As consciousness slowly seeped back into James, the first sensation he became aware of was the hard, uneven ground beneath him. His body ached in a thousand places, each breath bringing a new wave of dull pain that echoed through his muscles and bones. The air was fresher than he last remembered, tinged with the scents of grass, upturned soil, and the classic New York pollution. It was a pleasant contrast to the oppressive, mana-saturated atmosphere of the dungeon's depths.
Blinking his eyes open, James found himself lying at the end of the parking lot where the ant dungeon's entrance was located. The sun had long since dipped, and the streetlight cast long shadows across the distance. His teammates were gathered around him, their expressions a mix of relief and concern as they noticed him waking. The sight of them, safe and sound, brought peace to his weary heart.
"Hey, you're back with us," Ezekiel said, a small smile breaking through his worried facade. "We were starting to think you'd decided to take a vacation in dreamland."
James tried to sit up, his movements sluggish, as if moving through water. Lauren and Daniel quickly assisted, providing support as he adjusted to being upright again.
"What happened?" James' voice was hoarse, the words barely a whisper as he struggled to piece together his last memories—of darkness, a battle within his mind, and an overwhelming presence that had vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
"You were out for a while after the backlash from killing the Queen," Maria explained, her voice tinged with concern. "The red energy around you just disappeared after a minute, and then you collapsed. We didn't waste any time getting out of there."
Ezekiel chimed in. "I checked you over the best I could. You seemed physically alright, but that kind of thing is way above my pay grade. We called for help as soon as we could. The AA's rescue teams should be here soon."
James nodded, processing their words. He reached for his transmitter, noticing the device buzzing with notifications for the first time. Several pings from the Rising Phoenix Guild Team detailed their delayed response due to a terrorist threat that targeted their main building.
"Communications are back, then.” James noted aloud, a hint of surprise in his voice as he scrolled through the messages. The world outside the dungeon had continued to move, oblivious to the battle they had just endured. "It seems like the guys that should have joined us were prevented from coming because someone called in a bomb threat to their Guild building."
"Well, we didn't need them anyway," Maria commented. "Do they say whether this mysterious threat materialized?"
James shook his head. "No, they stopped sending messages a couple of hours ago. The last one said that the situation was still not stable and we should reschedule the dive for another day."
"So they have plausible deniability," Daniel grunted. "We're probably not getting anything useful out of them then."
Another message from the emergency operators told him they had received his communication. Unfortunately, it was only from a dozen minutes before, which confirmed his suspicions about even the most resilient lines being down in the area because of whatever was happening in the dungeon.
Speaking of, what the fuck happened down there? I can understand most of the pieces now, but I still lack enough to get a cohesive picture. The presence of that malevolent energy obviously led the Queen to produce a too-powerful spawn, which likely led to the excessive aggressiveness displayed by the other ants, but how did that get there?
Out of profound curiosity, James pulled up all the notifications that had stacked up from the System. Most of them announced his killing of ants, while some told him he had gained a level. Finally, at the end of the stack was a red, blinking one.
Having never seen anything of the sort, James hesitated at pulling it up. Still, his curiosity was piqued. Despite the lingering disorientation from his recent ordeal, he gathered his courage and finally tapped on the strange notification. The red window shifted, presenting a message that seemed to emanate a palpable gravitas even through the medium. It reminded James of the Rank up message, and he suspected he was being subjected to the System's attention.
That's what it was! I was way too out of it, but I can tell now that after defeating the entity within the red energy, it was the System that came through. Fucking hell, that sacred me shitless. This is intense, but nothing compared to how it felt being in the void with it. But why is it so different? Argh, later. One thing at a time.
System Notification: Award of Title In recognition of your valor and the extraordinary feats accomplished, the System hereby bestows upon you a Title for having survived a Shard of the Abyss's corruption and preventing a cataclysmic breach in the Weave of Reality. Your actions have preserved the delicate balance upon which the world teeters, averting a localized disaster that would have required direct intervention.
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Title Awarded: Protector of the Weave
* Receive skill: Soul Domain
* 100% increase in Mana capacity and Mana regeneration rate.
* Significantly enhances the quality of the next Rank advancement.
* ???
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James stared at the message, the words sinking in slowly as he tried to wrap his mind around the gravity of what he'd just read. Titles were something he knew of, mythical accolades given by the System to those who'd performed significant actions that had changed the course of history or saved countless lives. They were the stuff of legends, usually reserved for those Awakeners who'd saved entire cities during the Apocalypse or turned the tide of battles thought unwinnable. To receive one was an honor beyond measure, signifying an achievement of monumental importance.
As far as James knew, there were fewer than fifty title-bearers in the United States.
Well, there are probably many more, but those are the public ones. I can understand why they would want to keep it a secret if it gives this much. No one would expect a trump card like this.
And now, he held such a title: Protector of the Weave. James felt ecstatic at the boost it would give him but also conflicted about what it meant. The skill would require significant exploration before he felt comfortable activating it, but even just the description made him giddy with excitement.
Skill: Soul Domain (Active/Passive) Lv. Max Soul Domain is an advanced skill that leverages the profound depth and weight of the user's soul, a characteristic significantly amplified through extraordinary trials and achievements. This skill enables the wielder to extend their inner essence into the world, affecting the very fabric of reality around them. It enhances the user's existing abilities by imbuing them with the might of their soul, increasing their effectiveness and potency. Abilities that once had clear limits can now exceed those boundaries, pushing into realms of power previously unattainable. It allows the user to exert tangible pressure on their surroundings, affecting both inanimate objects and living beings. Depending on the user's affinities and preferences, this can manifest in manifold ways. It increases the user's resistance to external pressures, be they physical, magical, or psychic. This skill solidifies the user's soul as an unbreakable fortress, rendering attempts to dominate or subdue them far less effective.
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James read the description several times. It was by far the most detailed one he had ever received from the System, and it didn't escape his notice that the Skill was already maxed out.
Evidently, there was something quite different about this one. Not only did it read more as an addendum to a Talent rather than an individual skill, but the sheer breadth of abilities it gave made him wonder just how much it could be pushed.
In his career, James had found Skills to often be much more than they initially appeared to be. He'd probably have to spend years working on a skill as complex as Soul Domain before he understood it thoroughly.
It reminds me of a mixture of the aura powerful Awakeners have and my experiments with mental attacks. But given that it comes from the soul this time, there shouldn't be much able to resist it. I'll have to be careful in experimenting with it, because something tells me mistakes will not be easy to fix any damage I cause.
Momentarily putting the fascinating new Skill to the side, James focused on the rest of the benefits the Title gave him.
A 100% increase in Mana and Mana regeneration was a significant boost that could drastically alter his capabilities as an Awakener. He'd be quite literally punching above his weight. Already, James could visualize dozens of situations where having more mana to spare would allow him to do things he had never considered before.
The promise of an enhanced quality for his next Rank-up was equally enticing, hinting at potential growth beyond anything he could have gotten otherwise. It was always simmering at the back of his mind, the need to push himself and gather experiences to get the best options possible, but it looked like he wouldn't need to worry about it this time.
Yet, the mysterious "???" caught his attention the most, a boon from the System shrouded in secrecy, its nature unknown but undoubtedly significant. Considering just how valuable the other gifts had been, James didn't dismiss the last gift for a moment, but he did set it to the side. It would be revealed when the System decided, and not a moment too soon, and he already had enough stuff to focus on anyway.
Accepting the Title, James felt a surge of energy coursing through him, his Mana swelling within his reserves. The sensation was unlike anything he'd experienced, as his magical channels were touched in a profound amplification of his power resonating to his core. He was markedly stronger now, thanks to the Title's effects immediately manifesting within him.
"Did you do something?" Ezekiel asked curiously, evidently having noticed a rush of mana despite his senses not being nearly as refined as James'.
"I'll tell you later," James responded, noticing that several black vans were fast approaching their position. "We've got company."
The others straightened from their crouch, taking a loosely defensive formation. No one expected to be attacked, but after the harrowing experience they had gone through and the still mysterious circumstances behind the dungeon, they didn't want to take any chances.
Luckily, the one figure left inside the AA who could put them at ease emerged from the largest van.
Marcus Bethany towered over the agents that swarmed around him, but he directed them with ease and grace that belied a long experience on the field.
With a few long steps, the massive mustachioed man reached their position and quickly grabbed each of them in a bear hug before checking them over for injuries. "Why is it that every time something happens, it's you kids involved? Do you want to send me to an early grave?" He rumbled, even as he manhandled them as if they weighed nothing.
"Mr. Bethany, no one disagreed when you barged in, but you need to at least allow us to do our jobs!" A sharp-faced woman yelled as she exited the same van, a gaggle of doctors following in her wake. "Let the professionals check them over while we go down and see if we can close this dungeon before it spills."
"We already closed it." Ezekiel interrupted.
The woman, who was in the middle of breathing in to continue with her rant, stopped abruptly. "What do you mean you already closed it?" She asked, her eyes piercing as she tried to find falsity in his posture.
"You can check it out yourself. It'd probably be better since we couldn't explore all the side tunnels, but the Boss has been taken care of." Lauren interjected, placing herself before the woman, a smug grin firmly on.