"status."
Master White's low voice echoed in the deathly stillness of the forest. The atmosphere was eerie; the woods held their breath after witnessing such a massacre caused by a single human who was outnumbered.
[Name - Azrael Vaeloreth (Master White)]
[Age - 17]
[Existence - Beginner Layer-1]
[Realm - Blood revitalization]
[Rank - High]
[Battle power (Restrained) - 8000 (500) ]
[Soul power - 0]
[Law (incomplete) - Life and death]
[Affinities - Fire, water, earth, wind, metal...]
[Passive abilities : Super strength, Energy circulation, poison immunity, curse immunity, Elemental overlord..]
[Active ability : Force manipulation, Energy manipulation.]
[Items - The veil(ultimate), Bracelet of restraint(Layer-1).]
[System store] (unlocked)
[Legacies] (locked)
Master White appeared puzzled and scrolls through the screen once more. He is confused and doubts the system. There was no sign of the "Anasir Logos." It should have been displayed with the other items, yet it was missing. His brows furrowed, and Azrael by his side sharing the same concern asked the system.
[The "Anasir Logos" is not an item, but a rune scroll.]
[Runes are a set of letters or designs that have the power to invoke energies in their most fundamental forms.]
[Generally runes are applied to create formations, mystic scrolls or parchments, to attack, defend, suppress, and many other applications. However, in your case, it was modified to be embedded in your brain to help you access the Law of Life and Death.]
[Once you complete the Law and are able to practice it beyond Layer-4, the runes will vanish. It is a temporary bridge, a theory of mine to help you achieve something impossible. But it's irrelevant for now, as you are nowhere close to achieving it.]
Master White found some of those words disturbing. An imprint on his brain to access a Law sounded barbaric, whatever was happening, it defied the natural order of things. But then again, the system had already stated that it was impossible for him to have a Law on his Layer of standing. So he arrived at the conclusion, that breaking the norms and doing unconventional things is the way forward for an unique existence like him.
Azrael on the other hand was focused on a completely different thing, the technicality, and questioned the system,
"You said runes invoke the fundamental forms.Then what exactly is the Anasir Logos?"
["Anasir Logos" is the most ancient language of energy. Runes are just letters or designs. They require a specific structure to function, and there are many principles in the cosmos which gives the runes there specific composition. "Anasir Logos" is the most primal and ancient of them all.]
[You need not to concern yourself with this, as these things are beyond you for the time being. Only understand that the runes in your brain are the key to your Law.]
They both understood the complexity of their functioning as two personalities and by looking into each other's eyes, uncertainty is visible. To have a imprint in your brain and a complex one at that is very unsettling.
The system sensing their predicament, offered assurance,
[Don't worry Azrael and Master White. These runes won't have any affect on your capabilities of operating as two personalities. The reason I rewarded you these set of runes is to test a theory, one that is only possible because of your unique condition of comprehending a Law at Layer-1.]
[And before you both ask, by knowing the theory it will only halt or shift your focus from the main progress and cultivation. So I won't be disclosing it.]
[I can only say, if my theory proves right and is practically applicable. Then there will be a new definition for the Invincible rank in the reality.]
An unpleasant midnight fell, and darkness swallowed the forest, with very low visibility they weren't able to see each other. But both of them contemplated the words said by the system and the weight slowly settled in.
Azrael sighed and said,
"Let's try out our abilities with the Law." Azrael said knowing Master White would overthink this and loose himself in the potential consequences.
Master White understood Azrael's intentions and decided to trust the system, as that is the biggest support, guide and cheat they have. He moved through the forest like wind, his presence only felt but not seen. With a new upgrade to their abilities, they wanted to punch higher and started searching for a peak Realm-2 or Tier-4 beast to kill.
Along the way many beast fell without understanding the reason, they saw a blur, and in the next split second, they lost their conciousness. By early morning, they still had not found a worthy peak Realm-2 opponent.
Thinking it was useless to continue the search anymore and planning to continue the hunt after a day's rest they retreated. But suddenly the tension in the air spiked and Master White's instinct screamed at him about a danger incoming.
But there was nothing visible in his surrounding environment.
"White! Look up." Azrael shouted, his eyes fixed on the projectile making his way through the canopy of branches.
Master White's hair stood up, a white shadow with silver glow descended from the sky landing or more accurately smashing onto him, as he narrowly avoided by diving into a thorn bush.
They say life has a way of playing jokes, and here it was, a Tier-5 beast Silver Owl. One of the most rarely encountered beast in the entire Sylvaran Woods. It was one of the few nocturnal predators that hunted in the night.
Master White emerged from the other side of the bush, bloodied and thorns pinching him all over the body. The Silver Owl took flight and glided to his way.
"White! It's now or never." Azrael's voice sounded in his mind, that cleared the distress he was feeling.
Master White closed his eyes, felt the Enos but abruptly stopped.
"System, why can't I feel the elements? Only black&white particles are present." His voice sounding with a rarely shown urgency, which made Azrael skeptical about their situation.
[All the elements are affected by Life and Death. You just need to move any particle and visualize about a particular application of the said element.]
Immediately closing his eyes, he reached into the black&white specks and willed them to move. Azrael grew tense as the Silver Owl approached closer ready for another lethal glide. Suddenly, the surroundings churned with an alien energy. The Silver Owl stopped its descent midway, resulting in a abrupt momentum pause, causing internal damage and a spray of blood bubbled from its beak falling to the ground.
Master White opened his eyes, he felt... different. The Silver Owl, the forest, Terralon- none of it mattered anymore, Even Life didn't matter.. and Death didn't matter. It was a high, a kind of ecstasy never experienced by him. Controlling Life made him distant to Death, and vice-versa.
A coldness far beyond his usual self donned him. It was peace, accompanied by the cold that represented the end of all things, Death.
Every living thing in the vicinity felt it. The plants, the insects, and the Silver Owl—They were seeing the personification Death, not Master White.
The Silver Owl took flight, not to attack but to escape. Noticing the strangeness around Master White's aura, which represented the grave. Its survival instinct kicked in and it started flying in the opposite direction. Master White jumped landing on a high branch. A black&white flame danced in his palm. He aimed and shot a projectile at the fleeing owl.
The flames hit the owl but it didn't burn; there was no impact, no heat and no explosion.
The owl let out a gut-wrenching screech that disturbed the quiet morning, and it fell from the sky. It wasn't burning in the traditional sense. Whatever it felt, it was worse than fire. After a while, the flames finally extinguished but it's agony wasn't over. If someone looked carefully, there was no charred flesh, but hollow tunnels and holes on the Owl's wings and torso.
The fire element laced with Life&Death didn't burn, but consumed the very existence of a being. Death "ate" at the molecular level, every single cell, tissue and eventually a part of the being, leaving perfect voids in the body wherever the black fire touched. Mortals say death by fire is the most painful thing, but what if Death as an attribute is added to this already gruesome thing. The pain experienced will only be unimaginable.
Normally a Tier-5 beast wouldn't be caught by Master White as its speed would have overwhelmed him and a flying type beast at that would be a nightmare. But it was already injured internally due to the sudden momentum halt.
And it was escaping only because of uncertainty, not due to fear. If the Silver Owl knew it's life was in the gamble, then it would have escaped before Master White could even jump.
Master White followed the trail of its fall and approached the Owl smashed into a crater, it's life hanging by a thread. Seeing its condition, he felt a condescending pity. The holes in its body were terrifyingly clean, as if someone carved out that body part. No leftover tissue or muscle was visible, only a clean hole dripping with blood and the leftover gore. It's eyes were devoid of life, no motivation left to fight back.
He slowly knelt down, caressing the distressed creature. The owl looked back at him with fear and it's eyes pleaded for an end to the agony, a complete Death.
"You know, It was mercy, that I only used Death." Master White whispered in a dry tone. Holding the owl by its beak. He looked at it for a while and said, "I will grant your wish for peace, as you were my first experiment for Death."
He conjured a stream of black water and slowly let the Silver Owl consume it. Within seconds the Silver Owl's body went limp.The black water flowed through its veins like a cool sedative, washing away the trauma of the partial erasure. It's expression was no longer one of pain, but of calm—as if it was not killed, but had simply reached the natural, peaceful end of a long satisfied life.
Master White stood up unfazed by the horror, and the first ray of light hit him, glowing his visage with purity. He didn't kill the beast, he had offered salvation. Yes— a salvation to the distressed.
*************
Author's Note:
LAYER-1 METAMORPHOSIS
Cultivators = crippled cultivators
First Realm = Tier-1 & Tier-2
Second Realm = Tier-3 & Tier-4
Third Realm = Tier-5 & Tier-6
Fourth Ream = Tier-7 & Tier-8
One more thing, the beasts aren't crippled as they don't need to awaken and can cultivate naturally. But Terralon is still a crippled world. So, they don't exceed the First Layer. When Azrael mentions the beasts in tiers it is just for reference, and you can use the above mentioned metrics to identify the level of his opponents.
Also do comment and leave a review, about which chapter you liked the most, The abandonment or The experiment??
And Thank you for supporting me and Azrael.