Rey was contemplating how to eliminate Jacob when the sound of his approach grew increasingly loud.
Hiding, he peeked in the direction of the noise and saw Jacob frantically searching, his eyes as red as tomatoes.
Rey knew Jacob must have discovered the bodies of his henchmen he had slain, and his mind was consumed with the desire for vengeance.
"Where are you, bastard?" Jacob bellowed. Rey thought only a madman would respond, but time was running out as Jacob would soon be upon him.
'I need to think, or I'm as good as dead,' Rey thought, growing more tense as no plan to defeat the armored giant before him came to mind.
Then, an idea sparked.
His spirits lifted as he recalled a certain tactic. With this, his chances of success increased by fifty percent.
He retrieved the orb containing Aiden and gripped it tightly, channeling the mana within his body. He persisted despite difficulties in directing the flow.
He realized that the common beliefs about mana circulation were flawed; unlike manga or anime characters who master mana quickly, he, having acquired it only a week prior, still struggled with control, the mana refusing to flow as directed.
His control over it was building up slowly but he knew that he didn't have time for this.
He tried it again and again until he was able to did this but it was already late as Jacob was coming near minute by minute.
His mana was already half as he can feel that something was missing in him and he felt very tired mentaly.
But he still presist and use the ability of Aiden of which can be very helpful right now.
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Telekinesis (God rank) [current- rank0]: - Allow the host to obtain the skill Telekinesis which can be limited only by imagination. [Increase with Rank] Limit: 5kg {Weight limit increase with Level.}
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Utilizing a skill that was still somewhat uncontrollable, he managed to levitate a small stone before him. With a bit more concentration, his control over it improved slightly.
Glancing back to ascertain Jacob's location, he was startled to find him only ten to twenty meters away, still searching. The fury on Jacob's face made it clear to Rey that if he were found, his demise was certain.
Setting his fear aside, Rey manipulated the small stone, directing it away from himself. Once it reached about thirty meters, he began to lose his connection to it, causing him to halt its movement. Then, with all his might, he hurled it towards Jacob from that distance.
Jacob, advancing in Rey's direction, stopped abruptly as he sensed an object hurtling towards him at high velocity. He donned his armor in haste and scanned the area for the incoming threat, only to discover a trivial rock.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Jacob shattered the rock. A wild smile spread across his face as he began to move towards the source of the rock, unaware that it was merely a ruse and that Rey was actually in a different location.
Rey, barely suppressing a smile as his plan succeeded, took deep breaths to recover from the mental exertion of controlling the stone, which had caused him a throbbing pain in his head.
He attempted to wield his dagger telekinetically, but his efforts were in vain as his mind was still fatigued from using the skill.
'It's true what they say: our body's true potential reveals itself only in the face of grave danger,' he mused, chuckling softly to himself.
He looked back and found that Jacob was finding him in that direction which he used to throw the rock.
Taking a few more breaths, he summoned his ability once again. With sufficient concentration, he managed to lift the small object, which he perceived as some large, peculiar machine.
He maneuvered it, floating it in the opposite direction and cast it away. As the sound reached Jacob's ears, he rushed to the location and began to wreak havoc, yet Rey remained undiscovered.
Meanwhile, Rey, who was seated at a distance, finally resolved to take some unusual steps.
He had contemplated this action many times before and had now decided to proceed and prepare himself for it.
He opened the container holding Aiden's body and removed it to carry out the decision he had resolved upon.
"Let's do this," he thought, pressing the object against his forehead.
The crystal-like object penetrated his mind, and with a slight pain, it disappeared, and he received the notification he had longed to hear.
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...
Meanwhile,
Aiden was conversing with his friends when he sensed the connection he had been blocking with Rey—meant to seal off his ability use—was unexpectedly reestablishing itself, which startled him. Upon checking, he discovered that the system had somehow altered his realm and created a hidden condition to assist his host.
He wished to halt this process, but his previous energy loss had left him too lethargic to act, weakening his powers.
"Looks like it's your lucky day, kid. Otherwise, you would have faced pain worse than death today, which you previously endured with only 20% of it," Aiden remarked, deciding to set it aside as his mind realm autonomously worked, creating unique variations to push the host to his limits. Unbeknownst to Aiden, Rey was currently in grave danger.
...
Rey, glancing at his status screen, almost shouted in joy but stopped himself midway, turning to see if Jacob had heard him, which he hadn't.
He gazed at the pendant that was supposed to contain Victor's body, and with a heavy heart, he crushed it in his hand, extracting a red crystal marble that glowed even in the dark.
Without hesitation, he placed it on his tongue and shut his mouth, bracing for the pain that never came. The crystal marble dissolved on his tongue, spreading a cool sensation throughout his body. He was astonished, recalling Aiden's words when they had all bonded. He expected immense pain, yet now he felt nothing, leading him to suspect a scam, but a notification clarified everything.
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He was still puzzled as to why he felt no pain, unaware that the previous pain was a protective mechanism of the imaginary world, designed to prevent the use of the relics' abilities. However, the System had shattered it during the first resistance.
'Now I am prepared for round two. Wait, that trick might just work here. I'll have to sustain some damage, but it could lead to victory.' With this thought, he braced himself for the final battle against Jacob.