Chereads / Shadow Ascendance / Chapter 15 - Beyond The Mortal Veil

Chapter 15 - Beyond The Mortal Veil

Weeks had passed since Kriel began his advanced system training. Despite the grueling regimen, he saw little to no change in his abilities. Frustration mounted, and Kriel felt like he was hitting a wall. As he stood in the training chamber, the notification flashed before him again:

URGENT NOTIFICATION:

Connection Request Detected

Source: Ancient Void Network

Sender: King of Void Bringers

Accept Communication? Y/N

Kriel hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Y."

As Kriel accepted the connection, the ruined battlefield around him dissolved. Reality itself seemed to peel away, revealing something older, deeper. He found himself floating in an endless void, where concepts like space and time felt more like suggestions than laws. The silence was oppressive, a heavy blanket that suffocated all sound, leaving only the echo of his own heartbeat.

Before him materialized a being that defied comprehension. Valieth, the King of the Voidbringers, existed as a shifting mass of perfect darkness, occasionally revealing glimpses of forms that predated reality itself. His presence was a cold, suffocating shroud that seemed to draw the very light out of existence, leaving Kriel feeling small and insignificant.

Kriel's eyes widened in shock as he realized who stood before him—the figure from his visions, the one who had led armies of void entities against the order faction.

"You... are... the... one," Kriel whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart. "I saw you in my visions, leading the war that shook the cosmos."

Valieth's form shifted, his voice echoing with an otherworldly menace. "Yes, young one. I am Valieth, the King of the Voidbringers. And you, Kriel, are the one I have been searching for."

Images began to flow into Kriel's consciousness—vast landscapes beyond mortal understanding. He saw the structure of reality itself, layered like an infinite onion. These visions were so vivid, so real, that Kriel felt his mind reeling under the weight of them.

"The Mortal Sphere," Valieth's form shifted, creating a display of interlinked realms. "Where you have fought until now. A mere puddle compared to the ocean of existence. Here, the fabric of reality is woven from the threads of life and death, where every action ripples across the cosmos."

Kriel watched as the visualization expanded, showing higher layers of reality.

"Above lies the Ethereal Sphere, where beings of pure energy wage wars that reshape continents. Elder dragons whose breath can melt continents. Void entities that devour space itself. Powers that would make your Mark Kings seem like insignificant insects," Valieth explained, his form darkening with each word. "In this realm, time is currency, and those who control it wield unimaginable power."

As the Ethereal Sphere unfolded before him, Kriel saw sprawling cities of crystal and silver, where ethereal beings danced on the winds of time. He witnessed battles that raged across dimensions, where armies of light clashed with legions of shadow.

"And beyond that," Valieth's form darkened further, "the Celestial Sphere. Where the architects of reality itself dwell. Beings that could erase your entire universe with a thought. This is the realm of the gods, where creation and destruction are mere whims."

Kriel felt his restored young body trembling at the sheer scope of what he was learning. "Why show me this? Why now?"

Valieth's form condensed, focusing entirely on him. "Because you, Kriel, carry something we have waited eons to find. The potential to become something new. Neither System nor pure Void. A Chaos Born."

"Chaos Born?" Kriel repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

"A being capable of evolving beyond the boundaries of both order and chaos," Valieth explained, his voice dripping with an unsettling hunger. "But potential means nothing without proper forging. You have seen glimpses of the past, but what I show you now is the true depth of existence."

As Valieth continued to reveal the layers of reality, Kriel's mind screamed in agony. The images were so vividly real that he felt his consciousness straining to comprehend the sheer scale of what was being shown to him. He screamed, his voice hoarse from the effort, as his mind struggled to keep up with the revelations.

"Stop... please!!!!," Kriel begged, his body trembling with the effort to endure.

Valieth's form paused, then continued more gently, though the menace never left his voice. "I will not stop, young one. You must see this. You must understand what lies beyond your current limitations."

Kriel took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Continue."

Valieth nodded, his form shifting once more. "You wish for power? To challenge those who humiliated you? Then accept my offer."

**Warning: Critical Choice Detected

Time Dilation Protocol Available

Training Dimension: Prepared**

"Five million years," Valieth declared, his voice echoing through eternity. "In a realm where time flows differently. Where every second will test the limits of your body, mind, and soul. Most would break. Most would beg for death."

The darkness around them began to take shape, forming a vast training ground that defied physics. "But you're different. The void chose you for a reason. Accept, and I will teach you arts that predate the System itself. Reject, and return to your slow climb in the mortal realm."

Kriel looked at his small hands, remembering the humiliation of defeat, the frustration of his reset body. Then he thought of Zenith, of the Kings and Ascendants who waited above. A smile spread across his young face.

"When do we begin?"

Valieth's form seemed to approve, though his voice remained menacing. "Now."

**Training Protocol Initiated:

Duration: 5,000,000 Years

Reality: Time-Dilated Dimension

Warning: No Return Protocol Available**

The void shifted around them as Valieth spoke one final warning: "Remember this, young one. What I'm offering isn't just power. It's evolution beyond what any mortal was meant to achieve. The pain will be... legendary."

"Good," Kriel's eyes blazed with determination. "Pain means I'm getting stronger."

As they entered the training dimension, Kriel asked, "Valieth, what can I expect in this realm?"

Valieth's form rippled with amusement. "Expect nothing but pain and transformation. The void will test your limits, and only those who endure will emerge stronger."

Kriel nodded, his resolve unwavering. "I'm ready."

Valieth's voice was laced with a hint of approval. "Then let us begin."

Chapter End

Training Status: Initiating

Reality Lock: Engaged

The Void Teaches..