After resting for about half an hour atop the tree, Felix finally decided it was time to get serious. The forest around him had quieted, though the aftermath of the earlier battle still lingered in the form of broken trunks, torn earth, and faint traces of black residue that refused to fully fade. Even the air felt heavier, as if the land itself had not yet recovered from what had passed through it.
For quite some time now, Felix had kept his Unique Skill, Chosen One, suppressed. Not sealed completely, but restrained enough that it would not interfere with his decisions or make things unnaturally easy. He had seen what blind reliance on such a skill could do. Becoming dependent on it was not an option he was willing to accept.
But this situation demanded more.
He released the suppression.
The change was not explosive, nor was it immediately visible. Instead, it was subtle and pervasive. The world around him seemed to shift ever so slightly, as if invisible threads were adjusting themselves in his favor. Small probabilities aligned, and faint currents of inevitability began to form around his existence.
Felix did not stop there. He pushed further, channeling his power through the skill and allowing it to manifest completely. At the same time, Humanity Unchained surged within him, reinforcing his very nature. The concept of himself as the embodiment of humanity, carrying the will of the First Hero, began to settle more firmly into his being.
The last time he had forced himself this far, relying solely on willpower, he had gained the Unique Skill Shaman. That had been a result of pressure, of pushing against limits until something broke through.
This time was different.
This time, everything aligned.
The final piece came from his Blessed Talent. As he focused on it, narrowing his thoughts and directing his intent, something vast and distant brushed against his awareness.
The Voice of the World.
It did not speak. It did not acknowledge him directly. But the connection existed, however brief.
And that was enough.
The magicules in the surrounding forest began to stir, then surge, and finally collapse inward. Leaves trembled violently, branches creaked, and the ground beneath his feet cracked faintly as energy gathered toward him. It felt as if he had become a singular point, pulling in everything around him.
His will sharpened.
His desire took form.
There were no longer any meaningful limitations on his body, mind, or soul that could prevent him from gaining what he sought.
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it had formed.
Felix exhaled slowly, feeling the new presence settle within him. It was vast, layered, and intricate, yet it felt completely natural, as if it had always belonged to him.
This was no ordinary skill.
It bordered on something far greater.
Its structure unfolded within his mind.
Data Collection: Collect all available data from any and all phenomena to the absolute degree of whatever the user can perceive.
Item Collection: Store all items inside a storage which expands to fit anything. Expansion requires magicules and may stop if there are not enough.
Soul Collection: The user may collect all souls available in the vicinity regardless of their deaths.
Skill Collection: Using Data and Soul Collection, the user may extract or obtain skills and collect them.
Art Collection: Use Data Collection to decipher Arts and collect them.
Magic Collection: Use Data Collection to decipher Magic and collect them.
Decipher: Decipher Art, Magic, and Skills using Data in Data Collection.
Sacrifice: Sacrifice Data, Item, Soul, Skill, Magic, or Art to obtain enhanced Skills, Arts, or Magic.
Felix let the information settle, a faint grin forming on his face.
This was not just a skill. It was a system that could grow endlessly, adapting and expanding with him. It allowed control, accumulation, and evolution all at once.
It was; One Skill to Rule them All
"Mine," he said with a creepy grin.
Despite its overwhelming potential, Felix understood immediately that this was not something meant to directly defeat the Shadow King. That was not the purpose he had shaped it for.
The Shadow King, by now, should be in a weakened state. He had already used a large number of his soldiers and had retreated after taking significant damage. Left unchecked, he could certainly grow into a major threat, but at this moment, he was not at his peak.
Felix had observed it clearly. Each time the Shadow King reformed, he was weaker than before.
This skill was not for destroying him.
It was for ending the cycle that sustained him.
From his earlier battle, Felix had already deduced that the Shadow Soldiers were not mere constructs. They were souls given form through shadow, twisted into something unnatural but still fundamentally tied to what they once were.
If he could collect those souls, or even disrupt the process that allowed them to become vessels for the Shadow King, then the entire structure would collapse.
That was the goal.
Over the next few days, Felix traveled through nearby cities and settlements, gathering information about the Shadow King. Most of the time, the results were disappointing. Common folk knew little beyond rumors and fear. Disappearances, strange shadows, and entire areas going silent without explanation.
But the nobles were different.
They knew something.
The moment Felix mentioned the Shadow King, their reactions changed immediately. Faces went pale, voices faltered, and composure broke down entirely. Even when pressed under the weight of his Hero's Haki, they refused to speak.
Some chose silence.
Others collapsed outright.
It was not ignorance.
It was fear.
That continued until Felix reached a city that stood apart from all the others.
Even from a distance, something about it felt wrong.
The sky above it seemed dimmer, as if a massive shadow had settled over the entire area. Sunlight struggled to reach the streets below, filtered through an unnatural darkness that lingered even during the day.
As Felix approached, the silence became absolute.
No movement.
No voices.
No signs of life.
Only stillness.
And beneath it, something far heavier.
Decay.
He entered the city under an Invisibility spell, his presence completely concealed. As he moved through the streets, the extent of the devastation became clear.
Undead roamed freely even in daylight. Skeletons patrolled the streets with mechanical precision, their empty sockets scanning their surroundings. Some carried rusted weapons, while others simply wandered as if awaiting orders.
Buildings stood intact, but hollow. Doors hung open, interiors stripped of life. The city was not destroyed. It had been emptied.
Completely.
As Felix moved deeper, he found what he had been looking for.
At the center of the city stood a castle, surrounded by an overwhelming number of Shadow Soldiers. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, formed a dense perimeter around it, their presence creating a suffocating pressure that filled the area.
Yet even that was not all.
From the far side of the city, the sound of battle echoed.
Felix shifted direction immediately and followed it.
What he found was a clash between Shadow Soldiers and a battalion of elves.
The elves were well-organized, clad in refined battle armor and supported by a group of highly coordinated mages. Their movements were precise, their formations tight, and their spells layered with practiced efficiency.
They were strong.
Individually and collectively.
Their coordination rivaled that of the Shadow Soldiers, while their overall strength far surpassed them.
If not for the sheer numbers of the Shadow Soldiers, the battle would have already been decided.
But the numbers were overwhelming.
More than a thousand.
And they did not fear death.
Each time the elves pushed forward, some of the Shadow Soldiers would rush in and detonate, releasing violent bursts of black energy that disrupted formations and forced them back.
Felix observed the battle carefully while activating Data Collection through Collector. Every movement, every spell, every reaction was captured and processed in real time.
He did not need a dedicated analysis skill. His mind alone was enough.
As he moved closer, he noticed the shift in momentum.
The elves were retreating.
Not in panic, but with discipline. They maintained formation while pulling back, minimizing losses and avoiding being surrounded.
Given the situation, it was the only viable option.
Once they had disengaged, Felix continued his own search through the city, confirming what he already suspected.
There were no survivors.
And the Shadow King was here.
The concentration of Shadow Soldiers around the castle was far too dense for it to be anything else.
After confirming this, Felix located the elves once more. They had set up camp just south of the city, far enough to avoid immediate engagement. Some stood guard, while others gathered around what appeared to be a ritual circle, mana flowing steadily as they worked.
Felix dropped his invisibility and approached.
"Halt. State your purpose for approaching," one of the elven soldiers said immediately.
Before Felix could respond, a nearby mage stepped forward quickly.
"Apologies, Hero Felix. He does not recognize you," she said with a respectful nod.
She appeared young, though that meant little among elves.
Moments later, another figure approached. A man with the presence of experience and authority, his posture steady and gaze sharp.
"I believe Hero Felix is here to deal with the so-called Shadow King?" he asked.
"Uncle, you should at least introduce yourself first," the young mage said, before turning to Felix. "Hello, I am Lia la Ilirn, and this is my instructor and my uncle, Silas la Ilirn."
"My apologies for the oversight," Silas added.
Felix finally spoke.
"No worries. I am Felix. I was heading to Ulgracia when I was attacked by this Shadow King."
Silas nodded.
"Something similar happened to us. I heard reports of a rogue mage causing trouble here. Thinking it a minor issue, I brought my niece for training and led a small battalion. I did not expect this."
"He is no mage," Lia added, her tone firm. "He is a monster. He slaughtered the city and turned the souls into those things."
Felix nodded slightly.
"I found no survivors. At this point, the most effective solution would be to destroy the entire city."
Silas did not object.
"If you can use Nuclear Magic, that would be effective. However, he can revive through his soldiers. I have killed him twice already, and he returned both times."
"I noticed," Felix replied. "How did you deal with his shadow control?"
"It was stronger than his soldiers, but manageable. After each death, it weakens," Silas answered.
"Not just that," Lia added. "Everything about him weakens. After the first time, his body was fragile enough that one strike was enough."
Felix considered this.
"In that case, what I am about to do should work. But I will need your help."
Lia smiled immediately. "Whatever you need, I will do it."
Silas flicked her lightly on the forehead. "Think before you agree. You are the heir of House Ilirn."
She straightened. "Right. What is your request, Sir Felix?"
"Spread out around the forest outside the city. If any Shadow Soldiers escape, eliminate them," Felix said.
Silas nodded. "That can be done. Give us an hour."
"Stay far from the city," Felix added. "I will be using large-scale magic."
As the elves moved into position, the forest surrounding the city grew still once more.
Felix stood alone.
He focused on the Nameless Book of Spells, drawing upon the mana he had accumulated over days. It gathered steadily, compressing into a single point, the air around him beginning to tremble under the pressure.
Then he cast it.
Magic beyond the tiers.
Super Tier Magic: [Fallen Down]
The sky itself shifted as a pillar of white light descended from above, swallowing the city in its entirety. The magicules in the air trembled violently as the corrupted land was engulfed by something it could not resist.
From the forest, the elves watched in silence.
"Such terrifying, yet magnificent magic," Silas said quietly.
"As expected of the Ancient Hero Felix," Lia added.
Within the city, everything was erased.
The undead, the corruption, the Shadow Soldiers, all of it was reduced to nothing under the descending light.
As the magic settled and the last traces of resistance faded, Felix felt it.
Souls.
Not whole, not clean, but fragmented remnants of what they once were. Distorted, unstable, and twisted by whatever process had created the Shadow Soldiers, yet still undeniably souls.
Collector activated.
The remnants were drawn to him, gathering under his control. Along with them came memories, scattered and incomplete, but still present.
Felix's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed what little he could.
"Hero Felix, on behalf of House Ilirn and every victim of this Shadow King, I thank you," Silas said as he approached.
The battle was over.
But the truth behind it had only just begun to reveal itself.
A/n: This feels anti climactic but really I tried many other things and they just didn't fit...