12 Chapter 12: A Grand Fate
*BOOM!*
I woke with a bang, my ears blaring making me cover them instantly.
I could feel the heat around me. The burning warmth of what I can only assume is fire, making my skin dance.
"Where am- Who- What is this?!" I asked myself prying my eyes open trying to ignore the ringing pains in my ears.
I had only a few scattered memories hidden in my mind, as if lodged in there forcefully.
"My sword." I hurried, clasping my hip with my right hand as I shifted my body into an upright position.
With my eyes cracked to a squint, I gripped the hilt of my katana, with my other hand holding the crumbling, ash filled stone under me.
I glanced around, "A… church?" I pondered with confusion.
"Where am I?" I pushed myself to my feet, landing well as I could tell there was nothing wrong with me physically.
Prying my eyes open fully, ignoring the dangers of the floating ash getting into them, I scoured my surroundings even more.
I was in the center of a burning cathedral, a decimated church, bodies scattered everywhere.
The altar I previously resided on crumbled, turning to dust as I laid my eyes on the large, decrepit corpse of the crucified giant before me.
It was massive, 20 feet tall at least…
Maybe even larger.
It's left side was missing, its face caved in with what was left of it being a black skull. The long arms one would only assume were incredibly muscular, having nearly no muscle on them, leaving nothing but dead skin.
Its lower half was missing completely, as it only added to the questions that resided in my mind.
"A… [Demigod]?" The title popped into my mind, only adding more to my shock as I had not even a pinch of an idea as to how I knew what this creature was.
Though I was even more shocked as I saw a light appear in the center of the dead beasts corpse.
It was an orb of black gold light. A wondrous smell filtered into my nose as I glared at it.
I continued to stare, the enticing smell making me yearn for it, and not knowing what else to do it in this unknown place, I followed my instincts.
I stepped forward, leaving behind the remains of the altar. I walked over the corpses that too started to brandish orbs of light, albeit much dimmer and blue in color.
Though I ignored these as I wasn't as entranced.
Within seconds, I arrived in front of the hanging corpse staring up at it, taking in the gracefulness of the shining ball of light.
"What are you?" I asked the question knowing full well I wouldn't get an answer, but that didn't matter to me.
With my bare palms grasping the sphere, removing it from the open chest of the beast, pulling it towards my own body.
I held it out in front of me, staring at it in starvation as I stepped away from the corpse.
With a swift motion, I devoured the orb of light, letting it slide down my throat as if it was a fluid.
In an instant, I felt my heart pounding and my eyes burning. My ears started ringing madly, with my skin pulsing with pain as if thousands of bugs were crawling around freely inside of me.
I could feel my bones extend through my body, pushing out of my skin creating gaping woulds all over. Though just as fast and my bones grew, so did my muscles and all other physical attributes. My muscles gained a leanness I had always wished for, with my height and overall size nearly doubling.
My tattered clothes ripped and my hair grew in length and age, becoming white and long, though I could feel my face becoming softer and seemingly healthier.
It felt clearer than ever before, my whole body did.
I felt purified.
Purified of any sin I happened to commit, be it accidentally or not.
It was as if I was forgiven by a greater will.
It was here, at the end of this massive transformation, when I felt it.
The completely overwhelming pain in my spinal cord. The flames of damage breaking my mind, synchronized with the parting of the sky's clouds.
The sun shined on my pale skin as I heard ripping and tearing coming from my backside.
My body was frozen in place with my mind fading in and out. I couldn't even scream as my spine reformed.
My vessel removed my old spinal cord, as if rejecting it, continuing to cleanse my body.
Before I could even process it, a new spine had grown back in, alongside a different set of nerves.
Though this new bone was clearly different from the previous. It grew over my skin, leaving a golden bone poking through my backside, with an abundance of muscles now residing in my back as they had more space.
Now, it was all over. The pain disappeared, and the brightness returned to my eyes.
Though now there was a newfound luster.
My eyes had changed to a greyish-white color, different from their previous blue, though I didn't know.
It didn't matter much either, as the sheer amount of power pulsing through my veins was noticeable. I felt physically, much stronger, and more stable mentally.
{You have successfully inherited a strand of the Embodiment of Invincibility, a deity of unbound power. You have opened the Skill-Tree, [Invincible Existence]!}
{A fraction of the Embodiment's soul has been fully assimilated, increasing your Fate, Talent, and Realm. Your comprehension of the Law of Invincibility has increased by 4 percent.}
A series of words and memories rang out in my mind as panels appeared inside of my head.
I could see and hear both as if it was merely my imagination, but I could tell it wasn't.
"Invincible…? Deity…? What is this?" I asked myself.
The confusion made me falter for a moment, taking a knee and placing my hand on a nearby corpse for support.
{Would you like to absorb this soul?} The words appeared in my mind as I looked down at the orb of blue light near my hand.
~I can absorb this?~ I whispered mentally. Seeing the prompt, I lacked hesitation and answered through thought.
With that, the ball of light disappeared in wisps of light, a faint power flowing through my body as more words appeared in my mind.
Now, I could see a display of sorts, a screen if that's what you could call it.
On this screen was a multitude of words, seemingly displaying my strengths.
____
[Status]
|Name: Julius Randell(Shiva)|
|Species: Human (Progenitor)/Law Embodiment|
-Titles: [Human Progenitor], [Fledgling Embodiment], [Reincarnate], [Supreme Soul]…
|Aspect: 8 Aspect Seas|
-Origin Energy: 10 Seas
-Form Temperament: Continental
-Mental Temperament: 309%
|Realm: Resonance|
____
-[Law Comprehension(s)]:
[Invincibility (4.0%)]
-[Law Essence(s)]:
[Soul Essence], [Life Essence], [Fire Essence], [Fate Essence]
-[Law Aspect Essence(s)]:
[Fire]
-[Law Authority/Assimilated]:
[Soul]
____
-[Skill-Trees]:
[Invincible Existence], [Human Progenitor], [Destined Soul], [Fate Reader], [Ruler of Flame], [Soul Lord], [Limit-Breaker], [Organic Lord], [Law Aspect]
____
-[Displayed Information]: Julius Randell, An ageless soul granted power by the All-Father aeons ago. With the power of complete authority over the Life Law, and full comprehension of the Recreation Law, he was able to permanently preserve his soul, reincarnating upon every death of his origin and body. He is a child of destiny, with a Fate more revered than those of gods.
-[Evaluation]: With your luck, you'll be able to find the good within the bad, coming out on top in almost every situation. Thanks the strengthening of your soul for thousands of years, the outer-shell is so powerful you can easily utilize pure Law essence. Another effect of this soul temperament is the fact your origin is nigh-infinite, capable of housing Essences equivalent to millions of universes worth. With the 3x multiplier of overall power and reality altering capabilities, you can sunder super continents with a flick of your fingers.
____
"Reincarnate?… Destined Soul?…" I muttered with a cursed smile.
"Thats… AMAZING!" I roared.
I actually had power!
Power with which I could change the tides of destiny. Power with which I could actually protect my loved ones.
Power with which I could solidify my place in history, and become a powerful figure no one would mess with like they used to!
"This power… Praise the lord." I mumbled, flexing my arms as I examined my body to the fullest.
My skin was an ashen gray, with cracks at different points, running all along my body. It was as if the texture of my body changed to that of stone.
Along the back of my arms, were golden veins, stemming throughout them fully, connecting to my back where I could feel the bones protruding.
I was now a 9 foot tall giant with pure lean muscle.
I had turned into the textbook definition of a divine being, with ethereal golden particles floating around my visible spine.
Putting the physical changes aside, I turned to examine my surroundings.
Like I noticed earlier, I was standing in a broken and decrepit old church.
Bodies strewn across the floor, moss everywhere.
I ignored the blue orbs of light floating just above all the bodies, I could tell they signified the remnants of their souls.
But that was of lesser importance.
I turned back towards the largest corpse within this construct.
I gazed into it's dead eyes, examining every inch of it's being.
Unconsciously, the Aspect and Law essence within my body started to churn, threatening to escape from my Origin.
And it did so.
The pure Law essences of Soul, Life and Fate burst forth from my eyes, silently enveloping the corpse in front of me.
{You have successfully formed a Skill capable of identification! The Skill, [Existence Analysis] has been added to the [Soul lord] Skill-Tree.}
Following that screen, another popped up in my vision.
____
[Analysis]
-|DEAD|-
|Name: Qatar|
|Species: Hybrid Embodiment|
-Titles: [Embodiment of Assimilation], [Embodiment of Invincibility], [Embodiment of Fate], [Embodiment of Wrath]…
|Remnant Aspect: - |
-Remnant Origin: Empty|
-Form Temperament: Lesser Stellar|
____
-[Law Comprehension(s)]:
|x|
-[Law Essence(s)]:
[Fire Essence], [Fate Essence], [Essence of Invincibility], [Wrath Essence], [Faith Essence], [Divine Essence]…
-[Law Aspect Essence(s)]:
|x|
-[Law Authority/Assimilated]:
[Invincibility], [Fate], [Wrath], [Assimilation], [Apocalypse], [Limit-Breaker], [Space-Time], [Dream], [Progression], [Order], [Violence], [Fortune], [Divine], [Domination], [Conquest], [Faith]…
____
-[Life Overview]: Qatar, an Embodiment of Recreation that refused to let his life end. He forced his way into perfect reincarnation, arriving within the Deadlands. Though because of this defiance of natural law, he was trapped within the realm, forced to devour the remnants of any and every being he came across to increase his power. Though unfortunately for him, after becoming the ruler of these lands, the Rupturing took place, releasing millions of monstrosities and Apocryphal ones onto the lands. Coupled with the fact he had his Origin crumbled, stopping his regeneration of Essence, he had to navigate the new rules of reality, forming Aspect and reforming his broken Runic Ecritures. Though, he faced utter annihilation when battling a genius Apocryphal God.
____
My eyes wanted to fall out of my head.
I had just eaten the soul of a god!
And with the utter abundance of Law essences that most from my home world weren't even capable of dreaming about…
Then, looking into my origin and examining the seas of Aspect and Law essence…
It explained how I had so much energy without even cultivating Laws of my mind.
I had stolen it straight from the soul of Qatar!
Along with this amalgamation of energy within my soul, I was able to peer into the workings of Aspect essence, understanding it's benefits.
{Congratulations! You have successfully formed Aspect Essence and understood it, you have broken into the next realm, [Aspect Essence].}
{Congratulations, you have condensed so much energy, that your Aspect Essence has turned into corporeal seas within your origin! You have broken into the next realm, [Aspect Sea].}
The two screens appeared before as I had multiple epiphanies, the knowledge of how to formulate Aspect Essence and condense it into corporeal seas, flowing around in my mind.
I kept getting level up after level up…
"This is…" The words couldn't even leave my throat.
My mind was boggled.
The more time I spent in this place- The Deadlands, the more my memories came back to.
I had understood it all now.
I was a normal human.
A human, who worked a simple job, dreaming of being like the heroes.
Being like the heroes that used the Laws that defied reality, letting them fly, peer into the future, spew flames out of their mouth.
They were supernatural existences!
I aspired to be like them.
I wanted to be a hero too, to be someone others could rely on.
I wanted to smile back at the civilians I saved from the meteors that often rained down on the world.
Or even to save them from those titanic beasts that too used the Laws to alter reality.
I wanted to be special.
But my view was changed easily.
It was changed the day I watched a hero brutally murder both my parents, simply because they 'disrespected his authority'.
It opened my eyes, showing me the darker side of the 'heroes'.
From then on, I saw most heroes in a different light, easily being able to pick up on their arrogant norms.
I sat on my bed every night, trying to beat the odds and comprehend one of the Lesser, known, Laws.
The Law of Fire.
I came up with theories day and night, trying to understand what the Law of Fire stood for, what it imposed on reality, and how it could be utilized.
And eventually, I succeeded!
I felt the energy swirl inside of my stomach, opening my eyes, letting them peer into my soul.
It was a dream come true! I would be able to become a hero, a true hero that lived for the sake of his people.
But then, before I could even bask in my own power, the earth split, buildings falling apart as I could feel an ethereal energy pass over my body.
With it came a sight I would forever ingrain within my mind.
{Apocalypse is coming and the [Primordial Sage] has decided to assist the existences of the Astral.}
{With her gift of the Infinite System, rise to power and combat the monstrosities of the void, and the Apocryphal ones of Asterisk!}
{You, Julius Randell, have a grand fate! Be a memorable character that rises to power. A character that led his people to victory over the apocalypse. Save this reality!}
It was multiple blue panels that shed light on my situation.
Granting a small bit of information.
"A grand fate?…" Were the only words I were able to speak, when a dark tear in reality formed within my very own room…
Out of it came a strange, armored, horned humanoid.
It had black scaly skin, two horns protruding out of the sides of its unusually shaped head.
The crystalized spikes jutting out of its back, and the metallic claws on its hands and feet only added to it's demonic aura.
Before my mind could even process what it was seeing, the creature had dashed towards me.
Everything went black in an instant…
I had been killed by an Apocryphal one, as I had assumed, and with the latent essences I had from my first incarnation as the Human Progenitor, I found myself within the Deadlands…
I awoke in front of the body of a god, and that was only the beginning of the story.
"A grand fate." I repeated from my memory, looking towards the corpse in front of me, and the panel displaying my power off to the side.
"I will save this reality." I set my goal, the will within me flaring, fate unknowingly churning above my head, as the tides of destiny started to move.
"I will save this reality!"
…
…
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