Chapter 16: The World Shudders and the Silver-Haired God
[The Moment of the Shockwave]
The beam of violet-black light that shot up from the Silent Death Forest did not scream. It simply... existed.
It hit the upper atmosphere and shattered, spreading out like an invisible ripple across the entire planet of Eldoria.
This wasn't Mana. Mana is the air mortals breathe—light, fluid, and chaotic. This was Essence—the heavy, absolute authority of Higher Dimensions.
It washed over the five continents in seconds.
To the common farmer, it felt like a sudden drop in air pressure. To the F-Rank adventurer, it felt like a shiver. But to the Apex Rulers—the ones sitting at the peak of the world....it felt like a question they couldn't answer.
[The Central Continent - Valeria (Human Domain)]
[The Royal Training Grounds]
In a courtyard paved with enchanted steel, an old man stood alone. He held a sword the size of a tombstone, his body covered in scars from a hundred wars.
He was the Sword Saint. The guardian of humanity.
He stopped mid-swing. His blade, which could slice through mountains, trembled in his grip.
Clang.
He dropped the sword. It cracked the floor.
"That pressure..." the old man rasped, his eyes darting around the courtyard. "Where did it come from?"
A general ran into the courtyard, breathless. "My Lord! The mana detectors are going haywire! But... they can't triangulate the signal! It's reading as 'Global Saturation'!"
The Sword Saint nodded slowly. "I felt it too...but It didn't come from the North, South, East, or not from the West. It felt like the sky itself just got heavier."
"What was it, My Lord?"
"For three thousand years, the EX Rank has been a myth," the old man whispered. "We all know it exists. We all strive for it. But no one has ever reached it. maybe.. maybe today... looks like someone just knocked on that door."
He clenched his shaking hands.
"But who? From where? A hermit in the mountains? A beast in the deep ocean?"
He looked up at the sky, frustrated. "Find him/her and whoever else it is. Use every diviner in the Empire. If a new Legend is rising, we must find them before the Demons or someone do."
[The Eastern Continent - Lushwood (Elven Domain)]
[The Spire of the World Tree]
High in the branches of the massive World Tree, the Elven High Queen stood on her balcony.
She was beautiful, ageless, and confused.
Below her, the World Tree was humming. The leaves were rustling violently, not from wind, but from resonance.
"Your Majesty!" A High Priestess rushed in. "The Tree! It's... it's singing! It hasn't sung since the ancient times!"
"I know," the Queen said, her voice trembling.
She closed her eyes, extending her magical senses to the ends of the continent. She tried to trace the flow of energy back to its source.
"I... I can't see it," she whispered. "It is everywhere. The Mana of the entire world bowed down at the same instant."
"Is it a natural phenomenon?" the Priestess asked.
"No," the Queen said, her eyes opening. "This energy had intent. Look like Someone, somewhere, just touched something unknown. It is good or... bad didn't know. But they have hidden themselves perfectly."
She gripped the railing. "Increase the border guards. We do not know where this new power lies, so we must be ready for it to appear anywhere."
[The Silent Death Forest - Deep Underground]
Miles beneath the earth, far below the dungeons and the magma flows, lay a creature that made the Demon King look like an ant.
Scales of iridescent starlight. Eyes like burning suns. The Dragon Queen, Tiamat.
She look like she was not from this world. And unlike the others, she knew exactly where the pulse came from.
Because it tickled her nose.
One massive golden eye slid open.
'Essence...'
Her voice was not a sound; it was a tectonic plate shifting.
'A flavor I have not tasted in ten thousand years. Look like Someone has just swallowed....a World's Core Fragment.'
She shifted her head, causing a minor earthquake on the surface. She extended her senses, scanning the forest floor miles above her.
'Is it you, little one?'
She checked on her daughter—the Dragon Princess—who had run away from home a century ago. She found her daughter instantly, roasting a giant boar in the Eastern sector, completely unaware.
Tiamat let out a huff that sounded like a laugh.
'Good. She is safe. And She is eating very well. Haha'
The Dragon Queen looked toward Kael's cabin.
'So, it is a human. A tiny human playing with the power of the Origin. And he is right above my head.'
'Interesting. The world might be panicking from this phenomenon, and looking for the source, but....here he is. in my garden. I shall let him do. whatever he is doing. Perhaps... he will be entertaining later.'
And The massive eyes of dragon Queen closed.
[Back in the Cabin - 26 Hours Later]
"Ugh... my head."
Kael felt like his brain had been taken out, scrubbed with sandpaper, and put back in sideways.
He groaned, trying to sit up. The wooden floor felt incredibly soft against his skin.
"System? You there?"
A blue window appeared in his vision. But it wasn't the sharp, mechanical box from before. It was elegant, bordered in gold filigree.
[Good morning, Master Kael. Fusion Complete. Vital signs stable.]
The voice was standard—robotic and genderless.
Kael blinked." What the fuck.....you sound different."
[I have been upgraded to the 'Steward' Interface. I can now adapt to your preferences. You may customize my voice to Male, Female, or any specific tone you desire.]
Kael rubbed his chin, thinking. "Any voice? Hmmm".
[Affirmative. I can sound like a valkyrie, a child, a monster, or a servant. I am yours to command.]
Kael thought for a second. He didn't want a soldier screaming at him, and he didn't want a seductive AI distracting him. He wanted someone... reliable.
"Can you do a professional British butler? Older, calm, highly educated?"
[Adjusting vocal parameters... Done. How is this, Sir?]
The voice changed instantly. It was now deep, refined, and sounded like an elderly gentleman who had served kings for decades.
"Ohhh...perfect," Kael nodded. "Iet me think. A name from you".
"I'm calling you....Alfred."
[An excellent choice, Sir. I am honored. I am Alfred. Shall we review your condition?]
"Yeah. I even feel... weird. But Lighter."
Kael stood up.
Slurp.
Noir, who had been lying next to him, immediately lowered his massive head to the floor. The SS-Rank panther wasn't just being friendly; he was bowing. Even Tess, the giant spider, was huddled in the corner, shaking.
"Guys?" Kael frowned. "What's wrong?"
He walked over to the water bucket near the door to wash his face. He looked at his reflection.
He froze.
"What the hell... It is"
The face looking back at him wasn't his.
His brown hair was gone. It was now a shimmering, liquid Platinum-Silver.
His eyes were no longer human. They were Molten Gold, with pupils that were vertical slits of pure light.
His skin was flawless, glowing with a faint pearlescent aura. His muscles were compact but dense, looking like they were carved from marble.
"Ohhh...I look like a Greek God," Kael whispered, touching his cheek. "seriously...Alfred, explain this".
[Explanation: You are no longer a high human, Sir. The fusion with the World Core Fragment has overwritten your genetic code. You have evolved into an 'Origin Human'—the progenitor race log humans that existed at the birth of the Universe.]
[You are royalty. Sir.]
"Show me the numbers," Kael commanded. "Status."
[STATUS WINDOW]
* Name: Kael
* Age: 18
* Race: Origin Human (Primordial)
* Class: The Creator (???)
* Level: 23 (Evolution Bonus)
* Experience: 0 / 25,000
[ATTRIBUTES]
* HP: 35,000 / 35,000
* Essence: 5,000 / 5,000 (Evolved from Mana)
* Stamina: ∞ (Origin Humans possess infinite endurance)
* Strength: 350
* Agility: 280
* Endurance: 400
* Intelligence: 600
* Perception: 500
* Charm: MAX (Nature's Beloved)
* Luck: [ERROR]
[UNIQUE ABILITY]
[Absolute Creation]
Rank: EX
Description: The authority to weave Essence into matter. You are the Architect of Reality.
Sub-Ability 1: [Matter Authority]
* Type: Database Creation.
* Effect: Scan a material once to store its 'Blueprint'. Create infinite copies using Essence.
* Current Blueprints: [None].
* [Random Creation (Gacha)]
* Limit: 3 Pulls / Day.
"Strength 350?" Kael flexed his hand. The air popped from the pressure. "And Mana is gone? It says Essence."
[Indeed, Sir,] Alfred replied smoothly. [Mana is the energy of mortals. Essence is the energy of the Higher Dimensions. Or you even say it is higher from of mana. It is a requirement to reach the EX Rank. And now sir. You have a limitless potential.]
Kael took a deep breath. "Okay..... So it is A requirement for reaching EX rank. Got it."
He looked at the Gacha ability.
"Alfred, let's test the luck. 3 pulls."
[Very good, Sir. Initiating Random Creation.]
Hummmm.
Three orbs of light floated out of thin air and gently placed three items on the floor.
[Item 1: Bag of Infinite Salt (E Rank)]
"Salt," Kael nodded. "Finally. The meat was getting bland."
[Item 2: The Spirit Farmer's Almanac (D Rank)]
"A farming guide? It will be Useful."
[Item 3: Seed of the Celestial Star-Fruit (Divine Rank)]
"Divine?"
Kael picked up the third item. It was a seed the size of a fist, glowing with a soft blue starlight.
[A magnificent find, Sir,] Alfred noted. [This is a Celestial Fruit tree. Eating its fruit can purify and advanced the bloodlines. And even help someone unlock there hidden bloodline. However, it requires significant Essence to plant. And it is very hard to grow Sir.]
"I'll save it for later," Kael pocketed the seed.
He looked up. The sun was shining through the massive hole in his roof where the energy beam had escaped.
"Right," Kael sighed. "I blew up my house. Alfred, Can I want to fix this with [Matter Authority]?"
[You have no blueprints stored, Sir. Please pick up a piece of the broken cedar wood to analyze it.]
Kael bent down and picked up a splinter of wood from the floor.
[Analyzing... Complete. Blueprint 'Silver-Bark Cedar' stored.]
"Cool," Kael grinned. He tossed the splinter away.
He looked at the hole in the roof. He visualized the shingles. He pushed his gold Essence out.
Whoosh.
Thousands of perfect cedar shingles materialized from thin air, swirling like a swarm of golden birds. They flew up and slotted themselves perfectly into the roof, sealing the hole in seconds.
[Essence Consumed: 50 Points.]
Kael stared at the perfect roof. "That... is handy."
He walked to the door. He looked out at his 1.5-acre field. It was muddy, full of weeds, and rocks.
"Well then," Kael smiled, his golden eyes glowing.
"Alfred. Noir. Tess. Let's get to work. It's farming time."
-_-_-_-_-_-
Sorry for delay friends. I have a accident few days ago so I didn't write the chapters so I an writing them now.and plz motivated me with giving the power stones. Thankyou for yours support.