Shawn, drenched in sweat and with dark circles under his eyes, bore the marks of an arduous journey. His adventure had been nothing short of harrowing, and the countless brushes with death made him wonder what grudge the reaper held against him. Time and time again, he had stared into the abyss, yet each time, he clawed his way back. But despite the constant peril, each near-death experience brought with it undeniable rewards.
First, he had grown stronger, advancing to the next level. His body, once frail, was now fortified with newfound power. Secondly, he had honed a new skill—an advanced application of air manipulation that enhanced his vision without requiring him to expend excess energy. He no longer needed to actively send out waves of air to perceive his surroundings; instead, he could emit a steady, almost imperceptible frequency that granted him heightened awareness even in motion. But the most significant gain of all was the awakening of his bloodline. Though he had yet to uncover its full potential, he knew one truth: no one faced death and returned empty-handed.
Yet, his thoughts remained clouded with worry. His mother, the Captain , and Rian—they must have been frantically searching for him. He was certain they had done everything in their power to retrieve him, perhaps even hiring an Earth Vitral user to excavate the mountain. But the mountain was no ordinary one; it had housed two terrifying beings, entities capable of reducing Raze to ashes with a mere flicker of their power.
"Speaking of surviving... how the hell did I make it through the battle with Jarvine? I was sure I was dead. Elaris, how did I survive?" Shawn asked, the perplexity in his voice betraying his concern. A gnawing fear crept into his mind—had someone intervened? Would they one day come to collect a debt he never knew he owed?
"Not to worry, Shawn. He was no match for me," Elaris reassured him. "Within your consciousness, I reign supreme. No one can harm you through the mind. In short, you are immune to mental attacks. Also, our bond has deepened. We are more... connected than before." A faint blush dusted her ethereal cheeks, but Shawn, lost in thought, failed to notice.
"Thanks, Elaris. From now on, I trust you with my life. You saved me when you could have simply let him kill me and taken over my body instead." His gratitude was genuine, a rare moment of vulnerability.
"Don't mention it. I promised never to do that again. You are mine, Shawn, and no one will ever take you away from me." Her voice was firm, yet laced with an emotion he couldn't quite place. "But tell me, what happened to you? One moment, I was healing your soul, and the next, you vanished. I also sense an ancient bloodline within you."
Shawn exhaled, recollecting the events that had unfolded. "I was inside my bloodline domain, forced into a battle where I had to kill... myself. Or rather, a version of me. It called itself a Skyrize. If I had lost, I would have died for real. But I won. What exactly was that? And what is a Skyrize?"
Elaris was silent for a moment, as if dredging up forgotten knowledge. "You awakened your bloodline. I don't remember everything, but I do recall the process—a trial by combat to conquer your own lineage. As for the Skyrize... that was my fault, Shawn. When I used my abilities to heal your soul, I must have triggered the awakening. My core was artificially created, infused with the essence of a Skyrize. I suspect it resonated with your bloodline and forced it to surface. The Skyrize were warriors beyond compare, battle gods of legend. Their resilience was unmatched. Surviving an encounter with one is no small feat."
"So... I gained more than just survival, didn't I?" Shawn mused.
Elaris nodded. "Indeed. You awakened a healing vitral. Look at yourself—you're already healed. And there's more. I can help you refine your vision. Try sending out a sound pulse, but this time, mix it with your healing vitral. Tell me what you experience."
Curious, Shawn followed her instructions. The first few attempts were failures, but with Elaris guiding him, he eventually succeeded. A new world unraveled before him—he could see life forces, trace their movements, and even gauge their strength.
"This is incredible! I can perceive things with such clarity, though I still can't discern colors," he remarked.
Elaris beamed. "This is just the beginning. There's something else I need to teach you. The awakened are stronger than others in their rank, though their growth is slower due to their bloodline's demands. But the real advantage is their ability to harness energies beyond their level. Normally, energies are split into four: soul force, spirit essence, world energy, and universe energy. The awakened can directly absorb spirit energy, strengthening both their bloodline and core."
She guided him through the process, and as soon as he spread his essence outward, he felt an overwhelming rush. His body greedily devoured the surrounding energy, the transformation almost too much to bear. Pain wracked him at first, but he persisted, pushing through until his soul core converted all his soul force into spirit force. The exhaustion that had weighed him down vanished in an instant.
"What just happened? I feel... unstoppable!" Shawn exclaimed.
Elaris giggled. "That, my dear Shawn, is Lifeblood Resonance. It's a form of energy invigoration exclusive to the awakened. It allows you to restore your strength in mere seconds, enabling you to fight until your enemy is vanquished. But don't get carried away—overuse will weaken its potency."
Replenished and eager to explore, Shawn wandered through the mountain's labyrinthine halls. Most rooms were empty, dashing his hopes of finding anything worthwhile. Yet his mind remained preoccupied with thoughts of his mother.
"I hope she's okay, Elaris. I can't imagine what she's going through."
Soon, he stumbled upon a room he recognized—Jarvine's resting place. His senses immediately locked onto something wonderful. Food. A massive grapevine and a gourd of water sat atop a table. Starving and parched, Shawn wasted no time. He drank deeply, only to realize the gourd remained full no matter how much he consumed.
"What is this sorcery?" he muttered.
Elaris chuckled. "It's an advanced spatial vitral. The owner stretched its inner space, possibly creating an entire sea within it. Try sending your consciousness inside."
He did—and instantly regretted it. A vast ocean roared within the gourd, threatening to drown his mind. He barely managed to pull back, his face pale with shock.
"That was cruel, Elaris."
She smirked. "Consider it payback for teasing me about food."
Shawn sighed, resigning himself to his fate. With the gourd secured, he ventured into the final room, where a small glowing rock caught his senses. The moment he touched it, the rock vanished, embedding itself within him.
"Elaris... what just happened?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted, "but it doesn't seem harmful. In fact, I sense it settling within your vessels. It may be beneficial."
Before he could process her words, the mountain trembled violently. A tear in space split open before him, and before he could react, it swallowed him whole.
"Not this agai—" His words were cut off as he was pulled into the unknown.