To reach the place where the fight is at maximum speed, it'll take at least 15 minutes since I lack the natural ability to fly. This deficiency stems from my inability to harness Essence, an evolved form of mana.
In the universe of Z-Gene, individuals must evolve and ascend to adapt to the presence of Aether in the atmosphere. Aether permeates all life in the galaxy, although certain small regions devoid of Aether are termed "Deadzones".
However, across the rest of the galaxy, Aether plays a pivotal role in sustaining life, enhancing longevity with each rank increase. Evolving your mana brings about a significant surge in life force, which indicates a crucial milestone in their journey ascending the Ranks.
In Z-Gene, the hierarchy of Aether cultivation ranks progresses from low to high as follows:
• Alloy Knight
• Bronze Knight
• Steel Knight
• Silver Knight
• Gold Knight
• Mythril Knight
• Heroic Knight
• Epic Knight
• Legendary Knight
• Mythic Knight
Each rank is further subdivided into three tiers: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Currently positioned at the Steel Knight beginner rank, I'm a bit of ways away from advancing to the next "realm." Upon reaching the status of a Silver Knight, my mana will undergo a transformation and evolve into Essence.
This transformation will empower me to gain the ability to intricately manipulate the Aether within my body, enabling me to command its forces to propel me upward or in any direction I desire.
Hence, the need for me to rely on this armor in order to fly. Knowing my time is limited, especially with my impending battle with a literal Mythril Knight, I would need to strategically plan out the entire battle.
First, I'll need to check over my soul talent. This would give me a massive advantage in-battle. So, I open up my system panel and mentally click on my soul talent.
—
[Soul Talent: Voidfire Sovereign
Description: The Voidfire Force is a formidable and enigmatic force within the Z-Gene universe, emerging from unknown cosmic events. Throughout the ages, there has only been three Sovereigns of the Voidfire. The Sovereigns' awe-inspiring offensive abilities shape the history and trajectory of worlds, transcending traditional boundaries. Each Sovereign's abilities are unique and alone. Known for judicious use of power, they blur the line between hero and god-like being, leaving a legacy of fear and respect among those who encounter them.
Appearance: Upon inspection, the Host's soul now appears as a black, humanoid lion with fur shifting between deep shades of black and flickers of purple flames. Its mane is a ever-shifting blend of dark purple and blue, and its eyes burn with a violet fire like plasma, exuding ancient power and unforetold knowledge.
Mystical Abilities:
• Voidfire Lance: The Host can project concentrated spears of voidfire energy from their body, which can pierce through any material and cause immense destruction. The lances travel with unerring precision and speed, making them extremely difficult to dodge in mid-long ranged combat.
*Consumes 1% of soul power per lance*
• Phantom Impact: The Host can deliver invisible punches to enemies within their range. These punches strike with great force and bypasses any defense, causing internal damage without any external signs or movements from the user. The Host can target multiple enemies simultaneously, making it hard for them to detect or predict the attacks.
*Unlimited usages*
• Mind of the Sovereign: This soul talent greatly enhances the Host's mind and brain functions. This grants them exceptional perception, strategic insight, and reaction speed. They can process information rapidly and predict enemy movements with high accuracy.
(Passive no matter the soul's conditions.)
Unique Ability:
• Omega Voidfire Beams: The Host can unleash twin beams of concentrated voidfire from their eyes, capable of tracking targets indefinitely until they hit. The beams can redirect their angular movement in any direction their target goes and able to phase through anything in their path or leaves a trail of destruction. Once locked onto a target, evading the beams is nearly impossible.]
*Consumes no soul power*
—
"…"
'You gotta be sh*tting me. THE Voidfire force is a mere soul talent?! Hello? Is this the same thing I'm thinking of?'
At this point, I'm dumbfounded. During the mid to late stages of the novel, the protagonist and his party traveled to a world in a newly discovered Deadzone.
Once in this world, they stumbled upon the remnants of an ancient civilization belonging to an unknown species.
They travelled towards the heart of this world and discovered a colossal structure resembling a pyramid.
The entire party was exhilarated by the revelation of a lost alien civilization. To make a long story short, they entered the structure, discovered inscriptions on the walls, witnessed a member accidentally injuring himself, which resulted in the ground illuminating where his blood touched, and unleashed an unknown force.
This side character, initially the weakest among them, unexpectedly became the second strongest, evenly matching the protagonist in power, after being imbued with this newfound power.
Subsequently, it was unveiled that the power he had acquired served as the counterpart or missing piece required for the Demon Lord to achieve complete breakthrough. That side character said the power he had was called the Voidfire force.
The Demon Lord eventually kills that guy and absorbs the remaining Voidfire Force within him.
The thing with that character though was that his control over Voidfire was very limited. He gained some space-type and fire-type abilities. That's about it.
With me however, from the knowledge implanted in my head, I could freely access the force if needed. I could never run out of Voidfire.
'Now that I think about it, the book only stated that the power he'd acquired is called the Voidfire force. However, my soul talent is actually the Voidfire Sovereign. This means that I rule over the Voidfire force? I don't know but I'll definitely find out. '
I was steadily inching closer and closer to the battlefield where my father is currently fighting.
With a bit more time, I also read over the other signature abilities my soul talent was equipped with.
These abilities were astronomically useful in a battle with multiple enemies. Taking care of the Clonar would be a piece of cake.
In the book, Terra had difficulty killing a guy who could almost infinitely clone himself. He wasn't powerful per se, but was definitely a nuisance.
Well now, he could decimate hundreds of clones in a second.
As I flew closer to the battleground, the clash of Terre's battle with the head of House Andu came into view. Everything, even the atmosphere became intense.
Their blows made the ground quake and the sky was alight with bursts of energy. Waves of force could be visibly seen in the air after each blow. Every move they made was a blur, the speed nearly impossible to track with the naked eye for lesser ranked beings.
Both of them were battered and bruised, evidence that they were really fighting and it wasn't for training.
Terre, had a deep gash on his arm, blood stained his royal attire. His breath was a bit labored, but his eyes held a fierce determination. Every swing, every strike of punches and kicks were precise and deadly.
The traitor was no less worn. His armor was dented and scorched from the relentless assault. Yet his sneer showed no signs of backing down.
He swung his blade with fury, matching Terre blow for blow. The clash of their swords created shockwaves that rippled through the air, echoing through the battlefield. Large swathes of land was upheaved with every fall of their feet.
Despite the traitor's relentless attacks, Terre had a slight edge. His experience and mastery of combat were evident in every move.
He parried the traitor's strikes with expert precision, countering with powerful blows that pushed his opponent back.
I watched as Terre landed a series of quick jabs, forcing the traitor on the defensive.
However, the head of House Andu wasn't out yet. He unleashed a burst of dark energy, causing Terre to stagger back slightly.
I hovered unnoticed above with Sunder ready in my hand, just observing in case I need to intervene.
The battle raged on, the air thick with tension as Terre and the head of House Andu clashed with relentless fury. I watched from above, my heart was pounding with exhilaration.
As the fight wore on, it became clear that both were reaching their limits. The traitor pressed his advantage, his attacks growing more aggressive with each passing moment with thoughts of sweet success. Terre's movements were slowing rapidly.
Terra noticed that there was tiny amounts of dark energy entering Terre each time they clashed. 'That's what he's doing. I'm sure Terre knows…'
Taking this as his chance, Patriarch Andu delivers a powerful right hook to Terre's chin. This made him slide twenty meters back.
When he comes to a stop, he falls to a knee with ragged breaths.
Patriarch Andu's voice rumbled with the rugged cadence of a country pirate, his words dripping with triumph. "Y'all fancied yerself above me, struttin' like a peacock in heat, thinkin' yer from some grander world. But, I reckon them years of friendship finally payin' off," he sneered, a grin of satisfaction etched across his face.
"As per the Empire's decree, once l've dealt with ya, 'll be layin' claim to yer House's bounty, while yer bloodline gets the boot. An' let me tell ya somethin', that poison was meant for ya, but that blasted son of yers got in the way," he drawled, his accent thick with the salt ot the sea.
Terre, however, exuded the noble aura of a warrior, his words laden with gravitas. "Tonku, this path is not befitting of you. What dark temptations led you to betray not only our kin but the very trust of our worlds?" he questioned, disappointment evident in his tone.
"Never can Zal'Kara and Beatabu find harmony unless a price is paid or Zal'Karan blades tastes the blood of your kin."
Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, Terre's demeanor shifted to one of royal arrogance. His eyes blazed with an intense cerulean blue light, and a fierce energy surrounded him like an aura of a snow storm at night. With a powerful roar, he unleashed his Z-gene power—the Cryo King.
Terre's voice rang out with the prideful arrogance befitting a True Noble within empire as he addressed Tonku once again.
"Prepare yourself, for your demise is imminent. Your blood shall be the catalyst to the rectification of our worlds," he declared, his tone heavy in haughty confidence and unwavering conviction.
"And remember this, betrayer: even in death, you shall serve a greater purpose than be King to a trash world you call a home," he added with a disdainful sneer.
A wave of icy energy erupted from Terre, enveloping the battlefield in a freezing chill. Frost crept across the ground, encasing everything it touched in a layer of ice. Chunks of Earth and dirt are now nothing but ice blocks and powder.
Tonku's movements slowed as the cold sapped his strength which gives Terre the opening he needed to strike.
With a swift and decisive motion, he unleashed a flurry of blows, each one infused with the power of the Cryo King. Wherever his fist landed, freezing cold ice energy would be infused into it.
Tonku struggled to defend himself, but it was of no use. Terre's attacks were relentless, driving the traitor back with each strike. He was already using his awakened Z-Gene to even fight Terre in the first place.
As the battle reached its climax, the traitor realized he was outmatched. With a desperate roar, he attempted to retreat, however, Terre was relentless.
With a final, powerful blow, he impaled him through the chest with a blade of razor sharp ice, ending the battle once and for all.
Tonku wheezed and coughed a mouthful of blood onto the ground. His eyes were still clear as day.
"This… is… not… over," he says as he takes his last breath.
As the dust settled and the sounds of battle faded, I landed beside Terre feeling relieved that he didn't give Tonku the room to use the Demon Crystal.
That was an item that could elevate Tonku's Rank to either a Semi-Heroic Knight or even a full on Heroic Knight.
If that happened, the entire planet would have to mobilize its main force in order to neutralize the demon-transformed Tonku.
"Son, do you recognize true po—" Terre begins but his face distorts into wariness as he sees a blood-red crystal the size of a quarter lying in Tonku's blood.
"What is it, father?" I ask him. He points down to where he's looking. As soon as my eyes land on the crystal, I curse loudly.
"Ishu!!"
"No need to call the empire. This is my kingdom and we shall take care of our own domestic threats," Terre says, still arrogant but dialed down a bit when talking to his son.
Seconds later, a shockwave occurs that pushes both my father and I back by at least 30 meters. This was the first sign of Demonification.