Vell’s new form felt both familiar and alien. He looked at his companions, seeing the fear and shock in their eyes, but also an unwavering loyalty that grounded him. He smiled softly, a genuine smile that reached his eyes and made them shine with a warmth that contrasted with their new, intimidating glow. "Do not worry, it is still . Just... a little bit different."
He walked over to Yenna, who was still looking at him with a mix of awe and trepidation. He gently took her hand, his touch sending a jolt of warmth through her. "I know I look scary, but I promise, I am still the sa."
Yenna squeezed his hand, her eyes searching his. "I know, it is just... you are so different now. And that power..."
"Yeah," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He looked around the room, his new, heightened senses taking in every detail: the damaged walls, the mangled remains of Mother’s vessel, and the strange, corrupted energy that still lingered in the air. "Let’s talk about this later, I think. First, we need to get out of here." He glanced up at the red sky, a frown creasing his brow. ’Is it just , or does the sky look redder than before?’
He turned his attention to his kids. "Are you all okay? Did that thing hurt you badly?"
Mia and Sia nodded. "We are okay, daddy. You were so strong!" Sia said, her eyes still wide with amazent.
Wren, however, was quieter. She had a more calculating look in her eyes, and he could feel her mind working, analyzing the situation. He knew her well enough now to understand that she was not just going to forget what had just happened.
"So," he clapped his hands together, breaking the tense silence. "Let’s get out of this dump, this place is giving the creeps. And then, we will have a looooong talk." He started walking towards the temple entrance, and the others followed behind him. He made sure to walk slowly, matching their pace, knowing their stamina was not as great as his.
As they walked, his mind raced. He needed to figure out what had happened to him, how he had co back to life, and what this new power truly ant. He also needed to learn how to control it. He had felt the raw, destructive strength surging through him, but he also felt a deep pull to protect, to heal. It was like he was two different people at once.
[Master, I believe now is an appropriate ti to explain what just happened.] The system’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
’Yeah, I would appreciate that.’ He thought, looking around at the crumbling temple. The air was thick with corrupted mana, and he could feel his body passively absorbing it. ’This is good, but I am going to need a new core for it.’
[Master, the reason you returned is due to the fundantal nature of your being. Rember, you are not rely a human; you are sothing far more unique, a being that is currently in a state of evolution. You possess a physiology that, once fully realized, will transcend normal mortal limitations.]
"So, what does that even an?" he mumbled to himself, stopping in his tracks. Yenna and the others looked at him, waiting for him to continue, but he just stood there, a confused look on his face.
[To put it simply, you can no longer die from conventional ans. A mortal wound that would kill any other human, or even most high-ranked individuals, is no longer enough to extinguish your life force. The act of having your heart ripped out, while traumatic, was ultimately insufficient to destroy the core of your being.]
’Wait, so you are saying that... I am unkillable? How is that even possible?’ He looked at his hands and touched his chest. His skin felt so different now, so much stronger. He could feel the imnse power coiled within him, a power unlike anything he had felt back in the forest.
[Not in the absolute sense. You can still be destroyed, but it would require a force that surpasses your current level of being. Ordinary attacks, even those considered fatal to most, are no longer enough to truly end you. Your body is simply too resilient to die like that.]
He paused, absorbing this new information. ’So that is why I ca back. It was not just because of the core. It was my own body’s way of saying "No".’ He started walking again, his mind still racing. He needed to know about the seals, and about that other form, and if it was related to what had just happened.
[This event also triggered the breaking of another seal. The act of your body being torn apart and then forcefully reassembling itself caused the seal to shatter. More of your true power has been released, which is why your current abilities are so greatly amplified.]
He stopped again, holding his right hand up in front of him. ’I think I get it now. If this keeps up, I might just end up gaining all of my real power back, and probably so of my mories.’
[Yes, but from here on out, each seal you remove will release far more power than you expect, which can be dangerous. This is also why the form you used monts ago is labeled as "Sealed."]
"The Sealed Form, is this tied to my power core? The second one, I an."
[Correct. The power within that form is the raw, untad power you were ant to wield, a power that transcends logic. It is a state that relies solely on your mind and power, and as you are now, you are not yet able to contain it. The power within that form is unstable, and it will corrupt your soul if it is used at your current level.]
"So, I am basically a walking ti bomb, waiting to explode?" he asked, looking at the crumbling temple behind them.
[In a sense, yes. But it is also sothing that you can learn to control. You are not the sa as before, Master. You have changed. You have evolved. And your power is still growing. Your body has finally started to catch up with your will. Now, you need to make sure that you are in control of this growth. To begin with, you should learn to change back to your normal form from your current state.]
He fell silent, his mind processing everything. He was no longer just a regular human with a reckless way of doing things. He had power beyond what he could have imagined, and he was only just beginning to understand its true extent. He looked back at the others, who were waiting patiently for him. He could not let his own problems interfere with their mission. They were relying on him, and he would protect them, no matter what.
’Enough with the explanations for now. I have a monster to hunt, and I am sure she will not be just sitting around waiting for us.’ He side-eyed his group. ’I am starting to feel like I am not going to have a peaceful life anyti soon. Is it too much to ask for a normal life with a cute wife and kids?’
He was joking, he knew it was never going to happen. He was a simple guy who just wanted to rest, but he also knew that he would do anything to protect his friends.
"Okay, new plan," he said, turning to the group, his eyes serious. "We are not done here. We still need to find Mother, the real Mother. I have a feeling she is not done with us, so let’s go hunting for her first." He could feel her presence sowhere in the distance, a faint flicker of energy that was almost too small to be noticed.
Yenna nodded. "I agree. I do not think she is just going to let us go. She was too obsessed with you." She then realized what she had said. ’Wait, what?’
"Okay, that is more than enough talk about ," he said with a light chuckle, trying to break the tension. "Let’s go find that annoying bitch and send her back to hell." He looked at them, his eyes now filled with a burning determination. "We need to be careful, but we also need to be ruthless. We cannot afford to hold back."
He paused, realizing he might have just made a huge mistake. He looked at their faces and saw their confusion. They did not understand what he was implying.
Wren tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Wait, what do you an, ’the real Mother’? Is not the monster we fought the boss of this dungeon?" she asked, and the others looked at him, their confusion clear.
Sia blinked, her eyes widening. "Yeah, daddy. We beat her already, right? You killed her with all that amazing power." She looked at his chest, as if trying to rember what had happened to him. Mia nodded in agreent.
Yenna’s eyes narrowed. "So, what, we fought a fake?" she asked, a slight growl in her voice. She felt like she had been played, like she had been used.
He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, it was not the real Mother. The one we fought back there was more like a puppet, a vessel that was used to test us, or sothing like that. I am not really sure." He tried to not make a big deal out of it, but he could not lie to them, not after everything they had been through.
"Are you serious?" Yenna asked, her voice full of disbelief. "So that whole fight was for nothing? And she was just playing with us? That is ssed up." Her hands tightened into fists, ready to punch sothing.
He nodded. "I know, I know. But that is not the end of the world, right?" He tried to sound upbeat, but he knew his own emotions were starting to mix into this ss.
Wren stepped forward, her expression more serious than usual. "So, if that was not the real Mother, how strong is the real one?" Her claws twitched slightly, a sign of her concern.
"I do not know, but I can feel her sowhere not far from here. Her energy is weak, but if we do nothing, we might get in trouble. I am more worried about you guys, not her. I do not think she will be able to hurt in my current state, so you guys need to be very careful from now on."
Sia clutched Mia’s hand even tighter. "So, there is another scary monster out there?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
"It is okay, Sia," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders, being as gentle as possible. "I am here, and I promise I will make sure no one will hurt you. Not now, not ever." He smiled, trying to reassure her. His smile was genuine, but his eyes held sothing else, sothing even he could not understand.
He then looked at Yenna. "We cannot let our anger get the better of us. We need to stay calm and be ready for everything. If she is smart, she might be trying to lure us into a trap, and we cannot allow that to happen." He then looked at all of them, scanning their faces, making sure they were okay. "We have been through worse. We will deal with this together, like always."
He stood up again. He could sense Mother, not far from where they were standing. Her presence was weak, but it was still there. ’She must have used more power than she expected. Now is our only chance, and the only way to do that is with my team at full strength... no, beyond that.’
"Okay, ti to work on your bodies. Sit down with your backs turned to ."
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