I opened my eyes, and for a moment, I couldn't make sense of anything. Everything was... wrong. The sky, thick with ash, hung like some suffocating shroud, covering out the sun, turning the world into a lifeless, gray wasteland.
I wasn't alone here either, all around me thousands of soldiers, dressed in similar armor pieces were marching forward with spears in their hands.
Watching this scene, I tried to take a breath, but the air was thick and heavy with the stench of blood and smoke. My chest tightened. For some reason, fear and rage were gripping my heart. I wanted to run away, get away from here, and at the same time, I wanted to fight.
BOOOOM!!!
An explosion in the distance caused my body to flinch. I tried to turn around to check what it was only to realize I couldn't. My body felt stuck for some reason. As if not in my control.
Come to think of it, all this time I had been moving on my own. Was this it? The Bloodline Resonance Art? Was this a memory of my ancestor?
It was so hard to believe. All of this seemed so real. It was like watching a movie, except infinitely more detailed.
From the sweating on my brows to the beating of my heart. From the rage burning my insides to the fear and apprehension clouding my judgment, I could feel everything.
BOOOOOM!!!
BOOOOOM!!!
BOOOOOM!!!
Another series of explosion resonated in the air, only this was ahead of me. In front of my eyes I saw thousands of meteorites falling on the earth's surface reducing everything to dust.
"It's like the sky itself is falling." A voice coming from my side caught me offguard. My body turned to its side, seeing a young man, dressed in iron armor looking at the sky with quivering lips.
"It looks like the end of the world."
This time, it was me who spoke, turning back to look at the falling stars.
ROAAAAR!!!
Suddenly, a strange chill passed through my soul, causing my body and almost all the soldiers to simultaneously look up in the air.
In front of thousands of eyes, a small crack appeared in the sky, expanding outward, slowly tearing our reality apart.
Seeing the tear, my lips suddenly went dry, and my heart began beating into overdrive. Seems like I wasn't the only one. Every single soldier around me was going through the same thing.
I tightly clutched the spear in my hand and narrowed my eyes, waiting.
I didn't have to wait too long.
CHARGE!!!
A scream from ahead broke the tense silence. At once, every single soldier standing on the battlefield began charging, screaming.
FOR ZENITH!
FOR ZENITH!
…
…
…
It happened too fast. I was running, tightly clutching my spear, fully prepared to fight the enemy. When suddenly, a boulder, the size of the mountain, came crashing down on our formation.
Hundreds died instantly, and my brothers and sisters, whom I had fought countless battles with, lay dead beside me. Their bodies turned into mush.
As for me, I lay close by. I had been lucky enough to dodge the barreling mountain, yet unlucky enough to protect myself from the flying debris after the crash.
The loose pieces of stones had acted like feet-long sharpnels, piercing through my lower body.
Hence, I waited, bleeding out, waiting for death. The battle was still going strong around me, but I couldn't care less. All that remained in my heart was sorrow and longing.
My vision was starting to go dim. Giving a last look to the falling sky, I closed my eyes and let death embrace me in her arms.
---
My eyes shot open in panic as I saw the sky being replaced by a somewhat familiar ceiling.
I was back in my crib, as the normal me, the baby me.
What in the void? I cursed, carefully inspecting my body. Even though my entire body had been drenched in sweat, and my heartbeat was off the chart, I was otherwise fine. My lower body was still there, completely safe.
It is safe; my legs are still here. They are fine; I am still alive.
I was no longer dying on that battlefield. No, that was just a memory. A scary memory, but a memory nonetheless.
Out of the window, the first rays of the sun gently touched me on my face. It was already morning. But my mind was already preoccupied with what I had seen.
The memory of death had been vivid after all. Even though it had only been a memory, I had still felt the pain, my consciousness slipping out. I had felt it all. At the same time, thousands of questions began to emerge in my mind.
What time did that memory belong to? What was that battlefield? Why was the sky falling? Was this how it was going to be every time I used that technique? What was the deal with the Geaveyard? Did it even work?
I quickly checked my status window.
---
Name- Orion
Age- 1 month three days
Race- Human/???
Bloodline- ???
Bloodline Density- (1.6%) -> 1.9% (Low)
Bloodline Abilities- (Locked)
Cultivation- (None)
Battle Arts- (None)
Spells- (None)
Mana Manipulation- Lvl-1 (3/100)
Owned- Bloodline Resonance Art (Recommended time until next use- 5 months nine days)
===
CREDITS- 8,530
SHOP
Realm's Location- ???
Time Until First Contact-10 years eight months
---
It had worked, although I had barely gotten some points in both bloodline density and mana manipulation.
Still, the fact that I had to wait almost five months to use that technique again was incredulous. Why was it telling me to wait?
An answer soon appeared in my head from the technique's information in my head.
"In case the user's soul is far too weak, it is advised that the user wait until it recovers. Refer to the system to measure the exact time period. Do not fret though; a person's soul naturally grows stronger as they age and cultivate."
That was it; I was only a month old. No wonder my soul was too weak to handle that technique. Especially considering how damaging it had actually been.