I Level Up by Killing Gods-Chapter 39: Honing Lost Strength

In the 45 days Kael had spent within the sacred chamber of the Mad Monk, every moment had been devoted to understanding the abilities he wielded and pushing their limits.

The trial’s suffocating silence, broken only by the monk’s ramblings and the taunts of the entities outside, had become the perfect crucible for his growth.

Fear had long since subsided, replaced by focus and determination.

The first ability Kael explored was his left eye, the one forever marked by the red cloth that had embedded itself within it.

It was this eye that caused the strange texts to appear in his vision, revealing information about his surroundings, his enemies, and even himself.

Initially, Kael had thought the ability was purely passive, functioning at random intervals. But the solitude gave him time to reflect and test its capabilities.

If he wanted to fully unlock its potential, he realized, he would need to guide it actively.

His earliest memory of the eye’s power was in the Void Breach. Back then, it had shown him fragmented details about the strange figure he had fought, though much of the information was hidden behind rows of question marks.

Later, upon leaving the Void Breach, the eye displayed details about the Lightforged he first encountered at his arrest. However, after that, it went dormant, showing him nothing further.

Kael initially assumed the ability had been lost or sealed somehow, but he couldn’t accept such a limitation without testing it.

The breakthrough came early into his time in the chamber. With deliberate intent, Kael focused on the Mad Monk and willed the eye to reveal information.

To his satisfaction, text flickered into view:

> ◇ Trial Entity.

• "Blight Core

• "No Threat

It wasn’t much—just a confirmation of what he already suspected. But the fact that the ability could still function gave him a renewed sense of purpose.

Encouraged, Kael turned his attention to the entities outside the chamber, the ones who mimicked his former allies and tormented him with their voices. He sharpened his focus and invoked the eye again.

The results were far more unsettling:

> ◇ Cursed Trial Entity.

• "???

• "Extreme Threat Level

Kael remembered how his chest had tightened when he first saw that description.

The text confirmed his suspicions: the beings outside were not Ravagers, nor were they human. They were far beyond him in power, at least for now.

That knowledge only hardened his resolve.

Once he confirmed the eye’s potential, Kael dedicated himself to uncovering its other capabilities. He discovered that it could provide detailed feedback on his progress, particularly regarding his skills and abilities.

Text floated beside him now, displaying his current standing:

> ◇ Sword Skill.

• "545 - 500 [100% Recovered]

• "499 - 490 [91% Recovered]

The numbers were the skill names and the percentages his mastery of these sword techniques.

During the Void Breach, Kael had recovered three skills: 545, 531, and 530. These were basic techniques—slashes, thrusts, and counters. He had come to understand that the higher the number, the more fundamental the skill. As the numbers decreased, the skills grew more advanced and devastating.

The skills below 500 were a testament to that. Of the nine he had recovered between 499 and 490, each was significantly more powerful than the basic moves.

They integrated his Blight energy with his swordsmanship, allowing him to unleash attacks that didn’t even require direct contact.

Kael tightened his grip on Ather’valis. Each swing wasn’t just physical practice—it was a means of unlocking fragments of memory embedded within the weapon.

The blade responded to him, growing more unsealed with every skill he recovered.

And then there was the most mysterious aspect of his abilities: Void Resonance.

Kael had learned that Void Resonance wasn’t merely a measure of his connection to Blight—it was something far deeper, something ancient and currently unfathomable to him.

It was a bond to The Null itself, the dark, eternal void where he had once been imprisoned.

The flashes of memories he received, the faint echoes of that place, hinted at a power that predated the gods. It was a power unlike anything he had encountered before, and it frightened him as much as it intrigued him.

Kael had only begun to scratch the surface of what the Void Resonance could offer, but he knew it would be a critical part of his journey.

The resonance allowed him to draw strength from The Null and blight, though the process was still unstable and difficult to control.

He suspected that as he delved further into its depths, it would reveal abilities that could aid his vengeance against the celestials who had cast him into that abyss.

For now, his focus was on preparing for the battle ahead.

The entities outside the chamber weren’t just obstacles—he now took them as tests, deliberately placed there to force him to grow.

He had to surpass his current limits if he wanted to survive.

Kael glanced at the text hovering beside him once more. He had recovered nearly all the basic sword skills, and his progress with the more advanced techniques was steady.

He had refined his ability to wield Blight, integrating it seamlessly with Ather’valis. The blade itself pulsed faintly in his hand, a sign of its awakening power.

"How far have I come?" he muttered to himself.

The Mad Monk, pacing across the chamber as it often did, suddenly stopped. Its milky, lifeless eyes turned to Kael, and it spoke in its usual maddening tone.

"Are you ready, boy?" it rasped, its voice grating against Kael’s nerves like shattered glass.

Kael didn’t respond immediately.

He swung Ather’valis one final time, the motion carrying a precise delibracy. The blade cut through the air with a low hum, leaving a faint trail of Blight energy.

Sweat clung to his dark hair and stung his eyes, but his expression remained calm, almost serene.

"I’m close," Kael finally said, his voice steady.

The monk let out a wheezing laugh, its crooked form trembling with the effort.

"Close, he says. The ones outside won’t wait forever, you know. They’re hungry."

And just like that, it started its mad ramblings once more.

Kael ignored the monk’s taunts and took a deep breath. The past 45 days had taught him discipline and patience.

He no longer reacted to the voices outside or the monk’s ramblings. Every moment had been spent honing his skills, recovering his memories, and preparing for the inevitable confrontation.

He was almost ready.

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