Atesh felt like a god as he flew at high speeds. He was so high up in the stratosphere that it was hard to breathe. The air was too thin, a normal person wouldn't be able to survive. But he felt comfortable all over as he breathed in the thin layer of energy particles.
He felt comfortable from the rays of the sun.
He used sovereign soul to navigate. Otherwise it would be easy to end up anywhere at his speed. He was about 50 kilometers up in the air. He did this so he wouldn't be spotted flying. He could also avoid the weird creatures in the ocean.
He used his sovereign mind to look at the land beneath him. The amount of detail one could see was ridiculous from his perspective. He noticed something interesting.
"I'm out of the territory of the ocean."
"Why are so many souls gathered in such close proximity?" Atesh was curious. He used his enhanced vision to 'zoom' into the world. But his vision was actually blocked by something!
"A shield? Why is it so massive?"
Atesh started to sky dive. Despite him getting closer, he couldn't see beyond this barrier. But he knew there was a large amount of souls gathered there.
He used his sovereign will to slow his fall as he landed on top of the barrier. It was completely white and he couldn't see through it.
He concentrated his will and hit the barrier. But the force rebounded and he was pushed back.
"So strong!" Atesh was walking on the barrier. It went on for many kilometers.
He used his mind and soul to calculate the number of people here.
"Over a 100 million..."
Atesh once again took to the skies as he looked for a way to enter. But the barrier stretched on endlessly. It was like a small country.
"I do have a way to enter..." Atesh sighed as he stood on the top.
"Devour!"
The barrier started to have waves as if it was water. A hole was opened and he fell through it. Thanks to his centuries of practice. He didn't have to worry about passing out from this.
But as he fell through the top of the barrier. He felt something was wrong. He looked up and saw that the barrier had fixed itself. But that wasn't all.
His pupils constricted as he realized he was still about 10 kilometers in the air. But what was shocking was the amount of energy particles in the air.
"There are none! This is a dead zone!"
Even the rays of the sun couldn't pass through the barrier. But the artificial brightness illuminated this massive area. It was stuck in a perpetual day.
Without energy particles or the sun. Atesh felt incredibly uncomfortable. His body had absorbed energy for over two thousand years. So he didn't instantly become weak. But he felt it was a bad idea to spend too much time here.
His 'sovereign comprehension' was built on the foundation of energy particles. He didn't have infinite energy. His power was very much a product of his environment.
His accumulation of centuries would shock any human. While he felt uncomfortable. His power could last him decades even in this environment.
This might seem like a lot of time. But to Atesh... a few decades was nothing.
He fell down rapidly until he was about to crash into the ground. He then slowed down his descent and landed.
"A wasteland..."
These were the words that came to mind as Atesh looked at his surroundings. There was no plant life, no grass, the air felt 'dead'.
There also wasn't any energy particles in the air at all. It was even worse then his homeland.
He saw large skyscrapers and cars.
"This isn't the fantastical world I expected."
It looked like a modern city. But one that had experienced an apocalypse and had its infrastructure rebuilt. The people looked lifeless.
It was as if they had never seen the sun.
Atesh closed his eyes and focused on his hearing. He heard the conversations of thousands and it seemed things were relatively normal.
"Talks of work, school, love, and entertainment. The technology seems to be advanced enough. There is even an internet. But why is this place sealed off from the rest of the world? This is just like the fog that isolated the main continent. But here, it is a barrier."
"How should I proceed?" Atesh thought about acting domineering. He had some form of self-protection. But he dismissed these thoughts.
"It's best to be low-key."
He saw a homeless man sleeping on the ground at the entrance of a skyscraper. The area was covered in trash. Atesh felt his sense of smell.
"Blood?"
He walked into an alley and found another homeless person, this time bleeding out. They looked at him silently as they were dying.
Atesh walked towards them.
Despite his Sovereign Comprehension. This wasn't mastered to the level of being able to do anything. He could understand his mind, soul, and will. But in matters regarding others. He couldn't exactly understand the secrets of the universe yet.
He touched the person who was dying's head. He then searched their soul and gained all their memories.
As he was looking through their memories. A misunderstanding happened. A cop pointed his gun at him.
"Put your hands where I can see them!"
Atesh turned around and ignored this command.
The cop shot three times.
But right before the bullets hit him. They froze in the air. Atesh had used his will to form a field in the shape of a wall. He directly 'caught' the bullets, leaving them floating in the air.
The cop was shocked and shot a few more times.
But all of them were stopped.
"Sleep!" Atesh waved his hands and the cop passed out. He then walked towards the cop and started to read his memories as well.
"Oh? This one has some secret information about what this place is?"
"Well... they don't know. But they have more information then that other human."
"Time to go undercover!"
"Unfortunately, I lack a skill that'll let me change my appearance. I don't have my pendent anymore. So my ties with mental energy aren't exactly as flexible as they were in the past."
Atesh thought about this. He hadn't spent his centuries on that island in vain. He quickly developed a technique using his comprehension. He used sovereign soul in a way that generated soul fluctuations. As long as the person didn't have a strong soul. He could subconsciously manipulate their view of reality.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Essentially, he was not changing his appearance at all. But from the eyes of others he would look a certain way. This was like casting an illusion over his real form.
He dragged Jack's body towards the homeless man. He stripped his clothes and equipment as he put one hand on each of their bodies.
"Sovereign Soul!"
Atesh started to feel pressure as he fused the soul of Jack and homeless man. He directly moved the memories and personality of that man into Jack's body. He then sealed the memories of Jack. He would now take the identity of this man.
"Now I just need to get rid of the body."
He held the dead man's body and flew up in the air at high speed. Soon he reached the barrier.
"Devour!"
A hole opened up in the barrier. He threw the man's body upwards as the hole sealed itself.
"Good luck finding that!"
He then smashed down onto the ground leaving cracks in the area.
"I almost broke my legs..." Atesh felt pressure on his body.
"I must remember, I am still squishy... If it weren't for my will manifesting in reality. I wouldn't be able to fly at all."
"Only by using my will to protect myself can I withstand these forces."
"But even that has a limit."
Atesh had learned a lot on the island. He could even shield his organs from the force. Otherwise, flying at such speeds with his body would be dangerous.
Atesh looked at the 'homeless' man who was originally a cop. The man woke up. He was confused.
"I'm alive?"
Atesh walked away and got in 'his' car.
He finished his shift and went home.
"No wife or kids. That's a good thing."
"They do have family, but not much communication."
"I'll assimilate myself into this society. I need to get a feel for this role."
Atesh stole Jack's identity and worked 'normally' for a year.
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Kweku's POV:
Kweku was the chief of police. He was currently looking at the files of a man named Jack. Everything seemed normal. But his performance this year had been remarkable. He wasn't an investigator and was just a normal cop.
But he had solved several big cases as if they were child's play.
What Kweku didn't know was that he almost had his soul searched by this person! Somnus didn't do so because he felt from his sovereign mind an impending sense of doom. His intuition told him this man was protected by a powerful existence. His soul was... contracted!
Other's might not know what this meant. But how could Somnus not know? This was a soul contract! Something he had used to enter this universe!
He wasn't powerful or capable enough to form soul contracts now, even with his sovereign soul. But this person was connected to some entity. They would feel his spying! So he had to live honestly and find a way to get close to this person.
Kweku was surprised. This man named 'Jack' seemed to had a turning point in his life. Not only was his performance insane. He had no real friends or close family.
Perhaps... He could refer this man to his god.
Somnus had no idea that even not searching the soul and working to try to get promoted would lead to him getting 'referred' to some entity!
Kweku picked up his phone and made arrangements for Jack to see him right away.
Soon... Jack arrived.
"We have been very happy with your performance. So, I plan on promoting you. To tell you the truth, there are things your level of citizenship aren't allowed to know."
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"Follow me!" Atesh frowned.
"Am I finally going to figure out why this place is sealed off from the world?"
Kweku stood up from his desk and pulled aside his painting. There was a dimly lit corridor revealed. Atesh followed him as he had asked.
Soon. He saw a magic circle.
"You can receive the blessing of God! Then your level of permissions will rise. I heard you inquired about the purpose of this world. It is to serve the great God!"
Atesh's face twitched.
"God? Hmm..."
"You must recite her esteemed name. Stand in the center of the room!"
Atesh stood in the center. He was rather curious about what this would do. He had the confidence of his sovereign soul. He also had his intuition of sovereign mind. He didn't feel the same danger that he felt when he was about to search Kweku's soul.
"Repeat after me!"
"Esteemed Semsapiel. Archangel of the Great Creator. Please bless my soul!"
Atesh thought about this. He had learned from the technique that it was dangerous to use the esteemed name of other hidden existences. It could draw their attention.
But then again. Atesh had sovereign soul. His control over it was monstrous. Just like his feat in the past when he cleansed his artificial soul. He had centuries of practice. He was looking forward to this 'battle'.
"I may be weak physically. But I am a monster in terms of the spiritual! Even if I've yet to become a hidden existence. I have confidence that they won't see through me!"
Atesh started to speak:
"Esteemed Semsapiel. Archangel of the Great Creator. Please bless my soul!"
But as he spoke. He used sovereign soul to 'split' into another soul. This was only a fraction of his soul. It was about a hundredth.
[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 99%
He finished the chant.
The magic circle lit up as he felt a warmth in his split off soul. He then felt as if chains were wrapped around it. He had become a puppet! Completely enslaved.
"Dangerous!"
He cut off the connection with the piece of soul in an instant. But at the same time, he used a trick he had learned on the brink of death. He was once about to die in the past so he tricked nonexistence into tracking his naked existence across reality. He then used devour to gain abyssal energy and recover his body. He planned to do the reverse here!
"Found you!"
He tracked back the etching of connection.
This time he sent another chunk of soul through this connection. This time the chunk was far larger.
[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 74%
He felt a pain in his head. But he ignored it as he focused on the location of this 'god'.
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Semsapiel's POV:
In the 'Kingdom of Heaven' sitting on a celestial throne.
Samsapiel heard the murmurs of a follower chanting her name.
But she felt something was wrong. The connection was cut.
"A mortal dares?"
A soul appeared in front of her.
Then a spiritual body manifested from this soul.
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"So I heard you are a 'god'?"
"I'm sorry. But that title belongs to me!"
Samsapiel was completely shocked at the stupidity of this mortal. Not only did it appear here with its soul. But it had appeared in HER realm. This was like a fish jumping onto the cutting board. But such insane actions made her feel that she wasn't dealing with a normal mortal.
Somnus himself realized this was a suicidal action. But he did this for two reasons.
1.) He had created a separate soul and sent it.
While he did suffer damage from this. He had experience with soul injuries before. His sovereign soul could repair his soul rather quickly. He looked at this situation sort of like him being a gecko. The 'god' that was a predator had grabbed his 'tail'. He could release it to run away at any time.
2.) He was SOMNUS!
Somnus had felt that he had become a little too careful. He had spent centuries cultivating on an island away from the 'action'. His current identity as 'Jack' wasn't traceable back to the elf named Atesh. His soul he split had no clues in its memories.
This was a suicide mission! He wanted to see what the power of a 'god' was like.
He just barely maintained the connection with this incarnation he had created. The moment it was destroyed. He would cut the connection completely.
The angel was cautious and confused by this mortal. It had never seen something so cocky and arrogant. This was ridiculous!
She tried to sound as calm as possible. But anger was slipping through her voice.
"Who are you?"
Atesh was struck with an insane idea. He wasn't able to open up a connection to F554. But what if this person was powerful enough? Perhaps he could reveal his identity as Somnus?
He then dismissed such thoughts. He didn't feel like building such a powerful enemy when he was in his infancy.
"My name? I don't have one!"
"..."
The angel snapped her fingers and his spiritual body was sent flying.
"An attack on the spiritual level? Heh."
His soul had received too much damage!
"You survived one of my attacks? You are the first mortal to do so. Such a strong soul."
The angel was about to wipe him out!
"Wait!"
"My shoe is untied!"
The angel was confused. This was a spiritual body. It wouldn't have such problems... Perhaps this mortal was just... dumb?
In the small instance of time he gained from confusion.
"Devo-!"
Somnus had tried to use devour. But the angel killed him immediately!
Kweku looked at the reaction of the ritual and congratulated 'Jack'.
"Oops! She also found me..."
He ran up the corridor in instant and fled.
A holy presence descended and controlled Kweku's body. They looked around the room for the threat.
"He ran away?"
The angel searched the memories of the chief to see who this person was.
"Jack Nitor..."
Atesh walked outside of the station and started to fly. He ignored the attention and astonishment of the surrounding people.
"It's time to leave..."
Soon Atesh reached the barrier. He used devour and opened up a hole. He then passed through it as it closed. He continued to fly higher and higher.
Until he was around 50 kilometers in the air.
He then relaxed.
"That was a bit insane. But it was fun!"
"I learned something important from this exchange. There is another realm in this universe. There is a hidden party that has isolated an entire continent just like in my homeland. If I am also at 25% soul stability. I can withstand an attack on the spirit by a 'angel'."
What Somnus didn't know. Was that a widespread search had begun looking for his fake identity.
But there would only be disappointment as he was long gone! They wouldn't suspect that he possessed an ability that allowed him to freely pass through the barrier.
Atesh felt the sun and energy particles. He started to absorb them. It had been a year since he had replenished his energy.
He started to meditate in the stratosphere.
[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 90%
[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 95%
[ECHO]: Soul stability is at 100%
"I've fully recovered!"
"I still have not found any supernatural systems. Everyone in that barrier had no access to energy particles. They were just regular people. This place seems to have some sort of connection with the gods. Maybe it is a big experiment."
"This world is a lot larger then expected. I'll use my ability to feel soul to find another gathering of people. Surely all of them won't be in this weird state."
Atesh started to fly forward.