The Villain's Apocalypse-Chapter 16: Breakthrough
Chapter 16: Breakthrough
Chapter 16: Breakthrough
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Releasing his caught of breath, Cassian gazed at the intended island above him. It was hovering freely in mid-air, silent and peaceful. Mana swirled around it, forming a delicate barrier to hide its magnificence.
He unfurled those wings behind his back and took a step forward, slowly starting to rise from the ground. The nervousness was visible around his face, it was his first flight...
He struggled at first to understand the mechanism behind the wings. It felt foreign.
The wings were illusory and transparent, formed entirely from the mana around him. They flapped themselves silently, leaving a low gush of air behind on every flap.
He tried mimicking the techniques of birds from his previous life and somehow it seemed to have worked. The unstable momentum slowly stabilized itself, moving under his command.
The key, he realized, was not brute force but rhythm and coordination. Each wing needed to move fluidly in sync with the air currents.
He tilted his body slightly forward, adjusting the angle of his wings to control his direction. The sensation was exhilarating—a freedom unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Looking down, Cassian marveled at the vast grassy plains stretching out beneath him, their vibrant green hue dotted with clusters of colorful flowers swaying in the wind. It was breathtaking—a sight far more intimate and vivid than any view he had ever glimpsed through the narrow window of an airplane.
"At least I could die happily now." A low chuckle escaped his lips, his voice carrying a mix of wonder and self-deprecation.
He slowly sped up, increasing his speed with each thrust from the wings. His gaze locked on the destined island. His control over mana also subtly increased as he familiarized himself with the proper technique to utilize flight.
The journey didn't last long as within a few minutes, his body was hovering before the large-sized island. His destination was right before his eyes, lying quietly under the blue sky.
He extended his hand outward and lightly touched the mana barrier surrounding it. The barrier wasn't strong, his hand phased right through it upon the contact. It felt like touching air.
"Hopefully, I will find them inside." Praying to himself, he entered inside, his body rapidly disappearing inside the barrier.
plop
He landed on a rocky terrain, filled with massive rocks, boulders, and mountains of dirt. A dense earthy smell filled his nostrils, causing his eyes to twitch uncontrollably. The land beneath him was covered in raw soil and dirt with little to no greenery.
"Quite an unappealing welcome." He muttered, lying in a lotus position on the dusty floor.
The dense mana around him filled his starseed rapidly, causing it to become quite unstable. He had sensed beforehand that he was very close to a breakthrough after his return from the Mournshade Forest. He just needed a little push that came unexpectedly inside this island.
The mana inside his starseed filled to the brim, leaking out eventually. Countless cracks started forming around the seed, spreading like spider webs.
Cassian was sweating profusely, his mind entirely focused on the Starseed inside his sea of consciousness. He was desperately circulating the mana outside, preventing the seed from bursting immediately.
The Starseed was the main source of mana inside a human body. If it got destroyed then congratulations, you're now a cripple for the rest of your life. Only during breakthrough could you allow the starseed to destroy itself to be reborn as a stronger version.
After what felt like ages, the Starseed finally couldn't hold on any longer and burst apart, scattering around into millions of pieces. From within the destroyed starseed, a new golden orb emerged, illuminating his entire sea of consciousness.
phew
He sighed in relief after sensing the new Starseed inside his mind. The dangerous situation had finally passed away, leaving him all sweaty and tense. He swiftly changed his clothes by taking out the spare ones from his ring.
After cleansing his body from the sweat and dirt, he calmed himself down and observed his newfound power.
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With the breakthrough came a whole lot of boost, both in physical and spiritual aspects. His strength increased further, mana manipulation became a lot smoother and the mental stress from using the mana continuously decreased by a lot. He could now learn new elemental spells and battle arts.
"Status."
[STATUS SCREEN]
Name: Cassian von Luminaire
Title: Crown Prince of the Luminaire Empire
Race: Human (Awakened)
Age: 16
Energy Source: Mana
Main Stage: Growth
Sub Stage: Starseed
Rank: Radiant
Elemental Affinities
Lightning
Light
Skills
Swordplay (Basic): Proficient in one-handed and dual-wielding techniques.
Martial Arts (Intermediate): Proficient in boxing techniques.
Court Etiquette (Advanced): Expert knowledge of royal protocol and diplomacy.
Mana Manipulation (Basic): Control and refine mana for efficient energy use.
Equipment
Crown Prince's Robes: Increases Charisma and offers minor mana regeneration.
Luminaria Pendant: Enhances Light elemental abilities and protects against minor curses.
Spatial Ring: Provides a 100 cubic meter space capable of storing non-living items and artifacts.
Star System Features
Inventory: [0/10 Slots Used]
Quests:
[Active] Awaken the Starseed: Progress to the next stage of power. Reward: Unlock Advanced Elemental Skills. [updated]
[Active] Cure Seraphina's Curse: Lift the soulbound curse and free Seraphina's soul. Reward: Unlock Advanced Sword Techniques.
[Locked]
[Locked]
Pets
Leon (Shadow)
"Radiant, huh..." He muttered, observing his status screen.
The power system inside this world was quite unique and game-like, typical of a fantasy novel.
The awakened individuals start by forming a small seed of condensed elemental mana inside their sea of consciousness. It's called starseed and most people use the term star-rank for these individuals.
The Starseed then grows through the nourishment of the mana from the surrounding and later a small sapling spurts out from its inside. This sapling is called an astral sapling and Astral-rank is described for these individuals within this rank.
After a while, countless branches start to appear within the sapling, forming a miniature version of a tree. These branches are called nebula branches and Nebula-rank is described for these individuals within this rank.
The miniature tree then spreads its roots across the sea of consciousness, forming a mutual bond. These roots are called Divine roots and Divine-rank is the supposed ranking for these individuals.
Alexander, Bernard, Armes, etc are some popular Divine-rank individuals that he'd currently met till now.
After all of these steps, the miniature tree finally evolves into a fully grown tree, standing tall and firm inside the sea of consciousness. This tree is called celestial tree and Celestial-rank is the perfect word to describe such individuals.
Within these rankings are sub-rankings, each categorized and named properly.
The Growth stage includes star rank, astral rank, and nebula rank with each rank further divided into initiate, radiant, and rising sub-rank.
The Sublimation stage includes divine rank and celestial rank with each rank further divided into saint, sage, and supreme sub-ranks.
There are mentions of ranks beyond these in the novel but they are on the upper plane. The Celestial rank is the limit within the lower plane and to increase your strength further, you'd have to ascend onto the upper plane.
"I'm just getting started. I've got a long way to go." A bitter smile appeared across his face as he imagined the future.
The roads would be tough but he would have to pass through in order to achieve the desired strength.
Clearing those thoughts, he dusted off the dirt around his clothes and slowly stood up.
His gaze lingered on the quest section, especially the glaring [updated] text on it.
"It seems I will acquire new skills after every breakthrough, thanks to this quest." He thought. After his breakthrough, he had gained information about few lightning and light elemental skills directly inside his mind. These must be the rewards.
Feeling curious, he skimmed through the information while moving towards his destination.
