NOVEL NEXT Chapter 133 : Final Warning
Hiyoko and Netsu sat quietly meditating in their shared space, waiting for their master's call to join him in his next battle.
"Master promised us he'll let us fight this time! This is going to be my first battle in the tower, little phoenix! I'm so excited!" Hiyoko chirped, her voice brimming with anticipation.
Netsu, his eyes closed in serene meditation, opened them slowly. His fiery gaze met her joyful expression. "You know Master doesn't like seeing us get hurt. If the enemy is too strong, he'll fight alone again. We shouldn't be content with fighting weaklings, big sister. You're strong now, but I think you should focus on how your power can truly help Master."
Hiyoko, who typically appeared as a bird, had taken on a different form today—a human-like figure resembling a young Kara, her colorful hair crowned with feathers. She approached Netsu, still in his original form, ready to retort or tease him further, but before a word could leave her lips, an overwhelming wave of pain crashed into her, forcing her to her knees.
Netsu's expression changed. Transforming into his human form with golden hair mixed with strands of red, he reached for her, only to collapse to his knees as the same agonizing sensation tore through his chest.
"What... what is this feeling?" Hiyoko murmured, her voice trembling with fear. Tears streamed down her cheeks before she even realized it.
Netsu's aura flickered weakly as he whispered, "Something's wrong… With Master."
------------------------------------------
Sora woke up in a dimly lit room, the faint sound of a brush against paper breaking the silence. His gaze fell on a figure hunched over, sketching his portrait.
'I've been here before... Am I unconscious?' The thought filled him with unease. He refused to look at the portrait, fearing what it might reveal.
A sharp pain in his chest made it hard to think clearly. 'This... this pain. It's coming from my [Soul Palace].'
Still slightly dizzy, he tried to recall what had led to this moment. 'When I probed the audience, I was unable to get any results... but received such a brutal punishment anyway… Did I even survive?'
However, worry for Kara began to eclipse his own pain. 'If I'm eliminated now, what happens to her?'
Fury bubbled within him. 'Damn this world. I knew it. We're only safe if we play along quietly and follow the notifications...' His hands clenched into fists as he cursed his own stupidity and the system.
This wasn't the first time he'd been punished, but this time, it was different. He knew he had overstepped. 'Do I have to live like a good boy, always behaving? And what happens the next time I get curious, or do something the system doesn't like?'
A dry, bitter smile crossed his face as he thought, 'What's next, banning me from my own planet?' Shaking his head at the absurdity, he forced himself to think of something else.
Time dragged, the pain in his chest refusing to subside. He felt the gaze of the artist on him, but Sora ignored it, refusing to look at what he knew would reflect his inner heart. Instead, he turned his back, staring at the wall.
What felt like an eternity passed before a familiar sound broke the silence.
'Notifications?' The thought sparked hope as he focused on the sound.
------------------------------------------
As soon as he regained control of his body, Sora activated his mental power and [Mana Eyes], ignoring the dizziness and the stream of notifications. His gaze fell on the gruesome sight of his own body parts scattered across the arena floor. A cold shiver ran down his spine as the reality of his condition hit him.
'How did I survive this?' He thought, realizing the amount of damage he had taken.
As if his entire body had been in sleep mode, his skills, active and passive had all been deactivated while he was 'dreaming'.
He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to regain control. His body began to repair itself with startling speed. The sensation of [Adaptive Regeneration] from his supreme skill, kicking in was the best in the world. Limbs reformed and wounds closed, the feeling was painful yet exhilarating.
'I'm alive...' He sighed in relief, his dizziness quickly dissipating.
But the dizziness left place to a sharp, intense pain in his chest, more profound and agonizing than any physical injury he ever had. His hand, freshly reconstructed, instinctively moved to the source of the ache, his chest—his [Soul Palace].
He created a clone with [Sentient Elemental Nexus] to protect his body, before turning his focus inward.
Trying to assess the damage, he turned his attention inward, paying attention to the movement of his Soul Power. The energy that normally flowed around his [Soul Palace] like a steady, vibrant river now felt broken, and chaotic. Each rotation sent another jolt of pain through his body, making it clear that something had gone terribly wrong.
Sora, feeling panic slowly creeping in, closed his eyes, focusing his mind entirely on the link to his [Soul Palace]. It took more effort than usual, as though the connection itself was damaged. When he finally felt himself appearing into the familiar space, the sight before him left him momentarily scared.
The air rippled with unstable energy and the ground beneath his feet cracked with every step, fissures spreading like veins, with sand sinking in each vein, as though the foundation of his soul was falling apart, leaking Soul Power. Even the light in the 'sky' flickered weakly, like an old lamp, giving the entire place a feeling of impending doom.
In the distance, he saw the three story house that once symbolized his growing strength and stability. The last time he had been in the space, it was a magnificent house.
But its current state made his chest tighten. The walls were fractured, parts of the roof missing entirely. Pieces of it floated in the air like shattered glass, held together by his remaining soul power that seemed barely capable of keeping the structure from collapsing entirely.
The garden around the house had turned lifeless, sapped of all vitality.
He took a step forward, intending to inspect the damage more closely, when his gaze was drawn to the horizon. He used to be unable to see the limit of his [Soul Palace], but now he could see a black mist limiting his once gigantic space.
Sora felt his heart race as he turned his attention back to the broken house. Stepping inside, he saw his original body still lying on the bed. But his other self, which once appeared healthy, now looked thinner and fragile. Each beat of his heart sent a ripple of pain in Sora's chest and echoed in the space, making the walls of the house tremble.
Soul Power nourished the fragile body, attempting to sustain it. However, the body appeared damaged, as the Soul Power it was fed was leaked with each pulse of its heart.
'Is my connection to my body being severed, or is my real body dying? What... What did I do to deserve this punishment? Isn't this too much?'
For the first time in a long while, fear gripped him—a crushing weight born from his own curiosity. That fear soon twisted into frustration, before settling into a bitter sense of resignation.
'I was reckless... I can't keep surviving with this mindset' He thought, regretting his action.
Pulling his attention to the present, he realized the urgency of his situation. 'If I don't repair my [Soul Palace], I'll be dead in a few days—at most.' The thought sent a chill through him. Even if his real body survived, he, the character, would cease to exist.
Recalling the 200 Soul Pearls in his inventory, Sora immediately began absorbing their power, directing it into repairing the fractured foundation of his [Soul Palace].
As the energy flowed into the space, he felt the immense demand of his inner world. The quality and scale of his [Soul Palace] had grown after grinding his Prestige levels, making repairs more difficult.
Despite his efforts, the leaks could only be patched temporarily. The damage remained, and he knew it was only a matter of time before it worsened.
'I need more Soul Power... The leaks aren't sealed. Is this because my Soul Level reached 1000? Is that why repairs are so much harder now?'
Frustrated but unwilling to give up, Sora headed to the [Prestige Forge]. Taking out his [T1 Soul Sledge Hammer] and [T1 Soul Bow], he stared at the weapons for a brief moment before making his decision.
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[Would you like to melt these items?]
</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[Yes] [No]</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Without hesitation, he selected [Yes].
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[You have received Soul Power.]</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The weapons disintegrated, their essence surging into his [Soul Palace]. He quickly calculated the gain—it was equivalent to about 80 Soul Pearls. Enough to buy him some time.
With the leaks stabilized for now, Sora exited the [Soul Palace] and returned to his body. The pain in his chest lessened, but still remained, a reminder of how precarious his situation still was.
'I can probably survive for a few months in this state', he thought, as a faint sense of relief settled over him.
He stood, his body fully healed, but his mood vastly different from when he had entered the trial.
As he browsed the notifications he had ignored earlier, his eyes turned cold.
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgba(224, 62, 45, 1)">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[You have attempted to probe a restricted area. This action is strictly forbidden.]</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[Violation of system boundaries has resulted in severe Soul Damage.]</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[You have survived the penalty. Further offense will result in True Death.]</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 98.5578%"><strong>[Critical damage detected in your [Soul Palace]. Immediate infusion of Soul Power is necessary for survival.]</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Done reading the notifications, Sora's attention was soon brought back to his surroundings.
The arena, once shattered, now stood fully restored. Even the participants who had been hit by the shockwaves of the 'battle' were healed or revived. The signs of battle had vanished.
'It'd be shame if I couldn't go climb to the top of the tower. I can't push myself to the point of damaging my soul any further.' He thought, aware of his own state.
'Should I call for backup ?' he thought, before summoning his familiars.
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9991%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 99.0537%">
<p><strong><span style="color: rgba(45, 194, 107, 1)"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/Mimou2006" rel="ugc nofollow"><img alt="image-2024-11-02-192827181" border="0" src="https://i.ibb.co/ZGDZGCj/image-2024-11-02-192827181.png"/></a>
1 free chapter</span> in early access and a</strong><strong>round 48 advance chapters ahead available on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/Mimou2006" rel="ugc nofollow" title="Patreon Mimou">Patreon</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Thanks for the support ! I'll see you guys tomorrow ! </strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>