Noah took the Morwo herb and placed it on his tongue like others. He took care not to press on it hard. He wasn't so curious to take his chances against the possible consequences of swallowing down such a potent substance. Neither was he stupid to ignore the obvious warnings even if they were given by someone he disliked very much.
Though, sometimes the World just gives a middle finger to you and your plans. With just a drop of liquid trickling down his throat, his body decided to go haywire. Dizziness came first. He shook his head trying to steady himself but it had little to no effect. If it was just that, he would have chalked it up as normal reactions when ingesting this herb. Rylee did say it would be disorienting. It was the following spasms and twitches in his body that rang the warning bells in his mind. It was definitely something not good.
His entire body felt numb in spite of his constant attempts at movement. Then, he experienced a familiar sensation. His mind became oddly calm and rational. That being said, he was not overwhelmed by it like last time. It was much milder in comparison to that time with Vanadis and whatever magic she used on him.
This gave him the opportunity to inspect his situation. Checking up on himself, he was intrigued by what he was feeling. It was like a curtain was placed between him and his senses. They felt muted but he could still discern his surroundings if he concentrated on the sensations. The entire state was indeed quite disorienting. He tried to glimpse at his fellow Trainees but saw no extreme reactions among them. Were they suppressing it like himself or was he the only one to feel it?
Whatever may be the case, it wasn't an issue as he settled down gradually and gained back some control over his body. His body loosened in relief. He was really worried about his condition. Thankfully, it subsided down. Putting aside the concerns, Noah could resume his meditation.
Closing his eyes, Noah felt his senses continue to distance until they became a distant feeling in his mind. With the added effect of the herb, he was calm the entire time. He tried to meditate by concentrating within and inspecting his body. To his surprise, he was able to sense his internals with ease. He could make out the rhythmic pulsing of blood within his veins and arteries, the thumping beat of his heart, the contraction of his lungs, the shifting of his intestines to speak a few.
It gave him a whole new understanding of his body and its functioning. Every part worked like cogs in the giant machine which was his body. Never would he have thought he would be able to do this. It may seem insignificant in this new world but to him and most likely everyone from Earth, it was otherworldly.
He wanted to experiment with this new state to research what he was capable of. Trying to diagnose his body, there was some feedback he felt. He got excited over the discovery. Concentrating back, he was able to pinpoint some areas where his body wasn't able to properly function. He was able to understand that his lower body muscles were cramped with a large buildup of lactic acid. There were also bruises in his upper body from the spar and training.
He was feeling out his muscles which pulsed with his will. Not to mention he was even able to exert control over obscure ones.
Suddenly, he got a seemingly implausible idea. He tried to control his heartbeat. This took considerable effort on his part but eventually, he was able to lower his heartbeat slightly. There was an instinctual understanding by his body on how to do it. It was as if he was just rediscovering his abilities.
He wasn't going to stop here. His confidence was bolstered by his successful attempt. He tried different things with his body. Though, only disappointed greeted him when he wasn't able to do much besides increasing his blood flow. He still was able to get a reaction out of his other organs but knew he wasn't proficient in meditation.
He felt that he could do much more with practice. Diverting his attention to the other vital parts, he examined his brain and nervous system. Focusing on his spine, he could vaguely make out the electric impulses traveling through the spinal cord to the limbs and back to the brain. He followed along fascinated with the processes.
Reaching his brain, it instantly felt different. There was something else he couldn't quite put a finger to now. Despite being aware of its existence, it was elusive to his senses. Dissatisfied by that, he increased his efforts. His mind concentrated to the utmost as he honed on that elusive feeling. He was eventually able to grasp onto it.
And would you know it, the feeling turned out to be the sixth sense he had felt during his meeting with Vanadis. He didn't let go of it and probed further. It was as if something clicked inside his body. if he were to describe the experience, it would be like his third eye opened up. He felt a sudden rush of energy as a euphoric feeling took hold of his senses. He couldn't help but cry out.
"WHOAAA"
His physical senses were cut off suddenly. Before he could panic, he found himself in an unknown environment.
Noah's pupils shrank unconsciously as he saw something mind-boggling through his newly discovered mystical sense.
There was no ground for him to stand on. He was floating in the empty void of space. Or somewhere similar to that. If he were to make a guess, he could be inside a nebula. For he was surrounded by beautiful & deadly azure mist. Glancing around, he saw a silent explosion happen above him bursting the clouds in a shower of azure. Vibrant colors cascaded down and passed through him. He tried to paddle around in order to move away but wasn't quite able to avoid the colossal clouds of cosmic dust.
A single touch from the dust and he was gripped and thrown around the cosmos.
Getting yanked out of that place and thrust into another, he felt himself getting squeezed through space as a sense of vertigo dominated him. A myriad of colors assaulted his senses as he found himself in an oven.
Not in a literal sense but because everywhere he could see, there was only fire and flames.
After looking around, he was somehow able to make out a few figures in the distance. I guess it should be somewhat expected when he saw that they were fiery creatures inhabiting this world. Before he could inspect further, the sensation returned.
He didn't like this feeling for obvious reasons. The nausea and dizziness increased the more time he spent in this colorful tunnel. Arriving at his new destination, he couldn't be more relieved.
The sentiment lasted not for long as he realized where he was dumped.
The new place differed quite a lot from the first one. For starters, It had a ground. Secondly, Instead of few creatures, he was dropped in the middle of a fucking war in some part of hell. Demonic beings with horns and tails were gutting each other out. Gnawing and ripping sound accompanied by shrieking howls and roars registered to him from his surroundings.
The backdrop wasn't reassuring him either. The place he met Vanadis was nothing compared to what he was seeing. The ground had lava flowing around with a strong sulfuric smell in the air. The dusky reddish sky made the scene feel even more gloomy.
What worried him more were the magma-bathed demons who looked to be gargantuan compared to the others. No, it wasn't their height that was his primary concern. They may pack a nasty punch but it was the torrential rain of flames towering like skyscrapers around them that scared him out of his wits.
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The only saving grace was that the demons here didn't seem to see him. He himself felt he wasn't present in this place physically. That was until one of those hell demons turned to gaze at him. A chilling sensation erupted in his being. He was considering getting the hell out of here. Whatever was behind this, it seemed to have heard his pleas as the feeling surfaced back.
His gratitude at the timing didn't last long as vertigo caught up to him.
The transfers were getting quicker. Scenes from various worlds were imprinted in his mind. Places familiar and unfamiliar. Some filled with life, some with death while the majority were lifeless with nary a soul in sight. Some felt inviting to life while others felt malicious and dark.
If he had not been getting thrashed around the multiverse, Noah would have loved seeing the numerous sights of the Multiverse.
His consciousness was slipping up the more times he phased around. Right before he couldn't handle it anymore, something halted him leaving him stranded in the middle of nowhere.
...
On the outside, only a few dozen seconds had passed. Seeing his condition worsening by the second, Knight Rylee didn't hesitate. His figure rushed forward with a step. Placing his hand on Noah's chest, he flooded the body with his Ki shutting it down and sending him into unconsciousness but he knew the problem wasn't solved yet.
Taking out a runic amulet from his pouch, he poured mana into it to send a signal for help.
He was about to notify others of the situation when Shaun and Ava asked in concern.
"Is he okay?" "What was wrong with him?"
Rylee continued monitoring Noah's condition while responding to the two.
"I'm afraid it isn't over yet, Wait for some time, help is coming."
"Please, save him." Ava pleaded to Rylee. She was dreading over what had happened to Noah. Could there be something wrong with his leaf? There wasn't much effect felt by her except a soothing sensation which was still doing its job in keeping her calm.
"I'm doing whatever I can but this is way out of my expertise."
His amulet started pulsating. Noticing that, Rylee tossed it on the ground. A runic inscription circle sprouted out of the ground centering on the amulet. With a flash of azure light, a figure appeared in the circle.
Everyone paying attention to their surroundings got surprised at the sudden appearance. More so when they recognized him as the same person they had seen on the balcony with the knights the other day.
Similar to that day, He was draped in his luxurious robe over formal wear.
"Viscount" Rylee saluted the noble walking out by placing his fist on his chest.
"What's the situation?"
"His energies started fluctuating after taking a Morwo herb. If it was a case of overdose, it would have only made him unstable for a short time. Worst case it would have put him into a state of induced coma till its effect recedes sometime later. Instead, it continued increasing. I had to suppress his outburst using my Ki."
"Let me check on it." His eyes glowed as he scrutinized Noah's figure. After few moments, his gaze widened in astonishment. He remarked to Rylee.
"It seems we have got a Gifted in our midst." He shut his eyes and opened them with the glow fading out.
"Never thought this kid would be one." Knight Rylee couldn't hide the surprise in his tone. A Gifted was something he didn't expect. It was something even rare than Awakened. He could recall Viscount was one of them.
"So, is he okay?" Ava interrupted their conversation.
The Viscount turned to look at the two who were peeking at Noah's figure with concern.
"And you're-"
"His friends" It was Shaun who answered this time.
"He will be fine." The noble reassured them a bit too soon.
As just shortly after that, Noah's body began thrashing.
The viscount hurried to check his status. His brows frowned as he said.
"This shouldn't be happening."
"What's wrong?" Ava asked.
"He should have calmed down. It was just his sensitivity acting up. He isn't used to feeling mana. His body overreacting is normal but this is not just that. His soul is acting up. Something is causing harm to his soul."
"Can't you do something?" She didn't like what his statements were hinting at.
"I will try my best." Placing his hands on Noah's body, he closed his eyes in concentration. An azure glow traveled from his center through his hands out into Noah's body.
A tense silence engulfed the place as everyone gazed at Noah's continually increasing struggles.
The noble wasn't looking thrilled by this development. Drops of sweat slid down his forehead as he tried to fend off the turbulent mana in his soul.
Everyone had mostly declared him gone.
It was then that Noah became tranquil all of a sudden. The abrupt change caught everyone off-guard.
The noble stood up slowly in a daze, surprised like others.
"His condition has stabilized." He stated absent-mindedly as if he could not believe the outcome.
Noticing his odd behavior, Rylee whispered.
"Everything alright?"
"It should be fine. He should recover consciousness in a few hours. I will keep watch just in case. It's just that he should be dead by now. Despite my attempts, I wasn't able to get rid of his ailment. He somehow did it on his own."
The two men stared at Noah's figure surrounded by his friends and the other Trainees as they thought over the implications of this event.
...
Zone B3, Sector EZ-231
An unconscious figure floated around in space, millions of kilometers away from the nearest celestial body.
Harsh light rays hitting his face brought Noah out of his stupor. He shook off the dazed look and assessed his surroundings.
What he could understand was that he was in some solar system. A Star was hanging overhead warming him up. Shouldn't he be burning from the heat? Whatever, he wasn't about to question it now.
'Ooh' He looked away from it as the sun glare was killing his non-physical eyes.
Turning around, he saw a planet not so different from Earth. It looked like a blue marble from where he could see. There was also a satellite moon revolving around it. He was a bit confused because the moon looked a little too close for comfort. If he remembered correctly, Earth's moon was hundreds of thousands of kilometers apart. They should be quite distant. Then again, this wasn't Earth.
Though, something felt off to him. It didn't feel natural.
Focusing on the moon, he noticed some movement.
His heart skipped a beat as the moon revealed itself in all its haunting glory.
Tentacles sprung forth from its sides enveloping a large part of the Planet. A gaping maw churning down the planet came into the light giving an invitation to the Abyss.
In the face of this impossibility that was the creature, Noah could only hope to get away from this place as soon as he can.
He could feel its spine crawling gaze from the vast distance. Thousands of eyes turned in his direction. Making direct eye contact with the abomination in space didn't fare well for him.
'AHHHHH!'
An agonizing pain flared up inside him. Noah was feeling something crumbling inside him.
He couldn't even. I. He. It. A@#*! --------
His mind was becoming an unrecognizable mess. All he could feel was pain.
His mind was about to be consumed in despair when a sliver of hope emerged. He heard a feminine voice in his mind.
"You don't play around. Do you, Noah?"
The pain disappeared as if it was not even there.
Unbeknownst to him, a foreign energy purged the malicious mana sticking to his soul.
Recognizing the familiar voice, he tried responding through his thoughts.
'Vana-' The pain flared again.
"You need to rest, kid. That Xorz Dweller did a number on you. I have restored your soul but you shouldn't exert yourself."
'Yeah' That was all Noah could muster before his consciousness started slipping.
The same energy sent him to sleep as it got to recovery. Noah's body gradually became transparent before disappearing completely.
'How can someone be this unlucky. I mean, what are the chances of someone triggering Astral Projection by accident and coming face to face with a Demi-god. I don't know if he is a genius or an idiot. Most likely a bit of both.' She was thinking over the absurdity of the situation but a disturbance in space halted her thoughts.
'Now, time to take care of the big bug.'
Illusory eyes formed dwarfing even the planet. The Dweller capable of consuming entire planets was already evoking warp travel, discarding its decades-long project.
"Not so fast. You shouldn't have attacked something that is mine. I don't take it very nicely."
Space itself froze around the sector. Teleportation spells and spatial skills were rendered useless in the whole region.
Despite having his escape attempt thwarted, the dweller still didn't face her. Instead, it fleed using its telekinetic tentacles.
A chuckle resounded in space.
"Am I this scary? Well, I wouldn't have it any other way. Have your own medicine."
The mythical Chaos Eyes presented itself in the Multiverse after eons. A ghostly radiance burst out of the eyes.
The Dweller became still all of a sudden before chaos ensued. The vast majority of its tentacles turned to attack their own body. A gory mess erupted as it ripped itself apart. Innards and fluids flew around the space.
Within a dozen minutes, only a broken husk remained of the once destroyer of civilizations.
'That was fun. I hadn't let loose since forever. Noah should get in fatal danger more often.' She thought jokingly before continuing.
'I better move, pesky ones should be coming soon.'
The eyes left the space leaving an apocalyptic scene for others to witness.