Within the boundless azure expanse of Orion’s Sea of Consciousness, a serene stillness had reigned uninterrupted for months.
His consciousness remained confined to the form of a delicate golden fla—small, fragile, yet steadily burning as if soone had poured a lifeti supply of premium-grade gasoline into his soul and walked off whistling.
Though ti crawled at a pace too slow to asure, Orion wasted none of it. He unraveled and absorbed every fragnt of knowledge he held—perfecting his understanding of Runic Inscriptions and Mana Circuits, honing his ntal swordplay and Elental Sword Auras, and imrsing himself in the elental theories of Fire, Water, Earth, tal, Wood, Ice, Wind, Thunder, and Poison.
He had carefully visualized and crafted complex spells in his mind, mapping their theoretical structures and precise rune formations in incredible detail.
But without the ability to engrave them into the very fabric of his Sea of Consciousness, these creations remained intangible dreams, shimring just beyond reach.
Finally, after an imasurable span of intense study and ntal cultivation, Orion let out a long, weary exhale. His tiny, luminous eyes slowly opened atop the flickering golden fla, looking around the endless azure domain with a fresh awareness.
He blinked once, then twice, gradually becoming conscious of a subtle yet distinct shift in his surroundings. The azure expanse, once faintly translucent and gently swirling, had grown noticeably denser, its ethereal currents thicker and more robust.
The entire realm felt sohow heavier, more tangible, as though the very essence of his Sea of Consciousness had strengthened considerably over these months.
"A few months have passed," Orion whispered thoughtfully, his voice softly echoing in the boundless expanse, "and I haven’t even slept once yet..."
He paused, observing the altered environnt with newfound curiosity. "This place... it’s definitely changed. The mana feels richer, denser now."
Driven by curiosity, he instinctively attempted to move, expecting resistance as before—but suddenly, his small golden fla effortlessly drifted forward, gliding through the thickened azure currents. His eyes widened sharply in astonishnt, flickering brighter with a surge of excitent.
"I can finally move?" Orion exclaid in disbelief, his voice tinged with exhilaration. With newfound freedom, he swiftly propelled himself forward, instinctively seeking out the place where his Affinity Runes should reside.
Eager anticipation quickened his pace. Over the countless days of immobility, he had repeatedly pondered the current state of his Affinity Runes—would they have strengthened or evolved in parallel with his Sea of Consciousness?
As he approached the familiar location within the azure expanse, Orion’s excitent quickly waned, replaced by a growing apprehension. His tiny fla-form slowed, eventually stopping entirely as his gaze fell upon the sight before him.
Floating silently in the dense azure currents were three familiar yet heartbreakingly damaged Affinity Runes—Fire, Wood, and Thunder.
Each rune hovered weakly, their once radiant surfaces now riddled with deep cracks, their intricate patterns barely recognizable.
The powerful, vibrant glow they had once emitted was utterly dimd, replaced by a faint, sputtering radiance that seed dangerously close to extinguishing entirely.
The sight made Orion taste sothing bitter in his nonexistent mouth, frustration filling his flaming body. His small golden fla flickered dimly, reflecting his sullen emotions.
For a long, heavy mont, he stared silently at the damaged runes, absorbing the gravity of his losses.
He gritted his teeth and said slowly, "I swear on Echo’s soul I’ll find the base of those damn bastards and raze it to the ground!"
He sighed softly, a weary note of resignation creeping into his tone. "Haaa... it matters little now, even if I could go back in ti, I would make the sa choice."
Yet, as Orion observed the damaged Affinity Runes, a faint resolve gradually took root within him once more. Slowly, determination replaced disappointnt in his tiny eyes, reigniting the steady brilliance of his golden fla.
"Still, it’s not irreversible," he muttered quietly, more to reassure himself than anything else. "My foundation is damaged, but it’s not destroyed. I can rebuild—no, I will rebuild."
He moved gently closer, examining the damaged runes with renewed clarity, his gaze thoughtful and analytical.
His thorough mastery of Mana Circuits and Runic Inscription theories over these past months had given him insights he previously lacked.
"I’ve grown considerably in knowledge during this ti," he murmured to himself, feeling quite good about it now, "Reconstructing these runes wouldn’t be a problem. Not only that—I can make them stronger, more efficient. More... perfect."
He floated quietly before the damaged Affinity Runes, regarding them not rely as losses, but as opportunities to reforge all his affinity runes with the imnse knowledge he now possessed.
"But..." he softly said, exhaling a sigh, "I wonder if I took any more losses? This is rely the Affinity Runes. My soul, bloodlines, and physique are my true foundation. As for my soul..."
He glanced downward at his floating flickering fla. He couldn’t be sure if it was good or bad, but his soul seed to be glowing in three distinct shades.
"...I wonder how my soul will look at the Soul Embodint Stage." He softly exhaled, feeling as if he was getting old due to all the exhales.
Orion’s gaze slowly shifted from the damaged Affinity Runes, moving ahead to where nurous empty spots hovered silently within the thick, azure currents.
These vacant areas were once teeming with intricate spells ticulously carved into the fabric of his Sea of Consciousness, now reduced to nothingness, their absence a stark reminder of the heavy price he had paid.
Yet surprisingly, Orion found himself relatively unfazed by the loss. His small, flickering fla-form bobbed gently as he shrugged nonchalantly, accepting this setback with a kind of casual resignation.
"Well," he murmured lightly, his voice carrying a hint of mild amusent, "I can just engrave the spells again. Might as well just engrave all the Tier 3 or higher spells next ti around. This can even be an opportunity to build them up properly from scratch."
He paused briefly, considering the imnse depth of knowledge he had accumulated during these solitary months.
Indeed, with his current level of comprehension, recreating these spells—and even crafting superior versions—would now be an easier and far more rewarding task.
Satisfied with this positive outlook, Orion gently moved his golden fla form and moved on through the dense azure currents. His next destination within this vast inner domain was clear in his mind: the Eye of Revelation rune.
As Orion arrived before the designated area, his flickering fla abruptly halted, and his eyes widened in stark disbelief.
Floating silently, the incredibly complex and intricate rune representing his Eye of Revelation skill was clearly fractured, its delicate internal pathways visibly disrupted, and its forrly pristine glow now intermittent and weak.
A wave of intense frustration surged through Orion, causing his delicate fla-form to briefly flare brighter in agitation.
"What the fuck!?" he exclaid sharply, voice echoing in the boundless expanse. "This is so bullshit! How can a Supre Grade ability be broken during fights between re fucking mortals?"
Orion stared incredulously at the damaged rune, the frustration within him only deepening. Carefully, he floated closer, scrutinizing every fractured segnt, desperately searching for clues or explanations.
His mind raced, rapidly cycling through possible reasons—each one increasingly improbable or unsatisfactory.
Yet, despite his exhaustive analysis, Orion found no conclusive answers. The damage defied logical explanation, and the more he examined it, the deeper his frustration grew. Eventually, he let out a weary sigh of resignation, accepting defeat for now.
Reviews
All reviews (0)