Lord Of Ashes

This sense of isolation is incredibly potent. John had once, on a whim, climbed to the top of a 240-meter-high skyscraper and leaped off. As expected, he didn't suffer a scratch. He landed gracefully, his posture perfectly maintained from the moment he jumped to the second his feet touched the ground, almost as if he were weightless.

At that moment, how did John feel? Exhilarated. The sheer thrill of looking down at the world from such a height, then descending with complete confidence, was intoxicating. It felt like all the pressures of life had been lifted away, like a cathartic release of everything weighing him down. It was more than just adrenaline; it was liberation. For John, it was the ultimate form of stress relief—a super bungee jump with zero risk. 

Ever since the Aura recovery began six months ago, very few practitioners had dared to experience the kind of freedom that comes with leaping from such a height. John, however, had found that the rush was addictive. He had toyed with the idea of one day jumping out of an airplane, free-falling from 10,000 meters, just to see how far his powers would take him. The thought was tempting.

But there was more to John's abilities than just surviving dangerous stunts. The magical force within him had caused his body to enter a constant, subtle state of protection. Whenever he activated his time pause ability, this protection became even more apparent. His body would enter a fixed state, making him untouchable by any external forces or damage.

To explain it simply: when John triggered his time pause, he no longer needed to breathe, eat, or even sleep. His body required none of the ordinary human functions to keep going. He could run for hours without fatigue, his mind always sharp and clear, never clouded by hunger or tiredness. This protection was automatic, happening the moment time froze. John could exist in this state for an hour, completely isolated from the world, unaffected by anything around him.

This protection extended to all aspects of his physical existence. When time was paused, John didn't need to blink or sweat, and he certainly didn't need to breathe. He had tested it before, going as long as an hour without taking a single breath, and yet feeling no discomfort. It was as if his body and the flow of time were completely disconnected. 

This state of invulnerability was one of the reasons why climbing that skyscraper had been so easy. Without the need to rest or worry about physical strain, he had scaled the 240 meters effortlessly, feeling no fatigue despite climbing with his bare hands. No sweat, no exhaustion, just pure focus and precision.

After flicking away the mosquito that had been on the verge of biting him, John glanced at the options hovering before him. Without hesitation, he turned to the right and walked toward the red apricot tree mentioned in the second option. His goal was to inspect the situation more closely before making any decisions.

Although the other two options didn't particularly interest him, John had the luxury of time on his side. With the world frozen, he had all the time he needed to explore and observe without any urgency. For him, the opportunity to waste time didn't exist; he could always afford to investigate everything thoroughly.

This fascination with observing the world during time pause was something John had developed early on after awakening his powers. When time was frozen, he felt as though he had a unique vantage point over the rest of humanity. He could witness people frozen in mid-motion, study their expressions and movements, even discover the smallest details that would otherwise go unnoticed in the rush of daily life. For John, if he didn't use his time pause to observe, it felt like a missed opportunity, as if he wasn't taking full advantage of his powers.

Even though time was stopped, John's movement wasn't hindered. His body moved as fluidly as it normally would, unaffected by the frozen world around him. The 15-meter walk to the apricot tree took only a few seconds, despite the suspended reality surrounding him.

The description in the text option had been accurate. John soon found himself standing next to a two-meter-high wall, its rough surface weathered by time. For someone like him—standing 1.9 meters tall and weighing 100 kilograms—this wall was no obstacle at all. Climbing it would have been easy if necessary, but there was no need this time. The apricot tree had grown beyond the wall, with a branch extending outward, about 2.5 meters above the ground. 

John casually reached up and examined the fruit dangling from the branch. It was well-hidden, nestled among the golden apricot leaves. The fruit, small and unassuming, was about the size of a thumb, its color blending in perfectly with the foliage.

To the average person walking by, the Vitality Apple would have gone unnoticed. Few people ever look up when walking; their eyes are usually glued to their phones or focused on the ground. Even if someone had happened to glance upward, they would likely have dismissed the apple as just another part of the tree. It didn't stand out, and it was hidden so well among the leaves that most people wouldn't have given it a second thought.

"This truly is a treasure," John thought as he observed the fruit. "It's growing out of season, in the middle of autumn, when apricots usually ripen in the summer."

Since awakening his abilities, John had found that treasures like this had become strangely abundant. Things he had never noticed before—rare and valuable plants, fruits, and other mystical items—were now appearing all around him. It was almost as if the world had changed overnight, and suddenly, he could find something extraordinary in the most unexpected places.

The locations where these treasures grew were often as unusual as the treasures themselves. Just two nights ago, unable to sleep, John had triggered a choice that led him to a nearby high school. There, hidden under a broken tile in the girls' restroom, he found a treasure called Blood Moss.

The description of the Blood Moss had been both fascinating and revolting. It grew from blood with heavy Yin attributes—blood from hemorrhoids, menstrual blood, and pus. This moss, while disgusting, was a perfect aid for creatures with dark, resentful energies. For John, however, the moss wasn't particularly useful. Even if he forced himself to consume it, the only benefit he would gain was a slight increase in his resistance to mental attacks.

But that wasn't the worst part. The stench that emanated from the moss was unbearable. It smelled of decay and rot, the kind of odor that made John's stomach churn just by being near it. The idea of eating something that had grown from such a vile source was enough to turn his stomach.

When he had first found the moss, John had been tempted to throw it away immediately, to get rid of the foul thing and be done with it. But despite its revolting nature, it was still a treasure, and throwing it away felt like a waste. So, he had sealed it up and brought it home, figuring that while it was useless now, it might come in handy later.