Alexia

As it turns out, it is not, in fact, time to break this stupid heart. Because even after that first crack in the heart, I don’t see any other visible changes despite hammering away at it for another five minutes.

Which means it’s going to be a slow process.

Great.

So Luna and I continue going around in circles fighting off parasites and damaging the black heart. For hours. And hours. And hours.

It ends up taking about three hours for another crack to appear on the heart, then another four after that for a third crack. Followed shortly after by another two cracks in the next hour.

And after one more hour passes, something new happens with the next crack. Black liquid begins to leak out of the newest crack.

Black liquid that doesn’t actually form a parasite.

It just pools at the bottom of the chamber.

“Luna!” I shout while teleporting backwards. And after she lets out a squeaky roar, I continue, “Keep an eye on the black liquid on the floor of the chamber!”

She lets out another squeaky roar as I hear her voice faintly pass me her confirmation through our bond that she heard me.

I focus on the black heart again as more black liquid continues flowing down from the crack and into the growing puddle at the bottom of the chamber. Then I go back to attacking the black heart again for another few hours, making a few more cracks appear. Each of which begin leaking black liquid as well.

If I had to guess, the black blood at the bottom will end up forming a parasite as well. But it won’t form until enough of it is here. And it’ll be far larger than the other parasites.

What I’m not sure about though is how this will work. Will the thing form right before the heart is about to finally die? Will it form after the thing’s heart is destroyed and we’ll have to fight it until The Horror dies.

Or maybe this thing is The Horror itself. Maybe it’s like some sort of avatar or small clone of it.

I frown without pausing in my onslaught against the black heart.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Whatever happens, it’s the only thing I can think of to take down The Horror. So I’ll see what I see when I see it.

One crack appears in the heart after another, and after the thing is covered in cracks, I turn my attention away from the thing to focus on the parasites chasing after Luna. Then I raise both my hands and send a flood of quantum flames straight at the parasites chasing her. And as I do that, I begin to get a flood of even more System messages than I was already getting from Luna’s fighting. To the point that my level rises every several seconds.

It just goes up and up and up. All the way till I reach the level cap of Tier 4 and the long awaited System Message appears in my vision as it echoes in my head.

{Congratulations! You have leveled up to the level cap of Tier 4! In order to break into Tier 5, you must complete the following requirements based on your class: Retrieve your Quantum Core and become a True Quantum Reaper. Reap the life of a Corruptor. Kill three targets at the cap of Tier 4. Raise Energy Manipulation to Tier 4.}

I teleport away from both the heart and the parasites as I read through the System Message. And I immediately furrow my brows in confusion at what I read.

What’s a Corruptor? And… what does it mean by ‘targets’?

For the former, the only thing I can really think of is the ‘corruption’ thing that was mentioned before by the Quantum Architect. But he never actually explained what that was. All I know is that the Quantum Vanguard is in charge of ‘leading the charge against the corruption’, and the Quantum Cleaner is in charge of erasing ‘corrupted planes’. Whatever those are.

I continue teleporting through the parasites while wiping them away with Quantum Breath as I think about the requirements.

Maybe this is related to the role of the Quantum Reaper? Reaping the lives of corruptors?

But those ‘targets’… that could also be part of my role.

Maybe the universe designates threats for me to eliminate or something?

My mind drifts to thoughts about Mom’s punishment by the Judge.

Something like that? It would make sense. But for harsher punishments.

As for the thing about my Quantum Core? That’s the thing I need to get my complete true form, so I already had plans to get it.

The requirement to raise Energy Manipulation to Tier 4 will be a challenge though. It took me months just to bring it to Tier 3 after all, and the speed for it to progress has drastically decreased since.

Guess that means I’ll be spending quite a while taking more lessons from the Architect.

I’ll also have to ask him about these Corruptors and targets. Because if anyone knows, it’ll be either him or the Quantum Ruler.

Luna and I continue to wipe out the parasites, with her finally turning around and sending her own Quantum Breath attacks at the thing until we finally clear them all out. Every last one.

Or, rather, every last one that isn’t immune to magic.

Those I handle by slicing them apart with my polearm.

But even those don’t last for much longer before Luna and I finish clearing them all out. Leaving the two of us alone floating high above the large pool of black liquid at the bottom of the chamber. Just staring at the black heart that is still leaking out the black liquid.

None of the liquid turns into parasites anymore though, instead filling the pool even more.

I glance at Luna before meeting her gaze, nodding once, and returning my attention to the heart.

We’ll take a very short break to recover some soul before finishing this heart off.