand mansion. Its sheer size loomed over me, stretching far above into the dimness, and I had to crane my neck just to see the intricate runes near the top. The weathered metal bore the scars of time, yet the gate exuded an aura of unyielding strength, as if it had stood undisturbed for centuries, guarding secrets not meant for mortal eyes. My presence felt like a whisper in the silence of a cathedral, small and fleeting in the face of such overwhelming grandeur.

Then I realised, "This gate has no runes… which means… wow, if I were just a normal rank 5, I could never do this."

The massive gate before me was utterly ordinary it has no magic locks, no protective runes, no arcane mechanisms that could be bypassed with clever techniques. It was a door that yielded to one thing alone: pure, unrelenting strength.

"Ahhh!"

Grihhh!

My bones strained as I pushed with every ounce of power I had. The metal groaned in protest, refusing to give easily. It was strange even for me as this gate did not respect the finesse of magic or the cunning of intricate skills. It demanded raw, primal force. Even a rank 6 monster would struggle here, for this was a test that ignored the usual advantages of magical beings.

Rank 6 monsters are far stronger than rank 5 monsters in almost every way. Unlike beasts, which are just flesh and blood, monsters are made of solid magic and have intelligent minds. A rank 6 monster has a massive core of magic energy, letting it fight for a long time without tiring. It can heal even severe injuries quickly, and its reflexes are so sharp they almost seem to predict attacks. These monsters can control magic energy at an advanced level, allowing them to shape the battlefield, influence enemies, and defend themselves with magical constructs. Their presence alone can crush weaker foes through sheer magic pressure.

Beasts and monsters are different. Beasts are living creatures powered by life itself, while monsters are magic-made beings. A rank 6 monster has perfected its form and can adapt to many situations. Some can even absorb the magic energy around them to recover faster or become stronger in extreme conditions.

Despite all this, monsters are usually weaker than beasts in raw physical strength. Rank 6 beasts, through evolution and survival, possess incredible physical power that even fighter-type monsters can struggle to match.

A normal rank 5 has no chance against a rank 6. A single rank 6 monster can destroy a rank 5 in seconds, using its superior strength, magic, and experience. Even clever tricks or precise attacks from a rank 5 are only temporary delays. Against a rank 6, resistance is pointless.

Yet here I was, teeth gritted, arms trembling, forcing the massive gate to yield. I am no ordinary rank 5. Among the rarest of geniuses, my physical power had surpassed the expected limits of my rank. Slowly, creak by creak, the gate began to move, announcing my extraordinarily strength.

A gap wide enough for me to slip through finally appeared. Beyond the threshold, the dim glow of the second city awaited, promising secrets and dangers worthy of the effort it had taken to reach this point.

As soon as I opened the gate wide enough to slip through, I stepped into the second city. It stretched out before me, just as vast as the first city, but one crucial difference struck immediately: the air was saturated with grade 2 magic energy. Simply standing there felt suffocating, and I knew I couldn't remain without using my preparations.

I pulled out the golden coins I had prepared earlier. Holding them in my palm, I poured my magic energy into them—but this time, I infused it with my full will of magic, unlike when I had healed the snake beast. The coins became vessels, brimming with full will of magic inside magic energy that pushed back against the oppressive grade 2 magic energy around me.

As long as my control remained steady, the coins would hold their resistance. The key lay in the nature of grade 2 magic energy itself: it was pure and potent, but it lacked the will of magic. That made it easier for me to repel, like redirecting waves in a current. I guided the will magic filled magic energy in the coins to carve out a protective space, parting the surging streams of grade 2 energy so I could move safely through the city.

But this also made me think "if rank 5 beast here lives in this environment filled with grade 2 magic energy then… it will not be simple fight even though this was most likely to happen I didn't expect grade 2 magic energy to be this dense" 

If there really is a rank 5 beast living here, it must be as strong and tough as I am. To survive in a place filled with this much grade 2 magic energy, its body and core must be able to handle constant magical stress and still fight at full strength. That alone shows how powerful it is, since even experienced monsters would need special preparation just to move here.

But one thing was beyond doubt: that beast was not a rank 6. To ascend to rank 6, a beast must first absorb the essence of a peak-stage rank 5 monster. Only by devouring such monster can its life force and core undergo the transformation required for true evolution.

Beasts and monsters walk different paths. Beasts are beings of flesh and blood, grounded in the natural world. They are born with powerful bodies, and their growth is like stacking coal in a furnace—the more coal they gather, the hotter and more enduring their fire becomes. The higher the rank of the beast, the more coal it holds within, building a foundation of immense physical might and durability.

Monsters, on the other hand, are beings of magic and ego, without flesh to anchor them. They lack the solid foundations of beasts, so they cannot rely on simply accumulating raw quantity. Instead, their growth focuses on refining the quality of their magic energy—each piece of coal in their metaphorical furnace is purified, compressed, and made vastly more potent. As they rise in rank, they do still add more coal, but their true strength comes from making every fragment of magic energy sharper, denser, and more deadly.

Thus, the journey to rank 6 differs for each path. A beast becomes a diamond through sheer volume and physical resilience, while a monster polishes the few coals it holds into flawless, super tough gem. Both obey the same rule in the end: to rise higher, the furnace must burn hotter, for neither flesh nor magic alone can withstand the strain of evolution.

But once they reach rank 6, it is no longer just an enhancement of physical body like it was from rank 1 to rank 5. Instead, it becomes a full transformation—a breakthrough that shatters all previous limits and marks the peak of their change.

"To look beyond the limits of a normal monster, to step forward into the realm of the extraordinary. That is the first step toward transcending the mortality of monsters, a rebirth in its purest form."

Those were the words often spoken by those who had become extraordinary monsters. I knew them well, because in my previous life, I had walked that path too. I had become something beyond ordinary. But this time this life is different.

I have returned with a new reason to keep moving forward. My cause is not the same. My will has changed. The hardships I face are heavier, but my mindset is sharper. I will overcome, step by step, as I carve my own way toward transcendence once again.

"They say there are no second chances, yet here I am, living my second chance," I muttered with a small chuckle while walking through the city. The streets and layout reminded me of the first city, but this one had taller buildings that rose like silent sentinels around me.

I already knew where the entrance to the third city was, but reaching it wasn't my immediate goal. Right now, I needed to locate the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact. Finding it was the key to progressing, and every step through the dense air of grade 2 magic energy reminded me of the danger that lurked in this place.

After searching through the second city for a while, I reached a single conclusion.

"*sigh* I guess I have to do this." Although I was confident I could find the artifact in a day, I couldn't afford to waste that much time. There was only one option left.

Cross-legged, I settled into a meditative posture. I drew deep, calming breaths, letting my mind still and my senses narrow to a single purpose. Slowly, I reached inward, diving into the depths of memory, seeking any fragment or trace of where the arcane artifacts might have been stored. 

And since I have memories of 31 years into future it is little hard and I need 14 years of memories so what can I do other than unraveling those memories till I get accurate memories 

But it seems it will not be simple as like that as memories send by my 95% overlord-self mind is also getting unraveled as well

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Lord Saintier once obtained the Aethergateway, a source of ancient and overwhelming power. He believed that with it, his strength would rise to unimaginable heights. But before he could wield its full potential, the Aether began to dissolve into the air like dust. Terror gripped his heart — after spending all his strength and time to obtain it, he now watched helplessly as his last hope faded before his eyes.

Lord Saintier cried as he said: Why… why is this happening to me?

Despair washed over him. Then, to his shock, the Aether spoke. 

"Child, you are far too naïve. You thought that simply seeking me and holding me in your hands could defy fate? How laughable."

Stunned, Lord Saintier demanded: How can you speak? And What do you mean?

The Aether only laughed softly before fading away entirely.

Helplessly Lord Saintier fell to his knees. The Aether had been his final chance and it was gone.

Suddenly, the space around him warped. He found himself in a grand throne room of his kingdom, his own reflection seated upon the throne. Before he could react, the Aether reappeared, but now in the form of an enormous weighing scale. On the right side rested a majestic sword, radiating authority and power. On the left side lay a heart-shaped unknown thing.

Lord Saintier stared as he ask: what is this?

Lord Saintier had finally obtained the legendary Aethergateway, a source of overwhelming ancient power. He believed that with it, he could protect his people from the crushing judgment of fate. But as he grasped it, the Aether began to dissolve into the air like dust. Terror gripped him—he had sacrificed everything to obtain this, only to watch his last hope fade.

"Why… why is this happening to me?" he cried.

Then, to his shock, a gentle voice echoed around him. 

"Child, you are naïve. Simply holding me cannot defy fate," said the Aether softly.

The world shifted, and suddenly Lord Saintier stood in his kingdom's grand throne room. His own reflection sat upon the throne. Before him, Aether appeared as an enormous weighing scale: on one side rested a majestic sword, and on the other lay a strange, heart-shaped object.

The throne room fully manifested as Aether spoke:

"Oh, child, I am sorry. With my help, you may influence fate, but I cannot change its judgment. I am the fundamental source of shallow destiny. I can only watch the nine regions, aware of their pain and struggles, and grant small slivers of freedom. But you monsters are unbound by fate. That is why fate must suppress your people. Conceptual control does not work on you, so fate's only choice is to weaken and confine monsters."

Lord Saintier collapsed onto the throne like a lifeless doll. The light left his eyes. He had believed that Aether would be his salvation, but now he knew it could do nothing to truly protect his people.

Aether's voice softened as it moved closer to him:

"Do you know what it truly means to be unbound by fate? Do you understand the difference between destiny and fate?"

Saintier could not answer. He had given everything for this chance, and now, as a mere teenage monster prince, he felt only despair.

"Fate is a universal law," Aether continued. "It takes from those who have too much and gives to those with nothing. Each 9 region has their own fates, each self-sustaining and vast in influence. This region's fate focuses on control, safety, and growth. But monster souls are independent. They exist outside the influence of fate. That is why you possess true destiny."

As Aether spoke, countless phantom monsters appeared in the throne room. Lord Saintier recognized them all—his loyal servants who had stood by him since his infancy, his teachers who had raised him like saints, nurturing and guiding him. Guilt and sorrow filled his heart.

Then a final phantom appeared, one that made Lord Saintier freeze.

"…Brother," he whispered.

It was the fallen prince, his younger brother. Unlike Lord Saintier, his brother's story had been even more tragic. After their parents' death, the fallen prince sought to protect their people, obsessively chasing ancient knowledge. He accidentally invented war machines so powerful that human nations halted their wars in fear. He found an ominous prophecy about himself and, for reasons shrouded in mystery, embraced fate. His obsession grew, and he created more and more war machines until he was lost to fate's will.

"Only if that damned fate didn't exist… everything would have been different," Lord Saintier muttered, tears falling as the weight of guilt and sadness pressed down upon him.

"But there is hope" Aether said "since monster soul is too much independent to rely on things fate can sense monster through laws and rules and life it can sense actions you all are blind spots of fate and with me you can create area where fate has no control or awareness" 

Lord Saintier was surprised before he can process what to think Aether spoke once again 

"Those thing on balancer is essence of destiny this sword is called faith in destiny and other is is called supreme defiance those two can only be given to monster as they are creation of one and only first empowered monster Kialord" moment Aether said this Lord Saintier was shocked as he lose ability to think even breath for moments 

"The legendary empowered monster Kialord created this!" Lord Saintier was speechless to extreme harbinger monsters greater monsters were like demigod but empowered monster they were only second to Archios

"Oh child calm down little let me fully explain faith in destiny is sword that allows monster to negate all influence of fate with this sword as long as you become greater monster you can protect your people but you can't have a both of them same time only when you become greater monster can you have both" Aether said as it give Lord Saintier two choice but what takes Lord Saintier attention was supreme defiance outweighs faith in destiny 

And Aether noticed this and explained "oh child I would recommend you not choose supreme defiance"

Lord Saintier said: why is that?

"Supreme defiance is very violent and dangerous well not for monster but toward fate and non monsters you need to understand even though I'm on monster side I'm after all fundamental source of shallow destiny I exist for all living being in free will that exist within influence of fate thus I also need to protect them"

Lord Saintier look at supreme defiance for moments 

…

I stood at the peak of the mountain, gazing at the Aethergateway as it began to open. Since I trapped over 50 lesser holy knights and remaining group of low sovereign knights and lesser holy knights takes week from me to be beaten which surprisingly fast. At last, I was the only one left to witness this moment.

"That is where the story ends," I murmured, thinking back to the tale of Lord Saintier.

It was through this very gate that Lord Saintier had ascended, reaching rank 18 in only two years. His rapid rise was no mystery; he was the first ever to awaken the 16th type of supreme Astravory—a rare and almost mythical path. Supreme Astravories were like living legends, powers so unique and extraordinary that their existence was often doubted. Gadahar, though said to be one in a billion, was merely an uncommon natural trait of the soul, while supreme Astravories transcended even that rarity. Their presence in history was so scarce that many questioned whether they truly existed at all.

Now, standing before the Aethergateway, I understood why the legend of Lord Saintier carried such awe and weight. This was the threshold to unimaginable power, and I was ready to step through it alone. But I'm also doubtful about supreme Astravory, one thing I learned from those tales ever since I used them to get to this point was that sometimes they are not accurate so I'm not sure whether there will Aether that will spoke to me or not 

"Fate…although I'm not sure what is it from tales I know it is force that bind everything in region from most insignificant change to worldwide change are all under control of it" I said to myself as I continued to walk toward Aethergateway

I have been 7th region for few years thus I know many things but fate even now I'm not sure it even exist 

"just 2 more day and I will reach Aethergateway" I said to myself as I continues 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Aether… I don't understand how any of this is supposed to lead me to a solution," I muttered as I pushed myself off the cold, stone floor. My limbs felt heavy, and my mind was clouded, still trying to hold on to the fragments of memory I had been unraveling. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my memories lay the exact location of the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact—but every time I reached for it, more than just the memory I wanted began to unravel. Even the memories sent to me by my 95% overlord-self, carefully preserved and precious, were slipping away with each attempt.

I forced a long breath and steadied my thoughts. "Well… let's get going," I said to no one in particular, setting off toward the southern side of the second city. The dense, grade 2 magic energy pressed against my body, and the faint hum of its power reminded me of the danger lurking in every shadow.

---

Before long, I found myself standing before an enormous building. Its sheer size and ominous presence left little doubt in my mind that this was the correct place. "This has to be it," I muttered

With a single sigh, I pushed open the massive gate. The hinges groaned, and a cool wave of stagnant air rushed past me. Inside, I was greeted by the sight of a vast library—no, to call it a library was an understatement. This was a colossal archive, a temple of knowledge so large that I felt like an insect beneath its towering shelves that climbed toward the unseen ceiling.

Of course, I wasn't an insect. I'm monster so using my one of innate trait, I invoked teleportation and began leaping from level to level, chamber to chamber. Each room I entered filled me with a strange mix of excitement and disappointment.

Every storage chamber had a mechanism I quickly learned to use. By pressing my hand against the outer wall and pouring in magic energy, the chamber responded, revealing what is stored in chamber in form is picture. I expected to find the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact or at least guidance toward it—but instead, every chamber I checked was filled with rare resources and special materials.

Under normal circumstances, this would have thrilled me. With these materials, I could forge my own arcane artifacts, or even construct a tier engine to amplify my strength. But reality was less kind. My shadow dimension was already full, leaving me no way to safely transport these treasures. And even if I wanted to immediately craft something, time was not on my side. Other urgent matters demanded my attention—especially concerning Espresmory's memory.

I frowned, moving from chamber to chamber. Yes, I could make wisdom-type arcane artifacts if I had time, but I lacked the recipes for other arcane artifacts I truly desired. Crafting them from scratch without a foundation would take ages, far longer than I could afford. The harsh truth was that these resources were more of a burden than a blessing in my current situation.

And yet, I couldn't deny the flicker of excitement that remained. There was always a chance that luck would favor me. Perhaps among these countless materials, I would find exactly what I needed—a resource that could give me safety, a layer of preparation for the enormous event I anticipated. If that happened, I could secure the Asdarty Tree and face the coming storm without hesitation.

I crouched in the middle of the endless archive, dust swirling around me like it had been waiting centuries for this exact moment to mock me.

"Alright… twenty minutes for one floor… just one floor," I muttered, my voice echoing faintly through the cavernous halls. My own words sounded like a taunt. "And this place has wings. Plural. Fantastic. By the time I find the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact, I'll be… what? A week older? Maybe I'll even ascend to Rank 6 just from sheer boredom."

I placed my hands on my back, pacing in a tight circle. How had I not thought this through? I had calculated everything—the density of grade 2 magic energy, the risk of a Rank 5 beast ambush

but counting how many floors there were? Too mundane for the mighty genius that I was. 

I kicked a pebble, and it clattered off a stack of tomes. "Well done, me. Your greatest enemy isn't a humans or something, it's filing systems. Congratulations."

I leaned against a shelf and sighed, letting the cold metal press into my back. Staring up at the endless rows of shelves, my voice dripped with deadpan sarcasm. "Maybe I should just ask the artifact to come to me. Hey, magical object of unimaginable power! I'm over here—slowly dying of disappointment."

Silence.

I waited a beat, then rolled my eyes. "Figures. Even ancient relics don't respect sarcasm."

I let out another long sigh, dust billowing around my face. "Alright… time to get back to work. Maybe by the end of this, I'll finally master the art of eternal patience—or lose my mind first."

Right then I got genius idea "wait this could work"

I moved to the center of the library-like structure and began preparing a tier 1 space magic—the type normally used by rank 6 to 9 monsters. My goal was to search for the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact.

Since my core couldn't hold enough magic energy for this spell, I stored energy in golden coins first. But I quickly used all my golden coins and had to switch to silver ones. Even then, it wasn't enough. Using the river technique to channel more magic energy wasn't possible with my current will of magic. In fact, the magic energy contained in 15 golden coins was already greater than the largest river of magic energy I could create.

As monsters ascend in rank, their will of magic grows stronger, but I was already at my limit. I had no choice but to reduce the area I could search. I had originally planned to investigate half of the building, but after recalculating, I had to shrink it even more. At my current capacity, I could only scan 20 wings and their chambers. With no better option, I decided to focus my magic search on this level alone.

Since each wing held thousands of chambers, this method was superior.

I focused entirely on the magic, emptying all distractions from my mind.

"Heh… they say magic is like food," I chuckled, remembering the words of a famous rank 9 extraordinary monster.

He once said, "The world is like a neutral, pure sea; each drop of water is a space with rules and laws. Casting a spell? It is like dropping a little hot water into the sea. It may change the temperature for an instant, but it is too small to cause a real effect. Magic, however, is different—it is like severing a section of the sea itself and pouring salt into it."

It had sounded absurd at first, but it held the essence of true understanding. His description made sense because he had been a legendary chef. Even I, after becoming Clownchaos, could not deny that his dishes were magnificent.

But to me, magic is like writing a manual for reality itself. Magic energy is the paper, a spell is the words, and the completed magic is the book. His perspective, comparing magic to cooking, was different from mine, but it was still fascinating—and amusing—that he became a rank 9 simply for the sake of food, shocking the entire world in the process.

No matter the perspective, one truth remains constant: the one who creates magic is the self. I am the one writing the manual. I am the author book for reality. And the rank 9 monster who cooked the sea into soup was simply writing his own recipe for the world.

In the boundless field of magic, there is no right and no wrong only the level of one's understanding. Yet, I must acknowledge this truth: before the presence of an extraordinary monster, my own existence is but a fleeting shadow, a whisper of potential waiting to be realized.

I drew a steadying breath, feeling the raw pulse of magic energy coalesce around me, condensing into a lattice of intricate patterns that shimmered faintly in the dim air. Each line of the formation hummed in resonance with my core, a web of connection binding my will of magic to the vast flow of suppressed power within the golden and silver coins surrounding me. My preparations had reached their final phase.

"97%… complete," I murmured to myself, my voice a low, focused whisper. The world around me seemed to fall into a hush, as if acknowledging the threshold I now stood upon. Rank 7 magic magic—an art feared for its complexity and its cost. Even within my previous life, I had rarely employ it without preparation. Yet here I was, compressing the process into hours, balancing the razor-thin line between mastery and ruin.

Threads of magic energy snaked out from my core, intertwining with the coins in a carefully orchestrated spiral. Each coin became a node, a stabilizer that linked to the next, forming a massive three-dimensional matrix that extended above and below me. My mind swam with the effort of maintaining the pattern. If one coin faltered, the entire structure would collapse, and the backlash alone could shred my consciousness.

I exhaled, centering my thoughts. "Since it is rank 7 magic, it will be quick once released," I said softly, half to remind myself, half to steady my racing heart.

Then, in a single controlled motion, I cast the magic.

A sharp hum reverberated through the archive, and the air seemed to crystallize around me. My body remained anchored on the cold metal floor, yet my perception exploded outward. In the span of an eye blink, I was everywhere within my limited range. I became a thousand projections, each one a fragment of my awareness, emerging in the corners of darkened chambers, along shadowed shelves, beneath towering staircases. 

It was not true omnipresence but it was a lattice of projections, my eyes and mind stretched across space like threads of a spider's web.

Each projection was weightless and silent, a ghostly shimmer that passed through dust and decay. My awareness flowed lightly into each shard of vision. I gave them purpose and instruction seek the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact ignore all distractions; dissolve if the search yields nothing. Only those that touched upon something of value would send their visions back to me.

I could feel the strain immediately. Even though I had reduced the range and limited the number of protections connecting to my consciousness, the sheer multiplicity of perspectives pressed against my mind like tides against a fragile shore. I gritted my teeth, focusing on balance. 

"Do not think of the whole", I reminded myself. "Think of the parts."

Slowly, the projections began to flow through the archive. My mind rippled with faint images—a stretch of bookshelves, a row of crysteel containers, a locked cabinet lined with faint runes—nothing yet worthy of report. Those threads of vision dissolved quietly, releasing their strain from my consciousness. Others continued outward, patient and vigilant, seeking the single object that would decide my next path.

Even in this state, I could feel the thrill of the hunt, the electric tension of magic stretched to its limits. This was the true edge of my ability, the dance between brilliance and collapse. If I succeeded, the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact would reveal itself. If I failed, my mind would join the dust on these ancient floors.

"South Sea of Hollow Earth Liquid… hmm, although valuable, it serves me no purpose right now," I murmured, my eyes scanning the contents of the chamber. 

The next vision from my projection drifted into focus. "Blood of a dragon beast… ah, Elderwing. Interesting… with its blood, I could perform blood magic to accelerate my advancement in both rank and grade." My fingers twitched with the temptation to collect it, but I shook my head.

"So many valuable items," I muttered under my breath, "yet all at the wrong time. If I were Rank 9 already, I could make use of every one of these treasures. But for now… they are nothing but reminders of limitations I cannot afford to indulge."

Then one of my projections stirred with urgency. I felt my heart skip a beat as the image flooded my mind. A chamber, silent and untouched for centuries, and resting within it—

"The Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact… I found it!"

Relief surged through me, but it was tempered with exhaustion. My search radius had extended to eight wings, each with thousands of chambers. The odds had been against me from the start. With only a hundred projections moving at any given moment, ten minutes of intense focus had been required before success finally brushed my senses.

Without hesitation, I severed the magic lattice holding the projections together. The delicate web of awareness snapped, and reality rushed back into sharp focus. My body trembled, my chest heaving for air as I collapsed onto the cold metal floor, utterly spent.

"I'm at my limit…" I whispered, sweat dripping from my skull in illogical terms. Every part of my body felt like lead, and my core pulsed with the dull ache of overuse.

"Just… five minutes of rest," I muttered, forcing my limbs to stretch out on the floor. My eye socket grew heavy, and despite my intention to simply recover, the exhaustion dragged me under. In moments, I surrendered to sleep.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"This… this is really a trap," I murmured, my voice trembling as I took in the sight before me. My heart pounded, a cold dread coiling inside my chest. All around me, shadows moved, and from those shadows emerged over twenty low sovereign knights and more than fifty lesser holy knights. Their armour gleamed with deadly intent, their weapons drawn, and the air itself seemed to hum with the weight of their human magic. The barrier they had erected trapped me completely; its faint, shimmering walls pulsed with sealing runes, caging me like a beast cornered for slaughter.

I could feel it—their magic was precise, calculated, and viciously effective against my kind. They weren't here for a battle; they were here to capture and break me.

"If my understanding is correct…" I whispered to myself, gritting my teeth. "They know about my wisdom artifact. They… they planned every part of this."

I thought back on the past nine days I had spent moving through this territory, chasing shadows, believing I held the advantage. It was all a lie. They had sent their uninformed soldiers first, letting them provoke me just enough to draw me in. I had taken the bait like a fool, step by step, until I was right where they wanted me. This entire trap had been designed with me in mind, crafted with a precision that was almost terrifying in its brilliance.

"How… how could they do this?" My voice cracked as fear and awe mingled. "With just basic information about my items, they… deduced all the possibilities, mapped out every move I could make, and created a perfect plan." I shuddered, my claws trembling. "The human behind this is… maddeningly intelligent. Too intelligent."

I tried to take a step back, to move, to escape—but the moment I shifted my weight, my legs betrayed me. Pain roared through my body, and I collapsed to the cold, unforgiving ground. My limbs felt like lead. My core pulsed with instability. I couldn't stand.

This was overwhelming. I had already summoned my nature spirit to fight, but they had anticipated even that. They wielded magic specifically designed to counter it, to wound the spirit and sever our bond. The backlash from the summoning crushed into me like a tidal wave, weighing down my body, clouding my mind. I could barely breathe.

"What… what can I do?" I whispered, my voice breaking. Panic clawed at my thoughts.

I had already sacrificed every arcane artifact I owned just to survive the first stage of their ambush. My teleportation—a last resort—was useless here. In this barrier, time itself seemed to thicken. Triggering innate trait would take too long, and every passing heartbeat would see me cut down. I could only rely on my mind magic, accelerating my thoughts a thousandfold, desperately searching for a solution. And yet I found nothing.

Anger burned in my chest, but it was smothered by despair. "Fifteen years," I muttered, my voice low and bitter, "fifteen years since I found a way to revive brother that book didn't just give me hope it revived me…but now, I'm nothing but a pawn in this cruel world. Every battle… every desperate fight, there is always someone stronger. Always something I can't overcome. And here I am again—helpless… weak…" My voice faltered as a strange calmness washed over me. Acceptance.

I barely noticed when the humans approached, their boots echoing like war drums against the floor. Rough hands seized me, and I didn't resist as they forced a sealing human magic against my chest. The moment the seal activated, I felt everything inside me collapse—my power, my bond to the nature spirit, my very essence as a monster. My core was silent. Hollow.

"Damn monster," one of the knights sneered, pressing his face close to mine. "You've caused us great problems. I can't wait to kill you in front of all the monsters who still have hope. Hmph!"

Another voice followed, sharp and merciless. "You have no hope of escaping now. Don't even dare to dream of it."

"Gahh!" I coughed, blood spilling from my mouth as the seal crushed the last sparks of strength within me. My core was locked, my nature spirit gone. I was nothing.

A sharp crack split the air.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as one of them broke my arm in a deliberate, cruel twist. A woman's laughter followed, high and cold.

"Good… it should hurt," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "No, this is not enough. I will make you suffer more. When you are finally executed, it will be the fulfillment of my oath. The oath I made… the day you killed my sister."

Her words reached my ears like echoes through water, fading into a distant blur as darkness crept into the edges of my vision. My mind, broken and exhausted, could no longer hold on to consciousness.

Then for five days straight they tortured me till I lost my consciousness. If I wasn't an extreme harbinger monster, the torture I went through could easily kill a rank 9 monster, but they didn't move down from the mountain. It seems they are trying to create a portal, which is bad for me since there is only 2 choice I have: I can try to tamper with teleportation and die or go obediently and get publicly executed. 

"Wake up! I'm not finished with you."

"Ahh!" I cried, my voice rattling through the stone cell, a hollow echo from my skeletal chest. Their cruel methods had already pierced the layers of my mind magic defense. 

Half of my consciousness slipped into a fog, leaving me drifting between waking and darkness. Even then, I tried to focus—somehow, somewhere—on a plan to escape. But the thought itself felt brittle, futile. My bones ached with exhaustion, and a strange chill haunted my empty ribcage.

I am an extreme harbinger monster, yet in this moment, I felt like nothing. And worse I felt as if I was being watched by something I could not see, as if an unseen narrator was quietly writing my downfall. A weak wind brushing against my skull, invisible yet shifting every chain, every shadow, every failure toward my end.

Fate. 

That must have been it—the gnawing in my chest where my heart should have been. Lord Saintier had spoken of this same dread, the quiet current dragging him toward ruin. I could almost feel a vast hand above me, guiding this story like I was just another puppet.

Perhaps I would never meet the Aether. Perhaps I would die here, mocked and shackled, and fate would remain nothing more than a whisper in my bones.

But if I did meet Aether if Aether truly appeared that would mean fate was real. That every desperate clawing for freedom had been part of some inevitable chain. And then, what would I choose?

In the old tale, Lord Saintier had chosen Faith in Destiny, grasping the sword of light to protect his people. Yet that faith had returned to Aether in the end, abandoned like ash in the wind. My teeth clenched in the dark.

"Supreme Defiance… or Faith in Destiny?" I whispered, my voice like sand scraping stone.

Hatred or freedom.

I had once dreamed of faith. I had longed for hope to guide me beyond this endless cycle of suffering. But here, broken and tortured, something deeper stirred in me—a hunger older than hope. Faith was a candle in the wind. Hatred, though hatred was fire.

"So what if fate is real?" I rasped, my bony fingers curling into claws that scratched the floor. "What can I do but play hide and seek with it… like some pathetic game?"

I let out a low, rattling groan. "If I am to suffer… then I need more than freedom. I need… teeth to bite them off from me."

The edges of my awareness frayed, my vision dimming into the void, and the world slipped away, leaving only the faint clatter of my own bones as darkness claimed me.

Then, a soft, urgent voice broke through the fog in my mind. 

"Hey, Sans… wake up. Hurry, we need to escape."

A gentle hand touched my face, and warmth surged into my broken body as healing magic seeped through my torn born. My eyes fluttered open, and through the blur, I saw the face of a female monster. Recognition struck like a jolt.

"Zayak…?" I croaked, my voice hoarse and trembling, a fragile thread of hope woven into the single word.

Her expression was sharp but softened with a quiet tenderness. "I'm here. Hold on."

Relief and disbelief warred in me as my mind shuddered with a ragged exhale. I wanted to warn her, to ask why she had come, but the effort of speech was too great. My body felt like brittle glass, and my core flickered like a dying ember. Still, she pulled me gently from the cold stone floor, her slender fingers alive with sparks of magic. Before my eyes, the sealing that had bound me for days unraveled, threads of light torn away by her will.

Even free, my body betrayed me. I staggered under the weight of fatigue that pressed against my bones like lead, my limbs trembling. I tried to push healing magic through myself, but my will of magic was fractured, sluggish, like a cracked mirror reflecting broken fragments of strength. Deep injuries and depleted energy left me struggling to heal body and replenish magic energy flow with magic energy.

"Shh… we need to be quiet," Zayak whispered, her voice a low hiss. With a wave, she summoned invisibility over us, the spell wrapping like silk around our forms as we slipped into the shadows of the cell.

It was then I understood why I had not sensed the lesser holy knights. They were embedded deep in the cave walls, their presence veiled by the blood-soaked chambers of slain beasts. That blood had masked danger from my magic sense—my sentient will of magic, honed as an extreme harbinger monster, had overlooked their shadows hidden in life's residue.

"How did she even find me?" I wondered, my thoughts weaving through the dark. Humans were cunning, masters at concealing their presence. Detecting me, even those concealment weakened, it should have been nearly impossible to find me .

I tried to speak, but only broken murmurs escaped—"Hav tod tu." Perhaps it was torture's legacy. Perhaps my voice simply hadn't returned. I prayed it would.

"Stay quiet, Sans," Zayak said firmly, guiding me with a steady hand. "Just getting here already caused a huge commotion. Humans are on high alert. My invisibility hides us from sight, but every supporting spell of sound suppression, presence concealment. they all work separately. There are flaws."

A human voice echoed nearby, its sharp timbre slicing the silence. "That damn skeleton's been rescued! They're around here find him!"

Boots struck against stone. One knight's eyes swept past us, landing directly where we stood but he moved on, none the wiser. I realized then the genius in Zayak's magic. She was weaving layers sight, sound, and presence suppression operating in careful harmony. She was extraordinary monster so this feat is understandable.

We crept through the winding tunnels, the cave a labyrinth of shadows and whispers. I forced rank 9 healing magic into my frame, the lawlike energy tracing my bones, repairing bones, closing wounds with almost unparalleled efficiency. Slowly, strength returned; my voice, too, began to stir.

At one turn, I pulled Zayak aside, rasping, "Bu harful," to keep blood from celling of cave falling on her.

"Whoa, thank you," she whispered, carefully stepping aside. "If that blood came contact with me it could have cast sealing magic on me."

We continued until we reached a hollow heavy with the scent of old blood. "Wait here. Keep healing," Zayak said, already tracing a spell formation in the dirt. Its geometry sang a dangerous harmony that I recognized immediately—simple in structure, but demanding in control.

I tried to rise and help, but she cut me off with a glare. "No. Heal. Once we're outside, you'll need your strength. I can't fight and drag you if we're found again."

I sighed, obeying. Minutes bled into thirteen long ones before her spell reached completion. With a final gesture, the rock ahead cracked and shattered, stone yielding to her magic. The sound echoed despite the muffled hush of our suppression.

"Run!" she hissed, gripping my arm and pulling me into motion.

Shouts erupted behind us. Our escape was no longer a secret.

As we sprinted, gratitude welled in me, sharp and unexpected. "…Thank you for coming to save me," I said, voice rough but clear enough to speak my heart. "I had… forgotten what it meant to be a monster. I'm sorry I abandoned you. Truly… I'm grateful you reminded me."

"Save it for later. Focus—we need to escape!" she snapped, her steps sure and urgent.

Outside, beneath the faint light beyond the cave's mouth, I paused, heart pounding with resolve. I could flee, but that path led only to slow ruin. To survive, to grow, I had to face the trial ahead.

"We're going to the Aethergateway," I said, my voice steady now. "I'll need to prepare. Hide me until I'm ready."

I closed my eyes, feeling my rank 9 healing magic weave its final threads through my recovering body. I had chosen my path—not to flee, but to face fate head-on, and carve my own law into the world.

Innate trait of mine which is teleportation can be utilized right here but it will take time also it can only teleport me so I decided to broke structure of my innate trait just little enough to modify it temporary 

"This is innate trait from breakthrough to rank 3 but it has developed as I ascended in rank so breaking structure is hard as breaking my body but I can do this I just need little time" I was doing everything within my capacity to control my own breaking structure it is easy to break structure of body but controlling it that was hard part 

"Sans hurry up I'm running low in confidence right now their investigation method almost find us" Zayak said in panic but I stayed little calm because if I also panic then this is over 

"Just little more Guh!" I coughed with blue liquid as my body's magic energy flow was leaking from hole created by breaking my own body structure 

"Almost… done!" I turn around and hugged Zayak and utilized my newly modified innate trait to be honest this was very risky as no monster has ever done this even i wouldn't do it if situation was different 

Ting ting

"Bur!" I coughed with blue and green liquid but teleportation was successful as me and Zayak appear before Aethergateway with just one forest away 

"Shit" I tried to stop it but it was too late as my innate trait was getting out control I can't do anything about it now so I can do one thing destroy my innate trait of teleportation before it start to destroy other innate traits and body 

"*exhale and inhale*" manipulating magic energy flow in my body I start to converge every part of innate trait of teleportation on my body and start to release them through holes of magic energy flow I accidentally created 

"Sans are you okay?" Zayak asked in concern as she helped me to get up but from body started to leak out as bone fracture start to appear but they also start to heal on their own as I control them to heal 

"What are those liquid"

"The solidified magic just in liquid form…*sigh* from now on I lost my ability to teleport" I replied instantly as I look at Aethergateway 

"For Aethergateway I already paid price by sacrificing my innate trait there is no way to go back now" I set my mind as there should be no room for hesitation and since I have Zayak with me I can't afford to be careless 

With those thoughts I turn to Zayak only to see she is no there

"What the, Zayak!" I shouted in panic as I didn't even see her move 

"What are you waiting for start moving Sans" 

I turn around surprised and saw Zayak at entrance of forest 

"Heh I don't what to say but you are either reckless or you are just too brave to hesitation and I'm kinda jealous because im not like you"with one Chuckle I start to run as well

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Groan.

"What a strange, perfect sleep—bad memories vividly replayed in such detail. Isn't that just… perfect, heh?" I snorted lightly as I pushed myself upright and then teleported into the chamber that held the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact.

The chamber was identical to the others I had seen, dominated by an enormous black box. 

"Well, what am I waiting for? I need to use that arcane artifact as soon as possible."

I placed my hand on the chamber wall and poured in my magic energy. This time, I focused my will of magic into a single square shape, as if forming a door. The square glowed white, and soon my hand phased straight through the luminous wall. With a faint smile, I stepped into the chamber.

Rows of chained books lined the shelves, and a few arcane artifacts rested in alcoves. The room was not particularly large, so I spotted the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact instantly—a small mirror bordered with one hundred pearls.

With satisfaction, I took the artifact and exited the way I had entered. The glowing white square faded back to black the moment I stepped through.

"If I were to take everything in just one chamber, the magic energy required would far exceed even the rank 7 magic I used earlier. Well, it's not as if I'm desperate for those materials. When I reach rank 10, I'll need them, but until then… I'm too busy with other things."

I sighed and began binding the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact, steadily filling it with my magic energy and, more importantly, imprinting it with my will of magic.

"Here I go."

I activated the artifact. One of the pearls lit up with a brilliant glow, but my focus was on the mirror. As expected, I felt my memories shatter and dissolve, replaced by new and accurate recollections identical to the originals. This was the purpose of the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact: a tool meant to help extraordinary monsters specializing in mind magic heal and refresh their minds. It cleared away mental damage, restoring the foundation of identity.

For me, this restoration replenished my mind with perfect memories. Espresmory's memories weren't destroyed; they simply lost their host context and converged as the artifact's effect reached its peak. The process restarted my mind so quickly and thoroughly that I felt reborn. Soon, however, the sensation of being controlled returned—which made sense. My 189-year-old will lingered like a puppet master, and I was the puppet.

"Heh… well then, let's get to the process of becoming rank 6 and obtaining true ink. I wonder if the method I created will even work. I've been moving faster than my power can settle. My rank 3 state wasn't even fully stabilized, rank 4 lasted only a week, and I've been rank 5 for… two, no, three days. If other extraordinary monsters could see this, I wonder how they'd react. Shock, for sure. Aspiration? Perhaps, though not much. But if I succeed in reaching rank 6, I might change the course of monsterkind entirely. Hahaha… I can almost imagine extraordinary monsters popping up everywhere like fox beasts—wait, what?"

The sudden thought caught me off guard. I felt an unnatural surge of energy, and more importantly, I realized the implications of the line I had just spoken.

"Changing all of monsterkind… Ahh, that must be the idea planted by my old self. If my method succeeds, with a few modifications and guidance, most rank 5 monsters could ascend to extraordinary monsters. That would mean more defenders against humans—hundreds, maybe thousands of extraordinary monsters. Hmph. Not a bad plan, old me. I alone held against humanity for a time, but if there were an army… that would be a sight worth seeing."

I chuckled as I stored the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact. It had 99 uses remaining; at my current pace, it would last about four years.

Now my only concern was the rank 5 beast residing here. I was confident in my ability to fight it, but unexpected complications were always a risk. I could only investigate the second city thoroughly to minimize any chance of failure. With the artifact's effect active, I had three weeks before I would need to use it again.

"Since this is my first day, why not have a—hmm…" I stopped mid-sentence as I felt my old self's disapproval.

At first, I'd wanted to call other monsters and celebrate with a small party. But that excitement drained away instantly, replaced by embarrassment and cold logic. This was the influence of my old will—a subtle but undeniable puppet master guiding my thoughts.

When my old self's will first regressed, it had not fused with mine at all. The will of an overlord monster is simply too vast for a rank 2 vessel; it is like trying to pour the ocean into a cup. Mind and will are the foundations of identity which is intelligence and personality but they are separate. A reckless fusion leads to collapse. Only gradual growth and careful compatibility allow the two to merge safely, and the process with me was ongoing. For now, the wills remained separate.

Since the old me wanted me to avoid wasting time, I followed his suggestion.

"Oh, Archios… will I one day become this dull person? If so, may the world remember who I used to be, because I can't stay like that." I thought the words bitterly, only to feel a pang of guilt, as if the old me were mildly annoyed. He was truly the puppet master, and I the independent puppet.

"Now I think… Figure wasn't so bad after all."

"Don't pull me into this, dude. Let me live in my existential crisis peacefully, okay?" The sudden voice of Figure caught me off guard, though I wasn't truly surprised.

"Very well," I muttered, and teleported to the entrance of the third city.

For the next few days, I investigated thoroughly. The city remained silent and intact.

"It's hard to believe monsters once lived here… Dude, do I really need to be so nonchalant?" I mused. The old will had re-rooted itself in my will after the Opposition Mind Arcane Artifact stripped it from my mind, and now its roots were taking hold again, fusing slowly.

Even in this new balance, he influenced my emotions. In a way, it had become a language between us.

"So far, nothing," I murmured at last, standing near the caste-like structure at the entrance of the third city's center.

"Well… let's get going," I said quietly to myself, taking a deep breath and moving forward. My footsteps made soft sounds against the cold stone floor, quickly fading into the wide, empty space around me. I followed the path deeper underground until I reached a large, spiraling staircase and began to descend.

The air grew heavier with each step, filled with the smell of dust and a faint trace of magic lingering on the walls. Somewhere in the dark, water dripped softly, the only break in the stillness.

At the bottom of the staircase, the underground hall opened wide. The ceiling stretched so high that its corners were lost in shadow, and the walls disappeared into the distance, decorated with old, faded carvings and murals. Torches along the walls flickered weakly, casting soft reflections on the smooth floor.

The hall made me feel small. Its size and silence carried the weight of history. It was as if the space itself was quietly waiting.

Then the ground trembled under a low rumble. I steadied myself, accelerating my magic energy flow. The silence broke with the grinding sound of stone and a distant roar.

The beast is coming.

I walked forward carefully, senses sharp. Every shadow could hide danger. With each step, the heavy atmosphere pressed closer.

In the dim torchlight ahead, the shadow of the beast appeared—huge and powerful, its body resting in the darkness. Its slow, deep breaths stirred the dust in the air.

I swallowed hard and took another careful step, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the vast, empty hall.

"Alright… let's finish this," I whispered to myself, my voice low but steady.

Inwardly, I spoke to Figure. "Help me activate my innate traits. Try using space magic as well and it needs to store the magic energy I would otherwise waste." I drew my sword, activating the sharpening technique, while a magic shield surrounded my body. Pushing Figure to its limits, I prepared myself for what lay ahead.

I wasn't lacking confidence, but I wasn't careless either. The situation here was unpredictable, and I couldn't rely solely on incomplete fragments of memory.

Suddenly, a deep roar shook the hall.

A strong gust of wind rushed toward me, and in the swirling dust, the beast revealed its true form.

"What the… Imertia Tomura? Why is it here? There were supposed to be only one of them!"

Before me stood an Imertia Tomura—but this one was far larger than the one I had hunted before, at least two or three times its size. Its aura confirmed it was a rank 5.

This was truly unexpected.

Before I could even process the shock of seeing the Imertia Tomura, it surged into motion with terrifying speed, its massive body leaving a sparkling trail of frozen mist and ice particles that hung in the frigid air. Each step reverberated like a drumbeat through the cavernous hall, the temperature plummeting as its presence exuded raw, predatory menace.

In a single fluid movement, the beast reached me, its titanic maw opening to unleash a chilling exhalation. A torrent of icy breath surged forth, a wave of freezing air that crystallized everything in its path. Stone cracked under the sudden frost, and shards of ice formed along the floor and walls. My limbs stiffened instantly as the cold gnawed at my bones, but my shimmering magic shield flared, absorbing the worst of the assault and sparing my true body from being locked in an icy prison.

Ting! Ting!

With a sharp flash of magic energy, I teleported to the ceiling, my skeletal frame vanishing from the frostbitten floor. From this elevated vantage point, the beast's colossal form sprawled beneath me, its frost-coated back glistening faintly in the dim torchlight. I summoned three gaster blasters with a snap of my will; their skeletal maws opened, humming with destructive potential. In perfect unison, the blasters fired—three lances of concentrated energy screamed through the air, striking the floor and the surrounding area around Imertia Tomura in thunderous impact.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions reverberated through the hall, kicking up violent gusts that scattered ice shards and snow into whirlwinds. Dust and debris flooded the air as the concussive force rippled outward, rattling the stone walls. I landed lightly amidst the chaos, the soles of my feet pressing into a thin layer of frost and powdery dust that now coated the floor, the aftermath of my bombardment.

Raising my sword, I slipped into a ready stance, the blade humming faintly with its sharpening enchantment. My breath fogged as the hall's air grew colder, and the echoes of the explosions faded into a tense silence.

Whooo!

From the haze of frost and dust, Imertia Tomura lunged again with a feral roar, its massive form cutting through the swirling air like a living avalanche. The frost on its scales reflected the torchlight in shards of blue and white, its claws extended and dripping icy vapor. The sound of cracking stone followed each of its strides, the entire hall vibrating with its weight and speed.

I steadied my grip, every muscle tense, my magic energy flowing seamlessly into my limbs. The battle had truly begun.

Raising my sword, I drop into a battle-ready stance, every muscle coiled like a spring.

Whooo!

Imertia Tomura charges, a blur of frost and muscle, roaring as icy vapor spills from its fanged maw. Each thunderous step cracks the stone floor, shards skittering under its weight. The cold slices into my lungs, my breath fogging instantly.

Its massive claw comes down—a blur of death. My sword sings through the air, its sharpening enchantments humming. Sparks explode as steel meets claw. The shock rattles my bones, but I twist with the force, pivoting hard, rolling the momentum away. The beast's strike crashes into the floor where I once stood.

Then I spin on my leg to cut away Imertia Tomura. 

Thun bam.

Imertia Tomura rolled through the ground as it had an enormous wound on its chest, which was the result of my attack. 

Then I used another innate trait, bone bending, creating weaves of bones projectiles all at high speed. 

Brrrrr

Rapid sound of bone getting broken was present, then a wall of ice started to materialize toward me, blocking my bones while advancing at me. 

"Oh."

Without much thought, I raised my leg and stomped on the floor, creating a wall of bone that advanced toward the ice wall. Moments later, they clashed against each other, mine absolutely annihilated them like ice breaking when it is hit with falling stones.

Whoosh. 

It seems Imertia Tomura had given up on its attack and decided to evade my offenses as countless snow bursts outwardly blocked my vision with a snowstorm. 

"Seriously?" I was confused as at the next moment I raised my hand and created a magic energy burst that dispelled the snowstorm. 

Roar. 

I was caught off guard as a big ice spear hit me, taking me with it. We crashed against a wall. 

"Aghh! Well, this was my fault, but nothing serious." I pulled out the ice spear 

Ice spear penetrated the magic shield barely and it didn't reach my real body; however, it was stuck, so I had to exert quite an amount of strength. 

"Okay, where is he now?" After throwing the ice spear, Imertia Tomura disappeared from my vision. It seems it either escaped or decided to fight in stealth, but I believe it decided to fight in stealth. 

Whoos. 

Bam.

Whoos 

bam 

Whoos 

bam

"This is getting annoying." Every time I hear the sound of Imertia Tomura, I send projectiles of bones to the source, but Imertia Tomura escapes again and again. 

"If I fight like this, it is more advantageous for me because I have magic energy recovery, while beasts don't have magic energy recovery; they only absorb them, not create them like monsters." 

By my logic, fighting like this, my victory is guaranteed, but it will take a long time. 

Whoos.

I turn around and send weaves of bone projectiles to the source of the sound. 

"Aghh!" Suddenly, Imertia Tomura punched me from behind, sending me away to a wall far away. 

"How the hell did Imertia Tomura get back on me, hmmm…" while getting up, I can't help but be curious how this Imertia Tomura created surprise attacks on me because last time I remember, beasts don't gain innate traits when they go through a breakthrough. 

"Is Imertia Tomura an exception in this field? If so, I can't afford to be careless around here." I get out from the wall as I get ready to fight. 

"Well, let's see what I can do." I start to use a spell that has a wide-range effect. 

Haaaa

Soon, half of the entire hall wall is covered in fire as my spell stops Imertia Tomura from coming to me to ambush, blocking the way for him to get close to me. 

Soon as expected, no attack came, but the effect of the spell will fade away 5 minutes later. Then, I decided to use something most new rank 5 monsters can't do: the ultimate move

Ultimate move is a move that uses all of the innate traits the monster has when they are at peak rank 5 stage and they bypass the rule that innate traits can be activated one at a time. This technique requires the monster to be very experienced with their innate trait, which is easy for me, but since I'm using the figure to align the nature of the artificial soul to the nature of the body to activate the trait, it requires me immense focus and time. 

During the 5 minutes, I stood motionless as I tried to activate my ultimate move. 

"Come on, come on, come on. The effect of the spell is fading away. I can't afford to waste time, hmmm… oh, I see. Thanks, old me." In the moment of panic, old me influenced me to calm down and start to encourage me to focus.

Whoosh 

"Shit!" Without a choice, I leaped away from the attack. This caused my ultimate move to pause as I needed to complete the remaining 20% since once innate traits are activated, they can be active for a long time. 

With no other choice, I unsheathed my sword and used the sharpening technique and engaged in close combat.

Bam bam bam 

Moment I get ready to fight, Imertia Tomura comes to me, so I start to fight Imertia Tomura using a sword. Each clash was creating craters as we got faster and faster. My sword was heating up crazily as it turned red on some part. 

But I wasn't at a disadvantage as I left countless injuries and wounds to Imertia Tomura. My sharpening technique proficiency increased as my body got familiar with it, but this was far away from my standard. But when I become an extraordinary monster, I can adjust everything, even sharpening technique.

"Ghh!" Imertia Tomura's attacks are too impactful that I'm having a hard time reflecting such strength, but I'm more worried about my sword. 

"Aaaagh!" With a forceful push, I tripped Imertia Tomura and cut away one of its fingers, and both of us jumped away from each other. 

"As expected, beasts dominate monsters in terms of strength, but they have short-term fighting capability compared to monsters. So it is getting more cautious." I analyze the situation, even though the favor of the fight was already on me for some reason, old me making me more cautious. 

"Seriously, what are you trying to say at all?" I was a little frustrated but not much. "It is like the closer I am to victory, the more I should be careful… ohh, so that's why you are making me like huh."

Although I'm quite annoyed at Old me, I need to accept it was part of 189 years of experience, but even so, I can finish this fight right here right now. I'm rank 5 with 10,000 clouds in my hyper state. Other than strength, I outmatch Imertia Tomura in every aspect, and without its concealing method, I can overwhelm Imertia Tomura through sheer speed, but it keeps disappearing every time we finish exchanging blows.

"Okay, that is enough. Let's finish this." With a determined thought, I cast a fire spell engulfing everything in the hall. It was a disaster as fire webs burned stone till they turned into charcoal black 

Hall itself was very large compared to the hall I'm like an ant in house. But now that house was on fire. 

Then the figure seemed angry as he said, "Dude, I have been trying to store magic energy, yet you blew my aperture. Are you for serious?"

Right at that moment, I was feeling guilty, which is a clear indication that old me is accepting with figure. 

"Come on, dude. I'm fighting. Stop bothering me." I said in anger, but that anger instantly turned into a feeling of pity. 

"Can you stop? I can endure someone manipulating me, but controlling emotions is out of the option. We will not be fused until we get rid of Espresmory, so I'm the one who is in charge. Stop this, this damn it. What did I just say?" Just like before, my emotions were twisted once again. 

Roar 

Suddenly, all fire turned into ice, creating a strange ice structure.

"Bruh… hahahahaha." The figure laughed at me, so did too old me as I felt funny about it too, but I shouldn't have, so yeah, even old me is laughing. 

Soon, I sensed Imertia Tomura coming at me, so I used bone bending to create a wall of bones around Imertia Tomura, stopping him from advancing. Then, I followed this by sending projectiles of bone, but of course, he disappeared from my vision once again. 

"Hmhp, where do you think you are?" With anger, I stomped on the ground as hundreds of kilometers radius area bloomed enormous bone pillars till they became like grass on land, but those grass were my bones and they were big as buildings. 

Roar

"Gotcha." With teleportation, I reached the source of the sound and saw Imertia Tomura had his hand pierced by bone, and the next moment, it broke the bone and disappeared once again before I could make a move. 

"Damn it." I was angry but also happy because Imertia Tomura now should be bleeding at least a little bit. 

"Wait, blood magic is right now not ideal since figure is focusing on space magic… this is, although unexpected, not the way I expected to be." At first, I thought the beast might be stronger or something. 

Even though Beast was Imertia Tomura, it was rank 5. Imertia Tomura is legendary because this is the only Beast that can become rank 6. Because Imertia Tomura is a sentiment clan beast, not an evolution and ascending clan beast, it is surprising that Imertia Tomura can reach rank 6 other than it is smart. There is nothing special about it. 

So it is understandable that I'm dominating the fight. Still, it is ironic that because of my overthinking, I can't finish the fight. 

"Then let's focus on the ultimate move then" instead of mindlessly attacking, I decided to continue on the ultimate move since innate traits are like switches between on and off. The ultimate move requires all switches to be on. 

Whoosh 

Then again, seeing my motionless state, Imertia Tomura attacked again and again, but every time it reached to attack I create weave made of wall of bone,weaves chased it away. It wasn't long before I finished my ultimate move. 

"With my previous life experience, the ultimate move is easy to use, but after becoming rank 6, I never used the ultimate move because of circumstances. Now let's see my capabilities" moment, I used the ultimate move. Two enormous Gaster Blasters appeared, and soon bones started to manifest, creating a body attached to the Gaster Blaster, forming a snake body. 

"This should be enough" sitting on one of the giant skeleton snakes, I manipulated the other one to fight against Imertia Tomura. The moment Imertia Tomura appeared, I manipulated the skeleton snake to attack. Those attacks were boosted with sudden bursts of speed that were there to here and here to there in a blink of an eye. 

Bam

Bam

Bam

Each strike of the skeleton snake shook the entire hall, and with its speed, it was giving Imertia Tomura hard time. As certain one hits meant death, so with its intelligence, Imertia Tomura went to dodging than direct engagement. But the snake beast is too fast. Without its maneuverability, Imertia Tomura would be dead the moment my skeleton snake started moving. 

"Hmmm, not bad. Even though this is my first time using Ultimate Move, it is still powerful enough to beat any rank 5 beast. So Imertia Tomura is truly intelligent without doubt." Although I was trying to end this fight fast, I can't help but accept Imertia Tomura is so agile that my own agility looks like a joke. 

"But let's end this." Controlling one skeleton snake is like controlling my own limb, but in its cost, I lose the ability to control one of my limbs, which happens to be my left hand, of course. When I get good at this, I wouldn't need to sacrifice my control of my limb. Those skeleton snakes are like puppets that are made from all of my innate traits such as bone bending, gaster blaster manipulation, teleportation, soul telekinesis, self-regeneration. 

Although I never used self-regeneration, I have quite mastery over it. The funny thing is this is my rank 4 innate trait. 

Tsuush 

Skeleton snake head, which was modified, has a gaster blaster fire beam that melts everything. Even though it has a different shape, it still has gaster blaster properties. 

"Oh," I was surprised when that beam accidentally hit Imertia Tomura, taking away one of its arms. 

"Well, how can I let go of this chance?" I thought to myself. I started to use a fire spell, burning everything. It was more powerful than my own, but still relatively powerful. It was due to the effects of an ultimate move. With careful manipulation and knowledge, an ultimate move can be modified to one's own desire. 

"The reason I didn't use an ultimate move in my previous life was due to me. I was strangely unstable, thus my ultimate move started backfiring at me, so I stopped using it till I almost forgot about it." I sighed once as I used a magic shield to protect myself from the heat. 

Roars of Imertia Tomura started to get more frequent as he was heavily countered by fire in Frostland. Fire or heat is the most effective phenomenon against beasts here. Of course, there is lightning and death.

"Guh!" Suddenly, all my body hurt so much that I fell from the skeleton snake, but this time they stood like stone. 

Phum 

"Agaha agha, what is happening to me?" I tried to get up but kept failing, but soon Figure explained it to me. 

"*sigh* I should have expected this. Sans, you know, innate traits are like taboo ones in the body. But in order to use them, I had to align the nature of an artificial soul and the nature of this body, and because of that, those taboos are losing their shape. But it is not dangerous. They will stabilize on their own, so give it a little bit of time." 

Hearing Figure, I calmed down a little, but my body was twitching uncontrollably. 

"This is ridiculous! Every single time I try to use my ultimate move, something backfires in the most absurd way possible. It's like the universe personally signed a contract saying, Sans shall never enjoy his own powers without a comedy show attached."

Different reasons every time—one day it's my bones twitching like they're auditioning for a dance troupe, the next day my magic energy leaks out like a punctured water balloon—but the result is always the same: me, flopping around mid-battle, looking like the punchline of some cosmic joke. 

"I swear, it's like I was born with a perk called Ultimate Move: The Guaranteed Embarrassment. And without that move, I can't even show the true power of a rank 5. Meanwhile, my enemies are probably thinking, ' Wow, this guy is terrifying,'right before I accidentally trip over my own summoned skeleton snake and faceplant into the nearest wall. Sometimes I wonder if the world itself just wants me to be a walking slapstick routine. But hey… at least the audience in my head is laughing."

It seems even in this life I'm not going to be able to use ultimate move. This is just hilarious yet ridiculous all at the same time.

Soon I start to get better as my body stopped twitching like crazy. 

"Hmmm, oh," turning around I saw Imertia Tomura. Most of its body has been burned and turned black. It was no longer able to move. 

"The power of ultimate move is like this. No matter how powerful a rank 5 beast was against ultimate move, it's no match. But it is just regretful that I can't use ultimate move now that I think of it. Didn't I try to use ultimate move 124 times right now? It is 125…*sigh* Well, let's talk about it later." 

Walking toward Imertia Tomura, it no longer put up a fight as it stayed motionless. Looking around, I saw the entire hall had become a ruin. I mean, every part of the wall had been burned and turned into charcoal black, and the floors had been damaged like craters were everywhere. It's funny that if I was rank 4, this level of destruction is impossible for me to create unless I used magic. 

Roar!

Imertia Tomura tried to roar and intimidate me, but it no longer had the strength to do so. To be honest, I had to admit it was truly a powerful beast. It had endured attacks that far exceeded the level of a typical rank 5 fire spell. My own fire spell, enhanced with my over-ranked solidified magic, was significantly stronger than normal. 

Even more, it survived the relentless assaults of my skeleton snakes' creations made from the hardest and most durable bones, animated by my soul telekinesis. They struck at extreme speed and force, yet Imertia Tomura still held on until now. 

Enduring the combined pressure of my superior fire magic and the brutal strikes of my ultimate move was no small feat. For a beast to survive to this extent, it was truly remarkable.

"Whoa, my skeleton snakes are already poofing away! Can't I have nice things for more than five minutes?" While walking, I saw one of my skeleton snakes dissipating away.

"That's the price of an ultimate move, buddy. It combines all your innate traits into one big, flashy attack—super strong, but super thirsty for magic energy." Figure said with laughter, clearly a huge jerk, but what he said is true, even though I have my own experience; they are from memory, thus it is natural for me to forget about them.

"So basically, it's a magic energy vacuum cleaner with a bad attitude." With little disappointment, I turn around. 

"Exactly. And here's the kicker: the moment even one of your traits shuts off, the whole thing just… poof!" Figure continues; it seems he is trying to hold on to this topic to play with me.

"Ugh, like the second I stabilize, the snakes just quit on me? Rude!" This clear message that I don't want to continue, but what did I expect? 

"Hey, they're doing their best. You try holding together a monster rave inside your body while keeping all the lights on." Figure is playing the role of an innocent victim; wow.

"Ha! True. I guess next time I'll send them a motivational speech first." More like propaganda about motivating Figure.

"Do that, but remember: Ultimate Moves burn through your magic fast. One slip, and the party's over." Figure's world hit me so effectively that I had to think deeply, but I knew clearly he was challenging me. One slip, and the party's over. That line is clear, dude. You are not deceiving anyone. 

"Yeah, yeah… ultimate moves are flashy, hungry, and way too high-maintenance. Got it." I decided to end it since I realized if I went against Figure in terms of words, I would definitely lose the battle. So I accepted defeat and went away. 

"…Well, whatever," Figure said, retreating into silence.

"I feel like I'm getting bullied." I pouted briefly, only to stop as soon as I reached Imertia Tomura.

"…Strange. I don't see any fear or despair in its eyes." The beast stared at me with a gaze that felt familiar.

"…Oh, right. It's the same look as the Imertia Tomura I hunted in the Frost Zone. These eyes… they're suspiciously too similar."

I froze in surprise, realization dawning on me. This was clearly Imertia Tomura—the one I had killed before—but now it was different. This Imertia Tomura had reached Rank 5. There was no denying it.

"What the… how is this possible? There is no way I mistook it-" before I could think further, Imertia Tomura started to glow. I was surprised, but it wasn't long before I realized what this was.

"Shit!"

Booom!

Imertia Tomura exploded so powerfully that the floor and wall of the hall broke till they became like sand. 

Taking a direct hit from the explosion, I was sent unconscious, but with Figure, he created a magic shield to protect me even when I'm not awake.