A long...long time ago, a time when he had yet to set foot in the sanctuary, Zyrus Wymar was an ordinary kid. Just like others his age, he too was fascinated by the brilliant sky that lay beyond the confines of the Arc of Noah.
It was an age when knowledge thrived. Humans focused all of their efforts on understanding the workings of space. One of the topics that caught the kid’s eye was the concept of Void.
What was void? It was the region of space where there was very little matter compared to others. These regions had less density compared to the universe, and thus were labeled as cosmic void. Some referred to the empty area between galaxies and star clusters as void, while those studying quantum mechanics would say that nothing is truly void.
According to the theory, even the vacuums are filled with virtual particles that pop in and out of existence.
The kid was fascinated by the knowledge. And thus, he kept studying more and more about the topic.
Time passed by and the kid became a man. The weight of responsibility vanquished his thirst for knowledge and curiosity. When he turned 16, he had lost his one and only family when his grandpa died.
He no longer cared for the space and the universe.
He didn't have a goal or a desire. He lived just for the sake of it. Sometimes, he wished that he could just die and get rid of this emptiness.
Perhaps the universe was moved by his plea as his wish was granted. He woke up in a world where he could die at every step.
However, every time he stood at the edge of life and death, he wasn’t able to accept his fate. He recalled the last words of his grandpa which made him try his hardest to survive.
He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. Each time he managed to survive and became stronger than before. He didn’t know when, but a century had passed.
He was no longer alone. Millions of people rallied behind him as he fought for humanity with his comrades.
That’s when he met her.
A woman whose eyes held the brilliant cosmos. The same cosmos that fascinated him at a time he no longer recalled.
Time passed by again as it always did. The two became closer with each passing year, and then one day, the man became a king.
Under his rule, humans became one of the most renowned species in the sanctuary. They no longer had to worry about survival as his kingdom prospered in the peaceful domain of Argonaut.
However, that was a mistake. The man only realized it when it was too late. The peace he had earned with his strength became the target of the greed and envy of others.
He was betrayed and his kingdom fell. His loyal comrades died in the hands of others, and the woman he loved no longer had the eyes that shined brighter than the galaxy.
That day when Zyrus Wymar lost everything, he had another understanding of Void.
Nothingness.
Blue shackles bound by black chains erupted from the ground as memories of his past life passed by Zyrus’s eyes. They bound the terracotta warriors and denied their very existence.
He still remembered that day when he cried tears of blood. Those feelings and emotions were what made him the void emperor.
That was the source that connected him with the laws of ‘Void’.
For him, Void was the lack of something. What would that something be? Humans, elves, spirits, castles, land and mountains, oceans and sky, space and time… everything could be erased by the power of void.
The enemies that stood before him were no exception.
“Did you create a new skill?” Jacob asked as he looked at Zyrus in awe.
“Yes, it’s similar to a debuff,” Zyrus replied with a smile as he was all too familiar with this expression. He also looked at other arcanists with the same awe and wonder whenever they showed their magic.
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“That’s a bit too much for a debuff,” Jacob pointed his finger at the terracotta warriors.
Some had their limbs missing while others had their weapons chipped in half. Not a single warrior was left intact on the battlefield.
"Well, it is a curse spell imbued with the power of void," Zyrus explained as he surveyed the Colosseum.
It was almost impossible to teach the intricacies behind his magic to a newbie like Jacob. But even if he conveyed a tenth of his knowledge, Jacobs's strength would soar by leaps and bounds.
Unlike his fight against Nidraxis he had only used a fraction of the power of his origin.
Zyrus was certain about one thing. If he used his full power in this spell, then even the scorpion king would be erased from existence.
But that wasn’t his goal.
He needed a tremendous amount of energy to use the power of the origin. And he couldn't just faint after defeating his enemy.
He had to remain standing and see the battles to the end. It was his role as a leader and, the only way for him and his troops to survive in the sanctuary’s unpredictable environment.
“Don’t just stand there and finish them off,”
“Yes sir,”
“Got it,”
Zyrus’s shout woke up the disoriented players. They charged at the immobilized enemies like rabid dogs. They knew that this was the one and only chance they had at winning the war.
‘And I should get moving as well,’
Zyrus took out the bloodspine spear and strode towards the scorpion king. His armor was broken into pieces by Zyrus’s skill, and even his sword had visible cracks after it destroyed the shackles that bound him.
After seeing the sanctuary with his soul, Zyrus had obtained a clue as to how he could use the power of the void. If not for his Eye of Annihilation there was no way he could have used the spell this easily.
Although the Shackles of Nihility were an inferior version of a domain, this was enough to deal with the current situation.
Zyrus believed that with enough practice he would be able to harness more power with greater efficiency. This was a spell that required precision and control above all else.
He didn’t have to erase everything. Heart, Brain, Muscles, tendons… even by erasing the smallest section of the opponent he would be able to win with ease.
It wouldn’t work against ridiculously powerful opponents like Nidraxis, but it was deadly when used against those on the same level as him.
*Clang*
The outcome of their clash was the same as both of them stumbled a step back. This time, however, it was the scorpion king who was anxious about his subordinates.
Half of the terracotta warriors were wiped out against the onslaught of players. It was only a matter of time before the players finished them all.
*Thrust*
-500
“Haha…You sure you can afford to think about the others?”
*Clang*
The duo exchanged a flurry of blows and to the scorpion king's dismay, he discovered another big problem.
Their weapons were on the same level at the beginning.
*Skreech*
And the irritating sound of scraping metals proved that it was no longer the case.
“Wanna bet who will break first?” Zyrus slashed with a gloating face as he looked at the Scorpion king’s sword which was on the verge of breaking.
He wasn’t taunting his opponent for no reason. Although he looked fine on the outside, only he knew how exhausting it was to cast a spell like Shackles of nihility.
Thankfully, his trash-talking skills weren’t degraded after regression.
*FLASH*
A deadly black aura surged from the scorpion king. He bent his knees slightly and held the sword horizontally. It was the inside sword stance.
With one hand against his chest and the other against his heart, he wielded the double-handed sword for the final strike.
It was such a picture-perfect posture that Zyrus couldn’t help but respect his opponent. Thus, he also held his spear in a thrusting stance.
The scorpion king was a worthy opponent, and he would honor his death by killing him with his strongest attack.
[Piercing Shadows]
[Spatial Stab]
*Puchuk*
-???
-1500
Neither of them were pushed back this time. The sword and the spear reached their target as two red numbers floated against one another.
“Uhk.. You might have a chance if your weapon was a spear,” Zyrus spoke after he puked a mouthful of blood.
His armor and scales were effortlessly pierced by the scorpion king's sword. Fortunately for him, his weapon was longer than the enemy’s.
The scorpion king knew that as well. He was more than willing to exchange his life for the final attack.
However, his attack, along with his life, ended the moment Zyrus's spear touched his heart.
Exp +100,000
[Level up!]
[+2 Strength]
[+1 Agility]
[+1 Mana]
“ZYRUS!”
“Are you all right?”
His subordinates screamed in worry as they rushed towards his stumbling figure. He had attacked using about 20% of his source of origin, but even then, the power to collapse space itself came with a cost.
‘Fuck! Everything hurts like hell,’
Zyrus barely held on by leaning on his spear. He had learned a valuable lesson this time.
‘I can only use 10% of my source of origin without harming myself.’
It was a conclusion based on the previous two attacks. He would be wrecked from the inside out if he used any more than that.
‘I must thank her for saving my life back then’ Zyrus recalled Aurora as the surroundings became dizzy in his sight.
There was a flood of messages in front of him, but Zyrus was in no position to read them.
Except for one.
A dark purple screen floated in front of him which stood out from the others. He was only able to read the first sentence, but it was enough for him.
[You have created a new branch of magic!]
[You have earned the grand achievement: The Architect of Abyss (EX)]
He had found a way to use the power of origin without being detected by the Eternals.