[VOID SYSTEM REINITIALIZING...
Host Reconstruction: Complete
Status Reset Protocol: Activated]
Kriel awoke gasping, his lungs burning as if taking their first breath. He was lying in a crater, the ground around him scarred with residual void energy. His body felt wrong—weak, small, frustratingly limited.
[Status Update:
Level: 0
Age Regression: Activated
Physical Form: Restored to Base State (12 Years)
Warning: System Restrictions Enhanced]
"No... no, no, no," he whispered, looking at his trembling hands. The void corruption was gone, his skin pale and unmarked. The overwhelming power he had wielded against Zenith felt like a distant dream.
[Combat Experience: Retained
Skills: Preserved but Locked
Power Level: Minimal
Growth Difficulty: Maximum]
Memories flooded back—the battle, the Primordial Mark, his complete obliteration at Zenith's hands. Each recollection stoked a fire in his gut, turning humiliation into pure rage.
"DAMN IT!" His scream echoed through the empty ruins, void energy flickering weakly around his clenched fists. Even his connection to the void felt diminished, like trying to channel an ocean through a pinhole.
[System Analysis:
Advanced Mode Activated
- Experience gain reduced by 90%
- Skill mastery requirements increased
- Power progression severely limited
Note: True strength must be earned]
Kriel tried to stand, his child-sized body protesting every movement. The growth gap—that frustrating divide between knowledge and capability—had returned with a vengeance. His mind remembered wielding powers that could challenge a Mark King, but his body could barely channel basic void energy.
"This is what I've been reduced to," he snarled, staggering to his feet. "A child playing with shadows."
[Current Abilities:
Basic Void Manipulation (Locked: 0/1000)
Physical Enhancement (Locked: 0/500)
Ancient Knowledge Access (Severely Limited)]
But as rage threatened to overwhelm him, ancient memories stirred. The void had taught him that true power wasn't given—it was taken, earned through struggle and defiance.
"Fine," he spat blood, forcing his weak body into a training stance. "I'll start over. I'll build it all again, piece by piece. And next time..."
His eyes blazed with dark determination as he began his first training movement, muscles screaming in protest.
"Next time, Zenith, I'll show you what true chaos looks like," he muttered, each word a promise of vengeance.
[Training Protocol Initiated:
Basic Void Arts - Level 0
Difficulty: Extreme
Progress: 0.001%]
Hours passed as Kriel pushed his new body to its limits, relearning control over the simplest void techniques. Each small success cost ten times the effort it once had. The Advanced Mode of the System seemed designed to break his will, to punish his defiance.
But with every failure, every painful reset, his resolve hardened. He would overcome this. He would rise again, stronger than ever.
As he trained, the recoil of pain from the battle with Zenith began to hit him. His muscles ached, his bones felt brittle, and his mind reeled from the continuous overexertion. The pain was a constant reminder of his defeat, fueling his determination to regain his strength.
"I won't give up," he whispered to himself, eyes closed. "I won't give up until I reclaim what's mine."
Just as he drifted into a troubled sleep, a sudden alert jolted him awake.
[URGENT NOTIFICATION:
Connection Request Detected
Source: Ancient Void Network
Sender: King of Void Bringers
Accept Communication? Y/N]
Kriel's eyes snapped open, his heart racing. The King of Void Bringers—a title that stirred something in his ancient memories, a presence from before the System itself.
"Who are you?" he whispered aloud, though he knew the answer would come only through accepting the connection.
[Warning: Connection may alter current reality perception
Accept at own risk
Response required: Y/N]
Standing in the ruins of his power, in a body stripped of everything but determination, Kriel hesitated. He was torn between curiosity and caution. Accepting this connection could lead to unforeseen consequences, but it might also offer him a path back to power.
For now, he decided to wait. He needed to be stronger before taking such a risk.
"I'll think about it," he muttered to himself, though no one was there to hear.
The notification remained on his screen, a constant reminder of the choice he had yet to make. Kriel closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. He would rebuild his strength first, and then he would consider the King's offer.
As he drifted off to sleep, the void around him seemed to whisper secrets, tempting him with promises of power and revenge. But Kriel knew that true strength came not from external offers, but from within.
[Chapter End
Level: 0
Reality Stability: Realigning
The Void Offers...]