I SPOT THE OUTPOST IN THE DISTANCE.

It is a metal facility surrounded by walls of twice my height. It is not a complex like the other outposts I have seen; it is a singular building and nothing more. The compound within stands like a palace. It is a tall, rectangular tower, minusing the curved roofs made of gray tile.

A box, protected from all sides.

There are figures patrolling its perimeter. Metal beings powered by technology I do not understand. They look like people but they are not alive. Their weapons are far superior to any I have seen before. Even treasures from deep within a sect cannot compare to the glowing swords they wield.

These are not merely En. Each of the beings protecting this structure are Esh. And that is enough confirmation that I need. “He is here.”

I snap my eyes shut, feeling the energy course through my body. It is not Qi. It is not the source of power that comes from the Dao. Ever since I fled my world, chased away by the five Springs after failing their test for ascension, I have been stranded in Utana. My connection to the Dao is cut off entirely. I cannot use its power. There is no Qi left in my body.

But I have not been idle while here; I have unlocked my own source of strength. First, the Elocunive bestowed upon me its mark. I have six Feats to call out in battle. These are recreations of my own accomplishments, emulations of things I have done, or replications of another’s power.

It aids me in battle, but it is limited.

There is something greater within my core which I can call from. Aura. It becomes my Aspect— it shifts in form to what I need it to be, not limited to the five elements I know of. I call onto this power to create wings at my back. Wings that can spread wide and carry me far.

It sprouts like a flower, unfurling its pleating petals and releasing its pollen into the world. I can feel my Aura being expended as small, glowing particles wisp off my wings. It looks like the wings of a white swan. Beautiful. Elegant. Pure.

With a single flap of my wings, I am taken to the sky, soaring through the purple dome overhead. I can only see Rubrum, although Caerulum will rise again soon.

The Esh spot me, even from a distance. They unleash yellow beams of light which tear the sky asunder. The dark clouds floating overhead are dispersed by the sheer force of their attacks. I spin and dive, weaving around the rays of the Esh. Like a comet, I crash and send them tumbling through the air.

I stand in a crater as the first Esh gathers itself, activating its jets before swinging its glowing blade at me. I duck under the attack, tripping it as I grab hold of its back, smashing its head into the earth. A pair of Esh’s try to flank me as my wings vanish. They rapidly circle me, only for a pair of glowing arms to reach out and grab them, crushing them with ease.

I smirk as I toss them aside. That is the power of my Aspect. Wings, arms, and even tendrils. Sharp tendrils that can pierce an Esh without trouble. They zip around like flies, trying to escape from the twelve tendrils I amassed. But they are too slow. I only have to make slight adjustments to avoid their attacks. They fly around in a panicked frenzy as I skewer them, taking them down from the air.

They do not break that easily. Even with a hole in their chests, they still struggle. They still fight. But that is not enough to defeat me. I leap into the air as my Aspect holds them all on the ground. I raise a hand, whispering.

“Liufan Sacred Technique: The Wrath of the Heavens.”

It is a technique that uses an exorbitant amount of Qi. But how can I use it, even without Qi? It is simple. The Mark of the Elocunive bestows many gifts. One of them being the Feat Soul Cycle. It lets me convert my Aura to Qi. A very simple trick, thanks to the Elocunive— the so-called ‘God’ of this world.

A phoenix crashes down at the Esh, and a bright pillar of flame shoots up. It incinerates everything within its blast radius, leaving an even larger crater behind where I had landed. I shake my head as I enter the building,

The metal doors at the front entrance are barricaded, as anticipated. I do not bother trying to find another way inside. I swing a hand up as a yellow beam shoots out.

“Ray of Esh.”

Another one of my Feats. It cuts straight through the reinforced metal, slicing the door open. That is two Feats used. However, Soul Cycle is not something that requires a delay between each use. Ray of Esh, on the other hand, requires either of two conditions: I sleep, and it can be used again; or for six cycles to pass. It was originally twelve cycles, but it has been reduced with each level I gained.

Tian

Race: Ren

Class: Soulborne Level 6

Feats:

- Void Walk

- Ray of Esh

- Dual Core

- The Guardian’s Blessing

- Soul Cycle

- Lifeblood’s Call

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I am level 6, and I have been for the past few months. Without any real challenge for me since I helped overthrow the tyrant from another world, Galgom, I have not been able to level up in my so-called class. I have assailed outposts such as this, filled with not just Esh, but the En as well.

And yet, they never pose much of a threat to me. It is never something that constitutes a Feat. A thin smile spreads across my face as I have a thought. “Perhaps things will change today.”

I stalk through the building, disposing of the few Esh within the hallways. They barely put up a fight. Their biggest advantage over me is their ability to fly and avoid my attacks at high speed. In these narrow corridors, they cannot possibly evade as well as in the open.

With a few precise strikes, I dismantle them. I press on, unimpeded, until I finally reach my destination. There is a large hall full of crates and boxes. My eyes glaze over them, focusing on the sole figure sitting at the center of it all.

The figure wears a black armor, with their helmet placed to their side. Their shoulders are slumped, defeated, resigned to their fate. I slowly walk up behind them as they spin around, their purple face creased with wrinkles.

“Galgom,” I say simply. “You have hidden yourself well. No one would have thought that one of you still lived in this building, far away from any civilization.” I run a hand through one of the boxes. It is covered in dust.

“So, you have finally found me.” He stands up. The tyrant of Utana. The immortal who slayed all the guardians of the world. The man I killed months ago. He still lives. Not because he is immortal. But because he is many. “You have killed my other selves, and now I stand before you. Tell me, girl, are you here to finish the job?”

I cross my arms as I come to a stop before him. “Would I truly seek you out for months just to kill you?” I shake my head. “I can kill a dozen of you on my own. I have no reason to fear you.” It is a simple statement, but it is true.

“How terrifying,” Galgom comments, grabbing his helmet. He raises a hand and stares at his palms. “Then what are you here for?”

“I am here for answers.” I meet his gaze. He quirks a brow as I continue. “Before you died, you spoke amongst yourselves. You talked of a man— someone whom you claimed to be saving Utana from. I believe you called him… Idu.”

“Ah, and you wish to learn who this man is.” Galgom raises his helmet, wearing it over his head.

I narrow my eyes. “I am.”

Galgom remains silent for a moment. He has a regretful look on his face, one which I can see behind his visor. “He is my leader. A… void pirate. He travels through the void, plundering worlds, enslaving their populations. And I betrayed him. I left him because I thought him foolish.”

“Foolish? How so?”

“He wished to invade a System world. He wished to invade this world. It was a foolish endeavor. Even if he could have killed the entire population of Utana, he never would’ve gotten what he wanted.”

“And what is it he wanted?” I peer at Galgom.

“He wanted to be God.”

“He wished to be a god?” I frown.

Galgom shakes his head. “No, not just a god. He wished to become God. Omnipotent. Omniscient. Omnipresent. A creator of worlds. A being that acts beyond logic. Or, should I say, creates His own logic.”

“That is… not possible, is it?”

“I thought so too.” He laughs bitterly. “But Idu thought otherwise. Especially when God itself is sentient, as often is the case in these System worlds. He believes he can slay God and steal its power. A ridiculous thought.”

“What is this System? Who is this God?”

Galgom tilts his head back. “I believe the Natifs named It the Elocunive. A rather fascinating name.”

“The Elocunive is this System, and Idu wants to kill It?” It sounds too surreal. I cannot fathom such a thing. But the Pishitim made such a claim before, did she not? That the Elocunive is God of Utana. And if that is the case, perhaps the Dao is God of Jhisie too.

“Yes,” Galgom says. “Now, do you have any other questions?” He spreads his arms wide.

“Plenty. But I believe that might be all I have for now.”

He sighs. “Good.” And lightning shoots out of his hand. A red blast that rips apart the floor.

I leap over the powerful attack as it thunders past me, raising a fist as I descend on Galgom. He barely steps out of the way of the attack, a black sword forming in his hand. But I spin, using the inertia to throw a powerful kick.

It breaks through his armor, smashing his elbow in, forcing him to drop his weapon. Galgom screams as he stumbles back.

“You—”

He grabs my leg and yanks me at him. His weapon hovers in the air briefly before shooting forward. It comes at me as my eyes grow wide— and I vanish.

Void Walk.

I am swallowed in nothing, appearing in the air a dozen paces to his left. “These tricks will not save you,” Galgom bellows as he sends a ball of red lightning at me.

I stare at the impending attack. It will not just zap the ground. It will cause a massive explosion. So, I dig my feet into the ground and brace for it.

The Guardian’s Blessing.

Metallic threads weave themselves around me in a sphere. It takes the brunt of the blast, before rapidly receding back as I dash ahead. Galgom throws his weapon as it morphs into a massive maul. I slide under it and sweep him off his feet.

He struggles to get up as his weapon flies back my way. But I raise a hand, pointing at it.

Lifeblood’s Call.

The newest Feat I have earned. It seems rather simple at first. It gathers a large amount of Lifeblood across a vast swathe of land to me. It would hardly be useful for someone like me, barely able to use magic. But for someone who is skilled in manipulating the elements of this world? It lets them cast magic they normally will never be able to cast.

A giant hand made of stone bursts out of the ground and grabs the maul. It grips it tightly within its grasps, forming from the sea of Lifeblood that fills this room. I can hear the slow footfalls of a person approaching, casually entering the room.

“You are late.” I glance back at the azure-haired woman.

She pauses as she sees me standing over Galgom, pinning him down. Galgom radiates with a red electricity, but my Aspect grabs his body and holds him there. Nindran grins.

“Doesn’t look like ya need my help.” I roll my eyes as she pats me on the back. “Good work, Tian. They’ll be singing lotsa praises for you again.” She glances down at the large, white arms grabbing onto Galgom.

“Kill me!” He thrashes about, still trapped in my Aspect.

I shake my head. “No. We will not. Come on, let us return to Thornthistle.”