"Hmmm…"
"Mist of Depravity. Of course, I'd choose something that doesn't drain my own life force."
[Mist of Depravity chosen]
In the next moment, a beam of red light shot up from the place where the Mist-Born Nixtel had fallen, breaking the sound barrier before it crashed into his right palm, merging with him completely.
He watched his hand, still and calm.
[Successfully Learned Spell: Mist of Depravity]
"Wait—System, don't I need a wand or something to cast this?"
[No wand or mana reserve required. As a Constellation, the spell is now embedded in your right palm. You can draw directly from nature's mana, casting it at will.]
"Hmmm… so now I can cast this whenever I want, no preparation needed." He flexed his fingers, feeling a subtle warmth in his palm as though a dormant energy pulsed beneath his skin.
"Can I test it out?" he asked, glancing around, his curiosity piqued.
[Testing mode initiated. Engage in a demonstration of the Mist of Depravity.]
He took a deep breath, focusing on the energy swirling within him, envisioning the ominous mist.
Almost instinctively, he snapped his fingers. Thick, crimson fog erupted from his palm, rolling outwards and quickly engulfing the nearby terrain.
The air thickened with a heavy, suffocating presence, and the temperature plummeted as the mist spread like a sentient entity.
"Impressive," he murmured, his voice barely audible beneath the oppressive atmosphere.
"But what else can you do?"
[Experimenting with Mist of Depravity will reveal its full potential. Focus on your intent to unleash its power.]
He raised his hand higher, channeling his energy further. The mist thickened and coalesced, solidifying into jagged tendrils that shot forth from his palm, piercing through the ground like grasping hands, leaving behind a trail of blighted soil.
"So, I can even solidify the mist to attack," he remarked
The landscape around him began to warp; trees withered and blackened, their leaves falling like ash as the mist consumed their vitality.
"Now that's more like it!" he laughed.
[Warning: Prolonged use may lead to instability. Emotional responses may amplify the mist's effects.]
"Great, just what I needed," he muttered, shaking his head as he felt an unsettling twinge of pleasure at the destruction. "I guess with great power comes great… whatever this is."
As he slowly deactivated it, the mist instantly dissipated into the air.
_____________________________
[Mission Available]
Objective: A World Has Been Found. Your task is to gather followers and increase your power and influence.
Reward: To Be Determined.
Note: You cannot directly enter that world due to a barrier, but you can send a hollow there.
_____________________________
"New mission?" he thought, hoping it wouldn't be anything too dangerous.
"A hollow…" he murmured, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"System, how does this hollow work?" he asked, hoping for some clarity.
[The hollow is a projection of your will, controlled by you but with limited access to your abilities.]
"Controlled, but limited… interesting."
"But before that, I should create a stronghold for myself on this planet first," he thought, surveying the landscape as the mist dissipated, revealing an unending forest before him.
"System, can you construct a place for me to live?" he requested.
[Initiating construction sequence. Analyzing surroundings and resources. Commencing creation of a stronghold.]
the trees and the flowing stream nearby.
Before his eyes, the ground trembled slightly as massive trunks began to rise, forming the foundation of a grand house. Vines twisted around the structure, crafting walls and pillars, while leaves sprouted overhead to create a natural roof.
The house took shape with astonishing speed. Rooms materialized, windows opened to let in sunlight, and a sturdy door formed at the entrance.
"Now this is more like it," he grinned, stepping into his new home.
He took a moment to absorb his surroundings.
"This is perfect," he murmured, appreciating the peace of the forest.
He walked inside and sat on the wooden throne made of intertwined branches.
"feels good," he muttered, running his hand along the smooth surface of the throne, feeling a sense of belonging.
As he got comfortable, he leaned back and asked, "Alright, System, explain what you were saying about the hollow. How do I make one? And what can you tell me about the world you're sending my hollow into?"
[System will create a hollow for you. It will look identical to you, possessing all of your features, with moderate access to your authority and full access to your spells and abilities.]
"Interesting," he said. "I'll have a perfect replica out there, gathering intel while I stay here. That could come in handy."
[The world on radar is called Elysium. This world is different from other normal planets; it is covered by a protective barrier in the form of a black fog. This fog prevents any beings from outside from entering and beings from inside from exiting.]
"So it's a closed world…" he pondered.
"but why is it like this?"
[Only this much information is available. The rest you will need to discover yourself.]
"But one more thing, System—how do you plan to send my hollow there? Isn't there a barrier?"
[Indeed, there is, but the barrier is not absolute. After analyzing its properties, it appears to rely heavily on size and perceived threat when choosing targets to block.]
"So what's the plan?" he asked, intrigued.
[To bypass this, I'll employ what I call the Goliath Diversion Strategy. Thousands of massive hollows, each between 100 and 200 feet tall, will be sent to the barrier. These hollow projections will appear menacing but lack actual strength. The barrier's defenses will automatically prioritize destroying these larger targets.]
"And while it's busy dealing with them…"
[Exactly. Amid the chaos, I will slip through main hollow. Its unassuming size and harmless appearance will bypass the barrier's primary defenses.
While its focus is on the Goliaths, this smaller hollow should go unnoticed, enabling us to transfer your consciousness inside safely.]
"Like a distraction on a grand scale," he said with a smirk. "It's like a massive DDoS attack on the barrier."
[Correct. This method will consume lot of energy resources, but it ensures we infiltrate Elysium efficiently.]
"Alright, let's get going," he said, nodding.
[Your consciousness will be transferred to the outer space surrounding the world.]
In the next instant, he found himself floating in outer space. His body felt different—translucent and ethereal.
"Is this… my consciousness form?" he muttered, glancing around, until his gaze settled on a planet shrouded in a swirling black fog.
"This… looks kind of eerie," he murmured, watching the planet's dark fog roil like a giant sphere of shadows.
[Get ready.]
He looked out at the vast, empty space ahead as colossal hollows began to materialize.
They appeared by the thousands, each one a towering, mindless giant, and they surged toward the barrier in relentless waves, only to be obliterated instantly.
Every millisecond, a new giant hollow took shape, replacing the fallen ones like clockwork.
"Crazy… if I had an army of this many hollows, then…" he muttered, awestruck.
[These hollows possess no real power—they can't even harm an ant.]
"But still," he thought aloud, "seeing them all like this, it's like an endless storm of shadows."
[Now, observe. I will initiate the critical phase.]
Suddenly, the system generated more than 10,000 hollows in a single moment, a shadowy avalanche of giants all rushing toward the barrier.
Amid this, the system discreetly launched the main hollow—directly toward the planet, carrying his consciousness within it.
[Hold steady. You're about to enter the barrier.]
As the hollow began its descent, a series of seals activated in rapid succession, each one designed to mask his presence and eliminate any trace of potential threats.
[Sealing Aura: Activated. Suppressing all hostile intent, energy fluctuations, and signature trails.]
[Cloak of Concealment: Initiated. Erasing visual traces, making this hollow invisible to all detection.]
The hollow slipped through the barrier and entered the thick black fog surrounding the planet.
[Obfuscation Seal: Engaged. Nullifying gravitational and magical disturbances to prevent any ripple effects.]
[Ethereal Shroud: Active. Mimicking ambient energies to blend seamlessly into the surroundings.]
He closed his eyes, focusing on letting the system work while this hollow, which resembled him in every detail, made its descent. As he floated through the dense fog.
After several seconds, he sensed the fog thinning. He opened his eyes slowly, just as the shadows began to part.
Suddenly—
[Disturbance Detected: Hostile Force Approaching]
An immense force crashed into him, and though it was directed at the hollow, it felt as if the strike had pierced directly into his consciousness.
His vision shattered into fragments, the hollow reeling from the unexpected blow, nearly losing stability.
[...]
Just as he came back to his senses, he muttered, "Shit… If I hadn't used Nullify at the last moment, this hollow body would have been obliterated."
His eyes narrowed at the source of the attack.