'Ashura Flame?'
Albion nodded.
It would be strange if he could not use this core ability, which can only be gained from practicing the Ashura Empyrean Art.
The Ashura Empyrean Art is the Ashura Emperor's top cultivation method and one of the nine divine arts that allowed him to rule the Ashura Divine Heaven.
Albion could not practice this method in the past, but things were different now that he can move. The body has already reached the True Immortal stage, but if he can practice the Ashura Empyrean Arts from scratch, he will be able to sublimate his mortal soul.
'As for basic-level regeneration…'
Albion frowned.
It seems that once his Divine Energy is depleted, he will lose the divine protection of his True Immortal Body. In other words, he can be killed.
No amount of regeneration can save him if he dies instantly.
'This is concerning…'
His frown deepened.
He needed to return to the surface as soon as possible, but he has always been a weak swimmer. He could not tread water and had a natural fear of deep waters.
'I need assistance.' Albion thought.
It is not pathetic for people to admit when they are weak. It is only pathetic when they are weak but do not even dare to acknowledge that they are.
"Show me my status."
[Understood.]
Ding!
=====
[Status]
Name: Albion Black
Ashura Emperor (deceased)
Alias: Dark Emperor, Dark Hands Behind the Curtains, The Devil, King Yama, Black Lotus, Boss Ashura, Master Evil, The Manipulator, Greed, Slaughterer of Mankind, Ruler of the Underworld, etc.
Title/s: Hunter, Transmigrator, Possessor of 10th Tribulation Lightning.
Race: Human
Cultivation: Innate – early stage (suppressed) (True cultivation: True Immortal – early stage) (24/1000 Divine Energy)
Physique: True Immortal Body
Alignment: Lightning, Ashura
Hunter Level: 2 (0/100 EXP)
<
<
=====
Looking at the status, some details have been changed.
'Oh, right. I should be able to do self-introspection now.'
With that thought in mind, Albion immediately shut off his outside perception and dived into his own sea of consciousness.
It was a seemingly dark space with clusters of weak lights here and there that resembles the cosmos. However, these small specks of lights scattered around were the memory shards of the Dark Emperor's soul.
Some areas were more clustered together than others, like a pile of trash. When he focuses his consciousness on a particular piece of memory shard, he was able to review the contents with much greater clarity than in the past.
Nevertheless, these memory shards were not of concern to him right now. His consciousness drifted deeper into the sea of consciousness, where a person's soul was said to be located.
A small ball of light rests at its center as it illuminated the ad infinitum dark sea of consciousness, accompanied by a foreign presence.
The grey lightning orbited his soul like a ring like a layer of protection but never touching. A threatening power of annihilation could be felt from the 10th Tribulation Lightning, seemingly warning him not to touch it unless he wants to be extinguished.
His palms felt sweaty just from looking at it.
After some time, he ended his self-introspection. The 10th Tribulation Lightning was dangerous, but it was not harmful to him.
At least, if someone tried to invade his soul, they would have to ask if the 10th Tribulation Lightning was willing.
It was both a form of protection and a deterrent.
Besides the 10th Tribulation Lightning wrapped around his soul core were also the scattered fragments of the Dark Emperor's soul.
=====
<
[Life Skills] [Combat Skills] [Passive Skills] [Miscellaneous Skills]
=====
The skill tab was further divided into four categories, but what he was looking for should be in the [Life Skills] tab.
With 24 units of Divine Energy left, he was dirt poor.
It was not worth looking into other skills just yet. It would only make him smell like vinegar.
=====
Life Skills:
[Housekeeping skills] [Cooking skills] [Sewing skills] [Repairing skills] [Writing skills] [Communication skills] [First-aid skills] …
…
=====
The list of life skills went on and on.
If Albion had not looked, he would not have known that there were so many life skills out there. Who would have known that unclogging a toilet was also considered a life skill, or a skill at all for that matter?
Shaking his head, Albion immediately scrolled down the list and selected the first four levels of swimming skills he could afford.
[You have selected to learn basic-level swimming skills, intermediate-level swimming skills, expert-level swimming skills, and master-level swimming skills. Do you wish to learn them for 10 units of Divine Energy? Y/N.]
"Yes!"
Ding!
[10 units of Divine Energy have been consumed. Your current balance is 14/1000 Divine Energy.]
A string of information flowed into Albion's head—no, it was more like the memory fragment pertaining to the skill in his sea of consciousness was packaged up and integrated into his soul.
Just like that, he went from being a newbie swimmer and jumped straight to a master swimmer, capable of competing in professional swimming competitions in his previous life.
There were higher swimming skill levels after the master level, but the cost of those skills spiked significantly.
Anything beyond the master level was no longer confined within the limits of ordinary humans.
"Goldfinger, is there anything else I can do to improve my swimming skills?" Albion asked.
[The talent Yaksha's Blessings will be useful to the host.]
Goldfinger answered crisply.
Albion immediately searched for Yaksha's Blessings in the talent tab.
…
[Yaksha's Blessings (basic)]: Grant's 10% affinity to water, allowing the user to feel like a fish in water with improved night vision. Cost; 10 units of Divine Energy.
Albion felt a bit pained, but he decided to learn it. It seemed like a necessary investment. After acquiring Yaksha's Blessings (basic), his balance dropped to 4/1000 Divine Energy.
He could not afford to spend anymore. Once his Divine Energy hits zero, he will lose the divine protection of the True Immortal Body and be crushed by the water pressure outside.
"Goldfinger, what else can you do to assist me? It can't be just this much, right?"
[Correct! Goldfinger can assign quests for the host to complete. Successful completion of quests will result in rewards from the system.]
"What kind of rewards are we looking at?"
[Skills, talents, Divine Energy. Those kinds of rewards.]
"Oh. So, is there any quest for me right now? Albion asked.
Goldfinger did not mince its words and immediately issued the quest.
Ding!
=====
[Quest Objective]: Return to the surface safely.
Overview: the Ganymede Ocean is known to be home to many aquatic lifeforms, but few are aware of the greatest dangers that lie below. Safely escape from the territory of the ancient aquatic lifeforms and return to the surface.
Reward: 1 unit of Divine Energy.
=====
Although Albion feels it was stupid to ask, he needed to ask anyway.
"What are the consequences of failing to complete the quest?"
[All quest issued by the system are correlated to the survival of the host in the Apocalypse. Failing to complete the quest will only end in one result, death.]
Goldfinger answered.
"Figures."
Albion's mouth could not help but twitch. He was expecting as such, but still, this was a first hearing about the Apocalypse. What was that about?
Nevertheless, this was something he can ask after he returns to the surface. On the other hand, the pitiful quest reward made him shake his head helplessly. Insect meat was still meat.
After navigating his way to the mouth of the dead ancient sea serpent to get out, he immediately felt the suppression of water pressure and several terrifying presences in the vicinity.
His instincts were screaming danger!
Without further thought, he began swimming the 30-thousand-feet journey back to the surface with all his might!