Rebirth-Transcending All Beings-Chapter 71: The Cycle of Pain [2]

Divine energy surged through his body, rushing to his head.

It knitted flesh, bone and thought back into existence — only to detonate again.

A brilliant flash. Agony. Repeat.

Vergil was now shackled to an unending cycle of agony and rebirth.

His face had been charred, his right arm blown apart, his body pierced by the spike.

These experiences made him no stranger to pain. He fought and endured through it all.

Yet none of it compared to the soul-shattering torment of his head exploding.

Over and over again. Vergil realised the fact that his mere existence had been reduced to nothing but endless suffering.

The divine energy refused to let him die. A day passed. Then another. Only a few seconds passed on the outside thanks to the Space-Time Array surrounding him.

His thoughts were a blur, still processing his mother’s death. ’Why did you have to die and put me through this?’

Something inside him snapped, like a string reaching its threshold before ripping.

"I can’t do this... I need to change."

-----

On the tenth day, after dying every second and being reborn the next, Vergil’s eyes stirred — the cold-blooded nature that once filled his eyes had now disappeared even amidst the cycle of pain.

His body was slowly and imperceptibly learning. He began directing the energy flow, even if it was only a slight change.

Then.

[Predation is reacting]

[Energy flow being directed to the right eye]

"Oh come on, not again."

The pain surged once more, and while the directed flow was still excruciating — it couldn’t compare to the agony of spontaneous cranial combustion.

In the crucible of torment, Vergil realized two key facts.

First, he posessed far too much Divine Energy that it overfilled him like a tidal wave through a cracked dam. Flooding every inch of his body and leaving little room for the demonic energy to stabilise itself.

Second, the quality of divine energy wasn’t just high, but peerless. An absolute force that dwarfed his demonic energy.

He had to fix both problems if he wanted to survive. He had a solution to the first. It was just to keep dying. Although it sounded insane, it was the most ’efficient’ way to burn of the excess divine energy. And this was the ’easy part.’

The second was the true challenge. To elevate the quality of his demonic energy. Fold, condense, and refine — sacrificing quantity for quality until it could stand on even footing with divine energy.

There was no guarantee would work. It was a risky gamble with various factors.

There was no other choice if he wanted to live.

Four seconds.

Vergil timed how long he could control his demonic energy in his head before imploding.

Then, it blew again.

Another second passed.

He returned, again. Repeating the process. ’System, how much Divine Energy do I have?’

[Five million units with the maximum quality. Ten]

’What should I do for now?’

[Continue controlling your demonic energy in this state. Once the divine energy lowers to a certain level. I’ll tell you what’s next.]

Vergil closed his eyes before bursting again.

If hell was a cycle of pain, his was one of repetition that taught him one thing.

The meaning of evolution.

---------------

A month passed like that and Vergil was still stuck in this cycle.

Explode. Regenerate. Control and explode again.

The agony never dulled but simply became a part of his routine that etched its mark into his nerves. Yet progress was made. What was once four seconds of control grew to five. Then six. Seven. Slowly, incrementally there was no sudden breakthrough or genius insight. Just pure repetition, pain and the stubborn will to refuse with all his might.

He was average — he always knew. But now he was experiencing ’Darwin’s Theory.’

[User has gained the skill: Divine Energy Manipulation – Rank F]

[User has gained the skill: Demonic Energy Manipulation – Rank F]

And another month dragged by.

His control reached one minute. That was when he stopped pushing and the goal changed.

Reducing the Divine Energy.

[Divine Energy has decreased to 2.5 million units]

Another month.

Each second was agony, but the Divine Energy slowly withered away from the constant combustion. At one million, he switched his focus.

It was time to refine the Demonic Energy.

He began the folding process. He found the energy was chaotic and alive. Like a raging beast trying to break its cage. At first it rebelled.

On the second, it resisted.

On the third, it refused to yield.

And on the fifth day, it obeyed.

By the tenth day, all fifty units had been compressed and folded into ten units of improved quality, reaching the second Rank.

But when he tried folding again, he realised the cost. The energy needed to rise to the third Rank was humongous. He wasn’t close so he returned to Divine Energy.

Somewhere along the way, the system had alerted him: 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

[User has obtained: God’s Divine Right Eye]

But he hadn’t paid attention. He had no time to care. The only thing that mattered now was control.

He began the delicate process of harmonizing demonic and divine energy.

But he came to a realisation. Since he couldn’t go higher in quality for Divine? Why not unfold to match it.

He weaved it, though it was painstakingly more taxing than folding.

Another month passed.

The divine energy refined itself down from one unit at Rank ten... to one million at Rank nine. He released the excess, purging it from his body and repeated the process again.

[Rank 9 → 1 unit (Excess: 1 million)

Rank 8 → 1 unit (Excess: 750,000)

Rank 7 → 1 unit (Excess: 500,000)

Rank 6 → 1 unit (Excess: 250,000)

Rank 5 → 1 unit (Excess: 125,000)

Rank 4 → 1 unit (Excess: 62,500)

Rank 3 → 1 unit (Excess: 2,000)]

And after days of strain, 10 Rank three units → ten Rank two units (Excess: 190)

He stored exactly ten Rank two divine units into his right eye. The rest was going to be removed via combustion. He couldn’t allow imbalance.

Then came the final and most complex task.

Control.

Not simply containing the energy, but directing and harmonising them. Preventing them from clashing after the cycle ended.

He studied their natures. Demonic energy was wild and violent, like a dam cracking under pressure and spilling chaos in every direction

Whilst Divine Energy flowed with a serene, and unwavering intent. Like a river carving through bedrock. But only when it touched the Demonic current did it react. Violently.

One touch, and his left leg exploded, painting the already soaken sediment with an even darker colour.

Another month passed.

The training ground, one known as the spike was now an unrecognisable mess. The runes on the floor had been stained with a deep permanent scarlet. The tunes pulsed faintly from the residue of divine detonation.

And then, he finally stood.

For the first time in months, Vergil rose forward, cracking his back.

His right eye pulsed with a cold, eerie brillaiance of a captured star. Within the shimmering sky-blue sclera, avertical pupil sat encased in rings of glacial turquoise and stormy navy — similar to his mother’s.

An unnatural masterpiece too perfect to be anything but Divine.

And his arm.

The mechanical arm underwent a miraculous change. What was once cold steel was now a smooth, alabaster material that wrapped his new limb.

Sculpted like marble and crisscrossed with faint, glowing blue lines resembling veins. They weren’t merely for aesthetics — they pulsed with the breath of heaven itself.

His gaze flickered towards it, twisting the hand and flexing his fingers before the systems tone echoed into his mind.

[User has gained a Divine Arm]

[This will be shown under ’Bonds’]

[User’s left eye has reached stage 1, Gained demonic energy manipulation (F-EX)]

[User’s right eye- stage 0, User has gained Divine energy Manipulation (F-EX)]

[User’s Demonic Energy and Divine Energy Manipulation have reached E-]

[User has finished Mission 001]

[User has received 15 Stat Points]

[User has received Conversion Heart Schematic]

[User has gained the ability: Projection (Source: Divine Arm)]

Vergil’s gaze flicked to the abyssal expanse above him. Far overhead, a jagged ledge jutted from the dark stone.

"Projection," he said quietly.

A luminous arm burst forth from his own. Ethereal, immense and coated with blue Divine Energy. The lines along his right arm glowed bright, feeding the projection like veins feeding a heart.

It sorhed upward with fluidity, clamping onto the ledge above before Vergil was hoisted up, weightless as a feather.

Dropping down to the stone floor once more, he stretched his limbs. "Not bad," Vergil smirked. The gloom and negativity that once characterized his tone had vanished, replaced by an uplifting sense of relief.

His right arm, still white, shifting its form — returning to match the rest of Vergil’s form. No aura — just silence.

"At least I won’t have to use transformation to keep changing."

He made his way back towards the cottage for the final time. Inside, nothing had changed. The divine spear still rested near the bed.

But now? It was a sentinel with no master. Its stillness was deeper than the silence it had known, knowing her soul and body was now merged with him.

Vergil sat on the bed, his right arm resting on his cheek. Eyes never leaving the now quiet spear.

"Are you coming with me?"

The spear, silent for a moment, finally responded. "Devil-Spawn... it’s your faul—"

"Don’t," Vergil cut in. "Don’t pin her death on me. You and I both knew her time had come to an end. Even if I never set foot here."

"She would have died. Alone and miserable."

"And you," he exhaled. "You would remain here, rotting with time. I know you won’t choose another master. Because they’re your enemy."

He reached a hand toward the spear. "So come with me, and let me be your master."

Silence struck. Then came the spear’s defiance. "I will not come with you. You are a devil. And that is final.

Vergil thought for a moment. Would it be wise to Predate the spear. But restrained himself. His body wouldn’t be able to handle the excess Divine Energy.

Vergil stood, taking a new pair of clothes to put on himself. "That’s fine."

He turned to leave when the spear spoke again. Its voice, this time, was quieter. Resigned.

"On behalf of master... I’ll give you two pieces of advice. Look under the bed. There’s a concealment band she used to wear. It’ll hide your energies."

Vergil said nothing, simply nodding.

"Second, your soul is overflowing. Whatever technique your body is using has had an effect. Your soul has reached the peak of bone Tempering."

"At your pace, the moment you reach Ethereal. Your body will collapse from the strain. Stop doing whatever you’re doing... at least until Bone Tempering."

"How kind." Vergil didn’t know any of these terms, but he referred them to cultivation. "You’re not going to explain?"

"You’re going to an academy, are you not?" the spear replied. "Go there. Learn like everyone else."

He ducked under the bed, finding the white band hidden beneath. He slipped it onto his left wrist feeling a sudden shift.

[Demonic and Divine Energy is being concealed]

Vergil collected what food and water remained, stowing it away in his inventory with practiced ease. He turned to leave, casting one final look towards the Divine Spear.

A moment passed—then he reached out, grasping it with his right hand. It resisted, humming. The right arm pulsed once more, reverting to its divine form.

"What are you doing?" the spear asked, uncertain.

Vergil said nothing.

He walked outside, making his way to the remains of the spike. The shattered remnants of the place marked her final resting place.

He pierced the middle where the spike once stood, marking like a gravestone.

He sat scross-legged in front if it. The weight of grief veiled beneath their stillness. He spoke no words, simply remembering the past.

Time passed and he rose.

"Authority of Transformation."

His hair shifted to natural brown, eyes dimmed to a mutual shade of brown. He poured water over his hair; letting it run down his face.

He slicked his hair back, some strands escaping, refusing to fall in line.

He let them be.

He didn’t complain.

And without another word, he turned toward the cliff and began to climb.