...
“Cassian!”
Cassian’s world was screaming.
YOU FAILED YOUR MOTHER!
The word struck like a hammer against his skull, reverberating through his bones, pulsing like a curse that had rooted itself in his very being. A truth.
KILL! SLAUGHTER!
The voices almost screeched, and came faster now, a crushing tide of rage, sorrow, hatred, and grief. It was his own voice, twisted. A thousand versions of himself screaming into the abyss.
YOU LET HER DIE!
A chorus of suffering joined the torment, shrieking and wailing like tortured ghosts clawing at his soul. It scraped against his mind like jagged metal, each cry a fresh wound, a reminder, a condemnation. His fingers clawed at his ears, pulling them frantically.
Block it out; stop the noise!
KILL! SLAUGHTER!
He screamed, but only a wet, choking gasp forced its way from his throat; no words followed.
“Cassian, wake up!”
“Cassian!”
That voice, why does it feel familiar?
Like a rope, suddenly yanking him back from the brink, his entire body jerked. His eyes snapped open.
Cassian lurched forward, coughing violently. His lungs burned, every breath an agonizing drag of air. His chest ached as he heaved, something thick and slimy clinging to his face, dripping from his mouth. He wiped at it instinctively, his palm smearing the sticky film across his skin.
He blinked, trying to process the sudden shift in reality. Shapes swam in his vision, flickering between dream and existence. The air was thick with something—rot? Blood? Both? His thoughts wavered, reality slipping between his fingers.
“Cassian!”
The familiar voice cut through the haze. He latched onto it, forcing himself to focus, breathe, and pull himself out of the chaos that still whispered and lingered.
A firm grip clamped onto his shoulders. “Cassian, look at me,” Dorian’s voice came again, sharp with worry. His face hovered just within Cassian’s blurred vision, his brows drawn tight, his hands gripping like he was afraid Cassian might slip away.
“I..”
A violent coughing fit seized Cassian as he tried to speak, splattering blood onto the stone floor. His stomach twisted, his muscles spasming as another wave of thick, dark bile poured from his lips.
His throat burned. His lungs felt scorched. But his body… his body felt different.
Stronger.
Underneath the torment, beneath the lingering ache, there was power; there was something new.
He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to lift his gaze. Dorian was watching him intently, eyes scanning his face as if searching for signs of something worse. Cassian swallowed hard, wiped the last traces of blood from his lips, and gave a slow, deliberate nod.
Dorian didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he slid a firm hand under Cassian’s arm and helped him to his feet. His legs nearly buckled beneath him, but Dorian kept him steady, guiding him toward the far end of the barracks.
The space was mercifully large, allowing them some distance from where he had collapsed. Dorian maneuvered him toward the wall, lowering him down with practiced ease. Cassian let his back hit the cool stone, willing the trembling in his limbs to still.
“Here,” Dorian muttered, pressing a water bottle into his hand.
Cassian took it without a word, his fingers weak around the plastic as he raised it to his lips. The first sip stung; the cold liquid scraped against his raw throat, but he forced himself to drink.
He exhaled slowly, resting his head against the wall, his breath finally beginning to even out as he gazed at the system notifications lingering in his vision.
[DING! CONGRATULATIONS ON ACHIEVING THE TRANSIENCE OF DESTRUCTION; YOUR 1st STAR OF DESTRUCTION WILL NOW FORM]
His eyes narrowed slightly. That was the notification from before the transformation started before he was in that hell.
A cold shudder ran down his spine. That place felt like what 'Hell' would be.
[DING! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED A GLIMPSE INTO THE HEAVENLY PRINCIPLES OF DESTRUCTION! BUT BEWARE—ONE MISSTEP, AND YOUR SOUL SHALL BE CLAIMED BY DESTRUCTION]
Cassian’s eyebrows raised, his fingers drumming on his knee. Heavenly principles? His thoughts raced. What the hell had happened?
The last thing he remembered before waking up here was—
His stomach twisted.
I remember standing in a place where everything… no, existence itself—had reached its final breath. That place was not just one of destruction but of absolute endings. The cessation of everything.
Ahh! I can’t even put it into words... I can only feel it… that essence, that moment...
[DING! YOU HAVE TOUCHED UPON A TRUTH]
Cassian’s heart pounded. A truth? He frowned. What truth?
He sifted through the remnants of his fractured consciousness. Fire. Destruction. Chaos. But none of that felt like an answer.
No!
Through the haze, a sudden, sharp thought tore through. A face. A memory.
Arwyn.
The moment his mind latched onto the name, emotions surged back like a tidal wave—rage, pain, helplessness. That moment. That vow.
[DING! YOU HAVE TOUCHED UPON ONE OF YOUR TRUTHS "I'LL BURN THE WORLD IF IT MEANS THAT YOU WILL BURN WITH IT"]
Cassian let out a slow, shaky breath. A realization that had been there long before the system acknowledged it. He tilted his head back against the stone, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Did this reflect his mental instability? Was this the reason he was throwing himself headfirst into danger, into fights just to gain more power?
A dry, humorless chuckle barely left his lips. He was pushing those memories away, locking them deep within.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Would Mom want me to drown myself in revenge… Absolutely not, but would this stop me from achieving my revenge? Absolutely not!
Cassian let out a slow breath, feeling the weight in his chest lighten—if only slightly. The chaotic whirlwind in his mind had settled, but the embers of something deeper still smoldered beneath the surface.
I need to find a way to confront this… to confront myself. The thoughts swirled, pressing in on him, but now wasn’t the time. He couldn’t afford to let them consume him… not yet. Not here.
His gaze flicked toward Dorian, who was observing him, concern still etched into his features. He’s counting on me. Cassian clenched his fists, steeling his resolve. They hadn't yet cleared the nest.
Exhaling sharply, he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, shaking off the lingering haze. His attention shifted back to the system notifications hovering before his eyes. The next ones—these were the important ones. The ones that would tell him exactly what had changed with the upgrades.
[DING! YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY UNDERGONE THE TRANSIENCE OF DESTRUCTION AND TOUCHED UPON YOUR TRUTH; YOU HAVE GAINED A PHYSIQUE]
[DING! CHECK YOUR STATUS FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR PHYSIQUE]
Cassian exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
A physique, huh? I do feel different; something has indeed changed…
That was something he’d have to check later. He glanced at the system’s texts in his vision, knowing there was still a shit ton left to go through. His body still ached, remnants of whatever transformation he had undergone, but he pushed the discomfort aside.
The notifications first; then I’ll check the status.
Rolling his shoulders, he focused on the next set of notifications, bracing himself.
[DING! CONGRATULATIONS ON FORMING YOUR 1ST STAR OF DESTRUCTION]
[DING! ALL SUBSTATS UNDER DESTRUCTION INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY]
[DING! WITH A STAR OF DESTRUCTION IN YOUR SOUL, ALL DESTRUCTION-BASED CARDS WILL GAIN A 50% INCREASE IN METRICS]
[DING! ONLY A DESTRUCTION STAR IS PRESENT IN YOUR SOUL; YOUR SOUL ALIGNMENT HAS CHANGED FROM NEUTRAL TO LESSER DESTRUCTION]
[DING! ALIGNMENT HELPS DICTATE HOW THE NATURAL ENERGIES OF THE WORLD WOULD TURN AFTER BEING ABSORBED BY YOU]
[DING! LESSER DESTRUCTION ALIGNMENT WOULD ADD A VERY MINOR DESTRUCTION ATTRIBUTE TAG TO YOUR ESSENCE WELL]
[DING! FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE BUY A KNOWLEDGE PACKET]
Cassian exhaled, rubbing his temples as the weight of those words settled over him. Soul alignment… Lesser Destruction? That was new.
He had theories about the five core stats, about how more than just stats, they were a philosophy.
Would this affect him? Would this change him in ways he wasn’t yet aware of?
I need to tread carefully to see if I've developed any tendencies and a thirst for slaughter, for unnecessary killing. Let's just hope I'm overthinking this.
His fingers pressed against his forehead; his thoughts racing.
Cassian had already felt how intoxicating that realm had been, how easy it was to drown in the call for ruin and slaughter. If I walk too far down this path… will I even recognize myself at the end?
He shook his head, forcing the thought away.
No. Now isn’t the time for this; Cassy, focus!
Whatever the consequences, they were a problem for later.
[DING! CONGRATULATIONS ON FORMING YOUR 1ST STAR, YOU HAVE REACHED THE 1ST ASCENSION STAGE OF A TIMEBOUND; THE NEXT STAGE WILL BE WHEN YOU FORM YOUR 2ND LEVEL OF STAR OF ANY ATTUNEMENTS.]
[DING! FOR REACHING 1ST ASCENSION, ALL YOUR CURRENT STATS ARE INCREASED!]
[DING! ONE MORE ATTUNEMENT CARD SLOT HAS BEEN UNLOCKED!]
Cassian muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair.
My hair is getting longer… is this an ascension thing? Should I give myself a haircut?
He considered it for a moment, then immediately shook his head.
No. No way. The last thing I need is to mess it up and end up with a bald patch.
A shudder ran through him at the thought. Not risking that.
Anyway, I’m a 1st Ascension Timebound now… That much is clear. But to proceed further on this path… Would I have to form another attunement star?
No… wait. His eyes flickered over the notifications again. It said, "2nd level of star." A realization clicked into place.
Oh! So, to reach the 2nd Ascension, I need to either level up my Destruction Star to its second stage or form another attunement’s 2nd level star.
He sighed. It’s confusing as hell, but I’m assuming my stats got a solid boost. That was the only thing keeping him from dwelling too much on the logistics.
Did forming the star unlock the extra slot, or was it me reaching 1st Ascension? He frowned, rubbing his temples. Why the hell can’t you be clearer, System?
Fuu I guess that’s the end of notifications… ohoo It’s time to check my status.
“Status”
...
...
Cassian's eyes flicked over the system notifications, his pulse quickening as the weight of his 1st Ascension settled in. This bonus is insane. A 50% increase to all destruction-based cards? That alone was massive. But the additional +10 boost to his stats, and applied to all discovered stats, so the question was, would any new stats he discovered get the bonus?
I know there are hidden stats, ones that only unlock under specific conditions… but damn, this is already a ridiculous boost.
Why the hell is it locked? He drummed his fingers against his knee, eyes narrowing as he tapped on the Physique section. Nothing. No response. No new window, no explanation.
Normally, the system gave at least some kind of response, even if it was just a cryptic message about requirements or conditions.
He tapped it once more—still nothing.
Weird.
His brows furrowed as he leaned back, thinking. Was it tied to his ascension? Was it because he still hadn’t met some kind of requirement? Possible.
A slow exhale left his lips.
Annoying.
But fine. He’d figure it out later. For now, there were still too many notifications to go through. Then his gaze landed on something new.
Wait… I can see my HP pool now.
His focus shifted, and a new numerical value popped up in his interface.
292, huh… How is that calculated? He pondered for a moment, then shrugged. It didn’t really matter. The important thing was that he could actually see it now. That alone was a game-changer.
And then—his essence stat. A sharp grin tugged at his lips.
+10 to my essence stat? Let’s go! Now we’re talking. I can spam sorceries now.
But as he skimmed the rest of the panel, his excitement dimmed slightly. Most of his substats were still hidden. Then again, that wasn’t surprising—he had yet to absorb attunement cards outside of destruction.
Just as he was about to move on, something caught his eye.
Wait… what is this “Truth” exactly?
A strange unease settled in his chest as he reached out, his fingers instinctively brushing against the panel. The moment he touched it, a new system window expanded before him.
Cassian’s eyes bulged as he read the text.
…
[DING! TRUTH TOUCHED: "I'LL BURN THE WORLD IF IT MEANS THAT YOU WILL BURN WITH IT"]
When you enter a life-or-death battle with your enemy, you forge an unbreakable destructive bond. Any destruction you unleash on the world will proportionally harm your enemy, no matter the distance. The more widespread the devastation, the stronger the backlash against the marked enemy.
However, you also suffer a fraction of the damage as the price for your obsession.
Effects:
-
"Bound by Ash" – Selects a primary target. This enemy receives 50% extra damage.
-
"Scorched Oath" – The more destruction the character causes in total (environmental, collateral, and direct), the greater the stacking ‘IMMOLATION PACT’ on the target, increasing over time.
-
"Equal Price" – The user takes 15% of the damage dealt to the target, ensuring that destruction is just.
-
"Consuming Abyss" – Over time, the user’s own body begins to fade, reducing maximum HP but increasing destruction damage exponentially.
-
"World Cinder" – If you die in battle while the ability is active, your burning soul detonates, dealing one final wave of destruction equal to all the destruction and damage caused since activation.
…
HOLY SHIT!
A/N : Like the skill Cassian got by touching the truth... This will be a xianxia or xuanhuan type fiction as more and things will be revealed slowly as he clears more and more 'story' levels.
BIG BIG Shoutout "Kevin Coleman" and "Alexander Belousov" for joining and supporting me! you both are stars ?^>?<^ ?
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