Bryan's brows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and intrigue as he continued to contemplate the presence of the spear within his mindscape.
The initial assumption that it was merely a construct designed by the Apex Point as a test no longer held water. After experiencing the point of view from the powerful figure, doubts started to creep up in to his mind.
There was something more going on, something that eluded his understanding.
Questions swirled in his mind, each one adding to the confusion that permeated his thoughts. Why was the spear here? What purpose did it serve within his consciousness? And most importantly, what did it represent?
The more he pondered, the more mysterious the situation became. It was as if the spear held a secret, an answer to a question he hadn't even fully formulated yet.
*Sigh*
Bryan took a deep breath, exhaling the lingering confusion that had momentarily overwhelmed him. He reminded himself that there was no need to rush for answers that were not yet within his grasp.
Patience would be his ally, and time would eventually reveal the true significance of the spear.
*Ssshhha*
His surroundings faded away as he found himself in the same dark expanse to when he met the manifestation of his soul for the first time.
Bryan stood there, transfixed by the sight of his soul manifestation once again, now reduced to a figure of human stature from its previous ginormous size.
What caught Bryan's attention immediately was the sight of the spear, once again held firmly in the right hand of his soul manifestation.
The same spear that had beckoned him, caused pain, and stirred a sense of power within him now resided in the grasp of his soul's embodiment.
A mix of astonishment and curiosity coursed through Bryan's veins as he regarded the scene before him.
"So much for trying to not think about the spear when it comes biting back at me." Bryan dryly chuckled to himself.
"Now…"
Bryan rubbed his chin, "Why am I back here?"
As Bryan was about to take a step forward to get closer, his eyes widened in disbelief as he watched his soul manifestation take aim, directing the deadly spear straight at him.
"Wait, what?!" Bryan exclaimed with a scrunched face.
Confusion gripped his heart, his mind racing to comprehend the intentions of his own soul.
Before he could react or utter anything to the manifestation, the spear in his soul manifestation's hand was launched towards him with astonishing speed and accuracy.
The spear cut through the air like a streak of crimson lightning, hurtling towards Bryan with a relentless vigor. The spear was deadly silent and quick.
Time seemed to stretch into eternity as his gaze followed the deadly trajectory, his body frozen in a mixture of shock and disbelief. It was as if his own soul had become his adversary, aiming to extinguish his existence.
The moment of impact was both swift and surreal. The spear collided with Bryan's vulnerable flesh, piercing his torso with an eerie precision. He couldn't do anything apart from watching the spear pierce into him.
"Huh?"
To his bewilderment, there was no surge of excruciating pain, no piercing agony that would normally accompany such a grievous wound.
It was as though his body had become numb to the physical realm, shielded from the expected torment.
Bryan gingerly reached towards the wound, expecting to feel warm blood gushing forth, but his hand encountered nothing.
In that transcendent moment, Bryan's flabbergasted state shifted to one of understanding, albeit slightly. He realized that his own soul had not sought to harm him but rather to awaken something within him. The absence of pain spoke volumes of the intention of his soul manifestation.
He looked down at the spear and was met with an ethereal sight. The spear vanished into shimmering motes of divine energy whose characteristics were unknown to Bryan. An electrifying transformation coursed through Bryan's veins.
The ethereal particles infused his being, merging seamlessly with the core of his existence. It was as if the essence of the spear had become a part of him, an intangible force that transcended the physical realm.
A surge of power surged forth, pulsating through every fibre of his being. It radiated from within, igniting a brilliant luminescence that illuminated the sharp darkness of the expanse around him.
The once-stagnant expanse now crackled with an otherworldly energy, as if the very fabric of reality quivered in response to the unleashed surge of energy within Bryan.
'I need to later ask the system of what the fuck is going on!' Bryan sighed internally.
The tremors within the expanse grew more violent, echoing the surge of divine energy coursing within Bryan.
He witnessed his soul manifestation also absorb the motes of divine energy, making it the both of them. Spreading his perceptive sense, he observed that the divine energy gathered around at the core of his body.
*BOOM*
As the motes of divine energy fused with their beings, the once dark and boundless expanse of Bryan's mindscape shattered with a resounding boom.
Out goes the dark and vast expanse of nothingness, and in came a land of fiery chaos and relentless heat.
Bryan's eyes were once again wide open with shock and amazement. The transformation was blindingly quick and drastic that he didn't have enough time to process the whole sequence.
The cracked earth beneath his feet exuded a seething intensity, its scorched surface a testament to the upgrade in strength that pulsed through his mindscape.
Molten lava flowed in winding rivers, carving fiery pathways amidst the new landscape. Above, the sky was ablaze with swirling clouds of smoke and ash, lit by the furious eruptions of volcanoes that dotted the horizon.
Flames danced and licked the air, casting an eerie glow upon the land. The atmosphere itself seemed to vibrate with fervour, resonating with the very essence of fire that seemed to hum with power.
Yet, amidst this tumultuous inferno, Bryan found himself surprisingly at ease. The motes of divine energy absorbed by him paved way to a transformative and beautiful mindscape, at least in his eyes.
The searing heat, the molten rivers, and the relentless cascade of fiery embers did not stir fear or discomfort within him. Instead, they ignited a strange and exhilarating resonance, an undeniable connection that stirred his very core or rather his…soul.
The intense heat enveloped him like a comforting embrace, as if the flames themselves recognized his presence and welcomed him into their fiery domain.
Lifting his hand, tendrils of fire swirled around his forearm as he walked forwards. The seething magma beneath his feet seemed to respond to his every step, parting and swirling in reverence to his presence.
Bryan gazed into the distance, where colossal volcanoes belched forth plumes of molten rock, their fiery tongues reaching towards the heavens.
"Beautiful…" He muttered with a drawn stupor.
The air crackled with the energy of imminent eruption, the rumbling of the earth merging with the thunderous roars of the inferno. Each fiery explosion echoed the surge of power coursing through his veins, igniting a primal exhilaration within him.
"Is this my…path?" A sense of enlightenment washed over Bryan, as the land of fire resonated with his innermost desires and the molten rivers symbolizing the unyielding force of his will.
The flames that rained from the fiery clouds above seemed to dance and rejoice in his presence, as if acknowledging his affinity for the inferno.
In this land of fire and fury, Bryan recognized the immense potential that resided within him. He was no longer going to be a mere observer, but an active participant of something great yet beyond his and his friends' understanding.
As the flames roared and the lava surged, Bryan embraced the intensity of the land, allowing its fiery essence to fuel his ambitions.
Yes, he wants to perform feats that would shake the very foundations of the world, be someone that stands above the top and claim a position of unrivalled prominence, and conquer the impossible with his loyal and trusted best friends.
The resonance within him grew stronger, forging an unbreakable bond between his spirit and the blazing realm which was now his mindscape.
*Inhale*
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fist tightly, with the weight of his new-found aspiration.
*Exhale*
As he exhaled, releasing the tension, a brief smile graced his lips, radiating with a mixture of confidence and anticipation. The fire in his eyes mirrored the blazing landscape surrounding him, a testament to the passion burning within his soul.
Surveying his surroundings, Bryan's gaze shifted upwards, witnessing his soul manifestation transform once more. The figure, now restored to its original towering size, hovered majestically above the land of fire.
"I don't think there's anything left for me, so it's time I go back." Bryan closed his eyes and imagined that he was back in the cultivation room.
Feeling a slight shift, he opened his eyes and found himself back in the cultivation room.
Immediately, he requested the system to display his current status.
[Ding]
[Name: Bryan
Age: 17
Race: Human
Title: None
Cultivation Realm: Natal Realm (Apex Points - 23)
Energy Points: 112/2600
Bloodline: None
Physique: Divine Infernal Physique
Element Affinities: None
Passive Skills: All-Fire Resistance (1st Level), All-Fire Boost (1st Level), Divine Infernal Veins, All-Fire Laws (Locked)
Skills: Gaze of Bane (1st Stage), Phantasmal Fists, Infernal Rage]
-Meanwhile far, far away in the vastitude of space-
Hovering in the void, a planet veiled in an ethereal tapestry of vibrant hues suspended in the darkness. Its spherical form enveloped by a thin, delicate layer of atmosphere and dominated by majestic water bodies.
*Crack*
A cracked-web appeared in the blank space, and as if someone had ripped through the cosmic fabric, a figure emerged from the crack.
Pale-skinned and adorned with an air of indifference, the figure was a man who possessed eyes as dark as the deepest abyss.
With an otherworldly presence, he hovered before the blue-green jewel like planet.
His black eyes, devoid of warmth, lingered on the planet. His lips curled into a sinister grin as his gaze was not of wonder or admiration, but one of calculated darkness.
"Beautiful…"