Within the Bowels of the Earth
Reaper mediated in silence amid a mountain’s worth of bones, surrounded by the power of Death. Millions of skeletons milled around within the vast cavern that he had been brought to, and his elemental power and Dao pulsed around him. He was stronger than he had ever been, without even gaining a single level.
His mysterious watcher had been mostly silent the entire time, simply keeping him safe from any potential threats, allowing him to concentrate on his own power. He had learned a bit more about the sect that had shown interest in him, and he had pretended to be interested in the potential of joining. However, in truth, he had no such aspirations. He was content with surrounding himself with a kingdom of the dead, finding solace in their company.
One day, he would bring a tide of Death sweeping across the universe, cleansing it of the filth of Life. This was only the beginning of his crusade. As he fashioned ever more skeletons out of the bones surrounding him, he extended his senses outwards through his army, trying to find where exactly he was. He was miles below the earth, that was for certain, given that he could not sense any life signatures save for his lone companions. Everything else was silent and still. In other words, perfection.
In the Mariana Trench
Rodney Kane sat within a tiny submersible, with only his elemental ally for company. Surrounded by the blackness of the deep ocean, he made great progress with his elemental mastery and Dao. In order to keep up with the two other faction heads, he would need to increase his power to the utmost.
His level was hovering around 110, from a spate of dungeon hunting. His Dao was slowly but surely rising through the ranks of the Fragment stage, inching closer and closer to becoming a Seed. He was fueled by burning rage and jealousy, spurring him onwards. He couldn't stand to be so vastly overshadowed by others, and although he was the third strongest man on the planet, he felt like he was nothing more than a joke. If he fought against Sam Atlas, or the Overlord, he would be demolished in a matter of minutes, or even seconds. That was unacceptable to him.
However, he lacked the advantages that the men had in their training. Both of them had qualified to be granted a month’s worth of one on one training by an E Ranker, an experience that would have granted them strength far beyond their level, not that they didn’t already have such power. His only hope of catching up was a suspicious scheme that his elemental companion had devised.
Stolen story; please report.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Rodney asked the humanoid patch of living darkness beside him. “It sounds like I would be inviting a host of trouble down upon myself.”
“Nothing in this world is easy,” the elemental replied. “Gaining power least of all. However, I can guarantee that it will not kill you.”
The elemental had explained to Rodney that there was a little known procedure, only known by elementals and their chosen, that allowed for one to empower their body with the energy of their element, becoming something called an Elemental Avatar. The lack of explanation that the elemental had given was highly indicative that he was being manipulated, but at this point, Rodney hardly cared. Power was power, and his ally had never lied to him thus far.
With a sudden humming of energy, he could feel his body beginning to take on the first parts of the aspecting process. His mediation had been the preliminary part, but now that the darkness accepted him as part of itself, he was ready. All around him, the already pitch blackness deepened, defying physics. It deepened both physically and conceptually, and a moment later, a presence descended upon Rodney with the weight of a universe.
“You believe yourself to be worthy, Rodney Kane? Worthy to become one of my chosen?”
“Who… who are you?” Rodney stammered, struck with pure fear.
“I go by many names, but you can call me Darkness. Your mortal mind cannot comprehend my true nature. In truth, what you are witnessing here is an infinitesimally small fraction of my will. Now, prove to me that you are worthy!”
The weight increased, and Rodney’s entire body burned as pure elemental energy coursed into him. His cells and flesh, down to his very DNA, were infused with Darkness itself. Whispers sounded out in the blackness, each of them imbued with such conceptual weight that they tugged his mind towards an infinite nadir of nothingness.
However, Rodney Kane was no ordinary man. His was a will forged from ash and night, crafted by his experiences. He was a man with the will of a king, and he would not be denied his right. With a roar, he seized control over his body, treating it as his own dominion. Darkness exploded outwards in the form of vast wings from his back, and his eyes turned inky black. Power rushed through his body, and he rose against the pressure.
“I am worthy, Darkness. One day, I will come for your head, and become the true meaning of my element. Until then, farewell.”
Seizing control over the darkness around him, Rodney peeled it back, leaving a complete absence of being where it left. With peals of mocking laughter, the presence retreated, leaving him standing there in his lonely submersible, with his elemental companion. He turned his midnight gaze towards the monster, and smiled. It was not a kind smile. With a sudden grasp, he tore apart the monster’s being with his newfound control over his element. Rodney Kane did not suffer traitors in his court.