Kai fell on the floor of the hollow cave, screaming, his whole body convulsing in spasms of terrible pain.
The unbearable agony radiated through his nervous system, his mind drowning in the endless torrent of torturous, excruciating, harrowing suffering.
It felt as though every muscle, every fibre, every molecule of his body was being torn apart and reassembled, only to be torn apart again.
He heard the loud snap of his bones breaking apart and mending themselves.
He clawed at his face, leaving scars that resembled blade marks on it.
Before the blood could drop on the floor, it was already gone, erased as if it never existed.
As Kai screamed, even his voice began to fade; his throat wasn't just sore; they were burning like a thousand molten rocks were being gulped down.
This wasn't what he bargained for.
The novel never described such an experience, not even when Matthew had his most brutal awakening.
Seeing that he couldn't resist the pain, Kai finally gave up and fell into the brace of darkness.
Soon the pain died down, but the figure still remained motionless on the ground.
"Ha...ha...ha..."
The transition from pain to relief made Kai jolt upright, his hands instinctively touching his body to confirm he wasn't dead yet.
"I survived."
His breath came in ragged progression. Cold sweat ran down his temples.
He didn't die; people might not understand the feeling of having their bodies break apart and reform once more, but now he did.
"I can't believe I once said that those types of protagonist moments were exaggerated."
Kai took in a deep breath as most of the memories of the pain began to fade.
He wanted to check his stats but was too lazy to move.
But as he opened his mouth to call out the system, a melodious voice rang in his head.
This was the same voice that mages heard once they ventured into the outside world and started embarking on cube missions.
The voice of the Cube.
The elixir rejects you.
"What?"
Kai's heart sank. All the pain. All the suffering. So it meant that it was all for naught.
But the cube wasn't done.
The higher world has noticed your existence.
"The higher world? Isn't it too early for that?"
The outer deities are watching you.
The ancient ones observe you in silence.
An ancient one is confused by your actions.
You have taken what was never meant to be yours.
The inner god of greed is impressed.
"A boon has been granted."
You have accomplished what no other has.
Three Outer and Inner Deities take interest in you.
One has extended a hand.
You have received the blessing of the outer god of Sight, Arthemis.
Your appraisal ability is advancing.
"What...?"
You have received a Celestial Code: Weaver of Life.
The stars rejoice at your birth.
An ancient stranger is amused by you.
You have earned the title: Heir of Death.
Your core is brimming with mana.
You have reached the peak of the Apprentice rank.
Re-evaluating stats…
"You have got to be kidding me." That was the only thing that could escape Kai's mouth.
He knew that the elixir's potency differed from person to person, but he never expected it to be that significant.
"Now I honestly feel bad for taking it." He let out a wide grin.
Kai wanted to check his stats the next moment, but he still had to process the current information before he took in more.
The task he thought would be completed in over three hours was done in less than five minutes.
Though it was five minutes of brutal pain.
But for him, they were worth it.
The most surprising thing in all that was mentioned was that he didn't only get a celestial code, which was actually useless and only used as a name to address special people, like how Radiant Sword had one.
But also a title which was so much more special; as far as he knew, though, unlike the celestial code, it wasn't tied to the higher world.
But that didn't reduce the value.
Title holders are usually called limit breakers since their title can give them an extra trump card that isn't tied to their ability.
"Even if it is a one-time use, I can have as many titles as I want."
His memories of the Cube voice resurfaced as he let out a satisfied smile.
He now had a chance to either bypass death or use death once, and even if that was the only reward, he would be more than happy, but…
"Time to check what else I got."
He whispered the name of the UI, and the same interface appeared in front of him.
[CUBE INTERFACE]
Name: Kaiser Vanguard.
Celestial Code: Weaver of Life
--
Affiliation: None
Title: Heir of Death
--
Rank: Apprentice/Awakened
--
Status: Mana Manipulation
--
Total Stats[Core Capacity]: 1000/1000
Core: Black
--
Trait:
Weaver[X-rank]
Description – You are proficient at using needle and threads - can stitch together any element, skill, or entity to life using mana.limited
Ability:
Appraisal – Can peer into the content of any form of substance, either tangible or intangible.
Upgrade: [Yes/No]
--
Vespers:
Seamstress [Weapon] –
Ability:
Stainless Steel – Spirit – [Description] – Just a silver thread given by Mom.
A dark chuckle escaped Kai's lips, then it grew louder and louder; he wanted to scream.
He was finally feeling like a real mage. He didn't even need the stats window to know how strong he had gotten.
His bones felt lighter. His body itself felt like feather but at the same time incredibly powerful.
"If I'm this strong as an apprentice, how strong will I be as an expert or master or grandmaster or even higher?"
Kai couldn't help but smile at that thought.
He shifted his gaze to his only ability and, without hesitation, tapped on Yes.
He shrieked, tugging himself together, waiting for the pain, but nothing happened.
Turning around to confirm that no one saw his shameful act, he cleared his throat and summoned the UI again; this time he concentrated solely on his ability.
Alpha – You can peer into the content of any substance.
Kai continued studying the UI. A change of name couldn't have been his only upgrade.
..... You have an adaptable companion who can analyse, virtualise, and provide all information.
"Huh?"
Kai wasn't sure he saw it properly. He squinted his eyes trying to confirm what he read.
As if answering to his suspicion, a voice rang in his head.
.... Connecting user to Alpha…
.... User determined Kaiser Vanguard.....
.... Assimilating to the user...
.... Alpha activating...
Kai waited to hear the next set of words, but nothing came after.
"Hey, Siri." He muttered.
'Is that wrong?'
He looked at his hovering window and said in a barely audible tone.
"Alpha."
Silence. No voice responded to him once more.
"Hah, was I scammed?"
[Alpha activated]
[Designating Attitude based on user's preference]
"My preference...?"
[Yes, your preference, dummy.]
"Was that you, Alpha?"
[Hah, will I have to listen to you for the rest of my life?]
A wide smile formed on Kai's face; he didn't care if the rude personality was considered his preference, but he now had an AI.
Someone to do all the hard jobs for him.
'You can hear me, right?'
[Yes, I can.]
'Ok, tell me, what's the quickest way to the base of the mountain?'
[Simple, you can just jump off.]
At this moment Kai knew that his AI was more human than he initially realised.