Chapter 49

Transcendence

Frank’s consciousness and body were floating. At least that is how everything felt.

There was an odd dissociative dissonance that he felt within his very bones as his mind and body seemed to desperately cling to any form of normalcy. The only problem was, once they did, his mind’s consciousness would shift ever so slightly.

He was floating, in what had to be a liquid gel of some kind. The only thing was that despite being submerged, he could breathe just fine. Though there was something off about the way he was now experiencing the world.

It took him a moment to realize why he felt so off about the whole thing, but then finally it came to him. The reason he felt off was due to the fact that his ability to feel and use energy had been cut off.

Somehow, either by the odd coating of the weird breathable liquid he found himself submerged in, or by the very location he now found himself in, all sensations his mind associated with the elements were gone.

Though this wasn’t true, as Frank’s deep conscious said that he could still feel energy. The only thing was, where he currently felt his mind, and where his body was at, were two different locations.

In a way this was like the moment when he found himself about to die from heat stroke and lack of food on Death Row. That odd moment when his mind seemingly left his body, only to be saved.

However rather than going out and seeing the Dark Queen, or even the Dark Warlock, this time he was met with a room purged of all stimuli.

Just when he was about to wonder if he failed the test, if this was the punishment for not getting the participation badge, he thought he won. At his moment of doubt, that is when angelic voices began singing to him.

The words were odd, as if spoken through crisp water. Then realizing where he was, Frank wondered if this odd fluid like substance that he found his mind in was the reason the voice sounded so odd.

“What?” Frank asked, or he tried to ask, only to find that once he opened his mouth to speak, the strange liquid filled his mouth causing him to almost gag. The only thing was, he couldn’t choke on the liquid. But he also couldn’t speak with his mouth full of the strange liquid like substance either.

Then another part of his mind wondered if he was even meant to speak in here at all, as his body was elsewhere, far away, laying unconscious. Of that much, Frank was certain, his one or two pulses to his body confirming this much for him.

Dark silhouettes.

While Frank was going through his mini existential crisis of nearly drowning, only to find that he was perfectly fine he saw figures appear.

These figures seemed to float as if either swimming horizontally or flying through the air.

Again, it was clear that these beings who appeared to be hidden were trying to communicate with Frank. However his mind was either unwilling to, or incapable of communicating with these creatures.

“What?” Frank mouthed, knowing that he couldn’t talk in the strange fluid like substance, so instead he hoped that he could get his concept across through open actions and mouthing the words.

Seeing his confusion, the speaking voices all paused mid-song and just stared at Frank. Then after staring at Frank for a moment, this was apparent based on the movement of the long sharp heads of the creatures. Then Frank could almost feel their attention bearing down on him and causing his skin to bristle slightly at the presence.

Then as one, they seemed to sense the presence of each other, as they all broke their gaze from Frank at once. Only to turn towards each other where they seemed to exchange thoughts on a subsonic level.

Frank could feel and even see slight ripples in the clear liquid that surrounded him. These ripples bounced back and forth between the different beings for a moment.

Finally, after an excruciatingly long time, they nodded and apparently thought Frank was too dumb to talk to. Instead, they went with pictures.

In particular they showed a picture of the area around where Frank currently was. From there, the image began expanding out, showing the lush vegetation over the ground. Then the nearby instructors who were waiting and watching.

Just as the image started to pull back, a surge of insectoid creatures began flooding out of the open and multiple hidden tunnels all around. But it was clear that the surging insects were not of concern. As the scene continued to zoom out again, and again.

Finally, Frank saw, or rather felt a number of markers appear all around the world.

The first and most recognizable marker was at the prison that Frank had previously escaped from. At least that is what Frank thought at first. But then Frank noticed how the marker began to zoom in again.

However, the longer he watched, the more he saw the marker move to be under the prison. There were deep tunnels just outside the prison on the back side. This was the side that allegedly was also there for a reason, but that reason had long since been lost to time.

Seeing the spot, Frank wondered where the other markers were, but quickly realized that while there had been a myriad of other spots around the world. This was the one that Frank was supposed to go to.

“There?” Frank mouthed, again not able to talk through the breathable liquid, but still able to pantomime and point.

Nodding.

The strange shadow creature just nodded its elongated head that never seemed to fully solidify.

Then as if to ensure everything was coherent, a golden arrow appeared, pointing straight to the spot just beyond the walls of the super max prison. As the arrow appeared, the tail end of the arrow began elongating and causing a straight path to appear.

Following the path, Frank found it almost to be an exact mapping of the path he took to get here. First the trail went through Death Row, then to the great walled city. From there it kept going east to and through the partially destroyed Academy, past the main capital, then continuing down lands that have been overrun by corrupted creatures. Until finally back here.

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Again, once the image landed on the immediate surroundings of this area, Frank saw the giant corrupted insectoid super ants going wild. Their vast numbers and sudden emergence seemed to catch many of the nearby instructors off guard, as a few were already killed. While others were desperately fighting to save their lives.

While the instructors were easily able to take down ten or more of the insectoids with ease, there were hundreds more to deal with.

Once back, Frank wanted to stop the feed, to pause to see if there was a way he could stop to view the field. To see if there was something he could do to help.

Then a concern arose, as he wondered where exactly he was on this map. Only for the arrow to seemingly end at a space far off in the distance.

Looking at the spot, it was a relatively remote area. One that was hidden deep within the corrupted forests, which normally would mean death for anyone. But for Frank it didn’t seem to bother him, particularly as there were no surging monster insects nearby.

Instead, all he had to deal with was the seemingly hidden facility that rested just below the surface of the earth. Then once realizing where he was, and that he was safe, the image once again shifted.

This time, the image showed a long slow path, following the golden line and arrow again. As if trying to scorch the exact path needed to take within Frank’s mind. The path back out was slower, but this seemed to be done deliberately. Not to show the impact of the monsters storming out of their hidden hive and now being mowed down by the automated defenses of the nearby SERE training base.

But to seemingly make sure that Frank could see notable landmarks along the way. As if to prove this, the feed would stop occasionally, before circling large and clearly obvious landmarks along the way. Large mountains, rivers, giant craters, anything and everything could and would be pointed out to show the path needed to take.

The highlighted path even showed a path that completely bypassed the school, all human civilization. This was highlighted especially, as if it knew that Frank would be tempted to go back to his own society for a bit.

Then once that was done, there was even a secret underground route that led under the walled city, and let out on the far end of Death Row.

The path provided showed that the path past death row was elevated, and all but encouraging him to avoid going down on the main road area. A fact that Frank agreed with, remembering how he nearly died the last time he was on the hot asphalt track.

Apparently, that asphalt track had at one point been a ten-lane superhighway, whatever those are.

Then following a parallel path to the highway, Frank was shown a way to bypass the prison entirely and head to the dirt spot that otherwise looked entirely unimpressive.

However, seeing the stone, Frank paused wondering what about it seemed familiar. Only to finally realize that it seemed to be an exact copy of the image of earth that was on his left arm, even now.

Seeing the image, Frank could only nod in understanding. The intention was clear, Frank would get there, and then use his newly learned earth badge to help open the clearly hidden door and begin his next training.

At least that is what Frank assumed.

Seeing the image, Frank again went to pantomiming, pointing first to the mark on his left arm. Then to the door, while looking at the dark floating silhouette.

Upon noticing Frank’s actions the misty floating creature nodded its long snout like face, before slowly disappearing into vapors.

Just as the giant map that had been glowing brightly before his mind’s eye also blinked out of existence.

After that, slowly the world around Frank began to crumble and dissolve. Giant liquid bubbles began to dissolve and float upwards, as if getting vaporized into space. Meanwhile, Frank felt a tether pulling him down to his body. He could feel his detached psyche getting yanked back into his body with surprising speed. Still, for a moment his psyche seemed to float in the vacuum of space, where he could not breath, and suddenly felt lost without the strange comfort of the breathable liquid surrounding him.

Fortunately, that feeling of suffocation was fleeting as he quickly found his mind, body, and soul realigning almost instantly with a thud.

GASP!

Frank lurched upwards from an apparent deep slumber. His hand clutching his chest, as his lungs pulled in deep breaths of air.

Panting.

Frank still clutching his chest began to breath rapidly as he tried to makes sense of everything he just felt. Even now he could feel parts of the dream, for that was all it could have been, a dream, fading away. Details of the silhouetted creatures, how they sounded, all of those began to fade. Leaving only the clear location of the spot behind the prison he had already been to once, burned brightly into his mind. The location behind the prison, and the way the door almost seemed to be an exact perfect copy of his newly formed Initiate Participation Badge.

Though Frank wondered if there was something more to the Initiate Participation Badge than he originally thought. At first, it sounded condescending, but now he wondered if there was more to it, or if this whole dream was his mind somehow adding meaning to something that didn’t have meaning.

Looking around, Frank found that he was in a single person room.

There was a bed with some clear magical markings and residual energy patterns enlaced on it. Then next to that was an update panel. At least it is what Frank considered to be an update panel as it was similar to the ones that Frank used to track his own progress at the Academy.

Now seeing it, Frank was curious if it would track any of his new accomplishments. Or if they were just part of an odd hallucination that he happened to be experiencing.

Placing his hand on the reader, he paused as he felt a faint but familiar pulse of energy fill his body. Then before his eyes, he saw a projection of his current status.

Name: Frank Fotos Status: Re-Awakened. MOS: Combat Medic Body Cultivation Level XII. Core Value XV. Talent: F-Rank Energy Eyes**, Regeneration**, Poison Resistance**, Death Resistance** S-Rank: Negative Life Energy Manipulation, Negative Earth Energy Manipulation

Strength: 14 (Above Average) + 36 + 6 = 55

Dexterity: 15 (Above Average) + 36 + 6 = 56

Agility: 14 (Above Average) + 36 + 6 = 55

Mind: 12 (Average) + 36 + 6 = 53

Power: 57 (Way Above Average) + 4 = 61

Willpower: 20 (Above Average) + 6 = 26

Hidden Primary Power Rating: 100 / 100.

Hidden Auxiliary Power Rating: 100 / 100.

Markings:

Greater Healing Mark: +15% Power, +15% Efficacy

Dark Warlock Marking: +15% Control

Dark Queen Marking: +15% Power

Initiate Participation Badge Awarded: Earth Energy

Auxiliary Nodes: Earth

For the first time since he could recall, the part for S-Rank talent had finally been identified. The fact that they were noted as Negative Life Energy Manipulation, and Negative Earth Energy Manipulation seemed somewhat lacking. Also, Frank was fairly certain that despite having them marked on this reader, the regular readers would not be able to identify this energy type.

Still, this did go to show that at least part of this whole process had been real. For a moment, Frank had questioned his sanity, wondering whether this was an odd SERE induced dream brought about by poor sleeping standards, and being pushed beyond mortal limits.

There was also the mark that he was once again at full energy, though he sort of expected this based on the way each stage completion seemed to completely replenish his energy reserves.

Now that he was here, Frank looked around, trying to see if there was anything else in the room.

But the room was relatively bare.

Only having the bed, the reader, and a few ambient energy crystals that came to life once he stood up. Pausing for a moment, Frank lay back down on the bed, and saw that the lights being emitted from the crystals slowly began to dim, until they were completely out.

Sitting up again, the lights came on in full force and seemed to brighten the room completely. Showing every corner, and showing that there was just a bed, a bit of room to walk and move about in, and a door separated by two steps up.

The purpose of this room was clear, it was meant to house him after his trials, and give him a chance to rest comfortably.

Trying to pulse out his energy outwards, Frank found that he could only see, or rather use his energy to sense the inside of this room. For all intents and purposes, the entirety of life began and ended in this room. At least according to his senses.

Outside, Frank wondered if he would be able to see or experience the roaming insects that were destroying the SERE outpost. Or was that just a hallucination?

Honestly, Frank couldn’t tell.

The only thing that Frank could tell was that somehow this room seemed to be immune to energy, at least the way Frank had come to understand energy.

That might be part of why this small little space had never been found before. Remembering back, Frank thought he knew exactly where this little bunker was, buried slightly under the ground, and hidden away from all senses, even magical ones.

While there was no food here, Frank didn’t need any real food, not while he was full of energy.

That said, Frank didn’t know when he would be presented with a more perfect place to make his next breakthrough.

As long as he was here, he was safe, hidden, and untouchable.

The moment he left, all bets to his safety would be off.

For that, Frank decided to lie back down and think about his situation.

He was still tired, immensely so. SERE training was no joke. Nor was completing the trials that had been presented to him.

Not only was he thankful that he got the bonuses, which were all clearly applied. He also had the chance to break through to the next layer of cultivation, which was exactly what he intended to do in this room.

As Frank mentally prepared himself for what was going to happen, it hit him that this room was likely devised just for providing a safe spot for a breakthrough.

Of course, there were still other concerns. Like what Frank would do once he got out of here, if there would be a SERE base remaining once he was done, and most importantly what was hidden behind that secret door. All of these were things that Frank fully intended to find out and discover, but for now he had one task that superseded all others.

“Time to break through,” Frank said, as he closed his eyes and began the painful and time-consuming process of condensing his core and increasing his chances of survival but just the tiniest of percentages.

Crackle.

Frank felt his core beginning to break apart and shed its outer layers the way it had so many times before. However this time the process seemed different.

This time the process was a bit easier, his movements of the dueling energy types felt smoother within his mental grasps, a sign of all his training paying off. Just when he felt things would finally be easy, he heard it.

Clink, clatter, clink-clink.

That is when the echoing sound of not one but hundreds of legs crawling over and around the outside of the metal sphere that Frank now found himself in could be heard.

Hearing the sound, Frank realized that both the vision of the oversized ants with additional appendages surging out was both real, and that they had apparently extended out to his current location.

Scuttle-scurry.

At this point, Frank realized just how vulnerable of a situation he was in. He was stuck deep behind enemy lines, surrounded by surging insectoid monsters, all while not having a completed core due to his current state of improvements.

“Of course it wouldn’t be easy,” Frank muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and continued his breakthrough, hoping that the odd ancient structure he was in held up long enough to the mounting swarm of monsters surrounding him.