But Naless Death wasn't doing it for praise.
He didn't care what the berserker thought.
He clenched his fists and took another step forward, pumping more World Energy into himself.
It was too much. Far too much.
His body began to splinter from the inside out.
His soul twisted unnaturally.
His Core trembled, and his Seed of Existence shook like it was about to co apart.
Still, he poured more energy in.
If the central layer wouldn't open, he'd break it.
The berserker charged forward, screaming with joy as he slamd a fist toward Naless Death's skull.
And then, it all went white.
A blinding explosion erupted from Naless Death's body.
A surge of light, pressure, and pure energy disintegrated the ground in every direction.
Hundred of thousands of ters vanished in an instant, reduced to scorched air and shimring heat.
In that mont, everything burned.
His body.
His soul.
His Core.
Even his Seed of Existence.
But in that destruction, sothing revealed itself.
Floating in the center of his shattered Seed of Existence were truths he hadn't seen before. They were the things that had always been part of him but hidden within the central layer.
Elental Seed of Death.
Elental Seed of Darkness.
Elental Seed of Shadow.
Elental Seed of Void.
Sacred Treasure — Abyss Mirror.
And…
mories.
No, looking carefully, they weren't mories. They were sothing deeper than a re mory.
These were fragnts of his identity. Pieces of who he truly was.
He still didn't rember anything. But he understood himself now.
That understanding changed everything.
His World Energy stopped fluctuating.
It solidified, condensed, and beca far purer than before.
His body, soul, core, and Seed of Existence began rebuilding themselves, not randomly, but because he willed it.
He used the Shadow Core Concept within the Abyss Mirror to 'heal' himself.
The berserker hadn't stopped while he was regenerating.
A blow ca down, aid at his head. Naless Death caught it mid-air with one hand.
Then he punched.
Just like before it was a simple punch, but this ti, it was strengthened by his strengthened World Energy – no, this wasn't strengthened World Energy.
It was the World Energy he used before he erased his mories.
The berserker's mist-body exploded on impact. A wave of red mist and white fla tore through the air, scattering the remains of his opponent across the battlefield.
Silence fell.
Naless Death exhaled, steam rising off his skin.
The berserker was reford nearby as the mist pulled itself back together slowly, like smoke finding its shape.
He was laughing.
"Now that," the berserker said, "was a proper fight."
"Now, tell about the Eternals."
"What? You think it's that easy?" The berserker snorted. His mouth curled into a smirk. "You need to win for that."
"I did win."
"No, you didn't." The berserker rolled his neck, joints popping as he flexed his fingers. "This body is a sloppy work that I built in a rush just to see how if you could be entertaining to fight."
He gestured to himself with a lazy hand.
"It wasn't built to fight. It's too weak for that."
His tone wasn't boastful, but neither was it humble. He spoke like he was stating a fact.
"I'll rebuild a better body soon. Then, we can duke it out."
"So if I beat that version too, what then? Do I win? Or are we going to keep doing this again and again?"
The berserker chuckled, brushing dust off his shoulder. "You're quick on the uptake. I like that."
He turned slightly, facing the horizon. The mist curled along the edges of his feet.
"All mist in this world—" he said, motioning around them, "—is made from my elentals, or should I say ."
"All of it?" Naless Death narrowed his eyes.
"All of it," the berserker nodded. "When I've used all of them, you win."
Naless Death rembered what Dren had said.
That this world turned into a Site due to the aftermath of batlle between Monarch of Death and the Supre of Death.
But now, standing here, facing the berserker, sothing didn't fit. This creature didn't feel like a remnant either of them.
Naless Death didn't ask about it. It didn't matter to him after all.
The berserker raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
A curl of red mist responded instantly, swirling around the back of Naless Death's hand. It ford a clear number—24—etched in glowing red across his skin.
The berserker pointed at the number.
"Twenty-four hours. That's how long I need to build the next body. You've got until then."
Naless Death studied the number for a mont before lowering his hand.
"Until then," the berserker said. "Train, wander. Do whatever you want. I will co to kill you when the ti is up."
"But don't worry, a warrior always respects his words," he added. "Since you've defeated once, I won't leave you empty-handed."
Naless Death frowned slightly.
"Why?"
The berserker shrugged. "Because it's interesting. It's not every day I get to fight a soone interesting like you."
He stepped closer, stopping just a few paces away.
"And besides," he said, voice lowering just enough, "it'll be more fun to fight a Heavenbreaker who can actually use Intent to for sothing good, unlike your current state."
His grin widened again.
"So train properly. I hope you fatten yourself up before I devour you."
Naless Death didn't answer.
A mont later, the berserker turned. His body began to unravel, strips of mist peeling away like fabric in a storm.
As he faded, his voice echoed one last ti.
"Connect to the Universal Codex System before using the reward."
Then he was gone.
In his place, a red gemstone remained. It hovered for a second, spinning slowly in the air before drifting downward.
Naless Death stepped forward and caught it.
It pulsed faintly in his palm, and he stared at it for a mont with furrowed brows.
"What is this—"
Naless Death's words were caught in his throat when he sensed powerful monsters approaching him.
They must've noticed his battle with the berserker.
"I should leave and recover first."
He tucked the gemstone into the folds of his cloak and looked at the back of his hand again.
24.
The number glowed dimly now.
He turned from the battlefield, and left with quick steps, only stopping when he was a good distance away from the previous battlefield.
"This place should be good enough."
He settled on a rock, and willed the Univesal Codex System to open.
[Connection to Universal Codex System is online.]
[Would you like to establish the connection?]
"Should I connect to it?"
He instinctively knew he could use his Darkness to grow stronger by devouring the monsters. But there was a problem.
All of them were at least early Stage 4.
Even if he found a monster, who was as strong as him – around peak Stage 3 or pseudo Stage 4 (stronger than Stage 3 but weaker than Stage 4) – it wouldn't help.
He knew devouring hundred peak Stage 3 monsters won't make him as strong as the weakest Stage 4 monster.
The gap between each rank was too wide.
And it would only grow wider.
He needed another way to fight.
[Connection to Universal Codex System is online.]
[Would you like to establish the connection?]
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