"W-what... seventy years?"
Hrwateek whispered, his voice a stunned mixture of awe and disbelief.
His gaze sharpened, narrowing as the weight of the sacrifice settled over him.
Horror flickered in his eyes as he tried to fully grasp what Zuxe had given up.
It wasn't just the loss of time that left him shaken, seventy years barely meant anything to an exorcist.
In their world, even an average exorcist could live for thousands of years, shrugging off decades as if they were nothing.
And Zuxe wasn't just any exorcist; he was an heir to one of the most powerful clans, born with abilities and lifespans that eclipsed even the best of his kind.
For him, seventy years would have been the blink of an eye, a mere breath.
He could live tens of thousands of years without facing any kind of difficulty.
What shocked Hrwateek was the sacrifice itself.
What truly shocked him was the very idea of sacrifice.
Hrwateek had never considered that anyone, regardless of their status or power, could willingly give up something like lide or in broader term time.
The notion that the book would activate at such a cost was a revelation, challenging everything he thought he understood about strength and ambition.
[External interference detected!]
A warning notification blared in Zuxe's mind as he prepared to sacrifice seventy years of his life.
The moment hung heavy, a tension thick enough to cut through.
Initially, he hesitated at the thought of giving up so much time.
Seventy years represented a significant portion of his existence, especially given his current state.
With the amount of soul essence he possessed and its potential for growth, he realized he might not even survive five hundred years.
To him, seventy years felt like a gaping chasm opening up in his future, a staggering loss that would echo through the rest of his life.
But he knew that sacrificing any less wasn't an option.
To initiate the Pact minimum of seventy years needed to be sacrifised, a threshold that loomed like a shadow over him.
[Would the host like to proceed?]
Zuxe took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision press down on him. 'Yes...' he murmured to himself, the word barely escaping his lips before another notification flickered to life in his mind.
This time, the message carried a different tone, igniting a flicker of curiosity amidst the dread.
But this time, it wasn't just his system alerting him;
a new, unfamiliar screen materialized in his mind, and the urgency of the moment intensified.
_ _ _ _
Sacrificial amount: 70 years
Calculating the amount of time for which the Power is given...
Power will be granted for two seconds...
[Would you like to proceed?]
_ _ _ _
"Yes," Zuxe murmured under his breath, his heart pounding as he braced himself for what was to come.
_ _ _ _
[Become 'Omnipotent'—but only in physical aspects for 0.35 seconds.]
.
[Become 'Omniscient'—but only in emotional understanding for 0.35 seconds.]
_ _ _ _
Zuxe's eyes widened momentarily, a mix of surprise and anticipation coursing through him.
Although he had expected the notifications, the implications of each option left him momentarily speechless.
The weight of his choice hung heavy in the air, pressing down on him as he wrestled with the significance of each potential power.
He pondered for what felt like several minutes, the possibilities swirling in his mind.
Which one should I choose? Both options seemed equally powerful, yet fundamentally different in their applications.
'I think I'll go with 'Omnipotent.' In the game, I chose 'Omniscient,' but it didn't prove to be that beneficial. Yeah, let's give this a try,'
he thought, his resolve hardening as he focused on the first choice.
With his heart racing in anticipation, Zuxe felt the thrill of the unknown and the weight of his sacrifice intertwine, propelling him toward a decision.
['Omnipotent' Selected]
[Proceed?]
.
•••
.
---
Clang.
In a serene courtyard, the rising sun cast a warm glow on the training grounds, illuminating a young swordsman as he practiced his strikes against a metallic dummy.
He was drenched in sweat, muscles straining under the effort, his brow furrowed in concentration.
The rhythmic clashing of his sword against the dummy filled the air, blending with the gentle rustle of leaves in the light breeze.
He looked just like Zuxe-Purple hair and eyes.
With each swing, he felt a growing connection to the sunlight bathing him, an energy pulsing just beneath the surface of his skin.
He aimed for precision, focusing on each movement as he cut through the air.
His strikes were powerful, but a quiet frustration brewed within him; he sought to break through his limitations, to reach something beyond mere technique.
"Just one more," he muttered to himself, channeling his Soul essence into his blade.
As he prepared for another swing, he closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing the perfect cut.
It was then that he felt it, a surge of warmth and power, stronger than before, coursing through him.
It felt as if the very essence of the sun had poured into his being, igniting something deep within.
"Here goes nothing!" he yelled, swinging his sword down with all his might, not realizing the energy building in his blade.
As the sword connected with the dummy, he inadvertently released the pent-up energy in a single, devastating arc.
The result was instantaneous and cataclysmic.
A brilliant flash of light erupted from the point of contact, enveloping the courtyard in an intense radiance that blotted out the sun for a heartbeat.
The wave of energy shot forth like a razor-thin beam, slicing through the dummy with terrifying ease.
Metal shards exploded outward in every direction, some embedding into the ground, while others fell like rain around him.
The building which stood tall in front of him collapsed, turning into ashes within a moment.
The force of the attack created a shockwave that knocked him off balance, sending him stumbling backward.
He landed hard on the ground, eyes wide with shock as he took in the destruction left in the wake of his swing.
The air shimmered with residual energy, and a heavy silence settled over the courtyard, broken only by the faint crackle of residual heat.
He sat up, breathing heavily, trying to comprehend what had just happened.