80 Chapter 79: Cosmic Transcendent
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In the sky above Stronghold City, the Demon King's Castle continued growing bigger and stronger. The energy of the three Manifestations that died at the hands of Anna flowed into the Demon Castle's Core, which shone with a beautiful purple crystalline luster.
The figure of a silver-eyed man sitting next to the crystal smiled, and a shadow behind him, resembling a huge, grotesque fly started to laugh, the demon's manifestation becoming larger and much stronger.
"It seems three more fools have fallen for it," laughed the man.
"Indeed, their sacrifices will further fuel our plans," the demon spoke. "We only need a bit more time, though—a few more days."
"Hm, that'll align well with the speech the mayor of this city will make. We might as well strike when he speaks," laughed the man.
"That sounds delightfully devilish, human… Although, where is your demonic sister? The one that is a vessel?" wondered the fly.
"Annabelle? She is alive, somewhere. I don't know exactly what happened to her, but she's somewhere. She'll find us eventually," the girl's brother was completely uninterested in her safety. "For now, our very existence already sends fear into people's hearts. By sitting right here, I can feel their fear, screams, and horror... How amusing that the safest city in America has now become the most endangered."
Surrounding him were the figures of his powerful followers and "family", all smiling deviously. All except for one, who was still concerned and doubting herself.
.
.
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(Anna's POV)
When I woke up, I my entire body was filled with pain. Ugh, it still hurts a bit. Replacing my heart with a huge crystal was already crazy, but nobody told me using my new powers would make me suffer so much!
Well, it's not like I can use those powers as much anymore...
[You have used most of your Cosmic Essence.]
[Thanks to the presence of the [Fallen Constellation: Sepa] within your Cosmic Core, your Cosmic Essence will regenerate over time naturally.]
[Now that your Cosmic Essence levels have lowered, your body has fully stabilized.]
[Overusing this power will bring great strength, but also great backlash. Being careful is recommended when utilizing this new power.]
Is it just me, or is the System reprimanding me or something? I mean, if I didn't use the power, my brother would be dead! Also, I felt completely crazy when I used it. I could barely hold on to my sanity.
Somehow I could, which seems almost impossible, even more so when I don't possess a constellation like my brother. In the novel, he does something similar really late in the story, in the Third Awakening event.
Could the reason behind my reasoning still existing in that form be that Soul Fragment that Gaia gave me as a Privilege? And perhaps my other weird Skills.
I might as well check my Status before anything else. I'm currently in my bedroom alone, so I can assume everyone thinks I'm sleeping.
[You have opened your Status. But wait! There's more.]
[The Concentration of Cosmic Essence has created a brand-new Skill: [Cosmic Transcendent: Lv1 (SSS)]!]
[Your Physique has evolved thanks to your new Cosmic Crystal Core Heart.] [All of your Stats have increased.]
[Some of your Skills have leveled up.]
[You have unlocked the Cosmic Energy Stat, or CE, for short.]
[You have unlocked Spacetime Attribute Magic Affinity through the [Great Sorceress (S)] Skill.] [The [Little Sister: Lv5 (E)] Skill has leveled up to Level 6, its Rank has increased to D Rank!] [A New Effect has been unlocked from within it!]
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[Little Sister (D): Lv6]
[Skill EXP]: [0/6000]
You are the Little Sister—weak, frail, but cute. You may gain the favor of others. Enhances CHM growth per level.
You are the Side Character who has realized their existence and knows the end and beginning of this story.
Despite being a Little Sister your very existence can now shape and change the story.
Additionally, as the one who Read the Story, you're naturally immune to mental attacks, mind control, insanity, and mind-bending powers.
What is fictional and what is real?
Level Bonus (6): Enhances All Skill Effects by +60%.
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Huh? What is this cryptic description? But I guess this effect… it is nice, I suppose. Yeah, I will take it, I guess.
[Many Constellations are in awe of your feats and accomplishments!]
[Several Constellations are happy that you are alive!]
[Some new Constellations have gained interest in you.]
[You've received a new Title: [Transcendent]!]
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[Transcendent]
A Title bestowed only on mortals who have transcended their limits and achieved a power beyond their limitations, even if temporarily, is a feat worth celebrating and being praised for.
Effects: +100 HP, MP, STR, VIT, DEX, AGI, INT, WIS, +50 CE. Skill and Magic Damage increases by +100%. Bonus Stats will rise as you grow stronger.
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A new title, huh? Not bad at all, and if the bonuses get better as I grow stronger, it is a growth-type Title! Those are the best ones any Awakener could get.
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[Player Name]: [Anna]
[Title]: [Protagonist's Little Sister] [Huntress]
[Physique]: [Twelve Colored Stars Physique (Tier 2: Rank 1)]
[Level]: [40/40]
[EXP]: [--/--]
[HP]: [1050/1050]
[MP]: [910/910]
[KI]: [450/450]
[CE]: [59/150]
[STR]: [760]
[VIT]: [700]
[DEX]: [788]
[AGI]: [864]
[INT]: [777]
[WIS]: [810]
[LUC]: [-15000]
[CHM]: [12500]
[Innate Skills (19)]
[Little Sister (D): Lv6] [Gatherer (D): Lv6] [Crafting (E): Lv4] [Mana Sense (D): Lv8] [Twin Cutter (D): Lv6] [Venom Secretion (D): Lv6] [Charlatan (D): Lv6] [Sunshine (B): Lv6] [Cooking (E): Lv3] [Alchemy (D): Lv5] [Anubis' Judgement (S): Lv2] [Ruler of the Dead (S): Lv2] [Divine Eye of Truth (S): Lv3] [Crafty Trickster (C): Lv2] [Half-Beast Demonic Transformation (B): Lv6] [Sunlight Blade (B): Lv3] [Great Sorceress (S): Lv4] [Eye of Anubis (A): Lv2] [Dagger Arts (C): Lv3] [Cosmic Transcendent: Lv1 (SSS)]
[Privileges (11)]
[Maiden of Life (S Rank Privilege)] [Jester's Reverse Fortune (S Rank Privilege)] [Death's Little Sister (B Rank Privilege)] [Spartan Army Commander (B Rank Privilege)] [Sun's Beloved Maiden (E Rank Privilege)] [Super Beam of Love (D Rank Privilege)] [Angelic Eyes (D Rank Privilege)] [Little Sister's Cheerful Rally (E Rank Privilege)] [Let's be Friends! (F Rank Privilege)] [Little Rabbit's Fearlessness (F Rank Privilege)] [Heartwarming Bear Hug (F Rank Privilege)]
[Plot Points]: [11500] [Skill Points: 320] [Stat Points: 360]
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Wow, all right, my stats did increase by a lot. Amazing. And I have tons of Skill Points and Stat Points yet to use. With that, I can probably grow a bit stronger. And maybe get a new Fusion Skill, perhaps.
My Stats are finally looking more decent, and I might not have to always rely on transformation skills, or buffs from potions, weapons, or armor anymore. though I will because things might only get crazier from now on.
However, before even thinking deeply about everything that happened, I need to look at another little thing that has caught my attention.
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[Cosmic Transcendent: Lv1 (SSS)]
[Skill EXP]: [0/10000]
A Unique Power bestowed only on those who have transcended beyond mortals' strength, even if only temporarily. A manifestation of your Cosmic Energy, and the mediator that'll aid you in absorbing more of this power, evolving it, and growing further as you walk a path nobody has ever walked before.
Increases Cosmic Energy Regeneration Speed, Cosmic Energy Absorption Speed, Cosmic Energy Mastery, Cosmic Energy Might, and Cosmic Energy Comprehension by +100% with each Skill Level.
By spending over 100 Cosmic Energy Points at once, the user can undergo a {Cosmic Transcendence Transformation}, which grants a unique Transformation, the ability to conjure Spacetime and Starlight Magic without Mana, increases All Stats by +500%, and grants the power of activating {Constellation's Aura} based on the user's Divinities, which can be further utilized through {Cosmic Transcendent Arts}.
Additionally, by utilizing small Quantities of Cosmic Energy, the user can enjoy several special abilities, such as {Starlight's Map}, {Cosmic Eyes}, {Transcendental Senses}, and {Universal Comprehension}. Each Skill Level will increase this Skill's special abilities and effects power.
If Cosmic Energy is overused, a great backlash will be suffered, which could lead to death. The user must be careful when utilizing these powers.
Level Bonus (1): Increases All Stats by +50%, Decreases Damage Taken by -25%, and Increases Skill and Magic Damage by +50% when using Cosmic Energy.
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The sight of this huge text wall left me rather flabbergasted. The abilities contained within this Skill were rather ridiculous. Is it even fair for me to attain such power so fast? Well, it comes with several limitations, so it could not be said to be complete either.
If I overuse this power like before, one wrong step and it would be over. I would probably explode into pieces. I have to learn how to regulate this power and slowly master it.
The best would be for me to learn how to use it in exceedingly small quantities and leave this new transformation for emergencies.
If possible, do not use it unless needed; I still have my Anubis Judgement and Beast Transformation Skills. And they are much less dangerous to use than this skill, which could literally kill me if I use it wrong.
Holding this power feels like I am carrying a time bomb. Not only would I get vaporized if I did something wrong, but even my friends could be negatively affected.
Anyways, a lot happened. What we thought was the attack of some giant golems ended up becoming a huge battle against the strongest apostles so far.
And it was not just one guy, but three at once mixed together. No wonder they were so strong, despite these guys being the weakest of the twelve.
I was wondering that while they fought, yet now it makes sense, I suppose.
I can feel that Dan Baihe and Annabelle are alive, and Violet and Snow are sleeping in this room as of now, but I'm worried about Jack and Henrietta.
I quickly took out another potion from my Inventory and drank it. Feeling slightly more revitalized, I stepped out of my bedroom, doing some quick warm-up stretches.
"Hey! What is wrong with you?! Can't you sleep a bit more at the very least?!" ["Why though? My wielder has to be a diligent person."]
Suddenly, two voices spoke in my head. It was Sepa and Gram.
"Ah, right, I had forgotten about you," I sighed, remembering my necklace holding Sepa's stone was gone.
What happened was that the stone sealing her fused with my Cosmic Crystal Core… It was something she did on her own volition to help me stabilize the energy.
And it was perhaps thanks to her that I was able to transform too and defeat the trio of villainous demons. I have to admit it; I owe her a lot.
But now, she is no longer something like a familiar I hold… We share the same body. It is a similar bond to Fenrir with my brother; ugh, how ironic.
Although it is a giant centipede Egyptian goddess nobody knows and not a cool-ass evil wolf son of Loki that eats gods, the difference is really big.
"I can't completely read your mind, but I can tell you're comparing me with Fenrir, aren't you, brat?"
Suddenly, a small, adorable, phantasmal gold and blue-colored centipede surged from my neck, wrapping around my shoulders and cracking her mandibles angrily.
"Oh wow, you're so small now…" I laughed a bit. "What happened to you?"
"What happened?! I had to sacrifice over half my body to save your sorry ass! That's what happened! Ugh! Now I'm forever stuck with your stupid teenager body!" she complained.
"Thanks," I smiled sincerely.
"…S-Shut up!" she barked angrily. "I only did this because, by the contract, I would have died if you did, so it is better to just... do this, ugh. I'm going to sleep now, so don't make too much noise."
She flew back into my chest, sleeping inside my new heart.
I guess that's going to be an everyday thing from now on. Ugh.
Meanwhile, Gram materialized in front of me, floating in the air. Yeah, this guy is able to store himself inside of my inventory and come out whenever he feels like it.
["Well, now that the annoying bug is gone, how about we do some exercise? You've got a demon castle to destroy later. So let's prepare, you incompetent brat! Do a thousand sit-ups and pushups, and then run three hundred kilometers!"]
I ignored his words, completely ghosting him as I opened my bedroom door and found my brother and Henrietta...
Kissing.
"Ohohoo…"
This looked much better than in the Webtoon adaptation of the novel. "Uwaah?! A-Anna?!"
"Eh? You're awake!"
"Oh, please, don't mind me, continue!" I laughed.
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