Chapter 10 – A New Papule on World's Edge
With his skills back online, Alex began to move about the bubble he had created—large enough for some proper testing. Flight came easily, but the ever-present downward pull forced him to exert more effort than usual. At least, it made for good training.
He called out, "Status," ready to check his condition now that no external force interfered. He felt a pang of sadness at Khos's departure, but knew that, given their immortality, they would meet again someday—unless one of them met an untimely end at the hands of a powerful foe.
Now, the reality was simple: he could either sleep or find a way to reach the nearest land, preferably somewhere inhabited by humans, and try to settle into a peaceful—maybe somewhat adventurous—life.
Everything he'd been through brought him things he hadn't asked for. No one had thought to ask what he wanted. Once, he longed for a carefree life, but in a world of magic and swords, adventure called to him. The thought of fighting monsters filled him with excitement.
'Maybe I'll find a dungeon town and settle there for a few years. There would be peace and plenty of opportunities to grow,' he mused, letting his mind wander to visions of future rice and wine, soothing the loneliness he felt out in the cosmos. The scenery was mesmerizing, but without company, even immortal minds could grow dull.
Status
Level: 0
Race: Demi-God
Age: 21
Classes:
Shadow Master
Disciple of Reprise
Attributes:
HP: 3000
Mana: 685/3000
Strength: 3000
Agility: 7000
Luck: 69
Charm: 10 (7)
Spirit: 1000
Soul Power: 127
Innate Skills:
Shadow Affinity (B)
Light Inversion (C)
Shadow Creation (A)
Class Skills:
Shadow Sword (B)
Shadow Body (C)
Shadow Travel (D)
Entropy Freeze (S)
Future Sight (S)
Timeless Chant (S)
Immortal Body (SSS)
Storage (A)
General Skills:
Flight (C)
Water Magic (C)
Fire Magic (C)
Earth Magic (C)
Light Magic (E)
Space Magic (F)
Knowledge Library (C)
Shadow Manipulation (C)
Cultivation Trans (B)
Mana Absorption (A)
Spirit Absorption (B)
Cultivation Levels:
Body: 7th Stage Master
Soul: 8th Stage Grandmaster
Bloodline:
Night Raven
Crystal God
Bloodline Skills:
Darkness Bloom
Crystal Palace
Node:
System 0
"Impressive. This level of strength definitely fits a demi-god. Still, my mana and spirit don't replenish here. I'll need to conserve what I have until I reach the next universe."
He wondered, "System 0—what does that mean?" Searching his books for answers yielded little, but he found a ritual that allowed him to probe node characteristics for deeper analysis and control.
He quickly drew a magic circle on a sheet from his storage and added the material required, then chanted the invocation. Immediately, a glowing screen appeared, separate from his status:
Current Log
Checking access: Owner detected
System found, routing node requirement to System 0
User type: Demi-God, access upgraded to mid-level
Welcome, Creator.
Please ask your query. Answers provided at mid-level access.
He grinned. "So, I can ask it anything? Is this like Chat-EPT Premium?"
"Okay, how much time will it take to reach the nearest universe?"
Understood: Nearest universe is 10,000 years away at current speed. You can use skill—Darkness Bloom—to reach it immediately.
"WHAT? What am I even waiting for?" Without another thought, he activated the skill. Suddenly, a path darker than anything he'd ever seen appeared—not just the absence of light, but something fundamentally other. Thousands of pathways unfurled around him; he instinctively knew they would vanish with a single choice.
Alex picked the path leading toward the universe that pulled him in. The others faded; his chosen route sharpened, ending at a sphere that glowed like a bubble filled with light.
In an instant, he arrived at the boundary of the universe.
The sight was magnificent. His own bubble now attached to a transparent barrier surrounding the universe. He still felt its gravitational pull, but was stopped at the edge.
He tried to force his way in but failed. Considering his skills, he knew entry was possible, but hesitated; it was unlikely he'd enter a deliberately crafted boundary without attracting attention.
"System, how can I enter without alerting the gods or entities of this universe?"
Understood: A demigod may cross the boundary undetected by reincarnating as a human—sending only the spirit soul. Souls travel the universes constantly, and if you disguise yourself sufficiently, you can blend with a group and enter unnoticed.
No way was he ready to confront a deity. His stats were impressive, but he had no reference without seeing another's status screen.
Looking at his own status he could see his mana and sprit refilling fast after he was attached to the world boundary, he was now free to use his skills it seems.
He deciced to try out the method system provided. Using the knowledge he aquired from the books he setup another ritual. Thankfully the small amount of books and materials he got from Khos were enough to complete this ritual as well.
But before that, he decided to use skill crystal palace. after using darkness bloom it was on cooldown and he cant use it for 100 years. Its cooldown was proportional to the distance. .
Once Crystal palace was triggered, a majestic blue crystal palace materialized. Alex found himself in a throne chamber, standing on the stage where a king's chair would sit. For a moment, he paused the ritual and simply looked around at the place brought to reality out of dreams.