When Sofia came back to her senses again, she was floating in outer space near the Sun. Creation was waiting in front of her, observing her reaction, while Pareth was floating a bit further away.
Sofia took a deep breath. “Th- There’s air here?”
I made it. Clint casually said, still in his female form. So that you can communicate easier. We’re almost done, you alright?
“I’m a bit shaken… But I should be alright. I think.”
We’re almost done so I covered you up a bit. You should put the crown back on right now.
“Right… Why are we so close to the sun, again?”
Clint smirked, Just a bit of insurance for you. I don’t put it beyond our enemies to try something now, this is a crucial step to your progression that could be easily disturbed, so we can’t allow interference. Lina’s out there with the radiant slut s-
A bright ray of light shot from the sun and Clint was no more.
Sofia was taken about for all of a second until the muscular woman reformed out of thin air.
Aherm, as I was saying, Lina’s out there with Sun to make sure no one tries anything… Oh…. Clint looked in the direction of the Sun with a surprised expression.
“Is something else happening? How did you even convince Sun to come help?”
More people have come to watch is all. ‘S for Sun, she came by herself, curious to see if you’ll survive the Inquisitor’s rune, she said.
“More people? Who, Grandma Erredis? Also, didn’t Alith survive the Orator’s rune just fine?”
Yeah, the plague dragon and the bone scourge. Quite the duo of backers you got yourself. And, huh, your friend had some trouble getting through it but she managed. The thing is, the rune’s manifestation gets stronger with the heart’s rank.
“Oh. That could indeed be an issue. I feel that it should be fine, though. I can wear the glove now, right?” Sofia asked.
That’ll be about the limit of equipment I can work around, should be aight though. Just tell me when you’re ready to go.
Sofia took a few seconds to calm her mind and steel her nerves.
“I’m ready.”
Alright. I will start slowly.
Creation’s hammer hit the mana heart softly, it barely moved in Sofia’s direction, but the space around it already started to show deformities.
The pain was tolerable, so Sofia concentrated on observing the rune’s manifestation.
Aphenoreth’s divine rune.
I must memorize it. I have to.
The next hit came, slightly stronger, and the shape of the runes became ever so slightly clearer.
As the strength of Creation’s hits ramped up, Sofia could understand more and more of the mind-bogglingly complex shape of Aphenoreth’s rune. Unlike all the Gods’ runes until now, it wasn’t a two dimensional shape, but a complex array of three dimensional lines that seemed to change from an instant to the next. It occupied all of Sofia’s attention, it became her entire world. Entranced by the rune, she soon stopped being able to think of anything else. Even the suffering was only a distant feeling, barely tickling her mind.
The rune became clearer and clearer; Sofia felt she was just about to grasp it.
Clint raised his hammer a final time, his form growing thousands of times, the God became a monstrous titan the size of a planet. The hammer was coming, but Sofia could only see the rune.
I memorized it!
The rune faded, and Sofia's senses became clear again. Weirdly, she could not move. Nothing could move. The sun itself was still, Creation’s gigantic hammer was just a millimeter away from her mana heart, obscuring most of Sofia’s vision, but it had not yet delivered the final hit.
What… Aphenoreth?
The Lord was the only entity who had ever made Sofia feel like that, like her very being was frozen against the tides of time, but he was not anywhere to be seen.
Wrong guess. A familiar contemptuous voice answered, and Sofia’s heart sank. This was the voice of the one who had trapped her inside of Peace’s realm. The one who had booted her out of the system.
Y- You again! How?!
Cute. Did you think you were safe with all these powerful people looking out for you? With this pitiful glove on your hand?
Power is just a tool, its real strength depends on the user, you should know that well.
Have you come here to taunt me?!
The person laughed for a moment, then it stopped, and very calmly it answered with a deep voice, like it was spoken directly in Sofia’s ears. Yes.
Sofia feared that this voice was going to attack her again, and she failed to suppress her thoughts, so the voice heard them. Yet, against all odds, what it said was the opposite. I will not stoop so low as to strike you again. No, I have come today to watch you suffer the consequences of your own actions. The irony.
But I almost pity you. They will abandon you, just like they abandoned me. The voice calmly stated, Such is their nature, I have learned. Struggle on, girl. Soon enough, you will beg to join my side.
They will abandon me? Who?
The voice had faded with its last words, and time regained its course. Creation’s hammer reached the mana heart, and Sofia felt it finally becoming one with her being. The wave of mana from the shock sent even Creation’s hammer reeling back. Pareth could only avoid it by teleporting right next to Sofia.
This should have been the end of it, but something was wrong.
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Sofia could still not move.
Accompanying the mana wave spreading far and wide in space was a strange low droning sound. Strangely, space was turning red.
A skeleton wearing black robes appeared near her, wielding a mithrium staff topped with a skull.
Richard?
Sofia’s thoughts were becoming sluggish. And everything around her felt slow.
Erredis appeared next to Richard. She looked panicked. She was speaking but Sofia could not hear her. Richard started to cast a spell, and Sofia watched countless mana circles form between her and the lich, only for them to shatter like broken glass. Erredis’ expression transitioned from panic to shock.
Sun appeared between the two level 500s. She looked the most emotional of the three of them. Dread, Sofia thought. Sun grabbed both Erredis and Richard, and the trio disappeared.
The mana wave flowed in reverse. Pareth was firmly holding onto Sofia as it collapsed.
Everything became black.
The instant everything disappeared, Sofia’s mind felt perfectly clear again.
Mr. Scribe?
[We are fine. Our vitals are all good. The level up was successful.]
So the voice didn’t lie? But they knew this was going to happen… They’re much more dangerous than I thought. If even Sun cannot stop them…
[If it could kill us it would have. It could not even stop us from leveling.]
That’s a way to see it. But still. The way it seemingly stopped time… That felt just like Aphenoreth. Is there a fifth Lord?
[No. This was a god. I do not know which one, but I felt it when it was near us this time. It was absorbing essence from us. I have learned to recognize this feeling from the time we spent near Creation.]
Yet Sun was powerless against it…
[Not necessarily.]
Right… Sun did not notice when it spoke to me, but this could as well have been some kind of communication through hallucination or something. A God copying the Lords’ abilities sounds a bit far-fetched. As for what happened after, it might really not have been the voice’s doing?
[That is also my hypothesis.]
Why are we in the dark, though? Are you able to fix it again this time?
[It is different. We were restrained last time, this, I suspect, is our perception of time being dilated.]
So this will be over any time now?
[Perhaps. We can only wait. On the bright side, this gives us ample time to work things out concerning the level up. Both the Dagger and Pareth are currently in this distorted time with us. We can choose his classless skills, our new skills, and the sub-class.]
Might as well. What about Bookie?
[Stuck within us, he cannot communicate, but he is unscathed.]
Thank goodness. I’m leaving it up to you then. Show me the numbers!
[Gladly.]
‘You gained a level!’
[Congratulations, your Saintomancer class reached level 250!]
[Due to your Tier 3 Scribe, you may redeem all remaining skill slots]
[New Active Skills are available!]
[New Passive Skills are available!]
[Sub-Classes are available! (Experimental)]
[Congratulations, you have triumphed over the fourth filter!]
[You may now gain exper
[ERROR]
[Your mana heart grants you newfound power!]
[Due to the Crown of Victory, all trial stat gains will be doubled]
[Stat gain:
* All stats + 350%
* All stats + 350%
* Health + 67 381
* Health + 67 381
* Stamina + 17 900
* Stamina + 17 900
* Mana + 834 719
* Mana + 834 719]
Name : Sofia Aphenoreth
Age : 21 ♢
Class : [Saintomancer] ♢
Level : 250 ♢
Health : 822 762 / 822 762 (20k + (20/level - 4k) + 65k + 736 762)
Stamina : 204 336 / 204 336 (20 067 + (20/level - 4k) + 183 269)
Mana : 5 022 238 / 5 022 238 (319 100 + (2k/level- 400k) + 4 603 138)
(Mana Regeneration: (0.16%) + Other sources = 10620/s)
(Mana Regeneration in Sunlight : (0.16%) + Other sources = 25933/s)
Main Specialization : [Eclipse Skeleton]
Alteration chance : 100% (Unavailable)
Secondary Specialization : [Heat Death]
Signature Skill (ULTIMATE)
[Awakening of the five calamities]
Mana Heart Abilities (4)
[Infinity Engine] Lv.3
[Relocate Core] ULTIMATE Rank
[Slashing Resistance]
[Explosion Resistance]
Remaining possible skill slots : 4
Active Skills (8 / 8)
[Spine of the Black Sun] - Level 249
[Summon Blood] - Level 249
[Maiden Banshee] - Level 249 (Lv.250)
[Graveyard of the righteous] - Level 249
[False immortality] - Level 3
[Skull Choir] - Level 249
[Reign over shadows]
[Saintess’ madness] - Level 2
Passive Skills (7 / 8)
[Blessing of the Deep] - (2/4)
[Vakariazrehafin of Sorrow] ♢
[Exalted Exoskeleton] ♢
[Venerable physique of the primeval void] ♢ - Peak of Light forging realm
[Bone Dominus Imperium] - Level 3
[Erredian Rot]
[Runeforged Overlord] ♢ - Level 249
Classless Skills (7 / 7)
♢ [Dreams Of a Demon which Gods Envy - March of the Envoy] ♢
[Summon Self] - Level 48
[Mana manipulation] ♢
[Radiance] - Level 100
[Quintessential] ♢
[One with Suffering] ♢
[Crystallized] ♢
Racial Skills (3)
[Edgewalker] ♢
[Pillar of Creation] ♢
[Mockery of the Divine] ♢
Special Skills (1)
[The Book of Skeletons] ♢
Summoned heroes (4 / 4)
* Lv.250 Pareth (Holy Hellspawn Abomination Eclipse Skeleton)
* Lv.250 Alith (Alith) - Connection lost
* Lv.250 Book of Skeletons (Book)
* Lv.250 Ihuarah (Heartless Shade) - Connection lost
[Mark of Aphenoreth]
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