I find myself once more in a state of captivity, akin to being a prisoner or a hostage to the circumstances. It matters not; I am once again confined, not merely within a dungeon, but, to be precise in my terminology, in a different world that lacks its own celestial body, which is most displeasing! The knowledge that slaying the apparent Spider God appears to be my only means of escape does not alleviate my disquiet.
My frustration with this town and its uncertainty is palpable. There is no telling what sort of peril may await me beyond the city walls, and I must rely solely on chance and confidence in my own abilities to extricate myself from this predicament.
I have spent a month meticulously examining the altar, and my initial findings remain unchanged. To sever the connection between the altar and the creature it sustains, I must either damage the source of the domain's power or destroy the entity itself.
The domain's structure is impenetrable, devoid of any vulnerabilities. The mechanisms of its operation remain a mystery, eluding my attempts to comprehend them. I have grasped the essence of the altar's purpose, but its chaotic nature has rendered it mutable, akin to a chameleon adapting to its surroundings. The moment I begin to unravel the intricacies of its operations, it swiftly alters its structure, defying my understanding.
It is not merely the complexity of the altar that frustrates me, but also the sheer magnitude of the power it harnesses through its connection to the domain. Were it not tied to the domain's world shield, I would consider destroying it without hesitation. However, this connection renders such an action impossible.
Upon lifting the veil that had been concealing the altar — the sole most potent source of energy in this realm — the local magical background began to surge with unprecedented vigor. It transpired that the energy emanating from the source had been seeping through the barrier in minuscule quantities. In this context, it would have been prudent to capitalize on the increasing potency of the magical background and augment the number of my duplicates, unafraid of depleting it to zero and thereby denying my spectral constructs the opportunity to replenish their reserves. While the conduit of light undoubtedly holds promise, when an alternative exists that does not preclude the former and allows for their concurrent utilization, it becomes doubly advantageous, does it not?
Now, frankly, I find myself somewhat uneasy and disheartened, surrounded by my own face in the number of thirty thousand, who have donned armour and weapons from the stores and treasuries of Drow. Enough was provided for all. Some fared better, others worse, but even those who fared worse would have been the envy of many master craftsmen and artisans.
With no further options or opportunities to enhance my own chance of success in this perilous endeavour, which I hope is the final quest in this location, I set out for the city's exit, towards the next barrier protecting the city, which also fell victim to the chaos. This barrier was also linked to the city's primary altar, which after the underground city's transformation into a domain during its initial hours of operation, absorbed a significant amount of chaos energy. Simultaneously, the source of magic underwent a transformation, becoming a neutral mana transducer.
I was aware of the original parameters of the citywide barrier from Dordsh's memory, which had undergone some modifications in terms of its purpose and structure.
In the past, this barrier allowed entry and passage only to those who possessed a mark in their auras, placed by a priestess of Llos, the city's goddess. This mark served as both a beacon and a passport, carrying a portion of the Spider Queen's power that allowed her to track the locations of her subjects at all times.
Now, after the altar and source underwent a transformation, shedding their connection to Llos and her influence, recoloring themselves within the neutral spectrum, a new marker of similar configuration and design, created using neutral mana, became necessary for unrestricted entry and exit. As a result, there were no obstacles, and both I and my clones possessed such a mark, enabling us to leave the city without hindrance.
Enough procrastination! It's time to depart.
******
"It is a sight for sore eyes," remarked one of my duplicates, who had been by my side since my awakening and served as my aide-de-camp, factotum, and organizer, reminding me of important details and pulling me back from the scientific frenzy that had often consumed me in this city. How could it be otherwise? There is so much here that is fascinating, and even with the knowledge I gained from the local archmage, I frequently encountered novel and obscure magical solutions in artifacts and enchantments unfamiliar to Dordshu. While I cannot fault him, he is a martial magician rather than an artisan or enchanter.
Indeed, it was a sight to behold, a breathtaking and beautiful view. This was our second year exploring beyond the city, and I was astonished when I realized the enormity of the task before me.
What did I anticipate? The realm would be a solid sphere no larger than a hundred kilometers in diameter, suspended in primordial disorder. However, I was in for quite a surprise!
Relying on Dordsh's memories, I attempted to roughly calculate the boundary beyond which chaos reigned at the moment he attempted to escape from the confines of his own realm, and it was situated approximately one hundred and fifty kilometers away from the altar. Nonetheless, due to the nourishing power source, this realm had expanded by at least tenfold over hundreds of thousands of years. Indeed, I did not misspell that — hundreds of bloody thousands of years!
Time flows differently in this realm, and to align the temporal flow here with my own world, I must access the core of this realm, the source of magical energy in the town square. Consequently, I cannot even estimate the duration of time that has passed in my own world since my departure from here.
And now we find ourselves in a vast cavern, no less grand than the one that houses the city of Stlloshh. It is as if we have entered a chamber within a colossal cluster of gemstones. The nature of the mineral surrounding us is unknown, but its beauty is undeniable. It resembles a disco from the 1980s, with an abundance of vivid and luminous crystals ranging from violet to neon yellow. Every hue of the rainbow, along with its nuances, is present here. Perhaps it appears similar to someone under the influence of LSD. However, I do not have the leisure to engage in prolonged contemplation; my sole objective is to reach this Llos, who has for some reason departed from the city and ascended to the highest point of the world's surface, where they now reside!
During my observations of the altar and its relationship with the spawn of Llos, I discovered that it remained stationary in a state of stillness, and I had to continuously adjust my path towards it, as the direct route to the entity remained elusive. The closest exit from the city, aligned with the direction of the connection, often led me astray. I was forced to traverse a considerable distance either to the nearest branching passage leading in the correct direction, or to revert and navigate through another underground passage, hoping that it would not begin to meander and lead me to an impasse or change course.
You might be wondering why I do not employ illusions, such as small animals or duplicates, for this task. It is far more expedient to dispatch a multitude of my minions in various directions and await the results of their exploration.. Within this realm, there exist entities that are not merely equal to but surpass the might of the draiders. These beings effortlessly vanquished my illusory duplicates, which momentarily possessed the power equivalent to that of a master.
We encountered a multitude of peculiarities during our journey! Among the most formidable and repugnant of all the hostile beings we encountered, albeit the sole ones we encountered, were two species of subterranean fauna.
The first were the mantis-like monstrosities. I was aware of them through Dordsh's accounts, but in his descriptions, they were mere half a metre in length, rare specimens, yet on average, they were roughly the size of a hand or slightly larger. Their bodies resembled crabs, with heads and forelimbs resembling those of mantises. However, these creatures now attained lengths of several metres, and while previously they could blend with the surroundings, they could now also become completely undetectable in the energy spectrum.
As my clones lacked spiritual sight, they proved to be easy prey, rendering them useless to predators, for upon their demise, they simply dissipated into a cloud of energy.. They completely masked any traces of their energy and remained hidden until the prey drew near enough to be within striking distance. Their preferred habitat was the narrow stone passageways, where they would conceal themselves on the ceiling and walls, leaving no indication of their presence. Only I, with my ability to perceive their ethereal essence, could detect their existence.
These creatures lacked a robust spiritual shield, but their physical prowess was remarkable, and their talons possessed a unique quality that rendered any magical defense futile. Only a solid physical barrier could prevent them from sinking their claws into their prey.
For the drow, these creatures had once been a delicacy, having been fried in oil and consumed like seeds. However, they had evolved to become formidable predators capable of devouring even drow and larger prey.
Their stealth was almost absolute, making them a formidable threat to travellers unless one possessed the ability to maintain spiritual sight. Their speed was comparable to that of higher vampires, rendering even illusions ineffective against them. Their bodies were not immune to the swift movements of the mantis-like creatures, which carried an almost primordial chaotic energy within their structures.
If cold iron could nullify magic, charoite dispersed and disrupted orderly structures, negating the power of magic. The background created by the negator of magic consisted of a multitude of different spectra of magical signatures, almost entirely eliminating the possibility of forming magical weaves and structures beyond the confines of one's own body.
After irradiating their race with chaos, these mantis-like creatures' grasping pincers became conceptual penetrators of any magical defense. This rendered my illusions completely defenseless and powerless against them.
Upon encountering an ambush from a member of this underground monstrosity, my clones proceeded as follows, having suffered several dozen failures and witnessed twice the number of illusions destroyed in mantis traps.
My clones imbued with the powers of a master posed no threat to the concealed mantis, remaining invisible to it as long as they did not reveal themselves through active actions. Thus, my magisterial clones embarked on creating conventional dense illusions that advanced and, with their bodies, «mined» underground passages, attracting the attention and aggression of these creatures, who promptly launched themselves at my illusions.
My mage clones were capable of unleashing volleys of projectiles with the swiftness of a machine, executing their attacks silently and without the need for a concentrator.
Another unpleasant member of the local fauna I encountered in this realm were colossal millipedes, frequently exceeding a length of four meters and boasting agility and swiftness comparable to those of praying mantises, coupled with the ability to spew acid. These creatures were utterly devoid of intelligence and instinct for self-preservation.
They would immediately launch an attack, regardless of the enemy's numbers, and as long as they were alive, they would persist in their pursuit of their target, seeking to embed their venomous mandibles into it. Their poison was toxic and corrosive, capable of dissolving organic matter and annihilating anything imbued with mana. Chaos had struck once again!
In the five years that have elapsed since our initial encounter with these ferocious armored millipedes, I have effectively eradicated their presence along my route through their domain. Rather than attempting to conceal themselves or remain in hiding, even their young would rush headlong towards my illusory forms as soon as they entered their range of seismic sensitivity.
They perceive their surroundings and detect potential prey through the vibrations transmitted by the surface upon which their legs rest, possessing a considerable field of vision. These creatures detect my nearly weightless duplicates at a distance exceeding a hundred meters and swiftly converge upon them.
Consequently, encountering a nest of these beings on our path presented an insurmountable obstacle, necessitating their complete eradication. On one occasion, we attempted to bypass them, but their pursuit extended over more than thirty kilometers before we realized that such an approach was futile. Only after destroying all of them could we continue our journey.
But when I began to observe that they were visiting us less and less frequently due to their unwillingness to risk losing such a valuable resource in my future realm, a source of unique substances that could be extracted from these centipedes, I captured a couple of hundred of these small creatures, no larger than a human hand, for my future producers of this fascinating and useful acid-poison, which in some respects proved even more effective than my own creation. It destroyed enchanted structures more swiftly and served as an excellent barrier to life energy, even surpassing the capabilities of my own Dracula's gift for sensing life. I was eager to rush to the laboratory and commence my research, but I needed to suppress my imagination and focus on moving forward. Now was not the time for idle reveries!
In addition to the two monstrous entities we encountered, we also encountered a variety of arachnid-like creatures along the way, albeit significantly less threatening than the mantises and centipedes, which was peculiar. In this realm, there exists a deity-level entity, the daughter of Llos herself, and it is expected that spiders should reign supreme in this world. However, such is the reality. The spiders were proving to be no match for the mantises and centipedes.
Alas, it would have been simpler to forge a direct path towards our destination and traverse the terrain unimpeded. Unfortunately, this was not a viable option. Upon entering the domain, which had evolved due to the influence of the power source within the town square, we discovered that the newly formed land and rock formations were rich in a plethora of valuable minerals and ores. These natural energy emanations obstructed my vision, preventing me from penetrating beyond their depths.
This is one of the reasons why I was compelled to abandon such an enticing notion and seek an alternative route through the pre-existing natural pathways in this realm. It would be most unfortunate and potentially fatal if I were to emerge from a self-constructed passage directly in front of my objective, which awaits me with the outstretched arms of its multiple appendages. Moreover, the true dimensions of this realm remain unknown to me, rendering it impossible to predict how the world barrier may react in such a scenario. Therefore, I must proceed with caution, ensuring that my magical drill does not become entangled in the protective barrier.
A stable ecosystem had been established in this newly created world, dominated by insects, fungi, and lichens. The fauna, small and not dangerous to me, subsisted on fungi, lichens, and a few plant species that did not require sunlight for growth and were not afraid of eating each other.
All species in this ecosystem were at least omnivorous, with ninety percent of all creatures being carnivorous predators. There were even predatory fungi with flexible flagella that shot out, their tips armed with poisonous, hook-shaped spikes. After striking their prey, the fungi pulled the victim's body into themselves, covering it, digesting it, and consuming it.
As I began to sense, both with my skin and my entire being, the rejection of energy emanating further down the corridor, I felt a serpentine fury rise from the depths of my being towards my eternal adversary.
My clones also comprehended the situation, sensing the proximity of a potent source of unnatural energy.
Having finally reached the locus of Llos's presence, I was certain that it lay close at hand. Yet, there was a peculiar aspect to the demonic force emanating from this location, one that seemed both unfamiliar and familiar. The energy emitted by the demon god was palpable, leaving no doubt that the offspring of Llos, having never become its vessel, had ascended to divine status.
The air was saturated with the cloying essence of the divine arachnid, akin to my face being entangled in a spider's web in the depths of darkness, with each step forward leaving an indelible impression.
After traversing a distance of approximately one hundred meters, the corridor brought me and my apparitions to a cavern, the dimensions of which defied estimation due to the impenetrable obscurity and the oppressive, viscous presence of what I fervently hoped would be my final adversary in this realm.
Since departing the city, I had been continuously shielded by my most potent barriers, their interwoven structures suspended within my aura, awaiting my command to activate, rendering additional preparations unnecessary. Every precaution had been taken.
Donning the maille armor and hauberk once belonging to an elven monarch, my right arm bore the anti-demon chain, encircling me from shoulder to wrist, while my left hand clutched the staff of an archmage.
My primary defenses were now quiescent and retracted, for I sought to conceal my presence as best I could and delay the instant of discovery. However, there was little chance of success, for all around me was imbued with the malevolent energy of the Spider Deity, and my efforts to cloak myself in any manner I knew would likely prove futile.
A deity cannot fail to perceive and detect an extraneous presence in a realm of absolute concentration of its power, yet I still clung to the hope for the best outcome. I did not bring my duplicates with me, for in this cavern and conflict, they were not allies but rather a liability. Their power was insufficient to affect a being of divine rank, and their very existence would betray our presence in an instant, thus I continued to harbor the illusion of remaining undetected.
I was advancing with deliberate slowness, for I could see nothing. The ambient air was thick with a viscous, oppressive aura of darkness, tinged with the sombre hue of the local inhabitants' ba-hyon.
Only my innate affinity for darkness, augmented by the blessings of my Dark Lord status and the presence of Dagon's spawn, the god of the deep sea and its depths, allowed me to discern anything within a few dozen metres of me. Thus, I proceeded with caution, each step a cautious advance into the unknown.
After a half-hour of cautious progress, I finally noticed a curious stalactite to my left, its tip already touching the cavern floor.
As I approached the object within arm's reach, my palms began to sweat, and soon my entire body followed suit. It was not a stalactite after all! It was the tip of a massive spider's leg, but with my vision limited to a mere twenty meters, I could only imagine the size of its owner, whose foot spanned several meters in width. The creature had to be the size of a football field! How was I to combat such a primordial monster, and why did it not yet attempt to devour me?
Was it possible? Could it be? That was what I found so strange and yet familiar about the powers of Llos' offspring. This creature was asleep! The mere presence of a sliver of dream-like energy in this realm perplexed me.
In this dreamlike state, I had to get as close as possible to its body, then deliver a single, fatal blow that would expel its divine essence and imprison it within my staff.
Still not fully believing my good fortune, I hastened forward, trusting that I was heading in the right direction. After another half an hour, I came upon the carcass of a gigantic spider, lying motionless.
For hundreds of millennia, Llos's progeny had grown so accustomed to its own might and supremacy over the local fauna that it had abandoned all caution. Yet, could I truly complain?
As I stood before the creature's corpse, I struggled to decide how to proceed. The ideal course of action would be to strike the brain with my staff, but spiders, like most species, typically possess two brains. To bring the creature down, I needed to target the nerve center of its tissue with the Anubis Path. A concentrated burst of lethal energy would be the most effective method, covering the entire body of the arachnid and depriving it of life.
My animosity towards insects knows no bounds. Unlike humans, even decapitating them does not guarantee instant death.
I cannot touch the creature's body with my aura, for it would instantly expel it from the dream realm. Levitating myself is likewise not an option, as even a slight release of mana would give me away. What am I to do? Thus, as I pondered through various courses of action in my mind, I settled on the most apparent and, in my estimation, the most prudent course of action, one that would minimize the risk of prematurely revealing myself.
Having traversed the length of my swiftly moving prey, I reached its head-thorax, stepped aside a hundred meters, gathered momentum, and, having attained a respectable speed, launched myself off the ground and soared a hundred meters into the air. At that moment, I felt like smashing my head against a tree!
Upon reaching the apex of my trajectory, my leap took me by surprise. I beheld the cave ceiling looming above my head, mere meters away. Had I collided with it, it would not have been a laughing matter — the impact would have caused rocks to cascade down upon me. My adversary would certainly awaken from such a blow, and what awaited me below would not be an unconscious body, vulnerable to my assault, but a gaping maw, eager for a succulent meal to descend upon it unbidden.
All this was processed in a parallel stream of thought, with my main focus entirely on the darkness beneath my feet, into which I was plummeting, attempting to discern the outline of the spider's head-thorax, where I intended to thrust my staff, reaching for the victim's brain.
Upon glimpsing the silhouette of my quarry, I executed a swift arc in the air, delivering a powerful blow with my staff towards the region of the spider's head, precisely below its eyes and closer to its abdomen. Unleashing my telekinetic abilities, I swiftly accelerated the movement of my weapon.
The instant I unleashed my lethal energy, which radiated a lethal aura for miles, the spider abruptly awakened from its slumber. However, it was too late; my staff had already pierced through the creature's chitinous exoskeleton. The game had commenced!
My consciousness, the rational aspect of it, was supplanted. My very essence denied the humane aspect of my identity. I transformed into a basilisk, aiming an arrow at a minuscule aperture left by my staff, which had previously unleashed a spell of Anubis' Path within the spider's body, accompanied by a ghastly, maddening shriek of agonizing pain from the tormented Demonic Spider of divine rank.
The pinnacle of my serpentine essence was simmering with fury and the impulse to devour my adversary! I did not even attempt to suppress or control it. I was now possessed by the supreme spirit and the patron deity of snakes across all the myriad realms and planes of existence.
Then, the spectacle commenced!
I stand here, my basilisk form, crowned with spiky head and horns, striking at the chitinous shell of the enraged spider. The external skeleton of this monstrous creature cannot withstand the power of my blow, augmented by my aura. My attack splits the chitin precisely where my staff has already created a breach, and now, with full force, it transforms the mana of each of its five captives into a lethal energy that flows into the still-active spell of the Path of Anubis. This spell has been active for over two seconds, attempting to sever the bond between the soul and body of the Spider God.
In the next moment, I find myself within my opponent's form, burrowing into his essence like a relentless drill, ready to claim victory.
And then I found myself in a state akin to that of a character in my first mobile game — a snake! There was no need for me to rush anywhere in search of a wholesome and nourishing meal; I began to consume everything around me with voracious abandon. I munched, and I munched! The food was immediately digested within me, transforming into energy that was absorbed by my ethereal shells, yet I had no idea of its destination within them.
I was brimming with energy in each of my shells, having not expended any during the battle, yet my mind could not focus for long as my consciousness began to euphorically exult, preventing me from emerging from my blissful stupor and regaining clarity of thought!
The sensation was exquisite! It was an extraordinary state, simultaneously divine and malevolent, yet I did not consider halting, or rather, it was not my animalistic essence, responsible for my serpentine nature, that compelled me to continue. It disregarded my intellectual predicament, acting according to its own perception of what was correct and necessary.
And then there was no place left for me even in the secondary stream of consciousness, and my identity of Svyatozar Zmiev completely shut down, leaving control of my body to my instincts, which were already able to make me an observer of the feast that had begun.
While Svyatozar's consciousness was in a state of unconsciousness, and the serpent within the child of Llos had devoured a third of the divine flesh within the head-thorax of the immense spider, a transformation began to take place within him. The serpent's body also underwent alterations, but the majority of these changes affected his soul and its layers. Svyatozar ascended to the ninth level of consciousness, where he began to form the rudimentary structures of the ninth layer of his soul.
Of course, becoming a powerful High Magician implies a significant increase in strength and quality, as well as the emergence of a ninth layer in one's soul. However, the process of becoming a god is not swift and can span over a thousand years or more. Having already been a god in the form of a spider for millennia, Svyatozar was overflowing with power! For the serpent essence, spider flesh and energy represent the most nourishing and beneficial substance.
And the serpent, now Svyatozar, had no intention of ceasing his feast until every last morsel of the former Spider God's essence, which resided within the staff of the Archimage, had been devoured!
Ahhh! How delightful it is! There is no need for me to go to work, for I can simply lie here and not think of anything.
Cease! What is work, after all? I snapped my eyes open and looked about, ensuring that I was not in any peril. I lay within the basilisk form, nestled within the outer shell of my erstwhile foe, whom I had consumed utterly! Aye.
As my gaze swept across the surroundings, I discerned a remarkable transformation both within my serpentine form and within my very soul.
On the fringes of my consciousness, which is not the mainstream, there was a fleeting regret that I was not susceptible to the subtle charms of this body. My only recourse was to exert brute force, creating a mirror or an illusionary clone through which I could view myself from the outside.
Suddenly, before me appeared a colossal illusory mirror, and I was able to conjure it simply by thinking about it! The sight of this formidable and imposing monster filled me with a profound sense of excitement! It was not merely a visual experience; it resonated deeply within my soul.
I had become a god! My soul had attained its ninth shell, not a stunted sprout that required nurturing and development, but a fully formed shell capable of wielding the bahionem. Unbelievable! I had anticipated acquiring its rudiments over the course of a century, yet here it was, tangible and undeniable.
In terms of magical prowess, I have grown stronger by a factor of four to five after consuming the Spider God, and this pertains solely to the magnitude of my reservoir of magical energy. However, the quality of my power has increased by an order of magnitude or even two.
My mental abilities have also undergone a significant enhancement, and I can now confidently claim the title of Archmage of Mind, with only a slight distance separating me from attaining the status of Supreme Psion.
Furthermore, my second shell has undergone an even more remarkable transformation in terms of its capabilities, allowing me to be described as the Supreme Yogi. Currently, I possess two soul shells that have attained their maximum potential within the current state of existence. While other variations of their evolution might exist, they remain unknown to me at this time.
Additionally, I have achieved the level of Archimage in astral beginning power, making me the Archimage of Astral Magic in addition to my proficiency in Mind Magic.
Now, regarding my appearance, have you ever heard the tale of the encounter between a hedgehog and a serpent? Well, I now bear witness to the aftermath of a successful experiment conducted by chimeraologists.
The anti-demonic amulet, which I wore from the moment I entered the cave with my intended meal, remained with me during my transformation into a basilisk. However, instead of being transferred to my transformed serpentine body as I crossed into subspace, the amulet became intertwined with my serpent form, resulting in a tenfold increase in its spikes. Where once it measured a few centimeters, my serpentine form is now adorned with thousands of spikes crafted from a unique alloy of consecrated silver and blood-soaked iron, each measuring twenty centimeters in length.
Whereas previously I had been a dark but distinctly green colour, my new hue was almost black, with only a closer examination revealing that my scales were a very dark green, rather than black. My crown and horns, which had been grey-green before, had now become completely black and more elegant. My jaw had also widened slightly, resembling more of a snake's jaw than the lizard-like one I had previously possessed.
Regarding the chain, it now served as both my chainmail and weapon, thanks to its spikes, as well as an exoskeleton, allowing me to enhance my physical abilities by fifteen to twenty percent. My silver snake cross, which had moved to my chest, had transformed into a bizarre cross-shaped scale, slightly altered. Its colour had shifted to a lettuce hue, and the nature of its emitted power had changed as well. Whereas it had once been holy energy and light mana, it now felt like my own holiness, albeit similar but not identical, more personal and intimate.
I cannot say with certainty whether it was due to my transformation into a divine being, which granted me a deeper comprehension of the world, or whether my light underwent a more profound change. Nonetheless, I now possess the ability to transform anything into whatever I desire, without the need for elaborate contraptions or intricate mechanisms. A mere thought suffices to accomplish this feat. I can convert it into the pure essence of death with ease, or into absolute darkness, if so desired. Moreover, I can harness any known spectrum of magical energies, including those for which I previously possessed no inherent inclination.
The question arises: is it the inherent nature of light that harbors such possibilities, serving as the progenitor of these mystical elements, or have my own abilities expanded to such an extent that I am now able to manipulate the very fabric of the universe?
Within my astral form, I discovered two faint, timid blossoms of something new, which I initially mistook for wings. Upon closer inspection, I realized that they were indeed the beginnings of wings. This revelation brought forth a sense of astonishment and wonder.
In certain scientific texts, basilisks are referred to as wingless dragons, presumably for a compelling reason.
Despite the fact that my wings were still in the early stages of development and required a significant amount of energy, which was readily replenished by my regenerative soul energy, even the few percentages consumed by the wings represented a small amount of magic masters' reserves per second diverted for their growth and advancement.
Upon emerging from the chitinous shell of Llos' failed progeny, I hastened towards the cave entrance where my duplicates awaited me. My first inquiry was regarding the duration of my absence.
One hundred and forty-seven years, one hundred and three days, and four hours — I was at a loss for words. I wanted to curse! What the hell, canon? What plans and an intriguing spectacle! I might not even encounter human civilization on my way out!
I am uncertain whether I will be able to manipulate the temporal flow of this world, if I can even bring it back to the day I entered it, having successfully synchronized both time streams between the two worlds, making them parallel and progressing at the same rate relative to one another. I am no chronomagist, nor is there a branch of magic science or knowledge in this field in human civilizations. Only feeble steps have been taken in this direction, akin to the sands of time in Persia.
Incidentally, I have only realized that the local source of power is now linked to me. It appears that it switched its connection with me the moment I vanquished the Spider God and consumed his essence.
Alright, I must venture into the city to tend to the altar and source of the universe's energy. I aspire to return home, ideally on the same day that I entered this realm.