Infinite Evolution: Dominating The Apocalypse With My God Tier Items - Chapter 35: Awake
Seth’s eyes flickered open and he found himself staring at the turbulent skies. For some reason, he was lying face up on the ground.
"Finally out," he grunted.
He tried to move. "Ah!" he yelped as his joints stung painfully at the slightest movement of his limbs. He collapsed back weakly after struggling for a bit.
It was then the system flooded his vision red with past messages.
[WARNING! Gene skill ’Armageddon’ has been deactivated from lack of essence. Further usage might compromise life force. Please refrain from further usage!]
[Warning! Life force has been compromised. Please refrain from further usage in order not to damage vitality permanently!]
[Vitality has been compromised! -1 Vitality (Note: Each point of vitality lost due to life force usage cannot be recovered until further evolution.)]
[Vitality has been compromised! -1 Vitality] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
[Vitality has been compromised! -1 Vitality]
[Vitality....]
It went on and on. At this point, he had lost a whopping 49 points of vitality, and his actual vital state was dangerously low.
[Essence Unit: 0/199]
[Vitality: 7/150]
Seth hissed in horror, his eyes bulging wide as he stared at the warning blocks.
’All this happened and I didn’t feel a thing.’ The thought caused him to sweat, his heart palpitating.
By now the fog over his brain was slowly lifting, and the more he recalled, the more chills rattled his bones.
The loops he had experienced weren’t a dozen or two —
’It had to be hundreds.’
It was only during the later few that his mind detected something wrong.
He scowled unpleasantly at the realization.
That was why he had noted his surroundings to be dark at a point in time while in the loop.
It turned out the actual time wasn’t noon. His timekeeping ability had been compromised, and it should have been sometime around midnight.
In fact, right now, if one stared closely at the sky, you could spot the hidden silhouette of the sun behind the thick carpets of clouds peeking across the horizon... dawn had broken.
And the worst part of all this, the part that terrified him the most, was that he still didn’t remember entering the loop.
Though he was certain who the culprit was.
He gathered all the energy he could muster, gritting his teeth and resisting the pain as he crawled weakly to his feet.
Quickly, he observed his body with a dark face.
He was now gaunt and sickly, his skin deathly pale. Touching his face with his bony fingers, he could feel only bones and a pair of sunken eyes.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, causing him to freeze.
"How did you do it?" A weak voice of a child questioned — or more accurately, demanded.
Seth finally moved his gaze away from himself to his surroundings, and what he saw caused his heart to ache.
Indeed, he was currently in the field, the land dry and crusting as though ravaged by drought. Before him were two ominous familiar objects, and right by his side lay the gaunt frames of his surviving teammates — all four of them.
Instantly, he understood what had happened and why they were here.
"After waiting for some time, they must have assumed I was in trouble and came to help."
Seeing their struggling expressions despite being unconscious, it was obvious they were in pain, probably trapped in a loop like him — or worse.
He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. If only he was stronger.
"You didn’t answer my question. How did you do it!" The voice rang out again.
Seth’s head snapped toward the source: the now weakly pulsating Charm Beast egg.
He could almost see the faint silhouette of a boy child sitting weakly on the egg.
Seth’s eyes flashed as he met the child’s entrancing crimson gaze that almost made one stare continuously, lost in its mysteries.
The child’s lips moved as it began speaking again. "Why would you think to destroy your most prized possession even if you suspected it? What if it was reality and you lost it for real? Should I call it bravery, or are you humans just stupid?"
Seth frowned, his eyes flashing, but he remained silent.
[Warning! Detecting mobilization of life force!!!]
Seth could feel the costly essence churning in his veins. "I’ll have to make do with this. Equip!"
Suddenly, a deep obsidian longsword bled into reality, falling into his grasp.
He clenched the hilt tightly, the sparse force of energy he could gather seeping into the cold dark steel blade.
The boy stared at this scene unmoved, his faint figure tilting its head, expression placid. "I wanted to give you the decency of talking it out, but it seems your barbaric mind can’t process complicated thoughts."
Seth coughed weakly, planting the blade into the ground to support his frame. His eyes remained locked on the Charm Beast incarnate as he replied, "And give you time to recover? Sorry, but no thanks."
The boy shook his head. "I’m not the only one needing recovery."
His words didn’t move Seth. This was a creature that had trapped him in a repeating loop in his mind — one powered by his own essence!
He didn’t know when or how this had happened, and the damn abomination hadn’t even hatched yet!
This Charm Beast was indeed every bit as terrifying as the oracle crystal implied.
Seeing Seth’s lack of response, the child remarked, "I take it you’re ready to die then..."
Runes across the onyx shell of the creature flashed brilliantly.
The boy vanished, merging into its egg, but his voice rang in the air. "You know I didn’t lie when I told you the mother seed is at 28% completion. The only reason a pathetic bunch like you were able to defeat my generals was simply because of the incomplete state of the mother seed."
Hearing all this, Seth had a foreboding feeling. He clutched his sword tighter, his gaze growing wary. Who knew what more tricks this monster had in its bag?
The boy’s voice rang again, this time carrying an indignant tone. "The only reason you could even break out of my soul spell in the first place was because of the incomplete state of the mother seed, which limits my true power."
"I am a creature of regality, the true epitome of Corruption. And here I am being challenged by an insect!" As it spoke, a terrifying aura wafted from it, blinding crimson flashes streaking across the shell.
A cracking sound echoed.
Seth’s heart hammered against his ribs as a dreadful thought set in:
’Don’t tell me that thing plans on hatching.’
He couldn’t play it safe anymore. His body burst into movement, each step sending jolts of blinding pain through him.
Jaw clenched tight, he reined in the pain, refusing to let it hinder his movement.
With bloodshot eyes, his figure practically rode the wind. He might not carry the might of his Asura body any longer...
But even in his gaunt frame, the echo of his full 199 stat points would be enough to accomplish his aim.
The blade in his hands hummed in the air, the essence trait oscillation blooming at the edge of the sword. A subtle shift of weight occurred as the second trait bore on the weapon. It flashed, carving a streak in the wind.
Clang!
Sparks flew, a rebound force running deep into Seth’s gaunt frame. He stumbled backward uncontrollably.
"Who?!" Seth exclaimed furiously. But when he saw the culprit taking steady steps toward him, his heart sank.
The boy’s voice chuckled in his ears. "I might have lost my generals, but I still have a few reluctant volunteers ready to fill the role."
Standing before Seth was the gaunt frame of Brandon, staring at him with a ferocious expression.
All around him, his remaining three teammates began to rise, throwing loathing glances forward.
His pupils quivered, his pulse quickened.
"Now this will be a show!" The boy chuckled sinisterly.
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