Born In Ashes: The Enigma-Chapter 259: Epic Rank (Part 6)

Azrael sat inside the cosmic energy pool, holding a small bottle filled with green potion in his hand.

"I wonder what kind of class skills I will receive after reaching Epic Rank... or whether Balance Severed and Absolute Decree will become more powerful," He muttered to himself, taking a deep breath.

The skill he was most concerned about was his passive class skill, Balance Severed.

This skill reduced the power of all attacks directed at him by anyone who was not at least two ranks higher than him by 5%.

If this skill evolved further after his breakthrough to Epic Rank, and the percentage of reduced damage increased, it would mean that it was a growth-type skill, one that evolved alongside its user.

And if that were true, as it continued to evolve, the reduction in damage would continue to increase as well, making battles against opponents far easier for him.

"Let’s hope it’s the kind of skill that evolves with the user," He murmured quietly before uncorking the potion bottle.

The moment he did, he could feel a powerful surge of wind-elemental energy radiating from the liquid within.

"Let’s begin..." He whispered, gazing at the potion for a few seconds before tilting his head back and gulping it down in one go.

As soon as he drank the potion, a sharp stinging sensation spread through his throat, as though countless wind blades were slicing it from within.

But the discomfort faded quickly as his core began to rotate, and the potion was instantly converted into pure wind-elemental energy, which flowed straight toward his source core.

Closing his eyes, Azrael began to absorb the energy from the potion, rapidly accumulating wind-elemental power in preparation for his breakthrough to Epic Rank.

At the same time, the cosmic energy within the pool around him began to surge toward him, being drained rapidly to assist in the process.

Time passed slowly and after nearly two hours, more than half of the energy within the cosmic energy pool had been absorbed by Azrael.

This sight amazed him. The accumulated energy in this pool was enough to help a normal Epic Rank warrior advance from level 26 to level 28, or even 29 in a matter of days.

Yet, despite absorbing more than half of it, Azrael still hadn’t completed his breakthrough to Epic Rank... and the fact that he had absorbed such an enormous amount of energy in just two hours was simply astonishing.

’It must be because of my Eternal Grade Bloodline that I require such a massive amount of energy. The increase in potential provided by it is truly terrifying...’ He thought with a sigh, continuing to absorb more energy.

Another hour passed. By then, his core had refined nearly all the wind-elemental energy from the potion and reached its critical limit.

Moments later, his core suddenly stopped rotating. Azrael felt the cosmic energy inside his body churning violently, slowly beginning to transform and grow stronger.

Simultaneously, numerous cracks appeared all over his purple-colored source core, and it started collapsing, just as it had when he advanced to Class Rank.

A tearing pain, both physical and spiritual, surged through him, causing his entire body to tremble.

While Azrael could easily endure physical pain, the agony tearing at his soul was something entirely new— sharp, unbearable, and disorienting.

’Is it because my soul is now connected to my core that I am experiencing this soul-tearing pain during its evolution?’ Azrael thought amidst the torment, forcing himself to refocus on his core.

Soon, the core shattered completely, turning into countless purple fragments. But the concentrated wind element that had gathered within it quickly enveloped the fragments, starting to reshape them into a new form.

As the reshaping began, Azrael could feel his life level rising, surpassing that of a Class Rank being and stepping into the realm of Epic Rank.

Although his physical stats didn’t increase directly, the cosmic energy within his body evolved to a higher state, making him feel significantly stronger than before.

Moreover, because his soul was connected to his source core, its strength also increased considerably.

As his core continued to reform, Azrael suddenly felt a surge of scorching heat spreading throughout his body, causing his skin to flush a deep shade of red.

No, it wasn’t his body. It was his blood that was heating up, as if something ancient and powerful within it was beginning to awaken.

However, this strange phenomenon lasted only for a few seconds before everything returned to normal, leaving no trace behind.

Alarmed, Azrael immediately extended his senses inward, checking for any abnormalities. Yet, even after a thorough examination, he couldn’t find anything wrong.

’Could it be... that it was a reaction from my bloodline?’ He wondered, thinking about its Unawakened status.

He had no idea what conditions were required to awaken his bloodline, but judging from the sudden reaction earlier, it might be possible that advancing in rank was one of the triggers.

’It was brief, but I could clearly feel something trying to awaken within my bloodline...’ Azrael thought with a serious expression, uncertain but intrigued by the possibility.

’If that’s true, then maybe I can awaken my bloodline by continuing to increase my rank...’

Taking a deep breath, he focused his attention back on his source core.

Time flowed quietly as the reshaping process continued. About ten minutes later, Azrael could feel his power rising rapidly as the new core neared completion.

A few minutes after that, the process was finally complete, his core had fully reformed, signifying his successful advancement to Epic Rank.

A powerful burst of energy erupted from his core, spreading through every vein and fiber of his being. His cosmic energy had now transformed completely, becoming purer, denser, and far more potent than before.

At the same time—

(You have reached Level 26 and have been promoted to Epic Rank Warrior.)

A glowing notification appeared before Azrael’s eyes. Then, one after another, several more began to flash in quick succession, making his eyes brighter.