Kyros kept tinkering with the details of the stats and noticed that there was an option to see the growth of Calaminus.
"Click on it! We'll get a better understanding with my soul if you check on my growth path!" Calaminus insisted.
Kyros began to check the details of the soul.
---
Soul Wisps- 10 Levels
Soul Core- 10 Levels
Soul Seed – 10 Levels
Soul Being- 10 Levels
???? - ????
---
"Ha! I thought so!" Calaminus rejoiced.
Kyros wasn't as fast in understanding the details and slowly thought about what each level meant.
"Soul Core... That's what the Undead create. Most who pursue being a Skeleton create a Soul Core. Liches create a Soul Seed. And Soul Being refers to those who cultivate their soul into Eidolons, Wraiths, or Devils, right? Then it seems the temple has managed to secure your growth in a way that it is parallel to mine!"
"Yes! I can grow alongside you without worry! And the more I grow, the more my powers will return!"
"But just to be safe, how does the temple hide you? We need to know in case the enemy will use some means to exploits whatever advantage we think we have and find you."
"It's like this... When a God or Fallen is born, it creates a ripple that all God's and Fallen can sense. The enemy planned it well. By turning my soul into a mortal, it could not only stop me from time traveling as a god, but it practically makes me a target that is easy to find!"
"Because you're a mortal?"
"Yes! When I time travel, I leave my mortal shell but bring my mortal soul. You've heard how our travel created a powerful earthquake in this area! And that was with you being sealed! Imagine if that's not the case!"
"So you used me because you couldn't see my past even with my power. You were confident that I must have been sealed somewhere to prevent the gods and fallen from finding us. I got that part. But what happened? Looking at your stats, you didn't time travel with me."
"That's exactly the amazing thing! The temple, or rather, you did not limit or buffer the ripple. No ripples happened! I was reborn into a new soul! I thought I was sealed along with your soul and was afraid that your level up would slowly leak out my powers. But this isn't the case! Because I am reborn into a pitiful creature, my powers can slowly return without creating a ripple! It will slowly return according to the level of my mortal soul!"
"Let me see if I understand it properly. Originally, if you leveled up by a single level, it would add ten thousand points because you carry a portion of your godhood contained in a mortal soul. But now, it would add ten points that don't create a ripple to warn the gods and fallen?"
"Yes! I am less than a soul! I am a wisp! That's the genius of it! Think of it this way, the gods and fallen can feel the weight of this entire universe. To use your term, if the weight suddenly increases by ten thousand points, they would notice it! But because I slowly gain my powers, it will slowly add ten, then a hundred, then a thousand! If we do it right and I cultivate alongside you, the weight added wouldn't be noticeable!"
"But people cultivate and reach higher classes every day. Can't we just hide somewhere where a lot of people cultivate to hide your ascension?"
"It's like this, when a mortal ascends and fights the heavens to become a saint or a devil, the increase isn't that great because the mortal would have to be level 99 already. So from a mortal to a saint, let's say it's roughly 1000 points. But how many mortals move and become saints? And how many saints have done the impossible to become gods?"
"I see. But if it were your original soul, it'd be 10,000 points immediately!"
"Exactly! A single level in my old mortal soul would be like someone moving from a mortal level 1 and immediately become a mid-tiered saint! That shatters the balance in the weight and points a target over me. The gods and fallen planned all this to make sure that I wouldn't dare level up. Of course, eventually, they would find me and kill me! But now... it's different. I can also grow stronger, and my powers can greatly aid you!"
"Indeed. Time Haste is a powerful spell."
"Right. Time Haste used to cost you 80 points of Fallen and Ancient source each. That was 160 points worth of Source points. If you had the MP, it would probably cost you 80 magic points. But now, because I grew stronger, the time power flowing through me and to you has grown stronger as well! It should not be as expensive as before."
"Let me check..." Kyros then willed to see the stats of Time Haste.
---
Time Haste Level 1
Doubles the speed in an area of ten meters.
Cost: 75 Magic points (150 Source points)
---
"It decreased just by five magic points? Better than nothing, I guess..." Kyros sighed.
"What do you mean, better than nothing? That's a god-tiered spell! If it wasn't for your Time Surge Body, that spell would have killed you! This isn't like those Haste and Slow spells! What you are changing is True Time and not just Perceived Time!"
Suddenly, a strange force began to emit out of Aron.
Kyros was stunned as he saw it.
"Father was right. Uncle is a genius. By the time I met him, he already was an invalid who suffered terrifying wounds. But now, I get to see Uncle in his prime. He even awakened that mysterious warrior's power I envied. Warriors Instinct! With his MP, he got the inspiration to solidify the power of Force Paladins! It looks like the fate of the Steele has changed for good!" Kyros laughed.
It was then that Kyros felt it. There was a strange change in the air that Kyros couldn't explain.
"Somethings... wrong..." Kyros frowned as he gazed outside.
"What's wrong?"
"Fate... It feels... restless..." Kyros frowned.
"Magic! So this is Magic! Now that I finally have a Magic Core, I can create even better art for Force Paladin! This temple is amazing!" Aron laughed excitedly.
The knights began to awaken at Aron's loud cheers.
Even the Vampire Bloodlings woke up.
"I have a Magic Point?!" A Knight exclaimed loudly. Only powerful and rich knights could afford to go through a bestowal or blessings from Priest and Mages. And yet, these lowly knights who never had the hopes of seeing a second class change had one!
"I also have magic! Amazing!" Another shouted excitedly as he could feel a special force around them.
While everybody rejoiced, Kyros felt great terror in his heart. It was as if there was something reaching out of him.
---
Success Limit Breached!
Fate Intervening...
---
The strange warning appeared, and Kyros felt his heart stop.
"What the?!" Calaminus was shocked.
"This is it... This is the answer. Now I know how Fate can exist to bless and curse me! I've breached the Success Limit of Fate's curse, and now, it's intervening to curse me!" Kyros's expression turned ugly.
"What's going to happen?"
"I don't know. But until I can understand how Fate plans to attack me, I have to keep my uncle and the men here... Because they met me, Fate's curse must be stronger on them. I have to also check on my father just to be sure..." Kyros decided.
Kyros decided to wear a smile and approach his uncle.
"Uncle. It seems you've broken through. I suggest that you and the Knights stay here and-"
A powerful bright light exploded out of the temple.
At the center of the temple, a strange black hole appeared. It began to create a powerful magical pull that immediately sucked in almost everybody.
"No!" Kyros shouted as he realized what was going on.
He himself was sucked into the black hole.
Only the limbless body of the vampire Zid Blood Blade remained in the temple.
The temple lost the holy power that was surrounding it. Soon, darkness began to grow.
Zid awoke from his unconscious state.
"What... happened?" He wondered as he forced his head up.
The darkness around him was slowly healing him.
Meanwhile...
Kyros found himself falling into an endless dark pit. The black hole had sucked all of them and was throwing them somewhere.
Almost instantly, they landed on the ground.
Kyros was groggy from the strange power that absorbed them. But the very second he arrived, he immediately activated Pronto.
He looked around, and all he could see was darkness.
The groaning and confused sounds of the knights could be heard, and Kyros even heard Aron.
Immediately, Kyros retrieved the torch of the temple and channeled magic on it to light it up.
As the torch lit up, Kyros realized that they were still in the same cave where they were.
"What is fate up to? What did it do?!" Calaminus cursed.
"I was afraid this would happen! No wonder fate was pretty silent these past days! It was planning this!"