Book 2/33 - Voidmind

[Author's Note: Tora the Primordial Magi's Image]


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Ring - 9th
Realm - MURHIL


Ernwes POV


He choice wasn't as difficult to make. The problem was the result of my decision. Treason or Blasphemy. Lord Gordorik trying to kill the Blood of the Primordials was asking for our deaths. What if he had succeeded?. Would the Primordials smite us where we stood?

It was a question borne out of fear. The Primordials had never for once ended a life atleast that we heard. Maybe it was hidden , who knew. Still, I don't think they'd mind starting now because of their child. I knew what I would do for my little girl and wife. I was considering treason after all.

Was it even treason if I was helping the Elder Force save out people. While she had not explicitly said it I got the intent she carried. It was something we Sykerians, Will's Blade , we Realm Dwellers could do.

It was the only reason I still stood with her when after we realized we were used as fodder. When she could have slaughtered us without a care.

Milrona didn't say it but she was comfortable around the Force. She had the craziest sixth sense of all of us and she she would warn us if we needed to run. Not that it would help or matter.

The only thing that lessened her threat level was her lack of weapons skill. I could see her going from dangerous to inevitable when she learned the soesr or sword. A twig cracked endingy thoughts and drawing my eyes from the Force leading our party ahead.

"Kaelen!". Theron's alarmed shout hastened my head's turn neck almost twisting beyond its scope. Kaelen was upside down so fast he forgot to call or shout for help. Zarek ran and jumped swinging his sword aober the held up leg. The expected fall didn't come though.

Zarek looked at his sword in confusion while I grabbed Kaelen and held him. The Sykeri kept shouting as he tried to pull himself. Whatever was tugging at him had enough power as I could already feel my weight getting tugged on.

"Telekinesis!". My command shook the rest out of their stupor and I felt the familiar force acting on both of us. A screech came from up in the trees and I looked.

I felt another tug once and I quickly added my own telekinetic hold. The screech came again, louder this time. From the corner of my eye I could see the Elder Force standing still, eyes peeled to the canopy and waiting. Her alertness sent a sort of relief and calm through me.

"It's the spiders". Milrona warned.

"I don't think it's the normal spiders. I can't see their threads".

"I couldn't even cut it". Zarek was on his feet eyes going from Lyriana and back to Kaelen.

" What do we do do now Sir?". Elthar asked. His right arm shook with the pressure of holding onto Kaelen.

"Let go".

The Elder Force's order shook me. Was she finally okay with taking us out in here. "Whatever is pulling on him is stronger than you all combined. I might set the difference. I'm going to hold on. Once it tugs, I'll pull and give the word thenall of you pull as well".

She went round Kaelen looping white chains to his waist and hands then to her. "I've got you". We watched her loop the chains to her herself and then nodded at me. I exhaled. I was letting go without realizing it. Then Kaelen was tuggef up and roughly. He ascended fast and like a dart.

"Haaah". Theron screamed and lunged for the Force. She flexed a palm at him and chains bound him to the ground.

"Pull him down now. Pull...". She was already grabbing and pulling on the chain fast.

"Now. Now. Now". I grabbed for Kaelen and tugged with her. As fast as he shot up he shot down. The others were already following and the scream Theron looked stunned as he watched Kaelen drop.

"Spider!!". Lyriana shouted out. The Force grabbed al the chains around her and then tossed to the side. As the landed they formed large and thick little blocks.

"Ernwes. Your Sykeri". A spear formed in her palm and she dove to the side. Her lips moved as she aimed up and flung the spear high. The spider was nothing like we knew. It was large as a wagon, with golden end points on it weight legs. Black eyes and white pincers. The spear missed by an inch.

"Aim. Aim for it. Hurl...". My words died in my lips as she appeared right beside it. Her expression showed disgust even as a familiar large bastard sword appeared in her hand, swung from left to right. A bright flash blurred the sight the moment it struck the beast. Two spider halves hit the ground around us.

"She cut it...". Zarek shut his mouth when the Force appeared before him, large sword pointed to the side.

"Let's get going. Spiders come in nests". Looking to her for confirmation she gave it and I wanted my hand for them to move. Kaelen shrugged off the chains and she vanished them. The sword too.

Thr race began. It was like the first floor all over again but with a little caveat. There would be no end of the tunnel scenario to keep umour backs protected. Spiders appeared from tree tops, pouring down on us. At times she threw her spear, other times she let the spider reach and cleaned it in half before we could blink.

It wasn't like we were useless when we had to cover our backs, but the rate at which she tore through the attackers was insane. The second problem came when Maleknar tripped on a root. Given the normal mobs of this dung4on I should have suspected something like this. Breaking sounds filled the forest as we pushed farther. The first one came at Theron, bursting from a tree bark and grabbing him with long spindly branch hands.

Dorainis dragged him back quickly and Vairon cut down the branches. It screamed in a noise like branches getting crushed. Elthar rid it of ita head. The next ones were not so easy. They were already out and ready, smacking their hands on the ground to create tendrils of vines that lashed out at us. Worse was the Spiders still falling from the trees or scuttling in from the surroundings.

A crack of lightning made me jump. A Sylvan, the tree dwellers caught fire. The distraction was enough to get a Spider next to me. Lyriana parried it's leg thrust and Elthar sliced its side. The thing screeched in pain. Seizing it with telekinesis I flung it away.

Am explosion of fire from ahead distracted us again. This time nothing snuck up as all their attention, even ours went front. The forest ahead burned with golden fire. The force vanished into the flames and the screeching and dying of beasts were heard.

"Come on".

Passion through the fire was easy with only the trees on fire. Spiders on fire rained from the canopy as we raced through. On the other side we watched a Sylvan lose it's head to that Bastard sword. A spider abusing from behind suddenly reappeared on the other side running from her.

The Force standing in her armor, a Sylvan corpse and head at her feet, bastard sword in hand and the green behind cut an intimidating sight. I grabbed the last of my spikes with telekinesis from my belt and flung it at a spider.

"My Lady. Out of spikes". Another batch appeared right on my belt. "Thanks". We moved. Spikes flew through the air and impaled Sylvan and Spiders. The Force cut down anything that dared breath next to her, Mind Stepped to anyone that screamed for help and cut through swats of the forest with crescent slashes of fire.

We crossed the treeline and into a green plain that stretched as far as I could see. At the center of the plain stood a large tree. Towering high up. Deers were spread around the plains grazing on the grasses.

"I guess the tree is our destination". Lyriana pointed. I nodded but turned to the Force.

"We should stay close and together". Her white eyes moved over the field and the corners of her eyes crinkled. "We're bound to fight something along the way or at the tree".

"Atleast the spiders and Sylvans stopped chasing us".Zarek sheathed his sword and held two spikes.

"Keep your eyes open". I warned. Lyriana nodded and the others followed. Spikes appeared in our belts and the Force fisted her left hand. Refilling her essence

"Stay close". She took off. Milrona and Lyriana followed. I shook my head and moved. She was jogging just like she'd been jogging to stay with us. The sword might not have been heavy' but the size and length made the leverage hard which explained why she was holding one of her construct spears and a shield.

The first sign of trouble was the ground falling beneath a deer. The Force was shocked and then shouted a warning.

"The Deers". Our confusion vanished when the closest one's turned and dashed at us. She tossed her rsoear and caught it. Lobbing it into the herd of deers charging us. One fell. She did it threw more times before we clashed. The first deer froze I ti a block of ice and her shield shattered it. The next was impaled on her spear. The horns struck her shield but but the force was already doubled, leaving her duplicate behind it. The spear left in its torso was replaced with the Bastard Sword that she swung obliterating the deers ahead of her.

It vanished and a spear replaced it. She appeared to the side and bashed her shield to the side of a deer's head allowing Zarek to impale it smoothly. Her spear found the skull of another one and the net moment she was dropping from the air her duplicate fading away.

She landed in a crouch and punched the ground. The field ahead was torn open with a visible seismic ripple and spikes, vines, holes and stones formed pelting, wrapping and catching deers. Telekinetic hold stopped a deer close to me and I drilled a hole through the side of its head.

I looked back and found her floating midair. No, standing. On a white plate mid air. The deers still coming tried to get to her with jumps and head bashes but we're too weak or low. One jumped quote high and then it horns flashed brightly. The Force turned away amd flames erupted from her hands engulfing the deers and gras ahead.

The next few moments before we got to the tree was nothing but blood, death and struggles.

There was one stag left standing in front of the the tree almost protectively. She turned to Milrona her lips moving. I felt Milrona's telekinetic hold glare and the deer bayer and struggled. The Force was next to it in moments her sword gone. Grabbing its antlers she wrestled it down and held it to the ground.

"Let's see what you become". Her eyes flashed with bright light and the stag jerked for a moment before stilling. "Open your mouth". Her voice was soft and lacked command. The stag obeyed.

My cohort shared glances as we watched her slice open her palm and have the deer lap up her blood.

"What's she doing?". Kaelen asked.

"Who knows. Force things?". Zarek shrugged.

Each time the cut healed she would slice it open again and have the stag lap it up more . She stopped when the stag began bucking and shaking. I could see the curiosity in her eyes as she stepped away from the thrashing beast.

There was no warning when a large vine shot out of the ground and whipped the Force. "The tree!".

Spikes shot at the tree, vines burrowed out of the ground and lashed at us. Telekinesis deflected sowm but most of cohort were beaten back. A spear struck the tree but there was no sign it was affected.

"Ernwes. Get the animal out of there. Don't kill it!". I moved to obey. Wrapping telekinesis around the Bucking stag and dragging it towards us". A vine lashed for the Stag in an attempt to crush it.

One moment I saw the Stag's certain death, the next the Force stood in its place , the vine tip falling to the ground.

" Hurry!". She was double already, her original self closer to the tree. Her sword cut through the air for the large base only for vines to erupt and seize her limbs and swords. I pulled on the stag and Theron covered my side from vines. I didn't hear anything from the Force, only saw and felt the ground shake as the earth around her vibrated and turned red.

What's that?

The tree shook. It's branches quivered and if I didn't know better I'd have suspected the true was screaming. That was impossible right.

Chains erupted from around the Force and snagged the vines and branches around her. She flexed and the vines were pulled off, sowm torn and others crushed. She vanished and reappeared next to the tree swinging again.

CRACK!

An arm held the sword. A Sylvan arm. A large Sylvan arm. The Force's boots melted as her feet sunk into the red stuff around the tree base. I didn't see the point of contact between the blade and the Sylvan's palm. All I saw and heard was the tree creaking and twisting.

Large roots tore from the ground around it and swiped at the Force who made when sword vanish and spun to catch the root that whipped her straight in the chest. He dug through the earth from the force of the throw.

"Captain the Stag. We need to move back. I think things are getting more dangerous". I nodded in stupor as I watched the tree pull out all its roots. The upper half twister and reformed into a torso with a head, face and hair of branches and leaves. The thing towered over the Force and yet when the stood her eyes had a glint to it.

Her lips moved muttering something. She vanished. The only reason we saw her was due to the pulse of fire that descended from her spot and wreathed the tree. This time we heard the soul chilling scream as it burned. Vines tore from its bark even as it burned and lashed into the sky. The Force was already on the ground to the tree's side. The Sword was made known and she slashed.

A crimson Wave of fire flew for the writhing tree. Barks and bones, bushes and shrubs grew from the earth to block off the attack. The explosion was catastrophic and shook the earth.

The tree was already moving, rolling itself on the ground to cut off the flames.

"Oh Enodlim". Lyriana murmured in shock. Thr Force appeared next to the rolling tree. For s split second the tree looked to have paused. The Force raised both hands, a gigantic white axe spawning in her grip.

The heard her roar shake the air, her will solidified into a dense blade that she wished to sever the tree with. The tree shook even harder as the blade bit deep. It's branches shaking hard. With a foot on the tree she tugged her axe free. She swung it around her, her white hair flying with the movement. Round and down the axe came. A vine sprouted trying to block the attack.

The Force became two then three then four. The final original Force embedded her axe into the top of the tree connected to the roots. The lashed out at her.

I stepped to the side when she appeared next to me. Her cheeks spread out in an otherworldly beautiful smile as a sphere appeared in her right hand. "Is that?".

"Uh huh". Her head bobbed. White essence flowed into the sphere and it glowed. The tree was thrashing, trying to heal the cut marks and get to its feet-roots.

"Shouldn't you..". She was gone. I turned to look and found a wall of earth blocking the view. "Arcaenot rear. Everyone get down". The ground shook throwing us on our backs. Dust rose past the wall and notifications filled her visions.


**Sylvan Tree Matriarch Slain**
Radiant Nectar;:2**


**Floor 2 - Cleared**
**Rewards - Essence Orbs: Novice+50
- Sylvan Bark:20
- Divine Silk Thread: 20Balls
- Divine Deer Hide: 7
- Antler Pendant **



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Ring - 8th
Realm - NILHEIM


Munoron didn't really regret his choice of eliminating all his contenders. As much as the Primordial had frightened his in-game self it didn't change his realistic plans. Now all he had to do was sit back and wait.

Sitting back and waiting wasn't quite nice. The beasts of the realms now gave him and the Castle a wide berth. Hunting monsters to kill for essence in a bid to increase his essence for what he knew would come after the ascension was difficult as all the monsters knew he was always coming. Domains were like that, announcing your presence.

Fortunately it was his domain and controlling it was easy. But that wasn't why Munoron was seated on the Castle roof. It had more to do with the three black shards lying at his feet. What they had each given him. The power each one had granted him. It'd taken some mistakes with the first Shardoway to adjust himself to what he needed to do with the other two.

He flexed his arms and tightened his fists. "The change is barely noticeable but still there". The change was more evident in the first Shardoway he had used. The Way of the Reaper had started with a Path called Path of the Voidmind. And the effects were the best of all three Shardoways. Infact the effect was so good it almost worried him. Almost being the keyword there.

Form what he'd learned and applied to himself, the path involved embracing the void and silencing all distractions within the mind. He silenced his thoughts, emotions, and fears, achieving a state of void-like calm. Completing the path purged mental impurities and strengthened his mind's defenses, rendering him immune to fear, doubt, and external mental influences.

Which was the problem in the Path.

With his mind becoming a fortress of emptiness, impenetrable and unwavering, allowing him to focus his will with unparalleled clarity Munoron realized he didn't fear the Primordials. He should have, he would have. But he just couldn't anymore.

Munoron could see how it was both a problem he would have not liked against the Doombringer and also a good thing to push him on. The Doombringer had been had to fight. Especially when he had nothing to punch. A problem for one of the dead Elder demons maybe. Luckily not for him.

Oblivion and Decay did what they were made to do. Nullifying the Doombringers powers was the first step that Munoron was sure helped him win. If he hadn't made that first move he might have wished he'd gotten his Voidmind path sooner.

Using another authority, he unraveled the bonds and holds of the Doombringer. Entropy was like a hammer smashing chain links. Or forging them together. By unraveling the Doombringer he made it more susceptible to his other authority. Erasure. He still felt impressed at his own work when he remembered Doombringers moanful cry as it was eradicated.

The Way and Path it's Shardoway had granted him made the fight and danger Worth it. The Way of the Doombringer: Path of the Necrotic Core gave him power much like his domain. Necrosis and Despair. By cultivating as the Shardoway showed, he'd turned his core into one of death and decay.

Would have been useful against the others. Something he could use not just to end life but also to harness it for more life taking.

It reminded him of something he'd noticed earlier. Nothing In this realm was exactly alive. In other realms dying sent your spirit to FAYHEIM. Munoron felt a burst of greed at the thought of the place. Sanev gave bits and pieces of FAYHEIM's description making his real self hunger for the items that place could bring for him.

The spirits that went to FAYHEIM were either reincarnated to other realms, as other lives or sent down here. Here they were changed. Becoming neither living nor dead and unable to reincarnate.

Munoron thought about what the rules or reasons for being sent down here could be. When the fairy had explained, it had answered vaguely. He didn't have time to rethink it. Right now his cultivation needed vitality. Which meant he needed living things.

"Where's a Demon to get living... hahahaha". Munoron almost rolled off his postion in mirth. It was both amusing as it was amazing how things were set to work.

His shoulders shook as he thought about it. All other realms had life. Life he could use. "My cultivation doesn't need life to grow. I can utilize the essence here. But I'm essentially unlikeable amongst living things". It made him smile. He could see the benefits of this.

With the cultivation nothing that came down here with breath in its lungs or life in its heart would survive him. Just as nothing would stop him if he decided to venture up. I picked the right card. "Hahaha. Was there any doubts".

He'd thought the Path had given him a core when he saw the name but when he took in essence it had simply flowed through him without a change. He wondered if he could keep the essence he took from living beings without using it as an attack.

Cultivating in the midst of a crowd of living beings could help me cross my threshold. It was an encouraging idea.

He focused on the last Shardoway and what it had changed for him. Thr Way of the Chaos Behemoth was both scary and exciting. Path of the Shifting Flesh was what scared him. The Behemoth he'd killed had been a creepy one. Too creepy for his liking. The information the Shardoway had given was one he didn't have any feelings of excitement for. It actually creeped him out a bit.

Munoron flexed his palms and tightened his hands into knuckles. The power there now was subtle. Nothing earth shattering like the Behemoth.

He knew where the power lay though. The name was evident. Munoron grimaced as he tried it out. His right index finger was the only spot he dared to attempt with. The finger's scales pulsed with a purplish and red glow. The finger stretched longer, and longer. The expected pain or discomfort didn't come. It was like his body and always done something like that.

It made him both cringe and feel grateful. The finger shrank back to its spot and he tried it with his entire arm. The pale scaled arm widened more and more. Muscles, tendons and flesh expanding. He felt the raw power in the arm as well the sudden weight it came with.

The arm returned to the normal and Munoron and noted what he'd discovered. He wasn't a successful gang leader for no reason. First he realized that while his essence power the change it was more a spark sort of thing. The true power fueling and helping the shift was chaos.

This led to the second thing. His essence wouldn't be used up. But the chaos in his essence was. Which meant he never had a way of knowing when the chaos would finish.

What if I'm halfway through my change and the chaos finishes. He could see himself, mishaped and wierd stuck for as long as it took to regain chaos. At that moment he vowed to use the shifting flesh only when it was needed or useful.

The pale black haired demon stood up with a stretch. Bringing up his records he glared the line he'd been looking at since receiving his domains and getting warned by his in-game father.


**Ascension complete-Please Hold on**


That more than anything was the Best reminder that he was in a game. He just knew the hood up was due to the other Elders and the game didn't want him to be too far ahead.

Unfortunately for it. I can still grow even while waiting. The thought of logging out had crossed his mind but he'd shrugged it off. He would log off when absolutely necessary.

"Now. Let's get this new stats in place. Figure out my new capabilities so we can tap into the next paths".The demon stepped off the castle roof and dropped. An inch from the ground Munoron flared his domain and erased gravity.

His feet kissed the ground softly and he let go of his domain. What was his next plan?. Cultivate more?. That was a given. It was something he would do. But there had to be something else he could do. He knew he was powerful. Maybe there were others just as or more powerful. He was confident not arrogant.

Personal strength aside he needed hands around here. He wished his gang was in here and then he could put them to work with finding out things. But since he couldn't do that and had to wait for the Beta or the full launch he had to think up something else.

Long strides took him forward as he tried to plan and orient himself. Hunting beasts and getting his Shardoways was just him reminding himself that this was a game and he didn't have to fear a Primordial that was just an AI. But now he realized he was stuck.

I need to hold full purchase of this realm. Maybe in the future if there's a setting for it, all realms. But for now my realm is all I need. He looked around and bqckt I the castle. If he was being honest he knew that while he was Kaizer his time was normal. Munoron could smell and see a warning or threat when given.

The description of his Kaiser title has been just that. One or both. If another Demon sets foot on this realm I lose my hold on this realm. I'm yet to choose a passive due to that bloody notification but I bet it'll be good. Even if it isn't. Having to fight another group of demons will be fun but dangerous. I won't put it past the Primordial to give them some boon to take me out.

He blinked as it just hit him. He was the villain here. With all the rage he had, me not being dead means there are rules to abide by. Well she did tell me as such. Which means the new demons will be a loophole to take me out.

It wasn't an option he could accept. Which means Munoron knew he had to gain unfettered hold over the realm. The question was how?.

He had to admit a bit of regret at slaughtering all those Innocent realm dwellers. They did nothing to me. They would have made good subjects. He shrugged. What is done is done. An idea slipped into his mind. Hmmh. It's that even doable?

"Hey Sanev. You did say the beings of this realm not only come from the outside realm but are also in a state outside of life and death. Right?".

His fairy descended with a slow flight and nodded. He grinned. "Now do tell me. How that works exactly". The fairy quirked her head in confusion then shrugged and began talking.

As she spoke and he listened, somewhere in his mind the idea found ground, parts came to be and a blueprint was born. Yes. Yes it is doable. The Primordial can writhe and shout and shiver with rage all I care. He can't touch me and won't be able to now.

"That's how it goes. Did that help?". Sanev stopped talking. Munoron smiled. The Purple orb hidden inside an abyss of black that was his eyes gleaming savagely.

"Yes. Yes it does. I will follow the Creator's designs".

Pleased with his idea he failed to note Sanev look to their right. Her sharoy gaze locked on a silent statue that stood in the darkness of the realm. Shadowy tattered wings attached to an equally dark figure with a face hidden by the void. She looked back to her Elder and then to the figure hidden in the dark.

'Should I tell him?'. Her lips parted and the warning of what watched them reached her throat and bubbled into silence.

Munoron didn't miss the weird event and stared down his laughter dropping. "What?". His gaze, as sharp and watchful as ever still failed to catch the slight shift in Sanev's gaze and the bit of difference when she spoke.

"Beware the Dark. You do not rule it".