Fenrich and company spent the next 3 hours traveling through their expansion layer, they had killed upwards of 4,000 zombies so far, and had a minor scuffle with a relatively strong Elven group that must've been a close contender for King group status. The leading Elf was a lean and thin man who dual wielded daggers and also had a sword reminiscent of a katana hanging from his waist. Fenrich exchanged blows with the man, there was a particular invasive energy from the man, every time they exchanged shared exchanges, a sharpness would cut into Fenrich disturbing his Mana channeling and clogging his Mana pathways.
The fight only lasted for five minutes, neither of them went for the kill, instead they were rapidly unraveling each other's combat styles. The elven man was leagues above the current Fenrich, already stepping into the boundaries of Integration combat style with his own set of self-created forms and Combat Techniques that had been approved by the System.
The Elven man's speed tripled in an instant, Fenrich's enhanced attributes and eyes could no longer pick up on the trajectory of the opponents daggers and now katana in play. Fenrich closed his eyes, a 4 by 4 grid appearing in his mind with him in the center. With his vision cut off, this 4 by 4 grid highlighted itself in red on parts of his body where there were significant ripples and air currents touching upon, where most times being 8 out of 10 were correct. Fenrich's body bobbed and weaved as with his feet being the conductor he moved in multiple directions in a pentagram like formation. Fenrich did not once step out of this pentagram; klangs and dangs sounded more than five times a second at set intervals as sparks burst out from the point of contact between Fenrich's and the elven man's weapons.
"You swing that unwieldy weapon with the practiced ease of somebody who has already become one with their blade, and yet you have no Dao comprehension or Sword Qi to speak of, even your killing intent is thick enough to rattle a veterans hardened nerves, and yet you have no killing intent manifestations. You're an odd one, Human. With our battle just now, I've gained more by fighting you for 5 minutes, than I did in solitary meditation and practice for the last two years. I would ask if at all possible if you could show mercy to our other groups, and not slay our King group. I know the leader's personality, she is a cocky and arrogant individual because she is the elven tribe leader's daughter."
The elven man broke off with their last exchange and looked at his treasured katana, there was a single mark of blemish from their combat, the man scowled as he noticed Fenrich's greatsword was still pristine despite taking over 1,000 attacks onto itself. This was further a testament to Fenrich's skill as a swordsman.
"I can make no promises, but I will be lenient as long as it is not at the risk of my ally's lives. We are in a Mini Game Dungeon after all, and this dungeon wants one supreme group to rise above to claim its riches through unrivaled power. If you have any communication methods not blocked by this Mini Game Dungeon, tell them we will stay our hands if they don't antagonize us first." Fenrich said as he let his greatsword lean across his shoulder.
Fenrich put his hand up as he sensed Laura's killer instinct flare up. "I will not have anyone's actions be a contention to my given word. Reel it in, Laura." Fenrich snapped verbally as he let his killing intent wash over Laura as if a bucket of ice cold water. "Calm yourself and relay your flare ups to become a visual manifestation of your blade, master it as you embrace the truest form of yourself and there will be nothing else capable of stopping your progression." Fenrich's voice softened while he gave pointers from his own personal introspections, the building blocks that developed his past Sword Heart.
"Wise words, Human King. We will be taking our leave now to communicate with our fellow brethren." The elven group dismissed themselves, despite it being light or severe injuries there were no deaths on their side, while Fenrich's group of star studded elites dusted themselves off and began their own form of introspection. They were all newly integrated, and this elven group were the most capable in combat standards without overwhelming strength over all of them. They had all earned their fair share from this exchange.
"Alright, everybody back to the safe room. We have already cleared out this spatial expansion, tearing through everything and anything to look for hidden loot caches."
Fenrich and company returned back to the safe room, Laura was taking point of the group as she was most anxious to absorb what Fenrich had pointed her towards. When she noticed the elven man's brows rise in comprehension, there was no telling how valuable what Fenrich had casually dropped truly was.
Fenrich was in the back of the group walking the slowest. His mind was wholly focused as his Will was slowly sharpening itself and cutting his palm open repeatedly. Every time he did so, Fenrich sank his consciousness into his palm following the "sharpness" as it drilled into him, cutting apart muscles and tendons with ease.
The others could not see it as the Abyssal Symbiote made it so, but he appeared as a black-red liquid like blob that amalgamated into a miniature husky.
"Mate, I realize you might be going through a rough time. You can always reach out to me if you need to talk."
Fenrich spared a single moment of time to say "Shut it you parasite" internally.
An over exaggerated gasp came out as the "huskies" eyes narrowed dangerously. "How dar-"
"Awoooooooooooroooooagh!"
Angry as fuck husky noises started sounding off at an alarming pitch that physically hurt Fenrich.
"You did not just cross that line you bastard bitch! I will fuck you up. Nobody. And I mean absolutely fucking nobody calls this imperial one a parasi-"
Fenrich shut off the connection temporarily, the manifested husky disappeared, and he peacefully sunk back into his self harm practices.
However, the Abyssal Symbiote was not so easily stopped. Especially when it was in a rage.
A humongous billboard that read bastard bitch popped up behind Fenrich, a giant sized arrow that looked a lot like a dick was aimed downwards at him.
Fenrich smiled as he shook his head and entered their safe room.
Garen already had a fire lit and was currently roasting what looked like venison, the young kid applied various spices as he rotated the skewers of meat and vegetables.
Fenrich made his way over to where Laura was already sitting cross-legged with her Zanbato resting on her lap. Fenrich sat in front of her as he spoke softly. "Clear all the distractions in your mind and shut off all of your emotions. Visualize this, in an open starry nebula you are your Zanbato. Feel the slightest ripple of space brush up against the blade of your Zanbato. Your body is the sheath that contains your Sword Intent, and the blade is your Heart and Soul given shape. You are one with your Zanbato, and the Zanbato is one with you."
Laura's brows creased, and just as they did, Fenrich began radiating small portions that made up the concept that was his previous Sword Intent. Heaviness, Sharpness, Killing Intent, Fire, Madness, Supremacy and last but not least Order. For each portion of his previous Sword Intent, he created them to appear as different colours that contained their truths and spiritual meaning.
All the while as he explained this and gave a visual aid in the Soul realm to aid Laura's understanding, he split a second portion of his Void Baron Soul, and began radiating the concept of Sharpness and used it to inflict damage upon his own Soul.
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. What tortures you, you grow to embrace and find solace in the pain that reminds you that you are still alive. For as long as you are still alive, still have boiling blood and wild ambitions, your flame will never waver in the face of adversity.
Fenrich strained his already injured Soul further, causing blood to trickle out from his eyes, mouth, nose and ears. This gained the attention of everyone, he raised one hand and then lowered it to cut the tension of him suddenly bleeding from orifices caused.
With his Mana, he controlled his blood to write out the word "safe," underlining it twice. He then radiated a separate strand of Sword Intent to circle the 8 meter radius of him and Laura, and wrote out "meditation."
All activity came to an end, Fenrich's orifices kept bleeding an unhealthy amount due to overloading and pressurizing his Soul, but this in itself was another form of Cultivation. Muscles became stronger as they were torn and repaired, the Soul had to be done much more carefully but could also be exercised.
Silver light slashed at his Soul continuously, was absorbed and then recycled as the same strand of Sharpness evolved and switched to a different meaning that translated to Sharpness.
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ABYSSAL VOID BARON SOUL IS WEAKENING 40% > 39.5%].
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ABYSSAL VOID BARON SOUL IS WEAKENING 39.5% > 39%]
[Abyssal Void Baron Soul is being refined 39% > 39.1%]
Fenrich shut off all of the notifications, only allowing the notifications to come back when his Abyssal Void Baron Soul reaches 5% or lower.
In the outside world, silver light occasionally burst out from Fenrich's body, digging and piercing through the walls and ceiling. The "sharp" lights never affected him and Laura or the others. It was still kept under tight control, circling around the barrier of gradually strengthening Dao surrounding the two of them.
Both individuals sank deeper into comprehension, the Dao in the safe room noticeably thickened as it now looked like a blanket of fog. The silver lights from Fenrich began taking shape in a colossal sized Phoenix. Hints of azure blue Mana, and regal golden-red outlined the trim of the Phoenix's form, the main aspect was still the silver Sharpness.
Silver swords, greatswords, and sabers began circling around the barrier, each weapon was their own individual part that added up to Sharpness. Whether it be through apex speed, or absolute strength to cleave through all that stands before you, or the intensity behind the Sharpness that could sever another's Karma. The three aspects began clashing, enhancing the potency of Sharpness.
Meanwhile, Laura was in her world of comprehension, Fenrich shared the various aspects of his past Sword Intent, it was not showy or flashy. It was a kill or be killed mindset, but what Fenrich did not know, various parts of his life were shown in glimpses to Laura. The various scenarios, life and death battles, one man against 10 billion, a single mortal defying thousands of Gods, Goddesses and Divine Beasts before his inevitable end.
The most brilliant part was at the end of Fenrich's past life, the concepts of Life and Death merged together with his Sword Intent, that single scene imprinted itself into her Soul, leaving a gigantic scar that contained all aspects of Fenrich's Sword Intent.
The scene replayed itself as Fenrich slashed his greatsword Angruar downwards, Time, Space and Reality was cleaved and turned into Oblivion, thousands of Gods and Goddesses died to the blade of a mortal.
How was their divinity torn asunder by a mortal? Laura would probably never find a proper answer to it, or be given the proper answer itself. It was only for a single second, but she saw the evolution that was Fenrich's path to Godhood. Before divinity could replenish and allow him to ascend, a massive eye covered in archaic runes opened in the sky above.
The rightful divinity was stolen from Fenrich, and caused his death. The eye in the vision turned its sights onto Laura herself, she felt her Soul sputter like that of an old car trying to start but didn't have the juice to do so anymore.
Within the pupil of that eye. Was the Vampiress that shared intimacy with Fenrich earlier that day?
Before Laura could fully comprehend the scene, an unimaginable pain clouded her Soul causing her to lose the vision she just saw. All that remained was the scar in her Soul that radiated various forms of Dao that made up the Sword Intent.
Laura felt a great sense of unease… Something vitally important was like sand that slipped through her hands, it was not the Dao vision or the Sword Intent, but more like she caught a glimpse of something she shouldn't have.
Laura's vision came back together as she heard a series of notifications ring in her head all at once.
[Ding! Your Soul and Comprehension are lacking to fully access the God Realm Sword Intent. It has been watered down to start off as a comprehensive set of Bronze Combat Technique. All the Dao's have been turned into a set of Combat Techniques, when your Comprehension and Soul has adequately improved, you will unlock higher tiers of the Combat Techniques.]
[Ding! God Realm Sword Qi has been converted into Mortal Realm Mythical Sword Intent.]
[Ding! You have created the path exclusive Skill - Blade Of Mortality. Through life and death you have seen the beginning of life, and the end of a life. Your Soul has been touched by death's frost, you have learned in the depths of death life can begin anew.]
[Ding! You have created the Dao Seed of Rebirth. Strength +20, Endurance +20, Vitality +20]
[Ding! For being the second person to awaken a Dao Seed you have gained the Title - Dao Touched (Locked.) All basic attributes gain +20, all advanced attributes gain +15. +20% efficiency to basic and advanced attributes
[Ding! You have created a path exclusive Skill that will evolve as it follows you to the apex, becoming the foundation for which your Class is built upon.]
[Ding! You have gained the Title - Prodigious Scion [Locked.) Basic attributes +50, advanced attributes +40. +30% efficiency to basic and advanced attributes.]
When Laura's eyes opened to the world, the first thing she saw was the excessive amount of blood that painted the ground scarlet. Fenrich looked as if he became a blood person, his eyes were open as if seeing through herself and his breathing was ragged.
"Good job, Laura… You've done… great." Fenrich flashed her a proud albeit weak smile. Sometimes to progress you take a single step forward only to be pushed backwards multiple more times. If it weren't for his mutated Soul, this time he would have succumbed to his risk taking.
Through his blood drenched shirt, Laura could see Fenrich's chest expanding all the while his heart hammered against the cage that kept it inside his body.
Fenrich scanned his notifications
[Ding! You have created the Dao Seed of Sharpness. Strength +30, Agility +30]
[Ding! Your Dao Seed of Sharpness (Early) has evolved to (Middle) Strength +60, Agility +60]
[Ding! As the first person to have created a Dao Seed you have gained the Title - Dao Child (Locked.) All basic attributes gain +35, all advanced attributes gain +25. +35% efficiency to basic and advanced attributes.]
[Ding! Bronze Void Blade Asura Divine Body has been upgraded to Iron Void Blade Asura Divine Body. All basic attributes gain +8 per level, Physique +8 per level, Mana +6 per level, Luck +6 per level, Sense +2 per level.]
Ding! Iron Void Blade Asura Divine Body has unlocked the Void Blade Asura Sword Methods (Greatsword.)]
[Ding! Iron Void Blade Asura Divine Body has unlocked the Black Wings Iai Style.]
[Ding! Iron Void Blade Asura Divine Body has unlocked Purgatory Physique Enhancement (Passive. +30 Physique.)
[Ding! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ABYSSAL VOID BARON SOUL HAS WEAKENED TO 0.5%]
[Ding! Mana Points have been reduced to 0. Regain use of Mana Points at 30% Abyssal Void Baron Soul recovery.]
[Ding! Abyssal Void Baron Soul has gone through a significant Soul refinement through Dao rinsing. 2.35%/100% to evolve to Abyssal Void Viscount Soul.]
Fenrich's attention was stolen away by Laura as she, Lukas, Alex, Sasha, Jackson, Garen, Isabella, Julia and Ryan were standing before him. Fenrich smiled as he asked, "What's up, gang? Did something mess with somebody? If you mess with one of us, you mess with the whole gang. Gang gang!"
Fenrich shot finger pistols and blew on them afterwards for emphasis.
"Fenrich. This is important. You need to take this seriously, and you need to answer us honestly. For you may hold the answers to humanity's current plight."
"You're… not from our current century. Or as the Dao would explain it, Era, are you?"
The safe room became still and absolutely silent that you could hear a pin drop. What Laura just asked, flipped their current understanding upside down on their heads.