Jason stepped out of the aperture. In all directions there was a salt plane stretching for infinity. In front of him was a immensely massive goliath held down by chains, each link the size of skyscrapers. He teleported on top of it and started stabbing.

Your fate is to suffer

Several days later

The giant finally died. Burning flesh chunks, ravaged by holy afflictions, the size of city blocks fell. Jason immediately looted it.

[Astral Warped Giant] has been defeated and looted.

[Astral Gate] has been looted.

700 diamond rank [Vast Quintessence] has been looted.

700 diamond rank [Flesh Quintessence] has been looted.

Ability [Defiant] has increased loot quality.

[Meridian Shattering Stone] (diamond rank) has been looted.

The entire thing dissipated in enough horrible smelling rainbow smoke to cover Australia.

"God I hate this smell," said Jason before realising he didn't need to smell and turned off the magic replicating it.

"You were right Shade. It did have a gate." yelled Jason.

"Jason sit down." Shade said.

"Why? Oh." he realised.

All attributes have reached [Diamond 0].

You are ranking up to Diamond.

Jason sat down and clenched his everything. His body was fused with his soul which lessened the spiritual strain of ranking up. His mana meridians were finally being fully merged with his body as he underwent a rebirth.

You are now Diamond Rank.

In high concentration areas of mana, your body will slowly absorb it. If it reaches a threshold, it will fully revive you after a certain period of time if you die. This effect can be nullified or increased by certain powers, afflictions and boons.

Progress to transcendent rank

Speed: (Diamond 0)

Recovery: (Diamond 0)

Power: (Diamond 0)

Spirit: (Diamond 0)

Path of the Astral King: 2/3

Some uses of the current astral artifacts can be used with minor, moderate or major backlash, depending on the use.

"Hey Shade, what's the final thing I need to be an [Astral King]?" questioned Jason.

"You need a [Soul Forge] Mr Asano. They need to be supplied with pure astral mana, so even with your luck, it's nearly impossible to find one. Anyway, we now need to find a place that has low mana density to punch a hole in reality with your [Astral Throne]. It should be mostly instinctive, but you need to specify where you want to go. Usually around the poles of planets is where we can find a place to do it though."

"Won't I die from mana starvation?"

"Your [Astral Gate] produces mana. You can never die from that, ever again. Or old age, now that you're diamond rank. Now, where do we go?"

"Need to get out of here first." said Jason.

He walked out the door and was almost hit with a silver rank fireball. Colin was in [Apocalypse Beast] form, a towering beast covered with blood, metal and red leather. Currently, Colin was attempting to swat fighter jets, silver, and gold rankers out of the air. He looked kind of like a Cthulhu octopus beast crossed with a Tyrannosaurus Rex with leather strips flinging everywhere, entangling and draining the life out of them. Jason noticed an immediate and massive increase in the maximum size, strength and speed of it as he exited the aperture. He checked the screens to see what happened.

Familiar [Colin] has advanced in rank with you.

Additional form unlocked.

* Form Six: [Bloody Plague]

This form drains biomass significantly to enter. Does not cost biomass over time.

You can choose three abilities. [Colin] will afflict any blood, poison, unholy or necrotic afflictions that those abilities would deal via biting. Any passive buff powers chosen will be applied to him. Spells can be used by a sufficient congregation of leeches. Any buff spells chosen can be used by him. Armor powers will summon miniature armor for each leech. Portal, dimensional space, familiar, and crafting powers cannot be chosen.

Useful, thought Jason.

Having a two rank advantage took away any small chance the Foundation forces had at victory. Colin started swatting the planes with thousands of leather tentacles from his form. All the silver and golds immediately started activating movement and portal powers, desperately trying to escape. Colin bit down on them, if not killing them, removing their escape methods.

* When the [Apocalypse Beast] form feeds on enemies, powers belonging to them are randomly sealed and become available to [Colin].

With all the movement buffs stolen, Colin became even faster, turning into a veritable tornado of blood and viscera. Jason could see multiple corpses being pulled in and absorbed, with some random body parts and severed heads flying around. A kidney slapped him in the face before he pushed it off with his aura.

Inside the computer system of a cloaked orbital weapons platform.

Enter code 378 Zulu Coconut 747 [REDACTED]

Approved....

Launch Fallen Star munitions.

100% of them.

Target marked.

Launching....

ETA 33 seconds.

Return to Jason.

Jason noticed a large streak of light in the air.

Surely they don't have satellite lasers?

The streaks entered his aura and smashed into the ground, detonating.

Hostile transcendent damage has entered you aura.

Aura is not suppressed.

Damage downgraded to disruptive force by [Hegemon].

Familiar [Gordon] has been killed.

Familiar [Shade] has been killed.

Jason stood in the middle of a scorched and shattered wasteland, with a Cthulhu dinosaur and no pants.

"Aww, not this again."

He resummoned his [Sanguine Raiment].