After what seemed like a long time, Number 069 awoke, his eyes slowly coming to focus on the glowing orbs floating above him. He was lying on the stone-cold surface of the seemingly magical cave, proving that everything he had experienced hadn't been a dream. He had definitely met the mysterious entity that promised him an opportunity to change his destiny.
"I wonder where the mysterious entity went!" Number 069 wondered as he slowly pushed himself off the ground. But just then, he realized that there was something different about his body.
The scars he had accumulated over years of mining had all disappeared, and his skin had grown smoother. His chest muscles, biceps, and abs had all become well-defined, and his height had also increased. As for signs of him ever being a slave, they had all disappeared, and not even the slave mark that had been present on his chest remained. He looked like one of those exalted nobles who had grown up taking great care of themselves without ever suffering hardship.
"This is great. Now, no one can tell that I was formerly a slave."
A sharp glint passed flashed through Number 069's eyes. He suddenly tightened his biceps and threw a punch toward the empty air.
"Whoosh..."
What happened next surprised Number 069. He realized that his punch was filled with power, and it even generated a strong gust as it moved forward. If the force behind such a punch landed on a person, even a grown man would surely be blasted to death.
"This means that the mysterious entity didn't lie to me. The entity really did give me a chance to turn my fate around."
Number 069 already understood that his body had transformed beyond measure. His legs were bursting with power, and he felt he could move so fast if he exerted a slight effort. Then, there were also his thoughts and memory, which seemed to have received a miraculous boost, and he could recall his childhood memories in much more vivid detail. His mind and body had obviously received a comprehensive upgrade from the mysterious entity.
"With this transformation, I can probably take on those awakened warriors and rangers from the army and mercenary guild," Number 069 thought. "Maybe, I can also try to find out what happened to my parents seven years ago."
Number 069 clenched and unclenched his fists as a chill spread out from his entire being. He recalled how his mom had sat alone in grief after his father disappeared mysteriously. He also remembered how the creepy men had arrived at his home seven years ago and hurt his mother. Everything concerning the incident was still a mystery, but he vowed not to rest until he unraveled the enigma.
"Phew!"
Taking a deep breath, Number 069 swept his gaze across the entire place. There was no trace of the mysterious entity, and everything in the cave seemed the same as he remembered. However, as he continued looking around, Number 069 soon recognized that the items on the table had changed.
The brass ring with intricate patterns adorning its surface was still in the same position on the table, but the old diary and the shiny silver ball had disappeared. In the place of the missing items were a few books and two folded golden scrolls that glowed under the magical lights in the cave.
"Could these have been left for me by the mysterious entity?"
Number 069's curiosity was piqued, and he was about to step forward to pick up the scrolls. But just then, one of the scrolls released an intense glow and suddenly floated up from the table. It then stayed in the air for just a split second before flashing forward and disappearing in the space between his eyebrows.
"What the hell is going on?"
Number 069 suppressed a shiver as he felt a lot of information flowing into his mind. But just as he was in the midst of trying to make sense of what was happening, his sight blurred, and he found himself in a mysterious space.
It was the same bizarre space he remembered, with golden scrolls floating around. And unsurprisingly, the mysterious entity with glowing purple eyes was floating before him.
"Are you satisfied with the opportunity I gave you?" The mysterious entity asked.
"Yes, your eminence. Thank you for giving me the opportunity." Number 069 answered while fighting hard to suppress the bolt of panic that had hit him. He couldn't get used to those bottomless purple eyes that seemed to see through his soul.
"There's no need for you to thank me," the mysterious entity said lightly. "I was only meeting my end of the deal, but soon, it will be time for you to complete your end. Your name is Tyrak Morningstar! Right?"
"Yes, your eminence. Tyrak Morningstar is my humble name." Number 069 was not surprised that the mysterious entity knew his name. The mysterious entity was definitely powerful, with abilities that Number 069 couldn't begin to fathom. He believed it was natural for such a powerful being to investigate all his details and history if the need arose.
"Your eminence!" Number 069 said. "What was with the golden scrolls on the table? One of them just floated up from the table and disappeared into my head!"
The eyes of the mysterious entity shone. "Those scrolls, my dear child, are part of the fate-changing opportunity I just offered you. The scroll that disappeared into the space between your eyebrows has just transmitted information about a body and soul-tempering art into your mind. It's called the Berserk God Ascension technique — and just by training in it, you'll push your body and soul to unbelievable levels. Not even those weak-ass legends from your world will be your match after you're successful in the technique."
"It's that powerful!" Tyrak Morningstar star's eyes shone with excitement. He quickly focused his senses and then noticed that a lot of new knowledge had already appeared in his mind. He could recall the detailed knowledge vividly, and it allowed him to comprehend how to improve his abilities step-by-step to the rank of a legend powerhouse. The knowledge was definitely from the Berserk God Ascension technique that the mysterious entity had talked about.
"Sweet!"
Tyrak's hopes soared after perusing through the details of the technique. More power meant he would be closer to finding the truth surrounding his parents. He only had to train in the Berserk God Ascension art, and eventually, he would become powerful enough to take on the enemies, no matter how powerful they were.
"What about the other scroll on the table?" Tyrak asked the mysterious entity. "Is it another technique?"
"You're one greedy fellow." The mysterious entity chuckled. "But I have to disappoint you, young man. The other scroll is a magical artifact that can teleport you to a random destination within a ten-mile radius when you do activate it. The password to activate the scroll is I am an Idiot, and it can only be used thrice. So, only use it when you are in a precarious situation that presents you with no other options to save yourself. I have also left a spatial ring and a few books on the table. Drop your blood on the ring for it to recognize you. You can then figure out how it works on your own."
"Thank you, your eminence," Tyrak said, feeling even more appreciation for the mysterious entity. As promised, it had given him an opportunity to turn his fate around. He could finally see the light at the end of the dark tunnel.
"As I said, there's no need for thanks," the mysterious entity said solemnly. "This was just a transaction, and you'll have to meet your end of the deal. You must go to that ruin and pick up that statue for me. If you fail, we won't remain friends. Is that clear?"
"Your eminence, I understand," Tyrak replied. "But how will I know that the ruin has appeared? And how do I find it after it appears?"
"Don't worry about all that," the entity said with a chuckle. "You'll definitely know when the mysterious ruin appears in your world. Just be prepared to enter it."
"Okay, I will be ready," Tyrak promised. He assumed that the mysterious entity would find a way to alert him when the mysterious ruin appeared.
"Now that we have completed everything," the mysterious entity said, "It's time for you to leave. Just crash one of the glowing orbs in the cave, and it will teleport you to the surface. Don't forget to take the ring and books on the table, but don't touch anything else in the cave. Okay, that is all. You can now leave. I'll be waiting for the statue from the ruin. Don't disappoint me."
With that said, the mysterious entity waved its hand, causing Tyrak's sight to blur for just a moment. Before he could ask anything else, he found himself back in the magical cave with the glowing orbs floating above and around him.
"That was exhausting!"
For some reason, the gaze of the mysterious entity had made him uncomfortable. Sure, the entity had given him an opportunity that could change his fate, but he still couldn't shake that uneasy feeling deep within his heart. He felt drained, and no matter how magical the cave seemed, Tyrak wanted to leave as soon as possible.
He didn't dare dilly-dally and followed the instructions of the entity. First, he picked up the ring and dropped some of his blood on it, and voila, something mysterious happened.
The ring quickly absorbed the blood as the intricate patterns on its surface shone with a red luster. Then suddenly, the ring formed a bizarre connection with Tyrak, allowing him to understand some of its mysteries.
It was a spatial artifact with a spacious pocket dimension inside it, and with just a mere thought, an owner would store items inside it and retrieve them at will. Tyrak could even 'see' the objects stored within the interior space of the ring just by thinking about it.
"This is truly amazing!"
Tyrak could hardly believe it when he comprehended the usage of the ring. It was something he could have never imagined before he met the mysterious entity. So, to test it out, he pushed it onto his left finger and pointed it at the stack of books on the table. He then gave the mental command to store the books, and what happened next overturned his understanding of the very essence of the world.
Without even making the slightest noise, all the books disappeared from the table before appearing within the space within the ring. But surprisingly, the weight of the ring on his finger didn't increase.
Tyrak was even more excited, and his eyes shone as he glanced at the golden scroll on the table. He also stored it in the ring's pocket dimension before turning his gaze to the other items in the magical cave.
But right then, he recalled how the mysterious entity had warned him not to touch the other items within the cave. His body shuddered involuntarily, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.
"I should leave immediately."
Tyrak suppressed his greed and walked to the nearest glowing orb. It felt warm to the touch when he wrapped his hands around it. He crashed it immediately, and it let out a bright luminous glow as it teleported him out of the cave. He was finally heading back to the surface of the world.