Time—an endless yet elusive resource. For Reece, time had always been his one insurmountable flaw. Across countless regressions, no matter how he prepared or how many lives he'd lived, he found himself always lacking enough of it to achieve his full potential.
Unlike most beings, who could develop steadily and predictably, his growth required something far more rare and valuable. The limitations of his human form, even as he evolved toward a Prime existence, had kept him bound to a rigid, prolonged cycle of development.
The rare nature of a Prime made his struggle more understandable. For ordinary beings, those capable of reaching high levels of power were few, but their methods were simple enough—practice, gather resources, grow stronger over time. For Reece, however, evolving into a Prime had placed him on an entirely different path, one that set him apart from not only humans but from all other races in existence. Becoming a Prime was not simply a matter of wielding primal mana; it was a transformation of the very soul. The enigma path of a Prime was known to only a select few, and it's true nature remained cloaked in secrecy.
Most beings assumed that Primes were entities who had somehow mastered primal energy, reaching heights that ordinary beings could only imagine. And while that was partially true, the reality was more complex. To be a Prime went far beyond simply wielding primal mana—it meant that primal mana had become an inseparable part of one's entire being.
A Prime grew with primal mana from the beginning of their journey, shaping their core, their very life force, and every fiber of their existence. For Reece, this had meant forming his mana heart, mana brain, and mana lungs—all through the binding power of primal mana. His body was no longer simply human; it was a construct of primal energy, capable of regenerating and sustaining itself beyond mortal limits.
The process of becoming a Prime varied greatly, as each Prime's development was unique, governed by their race, nature, and even the very core of their soul. Each Prime grew differently, following a path that was entirely their own, with no clear pattern or guide. This diversity made them powerful beyond measure but also isolated them from each other.
A slightly strong mortal Prime could easily rival the strongest tier-nine immortals, their strength and energy vast enough to bridge the gap that normally separated the mortal and immortal realms. Simply put, Primes were the universe's favored children, rare and almost untouchable in their power.
Yet even this power had its price. To grow as a Prime was to sacrifice speed in exchange for quality. Primes developed slowly—agonizingly so, their progress nearly at a standstill compared to other races. Where an immortal might reach new levels in a few millennia, a Prime would require millennia at minimum to eons at worst to make comparable progress.
This near-immortal lifespan allowed them to achieve levels of strength unimaginable to others, but only with time. Reece was no exception. Though he had all the power and potential of a Prime, he was still a fledgling, barely able to grasp the extent of his abilities. To reach a point where he could face the true challenges of the multiverse, he needed time—a thousand years or more to prepare for just the simplest of calamities among the many in his life.
Fortunately, the modified [Existence Embrace] had granted him a lifeline. One year in the outside world would now equal nearly a thousand within the barrier. In this protected domain, he could induce a state of self-hibernation, training within his mindspace while his subconscious and Prima handled his physical development. For an average being, the thought of a thousand years of solitude would be unimaginable. But for Reece, it was simply another part of his path—a sacrifice to ensure that he would be ready for the greater battles to come.
In this timeless domain, he would prepare his cores, pushing them to new heights with formations that channeled the primal mana generated by the artificial source crystal he'd created. For the next thousand years, his body would develop, his mind would sharpen, and his power would increase—until he was ready.
Meanwhile, Liz would undergo her own transformation, one that would require a different approach. As a void beast, she was unlike any creature found in the Tower. Originating from the vast, empty realm outside time and space, void beasts were blank slates, creatures born without any inherent energy, and who grew solely through physical prowess and adaptation. Liz, stranded in the Tower, had struggled to adapt to her new environment, absorbing mana in a way that had damaged her more than helped her. The life-preserving spells that Reece had cast on her were designed to rectify these mistakes, restoring her body at a cellular level to prepare her for evolution.
Void beasts were unique in that they carried a random assortment of bloodlines, each one dormant and waiting to manifest, sourced from the things they consumed to evolve. As they developed, these beasts would select the strongest bloodline within them, adapting it as their primary evolutionary trait. This meant that Liz's body held the potential of countless mythical beings—dragons, phoenixes, qilins, krakens, basilisks, and more.
All of these bloodlines now stirred within her, awakened by the mana core she had consumed during her last battle. As she lay in a deep sleep, these bloodlines vied for dominance, each one pushing to become the defining characteristic of her new form.
"It's no wonder void beasts are considered such a threat to other races," Reece muttered, watching the spells he had cast over Liz as they worked to heal her. Each spell—[Rejuvenate], [Greater Heal], and [Anchor]—mended her injuries, knitting her body back together. The [Anchor] spell, in particular, kept her soul bound to her form, preventing it from drifting away as she hovered between life and death. The wounds from her battle with the Steelwood Serpent had been severe, and the process of evolution was further complicating her recovery.
Prima's voice broke the silence, a touch of concern evident in her tone. "Master, isn't this one of those times she mentioned where her chance of survival is slim?"
"Pretty much," Reece replied with a nod. "At this point, her dominant bloodline will emerge, shaped by the mana core she consumed. Based on her current state, I'd wager that the Basilisk bloodline is the most likely to take over. The first significant mana core she consumed was from a serpent, so it's the logical choice."
Reece moved closer to Liz's massive form, the spells pulsing gently around her. Her body, now over three meters long, was covered in sleek, pitch-black fur that gleamed faintly in the cavern's dim light. The soft glow from the barrier spell's core and the primal mana crystal source bathed her form in an eerie light, highlighting the smooth, powerful contours of her body.
"It's time," Reece murmured, raising his hands and focusing his energy on Liz. His plan was straightforward but challenging—he would overwrite the redundant bloodlines within her, allowing only the ones she valued most to remain. Liz's past self had always revered the power of dragons, seeing them as the pinnacle of strength and purity. She had once been a dragon, and Reece intended to ensure she would become one again.
The difficulty, however, lay in the diluted nature of her dragon bloodline. It was faint, barely enough to classify her as a wyrmling—the lowest tier in the dragon hierarchy. Transforming her into a true dragon, let alone a Prime Dragon, would be a feat bordering on the impossible. Normally, the idea of such an undertaking would be dismissed as fantasy, but for Reece, "normal" had never been an issue.
"Master… sometimes I think you have a hidden agenda against Liz," Prima remarked, half-jokingly as she picked up on his plan. Reece's intentions were bold to the point of madness; he intended to treat her body as if it were a forge, a malleable material to shape. By combining concepts of crafting, creation, and design, he would attempt to shape her body into that of a dragon—one that had perhaps vanished from history.
"Life is nothing but a gamble, Prima," he replied with a mischievous grin. "As long as the risks are calculated and the rewards are worth it, it's a gamble I'm willing to take." Summoning [Creator's Imagination] to its full power, he prepared to channel every bit of energy into making Liz's transformation a reality.
Prima sighed in resignation, knowing her master too well to expect him to back down. "One day, Master, she's going to give you a reckoning for all this meddling. And don't count on me to defend you."
Reece's grin widened as he placed his hands above Liz's body, focusing his intent. With [Creator's Imagination], he began to sift through the multitude of bloodlines within her, each one pulsing with potential. The sheer complexity of her genetic makeup was staggering. Every bloodline, no matter how minor, held a fragment of power from the creatures that had contributed to her essence.
He focused on the dragon bloodline first. Though faint, it was there, a single ember within a storm of conflicting energies. Carefully, he began the process of merging, guiding the dragon bloodline to absorb the weaker, unnecessary traits. It was a slow, meticulous task, requiring complete concentration and control. With each step, the dragon bloodline grew stronger, evolved and mutated, pushing aside the remnants of other lineages until only a few key bloodlines remained.
The process took hours, but Reece's persistence paid off. Slowly, Liz's form began to shift, her body resonating with the latent power of a true dragon. Her fur darkened to an even deeper shade of black, her scales beginning to emerge along her limbs, glistening faintly under the cavern's dim light. The primal energy that was also infusing into her body, within her surged, filling the air with a tangible weight.
"She's almost there," he whispered, his voice tinged with awe. Liz was transforming before his eyes, evolving into something that transcended her previous existence. Soon, she would emerge not as a simple void beast, but as a creature embodying the ancient strength and mystique of dragons—a Prime in her own right.
Exhausted but triumphant, Reece withdrew his hands, allowing Liz's transformation to complete naturally. He stepped back, watching as the final stages of her evolution unfolded. His work was done, but Liz's journey had just begun. Within the safety of [Existence Embrace], she would grow stronger, her power cultivated and refined until she could stand by his side as an equal.
As the moments stretched on, he felt a quiet satisfaction settle within him. They had time—time to prepare, to evolve, and to overcome whatever lay ahead. And for the first time in centuries, Reece felt the faint stirrings of hope. The battles yet to come were distant, but he knew, deep down, that they would face them together.
For now, he would rest, knowing that their future had just begun.