Chapter 147: Expect The Unexpected

Abel and the group trudged forward, the once-distant castle now looming much closer. Its vibrant, colorful facade stood in stark contrast to the grueling battle they had just endured.

The castle seemed untouched by time, preserved in a surreal, almost dreamlike state. Each member of the group moved with staggered steps, their exhaustion evident in the slow, measured pace they kept.

Abel, ever observant, adjusted his stride to match theirs, though his mind was elsewhere. His eyes frequently lifted towards the sky, where the rose-like sun had transformed. The once-blooming light had now closed in on itself, thorns unfurling across the heavens. Each prick of the thorns emitted a faint glow, akin to distant stars scattered across a cosmic tapestry. The sight was both mesmerizing and unsettling, a clear reminder of the world’s unpredictability.

Despite his composed exterior, Abel felt a strange stirring within him. The peculiar celestial phenomenon above triggered an inexplicable sensation, a mix of curiosity and unease. It wasn’t fear—Abel was long past fearing the unknown—but a deep-seated intrigue that bordered on obsession.

As he studied the sky, he became acutely aware of the glances cast in his direction. The others were watching him with wary eyes, their expressions betraying a newfound caution. The earlier display of his abilities had left an impression, one that stirred a mix of respect and fear. Some within the group seemed to be quietly debating his true nature, wondering if they were in the presence of an apostle.

The weight of their scrutiny hung heavy in the air, but Abel paid it no mind.

He had long since learned to ignore the suspicions of others. Prepared for any sudden moves, he remained focused on the celestial anomaly above. The strange rose-like star called to him in ways he couldn’t yet comprehend, its thorns pricking at the edges of his mind, hinting at deeper mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

As the thorns stretched to their fullest extent across the sky, casting ominous shadows over the surreal landscape, Abel felt an unmistakable stirring deep within. It wasn’t just the star’s usual rhythm but a more intense, almost sentient pulsing—emanating from the Rune of the Voidborn Stellar Feaster. The rune throbbed in sync with the cosmic phenomenon above, each beat echoing like a ticking time bomb poised to detonate.

Abel’s focus sharpened as the sensation grew overwhelming, the resonance between the rune and the sky pulling at his very core. He knew he had little time to act. Speaking with urgency, he addressed the group, "I have pressing matters to attend to. I can’t continue with you for now. I’ll catch up soon."

Ike immediately frowned, stepping forward with concern etched on his face. "It’s not safe to split up. We should stick together. This place—"

Abel cut him off, his tone firm and unyielding. "I understand the risks, but this is something I need to handle alone. I’ll find you soon enough."

Ike hesitated, clearly wanting to argue further, but the determination in Abel’s eyes left little room for debate. With a resigned nod, Ike relented, though the worry in his expression remained.

Without another word, Abel turned and sped off toward the dark horizon, his figure blending seamlessly into the surreal sea of floating petals.

The ever-present floral haze swallowed him whole, his silhouette fading into the dreamlike backdrop as if the strange world itself were claiming him. A tense silence settled over the remaining group, broken only by the faint rustle of petals drifting in the air.

Hollow Mask was the first to sneer, his voice dripping with contempt. “Good riddance. He probably couldn’t handle the backlash from all that flashy nonsense earlier. Bastard’s probably falling apart somewhere, writhing in pain. He thinks he’s so above us—what a joke.”

Veiled Rot chuckled darkly, though his gravelly voice betrayed a hint of unease. “Overexertion has consequences. Whatever he did, it’s costing him dearly now. Corruption like that… it eats you alive, bit by bit. Better he deals with it on his own—no need for us to carry his corpse when it all goes south.”

Mr. Three, who had been quietly watching Abel vanish into the distance, spoke up with a venomous edge. “What if he’s not just retreating from backlash? What if he’s hiding something? You saw how quickly he left. It’s almost like he’s running to protect himself—maybe he knows something dangerous is coming, and he decided to save his own skin. Typical coward.”

“That tracks,” Hollow Mask added, his voice low and sinister. “He’s no team player, that’s for sure. I bet he left us here to soak up whatever’s waiting ahead, so he can swoop in later when we’re all too battered to stop him. He’s got a vulture’s mindset.”

Ike’s brow furrowed as he listened, his own unease growing. “Enough speculation,” he barked, though there was an undertone of doubt in his voice. “Whatever his reasons, he’s gone, and we’re on our own. We don’t need him. We’ve come too far to start worrying about deserters now.”

Mr. One, who had been silent up until this point, tightened his jaw and muttered, “He’s not just a deserter. He’s dangerous. If we run into him again, we’ll have to deal with him. No way someone with that kind of power leaves without an agenda.” His metallic arms gleamed faintly as he crossed them, his gaze lingering where Abel had vanished.

The murmurs of agreement rippled through the group as Hollow Mask spat, “Let him keep running. Sooner or later, his luck will run out. Or maybe we’ll be the ones to make sure it does.”

Ike sighed deeply, suppressing his own mounting concerns, and forced his voice to steady. “We’ve wasted enough time. Whatever his game is, it doesn’t change our mission. Let’s move.”

With that, the group turned toward the distant castle, their steps heavier now, weighed down not just by exhaustion but by the bitter mix of suspicion and mistrust Abel had left in his wake. Uncertainty loomed over them like a storm cloud, the air thick with quiet animosity.

Abel, still running with relentless determination, felt the fierce vibration of the rune etched into his chest grow stronger, almost overwhelming.

The hills of petals, gently swaying in the wind, stretched out before him as he sprinted towards a secluded spot that felt inexplicably right. Once he found a place that seemed secure, he dropped into a lotus position, bracing himself for what was to come.

With dazzling brilliance, the ethereal star within him began to glow, a radiant beacon of celestial energy. The rune on his chest pulsed in synchrony, growing brighter with each passing second. Suddenly, an immense, thunderous vibration rippled through the air as his passive skill, "Stellar Burst," activated without warning.

The rune shone with an intensity that rivaled the heavens themselves, and Abel’s gaze lifted towards the sky, where the thorny tendrils that had stretched across the heavens began to shift.

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Slowly, almost deliberately, the thorns descended from their celestial perch, twisting and turning as they moved towards him.

The ethereal star, now materialized in front of him, pulsed with a mesmerizing light, a gravity all its own. With an almost otherworldly pull, it began to consume the descending thorns, each tendril being drawn into the radiant core like a cosmic offering. The sky above responded in kind, the immense rose-like star quivering as if tethered to Abel, its very essence being siphoned into his being.

It was a magnificent, awe-inspiring sight—a spectacle of cosmic proportions.

The skies seemed to bow to the ethereal star’s command, the thorns spiraling down and disappearing into its radiant glow. The scene was unexplainable to the average human, a phenomenon beyond comprehension, and even Abel, despite his extensive knowledge and power, found himself unable to grasp the full magnitude of what was happening.

Entranced, he sat motionless, unable to break free from the spellbinding events unfolding before him. The power of the rune, the ethereal star, and the celestial thorns all converged in a surreal dance of cosmic energy.

Abel could only watch as the colossal rose-like star in the sky seemed to be slowly drawn towards him, its once distant brilliance now intimately linked to his very essence.

Elsewhere Ike's group continued their cautious trek, the looming castle now closer than ever.

The tension in the air was palpable, each member weary from their earlier battles, yet pressing forward. Suddenly, their progress was halted as they noticed something unsettling—the thorns in the sky began to shift and writhe.

The group collectively paused, their eyes locked onto the strange, twisting thorns above.

A palpable sense of fear gripped them, an ominous feeling that something was terribly wrong. Veiled Rot’s voice broke the tense silence, his frustration evident. "What the hell is this, Mr. Zero? You never mentioned anything about the sky moving like that, Ike!"

Ike, visibly unnerved, quickly defended himself, "I swear, I’ve never seen or heard of this in the Flagbearer’s notes! This wasn’t supposed to happen!" His voice carried a note of desperation as he tried to calm the group. "We have to keep moving. We’re almost at the castle."

Just as he finished speaking, the rose-like star in the sky began to shift. The sight of it moving unnerved the group further, their fear now palpable. The once beautiful and mesmerizing celestial body seemed to awaken with a menacing intent, its thorns stretching ominously.

"Damn it! Run!" Ike shouted, his voice cutting through the mounting panic. Without hesitation, the group broke into a sprint, the castle now their only refuge from whatever unknown force was stirring the heavens.

As they raced towards their destination, a sudden and blinding light erupted from the direction Abel had taken. The light was intense, illuminating the surreal world around them. Mr. One, still harboring resentment from earlier, sneered, "Looks like Blue ran into a calamity. Serves him right for showing off."

Despite Mr. One’s dismissive words, an uneasy silence followed. The light was unlike anything they had ever seen—a beacon of raw power that hinted at events beyond their comprehension. Yet, driven by fear and the pressing need for survival, they pushed onward, the looming shadow of the castle growing ever closer.

Somewhere at the foot of a petal hill, Abel was overwhelmed with a sense of ecstatic triumph as the massive rose-like star above continued to be consumed by his ethereal star.

The entire world of flowers around him became bathed in an almost unbearable brilliance, a radiance so intense that everything was momentarily swallowed by light.

For that fleeting moment, the surreal world seemed to pause, blinded by the star’s final burst. Then, abruptly, the light was gone, plunging everything into an eerie darkness as the celestial rose vanished from the sky.

Abel’s body began to radiate with an otherworldly brilliance, a celestial glow that seemed to blur the line between mortal and divine. His skin hardened imperceptibly, taking on a faint shimmer as though imbued with the resilience of distant stars. The faint glow wasn't just an aesthetic change—it felt alive, pulsating softly, an aura of ethereal power emanating from every pore. It was as if the very essence of the cosmos had fused with his being.

Each fiber of his body thrummed with newfound vitality, an energy so overwhelming that it left Abel momentarily breathless.

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly how much his life expectancy had risen, but he was certain it had extended significantly. It felt as though time itself had slowed within him, granting him a prolonged lease on life. Each beat of his heart echoed with strength and purpose, the rhythm of his existence now carrying the weight of something far greater than himself.

His mana pool now swelled to an almost incomprehensible scale. The expansion was more than just a numerical increase; it was a transformation. The energy within him roared like a cosmic tide, brimming with raw, unbridled potential.

Abel could sense the depth of it, a boundless wellspring that promised spells of devastating potency and better endurance in battle. Where before his mana was a tool, now it felt like a living force, an extension of his will.

As the transformation took hold, Abel marveled at the changes coursing through him. His senses sharpened, his perception heightened. Colors seemed more vivid, the faint hum of the magical world around him more pronounced.

He could feel the delicate dance of mana in the air, the subtle shifts in energy that most would overlook. It was as if he had been elevated, his existence no longer tethered to the ordinary limits of human perception.

Inside his mind, his focus turned inward. The ethereal star within him floated serenely, emanating satisfaction, almost as if it relished the act of devouring the sky-bound rose.

Surrounding the star, ethereal petals drifted in a mesmerizing, slow dance, each one shimmering with concentrated starry energy.

They glimmered softly, casting faint streaks of light that painted the dark recesses of his spirit in hues of silvery blue. Each petal seemed alive, carrying a subtle hum of cosmic resonance, as though they whispered secrets of distant galaxies.

It was a peculiar addition to his inner world, but as Abel observed them, it felt as though they had always been there, waiting for this moment to reveal themselves—an extension of his celestial essence, intricately tied to the power he now wielded.

Among the petals, faint thorns began to manifest. They were subtle, ghostly outlines at first, but their presence added a contrasting weight to the otherwise serene scene. Unlike the petals, which emanated tranquility and grace, the thorns carried an edge, a faint reminder that beauty and power were often accompanied by danger. They seemed to twist and weave between the petals, almost imperceptible yet undeniably there, a quiet promise of protection and retribution within his inner cosmos.

As his consciousness delved deeper into this newfound world, something else caught his attention—a new presence that felt distinct yet harmonized with the existing energy of the star.

A second rune had appeared, its form orbiting the ethereal star with a slow, deliberate motion. Its light was enigmatic, shifting subtly as if it reflected the very fabric of the unknown. This rune wasn’t just another piece of his arsenal; it felt like a counterpart to the first, complementing its power while introducing something entirely new.

Abel reached out with his mind, and he could feel the rune’s energy radiating in waves, resonating with a rhythm unlike the first. It held a promise—an untapped wellspring of potential waiting to be explored.

It wasn’t just a tool; it was a doorway, an entirely new dimension to his abilities. Abel could sense it was tied to the ethereal star’s evolution, unlocking possibilities far beyond what he had imagined.

In that moment, he realized something profound: his inner world was growing, evolving alongside him. The petals, the thorns, and the runes were not isolated fragments—they were part of an intricate tapestry, the foundation of a power that was still in its infancy. And yet, Abel couldn’t help but wonder—how far could it grow? What lay beyond the petals and thorns, and what secrets did the new rune hold? These questions burned within him, fueling both his curiosity and his drive to understand the celestial force that now defined him.

The realization hit him—he had ascended to a Rank Two Apostle. The speed of his progression was astonishing, far beyond what he had anticipated. His mind raced with thoughts of what this new rune could mean, its potential applications, and the powerful rune spell it would grant him.

Despite the whirlwind of changes, Abel felt a profound sense of calm and satisfaction. His journey had brought him to this unexpected evolution.